Chapter 48: The Plotting Potions Professor
The next week passed by painfully for Harry. Ron was getting moody because Hermione had spent half her free time in the library (or half “their” free-time as Ron referred to it); Hermione, it seemed, had not yet unearthed anything interesting concerning Ophelia Cunningham or her connection to Voldemort. In the meantime, Katie had not approached Harry, and frankly he was a little frightened to attempt reconciliation again so soon. They passed each other with tense silences all week, and Harry felt like he was dying inside.
On top of that, Ginny was still hanging out with Luna “ but they had now moved their mealtimes to the Gryffindor table, and Luna kept stating her upfront opinion on Harry’s problem, as usual. Not that he disliked Luna, but he wasn’t up to having her tell him that he ‘clearly loved Katie’ and that he should ‘just tell her whatever is on his mind’ ten times a day.
It was understandable, then, that he approached the breakfast table wearily that Friday morning. He had already had a run-in with Katie who was being followed puppy-dog-like by Michael Corners. Michael had thrown Harry a look of utmost superiority, but Harry found small satisfaction in the clarity of Katie’s annoyance with her tag-a-long friend. To his immense relief, Luna had not yet arrived to give Harry the update on his own life.
He sat down next to Hermione and poured himself a glass of pumpkin-juice.
“It’s a bit late for you to be still eating, shouldn’t you have set off for the library by now?” Harry asked her.
“No. Waiting for the Daily Prophet, it hasn’t arrived yet,” Hermione said distractedly as she checked over what appeared to be Ron’s Charms essay. Harry groaned as he realized he had left his own upstairs. Deciding he would get it after he finished his breakfast, he added treacle to his porridge and began to eat quickly. It was then that several owls fluttered into the Great Hall, each obviously carrying a copy of the Daily Prophet.
“Finally,” Hermione sighed as she paid her owl and unrolled the paper, and passing Ron’s essay back to him. Her eyes immediately began to scan the page, and she let out sound of disgust.
“What’s the matter?” Ron said, fixing his Charm’s essay.
“They’ve done a special story on Death Eaters “ it looks like we’ve got more to worry about…” she replied painfully.
“Let me see,” Harry asked anxiously and Hermione handed him the paper.
Death Eaters Swelling In Ranks, Sharpening Agenda
Early this morning the Department of Magical Law Enforcement issued a statement to the magical community estimating the total You-Know-Who’s active followers to be at least 70 witches and wizards.
“We are unaware of how he has gathered so many supporters so quietly, but it has become a huge concern,” Department Head Kingsley Shacklebolt said. “We are using all our resources to prevent any more people being persuaded into the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”
Ministry officials have also noted that the activities of You-Know-Who’s followers have become more focused, and less set on mere death and destruction.
“Random Muggle violence and killings has decreased significantly, though not completely,” Shacklebolt said. “It seems they have shifted their agenda to what they consider more ‘time-worthy’ causes. More Ministry workers have been attacked, some have been found under the Imperius Curse, even, and important documents have been stolen from our offices.”
The increase in suspicious and mysterious curses and hexes being used on Ministry workers has been so great, that a new ward has been opened at St. Mungo’s for the sole purpose of tending to victim’s of the said crimes.
“We get at least two new cases a day,” Healer-in-charge Katherine Bell said. “The Aurors are, of course, very interested in each case and it is important that they get as much information from the victim as possible; at the same time we’re expected to heal the patients. It’s getting almost unmanageable. So much that St. Mungo’s is in need of more Healers from the stress of it.”
On top of this, the Department is also having trouble containing Death Eaters who have been caught, including those caught at the home of recently-murdered Ministry Official Arthur Weasley after his death on New Year’s Day.
“There has already been one escape of Death Eater’s we’d captured since the loss of Azkaban “ Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix LeStrange. We are still investigating the circumstances of this escape in order to prevent the same thing happening again,” Shacklebolt said.
Bellatrix LeStrange was recaptured among the Death Eaters at the Weasley home; Lucius Malfoy, however, remains at large.
“What’s it say, Harry?” Ron asked when he’d finished fixing his essay. Harry looked up nervously and read the article to Ron “ excluding the parts that had anything to do with Mr. Weasley’s death. Hermione threw him a curious look, but caught on quickly before taking the paper back from Harry.
“Katherine Bell, she’s not Katie’s mum by any chance?” Hermione asked.
“Yeah “ she is. She’s a really successful Healer “ so is Katie’s dad. So she’s got a lot of pressure on her to pass all her N.E.W.T.’s this year,” Harry said, thinking wistfully of Katie.
“She must be very good, to be in charge of that ward. It’s a very important responsibility,” Hermione said, taking no notice of Harry’s emotion. Despite her accusations against Ron and himself, Hermione could be quite tactless herself at times, Harry thought.
“I’ve got to go get my Charms essay,” he said uncomfortably, and taking the last swig of his pumpkin juice and left for Gryffindor Tower. As he traveled up the marble staircase he noticed a rat squeak past him and run off for the dungeons. Harry felt rage flare up inside him, and if it hadn’t been for the numerous students chatting around him, he might not have been able to contain his desire to run after what he knew to be Peter Pettigrew, seize him by the tail, hit him with a good hex and fling him out into the lake for the Giant Squid to devour.
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“So, Harry “ have you talked to Katie, yet?” Ron asked tentatively that Sunday afternoon while they sat answering questions for Transfiguration homework.
“If I had, I don’t see why I’d tell you…” Harry said moodily.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ron asked.
“Well, you couldn’t keep your mouth shut last time I asked you to keep a secret,” Harry snapped, smearing the ink on his parchment as he did so.
“I’m sorry about that, Hermione can be quite persistent sometimes,” Ron said.
“Yeah, Ron “ I know.”
Ron couldn’t be sure if this was a good or bad response, so he just decided to leave it as it was and he returned to his own homework. It wasn’t long before Hermione came bouncing into the common room, her face aglow with what seemed to be success.
“What’re you so happy about?” Ron asked her, amused.
“I found information on Ophelia Cunningham,” she said proudly.
“Really, what did you find…” Ron asked. Harry turned his attention to the two of him.
“Ophelia Cunningham was Head Girl while Tom Riddle was Head Boy. Of course, I can’t believe it took me so long before I thought of checking the Heads list, but there you have it.”
“So she must have known Tom Riddle pretty well “ it would have been impossible for the two of them to not have talked if they were Heads together…” Ron said.
“Once I found out she was Head Girl, I decided to check the Trophy Room. Turns out she was also the Keeper on the Quidditch Team, but that’s not important,” she added dismissively.
Ron glowered at her.
“Not that being Keeper isn’t important “ it’s just not important to our case,” Hermione said as quickly and as sweetly as possible.
“So, that’s all you found?” Harry asked impatiently.
“Yes “ but it’s better than nothing,” Hermione responded coolly.
“Whatever…” Harry said dully, returning to his homework.
“Well, I don’t see you doing anything to help!” Hermione snapped.
Harry simply ignored her, and Ron sensing his foul mood told Hermione to drop it, and she fell silent. It was at this moment that they were passed by Seamus and Lavender who, holding hands, settled themselves into a cozy corner of the room, talking and looking very snug indeed. Ginny joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione and cast a patronizing look at the two of them in the corner.
Ron looked incredibly confused, he looked from Ginny to Seamus and Lavendar before looking back to Ginny and asking, dumbstruck, “What’s going on?”
“Yes,” Hermione said. “I thought Dean was getting all friendly with Lavender, what’s she doing with Seamus?”
Ginny gave a small laugh.
“Apparently, Dean was only trying to find out if she was interested in Seamus “ kind of a favor to him,” she replied amusedly.
“What? Well, why didn’t he tell you that?” Hermione asked incredulously. .
“Apparently he tried to, but I was so distracted with everything else, I wasn’t listening the first couple of times, and I refused to listen the last several times… It’s for the best, anyway,” she said sounding thoroughly unconcerned. “We’re at completely different places in my life, and he just didn’t understand me as well my real friends do…”
“Well, I never liked the two of you together anyway,” Ron said, as though it settled the matter.
---
Days later, Harry was still in a bad mood. He kept thinking angrily of Pettigrew and Malfoy’s presence within the castle He was still a bit upset with Ron for selling him out to Hermione, and Hermione was determined to prove the importance of her information on Ophelia Cunningham “ both were decreasing his desire to share the secrets of his Legilemency powers with them.
The news of the Death Eaters increase in strength and new acuteness in operation hadn’t settled well with him, either. And of course, he and Katie were still not talking. This had upset him more than anything “ at least with Katie he had someone to make him feel better.
Harry descended to the dungeons early that Wednesday morning for Potions class. He felt the cold air hit him increasing his gloom even more, if it was possible. He entered Professor Alchemina’s classroom, glad to see that she had lit fires along the stone walls, and found himself to be the only student there. He wasn’t surprised at all, it was twenty minutes before class. He made to sit down and pull out his essay to check it over again when he heard Alchemina’s voice from inside her office. She was talking with someone, someone with a voice Harry did not recognize. There was a crack where the door was open, through which he could see the flicker of green flames. Unable to curb his curiosity, he laid his book-bag on the desk and crept over near the door where he could hear her better.
“…so you’ve followed the instructions I gave you carefully?” a man’s voice said.
“Yes, of course,” he heard Alchemina respond.
“And the man…
“Remus Lupin.”
“You understand how important it is that he be kept in the dark…”
“Yes, I do.”
“And you’re dosing him as well I assume?”
“In his morning coffee as you suggested.”
“And nobody is aware that you are up to anything?”
“Of course not. I’m not a fool, I know this can’t be exposed. I understand the consequences. I understand that no one can know”
“Very well then Alexandria, I’ll be in touch.”
Harry heard a pop, and was able to unfreeze himself from his place against the wall and dash back to his seat just as Alchemina opened her office door and stepped into the classroom. She looked startled to see Harry, but she smiled warmly at him.
“Good morning, Mr. Potter. Eager for class this morning?”
“Yeah…” he replied tonelessly. “Eager for class.”