Maybe This Time

CHAPTER NINE: ULTIMATE SCATTERBRAIN

`Are you sure it´s not you?´ asked Draco in a very suspicious tone, his voice slightly rising. `It´s not nice to lie to your sister---especially in such circumstances---´

`You bastard!´ yelled Ron. `How dare you!´ The librarian glared at them while everybody else looked at them.

`Don´t you call me a bastard,´ snapped Draco, `WEASEL!´ Ron´s eyes widened. The librarian glared at them again.

`You albino twit!´ sneered Ron but he was interrupted when the Librarian stood in between them.

`I´ve had enough of this,´ said the Librarian, glaring at them slightly. `In case you don´t know, you are inside the library---MY library.´ Ron and Draco looked at each other while Ginny just sighed.

`I am so sorry,´ said Draco, looking at Ron sideways. `Weasley, here, have a hard time controlling his voice---´ Ron glared at him.

`You moron,´ he hissed, leaning towards him a little.

`Get out of my library,´ she said, looking at them. `NOW! I´ve had enough of such non sense!´ Ron and Draco gathered their books.

`This is all your fault,´ hissed Draco.

`My fault?´ snapped Draco, `My fault? You---´

`Oh, come on,´ said Draco, pulling Ron´s robes and dragging him to the door. `There´s still a puzzle that we must solve---´

`You blokes can come back next time,´ called the Librarian, shaking her head. `Learn to control your voices first.´

`You know,´ said Ginny weakly, catching up with them. `This is not a good time for you to fight.´

`Sorry about that Ginny,´ said Ron, placing an arm around her.

`You should be,´ sneered Draco.

`Will you just shut up?´

`Who are you to tell me what to do?´

`This is not helping,´ said Ginny, looking at the two of them sadly. `Will you focus on me, please?´ Ron and Draco looked at each other and then snorted.

`I really have no idea on who it is,´ said Draco. `My only guess was Ron---´

`Damn it!´ said Ron, looking aggravated. He glared at Draco. `There you go again!´

`Wha--what the hell?´ said Draco. `You are not guilty, are you?´

`You---´ said Ron, looking very disgusted. He was about to grab his robes but Ginny stopped him.

`Calm down,´ sighed Ginny, her eyes a bit watery again.

`Honest, Ginny,´ said Ron, raising his right hand. `It´s not me.´

`Who can it be?´ asked Draco, looking so confused but still very calm.

`Maybe, it´s one of the Creevey Brothers,´ suggested Ron. Ginny´s eye lightened up. `They are a big fan of Harry´s and I bet that they´d do anything for him---´

`No,´ said Draco.

`Why?´ pleaded Ginny.

`Yeah,´ said Ron, `I don´t think that it´s either of them.´ They began thinking once again while walking towards the Great Hall.

`What about---´ said Draco. His eyes began to flicker and then he looked at Ron.

`Hermione!´ said Ron and Draco in unison.

`Oh my gosh!´ said Ginny, jumping up and down while hugging his brother and Draco. `If you both are right, I´ll definitely worship you two!´ ==================

GRYFFINDOR COMMON ROOM

`Hermione,´ said Ginny happily, flinging her arms around her which startled Hermione. She was reading a book while sitting on a couch near the fireplace. `My saviour!´

`You believe me now, Ginny?´ said Hermione, hugging her back. `I´m so glad!´

`Of course I do, silly!´ said Ginny, squeezing herself into the empty spot beside her. `I came into my senses and---´

`And?´ asked Hermione, looking very curious but they were interrupted when Ron and Draco came bursting into the room. `Ron? Draco? What´s going on?´

`Damn Weasley,´ said Draco while panting. `Your--sister--is--a--fast--runner---´

`I know,´ said Ron, dropping on his knees and resting his head on Hermione´s lap while she rubbed it gently. `I guess that´s what Harry´s impact is on her---´

`Told her yet?´ asked Draco, still panting.

`Hermione,´ said Ginny, making her face her. `Will you tell me where Harry is?´

`Of course,´ she replied. `He did say goodbye to you, right? He´s in Bulgaria.´

`Wow,´ said Ginny, Draco and Ron. `That was easy.´ She ran upstairs to grab a picture of Harry.

`What´s going on?´ asked Hermione, `and what is easy?´

`You, telling her where Harry is,´ said Draco.

`What?´ she said, looking very confused. A few seconds later, Ginny came back but still looking very sad.

`It´s not her,´ said Ginny, crying uncontrollably.

`What? It´s not you?´ asked Draco.

`What is not me?´ said Hermione, looking a bit angry.

`You are not Harry´s Secret Keeper?´ asked Ron, looking very surprised.

`No!´ said Hermione. `He has a Secret Keeper?´

`I still can´t see him,´ said Ginny in between sobs. She showed them his picture. `See? I still can´t see him---´

`Maybe it takes hours before the spell gets broken,´ said Draco, looking very sorry.

`No,´ said Hermione. `It gets broken right away---´

`Who is it then?´ asked Ron, rubbing the back of Ginny soothingly.

`How should I know?´ snapped Hermione. `Harry´s a very smart boy---´

`There are a thousand students in here,´ said Draco, dropping on the couch. `Not to mention other people, it could be anyone!´

`Maybe he doesn´t want me to ever see him---again,´ said Ginny, hugging Ron. `I´ll never ever see him again!´

`No, no, no,´ comforted Ron. `It´s OK. We´ll find him or her. I assure you, Ginny.´ Ginny looked at him and then hugged him again, sobbing uncontrollably.

`Damn that stupid prat,´ said Draco. `He´s---´

`Didn´t he tell you anything at all?´ asked Hermione.

`No,´ said Ron and Draco, looking at the ceiling.

`He didn´t mention anything about it at all?´

`Well, yeah,´ said Draco.

`I don´t remember anything,´ said Ron, looking at Draco and then to Hermione.

`What was the last thing that you talked about?´ she asked again. `How did you know that he performed the Fidelius Charm?´

`He told us of course, before he left, silly,´ said Draco. `And, oh---´

`Oh,´ said Ron as well.

`What oh?´ she asked.

`I remember him saying that his Secret Keeper is simply the best,´ said Ron, `when it comes to keeping secrets because---´

`Because he is the ultimate scatterbrain,´ continued Draco. `Ultimate scatterbrain...´

`But that is all that he told us,´ said Ron, `Ultimate scatterbrain...´

`Ultimate scatterbrain means?´ asked Ginny, her face buried on Ron´s shoulders.

`Somebody incapable of organized thought,´ said Draco.

`Or---´ said Hermione but someone interrupted them and it was Neville.

`Ron?´ said Neville, scratching his head in puzzlement. `Do you remember where I placed my Remembrall?´

`What?´ said Ron. `You lost it again? Didn´t you just found it this morning?´

`I don´t know,´ he said, dropping on the couch beside Draco. `I always seem to forget!´ He began softly tapping his head.

`I pity you, Longbottom,´ said Draco, closing his eyes.

`Somebody who is incapable of serious or organized thought,´ continued Hermione, `or---of remembering important things!´

`Hermione?´ said Ron, gesturing her to keep her voice down.

`No!´ said Hermione. `It´s Neville!´ Draco and Ron looked at each other and then bit their lips to keep themselves from laughing.

`No,´ said Draco and Ron in unison. `No. No. No.´

`He´s not that stupid,´ said Ron. `No---´

`Wait,´ said Draco, watching Neville as he began looking under the tables and chairs. `Scatterbrain means someone incapable of serious or organized thought---or remembering important things!´

`It´s Neville!´ said Hermione. `It´s him! I know it´s him!´

`That Harry almost got us there,´ said Draco, laughing his head off. Ron shook his head and then looked at Neville.

`Neville,´ he called, not looking very convinced. `Are you Harry´s Secret Keeper?´

`What?´ said Neville, `I don´t know. What is that again? Harry?´

`It´s him!´ said Draco. `Harry´s one smart arsehole!´

`Hmmm... I still don´t know,´ said Ron.

`Neville,´ said Hermione, `will you come here for a minute?´

`I guess so,´ he replied, taking one last look under the table. `Why?´ She took Ginny´s hand. `Will you ask him where Harry is? Let´s just give it a try---´

Ginny raised her face from Ron´s shoulders and then wiped her face using Ron´s hanky. She looked at Neville, his picture still in her hand. `Do you know where Harry is?´ she asked.

`Have you been crying?´ he asked. Neville scratched his head and then looked at the ceiling.

`Yes, but will you tell me where he is?´

`I don´t remember,´ said Neville.

`He is in Bulgaria. In the Quidditch Training Camp,´ hissed Draco, leaning closer to him. `And oh, he also goes to Durmstrang---´

`Oh really?´ said Neville.

Ginny began to cry. This is getting hopeless... It can´t be him... she thought. Why would he choose Neville?

`Just tell her,´ hissed Draco.

`Well, Harry is in Bulgaria and he goes to school in Durmstrang,´ said Neville, `He is also staying at the Quidditch Training Camp.´

`Thanks,´ she said.

`Go on, Ginny,´ said Hermione. `Try and look at the picture... Go on---´ Ginny sighed and then slowly looked at the picture.

She couldn´t believe her eyes.

There he was...

Harry Potter, her one and only love, running after her in the picture with a snowball in his hand.

She could finally see him now, those gorgeous green eyes and messy black hair that she longed to see and touch.

It was Neville, all along!

The spell is finally broken and this is the happiest day of her life!