(A/N) Hello again, everyone. This chapter is to tie the rest of the story together and to explain some of the earlier chapters. I have had some requests to have Pavarti, Lavender and Pansy's inclusion in the story to be explained, and it will be. I was going to actually have this chapter earlier in the story, but it just did not fit until now. So…With no further ado, here are the explanations for the story. I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 14 or the Tests of True Friendship
Lavender and Pavarti looked with trepidation at each other as they came to a standstill outside the potions room door. Pavarti shivered and then straightened her shoulders and knocked on the door. At the curtly uttered "Enter," she pushed against the door while grabbing Lavender's arm to drag the lagging girl inside with her.
Professor McGonnagal had decreed that each evening after dinner, the two girls would help Professor Snape in his search for an antidote for Madame Hooch, and would continue to do so until one was found. When the pronouncement had first been made, all the two girls could do was gape in shock at their Head of House, until McGonnagal had reminded them that they would not have to do this at all if they had not stolen the Iuventusutis Potion and caused all of this trouble in the first place. So, each evening for the past two weeks, you could find the two girls in the dungeons, chopping Daisy Roots, shredding Boomslang Skin and Skinning Shrivelfigs for their most hated Potions Professor.
Pavarti personally thought she was about to go insane if she had to hear Lavender moan about how this was most probably the worst thing that had ever happened to her, and also that it was her fault that they were in this predicament. Never mind that it was Lavender's idea to steal the potion in the first place, Pavarti thought peevishly. She sighed in relief, though that the rumors that had been going around had stopped. She was kind of tired of always hiding out in the girl's dormitory with only Lavender for company.
Professor Snape was standing over a steaming caldron when the two girls entered the room. He looked up and sneered at the two bumbling girls that had caused this great mess that he, yet again, had to clean up. He sneered again.
"Well? What are you waiting for? I need you to chop the Fluxweed over there on the table." He pointed out a small pile of herbs sitting on a table in the corner of the room. "And be careful with it. That is all there is, and we can get no more until the next full moon." He sneered, yet again. "Unless you want to stay here longer?" He asked silkily.
Pavarti shivered and Lavender made a face of disgust, as the two girls huddled together and moved over towards the table and their evening's work. There was one thing about chopping, skinning, shredding and powdering herbs; it was mindless and Pavarti could sit for hours and just think as Professor Snape allowed no talking during his detentions. Tonight, she thought about the conversation she had overheard between Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonnagal.
From what the girl could understand, it had been decided that the school could not and would not do without their flying instructor, so the Headmaster had sent away for Madame Hooch to return. They had given her a small holiday when the accident had first occurred, but now that they knew the antidote could take months to find, they decided to reinstate her as the Flying Instructor.
"After all." The Headmaster had stated. "She is only young in body, not mind. She is able to remember most things that she knew when she was an adult." He smiled benignly at Professor McGonnagal when she protested.
"But Albus, surely you do not think that she is going to act like the old Madame Hooch?" She asked worriedly. "She is a teenager in body and spirit, Albus. That is sure to show sooner or later."
"We will have to deal with that when that issue comes around, Minerva." He turned and smiled at the older witch. "In the mean time, why don't we go and welcome Miss Hooch back to the school." Professor McGonnagal pursed her lips.
"I still do not agree with this, Albus." Pavarti had heard Professor McGonnagal say before she turned towards the front doors to wait for the young Miss Hooch to arrive.
Pavarti had not had the chance to see or hear more, for she had had to go find Lavender and drag her down to the dungeons with her. She had not said anything to Lavender about what she had heard, and she was confused as to why she had not. She only had a feeling that she should keep this information to herself for now. She was sure nothing good would come out of upsetting Lavender even more than she already was, and news of the arrival of her worst school scandal ever, was sure to do that. She looked over at the blonde girl and shook her head.
Lavender had begun to hum softly to herself as she chopped, and only stopped when Pavarti nudged her in the side. Lavender looked up and Pavarti smiled at the girl and went back to chopping her Fluxweed. She did not know of another person that she would rather spend time in detention with, really. Lavender, after all, was her best friend.
She winced when she heard Professor Snape curse in defeat beneath his breath, as yet another caldron exploded and he had to start over again. Sighing tiredly, she grabbed another handful of Fluxweed and began chopping it. This might be the worst and most boring way to spend their evenings, but at least they had not been expelled, and if you did not make too much noise, Professor Snape pretty much left you alone. All in all, not a bad deal for the mess they had created.
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After Hermione had assured herself that there was nothing physically or psychologically wrong with Harry she left him and Ginny in the Infirmary to go find Ron. She had promised Ginny that she would talk to her brothers and try to calm them down about the whole Harry and Ginny issue. She had little hope, but she would still try for the sake of their friendship.
She made her way through the corridors to Gryffindor Tower while thinking of the Medi-Witch's medical diagnosis for Harry's condition. The old nurse had been shocked to see her and Ginny dragging a near hysterical and twitching Harry into the Infirmary.
After Madame Pomfrey had taken his vital signs and asked a few questions of both the girls and Harry, she had pronounced that there was nothing really wrong with Harry at all that a little rest and relaxation wouldn't cure. He was just suffering from Stress and Nerves. She had deduced that the shock of being chased by a murderous best friend had set off his twitching and that his way of dealing with the stress was to laugh. The Medi-Witch had finished her diagnosis with her own opinion of the state of Harry's health. She had straightened up from examining Harry's reflexes, and looked at the two girls.
"Not too surprising to me that this has happened." She nodded her head and pursed her lips while pulling a screen in front of Harry so that he could get undressed and in to bed. "With someone as highly strung and with such a delicate constitution as young Mr. Potter's, it is a miracle that he has not been in here for this before now." Both girls had looked at each other with a grin on their faces. They both knew that if Harry had been in his right mind, he would have had a fit at hearing those words.
Hermione ceased her contemplations as she came to stand before the portrait of the Fat Lady. She gave the password and stepped over the threshold to see Ron, Fred and George sitting on a couch before the Fire. They looked tired and defeated with their shoulders slumped and their heads in their hands. She had to smile at how gallant the boys had acted when they had stormed the Owlry door after hearing Ginny yelling. Shaking her head, and still smiling, she made her way over the three boys.
"Hey guys." She smiled as the three boys raised their heads from their hands to smile at her. She stood between the trio and tried to get their attention. "Ginny has asked me to talk to you about her and Harry." She timidly started and flinched when Ron jumped up from the couch and started to pace.
"Discuss Ginny and Harry?" Ron growled. "What exactly is there to discuss, Hermione?" He stomped over to stand in front of her and looked her in the eye. "There is no Ginny and Harry, Hermione, because as soon as we get done with him, there won't be enough left for him to do anything to Ginny." He looked towards Fred and George and sat back down.
Hermione rolled her eyes at the theatricality of her friend. "Ron, would you please, just answer me one thing?" When the distraught youth looked up, she continued. "What is so bad about Harry going out with Ginny?" She asked in a confused voice.
He turned until he was looking directly into Hermione eyes and stated pompously. "There is an unwritten code among men, Hermione and I don't expect you to understand it." Hermione narrowed her gaze in an ominous warning to him.
"Why don't you try to explain it to me then, Ron?" Ron stood up once again and took a defensive stance in front of her.
"A bloke's best mate does not shag his sister rotten in an Owlry, Hermione." Ron stated sarcastically. Hermione smirked.
"How do you know that Harry took advantage of your sister, huh? Maybe your sister took advantage of Harry?" Ron rolled his eyes.
"It does not really matter who took advantage of who, Hermione. The fact still remains that Harry took advantage of the situation and that clearly goes against the unwritten rules of friendship."
"Oh, would you just shut up about the unwritten rules of friendship!" She cried in exasperation. "It is up to Ginny to decide who she wants to be with, not you – not any of her family!" Her small tirade echoed through the room and stopped the boy's protests cold for one long moment. Ron narrowed his eyes and looked at Hermione.
"Now, wait just a minute, Hermione." He stated into the silence. "Ginny is our sister and we have the right to defend her." He looked at Fred and George who were nodding in agreement.
Hermione nailed all three boys with a belligerent stare. "She may be your sister, and you may think you have the right to defend her, but what about her rights?" She narrowed her look to just Ron's direction. "How would you like it if your brothers or even your mother or father were acting this way towards someone you liked?" Ron raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Hermione, I think you are missing the point here. We are not talking about me here or even George or Fred for that matter." His voice was starting to rise as he started to get riled up all over again. "This is our sister, our baby sister we are talking about and my best friend took advantage of her!"
. "Fine, Ron. Be this way, but when Ginny won't talk to you because of what you have done, don't expect me to be there to pick up the pieces." She decided to try one last time before she gave up. "By the way Ron, said first bloke's best mate does not threaten his life when he falls in love with said second bloke's sister, either." She retorted smartly before turning to leave the common room. At the threshold, she stopped and threw one last comment over her shoulder. "In case you would like to know, Harry has had a nervous breakdown because of all of this and is now in the infirmary." She opened the portrait and exited the room leaving the three boys gaping in disbelief.
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Hermione was arrested by the sight of a new face on her way back to the infirmary to visit with Harry. She had just turned the corner and was descending the stairs when she heard the Headmaster's voice followed by her Head of House's and an unfamiliar one as well.
She stopped walking when the trio came into sight and eyed the young girl that was with her professors. The girl looked familiar, but she could not quite put her finger on who she reminded her of. She wasn't a knock-out by any means, but there was something about her. She had a glorious mane of ash-blonde hair and a curvaceous figure that Hermione was sure would drive the guys wild, but that is not what made her stop to take a second look when the girl drew abreast of her. It was her challenging blue eyes that caught her attention; her knowing smile and her I-am-woman-and-proud-of-it stance.
Professor McGonnagal smiled as she passed by, as did the Headmaster and Hermione watched them walk away towards the Ravenclaw Tower. Intrigued, but not enough to follow, she turned her attention back towards the Infirmary and Harry and Ginny. She was not looking forward to telling Ginny of her conversation with her brothers. She was sure that the small red head would probably burst into flames before her very eyes, and rush to defend her stressed out, nervous, twitching swain. That was one show that she definitely did not want to be there for whenever it happened. She nodded her head at her choice of words. Yes, whenever it happened, because she had no doubt that Ginny would get even with her brothers for this. It was just a matter of when.
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(A/N) There was a lot of dialogue in this chapter, and it was very, very hard to write. It had to be written though, so I persevered. I hope I did not bore you all to tears with this chapter and that some of the previous chapters were explained or put to rest in a reasonable manner. I did not want any of my characters to just hang there and not have a beginning, a middle and an end. And yes, I know that I did not put Pansy in this chapter, but I have my reasons for that, which you will find out in the next chapter. I am having some Quidditch, some dancing and maybe some naughty stuff in the next two chapters.
Thanks to John, NengSki, and Scarlett Darling for reviewing my last chapter. I am glad that you all liked it. I had a lot of fun writing it, and was not sure how it was going to be taken.
As always, I love to hear from my readers, Even if it is a bad review. I take everything and analyze it, and some of it even shows up in my story line, so please feel free to Read and Review.
Love Lisa