Chapter 28: Marauder's Map & Meeting with Krum
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. IT BELONGS TO JK ROWLING.
A/N: Read, enjoy, and remember not to take either life or my writing too seriously.
While Harry was enjoying his morning, Ron Weasley woke up in a terrible mood.
The memories of the previous evening immediately flooded back into his mind, and none of them made him happy.
In fact, they made him furious.
In Ron's opinion, his so-called best friend had completely ruined what should have been the greatest night of his life.
Obviously Harry must have used some sort of glamour spell on Hermione Granger.
Hermione looking like that? Yeah, right, Ron thought bitterly.
Then there was the incident with Viktor Krum.
Harry scared him away on purpose, Ron decided.
Just when Krum had been about to agree to let Ron help him clean his wand.
Ron had even been hoping that Krum might demonstrate how he polished his broomstick.
I wonder if Krum carries his own balls with him, Ron wondered idly.
Maybe he'd let me see them. I should ask him later.
Ron continued mentally complaining about Harry for quite some time.
Eventually another thought crossed his mind.
And I never even got my dessert.
That final injustice pushed him out of bed as he stomped off toward breakfast.
Krum's Morning
Meanwhile, Viktor Krum woke up aboard the Durmstrang ship.
He had slept very little.
After the ball, he and Luna Lovegood had spent much of the night exploring the Forbidden Forest searching for a Crumple-Horned Snorkack.
Unfortunately, they hadn't found one.
Still, the adventure had been enjoyable.
Krum walked over to a mirror and examined his reflection.
His eyes widened slightly when he noticed the red marks running up and down his neck.
Then he remembered what had happened.
When they returned from the forest, he had accidentally stepped beneath a piece of mistletoe.
Luna had immediately explained that the area was infested with Nargles.
According to her, the only way to safely remove them was through oral suction applied directly to the neck.
She had spent more than an hour removing the supposed parasites.
Krum studied the marks in the mirror again.
Good thing she was an expert, he thought.
No telling what might have happened otherwise.
Hermione's Morning
Back in Gryffindor Tower, Hermione slowly woke up.
The first thing she noticed was the smell.
Fresh roses.
The scent immediately brought back memories from the night before.
The Great Hall.
The music.
Dancing in Harry's arms.
Their quiet walk through the garden.
Aside from the brief confrontation with the Beauxbatons champion, the evening had been perfect.
Even that incident had simply proven something important to Hermione.
Harry truly loved her.
She stretched slightly and opened her eyes.
Then she saw them.
On the table beside her bed stood a vase filled with roses.
At least two dozen perfect red roses surrounded by small sprays of baby's breath.
Each bloom had been carefully arranged.
Hermione smiled softly.
I have the perfect boyfriend, she thought.
Morning in the Common Room
A short time later Hermione descended the staircase into the Gryffindor common room.
She held one of the roses in her hand.
Harry was already waiting for her in his usual chair.
Hermione walked over and immediately sat down on his lap.
Then she showed him exactly how perfect she thought he was.
Several minutes later they finally paused for air.
"I loved the flowers, Harry," Hermione said softly. "And I loved last night. It was perfect."
Harry looked into her warm brown eyes.
"I'm glad you liked them," he replied.
He hesitated slightly.
"I hope you don't mind that I asked Dobby to deliver them."
Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"You paid him, didn't you?"
"Yes," Harry answered quickly. "I promised him a galleon for arranging the roses and delivering them."
Hermione blinked.
"You picked them yourself?"
Harry smiled.
"I remembered the roses in the garden from last night. Once the warming charm is removed they'll die anyway."
He tightened his arms around her slightly.
"You deserved them while they were still beautiful."
Hermione leaned forward.
"Have I mentioned how much I love you today?"
She demonstrated again.
After another breathless pause, Harry suddenly remembered something.
"There was something strange about the Marauder's Map this morning."
Hermione tilted her head curiously.
"What do you mean?"
"I saw Rita Skeeter outside the castle," Harry explained. "But when I went to check, she wasn't there."
He pulled out the map.
After activating it, he looked at the spot where he had seen her earlier.
"She's gone now," Harry said. "But earlier the map said she was right there."
Hermione frowned thoughtfully.
"Maybe she was under an invisibility cloak."
"I checked," Harry replied. "There were no footprints. I even checked the snow."
Hermione considered this.
"Maybe she was underground somehow?"
Harry grimaced.
"I hope not. That would mean she might be—"
He stopped.
Hermione was looking down at the map.
"Harry…" she said slowly.
"There's a third name here."
Harry jumped up so suddenly Hermione nearly fell off his lap.
"What?" he said quickly.
"It's Rita," Hermione replied.
Harry began walking around the room.
The dot labeled Rita Skeeter followed him perfectly.
Hermione watched carefully.
"Wait," she said. "Stand still."
She examined Harry more closely.
Then she noticed something stuck to his trousers.
A piece of spider web.
And a silk-wrapped beetle.
"Harry," Hermione said slowly.
"Was there a spider web where the map said Rita was this morning?"
Harry blinked.
"Yeah. How did you know?"
Hermione carefully removed the silk bundle from his trousers.
"I think I may have just found Rita Skeeter."
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