The Temple of Le Fay

Chapter Eighteen: Consequences

Versions of the news spread like wildfire. One source said that Ginny had broken up with Harry. Another said that it was Harry who had broken up with Ginny. Still another swore that Harry and Hermione had been seeing each other behind Ron and Ginny's back.

The one thing that the sources had in common was that not one came close to the whole truth. But then, the truth was so outlandish that Ron and Hermione were struggling to come to terms with it. They wandered aimlessly through Hogsmeade on the following Saturday morning, no real intent in their minds other than the need to clear their heads.

Ginny had been withdrawn and almost silent all week. She'd taken her meals at the Ravenclaw table with her friend Luna Lovegood, and had avoided all attempts by Ron or Hermione to talk about what had happened. Ron narrowed his eyes as she came out of Zonko's with Neville, Luna and Daniella. She was laughing, but a lifetime of knowing Ginny told him that she was forcing the laugh. He hissed a sigh out between his teeth.

Hermione followed his gaze, and nodded understandingly.

"She won't get over him easily," she said.

"What the hell is Harry playing at?"

"He thinks he's doing the right thing," Hermione said tiredly. They'd had this conversation several times already.

"How exactly does he think this is the right thing? Dumping us. Dumping Ginny! And all this extra work he's taking on. How's he going to cope with all that?"

"Well, he doesn't have any friends to distract him now, does he?" Hermione said, a little more sharply than she had actually intended. Ron looked at her guiltily.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't keep on about it."

"No, I'm sorry," Hermione said. "I agree with you. Harry's being stupid, but there's nothing we can do when he's in this sort of mood. You know as well as I do that when he gets an idea in his head, he can't be shaken. Not by us, anyway. Snuffles could do it, maybe, but not us."

Ron nodded glumly, the whole time watching Ginny and her friends. He knew that he wasn't the best person in the world for understanding emotions, but as Luna and Neville argued over an article in a magazine, he could see Ginny retreating from the group, her mind wandering as her eyes settled on Hogwarts, a few miles distant.

"What can we do?" he muttered.

"Just be ourselves," Hermione said. "If Ginny wants to talk, she will, but she'll do it in her own time."

"I'm not used to not being able to help her," Ron said.

Hermione took his hands in hers and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Sometimes girls don't need a knight in shining armour," she said. "She'll be okay, eventually. Give her time. How would you feel if I broke up with you?"

"Well, I'd have a lot more time for Quidditch," he managed, before she turned his hair blue. They spent the rest of the day arguing happily about misuse of hair charms. Hermione finally gave in and agreed to restore his hair, once they'd got back to Hogwarts, and once everyone had seen it in its shimmering, shade shifting glory. Hermione was very proud of the way Ron's hair shifted slowly through the blue spectrum, and wanted other people to get a chance to appreciate it.

"After all, if there's a Ball this year, I might hire myself out to do the other girls hair."

Ron stopped waving his wand at his hair and muttering "Finite Incantatem" to look at her.

"You think that there'll be a ball?"

"Why wouldn't there be?" Hermione asked.

"Dunno, hadn't thought about it. Er, Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"If there is a ball, d'you think maybe we could go together?"

"Of course," she said, beaming happily.

"Good," Ron said, grinning. "Wouldn't want anyone else beating me to it."

"Honestly, Ron, you make it sound like I might say yes to anyone else."

"Well, I don't reckon you would, but I wanted to be sure," he grinned.

"Well, now you can be. I wouldn't go with anyone else."

"Good," he said. "Means I won't have to beat anyone up."

"You're so romantic," Hermione laughed.

"Just your knight in shining armour, out to defend milady's honour," he said with a smile that sent a shiver down her spine.

*

Harry was given permission to leave the hospital wing for a short time on Saturday morning. With most of the school emptied of pupils, there were far fewer people around, and Harry wouldn't have to put his weakened body through the usual buffeting that came with moving through the Hogwarts corridors.

He had been heading for Gryffindor Tower, eager to get some clean clothes. Even with Dobby appearing at least once a day to check on Harry and do his laundry, his clothes were starting to feel rather unpleasant. Truly clean clothes, he decided, would be absolute heaven.

The moving staircase changed his mind, however. Instead of letting him move upstairs, it spun and dropped, leaving Harry clutching the banister tightly as the stairs changed under his feet from stairs going up to stairs going down.

"Get a grip, Potter," he said, grimacing at the thought of what Draco Malfoy would have said if he saw Harry falling down the stairs.

Malfoy wouldn't say anything. He's changed, remember? Big fan of yours, now. Speaking of which. . .

"Hi Harry!"

"Hi Colin," Harry said, as warmly as he could manage.

"I didn't think you were out of the hospital wing yet. Everyone'll want to have a big party tonight."

"They want to have a big party when your brother cuts his toenails, Colin," Harry said. "And me getting out of the hospital is about as eventful."

"I guess so," Colin said, not sounding convinced. "Well, I need to go on to the library. If I can't do the Bubblehead Charm by Monday then Professor Flitwick says I'll drown!"

Harry blinked, but Colin sounded thrilled by the idea. He waved to Harry as he headed off towards the library.

The Bubblehead Charm. I had trouble with that one. There's a real knack to it. Hermione spent ages going over it with me.

I really wanted to change my clothes, too.

"Hey, Colin! Wait up!"

*

Seamus returned from Hogsmeade that day feeling somewhat subdued. Lavender hadn't appreciated his and Dean's brilliant prank of feeding her and Parvati a stick each of Babble Brain Bubblegum just before their last Divination lesson. The girls had talked utter nonsense - in Seamus' opinion nothing worse then they usually came out with during the lesson - for nearly thirty minutes. The girls hadn't forgiven the boys yet, which mean that Seamus had gone nearly a week without being around his girlfriend.

He wasn't happy about that, even with a bagful of new jokes from Zonko's in his hand as he climbed through the portrait hole.

He was immediately cheered up by the first thing he saw as he entered the common room, though.

"Hermione, what have you done to Ron's hair?"

"Shut it, Finnegan. She's washing it out, alright?"

"No, not the blue, Ron, the red."

"My hair is red, Seamus," Ron scowled.

"This red?" Seamus asked, holding up a textbook with a deep, blood red cover that was very different to Ron's usual coppery hair tone.

"What?! Hermione, what-"

"Ron, calm down!" Hermione scolded as Seamus walked away laughing. She made a sweeping gesture over Ron's head with her wand, and another streak of blue disappeared. She inspected Ron's hair more closely. "Seamus was only teasing," she added, with a very faint trace of doubt in her voice.

"Hermione!" Ron barked. "What have you done to my hair?"

"Have I told you how recently how much I love you?" Hermione said desperately, wincing slightly as she prepared for an explosion on Ron's part.

Whatever Ron's reaction would have been, it was interrupted as the portrait hole opened again and a few of the younger pupils cried out in surprise.

Colin Creevey came through the portrait hole with a huge bubble on his head. It was fully three feet across, and Colin, who was barely five foot tall, looked hopelessly overbalanced.

Then he stood upright, and what for a second had looked like an attack was revealed to be nothing more than a somewhat overdone Bubblehead Charm. Colin popped the bubble with a wave of his wand as Harry followed him through the portrait hole, clutching his side and panting heavily.

"Colin," he gasped reproachfully. "I said don't run."

"Sorry Harry!" Colin said. "That was really good though, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was," Harry said, rubbing his side. "Glad I could help."

"Help? I couldn't even pronounce the spell two hours ago! Thanks Harry," Colin said earnestly.

"Yeah. Any time,Colin," Harry said, as Colin dashed off to show his achievements to his friends. Harry turned away and headed for the dormitory, almost faltering in mid stride as he saw Hermione and Ron watching him. He recovered quickly, barely looking at them as he passed.

Hermione went back to fixing Ron's hair, glad of the distraction, if not the tenseness it caused in her boyfriend. The tendons stood out against the skin of his neck as he watched Harry pass by, and he seemed to grow several inches in his chair as he sat up straight.

"Just relax," she murmured as Harry disappeared up the staircase.

"He's really doing it," Ron muttered, as he slumped back in his chair. "He's really giving up on us and going to try and do everything on his own. The Bubblehead Charm? He was dreadful at that until you showed him how to do it! Remember how much he complained about having to eat that Gillyweed just because no one looked up 'Diving' in the fourth year? And now he's teaching it to Colin Creevey."

"Ron, it's his choice," Hermione said.

"Yeah, I know," Ron said angrily. "It just gets me. He shouldn't be acting the big shot like this."

"He's not, though," Hermione said. "He's just doing what he was doing last year with the Duelling Club. So many people look up to Harry that I suppose that it makes sense for him to do this, in a way. Your Dad's the Deputy Minister for Magic. That must mean he has to make sacrifices sometimes. Harry's just taking that approach rather further."

Harry came back down the dormitory stairs and passed by Ron and Hermione again. He was still breathing heavily, his arms laden with enough clean sets of clothing for a week in the hospital wing.

"Are you moving out on us there, Harry?" Seamus called.

"No, I just have to go back to the hospital wing," Harry said. "Madam Pomfrey said I could go out for an hour, and that was four hours ago."

"She'll kill you," Seamus winced. "On the plus side, she'll know how to fix you afterwards."

Harry nodded, and turned to leave, but Dean stopped him.

"Are you okay, Harry?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Harry said shortly.

"You're breathing heavily," Dean said, his eyes narrowing.

"I said I'm fine," Harry repeated. "You'd be a bit out of breath if you'd been through what I have."

"Yeah, sure," Dean backed down. "Do you want a hand with those clothes?"

"No," Harry said. "Thanks, though."

"No problem," Dean said. "Always happy to help."

Dean watched Harry leave, and kept one eye on the portrait hole for a long time after Harry had passed through it.

*

Harry had been right. He shouldn't have been out of the hospital wing for four hours. He also shouldn't have been chasing after Colin so soon after being allowed out of bed. Madam Pomfrey was red with rage when he returned. Only a constant stream of pupils returning from Hogsmeade with sniffles and coughs had prevented her hunting Harry down and dragging him back to his bed.

For his sins, she ordered him back to bed. She declared that he had suffered a setback in his recovery, and would certainly be spending another week under her care.

"I will not have my patients disobeying my orders," she said haughtily, defying Harry to speak.

"Sorry Madam Pomfrey," Harry said. He picked up a Transfiguration textbook and began going over the third year syllabus. He was determined to be able to handle anything anyone asked him about the things he'd studied. Hermione could do it, therefore it was possible, therefore Harry would do it. It was simple.

Madam Pomfrey checked on him every five minutes, tutting to herself as she watched Harry making steady progress through the book. His wand was in one hand and he practised the sweeping wand gestures required for each spell. He made sure not to say a single word, in case Madam Pomfrey accused him of deliberately attempting magic when his body wasn't ready for it.

But there was nothing Madam Pomfrey could do. In fact, she inwardly thought that it was a good thing that Harry had something to focus on.

Certainly it wouldn't do for him to dwell on how close he came to dying, she thought after checking on him for the seventeenth time.

*

Ginny felt rather as she had during her third year. Then it had seemed as though the whole school knew that she liked Harry, but that he liked Cho Chang. Now it seemed that the entire school knew that Ginny and Harry were a thing of the past, and no one much seemed to care whether she heard them talking or not.

"You shouldn't listen to them," Luna said to her halfway through Herbology on Tuesday afternoon. "If they don't know the whole story then their opinion is worth nothing."

Does that mean my opinion is worth nothing? I don't think that I know the whole story. Or even very much of it. Ginny wondered as she struggled with their Venomous Tentacula. She rapped one of its pods sharply with her secateurs, and it withdrew into itself, ruining the progress that they had made up to that point. She sighed listlessly, not really caring about Herbology. Suddenly Luna clapped her hand over Ginny's nose. Startled, Ginny looked at her friend, but Luna was already calling out across the greenhouse.

"Professor Sprout?"

"Yes Lovegood?" Professor Sprout, her attention fixed on Colin Creevey's Tentacula, which seemed to be in two minds about whether or not to spray him with venom or not.

"Ginny has been hit by our Tentacula," Luna said. "Can I take her to see Madam Pomfrey?"

"Yes, fine, off you go then," Sprout said distractedly, slowly drawing her wand. Luna and Ginny quickly left the greenhouse, Ginny looking back as they went through the door to see Sprout leaping at the rogue Tentacula, hauling its mouth back so that it sprayed the roof of the greenhouse rather than Colin and his partner.

"Out! Everyone out!" they heard her yelling as they headed back for the castle.

They sat at the back of the library, and began a whispered conversation.

"My father keeps a Tentacula in his office, so I didn't really need that lesson anyway. He says it makes negotiating with his writers much easier. I'll help you with the homework, if there is any."

"Thanks Luna," Ginny said. "But that wasn't why you had us leave, was it?"

"No," Luna said, her gaze settling somewhere in the middle distance. "I wanted to talk to you about Harry. You mustn't let this swallow you. I know that you miss him but it doesn't do you any good to waste away."

"Luna! We've only been broken up for five days! I'm hardly wasting away."

"He's in every thought you have," Luna said calmly. "Better that you find a way to get over him now then in six months time."

"I. . . I know," Ginny said, slumping back in her chair. "But if you'd seen him, Luna, it hardly seemed like Harry at all. It was like someone else was saying those things."

"Perhaps his mind has been invaded?" Luna asked, happily. "Dad would love a story like that for his magazine."

"No," Ginny sighed. "I don't really think he's been taken over. He's just trying to cope and he's doing it the only way he knows how to; By himself."

"I remember reading about him in Dad's magazine when I was young," Luna said. "It wasn't a very interesting story, not when the latest Crumple-Horned Snorkack sighting was just over the page. I was rather surprised that people made such a big thing of him when I arrived here."

"I was one of them," Ginny remembered glumly. "He never said anything, though."

"Perhaps he enjoyed the attention?" Luna said, looking around as the library door swung open. "After all, he does seem to attract followers."

"He's a leader," Ginny said, not following Luna's gaze. "People follow him automatically."

"Well, they're following him in here," Luna said. "Shall we find somewhere that's free of your past?"

Ginny looked up. Harry had come into the library in a shirt and jeans, clearly not yet back at lessons. He was leading a small group of younger pupils Ginny vaguely recognised as Hufflepuffs. Most of them were a foot shorter than Harry, no giant himself.

"He's really taking on private tuition," Ginny said. She felt safe gazing at him. He hadn't even glanced in their direction when he came in.

"Perhaps he's training up an army?" Luna suggested. "A battalion of loyal troops who will fight the Death Eaters while he tackles You-Know-Who?"

There was a clatter of dropped books in the row of shelves behind them, and the two girls turned to look over their shoulders, but it was only a Ministry researcher, scrabbling frantically at his dropped books.

"Luna," Ginny said, as they collected their bags and headed out of the library, "you need to stop reading your Dad's magazine."

She didn't feel the stare of the pair of very curious eyes that were focussed on her back as they left.

*

Harry was mildly surprised to discover that helping the other students was less of a chore than he had supposed. When he'd spoken to Professor Dumbledore about extending his Duelling Club duties to sessions, the Headmaster had thought it an excellent idea.

"You are very personable, Harry," he had said over a game of wizarding chess on the Sunday afternoon. "I imagine that our students can learn a great deal from you," he added as his bishop shattered Harry's last rook with its mitre.

"Not how to play chess," Harry said glumly, toppling his king over with a prod of his wand.

"Perhaps not," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses. "Although I'm surprised to see a Gryffindor concede defeat before it is certain."

"Professor, you've beaten me five times in the last forty minutes," Harry said. "Defeat was inevitable. Besides, chess tires me out."

"Still feeling the effects of your fight with the Dementor?" Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded. "Curious that it should affect you so severely this time," he added, peering intently at Harry.

"I was tired, and I made some silly mistakes," Harry said, his tone drawing a line under the possibility of further comment.

"It happens to everyone," Dumbledore said. "Hopefully you shall try and limit your mistakes when conducting your revision sessions?"

"I'll do my best," Harry said. " Professor?"

"Yes Harry?"

"What'll happen about my classes?"

"Well, I've spoken to your teachers, and they agree that one more week of rest should see you able to perform modest spells that will be of some use in a number of your classes. Of course in Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures and Potions you will not require much actual magic, so perhaps in your remaining studies you will do better than expected.

"However, the important thing is that you must not over exert yourself. It is far more important that you be healthy then anything else."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. He wanted to ask Dumbledore one more question, whether the Headmaster thought he was doing the right thing, but Dumbledore was already getting ready to leave.

"Now, if you are determined not to provide me with any real challenge to my chess playing, I shall take my leave," he smiled. "I shall leave the arrangements of your sessions down to you, although if you need any advice, myself and my fellow members of staff will only be too happy to help."

Harry nodded as the Headmaster strode out of the hospital wing, leaving Harry alone to Madam Pomfrey's care again.

But now he was in the library, amid the bustle of students and the Ministry researchers going about their work, teaching a group of four Hufflepuff third years about the difference between the Levitation Charm they'd learned in their first year and the Hovering Charm they were struggling with.

"I don't understand," Owen Cauldwell grumbled, banging his wand against the desk.

"They're expensive to replace," Harry said mildly. "Besides, it's a nice wand."

Owen stopped, flushing slightly as the other Hufflepuffs sniggered.

"What is it you don't understand?" Harry asked.

"Well, they're interchangeable, aren't they?

"Not exactly," Harry said. "Wingardium Leviosa, the Levitation Charm, makes an object fly. You get a lot of movement for the energy put in, but not much control. If you just wanted to shift a boulder out of the way, then it's fine. Wingardium Levitata, the Hovering Charm, is more for fine control. Let's say you wanted to reach the top shelf in the Potions cupboard: Leviosa would get you there, but you'd probably crack your head on the ceiling. Levitata would take more control, but that's just it; You'd have control."

Owen had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What about the spell that makes things lighter? Could that be used instead?"

"No, that's a very tricky spell," Harry said. "To be honest, I can't do it half the time. A lot of fully grown wizards will use Levitata instead, but the Feather Light Charm is good if you've got something like a big stack of books you need to get to your common room."

Harry's mouth twitched. First the Flying Charm, then the Hovering Charm, and now the Feather Light Charm. It was almost as if the younger pupils were setting out to remind him of Ron and Hermione.

He'd glanced at Ginny as she left the library with her friend, but he didn't have anything to say to her. He'd made his decision, and it was better for everyone if he stuck to it.

His mind rested for a moment on a much less happy memory, and he grimaced.

Much, much better.

*

A week later Harry scowled at his schedule of work for the next few days. Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey had been unable to explain why another week of rest had failed to provide any change in his status; He was still as lacking in magic as any Squib or Muggle. Feeling frustrated at the non-appearance of his powers, Harry sneaked out of the hospital wing to join the Quidditch team for Quidditch for practise. No one was enjoying it very much. Ron worked the team incredibly hard, and seemed to enjoy pushing Harry in particular through a complete set of physical drills, despite the heavy rain. The other team members watched apprehensively as Harry stumbled and fell face first in the mud.

He lay still for a second, long enough for Ginny's breath to catch in her throat, long enough for the smile on Ron's face to be replaced with a look of concern. Then Harry pushed himself upright on shaking arms, and clambered slowly to his feet.

"Harry, go back to the hospital wing," Ron yelled.

"I'm okay," Harry called.

"Like hell you are. Go away, Harry, don't come back until you're fit again."

"Ron-"

"No arguments," Ron snapped. "I don't have time to molly coddle you through training sessions. Come back when you're well again, and not one day before that. Got it?"

"Got it," Harry said angrily. He collected his Firebolt and made his way away from the pitch.

"Ron!" Ginny exploded. "How could you?"

But Ron stood firm. "Harry should know better than to mess around where his health is concerned. Besides, he's the one who wants to set an example. He can't do that and go around acting irresponsibly all the time."

"You don't care about that!" Ginny yelled. "You knew Harry wasn't fully fit. You just did that to him to spite him and show him up."

"And you still fancy him too much to see beyond it," Ron said, deliberately pitching his voice low so that only Ginny could hear him.

Ginny glared at her brother, her eyes narrowed, her hands balled into fists. She held the glare for a long moment while the other members of team shifted uncomfortably in the rain as the siblings matched wills.

"Let's get back to the practise," Ron announced. "We don't need the Seeker for that. Harry knows what to do."

They mounted their brooms and took to the air, each player glad of the opportunity to put some distance between themselves and the Weasleys.

*

Harry could tell that Madam Pomfrey had begun to despair of him. Rather than rage at him for going out in the rain in his weakened condition, she simply pointed at his bed, added several thick blankets to his already ample covers and poured out a gobletful of Pepper Up potion with a pointed look at him. He meekly drank the potion, grimacing as it burnt its way down his throat. With his ears letting off steam gently, he settled back into the plush bed and started reading his notes from Herbology the year before.

*

The next day, he slept late and awoke, blessedly free of coughs and sniffles, before attacking his fourth year Potions work. He broke for lunch and a meeting with third year Ravenclaws Orla Quirke and Stuart Ackerley to discuss their Herbology assignment. After lunch, he revised his Transfiguration notes from the year so far, scowling as he tried to make sense of the complex spells without being able to cast them.

He made his return to the Great Hall for dinner that evening. There was an excited murmur as for many people it was the first they'd seen of him since Halloween. Harry realised that he'd been in the hospital wing for four weeks. A lot had changed in that time.

He looked around, unsure of where he could sit. Hermione was on her own at the Gryffindor table, and he had to check his natural instinct to go and sit with her. Instead he made his way to the Hufflepuff table, where Ernie, Hannah and Justin made room for him.

"Feeling better, Harry?" Ernie greeted him. "Wonderful news. I'm glad I got the chance to talk to you. Hannah and I, well-"

"You finally got together?"

Ernie nodded, grinning widely. Hannah sat beside him, beaming brightly. Justin rolled his eyes, but he was clearly happy for them. Harry was struck by the similarity to himself, Ron and Hermione the previous year.

"Of course, we owe a lot to you and your wonderful girlfriend," Ernie said.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees. Harry knew without looking that Ginny had walked into the Great Hall at that precise moment.

"We're, er, we're not together any more," Harry said, staring at his plate.

"Oh," Ernie said. "Er, sorry old man. I, er, I didn't know."

"That's okay," Harry muttered, standing up. "I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm just going. See you later."

"You didn't eat anything," Hannah protested.

Harry didn't reply. He hurried from the Great Hall, scattering a cloud of first years in his wake.

Back in the hospital wing he took a drink of water, spilling a lot of it down him as his hands were shaking. He wiped off as much of the spilt water as he could, and sighed. Hanging the damp towel back up, he turned to walk over to his bed, but froze in place.

A large, heavy looking red envelope sat on his bedside table. Harry didn't need to get any closer to identify it. It was a Howler. A multitude of possible senders sprang to mind, but most of them were already at Hogwarts. Certainly Ginny and Ron, who he considered the prime candidates, had never been shy about speaking their mind when he'd upset them before. It really only left one possible source.

The rest of the Weasleys, Harry thought, staring at the Howler from a safe distance. He'd been dreading this moment. They've finally heard about Ginny and me. They're going to be mad. I'm probably lucky that it's only a Howler.

He was granted a momentary reprieve by the appearance of Madam Pomfrey, who nodded at the Howler.

"I'm not the only one who wants to shout at you then," she said, cheerily. She seemed quite pleased that someone else would be yelling at Harry, as though this vindicated her in her desire to berate him for being a supremely difficult patient. "Well, you may as well open it," she said briskly. "This is about as private a room as there is, and if you want to sleep tonight, you'll have to open it sooner or later."

"Couldn't I just have a Sleeping Draught?" Harry asked.

"No. They're addictive, and I only give them out when strictly necessary. Now, I'll hear no more of this nonsense. Go over there and open it. I will of course shut my door, if it's your privacy you're worried about."

Harry hadn't even thought about his privacy. He didn't want to hear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's accusing voices. He wondered if Ginny and Ron's five older brothers had each chipped in with something personal.

They can't understand. And now I'll feel guilty because of it, Harry scowled. He slowly approached the Howler, wondering if throwing a jug of water over it would quiet it down a bit.

Probably not. Just imagine if it were that easy. No-one would ever fear getting one. It'd just be *Dunk* end of worries.

Too late, Harry realised his mind had been made up for him. As he approached, the Howler began to smoke. He grabbed it hurriedly, and shoved it under his pillows, lying flat on top of them in the hope of muffling the Howler's message a little.

It didn't work.

"HARRY POTTER!!!" the Howler thundered. Harry winced. It was worse then he'd suspected. It was Mr. Weasley who was beginning the tirade. He'd only seen Mr. Weasley angry once, at Lucius Malfoy, but knew that he was a force to be reckoned with.

"HOW DARE YOU TREAT MY DAUGHTER IN SUCH A COWARDLY MANNER!!! BREAKING UP WITH HER IN FRONT OF HER BROTHER AND HER FRIEND? SHAME ON YOU HARRY. I WOULD HAVE HOPED THAT YOU WOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO TREAT A LADY IN SUCH A MANNER.

"AND SHAME ON YOU FOR ENDING YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH RON AND HERMIONE AS WELL!! HEAVEN ALONE KNOWS HOW MANY TIMES THEY'VE HELPED YOU, AND TO REPAY THEM IN SUCH A MANNER IS SHAMEFUL! I HOPE THAT ALBUS DUMBLEDORE PLACES YOU ON DETENTION FOR A VERY LONG TIME TO COME!"

"ARTHUR WEASLEY! YOU KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE HOWLERS ARE TO SEND! STAND BACK AND LET SOMEONE ELSE HAVE A GO!" Mrs. Weasley's voice buffeted the pillows enough that Harry was pitched onto the floor. The Howler sprang triumphantly clear of its confines and blew a loud, papery raspberry at Harry before continuing.

"HARRY POTTER!" Mrs. Weasley continued. "I AM ASHAMED OF YOU, AND THAT'S SOMETHING I NEVER THOUGH I WOULD HAVE TO SAY! TO ACT WITH SUCH FLAGRANT DISREGARD FOR THE FEELINGS OF OTHERS IS MOST UNLIKE YOU!! I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT'S COME OVER YOU, AND I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT YOU'LL SOON BE THINKING CLEARLY AGAIN."

"MUM!"

"YES, ALL RIGHT BOYS, GO ON THEN."

"HELLO HARRY," two voices chorused. "FRED AND GEORGE HERE!! JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE'VE GOT SOME EXTRA SPECIAL WHEEZES SAVED UP FOR YOU NEXT TIME WE SEE YOU."

"HARRY, PERCY HERE! REST ASSURED THAT THE MINISTRY IS WATCHING YOU VERY CLOSELY NOW!! ONE FOOT OUT OF LINE, AND YOU'LL BE UP BEFORE THE HIGH COURT BEFORE YOU CAN SAY DISAPPARATE!"

"HELLO HARRY, JUST BILL. JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I KNOW SOME SPELLS THAT'D MAKE A ZOMBIE THINK TWICE. DON'T DO ANYTHING MORE TO UPSET MY LITTLE SISTER, GO T IT?"

"IT'S CHARLIE, KID! I CAN LAY MY HANDS ON DRAGONS, UNDERSTAND? LOTS AND LOTS OF DRAGONS!"

With that, the Howler gave one last, long, lingering raspberry before ripping itself to shreds and scattering its pieces widely about the room. Harry, still kneeling on the floor, let his head sink into his bed.

"Er, is this a bad time?"

To be continued. . .