Muggle | 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

Chapter 136

After a few weeks, there was another announcement in the Gryffindor common room, stating that the Apparition test was soon to take place in Hogsmeade.

But unfortunately, seeing as I still wasn't of age, I couldn't participate and therefore had to take the test taking place over summer along with Harry, whose seventeenth birthday hadn't arrived yet either.

So on the day of the test, Hermione and Ron left to Hogsmeade along with almost every other sixth years, leaving me and Harry behind.

The two of us made our way down to the Potions classroom in the dungeons, only to see that the room was empty except for Ernie Macmillan and — to my horror — Draco.

The moment his head shot up and our eyes connected, he immediately looked away again and my stomach gave a sinking feeling.

I hadn't talked to him after our little spat in that deserted chamber. But the bigger problem was that I still hadn't told Fred that Draco had tried to kiss me.

Fred and I had just gone back to normal, and I didn't want to get on his bad side now that things had finally calmed down a bit.

But as Harry and I sat down behind our usual table, a horrifying thought made its way over my head.

Harry and Draco were going to have their fight soon.

It was supposed to happen a few days after Katie Bell returning to Hogwarts, Ron was going to be sick because of the upcoming match's stress, and Hermione was going to her Ancient Runes professor for a question.

"All too young to Apparate just yet?" Slughorn asked after, interrupting my thoughts. "Not turned seventeen yet?"

We shook our heads.

"Ah well," said Slughorn cheerily, "as we're so few, we'll do something fun. I want you all to brew me up something amusing!"

"That sounds good, sir," said Ernie sycophantically, rubbing his hands together.

"What do you mean, 'something amusing'?" Draco said irritably, not even cracking a smile.

"Oh, surprise me," said Slughorn airily.

Draco opened his copy of Advanced Potion-Making with a sulky expression, obviously thinking that this class was a waste of time.

When I looked at him more closely from the corner of my eyes, I realized that he looked thinner and paler than the last time I had seen him.

I wished I could talk to him again. But what if I let it slip that we were cousins? I couldn't risk it.

So shaking my head off the thought, I opened my book as well and proceeded to make a Draught of Peace for the class.

      "Well, now, this looks absolutely wonderful," said Slughorn an hour and a half later, clapping his hands together as he stared down into Harry's cauldron. "Euphoria, I take it? Mmmm... I really don't know where you get these brain waves, my boy... unless —"

       I saw Harry push the Half-Blood Prince's book deeper into his bag with his foot.

        "— it's just your mother's genes coming out in you!"

       "Oh... yeah, maybe," said Harry with a nervous laugh, sounding relieved.

        Slughorn then walked up toward me, peering into my cauldron, and so he beamed down at me.

        "You chose an easy Potion compared to your abilities, Miss Hooper," said Slughorn, chuckling. "But wonderfully done, nevertheless. Wonderful."

        "Thank you, Professor." I smiled to myself.

        "You know, you always did remind me of an old student of mine; really talented boy, when it came to potions. He was in my club, just like you," said Slughorn and my stomach lurched at those words.

       I knew he meant Regulus.

       "Coincidence, of course, but I couldn't help but think back at a memory now that you've chosen this particular potion..."

       "What, sir?" I tried to ask casually, but I knew the curiosity was obvious in my eyes.

       "It was my fifth years' first day and I was teaching them Draught of Peace, and a Ravenclaw girl blew up her potion in this boy's face. It was a funny sight, to be honest."

He chuckled, but then his smile faded when he went deep into his thoughts and his eyebrows knitted together.

"Poor girl... her parents' dead bodies were found that same year... even she disappeared a few years afterwards herself... shame... shame..."

      Slughorn was now mostly talking to himself as he walked onto Ernie, who looked rather grumpy at his potion which had gone terribly.

***

That day, I already knew, was the same day Harry was supposed get the memory from Slughorn. It was all in all an eventful night, seeing as both Ron and Lavender, and also Dean and Ginny broke up over the silliest reasons.

       Although after that day, I felt my guilt surging from within me as I found it impossible to get Draco out of my head.

       I felt like I needed to talk to him, but it was hard to catch up with him or to find him alone; because he was usually accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle and always disappeared soon after the classes, probably to go to the Room of Requirements.

       But I stopped in my tracks when one day I saw Katie Bell in the common room, back from hospital, surrounded by her friends.

       "Hey, Mione," I asked, my eyes fixed on Katie. "When did she get back to Hogwarts?"

        "A few days. Why?" said Hermione, and I just shrugged. "Anyway, I better go to see Professor Vector. I think there might be a mistake in my essay..." And with that, she strode off.

        My heart suddenly sank by those words. This was the day Harry was supposed to use the Sectumsepra on Draco.

        I knew nothing was going to happen to him in the end. I knew he was going to recover. But it was like I could no longer think straight.

       As if automatically and without thinking, my legs started carrying me out of the common room and I ran toward the boys' bathroom, hoping that I wasn't too late.

       My heart was throbbing against my chest mercilessly. I had gone pale. I was panting as I ran up the stairs, my mind racing, hoping that I wasn't too late.

        But that was when I heard it.

       "No! No! Stop it!" I heard a girl squealing from inside the bathroom, her voice echoing loudly. "Stop! STOP!"

       I was frozen on my spot for a second. I heard crashes from inside as the girl kept screaming.

       I took a grasp on my wand and ran inside the bathroom where I saw Draco and Harry dwelling with the ghost of Moaning Myrtle screaming above them, water pouring everywhere.

        Everything happened at once; Draco had raised his wand, pointed it at Harry, and cried, "Cru —"

        "SECTEMSEMPRA!" Harry bellowed.

        "NO!" I shrieked at the same time, pointing my wand at the space between them to repel the curse.

But with a jet of red light, his curse rebounded.

       The next moment, I suddenly felt enormous pain down my chest and found it impossible to breathe. My knees gave in and I fell down onto the wet cold floor, the blood gushing out of me as I felt the world going dark to my eyes, hearing screams and yells above me.