You Can't Stop Him

Hermione glanced at Gavin's notes and frowned.

"What does 'low-intensity contact experiment' mean?"

"It means trying not to provoke it." Gavin kept writing without looking up.

Ron shot to his feet. "So you know it might get angry?"

"Any research subject might get angry."

Cordelia objected. "A broomstick wouldn't."

"That's because broomsticks have a better work ethic."

Hermione didn't laugh. She looked serious. "This plan needs rewriting, starting with the first point."

Gavin's original plan filled an entire page of his notebook:

Confirm the vehicle's last known direction, check whether it still recognizes Ron, observe its magic circulation from a safe distance, and conduct a low-intensity contact experiment if necessary.

Hermione drew a huge X over the last item with her quill. The ink soaked through the paper.

"First, no going out at night. Any trip into the Forbidden Forest must take place during the day." She wrote a line on the parchment. "Second, no one goes alone. There must be at least three people, with one assigned to return to the castle for help if anything goes wrong."

Ron raised his hand. "I volunteer to be the one who goes for help."

Gavin raised his hand too, cutting them off. "Why are you telling me how to run my plan?"

"Because I'm going too." Hermione didn't look up.

"What?" Gavin felt things slipping out of his control. He had only meant to bring Ron. "I don't think that's necessary. We're just looking for a car."

"I think it is." Hermione explained, "I want to make sure you won't abandon Ron if things get dangerous."

"You make me sound like a Slytherin."

The moment Gavin said it, he felt a chill beside him. He turned to find Cordelia staring at him coldly.

"Uh, let me explain—"

"Gavin isn't like that."