Nessu Fanni

Chapter Four

Harry heard the Slytherins cheering as Seamus entered their Common Room.

"Nessu! Nessu! Nessu!" they chanted continuously.

Harry was confused by this and decided to hide in the corner before anyone could bump into him. If he was caught in the Slytherin Common Room, he would be finished.

"Purebloods, we are one step closer to victory," began Seamus. "He has lost everything he holds dear. Harry Potter will die before summer break begins!"

There were more cheers from the Slytherins. Malfoy was smugly sitting in his sofa, Ron nearby.

Harry didn't know what to do. He ran out of the Slytherin common room as quickly as he could. He didn't care if anyone noticed that the entrance suddenly opened. Hopefully they were too busy paying attention to Seamus, or Nessu. Harry ran all the way to Gryffindor Tower without being caught. He probably wouldn't care if he was. Why were they calling Seamus Nessu? Why did Seamus want Harry dead? Most importantly, why did the Slytherins not kill Seamus the moment he entered their common room?

Right before Harry entered the Portrait Hole to the Gryffindor Common Room; he quickly took off his Invisibility Cloak and put it in his bag.

Harry ran straight to Hermione.

"Hermione!" Harry panted. He tried to catch his breath, but was having trouble. When he could finally breathe, he spoke very quickly. Hermione could barely comprehend what he was saying. "Seamuses inuh Slytherin Commoom. He's planningone killing me anduh Slytherins acceptim-"

"Harry? Are you okay? Slow down. What are you trying to say?"

"SEAMUS IS TRYING TO KILL ME!"

"No, Harry. You must be mistaken. Seamus was at his study group. I don't know what you're trying to say about Slytherins, but Seamus really needs to get his O.W.L.s," Hermione was calmly reading her Transfiguration book. She didn't find the situation terrible or even remotely bad.

"But Hermione, there's something different about him. Seamus has been acting strange all year and I intend to find out why."

Harry went up to his dormitory. The last thing he heard before he fell asleep was Crabbe's snores.

***

The Slytherins were crowded around Seamus, holding on to his every word. Everyone, except one.

"So how exactly are you going to do this, Finnigan?" Malfoy interrupted.

Seamus' smile faded from his face.

"Well, how else? I almost have her. They're still friends, that's true, but soon enough he will have no one at all," explained Seamus.

"You've said that every night you've come here," said Malfoy. "I have yet to see it happen."

"Just give me a week. You'll see. She'll make the ultimate betrayal. She doesn't seem the loyal type, anyway."

Ron started to grip the arm of the chair he was sitting in. He gripped it tighter and tighter, until a tear started to form. He stopped before someone noticed.

"What makes you think she'll do whatever you tell her to?" asked Ron.

"Oh, I've got her wrapped around my little finger," said Seamus smugly.

Malfoy and the other Slytherins laughed. Ron went up to bed. He fell asleep very angry that night.

***

The next morning, Ron woke up and went down to breakfast. He saw Harry and Hermione eating breakfast across the Great Hall. He took two bites of his eggs and one sip of his juice before getting up. He walked over to the Gryffindor table. Harry and Hermione didn't seem to notice him.

"Can I talk to you two later today? May be in Hagrid's hut at 4:00?" Ron said.

Hermione jumped.

"Ron!" she exclaimed.

Ron just stood there, waiting for their response.

"OK," Harry agreed. Hermione nodded and Ron went back to the Slytherin table.

***

Later that day, Hermione and Harry walked down to Hagrid's hut with no sign of Ron.

"I guess we're early," commented Hermione.

When they arrived, Hagrid answered the door. They heard Fang's barks from behind him and saw some tea cups on the table.

"Ron's been waiting fer yeh two," Hagrid welcomed.

"Oh. He's here already?" asked Hermione, entering the hut.

"Yeah. Can I get you something?" Hagrid asked.

"Tea, please," replied Hermione.

"I'll have some tea too," said Harry, also entering the hut.

Ron was sitting at the table, drinking the tea that Hagrid had already made for him. Ron stood up immediately, getting straight to business.

"Look," he said. "We have a big problem with Seamus. He told us what his plans for Hermione are." Ron didn't seem to care about what Seamus was planning for Harry.

"And what do you think Seamus is going to do?" inquired Hermione, putting her hands on her hips. "Is he going to kill me like he's going to kill Harry? I've had enough of these accusations of Seamus. I'm leaving."

"No, wait Hermione," said Harry, grabbing her arm before she could leave. "We need to listen to Ron. Go on, Ron."

"Well," he began. "Seamus is planning on killing you, Harry. He took away you best friends. He made Hermione against you. Once you have absolutely nothing, he'll strike. A couple of nights ago he mentioned something about you defeating You-Know-Who."

"Ron," nagged Hermione. "You should really get used to saying Vol-"

"No," he said plainly. "Harry, he thinks that if you have friends by your side, you'll be able to defeat him. I for one am on your side."

Hagrid looked close to tears.

"Oh, you guys!" he wailed.

"Hagrid!" Harry, Hermione and Ron said in unison.

"What does this have to do with me and Seamus, Ron? He wants Harry to hate me or me to hate Harry? How does he think he's going to do that?" asked Hermione.

"He thinks that he's going to make you do something that will offend Harry or something. I'm not quite sure. He won't say exactly how. He wouldn't even tell Draco," explained Ron.

Harry found it odd hearing Ron call Malfoy by his first name.

"For once, Hermione, just trust me. Don't argue with me or Harry. Just trust that we're right. You must break up with Seamus." Ron sounded quite concerned for Hermione.

"OK, Ron. I will. Thanks for the heads up. I guess it's a good thing that you're in Slytherin. I never expected you would be, though..." she trailed off.

Ron ignored her. He sat down and finished his tea. By this time, Hagrid had made new tea for Harry and Hermione. Harry and Hermione joined him at the table and drank their tea as well.

Hagrid remained standing, watching them, trying not to cry. He was glad that they were talking again.

Ron broke the silence. "Are you going to Hogsmeade?"

"Yeah. The Three Broomsticks. Do you want to meet us there?" replied Harry.

"Sure," agreed Ron. "I'm gonna bring a friend I'd like you to meet."

"Who is it?" asked Hermione curiously. They must have known everyone in the school by now.

"You'll see." Ron smiled. "Hagrid, we'd better get back to the castle for dinner."

Hagrid quickly cleaned up the table with the help of Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"Best get there before it's all gone. Come on, yeh lot," said Hagrid, opening the door and exiting his hut. Ron, Hermione and Harry quickly followed. Fang barked, acknowledging their exit.

"Bye, Fang!" said Harry.

The four of them walked back to the castle, chatting like they used to. They tried to remember simpler times when they were all together. However, they couldn't. There was always something that disrupted their year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

***

The next day, Ron got up and went to breakfast. He quickly ate his breakfast and joined the line up to go to Hogsmeade. Once Filch crossed his name off the list, he tried to find Harry and Hermione in the crowd.

"Do you know if Seamus is coming, Hermione?" Ron asked.

"No. He said he needed to study. Probably the same place he always goes when he says he's going to study. I just said that I was going to stay in the Gryffindor common room all day. Our O.W.L.s are so close!" Hermione added in a fake voice.

The three laughed as they entered The Three Broomsticks.

Hermione did know that their O.W.L.s were close, but she had other things on her mind at the moment. Like her friends.

When Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down, Ron offered to get their butterbeer.

Ron came back with his new friend.

"Malfoy!" exclaimed Harry.

"Potter," Malfoy said calmly. It was probably the first time that Harry heard Malfoy utter his name without a sneer.

Ron quickly stopped Harry and Hermione from leaving. "Stay. Just hear him out first."

Harry and Hermione impatiently agreed.

"I know that you three, or at least Harry and Ron, have something against Seamus. So do I. I don't want him to kill you, Harry," said Malfoy.

"Why wouldn't you? You've always wanted me dead," said Harry.

"Yeah, I do. But not by his hands. By mine." Malfoy smirked.

Great. He's only on my side so he can finish me himself. Thought Harry. Well, he won't be able to, anyway. Harry fought back a laugh.

"This isn't a laughing matter, Harry!" exclaimed Hermione.

"No, it isn't," agreed Malfoy.

"Well, the point is that we're all on the same wavelength," stated Ron. "We all agree on one thing."

"Seamus must be stopped."

Everyone was shocked that it was Hermione who said it.

"By this time tomorrow, the phrase "Seamus and Hermione" will be no more." She smiled.

"What should we do?" asked Ron.

"Well, I think that Seamus must be stopped," said Malfoy.

"I think he's possessed." Everyone looked at Harry as he said this.

"Possessed?" questioned Hermione. "By who?"

"I don't know. By someone, I guess."

No one believed Harry.

"Come on, you guys. We'd better get back," said Ron, standing up.

Harry, Hermione and Malfoy stood up too. They all returned to Hogwarts, Malfoy walking as far away from Harry as possible.