Twisted Tales

Isabelle Revealed

"You've just hexed your boyfriend," Ron says in disbelief, leading everyone towards the forest. Not really knowing how to shake off the others, Ron and I silently decided to just let them come along. Neville, Ginny, and Luna aren't bad company and I'm sure they'll make Harry feel safer going into the task ahead of him.

"Indeed I have," I give him a cheery smile, understanding the astonishment, the little gleam in his eye. None of them ever thought I'd be willing to go that far. "Where are we going?"

"He went all ashen-faced and then just hit the ground," Ron continues on, holding a hand to his forehead and letting his eyes roll back in his head, tongue stuck out.

"I'm sure he'll be just fine," though I'm not sure if I'm saying it for him or myself. Draco will likely accept my apology, understand it was better I did it than any of the others. I still feel bad about it. I never wanted him to get hurt in any of this. "Care to share where you're taking us?"

"And the others," Ron babbles on excitedly, letting out a cheery laugh as he remembers our less than valiant escape. Ginny and I were the only ones who actually had to raise our wands. "I knew they'd fall for the sweets. Crabbe and Goyle are always – "

"Ron!" Ginny grabs her brother by the shoulder, wheeling him around. "Where are we going?"

"Oh! Into the forest," Ron gives a little shudder as if remember something he'd rather not. "Not my first pick, but I think I understood what Hermione was on about back there, plus that's where I saw them heading through the window."

"What's in the forest?" Luna questions.

Ron grimaces, "Hagrid's little brother."

We all fall into silence, continuing to follow Ron deeper into the forest. It's eerily quiet today, no usual sounds of birds or other creatures reaching this far in. Ron's stop is so sudden it sends Ginny crashing into him. Neville and I have to grab both by the back of their shirts to keep them from falling. The voices cutting through the silence alerts me to why he'd decided on the sudden stop. Harry and Hermione appear to be having some kind of disagreement. She's got her arms folded over her chest, a deep scowl set on her lips. Though I can't see Harry's face, his back is turned to our small group, his shoulders are squared and he's talking with his hands a sure sign of agitation.

"Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?" Hermione shoots back at a comment none of us heard, once again trying to poke holes in the boy's plans. I wish she'd shut up. He needs to do this. Has to do it.

"Yeah, we were wondering that too," No point hiding here behind the trees all night. We need to get going. "I was thinking Floo powder. Now that Umbridge is out of the way her fireplace is open."

Harry whips around, his features settling when he sees it's just us, "I used the last of the powder to see if Sirius was home, which – " he turns back to Hermione giving her a cold stare " – he wasn't."

"So," Ron steps forward to hand Harry and Hermione their wands back, "had any other ideas?"

"How did you get away?" Harry ignores Ron's question, likely to give himself more time to think.

Ron shrugs as if he wasn't just gloating about the details, "Told them I was hungry, course the lot of 'em decided they wanted the sweets for themselves. Everyone ended up vomiting. Well, everyone but Malfoy and Parkinson. Ginny got the girl with a Jelly Legs Jinx and Isabelle hexed Malfoy."

"You hexed Malfoy?" Harry asks in disbelief, raising an eyebrow in suspicion, trying to hide the smile rising to his lips.

"Is it really that surprising?"