Chapter 11 The Fall
Harry had always drawn more than his share of furtive looks and giggles from his fellow students, but on Sunday it was worse. The girls were especially bad. Rumors of what had happened at the wedding had spread through the castle almost as fast as a secret. Noisy groups of them went quiet when he approached. He heard sighs behind his back. He caught glimpses of longing stares from first and second year girls he had never met. Ginny looked like she had been crying. Cho blew him a kiss in the middle of the Great Hall, in front of everyone. In general the boys were not as bad, but only because they were a bit slower to absorb the gossip. Those in the know were either threatening him or teasing him. Dean Thomas frowned at him whenever he passed, he was angry about Ginny. Michael Corner glared at him and made sure that Harry saw his wand. Did he plan on dueling for Cho?
Dennis Creevy invented the phrase. He was joking, but very few boys laughed. When the girls heard Dennis, they tended to giggle and turn red.
Harry Potter was The Love King.
Hermione seemed irritable and nervous. She stayed very close to Harry.
"You've got to talk to Ron," Hermione whispered urgently, "today."
Ron was sitting at the other end of the Gryffindor table. He looked angry and formidable. Harry knew that Hermione was right.
Harry followed Ron up to the Gryffindor common room. There were several third year students there so Harry felt he could approach Ron without being attacked.
"Ron," Harry began.
Ron turned and glared at him without speaking.
"You are my best friend," Harry stated. "We've got to talk about Hermione."
"What's there to talk about?" he asked angrily. "You and Hermione are a couple. And I'm out of it."
"Ron you're not out of it. You're our friend," Harry said earnestly. "We need friends. I need your help."
"Seems like you two are doing fine without my help," he said grimly.
"Ron you care about her. We're in love. Be happy for us. Be afraid for us," Harry asked.
"What!" he shouted. "What do you mean be afraid for you?"
"She's Harry Potter's girlfriend," Harry said. "That's not good. I'm always in trouble. What if I don't get away with it some day? I might as well have painted a target on her back."
"You want me to help you protect her, is that it?" Ron asked bitterly.
"That's it exactly," Harry said. "Will you help me do it?"
Ron sighed. "Am I your best man?" he asked.
"Absolutely," Harry answered.
"Do I get to kiss the bride?" Ron asked.
"Once or twice, I'm not greedy," Harry stated.
"Alright Harry, we're friends." Ro said.
They shook hands and looked around. They hadn't noticed the crowd gathering around them in the common room. Hermione was crying, but smiling. Luna Lovegood was standing beside her.
"When did you join Gryffindor?" Ron asked Luna.
"Oh… Ronald… I…" she stammered. Then she regained her composure and tried to talk in her usual dreamy sort of way. "I just wondered if Ginny wanted to study charms and transfigurations with me. We have our O.W.L.s this year."
On Monday Professor Sprout substituted for Professor Lupin in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She talked about evil uses of plants and enchantments that could be placed on plants. She knew a lot about the Whomping Willow and how a similar but temporary enchantment could turn an ordinary tree into a dangerous trap.
Hermione hovered around Harry, but Ginny Weasley managed to give Harry a big hug and a kiss in a corridor when Hermione wasn't looking. About a dozen girls were openly flirting with Harry at every opportunity. Hermione retaliated by using Harry's sock to tie back her hair with the words "Property of Harry Potter" clearly visible. Harry felt like crawling under a rock.
At lunch Ron quietly promised Harry that he would have a talk with Ginny. He had seen what had happened to Hermione's wand at the wedding, and he knew that many girls had gotten a signal from Harry as strong as the one Ginny had. George had told Ron all about it. Ron had bet a Galleon and five Sickles against George.
As the three left the Great Hall, Ron said to Harry, "You know mate, you're going to hurt Hermione's feelings if you don't do something about all of these girls that are flirting with you. But I'll help you out. Just send them to me and I'll help them get over you."
A salt cellar from the Ravenclaw table bounced off the side of Ron's head.
That evening Harry took Hermione to the Quidditch pitch to try out her new broom. It was a good broom with excellent handling characteristics and an extra large zone that was enchanted with a cushioning spell. This feature turned out to be useful as Hermione got off to a shaky start until Harry climbed onto the broom with her.
On Tuesday morning the second year Slytherin boy who had been questioned after the search of the castle was found hanging in the owlery.
On Wednesday morning Harry and Ron met Hermione at the door of the hospital. She had her wand out and would not leave the hospital until Harry and Ron took theirs out too. She walked very close to Harry, holding his left hand with her left hand behind her back. As they passed through the entry hall she stopped and spun around to check behind them without letting go of Harry's hand.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
She paused, "is my hair sticking out of my nurse's cap at odd angles?" she asked.
Yes, it is," Harry admitted, "but it's early in the morning so I won't tease you."
"Harry has no business teasing anybody about bad hair," Ron quipped.
"I'm scared of my own shadow," she admitted.
"Why are you so jumpy?" Ron asked. "Has there been another murder?"
"Professor McGonagall was knocked off a balcony last night by a potted plant," she said.
"Was she killed?" Harry asked in horror.
"No, she changed into a cat on the way down and landed on her feet," Hermione said as she looked at all of the nooks and crannies in the great room above them. "She broke both arms and both legs, plus the head injury. She's in the hospital today."
"That's two attacks this week," Ron observed. "If there wasn't a war on, they'd close the school. They might do that anyway."
They cautiously continued on to Gryffindor tower so Hermione could get a nap before morning classes.
An hour later Harry and Ron sat down in the great hall for breakfast. They had scarcely eaten a bite when the Daily Prophet arrived. Madam Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbaton Academy, had been murdered. Harry and Ron abandoned their breakfast and quietly walked to Hagrid's cottage.
Harry and Ron met Hermione in Potions class and told her the news about Madam Maxime. It was almost enough to drive the thoughts about Professor McGonagall out of their minds, until Professor Sprout showed up. Professor Snape would be substituting in Transfiguration classes today. The subject of the day in Potions class had been changed to herbal concoctions.
Professor Lupin returned on Thursday and no one seemed happier than Professor Sprout. Andrew and Jack collided badly in Quidditch practice when they both went for one Bludger at the same time. Harry and Ron took them to the hospital where Hermione patched them up while Madam Pomfrey watched over her shoulder.
For the next week and a half, things settled down a bit. Ron heard from his mother that Bill and Fleur were having a lovely honeymoon in Rome. She also told them that the Order of the Phoenix was very busy. Dementors were randomly attacking both wizards and muggles. Hermione wanted to spend more time reading to the house elves but Harry wanted her to spend more time flying her broom. Hermione mostly gave in to Harry. There were a lot of girls that would flirt with Harry if he started to look bored with Hermione. The girls finally stopped asking Harry to go to the Halloween Ball and started asking Hermione if they could have one dance with Harry at the Ball. It was difficult for her to say no without looking jealous and greedy, but Harry didn't dance.
By Tuesday of the following week Gryffindor had taken the lead in house points. They now had one hundred red rubies in their column, due mainly to the efforts of little Winston Whitehead with some assistance from Hermione.
Harry and team were climbing the stairs to Gryffindor tower after Quidditch practice when a group of girls called up to Harry. In the few seconds that he turned around to wave at them the stairs changed positions. This happened all the time at Hogwarts and Harry thought nothing of it. He just climbed to the top of the flight of stairs and waited for it to change back to the position that he wanted. He waved at the girls again and noticed that Cho was in the crowd.
Then his legs suddenly gave way and he pitched off the stairs. There was nothing he could do but scream as the stone floor came rushing towards him.
He stopped a few inches from death and floated gently to the floor. Cho was standing over him with her wand, the alarm bell was sounding.
"Harry!" Cho gasped. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"My legs gave way and I fell off the stairs," Harry said nervously.
"Oh my God!" Lavender squealed. "Look at his legs!"
"His bones are gone!" Parvati exclaimed.
"Someone tried to murder him!" Padma shouted.
The girls all pulled out their wands and surrounded him protectively.
Harry heard Ron shouting at the top of the staircase.
Another voice shouted, "I saw movement behind that tapestry!"
Professors Sinistra and Sprout arrived and ordered the girls to take Harry to the hospital.
At the hospital Hermione passed her wand over Harry and tapped a chart, an image of Harry's skeleton appeared on the parchment.
"What does your osteograph show?" Madam Pomfrey asked.
"The leg bones, left and right, from femur to phalanges, they're all gone. The pelvic arch is gone. Two anterior coccygeal vertebrae are gone." Hermione reported nervously.
"Lumbar and sacral vertebrae?"
"They're present, mam."
"Harry's lucky. That was close. What is the total number of missing bones?"
"Sixty eight," she said trembling.
"Maintain your professional demeanor Miss Granger. Treatment?"
"Skelegrow."
"How much?"
"A lot."
"Can we be more precise, Miss Granger."
"For Harry's height, weight and build I think we use chart 15 MS."
"Very good. Add it up for all of the bones of one leg, multiply that by two, then add in the amounts needed to regrow the pelvis and coccyx."
Hermione performed some calculations.
"Thirty five ounces."
"Very good, perform the enchantments."
"Yes Mam."
Skelegrow was a complicated potion to prepare. Before Hermione got to work she spoke to the girls who had brought Harry in.
"Thank you Cho," she said trembling slightly, "Thank you for saving Harry's life."
"Harry and I had a lot of practice catching falling bodies at summer camp," Cho said. "Now go save his legs."
Cho and her friends left the hospital.
Hermione poured three bottles of Skelegrow into a large cauldron and began gently warming it. She arranged many small pieces of parchment on a table. She wrote the name of each bone Harry had to regrow on the special parchment with a special ink. One piece of parchment was used for each bone. The parchments were then dissolved in the potion while an incantation was performed. Hermione repeated this process sixty-eight times.
Madam Pomfrey watched her closely, but said nothing until Hermione was done.
"I think you've done a fine job, Miss Granger," Madam Pomfrey assured her. "Now Harry, you get to drink all of this. I'm sure you remember how it tastes, but swallow it all."
Harry began drinking the enormous cup of potion. He found it helped if he held his breath. But it tasted horrible all the same.
"I have to go to the Headmaster and report on Harry's condition," Madam Pomfrey said. "Watch after our patient."
When Madam Pomfrey left, Hermione held Harry's hands and looked at his face, a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Oh Harry, dear," she said tenderly, "it's Skelegrow. You know what to expect."
She paused as another tear escaped her eyes.
"I survived it once before," Harry confirmed.
"But… But this time, it's… it's sixty eight bones," she said fearfully.
"I'm alive. I'll make it through," Harry said bravely. "You and Madam Pomfrey have done a smashing job."
"There's a spell I've read about," she said. "If it works, it could relieve your pain."
She paused.
"Do you trust me?" she asked nervously. "Shall I try it?"
Harry remembered how his arm felt when he had to regrow two bones one night during his second year.
"It could be worth having a go at it," he said.
Hermione went into Madam Pomfrey's office. Through the window Harry could see her consulting a large book and writing some words on a small piece of parchment.
"The alarm won't go off, the hospital is a classroom," she said when she returned. "It's complicated," she said nervously, "Sympathetic Magic. There are two parts to the spell. We have to work together."
She stopped and stared into his eyes, tears began forming in hers.
“Oh Harry, I love you. I've loved you since our first year when you jumped on the back of that troll. I'll follow you anywhere you must go," she said crying softly. "Do you love me?"
"Yes Hermione," Harry said, "I love you."
"Then hold that thought," she instructed Harry, recovering her composure. "The first incantation will form a bond between us that allows us to work magic together. The pain relief spell is one of many powerful spells in sympathetic magic," she lectured." Hold your wand to your heart, then say this incantation and touch your wand to my heart. I'll be doing the same thing. If it works you should feel a tingle."
"It sounds serious," Harry said hesitating.
"It's very serious," Hermione said nervously, "but I can't bear to watch you suffer."
She looked like she might start crying again.
Harry did as instructed while Hermione performed the ritual simultaneously. When Hermione's wand touched his heart Harry felt a warm and pleasant tingling. When Harry's wand touched Hermione, her legs gave way and she went down on her knees, grabbing the rail of Harry's bed for support.
"Hermione," Harry said in a worried tone, "are you alright?"
She slowly pulled herself to her feet and leaned on his bed.
"Wow," she said softly. "Did you feel anything?"
"Yes, I felt a tingle like you said," Harry confirmed.
Hermione smiled at him, trembling. She said another incantation and touched him with her wand. Then she touched herself with her wand.
She was still standing near Harry with her wand out when Madam Pomfrey walked in.
"Miss Granger! Did you cast a spell on Mr. Potter?", Madam Pomfrey demanded to know.
Hermione hung her head and sighed, "Yes Madam."
"You know that casting an unsupervised healing spell is against the rules!" Madam Pomfrey shouted at Hermione. "It's dangerous! I could throw you out of the Nursing Program! What did you do?"
"I cast a pain relieving spell," Hermione said softly, staring at her feet.
"A pain relieving spell? I will take 50 points from Gryffindor and give you a week of detention." Madam Pomfrey said. "A pain relieving spell?" she mumbled as she walked to her office. "The poor boy… We haven't covered… What sort of…"
Madam Pomfrey entered her office. Through the window Harry saw her startle. She picked up a large purple book and clutched it to her chest. She looked out the window at Harry and Hermione. Her face went white.
"Oh damn, I left the book out," Hermione said panicky.
"Miss Granger! Come in here at once!" Madam Pomfrey ordered.
"What spell did you use?"
Harry couldn't hear Hermione's soft replies, only Madam Pomfrey's shouts.
"What possessed you to try that?"
"What degree?"
"Oh Dear Girl! No!"
Did you perform the Bonding Charm?"
"Did Potter?"
Madam Pomfrey stormed out of her office dragging Hermione to Harry's bedside.
"Have you two…? The two of you…? Have you been…? Do you…?" Madam Pomfrey stammered and then whispered. "Do you two, do it?"
"Do what?" Harry asked.
"No Madam," Hermione answered quickly.
"Your spell can't possibly have worked," Madam Pomfrey stated flatly.
"I doubt it very much." she continued.
After a long pause she added, "But… what if it did?"
"Did it work?" Madam Pomfrey asked Hermione.
"I think… maybe… yes…" Hermione said meekly.
"I must assume…" Madam Pomfrey began shakily. Then she paused.
"Miss Granger you have always been a model student," Madam Pomfrey said in a professional tone of voice, "and I believe you could become a great healer if you stay the course. You will not be expelled."
Hermione and Harry both breathed a sigh of relief.
"For performing that other unauthorized spell, I'm taking 50 points from Gryffindor and giving you a week of detention," Madam Pomfrey said sternly.
"For unprofessional conduct, I'm taking 50 points from Gryffindor and giving you a week of detention," she continued. "A nurse should not get so involved with her patient."
Hermione went pale.
"And for dereliction of duty, I'm taking 50 points from Gryffindor and giving you a week of detention."
"Dereliction of duty!" Hermione protested.
"Go to Miss Bones immediately, and tell her she will have to be on duty tonight. Then you go to your room and go to bed." Madam Pomfrey ordered.
Hermione ran from the hospital crying. Madam Pomfrey watched her retreat. When she turned around, Harry saw her wipe a tear from her eye.
"Oh that dear sweet girl, that was so…" she said to herself.
"Well Harry, this is interesting," she said gently. "I'm sure you remember how painful growing new bones can be. I'm going to immobilize you from the waist down, to reduce the pain. Petrificus Periplegia"
In a short while Susan Bones arrived at the hospital. Madam Pomfrey showed her the charts of Harry's missing bones and the Skelegrow order. Susan preformed her own bone scan under Madam Pomfrey's supervision.
"There's no change yet," Susan reported.
"It should start in about an hour," said Madam Pomfrey, as she left.
There wasn't much to do. Susan questioned Harry about what had happened. It was really a stroke of luck that Cho had caught him before he hit the floor. Cho had more practice than anyone else in the castle at catching falling people.
What was bothering Hermione?
A pain relieving spell?
We haven't covered that yet.
Sympathetic magic?
I thought that was fiction.
A little past ten, Ginny and Colin came in. They were Prefects and could leave the dormitory at night on official business.
"Are you in pain?" Susan asked Harry. "Do you feel like visitors?"
"I'm fine," Harry answered.
"Ron caught a house-elf," Ginny told him. "It's Winky, she's being questioned about the attack on you."
"Winky?" Harry exclaimed. “That's ridiculous."
"I think so too," Ginny agreed, "but she may have seen someone, maybe another elf."
"There's another matter," Colin said seriously. "This evening we had one hundred House Points. Now there are one hundred coal balls in our column. Dennis claims it wasn't him, but we've got him tied up. Do you know anything about it?"
“Hermione cast an unauthorized Healing Spell,” Harry said. “Madam Pomfrey was furious. She docked Hermione two hundred House Points.” He couldn't bring himself to add "and four weeks of detention."
"That's unbelievable," Ginny said shaking her head.
"We might have to torture Dennis, to make him confess," Colin said grimly.
Susan spent the night sitting next to Harry's bed. She scanned him with her wand about every hour, each time tapping a special piece of parchment and producing a picture that showed Harry's bones. Susan asked Harry repeatedly if he was feeling pain. Harry found being immobilized to be uncomfortable, but he told Susan it wasn't so bad. Susan told him that the Skelegrow was working, and she showed him the new bits of bone that were appearing on her charts. Susan also told Harry that she thought he was very strong and very brave. Harry managed to sleep in short naps.
At five-thirty in the morning, Susan told Harry that his bones seemed to have grown back. At six Madam Pomfrey returned. She checked the charts. At six-thirty Madam Pomfrey said Harry's tendons were probably strong enough, and she removed the paralysis charm. At seven fifteen Harry walked carefully to the Great Hall for breakfast, Madam Pomfrey held one of his hands while Susan held the other.
The Gryffindor students cheered when he arrived. There was applause at the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables too. Luna Lovegood came over and sat between Harry and Ron, she asked Harry lots of questions.
After breakfast Harry started back to Gryffindor Tower to get his books and papers. He was stopped at the door of the Great Hall by Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. They looked exhausted and grumpy.
"What did you do to Hermione?" they demanded to know.
"I didn't do anything to her," Harry stammered. "Is she alright?"
"She's resting now," said Parvati.
"We didn't get any sleep all night," Lavender complained.
"She was delirious, moaning and groaning, like she was in pain," Parvati reported.
"It was awful. Sometimes she screamed and cried. She kept calling your name," Lavender said.
"We held her hand," said Parvati.
"I don't think she even knew we were there," Lavender concluded.
"I don't understand," Harry told them. "I'm going to the tower."
As Harry began to walk, a bit slowly and still shaky, he saw Luna approach Lavender and Parvati.
He heard Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper say, "Yes Ron, we're on it."
They escorted him up to his room. He didn’t see Hermione so he gathered his things and slowly walked to Potions class.
Hermione was the last student to arrive at Potions class. She was pale and disheveled and looked exhausted, even worse than Parvati. She gave Harry a weak smile when she saw him. They had no chance to talk during Potions class as Professor Snape seemed to hover near Hermione as though he were looking for a chance to add to the punishments that had been heaped onto her by Madam Pomfrey.
They had to brew a Fortifying Potion today. It was a complicated recipe. At one step they had to stir it with an ornate gold rod. Professor Snape was very careful to make sure that none of the gold rods went missing. Harry and Ernie were being very careful, as Ernie always was in Potions class. They were the last ones to finish the step with the gold rod and Professor Snape was impatient that it be returned quickly. Harry finished the last few counter clockwise strokes with the gold stirring rod and pulled it out of the cauldron to drop it in the tray with the rest of them. He heard Hermione gasp and moan slightly.
"Drop the rod," she whispered, "it's hot!"
Harry quickly dropped the rod into the tray.
Hermione was pointing to her right hand with her left index finger.
"Look at your hand," she mouthed.
Harry saw that his thumb and forefingers were bright red and blistered in the pattern of the filigree on the gold rod.
Harry raised his hand.
"What is it Potter?" Professor Snape asked.
"I burned my hand sir," Harry said, "may I go to the hospital."
"It doesn't appear to be serious," Snape said in a bored tone, "you can wait until class is finished."
Hermione raised her hand.
What is it Granger?" Snape asked, rolling his eyes.
"Excuse me sir," she said sweetly, "I have some burn cream in my first aid kit. I can take care of Harry's hand and it needn't disturb the class."
"It has already disturbed the class Miss Granger," Snape said irritably, "but yes you may treat the fool's hand."
Snape watched her dig through her book bag and pull out a smaller black bag that contained a variety of first aid potions and creams.
"Miss Granger, don't drop your book bag when climbing the stairs, it could be a lethal weapon," Snape joked.
Hermione applied the burn cream to Harry's red fingers and breathed a sigh of relief.
Harry stared at her in horror and understanding. She smiled at him and blushed.
As soon as class was over Harry walked over to Hermione and Ron as fast as his shaky legs would carry him.
"Let's swap book bags," Harry suggested, "mine is lighter than yours."
"Oh thank you Harry, that's so thoughtful. I'm awfully tired," she said quietly. "But I don't think it's wise for you to carry so much weight this morning. Your leg bones and tendons are still tender."
She struggled as she picked up her own book bag.
"That's it. Swap book bags with me, Hermione," Ron ordered.
"Yes sir!" she answered.
"Ugg!, Your bag weighs a ton!" Ron complained.
"Hermione, what sort of spell did you use on me last night?" Harry asked her sternly.
"It worked! Didn't it? Did you feel any pain from the Skelegrow?" she asked eagerly.
"That wasn't a pain relieving spell, was it?" Harry asked sharply. "That was a pain transfer spell wasn't it? Lavender and Parvati are suspicious. They heard you moaning."
"It's alright Harry, I made it through," Hermione said defensively.
"What's this about?" Ron asked.
"The spell that knocked me off the stairs caused my leg bones to vanish. Growing new bones overnight causes a lot of pain," Harry explained. "Hermione put a spell on me that took away my pain, but she felt it instead. I burned my hand in potions class. I didn't feel it, but she did."
"Wow!" Ron exclaimed. "That sounds like very high level magic. Are you sure you know what you're messing with?"
"Please don't be angry Harry," Hermione pleaded. "I just couldn't watch you suffer."
"You were tortured all night, so I wouldn't hurt!" Harry said. "I'm not angry at you. I should thank you. I do thank you. What you did was really sweet. But I wouldn't have let you do it if I had known it would hurt you. It must have been horrible."
"The important thing is that it worked!" Hermione exclaimed. "Now we can start to learn all sorts of Sympathetic Magic, spells that can be useful if we're attacked, spells to increase your strength and stamina, spells that increase the power of ordinary spells. We can start practicing now!"
"Sympathetic Magic?" Ron exclaimed in disbelief. "You can't be serious. That's just a plot device in trashy romance novels. It's like amnesia. It's not real. I mean it's not like the novels. It's rare. Only married people can do it. And most married people don't like each other enough to even try it."
"It's real Ron," Hermione said defensively. "Harry and I made it work. That's why I got in such big trouble. Madam Pomfrey was mad at me. I couldn't work my shift. I was getting personally involved with a patient. And the spells were unauthorized."
"Did she really loose two hundred House Points?" Ron asked Harry.
"Yes," Harry replied, "two hundred points and four weeks of detention."
"It was worth it," Hermione stated.
"But…" Ron stuttered. "Detention? What about Filch?"
"Oh no…Oh no…" Hermione stammered, turning pale. "Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore wouldn't give me to him for four weeks. They just couldn't do that..."
"If Filch touches you again, I'll kill him," Harry said coldly.
"No Harry, No" Hermione pleaded, "I'm a big girl. I'm in Gryffindor. Don't cause needless trouble. Let them do what they'll do. When it's over, we'll be stronger."
"How long will this pain transfer spell last?" Harry asked Hermione.
"Just twenty-four hours and then it will wear off," she assured him
.
"What about that first spell? The one we did together, how long does it last?" he asked.
"Well…" she started. "I haven't read the whole book. I focused on spells that might be useful in combat. I’ve been really busy!"
"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall called as she came out into the courtyard.
"The headmaster wants to see you about your detention. I must say I'm shocked by your behavior. It seems that I will have to make Miss Patil Prefect on a permanent basis. Between your nursing duties and your detention, you won't have a free evening until mid-November. It's amazing Madam Pomfrey is not throwing you out of the Nursing Program."
Hermione took her book bag from Ron and grimly followed Professor McGonagall.
Harry," Ron said thoughtfully, "I was jealous when I learned that Hermione loved you. It was better you than Krum, but still..." he paused. "But now, I'm getting over it. She's gone round the bend."
Harry had a few minutes alone with Hermione after lunch because Luna Lovegood was talking to Ron. They went to the charms classroom early.
"Dumbledore has settled on my punishment," Hermione told Harry, "and it doesn't involve being tortured by Mr. Filch."
"That's a relief," said Harry. "I can think of several ways to murder Filch without magic, but hiding the body could be a problem. What are they going to do to you?"
"I'll be back in tea towels," she said smiling. "I'll have to work when I'm in detention. If I want to read to the elves, I'll have to do that on my own time. But involuntary servitude will help me to build trust with them."
Harry didn't tell her that Ron had captured Winky under suspicious circumstances near the stairs where his bones had vanished. He wasn't sure he could trust Hermione to be objective about the idea of including house-elves in the list of suspects.
Hermione wasn't at dinner that evening, but Harry and Ron still escorted Susan Bones to the hospital for her shift. Luna Lovegood tagged along with them to the hospital so she could talk to Susan and Madam Pomfrey.
On their way up to Gryffindor tower they met Kingsley Shacklebolt on the stairs. Harry was glad that the ministry had sent him to investigate the crimes. He was in the Order of the Phoenix and seemed to be a very competent Auror. He made Harry describe exactly where he was standing and how the stairs were moving when the bone vanishing spell hit him.
"Where was Ron and the team when the spell hit you Harry?" Shacklebolt asked.
Harry described the positions of everyone he could recall seeing the previous night.
Shacklebolt walked with Harry and Ron to the portrait of the fat lady and let Harry go on into the Gryffindor common, but he kept Ron back for further questioning.
Harry planned on spending the next two hours working on class work, reading a bit about blood magic and practicing wandless summoning. But Shacklebolt had a lot of questions for Ron, so Harry ended up acting Prefect and patrolling the halls with Ginny Weasley. This was a bit awkward. But Harry and Ginny really did need to talk to each other.
Dean Thomas had been so jealous of Harry that Ginny had to break it off with him. Ginny wanted to know about Harry's feelings for Hermione, she was having a hard time accepting it. So Harry had to put into words how he did feel about Hermione, and Ginny and Cho and Katie and Cindy and all of the other girls who were flirting with him now.
"Hermione's been one of my best friends since our first year," Harry said. "But she's different from Ron and you. For instance, this summer I mastered wandless summoning, like Luke Skywalker."
"That's impressive," Ginny admitted, "but who's Luke Skywalker?"
"He's a fictional character, but Hermione knew what I was talking about. That's because she grew up in a Muggle family, like me," explained Harry. "Hermione is attractive and loyal and brave, but I think I'm really drawn to her because she's brilliant and sensible. She's always nagging me, like she could be my mother. It's irritating, but she cares about me."
"Hermione has been under a lot of stress lately," Ginny said. "She hasn't always acted in a brilliant and sensible way."
"I'm worried about her," Harry admitted.
"Do you like me Harry," Ginny asked abruptly. "Do you think I'm pretty?"
Harry was a bit stunned by this sudden change in the conversation.
"Well yes," Harry stammered, "You are pretty, and I do like you and you're a great flyer."
"May I kiss you?" she asked suddenly. "I mean… I accept you and Hermione… but… just once?"
Harry didn't know what to do, but he didn't want to hurt Ginny's feelings.
"Uh… OK," he said.
Ginny moved closer and kissed Harry on the lips. But at the moment they touched they both got a nasty shock like kissing an electric eel.
"Ow!" Harry exclaimed. "What was that?" he said rubbing his lips.
"Oh my God, it's true!" Ginny exclaimed.
"What did you do?" Harry asked.
"I didn't do anything!" Ginny said. "Hermione did it."
"She's in the kitchen," Harry said, forgetting for a moment that this was a secret.
"I heard rumors," Ginny said in panic. "I didn't believe them. Tell me it's not true."
"What rumors?" asked Harry.
"Sympathetic Magic," Ginny said. "Don't tell me it's true!"
"Well, yes," Harry admitted. "We did do a Sympathetic Magic spell. What's the big deal?"
"It is a big deal, Harry!" Ginny exclaimed. "Those are powerful spells! Very few married couples will attempt it. There's a price to pay for that kind of power."
"What kind of price?" Harry asked.
"Oh," Ginny said, "I've heard a lot of stuff. It's in a lot of fiction. I'm not sure what to believe. I don't want to give you wrong information. You'll find out soon enough."