Melanie Rosen: Year 3 (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chapter 13 A Chat with Madame Saunders

Chapter 13

A Chat with Madame Saunders

Halloween approached us and all the third years prepared eagerly for their first trip to Hogsmeade. This included everyone except for Harry and me.

I kept the ring Crookshanks found in my bag. Part of me seemed to think that if I stared at it long enough, it would tell me the answer. If only magic could work that way. All I knew is that since the ring somehow ended up in my suitcase, it must have come from the manor. However, it still did not explain who Andre was.

As everyone prepared to leave, I sat on the couch in front of the fireplace in our common room. As soon as everyone had left, Harry joined me and let out a huff.

“I guess you didn’t convince McGonagall to let you go,” I commented, remembering his plan last week.

Harry shook his head, glumly. “No, she strictly stated only a parent or guardian could sign the form.”

I sighed and nodded. Professor McGonagall was always a firm believer in rules and wouldn’t bend them even for the students she liked.

“So have you heard from your aunt yet?” Harry asked.

I just remembered I wrote to her earlier this week asking her to help Hagrid with his case on Buckbeak. I nodded and replied, “Yeah, she said she’ll help the best she can.”

Harry beamed for a second. “That’s great. I’ll let Hagrid know next time I see him. He’ll be really grateful.”

I forced a brief smile and nodded, but my mind had difficulty staying on topic. I continued to gaze at the fire.

Harry looked into my eyes and asked, “Did you also ask your aunt about that ring you found?”

I shook my head. “No, I really don’t think she would tell me the truth even if I did ask. Besides, I’d rather ask her face-to-face instead of in a letter.”

I thought about the private conversation Aunt Becky and Uncle Richard had right before I left for school. Clearly, they were keeping a secret from me, something they thought would be dangerous if I knew. I can’t explain why, but I got the feeling that whoever Andre was had something to do with the secret. What would a ring he once owned be doing in the Chamberson Manor?

“You know, I was thinking that since we don’t really have anything else to do and we both heard the screaming when the dementor was on the train we could maybe try to figure out why only we heard it,” Harry suggested.

I turned my head to look at him. “That’s a good idea. Where should we begin?”

“Well,” Harry said, “I was thinking we could start with either Professor Lupin or Madame Saunders. Both seem to know a bit about dementors.”

“How about you go ask Lupin and I’ll go see Madame Saunders. That way we can get more information on them. Also, if one of them says something completely different from the other then we’ll know one of them isn’t telling the truth.”

Needless to say, I wasn’t feeling particularly trustful at the moment.

Harry agreed and we headed out of the Gryffindor common room. He went down the steps towards Lupin’s office while I continued on the direction I believed Madame Saunders was staying.

As I marched down the hall, I found Lenora strolling about, looking rather bored. Curious, I walked over towards her. I was surprised she wasn’t at Hogsmeade. Her dad did not strike me as the kind of person who would forbid her to go, considering he lets her wonder about Knockturn Alley by herself.