"So, all in all, not one of Ron's better birthdays." Fred recapped. 

It was the evening; the Hospital Wing was quiet, the windows curtained, and lamps lit. Ron's was the only occupied bed. Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ryan, Sophie, Titan and I were sitting around him; we spent all day waiting outside the double doors, trying to see inside whenever somebody went in or out. Pomfrey only let us enter at 8. Fred and George arrived at ten past. 

"This isn't how we imagined handing over our present." George commented grimly, putting down a large wrapped gift on Ron's bedside cabinet, and sat behind Ginny. 

"Yeah, when we pictured the scene, he was conscious." Fred added. 

"There we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him-" George informed. 

"You were in Hogsmeade?" Ginny asked, looking up. 

"And you didn't invite us?" Sophie asked. 

"We were thinking of buying Zonko's." Fred informed gloomily. "A Hogsmeade branch you know with Tulip running it, but a fat lot of good it'll do us if you lot aren't allowed out a weekends to buy our stuff anymore... But never mind that now." 

He drew up a chair beside me and looked at Ron's pale face. 

"I can't leave you alone for 1 minute." Ryan shook his head. 

"I thought you said Ron wasn't going to be hurt." Horus said to Anubis.

"He's fine." Anubis admitted. "But this is one way to get it done." 

"Ugh." Horus rolled his eyes. "See... this is why you should never get involved in love lives,  Anubis. You remember what happened last time?" He asked. 

"So... how did this all happen?" Sophie asked. 

And Fred and George wanted to know as well.

I retold the story we recounted already. It felt like a hundred times to Dumbledore, to McGonagall, to Pomfrey, to Hermione, and to Ginny.

"...we're just lucky we got that bezoar down his throat and his breathing eased up a bit, and they brought Ron up here." I said.

"Well, what did Madam Pomfrey say?" Fred asked. 

"He'll be alright." I answered. "But he'll have to stay here a week or so... keep taking essence and what not." 

"Blimey, it was lucky you thought of a bezoar." George said in a low tone. 

"Lucky there was one in the room." Harry replied.

"He wouldn't have died." Anubis assured. "But I will admit. That poison packs a punch." 

Hermione gave an almost inaudible sniff. She was very quiet for the whole day. Having hurtled, white faced, up to us outside the Hospital Wing and demanded to know what had happened, she took no part in our obsessive discussion, about how Ron had been poisoned, but merely stood beside us, clench jawed, and frightened looking, until we were allowed to see him at any rate.

"Do Mum and Dad know?" Fred asked Ginny.

"They've already seen him, they arrived an hour ago- they're in Dumbledore's office now, but they'll be back soon..." Ryan answered. 

There was a pause while we all watched Ron go back to sleep. Ron was the one poisoned. Not Anubis. Personally, I think Ron would've been dead if not for Anubis being inside of him. 

"So the poison was in the drink?" Fred asked quietly. 

"Yes." Harry answered at once. "Slughorn poured it out-" 

"Slughorn! I knew he was behind this!" Sophie accused.

"Easy with the accusations, Soph." Ryan advised.

"Then it was Malfoy!" Sophie accused just as easily. 

"It was Malfoy!" Titan agreed.

We all looked at Sophie. "You think Malfoy poisoned the Mead?" I asked.

"No... he's just the guy I automatically choose to blame in situations like Harry does." Sophie answered. 

"Hey!" Harry complained. "It's not... well I know that Malfoy is up to no good." 

"Okay..." I still went back to the whole Slughorn theory. 

"Would he have been able to slip something into Ron's glass without you seeing?" Fred asked. 

"Probably." Harry answered. 

"He... might've." I said. "But, it doesn't make any sense. Why would Slughorn want to poison Ron? He can barely remember his name." 

"No idea." Fred said, frowning "You don't think he could have mixed up the glasses by mistake? Meaning to get you, Harry?" 

"Why would Slughorn want to poison Harry?" Ginny asked. 

"Especially since Harry is Slughorn's golden boy." Ryan added. 

"Well... there must be loads of people who'd like to poison Harry, mustn't there? 'The Chosen One' and all that?" Fred suggested. 

"So you think Slughorn's a Death Eater?" Ginny asked. 

"Aha!" Sophie screamed. 

"Sophie." Ryan hissed.

"Anything's possible." George admitted darkly. 

"He could be under the Imperious Curse." George suggested.

"Or he could be innocent." Ginny suggested. "The poison could have been in the bottle, in which case it was probably meant for Slughorn himself." 

"Who'd want to kill the Slug?" Ryan asked. "Actually... lots of people now that I think about it. Didn't Voldemort want Slughorn on his side?"

"That's what Dumbledore reckoned." Harry answered. "Slughorn was in hiding for a year before he came to Hogwarts And..." He stopped and paused. 

"And what?" Sophie asked. 

"And maybe Voldemort wants him out of the way, maybe he thinks he could be valuable to Dumbledore." Harry finished. 

It was a good theory. But another thought ran in my head. "But wait a minute. Didn't Slughorn say that he meant to give that bottle to Dumbledore for Christmas? So... really this poisoner could just have been easily after Dumbledore." I pointed out. 

"Then the poisoner didn't know Slughorn very well." Hermione said, speaking for the first time in hours and sounding as though she had a very bad head cold. "Anyone who knew Slughorn would have known there was a good chance he'd keep something that tasty for himself." 

"Er-my-nee." Ron croaked unexpectedly from between us. 

We all fell silent, watching him anxiously, but after muttering incomprehensibly for a moment he merely started snoring. 

"What? He needs sleep." Anubis asked. 

The dormitory doors flew open, making us all jump. Hagrid came striding towards us, his hair rain flecked, his bearskin coat flapping beside us, a crossbow in his hand, leaving a trail of muddy dolphin sized footprints all over the floor. 

"Well... so much for sanitary." I thought. 

"Bin in the Forest all day!" Hagrid panted. "Aragog's worse, I bin readin' to him- didn' get up ter dinner till jus' now an' then Professor Sprout to me abou' Ron! How is he?" 

"Not bad." Harry answered. "They say he'll be okay." 

"Thank the Gods." I added. 

"I don' believe this." Hagrid said hoarsely, as he shook his great shaggy head and stared down at Ron. "Jus' don' believe it... Look at him lyin' there... Who'd want ter hurt him, eh?" 

"Add that to our list of questions." Ryan said. 

"Someone couldn' have a grudge against the Gryffindor Quidditch team, could they?" Hagrid asked anxiously. "Firs' Katie, now Ron..." 

"I can't see anyone trying to bump off a Quidditch team." George said.

"Wood might've done the Slytherins if he could've got away with it." Fred added, fairly. 

"Well, I don't think it's Quidditch, but I think there's a connection between the attacks." Hermione said quietly. 

"What makes you think that?" I asked. 

"Well, for one thing, they both ought to have been fatal and weren't, although that was pure luck. And for another, neither the poison nor the necklace seems to have reached the person who was supposed to be killed. Of course." Hermione answered broodingly. "That makes the person behind this even more dangerous in a way, because they don't seem to care how many people they finish off before they actually reach their victim." 

"So... the victims being part of our Quidditch Team is just purely coincidental?" I asked. 

"That would be my guess, Kassie." Hermione answered. 

Before anyone could respond to our ominous pronouncements, the dormitory doors opened again and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hurried up the ward. They had done no more than satisfy themselves that Ron would make a full recovery on their last visit to the ward; now Mrs. Weasley seized hold of Harry and seized him tightly. "Dumbledore told us how you saved him with the Bezoar." Mrs. Weasley sobbed.  

"Actually... that was Kassie. I just helped." Harry admitted.

Then Mrs. Weasley practically grabbed me and threw me into the hug. "Oh, Harry, Kassie, what can we say? You saved Ginny... you saved Arthur... okay, Harry saved Arthur, but you both saved Ginny... Ethan saved Bill, Ron, and Ginny, and now you've saved Ron... again!" 

"It was nothing. We were just helping our friend." I said. 

"Half our family does seem to owe both the Potter family and the Bauers their lives, now that I stop and think about it." Mr. Weasley informed in a constricted voice. "Well, all I can say is that it was a lucky day for the Weasleys when Ethan and Charlie became Dormmates, another lucky day when Ethan came to Bill for advice on the Ice Vault, and yet again when Ron decided to sit in your compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Harry." 

It was a very lucky day indeed. And I admit that I did get choked up. It was also an incredibly lucky day that I met Ethan in Greece. I didn't think it was lucky at all though. It was the will of the Gods. I knew that if I prayed hard enough to be lifted from my nightmare. I would be free. And that was when Madam Pomfrey reminded us that we were only supposed to have six visitor's around Ron's bed; Harry Hermione, and I rose at once to leave, and Hagrid decided to go with us, leaving Ron with his family, and foster siblings in Ryan and Sophie. 

"Oh, guys! One last thing." Fred called out.

The rest of us turned back to Fred and George.

"The Aurors are launching into a full investigation as to how Ron was poisoned. Scrimgeour himself is taking control. So... you know... don't be surprised if Aurors catch up with you asking questions." George informed.

"Yeah. You know how they get." Fred added.

"It's terrible." Hagrid growled into his beard, as we walked back along the corridors to the marble staircase. "All this new security along, an' kids are still gettin' hurt... Dumbledore's worried sick... He don' say much, but I can tell..." 

"Hasn't he got any ideas, Hagrid?" Hermione asked desperately. 

"I 'spect he's got hundreds of ideas, brain like his." Hagrid answered. "But he doesn' know who sent that necklace nor put poison in that wine, or they'd've been caught, wouldn' they? Wha' worries me." Hagrid lowered his voice now. "Is how long Hogwarts can stay open if kids are bein' attacked. Chamber o' Secrets all over again, isn't it? There'll be panic, more parents takin' their kids outta school, an' nex' thing yeh know the board o' governors..." 

Hagrid stopping talking as the ghost of a long haired woman drifted serenely past us, the resumed in a whisper. "... the board o' governors'll be talkin' abou' shuttin' us up fer good." 

"No." I said. They couldn't do that!

"Surely not." Hermione also looked worried. 

"Gotta see it from their point o' view." Hagrid admitted heavily. "I mean, it's always bin a bit of a risk sendin' a kid ter Hogwarts, hasn' it? Yer expect accidents, don' yeh, with hundreds of underage wizards all locked up tergether, but attempted murder, tha's diff'rent. S'no wonder Dumbledore's angry with Sn-" 

Hagrid stopped in his tracks. A familiar, guilty expression was now on his face. He always did stuff like this when he was about to reveal information he wasn't supposed to.

"What?" I asked. "Is Dumbledore angry with Snape about something?" 

"I never said tha'." Hagrid said, though the look of panic could not have been a bigger giveaway. "Look at the time, it's gettin on fer midnight, I need ter-" 

"Hagrid, why is Dumbledore angry at Snape?" Harry asked loudly. 

"Shhh!" Hagrid shushed Harry up as he looked both angry and nervous. "Don' shout stuff like that, Harry, d'yeh wan' me ter lose me job? Mind, I don' suppose yeh'd care, would yeh, not now yeh've given up Care of Mag-" 

"Don't try and make us feel guilty, it won't work!" Harry replied forcefully. 

"I feel guilty." I admitted. Even though I was taking Care of Magical Creatures. 

"What's Snape done?" Harry asked. 

"I dunno, Harry, I shouldn' have heard it at all! I-well, I was comin' outta the forest the other evenin' an' I overheard 'em talking-well, arguin'. Didn't like ter draw attention to meself, so I sorta skulked an' tried not ter listen, but it was a- well, a heated discussion an' it wasn' easy ter block it out." Hagrid answered. 

Hm. Whatever was going on with Snape and Dumbledore and it was heated. I wonder what about? It made me curious.

"Well- I jus' heard Snape sayin' Dumbledore took too much for granted an' maybe he- Snape- didn' wan' ter do it anymore-" Hagrid went on. 

"Do what?" I asked. 

"I dunno, Kassie, it sounds like Snape was feelin' a bit overworked, that's all- anyway, Dumbledore told him flat out that he'd agreed ter do it an' that was all there was to it. Pretty firm with him. An' then he said summat abou' Snape makin' investigations in his House, in Slytherin. Well, there's nothin' strange abou' that!" Hagrid added hastily, as we exchanged looks of meaning. "All the Heads o' Houses were asked ter look inter that necklace business-" 

"But Dumbledore isn't having rows with the rest of them, is he?" I asked. 

"Look." Hagrid was now twirling his crossbow uncomfortably in hands; there was a loud splintering sound as it snapped in two. "I know what yeh're like abo' Snape. An' I don' want yeh ter go readin' more inter this than there is." 

"Um... guys? We've got company!" I warned as I heard the sounds of footsteps. 

We turned to see Filch looming over the wall behind us before the man himself turned the corner. 

"Oho!" He wheezed. "Out of bed so late, this'll mean detention!" 

"No it won', Filch." Hagrid said shortly. "They're with me, aren' they?" 

"And what different does that make?" Filch asked obnoxiously just as Mrs. Norris hissed. 

"I'm a ruddy teacher, aren' I, yeh squeaking' Squib!" Hagrid fired up at once. 

Thank you, Hagrid. 

Mrs. Norris twister her face around Filch's Skinny ankles. Right as there was a nasty hissing noise as Filch swelled with fury. 

"Get goin'." Hagrid said out of the corner of his mouth. 

There was no need to be told twice; we hurried off. And right as Hagrid and Filch raised voices echoing behind us as we ran. 

We passed Peeves near the turning table into Gryffindor Tower, but he stroked happily toward the source of the yelling, cackling and calling.  

We entered the Gryffindor Common Room having emerged through Fat Lady Portrait, and boy did she not like to be woken up. But at the very least she did let us in.

Thank the Gods that the Common Room was empty and mercifully peaceful. It didn't look like people knew about Ron yet. I think I've had enough interrogating for one day. 

And I think Harry felt the same way because he set off for his Dormitory. Hermione and I did the same with our Dorm. 

But I think it was strange. What with Dumbledore arguing with Snape. In spite of Dumbledore's insistence that he trusted Snape completely, he had nevertheless lost his temper with him... Did he think that Snape was failing in his duty to investigate the Slytherins?

The news that Ron was poisoned spread as fast as fire the next day, though it didn't cause the same reaction as what happened to Katie. I kind of expected it to. But considering what had been going on in recent days, I didn't blame them. People seemed to think that it must've been an accident, given that we were in Slughorn's room at the time, and that we were able to get an antidote immediately, so no harm no foul. But that didn't stop the Aurors from launching an investigation on where the Poison came from.

What Gryffindors were more interested in though, was the upcoming Quidditch Match against Hufflepuff. Priorities, people! 

"I think they just want to see Zacharias Smith get what's coming to him." Ryan suggested. 

"What do you mean?" I asked. 

"You remember his commentary during our match against Slytherin?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, he was a dick." I answered. And knowing that Smith was a Chaser for Hufflepuff made me want to teach him a lesson. Especially after he called 'The Ladies of Court' a gimmick to disguise people of how bad we really were, one day at lunch. "We can take Smith." 

"Just remember to keep your head in the game, Kassie." Ryan reminded. "I don't need to tell you that Harry isn't exactly in the same boat. He's never been less interested in Quidditch then before." 

"Huh?" I asked. Harry not in the same boat? "Does it have to do with the Marauder's Map and Malfoy?"

"You better believe it." Ryan answered. "I've seen the way he acts at night. He still checks the Marauder's Map at every turn when he thinks I'm not looking." 

Well... that would explain why Harry would sometimes make detours to wherever Malfoy happened to be. "He find anything yet?" I asked. 

"Nope." Ryan answered. "But sometimes... there are times when Harry claims that Malfoy just pulls a Bunny out of the hat." 

I was confused. 

"He vanishes from the map." Horus clarified.

"Oh..." I said. "And we don't know where Malfoy goes off to?" 

"Nope." Ryan answered. "Right now... I've got to figure out what to do at the Keeper position." 

Oh... Malaka! I forgot about that. Between all that was going on. Ron was our keeper. And with him out... that meant... "Does this mean we're starting McLaggen?" I asked horrified. 

"Duat no." Ryan answered. "After that little stunt at the Christmas Party, there's a better chance of Horus bending the knee to Set, then me letting McLaggen on the team."

"Which is second to none." Horus clarified. 

"So... what are we going to do, then?" I asked. 

"Well... after McLaggen kept pounding me to be on the team, and that he would make a better Keeper for the team than Ron... I started to look for literally anyone else." Ryan answered. 

"Hey, guys." Ginny came up to us. And she had a smile on her face. 

"Ginny!" I exclaimed. "What's up with you?" 

"I just spoke to Madam Pomfrey, she says that Ron is doing pretty good, so fingers crossed for a quick recovery." Ginny answered. "Though... he's not going to be ready to play against Hufflepuff." She admitted. 

"Well, who's going to be the next Keeper until Ron gets better?" I asked. I suppose I could ask Neville if he wanted to play Quidditch. 

"I thought you would say that. Which is why I have some good news." Ginny announced. 

"I'm not using McLaggen!" Ryan declared, as if he was worried that Ginny was going to suggest using McLaggen.

"Take it easy, Ryan." Ginny calmly requested. "I don't want to use McLaggen either."  

If that had been Ron or Harry that said that to Ginny, she would've smacked them in the head and said something like: 'I'm not talking about McLaggen, you dummy!' 

"You found a sub?" I asked. 

"Sure did." Ginny answered. "Ah, here he comes now." 

We all turned to see Dean Thomas running up. "Reporting for duty, Captain." Dean announced giving Ryan a salute.

"Dean! Perfect!" Ryan clapped his hands.

"Wait. Didn't you play Chaser last year?" I asked.

"Yeah. But how hard can playing Keeper be. I can imagine it's like playing Goalie in Football. But on a Broom." Dean answered. 

Ryan took one good look at McLaggen. "Eh, good enough. Welcome back to the Team, Dean." He decided to Dean. 

"Thanks." Dean thanked. 

But apparently, McLaggen overheard that. "WHAT?! YOU'RE HIRING HIM!?" He yelled at Ryan.

"Yes, I am." Ryan answered. "Excuse me for one moment." He said to me.

And I decided to leave that scene and quickly. 

But it wasn't just that I had to deal with. I also had to deal with Lavender Brown. And to be honest... I can't tell which one is worse. Dealing with annoying McLaggen who would no doubt try to flirt with me when he got the chance, or dealing with the annoying Lavender Brown. It's like trying to either deal with Charybdis or Scylla. 

And if you're curious as to what Lavender was up to... well, she was very annoyed that nobody had thought to tell her that Ron was in the Hospital Wing. "I mean, I am his girlfriend!" Even though we had told her 8 times. 

But unfortunately, she had now decided to forgive us for that lapse of memory and was keen to have in depth chats with me about Ron's feelings, which was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. And it wasn't like I could escape from her at night. She took to sitting at the foot of my bed at night. 

By Zeus. Why did Ron have to pick one the most annoying of my dormmates to be his girlfriend? Why couldn't he pick Hermione? 

"You could always talk to him." I suggested, after one incredibly long interrogation from Lavender that took in everything from what Ron said about her new dress robes to whether or not I thought Ron considered his relationship with Lavender to be 'serious.' It wasn't.

"Well, I would, but he's always asleep when I go and see him!" Lavender said to me fretfully. 

"Is he?" I asked stunned by that. We found Ron perfectly alert every time we went to the Hospital Wing. 

"Is Hermione Granger still visiting him?" Lavender demanded suddenly. 

"Um... y-yes." I answered uncomfortably. "They're friends, aren't they?" 

"Friends, don't make me laugh." Lavender scorned in my face. "She didn't talk to him for weeks after he started going out with me! But I suppose she wants to make up with him now that he's all interesting..." 

"Um... being poisoned is suddenly interesting?" I asked, scoffing. And then I quickly looked for an excuse to get out of there. "Oh, shoot! I forgot to do that um... homework for Snape. Got to take care of it! Bye, Lavender!" And I quickly ran out of the room. 

The morning of the game against Hufflepuff arrived, and both Ginny and I headed down to the changing rooms, early. Practically to avoid Lavender. We had gone through way more drama then I would like this year. Between the love triangle of Ron, Lavender, and Hermione, to Katie's attack, to Ron's poisoning, this year had been anything but calm. 

"She's gone nuts." I commented to Ginny. And it was clear to Ginny that she knew who I was talking about. 

"Ugh. You have no idea." Ginny agreed. "You know that she actually ambushed me once in the Library and screamed in my face if Ron liked Hermione?" 

"So what did you do?" I asked.

"Nothing. Madam Pince was right there and evicted Lavender from the library." Ginny answered.

Okay... that was something. "Why did you have to goad Ron into snogging Lavender?" I asked. 

"I thought he was going to snog Hermione, finally!" Ginny protested. "Look, Kassie. I get it. Okay? I screwed up." And then she changed the subject. 

"I know it's odd to bring up on the topic of Snogging but.. how are you and Neville doing?" She asked. 

"We're good." I answered. "Never better." And we were doing good. It was just a shame that we couldn't go on a date to Hogsmeade for the weekend. 

"I'm happy for you, Kassie." Ginny said. "Neville's a really good guy to date. He may not be the best dancer. Trust me, I know." 

"Well... he tries." I replied. "And are you referring to the time when he stepped over your feet on the Yule Ball?" I asked. 

"Sure am." Ginny answered. 

The rest of the team trooped in the tent. It was silent, but the atmosphere before any Quidditch game was one that I relished. 

"Listen up, people." Ryan addressed us. I sat with Ginny and Claire. Nick Parkin was on one bench standing next to Dean. "We need to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Rico!" He yelled over to an Elephant named Rico, that was taking up one section of the tent. "Happy Birthday." 

Rico stamped around happy at the news. 

"And on that note... has anyone seen Harry?" Ryan asked. 

We all looked around. It was almost game time, and Harry had yet to arrive. Where was he? But then, Harry finally burst into the Changing Rooms, but the rest of us were already ready to go.

"Where have you been?" Ginny demanded as Harry sprinted in, all of us breathing a sigh of relief. 

"I met Malfoy." Harry answered quietly, pulling his robes over his head. 

"Again?" Ryan asked. 

"I wanted to know how come he's up at the castle with a couple of girlfriends while everyone else is down here..." 

"Girlfriends?" I asked. "Malfoy's a play boy now?" 

"Does it matter right now?" Ginny snapped. 

"Well, I'm not likely to find out now, am I?" Harry asked as he seized his Firebolt and pushed his glasses straight. 

"Nevermind that! We've got a game to play!" Ryan declared. "Okay! Ready or not, here we come!" 

And that was how we marched out onto the pitch to deafening cheers and boos.

There was little wind; the clouds were patchy; everyone now and then there were dazzling flashes of bright sunlight. 

"Tricky conditions." I heard Nick saying behind me. "We might have to-" Then he looked to all of us. "Sorry. Force of Habit. I tend to think that type of stuff before a match. My cousins used to do the same thing." 

"It's all good." Ryan assured. "Okay... listen up. Claire, Ginny, Kassie, you'll want to fly out of the sun, so they don't see you coming. You know, do the things you usually do. Parkin, you're on defense with me. You know what to do. Harry, grab the Snitch as always. And Dean... just get up by the goal posts and try not to let Quaffles in." He ordered. 

"Got it." We all said. 

I saw Ryan shake hands with the Hufflepuff Captain, and then, on Madam Hooch's whistle, we kicked off into the air. 

Smith seized the Quaffle right from under me. "Oh, no you don't." He was so getting beat today. 

"And that's Smith of Hufflepuff with the Quaffle." Came the dreamy voice echoing over the grounds which I was not prepared for. "He did the commentary last time, of course, and Ginny Weasley and Ryan Tyler flew into him, I think probably on purpose, it looked like it. Smith was being quite rude about Gryffindor, I expect he regrets it now he's playing them- oh, look, he's lost the Quaffle, Kassie took it from him. I do like her, she's very nice..." 

It didn't take a genius to know that voice went to Luna Lovegood. Of ALL the people to make a Commentator. It was Luna! How did she get the job? That was when a big Hufflepuff player tried to take the Quaffle off of me. But I kept the ball. And I didn't know that big guy's name.

"...but now that Big Hufflepuff player tried to take the Quaffle from Kassie, I can't remember his name, it's something like Bibble- no, Buggins-" 

"It's Cadwallader!" McGonagall said loudly from beside her. The crowd laughed. But Cadwallader was on me. I passed to Claire who was waiting. And she hit the hoop in. 

Hufflepuff took possession again, with Ginny and I working together to try and take the Quaffle back. We didn't have to wait long. Ryan and Nick were ready. Ryan shot a Bludger at Cadwallader, and the Quaffle was knocked out of his hand. Nick shot the Quaffle back at me. Luna didn't seem to have noticed; she looked like was uninterested in such things like the score, and kept attempting to draw the crowd's attention to things like shaped clouds and the possibility that Zacharias Smith, who had so far failed to maintain possession of the Quaffle for longer than a minute, was suffering from something called 'Loser's Lurgy." 

Seriously? Luna as commentator? I guess I had been so used to Lee Jordan that I wasn't really expecting anything different.

"80-0" McGonagall barked into Luna's megaphone. 

"Is it, already?" Luna asked vaguely. "Oh look! Nick Parkin is aiming his Beater's bat." 

I chased Cadwallader towards our goals. And that was around the time that Zacharias was next to me. "You're going down, Doll face!" He jeered at me. 

"Can't take a loss, can you?" I asked. 

I managed to shake Smith off of me. And I saw Ryan about to hit a Bludger to get the Quaffle out of Cadwallader's hands. 

"We'll see about that!" Smith yelled. "Let's see you deal with this, Princess!" And then he yanked on my ponytail hard and threw me right into the path of the Bludger. And then I remember getting the day lights smacked right out of me. 

That's the last thing I remember in that game. 

India. The Temple of Ganesha. (3rd Person P.O.V)

Xin accepted a cup of water from the Caretaker as he sat in the temple. "Thank you." Xin thanked respectfully to the tale he was told of Ganesha.

The Caretaker nodded. "You are most welcome. I have told you the story of Ganesha. As per our agreement, will you tell me the tale of Xin Manh." 

Xin took another sip of water. "I suppose that is appropriate." He sighed. He was a man of his word.

"There is suffering in your past, isn't there?" The Caretaker asked. 

"I haven't said a word." Xin said.

"There is more than one way to figure one's story than by speaking, Xin Manh." The Caretaker explained. "Your facial expressions, your hesitation in sighing, the look in your eyes as you reflect. I've been around for a long time to follow what is on one's mind."

Xin chuckled a bit. "And here I thought originally you were a crazy caretaker when I first met you." Then his face turned serious. "You would be correct in saying there is suffering. The suffering of my people. My own suffering. At the hands of the West." He could hear a sound inside of him. Gun fire from an M-16 Rifle. Helicopter Sounds, American Soldiers yelling out and wounded on the grounds as explosions rang around. "Since the time I was a boy... my country of Vietnam has known nothing but war and chaos. My Grandfather who fought the Japanese, my Father who fought the French. They wanted what we have always wanted. A Free Vietnam. But before we knew it, my country was in a state of civil war. The North and the South. Communists against Nationalists. My family lived in the South. We followed the South." 

The Caretaker remained silent, allowing Xin to continue. And also showing Xin Manh that he was listening and understanding.

"And then... America came in. Fighting off the Vietcong and trying to bring in order to chaos. Not just for the Muggles. But for Wizards too. But all they brought was more chaos. Eventually, South Vietnam started using us Wizards as scouts, as expendable ones so they could win their war. More bloodshed, more bombs, more suffering. At the end of it, everyone was trying to get out. They couldn't. Vietnam had united, but our Wizarding World was never the same after that. And America... the West... they didn't help us. They abandoned us! They went in and then fled like cowards leaving the rest of us to our fate!" Xin continued. But then he remembered himself. "Forgive me, Caretaker. My anger is not with you." 

The Caretaker nodded his head. "I understand. You are angry with the West for abandoning you to your fate." 

"I am." Xin confirmed. "And for leaving us in the hands of a North Vietnamese Wizarding World who subjugated the Southern Wizards with a prejudice. Several of my family were murdered, and after the North said they would 'take care of us.' And the West turned a blind eye to us. My people and I have tried rebelling to liberate us, but to no avail." 

The Caretaker poured Xin more water. "You remind me of a man I once met years ago. Iosef Trotsky his name was. He lost his wife and daughter to Muggles as the Wizarding World did nothing to help him." He explained.

"I am familiar with the tale of Iosef Trotsky." Xin replied. Then he looked down at his cup. "And I believe... I could probably be sharing the same fate. I chose to side with the Death Eaters." 

"Why?" The Caretaker asked.

"The Death Eaters helped us. They helped us overthrow the Corrupted in power. They sent sleeper agents to infiltrate the Wizarding Government in Vietnam, and the same for Cambodia, and Laos. We formed a coalition, an alliance, Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines also joined shortly after." Xin explained. "And they chose me as Commander. All I had to do was pledge my loyalty to Lord Voldemort. The Wizarding World calls him a devil. And for good reason." 

"So why do you join him?" The Caretaker asked.

"My Anger towards the rest of the World was stronger." Xin answered. "The International Confederation of Wizards in particular is... pathetic, to put it mildly. They are weak, and whenever somebody does something they don't like, something that could benefit my people, they get involved and say we can't do that. They turned a blind eye to the crimes the Vietnamese Wizarding World does to its own people. They know what goes on. They simply... don't care." His words seething with hatred as he thought of the Coalition.

"I can't imagine the Confederation is pleased about the forming of the Coalition, or the invasion of India, for that matter." The Caretaker assumed.

"They are not. They call our Coalition nothing more than a Rebellion, they label us terrorists. What have they done to stop us?" Xin asked.

"Nothing." The Caretaker answered. He already knew what Xin was going to say. "The Confederation is worried about their own people. And they will choose their own over others. It's the way the world works." The Caretaker stood up. Took out his wand and conjured up more water in a pitcher. "Even despite the plea from our government of India for them to come to our aid. None have come."

"You seem to be doing well, so far." Xin pointed out. "My forces have been pushed to a stalemate. Though for how long, I do not know. The defenses will break, eventually. Could be tomorrow, could be a week, could be a month, a year." 

"They will." The Caretaker agreed. "There is only so long that India can hold on its own. And what happens after you conquer India?"

"India will be annexed into the Coalition." Xin answered. "We will have control of the bay of Bengal and the Eastern Indian Ocean." 

"And you would still pledge the Coalition's allegiance to Voldemort?" The Caretaker asked. "A Wizard of the West, you'd be pledging your loyalty and the loyalty of the Coalition to a tyrant overseas. Just as your ancestors did." 

Xin looked at the table slowly. Then at the Caretaker. "I'm not so sure that Voldemort would be the type to let you rule as freely as you like." The Caretaker continued.

It was in that moment that Xin realized that the Caretaker was right. From the time that Xin knew Voldemort, Voldemort desired power. The more power Voldemort obtained, the more he would want. And he would always want to be the one on top. Never allowing anyone to rule on their own. "I've made a deal with the devil." Xin silently said.

"Not... yet." The Caretaker said.  

"Are you asking me to turn my armies around and go home?" Xin asked expecting that this conversation was going to lead to that.

The Caretaker put his cup down. "No." He answered. "It's far too late to turn back now. But you don't have to serve Voldemort. He helped you gain your power to where you are now, true. But it won't last, and soon... you'll find yourself doing whatever he wants. Not what you want. It will be counterproductive to your goals."

Xin looked confused. "So what should I do? Cut my ties to Voldemort?" He asked. "He won't allow it." 

"I suspect that when the time comes... you will face a crossroad. One that leads to death and destruction for you and the Coalition, and another where you will face prosperity for you, your people, and the Countries in the Coalition." The Caretaker explained. "As to when that time will come. You must trust yourself. Trust yourself." 

Xin sighed as he looked at his water as he pondered that idea. A Crossroad... and when that time will come. "May I have some more?" He asked.

"Of course." The Caretaker answered.

The Hospital Wing (Kassandra P.O.V)

When I opened my eyes again. I was lying in a remarkably warm and comfortable bed and looking up at a lamp that threw a circle of golden light onto a shadowy ceiling.

"Oh..." I groaned as if I had my head smacked by Rhino from the Spiderman Comics. 

"Hey, Little Sis." I heard a voice call from my bed side. Jacob was by my side. "How do you feel?" 

"Jacob?" I asked. 

And there on my left was a familiar looking red haired person.

"Nice of you to drop in." Ron said, grinning. "Glad Anubis and I don't have to get the scales out." 

Malaka! I was in the Hospital Wing. They sky outside was indigo streaked with crimson. The match must have finished hours ago. My head felt strangely heavy; I raised a hand to feel a stiff turban of bandages. "Ow..." I moaned.

"Hey." Jacob stopped me. "Take it easy, Kassie. You got hit pretty bad." 

I then looked to my right. I could see Ethan trying to comfort an upset Ryan. "Ryan. It could've happened to anyone. It wasn't your fault." 

Harry was Ron's bedside. But gave me a thumbs up.

"Kassie!" Neville was also on the other side of my bed. "Thank the Gods! You're awake! I thought you were down for the count!"   

"What happened?" I asked still confused as to how I got here. 

"Cracked Skull." Madam Pomfrey answered, bustling up and pushing me back against my pillows. "Nothing to worry about, I mended it at once, but I'm keeping you overnight. You shouldn't over-exert yourself for a few hours." 

"Cracked Skull is nothing to worry about?" Jacob asked in disbelief. 

"Easy, Jacob." I said weakly. "I've survived worse." 

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Well. Ethan has." He admitted. 

"Well, what happened? How did I get a cracked skull?" I asked.

"It was me." Ryan admitted. "Kassie. I swear to the Gods that I tried to- I tried-" 

"Ryan tried to get those two Hufflepuff Chasers off of you. But Zacharias Smith pulled an illegal move, grabbed your hair and yanked you in front of him. And you got hit in the head with the Bludger going full blast." Neville answered. 

Smith! I should've known. "Damn and Flay that Malaka." I growled. 

"You're not kidding." Harry agreed. "As soon as you went down, Hooch got on the whistle. Called the game dead right then and there, Smith got ejected from the game after that move. After the whistle was blown, the Hufflepuff Seeker had caught the Snitch. I thought we had lost. Hufflepuff started cheering. But because Hooch had blown the whistle and called the play dead already, the catching of the Snitch didn't count. And the Hufflepuff House was pretty furious. And by furious, I mean that they started throwing stuff onto the pitch. Flags, and banners, and also transfiguring up some butterbeer bottles and threw thew them on the pitch. So... Madam Hooch pretty much ended the game after that. The final score was 80-0. Us." He explained.

"Smith's been suspended for the rest of the season. And he's suspended for the first game of the season next year." Jacob added. 

"Smith should be thankful that's all he's getting." Ethan commented. He then walked up to me. "If that was me up there, and if he wasn't a minor, he would be dead where he stood for that stunt." 

Well... that was nice. 

"How do you feel now, Kassie?" Neville asked.

"A little better. But still tender in the head." I answered. "Probably from all the bandaging. I'm sorry." 

"Don't be sorry." Jacob told me. "You're going to be okay, honey." 

"I had to abandon chasing Malfoy to make sure you were okay." Harry said to me. 

Oh, Gods. "I'm sorry. Did I ruin that?" I asked.

"Eh, wasn't your fault. I'll get him another day." Harry answered. 

"I could hear the match commentary from here." Ron's voice was now shaking with laughter. "I hope Luna always commentates from now on... Loser's Lurgy" 

I sniggered.

"Ginny also came by to visit while you were unconscious." Harry added, after a long pause. "She wanted to make sure you were okay. She stood next to me, too." 

That seemed a good sign for Harry. Given that Ginny must've been worried for me. And Harry being there to comfort her and all that. Then I looked at Ryan. He was still looking down. Probably because he felt guilty and that it was his fault I was stuck like this. "It wasn't your fault, Ryan. I can shake this off just fine." I said. 

Ryan sighed. And then he nodded silently. "Smith pulled that dirty trick, Ryan." Horus assured Ryan. 

"This isn't the Quidditch Season I wanted to have." Ryan groaned. He must've been looking for something else to talk about. So he went to Harry. "Hey, Harry? You said before that Malfoy was sneaking off with a couple of girls before the match?" He asked. 

"Yeah." Harry admitted. "I wish I followed him now, the match was a fiasco..." 

"Don't be stupid." Ron said sharply. "You couldn't have missed a Quidditch match just to follow Malfoy, you're the only Seeker on the team!" 

"I want to know what he's up to." Harry corrected. "And don't tell me it's all in my head, not after what I overheard between him and Snape-" 

"Overheard what?" Ethan asked.

"No one said it was all in your head, Harry." I tried to sit up. But I felt to tender to sit up, so I just felt my head get back on the pillow. "Okay... I think I'll stay here." 

Ron also hoisted himself up on an elbow in turn and frowned at Harry. "But there's no rule saying only one person at a time can be plotting anything in this place! You're getting a bit obsessed with Malfoy, Harry. I mean, thinking about missing a match just to follow him..." 

"I want to catch him at it!" Harry said in frustration. "I mean, where's he going when he disappears off the map?" 

"I dunno... Hogsmeade?" Ron suggested, yawning. 

"That's not possible." Jacob dismissed. "If Malfoy was in Hogsmeade, we'd know about it." 

"I've never seen him along any of the secret passageways on the map. I thought they were being watched anyway?" Harry asked. 

"Well then, I dunno." Ron said. 

Silence fell between all of us. 

"Ethan. Jacob. I'm telling you. Malfoy is up to something. And Snape is in on it." Harry insisted. "You've got to listen to me before it's too late!" 

Ethan was about to say something, but that was when one of Jacob's hands glowed. 

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"Contact spell." Ethan answered. 

"Jacob! Ethan! It's Lizzie! We've got a problem." I heard the voice of Lizzie out.

"What's going on, Lizzie?" Ethan asked.

This couldn't be good news.

"It's Hogsmeade. You remember how the Aurors launched an investigation into Ron's poisoning?" Lizzie asked. 

"Yeah." Ethan answered. "Did they find the source?" 

"They did. It looks like it came from the Three Broomsticks." Lizzie reported. 

"The Three Broomsticks?" Jacob asked aghasted. "That can't be right." 

And it couldn't have been. There was no way. 

"Well... apparently it is." Lizzie informed. "The Ministry's shutting it down." 

Shutting it down? What was shutting down?!

"Shutting what down?" Ethan asked bewildered. "I didn't authorize a shut down."

"Nor did I." Jacob added.

"The Three Broomsticks." Lizzie answered. "And... And the order came from Scrimgeour himself. They're currently launching an investigation into the Three Broomsticks. Oh... and the Ministry also... took Rosmerta into their custody." She added. 

That was enough to be a bewilderment. "WHAT?!" Ethan yelled. 

"Come again?" Jacob asked. 

"Yeah, just hear for yourself." Lizzie must've used some other type of magic so we could all hear what was going on in Hogsmeade.

And I could hear some words being spoken. "This is an outrage! I didn't do anything wrong!" I heard the voice of Rosmerta. 

"Yeah. Yeah. That's what they all say." An Auror replied. 

"Oh, great. Scrimgeour's here." Lizzie grumbled.

Uh oh. 

Ron looked bewildered. "By the Gods. Rosmerta couldn't have poisoned me. She wouldn't have." 

There was absolutely no way. But I could hear Scrimgeour saying the words I dreaded to hear. "Madam Rosmerta. You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Ronald Weasley." Scrimgeour announced. 

"No!" I screamed trying to get up. But Ethan and Jacob held me back. 

"There's no way." Harry snarled. "It was Malfoy. I know he's behind this." And he stormed out of the room. 

"Harry..." Ron tried to say. 

"This is not justice." Anubis snarled just as much as Harry did. And all of a sudden. A surge of magic came over Ron and he jumped up fully restored. "For the record... I could've healed Ron completely of the poison at any time." He explained. 

I was just at a loss for words. Madam Rosmerta would never hurt a fly. And now they were arresting her? "It's Stan Shunpike all over again." I commented. 

"I'm going down there." Jacob declared and he walked out of the Hospital Wing. But before he took even one step, he looked at me. "You going to be okay, Kassie?"  

"No, Jacob. I'll be fine." I insisted. "Don't worry about me." 

"I'm your big brother, Kassie. I'm always going to worry about you." Jacob replied. 

"I'll be fine." I repeated.

"I can stay-" Ethan offered.

"No, Ethan. Go help Jacob." I insisted not wanting to be a burden. 

"Kassie, I don't think you should be-" Ethan started. 

"I'll stay with here." Neville offered.

We all looked at Neville. "She is my girlfriend. And Ron can stay as well." 

Ethan realized that they didn't have time to argue. "Okay, but make sure she gets plenty of bed rest. I don't want anything bad happening to her." He told Neville. 

"I'm on it." Neville replied. 

"Thanks." Ethan then turned to me. "We'll be back soon." 

And both my brothers left. 

"Madam Rosmerta poisoning Ron?" Neville asked in disbelief. 

"She must've been framed or something." I insisted. I mean... come on. Madam Rosmerta poison Ron? I don't think so. 

And another part of me wondered if Harry was right and somehow Malfoy was behind it. And if my visions were right. Then those two would be on a collision course.

Meanwhile (3rd Person P.O.V)

Draco Malfoy panted in the Room of Requirement. "They're onto me." He said to himself. "THEY'RE ONTO ME!" The plan was already falling apart. He had placed the Imperious Curse on Madam Rosmerta so that no one would suspect him. And now... now his puppet was out of Malfoy's hands. 

"They're onto Rosmerta. Not you." The voice of Slayton called again. 

"Not you, again." Draco pointed his wand. "I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE!" 

"You won't get far without my help." Slayton snickered. "And you should be celebrating. You just created a thing of beauty." 

But Draco's opinions on beauty were very different from Slaytons. "What do you mean by beauty." 

Slayton laughed. "Oh, Draco... don't you know? You poison Ron. And Rosmerta takes the fall. And given the Ministry's record... she'll be thrown in prison." 

But Draco realized the terror he had created. He just sent an innocent woman to take the fall for something that he did. It wasn't what he wanted. "No... no... this wasn't supposed to happen. This isn't what I wanted." 

"You want the Dark Lord to kill you?" Slayton asked. "Don't worry, kid. Pretty soon... you'll be turning into me." He assured. 

"I'm nothing like you!" Draco snapped. 

"Of course you are." Slayton laughed. "Now... Poison failed, and Cursed Necklaces are idiotic. You need a new approach. A direct approach." 

"Get out of my head." Draco looked around. And then he collapsed on his knees. "Get out!"