The Many Musings of Albus Potter

xix. newts

xix. newts 

Rose's poisoning is the final straw for the Weasleys.

"I'll homeschool the children," Aunt Hermione argues with Headmistress McGonagall. An angry mother's decision cannot be quelled even by the sternness of the headmistress towards her alumni. Rose heavily protests, of course, but it doesn't help her case much when, everytime she speaks, she chokes out a silvery substance from her throat.

"It's just a mild allergic reaction to Wolfsbane," Madame Pomfrey had reassured them before. Wizards not inflicted with lycanthropy shouldn't really be consuming a potion like that - it isn't necessarily toxic but it isn't particularly pleasant to deal with either. Side-effects can last to about a month after consumption.

The school itself is abuzz after the rumour inevitably spreads of Rose's poisoning. The question remains: who did it?

The stories told by Rose and the various people who had been with her have been strung together to create the following narrative: Rose and a group of other seventh years had gone down to Hogsmeade for an evening drink. They were all good friends of hers - Elliot, of course, along with Marie, from Hufflepuff, Lianna in Ravenclaw, Sam from Gryffindor and Joseph Littlewood, another Gryffindor friend (and yes he was a date, Rose admits sheepishly to Albus later on). None of them had noticed anything suspicious at the Hogsmeade Valentine's Fair - there was a funny-looking man handing out Firewhisky for free. Rose remembers taking a small sip and after that, nothing at all.

Everybody else's report is that, after the first sip, Rose was perfectly fine if not a little dazed. They all went down to the Hog's Head to get more drinks, and that was where Rose got extremely drunk. It isn't alcohol poisoning, Madame Pomfrey double-checked. It was definitely a different poison which had been mixed in with her drink.

They haven't been able to find the man who was giving out free Firewhisky (under new Ministry law, that is punishable by up-to three months in Azkaban). He is the prime suspect.

Even Harry owls Albus and Lily, telling them he and their mother have decided it's best if Lily and Albus come home too. Dad has never been like this - not when the first attack happened, nor when Neville's daughter died. Maybe it's because of Aunt Hermione's insistence, or the fact that the Ministry's started bringing in S.O.T.E.R wizards, the new more militant offshoot of Aurors, to surround the school gates. Most of all, Albus suspects Harry doesn't trust Hogwarts anymore.

Albus doesn't want to leave Hogwarts anymore than Rose does. But whatever semblance of home he felt here has long since disappeared with Scorpius. These walls hold nothing but memories that hurt his heart. It's better now to bow out, before anything else happens. It hasn't escaped his notice that all the students who've been attacked so far are within the Potter circle. Clearly, these have been targeted attacks. He'd rather not let Lily be next.

"I'm eighteen years old," Rose huffs to Albus the night before they are due to be picked up. "I won't have her telling me what to do."

"Her? I thought you got along with your mum." Albus quirks up an eyebrow, watching Rose fiddle with the starchy-white blanket of the bed. He can tell she hates being in the hospital wing; Madame Pomfrey is nice but the medi-witch in training, Harriet, is thoroughly annoying. Even now, she peeks from behind her private cubicle to frown at the both of them. Talking has become somewhat of a crime in the hospital wing.

"I did." Rose sighs deeply, but this proves too much for her chest because she starts coughing violently again. Quickly, Albus moves to rub her back but she pushes his hand away impatiently.

"Oh Al, don't," she snaps, impatience flashing through her eyes. "I'm sick of being treated like I'm...I'm some sort of invalid."

"You are an invalid," Albus points out. "For now anyway. You don't need to be so prickly about everything just because you can't wave your wand about for a week."