Slithering Secrets
�Ron, what�s the matter? What happened?�
Ron leaned against the Gryffindor table. He�d just run full speed from the hospital wing to the Great Hall and was out of breath.
�Harry�s�awake!� he gasped, collapsing into a chair.
The hall, which had been silent when Ron ran in, was filled with excited whispers from three of the four students� tables. The Slytherins stayed silent, many looking like Christmas had been cancelled.
�What?� Melissa asked. �Are you serious? Can we go see him?�
�Madam Pomfrey said we can go see him after dinner,� Ron said, his voice calmer now that he was sitting down.
�If you talked to Madam Pomfrey then you must have seen him,� Sheila said. �Is he okay?�
Ron looked down at the table, lost for words. He wanted to tell them Harry was fine, but he knew he couldn�t lie to them. They deserved to know the truth.
�What�s the matter?� Melissa asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
�It�s true,� Ron whispered, fighting to keep his voice steady. �What Madam Pomfrey said�I didn�t want to believe it, but it�s true.�
�You mean he�� Sheila seemed unable to say the words, but she didn�t have to. Ron nodded slowly, keeping his eyes down. He couldn�t stand to see the pain in their eyes.
�I asked him to tell me it wasn�t true,� Ron said softly. �He answered by asking why I had to find him. He wanted to die, and I stopped him. Now he hates me.�
�Ron, look at me.�
Ron reluctantly looked up at Melissa.
�You didn�t right thing by saving him,� she said. �He can�t hate you for that.�
Ron wanted to believe her but couldn�t bring himself to. True, the Harry he knew wouldn�t hate him, but a little voice in the back of his mind reminded him that the Harry he knew wouldn�t be acting like this in the first place.
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�You have visitors coming. Drink this.�
Harry drank the potion without complaint this time. He figured if he didn�t complain maybe Madam Pomfrey wouldn�t bother him as much.
Half an hour later there was a loud knock on the door. Madam Pomfrey went to answer it.
�Okay you can see him,� she said, �but only for a bit.�
Ron walked in looking more cheerful than he had earlier.
�May I present,� Ron announced, stepping aside and gesturing toward the door, �the Wilson twins!�
Melissa and Sheila entered the room walking side by side, wearing identical blue jeans, white tee shirts, and cowboy hats. They continued until they were a foot from Harry�s bed. Simultaneously, they whipped off their hats and bowed.
Harry narrowed his eyes at them. He knew they were just trying to cheer him up, but he didn�t care. They were wasting their time.
�I told you it wouldn�t work,� Ron said.
�Hey it was worth a shot,� Sheila said, putting her hat back on.
�At least we got a response. That�s a bit of an improvement,� Melissa pointed out, putting her hat on too.
�Still, I think you wasted your money,� Ron said quickly, throwing up his arms to protect his face.
�I�d hit you, but I don�t wanna hurt the hat,� Sheila said, taking off her hat and raising it threateningly.
��Don�t hurt the hat,�� Melissa said thoughtfully as Sheila put her hat back on. �That needs to go in the quotes, right up there with �I�m not suffering from insanity, I�m enjoying every minute of it.��
�Yeah,� Sheila said, �anyway, what were you gonna tell us earlier Ron?�
�Huh? Oh yeah,� Ron said, grinning. �I was walking to dinner and this girl stopped me. She walked to the doors with me and then, right when we got there, she asked me to the Yule Ball.�
�Did you say yes?� Melissa asked.
�Of course I did!� Ron said.
�So�� Melissa said excitedly, �what happened next?�
�She just smiled and walked into the Great Hall. And then, well�� Ron hesitated, looking embarrassed. �I kinda wandered around the halls for a bit. By the time I made it back to the Great Hall, she was gone. I looked everywhere, but I couldn�t find her.�
�Really?� Sheila asked, looking thoroughly unconvinced. �Tell me, who is she?�
�I�I don�t know,� Ron admitted, turning red.
�Uh-huh, sure,� Sheila said sarcastically.
�It�s true! I swear!� Ron yelled, his face now the same color as his hair.
�Okay, okay,� Melissa said, stepping between them. �Let�s change the subject. Remember the rules, no bloodshed in the hospital wing. Besides, we�re supposed to be cheering Harry up, and we don�t have much time. Sheila, show him what we found in Herbology.�
Sheila looked disappointed and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small snake. Ron took one look at it and started backing away.
�It�s just a little grass snake. He won�t hurt you, will you?� Sheila said the last two words in a low hiss, making Ron back up so far he tripped over a chair. Harry sat up, all thoughts of Hermione and his parents pushed aside.
�You speak Parseltongue?� Harry asked, hardly daring to believe it. �How? I thought��
�Harry, calm down,� Melissa said. �Madam Pomfrey�ll kick us out if you keep shouting like that. Yes, we can speak Parseltongue.�
�But how?� Harry asked again. �Dumbledore said��
�That you got the ability through your scar,� Sheila finished for him. �We have something to show you.�
She nodded to Melissa and started pulling the sleeve of her shirt up over her right shoulder. Melissa put her foot up on a chair and pulled her jeans up over her left knee. When they finished, Harry could see, on Melissa�s knee and Sheila�s shoulder, scars identical to his own.
�Don�t tell our mom we showed you,� Melissa said, covering her scar back up as Sheila did the same. �She�d kill us.�
They were all silent for a moment.
�At least we cheered him up�sort of,� Ron said.
Harry, who had retrieved his thoughts of Hermione and his parents, turned to gaze out the window.
�Nice one Ron,� Sheila said sarcastically. �Now we�ve lost him again.�
There would�ve been a fight if Madam Pomfrey hadn�t come over right at that moment.
�You�ve had nearly an hour. This poor boy needs his rest,� she said shooing them out of the room.
�See you later Harry!� Ron yelled as Madam Pomfrey pushed him out the door.
�You can thank me later,� Madam Pomfrey said after shutting the door. �I forgot to give this to you earlier. The person who gave it to me wished to remain anonymous.� She handed him a package with a card on it.
Harry looked at it for a moment before opening it. There was a small box of Chocolate Frogs in it, which he put on the table next to his bed. Then he picked up the card.
It was a beautiful card. On the front there was a picture of the night sky with the words �Get Well� written with starts. When Harry opened the card, something fell out, but he barely noticed as he read the inside of the card. It said:
I look at the sky tonight and think of you.
And I wonder if you think of me too.
There was a short hand-written message at the bottom.
I think of you all the time. I trust you.
There was no name. Harry put the card with the Chocolate Frogs and picked up the item that had fallen from the card.
The knife.
Harry stared at it for moment, images of blood and pain running through his head. Then he thought of the card.
I trust you.
He put the knife on the table with the card.
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