Poisoned Youth | ✓

44- Determination

Hermione and I went home for Christmas and spent it with our families. It seemed as though our parents have become friends during our absence throughout the school year. Christmas morning we spent it at my house while Christmas dinner was spent at Hermione's. Harry and Ron had gone to the Burrow as we weren't on best terms with them.

Seeing as Hermione and I had gotten back before most people had, we decided to pay Hagrid a visit and thank him for our lovely Christmas presents of rock scones and sweets. Just before dinnertime, Hermione and I went back to Gryffindor tower as we had become icicles.

Turning the corner, I saw the familiar builds of Harry, Ron, and Ginny.

"Harry! Ginny!" Hermione said before I could call out to them.

Pulling me along, we ran up to them.

"We got back a couple of hours ago, I've just been down to visit Hagrid and Buck — I mean Witherwings," she said breathlessly. "Did you have a good Christmas?"

"Yeah," said Ron at once, "pretty eventful, Rufus Scrim —"

"I've got something for you," said Hermione, neither looking at Ron nor giving any sign that she had heard him. "Oh, hang on— password. Abstinence."

"Precisely," said the Fat Lady in a feeble voice, and swung forward to reveal the portrait hole.

"What's up with her?" asked Harry.

"Overindulged over Christmas, apparently," I said, rolling my eyes as I led the way into the packed common room. "She and her friend Violet drank their way through all the wine in that picture of drunk monks down by the Charms corridor. Anyways, Hermione, give him the letter."

She rummaged in her pocket for a moment, then pulled out a scroll of parchment with Dumbledore's writing on it.

"Great," said Harry, unrolling it at once to discover that his next lesson with Dumbledore was scheduled for the following night. "I've got loads to tell him— and you. Let's sit down —"

But at that moment there was a loud squeal of "Won-Won!" and Lavender Brown came hurtling out of nowhere and flung herself into Ron's arms.

Hermione gave a tinkling laugh and said, "There's a table over here. Iverson, Ginny, coming?"

"No, thanks, I said I'd meet Dean," said Ginny. Ginny walked over to Dean while Harry sat down with Hermione and me.

"So how was your Christmas?" he asked

"Oh, fine," I shrugged. "Nothing special, we spent it with our families.

"How was it at Won-Won's?" Hermione raised a brow.

"I'll tell you in a minute," said Harry. "Look, Hermione, can't you —?"

"No, I can't," she said flatly. "So don't even ask."

"I thought maybe, you know, over Christmas —"

"It was the Fat Lady who drank a vat of five-hundred-year-old wine, Harry, not me. So what was this important news you wanted to tell us?"

She looked too fierce to argue with at that moment, so Harry dropped the subject of Ron and recounted all that he had overheard between Malfoy, Ward, and Snape. When he had finished, I sat in thought for a moment and then said, "Don't you think —?"

"— he was pretending to offer help so that he could trick them into telling him what they're doing?"

"Well, yes," I said.

"Ron's dad and Lupin think so," Harry said grudgingly. "But this definitely proves Malfoy's planning something, you can't deny that."

"No, I can't," I answered slowly. "What do you think, Hermione?"