It was still several seconds of staring before Edgecombe left her seat. Cho Chang started to follow, but Harry held up his hand. "We're not going to hurt her Cho," He said. "Just want to make her an offer."
"What?" Marietta asked in a snarl but her eyes, which were quite prevalent through the Balaclava, showed the fear she felt.
"About the..." Hermione nodded toward Edgecombe's face.
Marietta backed away from Hermione but tried argue. "You...you had no right to jinx that parchment and not tell us."
"And you had no right to be a snitch," Hermione growled in a whisper. "You almost got Harry expelled and had it worked, he would have had his wand snapped. Who do you think would have fought off Voldemort if that had happened?"
Marietta withdrew even further at the mention of the Dark Lord before simpering. "I was just doing what my mother told me to do."
"And she was supporting Umbridge who is now being tried for murder, attempted murder and torture. Is your mother under investigation as well?"
Marietta wanted to be defiant but could only give a slight shrug. "I...I don't know. Maybe. She said something bad has happened...so probably."
Hermione sighed. "I'm not here to argue with you. I actually plan on helping you, maybe."
A spark of hope showed in the eyes behind the mask, but Edgecombe didn't say anything.
"You see we also know that you and several others have been bullying Luna Lovegood."
Marietta's eyes widened as the fear returned. She shook her head. "I...no..."
"We know you do, so don't deny it. You had some of the things stolen from her mixed with your belongings," Hermione said. "Now here is what I am offering you, I am going to go create a new contract, one that says you will not bully Luna and in fact if you see someone bullying her you will do everything you can to stop it," She paused for a second before continuing it. "When you sign it, your current 'condition' will disappear."
Marietta's hands went to the mask covering her face.
"But..." Hermione continued, "I will warn you, if you sign it and you break your word again," Hermione put heavy emphasis on the last word, "you'll be wishing the word Sneak was all you had to deal with."
"And if I don't sign it?"
"Then next year, the first time we hear the Luna has been bullied, Harry and Neville will walk into Ravenclaw dorm and hex anybody that is even thinking of bullying her," Hermione replied. "Though they are going to do that anyway, but if your signature is on the contract and the 'signs' are not on you that you have broken it, you won't be bothered."
"That...that's all?" Marietta asked. "Not bully Loon..." She stopped as she saw the look in Hermione and Harry's eyes. "I mean Luna."
"There will be a clause in the contract about that name as well," Hermione said. "Yes, that's all. Besides, Luna faced Bellatrix Lestrange and Lestrange is now dead, do you really want to be on the wrong end of Luna's wand if she grows tired of your bullying? You're a Ravenclaw use your brain and when I bring the contract back later do the smart thing."
"I'll think about it."
Hermione shrugged. "Your choice."
"Just remember," Harry added, "contract or no contract, if you ever bully Luna again you will regret it. Pass the word to your friends. Let them know we know who they are and we will be watching. I protect my friends and Luna is my friend," The look in Harry's eyes caused Marietta to swallow as she nodded. He then took Hermione's hand and they started back toward their compartment leaving a very much confused and fearful Marietta in their wake.
It wasn't long after they returned to their compartment that Ginny announced she needed a bathroom break. As soon as she was out of the compartment, Hermione grabbed Ginny's bag and took small samples of the food and candies as well as a bit of the liquid in the butterbeer bottles. When she'd finished, Neville's plant had an 'accident'. With two shield charms up just in case, no mess made it onto any of the people. After the mess had been cleaned from everything but Ginny's bag, Harry sent a light bludgeoning hex into it. When Ginny returned Neville stammered, "I...I'm sorry Ginny, I was.." He nodded at his plant. "And it happened again. I tried to clean your bag but..." He nodded to the rack "but my spell, it..." He shook his head, "I'll pay for anything I damaged."
Ginny grabbed her bag down from the rack it was on only to find her hands coated in the stinksap. Looking into her bag she discovered it filled with several boxes that used to be filled with her 'gifts' squashed beyond recognition. The two bottles were also only bits of glass. The glare she leveled at Neville was frightening. "How...do you know...I mean..." She was fighting herself to make sure she didn't say anything she didn't want known. Finally she shut her mouth and pulled out her wand and sent a cleaning spell into her bag. Though the visible sinksap disappeared, by the smell, there was still some mixed in with the food and candies that littered her bag.
"I'll help pay for them as well," Harry said as he reached into his pouch. "Here's five galleons, will that cover it?"
Ginny ignored the money as she sat and stared out the window.
"Look, it was an accident," Harry said. "I'll make sure my little sister is taken care of. I'll even buy you a new bag."
Ginny couldn't take anymore. She got up and scrambled out of the compartment taking her bag with her.
Harry shrugged as he turned to Neville. "Great job," He said. "We know she won't be doling out anything now. We'd probably thrown off her plans anyway, but it's good to know she doesn't have anything to give out."
"But did we get everything she had?" Hermione asked. "What about her trunk?"
"We can deal with that at Grimmauld; I just don't want to have to keep an eye on her when we get off the train."
....
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