𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅, george weasley

chapter 6 - troll in the dungeon

Ileana woke up the next morning feeling completely exhausted. Hermione as well, although she hadn't said a word to Ileana as the two of them walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Ileana guessed that she was still mad about last night.

   Harry and Ron had already arrived.

   "He seemed shocked." said Ron when she sat down next to him.

   "Who?"

   "Malfoy." Ron jutted his chin towards the Slytherin table. "Probably expected us to get caught."

   "Ileana, remember that news about the Gringotts robbery?" said Harry.

   "Yeah."

   "Well..."

   Harry filled her in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts before he came to the school. They spent a long time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.

    "It's either really valuable or really dangerous," Ileana said.

   "Or both." said Harry.

   But for all they knew, the mysterious object was about two inches long and that they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues. Neither Neville or Hermione showed much interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.

   "I think she's still mad," Ileana told Harry and Ron.

   "Who?" aske Harry.

   "Hermione." she said pointedly.

   "She hasn't said a word to us," said Ron. "I take it as a bonus."

   Ileana pressed her lips in a thin line. Deep down inside, she knew that Hermione had good intentions. She just has a problem getting them across in a way that doesn't annoy people, God knows Harry and Ron are. But Ileana doesn't know how she would convince them otherwise.

   Then the owls came in, as usual. Ileana watched Duster swoop down from the ceiling and drop an envelope on top of her plate. Mrs. Castro wrote her a letter, updating on business at the Ministry and how Libby's been coping with her gone (She visited your room only three times this week. That's five less than last).

   Harry however, received a long thin package carried by six screech owls. He was as interested as everyone else to see what was in the large package. The owls dropped his package on the table, barely getting out of the way when another owl had dropped a letter on top of the parcel.

   He ripped open the letter first, read it, and had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note over to Ron and Ileana.

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.

It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one.

Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch pitch at seven o'clock for your first training session.

Professor M. McGonagall

   "A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one."

   "Nice!" Ileana exclaimed. "The nicest broomstick Mum owns is a Comet 220. It doesn't compare to a Nimbus."

   They left the Hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first lesson, but halfway across the Entrance Hall the way upstairs was blocked by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.