Harry Potter and the Lost Half-Bloods. *1*

Piper

I give Di Angelo the opportunity to make a dramatic exit

PIPER:

There's no smooth transition into this point of view, is there? I can't waste time with the usual explaining how my day has gone followed by me complaining about something, topping it off with some witty joke. You just read about Draco beating the daylights out of Harry. You don't care about how my day has gone or what I have to complain about, all you want to know is whether Harry Potter is alive. Of course you want to know about him, his picture's on the front cover. Still, it annoys me that I have to start off at the point when I had to drag Harry's blood-covered body to the hospital wing.

Anyway, in case you were wondering, that's where I am right now. I'm sat in the hospital wing, wondering what to do. I'd brought Harry Potter to madam Pomfrey unconscious and covered in blood and I told her I found him like that. It wasn't a complete lie, but leaving out the whole Draco attacking Harry thing wasn't a complete truth either.

Students gathered around the hospital wing, having heard the news that Harry Potter was mysteriously attacked. Worst of all, they surrounded me, hearing that I had been the one to find him.

I felt like I was a part of some sort of interrogation. Students fired questions at me from every direction. It was quite overwhelming, I had momentarily forgotten I could just order the students out of my way.

"Move it!" Nico shouted. He pushed past the crowd, grabbed my arm, and pulled me away. Students still shot questions at me from afar, but since they were far more interested in Harry's current state of health they stayed outside of the hospital wing.

Nico and I stopped in an empty hall. I sat down and buried my face in my hands as the reality of the situation sunk in. Nico placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, probably not knowing what else to do.

"It was awful!" I exclaimed. "I'm the absolute worst. I could stand Harry, he's an alright guy! But the last thing I said to him before he was attacked was some sarcastic comment about his head being on a stick."

Nico didn't question it, he only sat beside me in silence. Sometimes the best friends were the ones who said nothing. The best friends were the ones who didn't question. Too bad I had hardly knew Nico for a few days, I could hardly consider him a close friend.

"What happened?" Nico asked. I had been annoyed at every other student who fired that question at me. Somehow, coming from Nico, I was willing to answer.

"Draco attacked Harry," I said. "I told Madam Pomfrey that I found Harry unconscious and bloody in the halls. You should've seen him, Nico."

"I'll go with you to tell Madam Pomfrey," he reassured. "Draco can't hurt you. He doesn't have to know you told. And I did see Harry--quite a state he's in." Nico said.

"I know very well that Draco can't hurt me, Nico!" I defended. "And I meant you should have seen Draco! The look of regret in his face. Gosh, there's a good person in there, I just know it."

Nico's hand fell from my shoulder. I looked at him, greeted by a suddenly stern expression.

"You mean to tell me that you didn't tell an adult that Draco attacked Harry because you believe that Draco can change?" Nico asked. I didn't say anything.

"Imagine that I'm in a war," Nico said darkly. "I get word that the other side is going to bomb us as midnight. However, I don't tell my side because I'd like to believe that the other side can have a change of heart." I tried to interrupt but Nico continued. "That night, my side loses the war. All because I thought the enemy could have a change in heart. THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID! That's your logic? And to think, people around the house say that you'd make a great leader!" Nico exclaimed.