The Mudblood

Chapter 115 : Year 6

The fanart of Ashley was made by https://www.quotev.com/28952472 :)

"So, Lay, did you forgive Mel?" Harper asked me as he hauled Melody's unconscious body up the spiral steps to the Headmaster's office. His arms were looped beneath her armpits while Harmony was carrying her sister's feet. I'd offered to help, but, though no one had said so, it was clear that I was physically the weakest out of this odd group. Malfoy and I trailed behind the other three as we ascended the stairs, and the Blond Prat was grumbling incoherently about how much trouble we were about to get into. Though it seemed backwards to go right to the authority when we'd done something unlawful, I knew this was the only way we would get out of serious punishment, and so the five of us trekked up to Snape's dwelling. We'd gained access since Harmony, via her magical earrings, had overheard Snape changing his password the previous night; it was now "Potter Sucks", perhaps per request of the Carrows, or perhaps as a jab at me for intruding on him the day before.

"For what?" I asked Harper, referring to his question regarding my forgiveness of Melody.

"For almost brutally murdering you last June," Harper clarified, grunting slightly with exertion.

"Um, no, I did not forgive her for almost brutally murdering me. I don't think it's a thing that can be forgiven—and she didn't even apologize."

"I forgave you for getting me thrown into a bloody fire," Malfoy snapped at me. We'd reached the top of the stairwell now and he bumped into me when I stopped short and then scowled as though it'd been entirely my fault.

"Yes, well, I actually felt guilty about that. Melody's probably still bitter that she didn't actually kill me," I informed him, and there was no time for him to retort before Harper shouldered the door to Snape's office open and the five of us entered.

The new Headmaster wasn't speaking with a painting of the old one today; instead, he sat behind his desk, reading over a long scroll of parchment. When his dark eyes slid up toward us, they narrowed.

"What do you want now, Fitzroy?" he questioned blandly, not even bothering to stand as he eyed us with displeasure. It took only a moment for his vision to settle onto Melody, whose body swayed between Harper and Harmony like a pendulum. "Have you taken up dueling in the common room again? I recall that, in the past, that has not gone well for anyone."

"Trust me, Professor, if anyone'd tried to duel Mel, they'd be dead," Harper said, straining to keep the purple haired girl from sagging to the floor.

"I'm not sure if you've forgotten, but Melody didn't return to Hogwarts when she was supposed to," I explained diplomatically as I took a few steps closer to the platform that Snape's desk resided on. "It was no fault of her own—her father, Blagden Flemming, was holding her hostage."

Harmony was nodding vigorously, but Snape's skepticism radiated as he stood forebodingly from his chair.

"Did you see Blagden Flemming?"

"I did—before I escaped my house," Harmony told him hastily. "He's...he broke out of Azkaban two years ago and—and now he's a vampire."

This piece of information seemed to surprise Snape, but he quickly covered up his reaction and plainly said, "How did Miss Flemming return to Hogwarts, and why is she unconscious?"

"We don't know," I replied rapidly, sensing that Malfoy was about to spill the truth beside me. "We don't know why she's unconscious, I mean. We...found her in the common room fireplace with this note." I scurried up the stairs to meet Snape, whose expression soured as he snatched the charred piece of parchment from my fingers. There was a smear of blood on it—my blood—and the edges were burned—by Harper—and in Harmony's best impression of her father's handwriting, it said, "I surrender my ungrateful daughter to you. Do with her what you will."