Chapter 265 - Perfect Prefect (1/2)
”So that's it — it looks like I have to complete the founders' unfinished task of stopping Malgino,” said Chris looking out the window. ”I got to find a way to finish him. That's what Dumbledore thinks.”
The room was absolutely quiet. Hermione was standing over Fred and George's old boxes. Ginny and Ron were sitting on the bed and Harry was standing near the doorway leaning on the wall.
”Chris, are you okay?”
Chris startled looked around. The voice wasn't anyone's in the room, it was Luna's.
”I know you are not scared but are you worried?” said Luna's voice again and Chris realized she was talking through their talisman.
”Luna!” Chris said in her mind. ”Did you hear everything?”
”Yes,” replied Luna. ”I always wear my talisman and you wanted me to hear, didn't you?”
”Yeah, I did,” said Chris with a sigh. ”And yes I am worried, Luna. I —”
There was a loud bang in the room and Hermione vanished behind a puff of black smoke.
”Hermione!” shouted Chris, Ginny, Harry and Ron.
Hermione emerged, coughing, out of the smoke, clutching a telescope and sporting a brilliantly purple black eye.
”I squeezed it and it — it punched me!” she gasped.
Hermione was holding up what looked like a small telescope and a tiny fist on a long spring was protruding from the end of it.
”Don't worry,” said Ron, who was plainly trying not to laugh, ”Mum'll fix that, she's good at healing minor injuries —”
”Oh well, never mind that now!” said Hermione hastily and looked back at Chris.
”Listen, after what happened at the Department of Mysteries —” Chris took a deep breath. ”They were all throwing killing curses at you all and I killed three people, so I think you know it's not safe — I'm not safe. This is —”
”Nothing is safe till Riddle and Malgino are alive,” said Ginny fiercely. ”Save it, Chris. We are not leaving you.”
”Yes,” breathed Hermione. ”How could you think that we will abandon you and Harry after this? I am just wondering what Dumbledore'll teach you, Harry? Really advanced defensive magic, probably . . . powerful countercurses . . . anti-jinxes . . .”
”You will be alright, Chris,” said Luna in Chris' mind. ”We will be alright.”
A warmth spread through Chris; a tight obstruction in her chest seemed to be dissolving. She knew that Ginny, Luna, Ron and Hermione were more shocked than they were letting on, but the mere fact that they were still with her, speaking bracing words of comfort, not shrinking from her as though she were contaminated or dangerous, was worth more than she could ever tell them. Chris looked up at Harry and saw the same relief in his features. Harry gave a small smile and Chris smiled back.
At that moment, Mrs Weasley called them down for dinner and they went downstairs. Hermione quickly explained about her eye as Chris and Harry greeted Bill and Mr Weasley. After trying a lot Mrs Weasley concluded that only Fred and George knew how Hermione's eye will be back to normal so she has to wait. As they all sat for dinner, Bill, Mr Weasley, Sirius and Aurelia broke into more missing news.
”Did you hear about Florean Fortescue, Sirius?” asked Bill, who was being plied with wine by Fleur. ”The man who ran —”
”— the ice-cream place in Diagon Alley?” Harry interrupted. ”He used to give me free ice creams. What's happened to him?”
”Dragged off, by the look of his place.”
”Why?” asked Chris, thinking what could an ice cream seller do wrong.
Mrs Weasley pointedly glared at Bill.
”Who knows? He must've upset them somehow. He was a good man, Florean.”
”Talking of Diagon Alley,” said Mr Weasley, ”looks like Ollivander's gone too.”
”The wandmaker?” said Ginny, looking startled.
”That's the one. Shop's empty. No sign of a struggle. No one knows whether he left voluntarily or was kidnapped.”