Chapter Nine

Halloween came and the smell of pumpkin was in the air. My shop was a total success, we had several offers for membership. The vault I had opened in Gringotts had quite a large fortune, and it was still growing and accumulating. The business in the Muggle world was paying off, we were one of the most famous start-ups in the country.

- "Attention boys."

Professor Flitwick put us in pairs to practice the levitating spell. Unfortunately, I was paired with Hermione.

- "And now let's not forget that nice wrist flick we've been practicing." - Said the professor standing on a pile of books in a high-pitched voice. - "Shake and flick; remember to shake and flick. And pronouncing the magic words correctly is very important too. Never forget the wizard Baruffio who said "ese" instead of "efe" and found himself lying on the floor with a buffalo on his chest.

We started practicing with the feathers and Seamus got so impatient that he poked it with his wand and set it on fire, and Harry had to put it out with his hat.

'I pity you, Harry'

Not to say anything bad, but Seamus was an expert at setting things off, being near him was like being near an explosive.

I sighed for the umpteenth time that day - "Wingardium leviosa!" - I exclaimed loud and clear, the feather rose quite high.

- "Oh, well done!" - Cried Professor Flitwick, clapping his hands. - "Look, Ron Weasley has accomplished it!"

Hermione was in a very bad mood as a result of that congratulations. I gave her an "I did it, and you didn't" look. I had to say, she was bringing out my childish and immature side.

As we left the classroom, Dean spoke to us, - "It's no wonder no one can stand her," - He said as we made our way down the corridor. - "It's a nightmare, I'm telling you." - I assumed he was remembering when she corrected his spell. She couldn't do it with me like in the book because I had already prepared myself, so she looked for another victim and Dean was closer.

Someone crashed into me and Harry. It was Hermione. I could see she was crying.

- "I think she heard you," - Harry muttered uncomfortably.

- "So what?" - Dean said, - "She must have realized by now that she doesn't have any friends."

Hermione didn't show up for the next class, and we didn't see her all afternoon. On the way to the Great Hall for the Halloween party, we overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and that she wished she could be left alone.

Although she was envious and somewhat infuriating, she didn't deserve what Dean said. She was still a child who was affected by what others said, and besides, children were cruel beings when they set their minds to it and hurt more than they thought they would. When I was 7 years old at my school, the kids used to say that I didn't have a mummy and daddy because they didn't want me because I was a bad boy. They repeated it so much that I ended up believing it, it was painful to forget it and to my regret I think I will never forget it, it is a mark that I will carry forever.

Lost in my memories we arrived at the Great Dining Hall; where when you looked up the Halloween decorations took my attention, a thousand bats fluttered from the walls and the ceiling, while a thousand more passed between the tables, like black clouds, making the candles on the pumpkins tremble. The feast suddenly appeared on golden plates, just as it had at the feast at the beginning of the year.

We were eating when Professor Quirrell came rushing into the dining room; his turban askew and looking terrified. Everyone watched him as he approached Professor Dumbledore, leaned on the table, and gasped:

- "A tro.... in the dungeons? I thought you should know." - And he collapsed to the floor.

'The last thing I needed'