In Horace Slughorn's defence, he couldn't have known that all this would happen. All he had wanted to do was play match-maker between his two favourite students, Tom Riddle and Artemis Potter.
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---------------------> TOM WATCHED MUTELY as Artemis and Roman were taken in a stretcher to two separate rooms at St Mungo's. Lord Henry Potter was a metaphorical dragon as he all but ordered the Head Healer to attend to his daughter and Roman only to be told what they already knew- both of them were petrified and they needed a Restoration Draught to be revived.
The difference between St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was that while the latter had to wait until the mandrakes were grown to be harvested, the former easily bought some from an outside source.
Fleamont Potter had volunteered to make the potion along with the Potion Masters of the hospital, simply because he couldn't bear to sit idly while his little sister was unmoving.
Charlus Potter and Dorea Black, both of whom had arrived by the floo with frantic looks decorating their faces, also offered to help so the potion could be made quicker. Lady Potter was silently sobbing into her arms and Lord Potter was pacing around Artemis' room so much that Tom was sure he was going to burn holes in the carpet.
Bilius was in Roman's room along with Ignatius, Harfang, Gen and Reginald, only because while Artemis had her parents and brothers supporting her, Roman's parents were muggles and so they couldn't arrive there.
It was a waiting game. A game to test their patience and anxiety as they waited for the Restoration Draught to be brewed so that the two could be revived. Tom hated every minute of it.
------> 0o0 <------
Gen had heard the accusation drop from the lips of Tom Riddle when he initially made the announcement of Rubeus being the culprit. Gen had heard the accusation in Lady Potter's tears as she grieved for all those who had been reduced to a statue in a hospital bed and the girl who had been murdered in cold blood. Gen had heard the accusation in Lord Potter's anger as he recited an extremely detailed list of things he would do to Rubeus if he could get away with murder.
Gen had heard the accusation in the voice of Charlus Potter as he cursed Rubeus in all the four languages he knew, even inventing some new words for the occasion. Gen had heard the accusation in the tremble of Fleamont's voice as his eyes burnt red upon the news that a third-year Gryffindor had petrified his sister. Gen had heard the accusation in Reginald's wide-eyes as he remembered Artemis asking him just a few hours earlier if he and Walburga had seen what was inside the box that Rubeus carried with him all the time.
Gen had heard it all but a part of her still didn't want to believe it.
After all, this was Rubeus they were speaking about! The metaphorically little but physically large third year who Gen had personally verbally adopted during the beginning of the academic year. The boy who loved dangerous animals and had expressed interest in being a magizoologist after graduation. The boy who was never accepted by anyone but had the biggest heart Gen had seen.
