▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

certain that she was facing backlash from her fellow Gryffindors for losing over a hundred points in one single lesson, she didn't care because the people who meant the most to her didn't care. Lavender and Parvati had her back completely, staring down anyone who even thought about saying anything negative about or even looking at Saffron in that manner. On top of that, Harry, Ron, Dean and Neville were supportive of her too. Seamus, Saffron wasn't entirely sure of simply because their relationship was non-existent in the first place so it didn't really matter to her.

Her siblings were supportive of her too, although in a sense they were always going to be as they had vested interest in the house table as both of their houses had viable paths to the house cup if the cards fell in their favour until the end of the year. Saffron's actions had sealed Gryffindors fate.

"And Snape didn't come looking for you?" Rowan asked Saffron cautiously, as he and Saffron ate breakfast together one morning.

Saffron shook her head. "No, I don't think he cared to be honest. He got the points off of me, I'm guessing that's all that mattered to him. He just wanted to make sure Slytherin wins, I doubt he cares about punishing me any more than he'd guess I'd already be punished by everyone in Gryffindor,"

"Well, Gryffindors aren't known for being very loyal," replied Rowan warily. "So I guess if that was what he was thinking, he had a point,"

Shrugging her shoulders, Saffron responded with: "Probably, but honestly, there are more important things than a house cup right now, and even though I do feel bad for losing all the points, I had to get to Draco. He and his brother put themselves so far above us all, I wanted to knock them down a bit and I think I did that," She paused. "Anyway, enough about me, let's talk about you, You're far more interesting to me,"

"Nothing too big," Rowan told her. "Same old with Luna's theories,"

"Who's she pinning it on now?" Saffron asked him.

"She thinks it's a social experiment from some ministry department," Rowan answered idly. "But I think she just said that because of how shocked she was that Terry Boot and Lisa Turpin apologised to her,"

"I'm glad to hear that," said Saffron with a grin. She was happy for both Luna and Olly's sakes that some further amended had been made.

"And Ginny ran out of another class, Professor Flitwick's had to start locking the door in Charms. It's the third time she's done it,"

"Really?" said Saffron in disbelief, but she realised that she shouldn't be so shocked. She had seen Ginny in a state of despair before and had consoled her through it. But the fact that it had become so noticeable that a precaution like that had been taken shocked her.

Rowan nodded. "I think she hates seeing Colin's old seat, they were friends, I think,"

"Have you talked to her about it?" Saffron asked him.

"No," Rowan shook his head. "She doesn't really have many friends, from what I see anyway, she sort of just stays by herself all the time. Rachel has tried with her a few times and does talk to her, but she spends all her time writing in her diary,"

"Diary?" Saffron furrowed her eyebrow sceptically. She instantly linked it to Riddle's Diary but that was a step too far. It was normal for a girl to keep a diary. Besides, Harry had been in possession of the diary for an extended period of time. Rowan said that Ginny used it all the time so they couldn't possibly be the same one.

"Yeah, why do you seem shocked?" Rowan questioned confusedly.

Saffron shook the thought off. "No reason, I just think we need to look out for her because honestly, I don't think that her brothers are and she needs someone,"

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Professor Sprout escorted the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff second years down to the greenhouses from the Great Hall. Saffron spent the whole walk down there scanning their surroundings for spiders, but sadly there were none in sight. The one thing they needed for answers constantly was out of reach and it was immensely frustrating, but she didn't give up hope. She hated Herbology anyway, so as Professor Sprout went through the rounds and Ernie Macmillan apologised to Harry, Saffron focussed her attention on looking for spiders.

"Neville, you really are God's gift to Herbology," Lavender said to Neville, with not even an ounce of sarcasm present in her voice. Within the quartet of Lavender, Neville, Saffron and Parvati, Neville did all of the work. Nobody in the group objected, in fact, Neville seemed all too happy to do the work.

At those words, he blushed and that was when Saffron noticed the spiders. There were rather big and were rushing towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest, moving in an unusual pattern. Saffron moved from her tray over to Harry, Ron, Ernie and Hannah Abbott who had taken Hermione's and Justin's places respectively.

Harry, who was on the edge of the group, nearest the exit of the greenhouse, furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Saffron. The girl merely lifted up her shears and pointed them in the direction of the spiders.

His eyes widened and he instantly whispered to Saffron, who pretended to tie her shoelace beside him.

"It looks like they're heading towards the Forbidden Forest,"

Saffron looked up at him and nodded her head. "I thought so too, we'll plan what we're going to do about it late---"

"Miss Mitchell is there a reason why you have to tie your shoelace next to Mr Potter or are you further proving my hypothesis that you three girls-" She jerked her head towards Parvati and Lavender. "do nothing but talk in my class,"

Saffron blushed and stood up hurriedly. "Sorry, Professor,"

But again, the telling off didn't matter to Saffron, as they finally had the lead that they needed. Now, she just had to hope that the lead was going to point them in the right direction so they could end the Heir of Slytherin once and for all.