It was Hogsmeade day, and Rosalyn was trying, again, not to think about Neville.

Hermione, however, gave Rosalyn a good argument, which took her mind away from him entirely. Of course, this argument was based on jealousy as well, but a different kind. This was a jealousy that Hermione had kept under control until now, a jealousy that involved a certain potions book.

"For weeks, you carry that book around, practically sleeping with it, and yet you have no desire to find out who the Half Blood Prince is!" She told her best friend as they walked along the snowy road into Hogsmeade.

"I didn't say I wasn't curious and I don't sleep with it," Rosalyn said hotly, tugging on her wooly hat to keep it on her head.

"It's true! I would quite like a bit of help with my homework these days, since Hermione won't help me anymore- but all you want to do is read that stupid book!" Ron told them.

Hermione sighed. "Well I was curious so I went to-"

"The library," the other three interjected.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "And?" Rosalyn inquired.

"And... nothing," Hermione said discouragingly. "I couldn't find a reference anywhere to the Half Blood Prince."

She said the name rather disdainfully, rather as if it pained her.

"Well, that settles it then," Harry said quickly, before Rosalyn could intervene.

They went to Honeyduke's first, Rosalyn buying some new sugar quills, jelly slugs, acid pops, chocolate frogs and every-flavour beans.

Upon leaving the sweet shop, Ron said that he wanted to go to Zonko's, so they went to the joke shop gladly.

Inside, they met some people that they didn't expect to see. Fred and George.

"What're you doing here?" Rosalyn asked in shock.

"We need some bulbadox powder for our latest new line of products," Fred explained, paying the man for the small tub of powder on the counter.

"But actually, Rosie, we wanted a chat with you as well," George said to her, nodding to Fred.

The three of them went outside, round the back of the shop. Rosalyn asked them what this was about and Fred said. "Neville."

Rosalyn began to walk back towards the shop.

"Don't walk away Rosie!" Fred yelled after her.

"Well, I'm not talking about-" she didn't want to say Neville's name "-about him, so I'm not going to talk to you."

"Right, listen, Rosie, we heard about everything from Ginny, alright?" George admitted. "We just wanted to check you were okay-"

"No!" Rosalyn shouted, walking back towards them. "No, I'm not okay! Happy now?"

"We know you like him, Rosie, we can help you." George told her.

"No, you can't. He's made his bed, he's lying in it. I can't change that."

"Things will come right eventually, Rosie," Fred said. "You don't think so, but they will."

And, boots crunching in the snow, they walked back inside the shop, leaving Rosalyn standing there, both defiant and hopeful.

☆☆☆

Soon, they were just wandering, looking in a few shops here and there, until, up ahead, they saw Slughorn and Flitwick, but though the potions master was heading towards Hogsmeade, the charms one was heading away. "Ahh, Filius, hoping to find you in the Three Broomsticks!"

"Erm- sorry Horace, emergency choir practice, I'm afraid," Flitwick said, hurrying off. Rosalyn got the distinct impression that this was an excuse, and that no choir practice was taking place at all.

"Does anyone fancy a butterbeer?" Rosalyn asked, remembering how she had promised Dumbledore she would get to know him. Get collected. She still hadn't told Harry about that, but never mind...

Inside the Three Broomsticks, Rosalyn saw exactly why Flitwick had brushed Slughorn off. He sat at the bar, talking loudly about some pointless thing.

When the quartet got a table, Ron made to sit beside Harry, but Rosalyn muttered, "no, sit beside me," to her twin. She wanted Slughorn to have a clear view of them both. Harry shrugged and switched seats with Hermione.

Rosalyn was also soon involved in another topic that made her insides curdle with curiosity. Draco Malfoy, she saw, was walking up the stairs to the bathrooms very suspiciously.

However, she was soon brought back to real life, not her fantasy theory of Malfoy-is-a-death-eater. "Ah, bloody hell!" Ron hissed.

Rosalyn looked where his eyes were pointing and saw Dean and Ginny, holding hands and looking deeply into each others eyes.

"That slick git," Ron said mutinously.

"Oh come on Ron they're only holding hands," Hermione said assuringly.

But as soon as she looked away, they started to do something much more... intimate.

"And snogging," Hermione said with a faint embarrassment.

Just as their butterbeers arrived, Ron tapped his hands on the table and said, "I'd like to leave."

"What?" Hermione asked incredulously. "You can't be serious!"

"That happens to be my sister!" Ron said.

"Oh, come on, Ron, does it matter?" Rosalyn asked.

"Yeah, so?" Hermione asked, as she and Rosie took a sip of their drinks. "If she looked over here and saw you snogging me would you expect her to get up and leave?"

Awkward silence. Rosalyn shifted uncomfortably in her seat before she broke it by waving slightly to Slughorn, who, she saw, was out of his seat now.

"Oh, Rosalyn, m'girl!" He said jovially. "Good to see you!"

"You too," Rosalyn shook his hand. "How are you?"

"Good, good," He smiled.

"So, what brings you here?" Rosalyn asked again.

"Oh the Three Broomsticks and I go way back, further than I care to admit!" He laughed. "I remember when it was just one broomstick!"

He accidentally tipped half his goblet of butterbeer on Hermione. "Oops, all hands on deck, Granger!" He said, quickly turning back to Rosalyn. "Listen, m'girl, in the old days, I used to throw together the occasional supper party, select a student or two, would you be game? You and Harry, of course?"

Rosalyn hesitated for a second, looking at her twin, before saying. "I'd consider it as an honour, Sir."

"I'd be happy to come, Professor," Harry replied, catching on to his twin's game.

"You're quite welcome too, Granger!" Slughorn spoke to Hermione.

She took a quick sip then answered. "I'd be delighted."

Slughorn then turned to Ron, who seemed hopeful that he would get an invite, too. However, he didn't.

Slughorn just said. "Good to see you, Wallenby."

Ron looked disgusted and as Slughorn walked away, he aimed his jealousy at Rosalyn. "What the bloody hell are you playing at?"

Rosalyn, however, was armed with a fiery retort. "I'm acting on Dumbledore's orders, actually, and I didn't ask him to not invite you, so don't blame me!"

"Dumbledore's orders?" Harry interjected before Ron could snap back.

"He's asked me to get to know him," Rosalyn said plainly.

"What?" Hermione asked, again before Ron could say anything.

"I don't know, but it must be important, because if it wasn't, Dumbledore wouldn't ask," Rosalyn said.

Hermione finished her butterbeer, but she unluckily had a froth moustache. Ron had to tell her it was there so she could wipe it off. Rosalyn was sniggering.

Eventually, they had to walk back to Hogwarts. Rosalyn was Katie Bell and her friend in front of them, and they seemed to be arguing, but she didn't worry about it for now.

Hermione and Rosalyn were both slightly tipsy, having just had their butterbeers, and together they put their arms around each other, laughing hysterically, and started to do a weird dance. Harry and Ron walked behind them, rolling their eyes and wishing they could film this.

Suddenly, however, a blood curdling scream filled the air. Rosalyn and the other three stopped dead, looking up ahead.

Katie Bell was on the floor, screaming. A ripped package lay beside her, though Rosalyn could not see what was in it yet. Her friend was standing beside her. "I warned her! I warned her not to touch it!"

Suddenly Katie began to move from side to side on the ground, but it didn't look like she was moving herself, more like she was being enchanted.

Suddenly, her body rose in the air, her hair all splayed out. She screamed and screamed, and suddenly, she fell, where she stayed, shaking uncontrollably.

Rosalyn ran forward, looking at the package. Inside lay a necklace. It looked beautiful, but Rosalyn knew that appearance wasn't everything.

"Stand back! Don't come any closer!" Hagrid was suddenly there, picking Katie up gently.

Rosalyn walked forward, looking at the necklace closer, but Hagrid cried out. "Do not touch that! Except for the wrappings!"

Rosalyn picked up the paper package that the necklace had been in, the necklace along with it. She said. "Take her to the hospital wing, Hagrid."

She turned to Katie's friend and said gently. "What's your name?"

"L-Leanne," she said through tears.

"Well, Leanne, come on, we'll go to McGonagall, tell her what happened."

She walked to McGonagall's office with her arm around the girl, Harry, Ron and Hermione trailing behind them.

When they got to McGonagall's, their head of house was anxious as hell. "Where is the object that cursed her?"

"Here," Rosalyn said, laying down the necklace on her desk.

She walked round it, asking Leanne to tell her the story. After she had finished, McGonagall asked. "Are you sure Katie did not have this in her possession when she entered the Three Broomsticks?"

"It's like I said, she went to the toilet, and cane back with the package. She said it was important that she deliver it," Leanne said without cracking a smile.

"Did she saw to whom?" McGonagall pressed on.

"To Professor Dumbledore," Leanne said slowly.

McGonagall digested this before saying. "Very well, Leanne, you can go."

She turned to the quartet, who were standing in a line. Rosalyn's heart was pumping in her chest, so much so that she was quite worried that the other three could hear it. She had a theory, a theory that involved a certain platinum blonde git.

"Why is it, when something happens, it is always you four?" McGonagall stepped forward.

"Believe me, Professor, I've been asking myself the same question for the past six years," Ron said lightly, though no joke was made.

"Ah, Severus," McGonagall said as Snape entered her classroom.

Snape looked at the necklace for a minute or two before levitating it up in the air. Rosalyn thought for a second that he was going to touch it, and thought herself a horrible person for not wishing against this.

"Well? What do you think?" McGonagall asked anxiously.

"I think... Miss Bell is lucky... to be alive," Snape slowly said.

"She was cursed wasn't she?" Rosalyn asked immediately. "I know Katie, off the Quidditch pitch she wouldn't hurt a fly. If she was delivering that to Professor Dumbledore, she wasn't doing it knowingly."

"She was cursed," McGonagall nodded, not tearing her eyes away from the necklace.

Rosalyn paused. She was suddenly stuck. Did she tell McGonagall about her suspicions and risk Snape jeering her? Or did she stay quiet and they would never know?

"It was Malfoy," she said after hesitating.

That made McGonagall and Snape turn round. "That is a very serious accusation, Potter," McGonagall said slowly.

"Your evidence?" Snape said after.

"I just know," Rosalyn said. She couldn't tell them about following Malfoy to Borgin and Burke's when she didn't really know what she had seen herself.

"You just... know?" Snape repeated. Rosalyn winced before she began to get jeered at like an idiot. "Again, Potter you impress us with your gifts, gifts mere mortals can only dream of possessing. What a burden it must be... to be the chosen one."

Rosalyn bit her tongue to stop herself getting into more trouble. McGonagall stepped up, saying, "I suggest you go back to your dormitories, all of you."

Harry, Ron and Hermione immediately started to leave, and Rosalyn, having no choice, having no proof, but still sticking to her theory, followed suit.