𝙀𝙐𝙋𝙃𝙊𝙍𝙄𝘼 ➣ 𝐷. 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑓𝑜𝑦✔

𝟏𝟑 | 𝑷𝑬𝑻𝑹𝑰𝑭𝑰𝑬𝑫

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚, 𝗜 𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗢𝗬𝗦 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 Eleanor and they immediately rush to the hospital wing to see her with me hot on their trail. We approach the already open doors and run across the large room lined with beds until we stop beside the bed Eleanor is in. Theo steps forward, gently grabbing the girl's hand in his own, I can even see a chill go through his body at the coldness of Eleanor's skin.

"She looks awful," Blaise mutters.

"Why was she attacked?" Theo asks after a moment, looking over his shoulder at me. "Aren't the only victims so far muggle-borns. El is a half-blood."

"I don't know," I answer solemnly. "Snape only told me where she had been petrified; in the bathroom. He didn't tell me anything else... But if Potter is behind all this, then I am going to have a word with him."

I feel my anger rising in an instant as I spin around on my heel and march out of the hospital wing. I have no idea if Blaise and Theo follow me because I can barely hear anything over the sound of my own heart thumping in my ears. It's deafening as I storm through the castle, managing to find Potter with the Weasley boy making conversation in the courtyard. My fists clench as my sides, my nails digging into the palm of my hand as I storm toward them.

"Hey, Potter!" I hiss angrily, making both the boys freeze in their tracks. Weasley's face is terrified when he looks at me; I must be a ghaustly sight, considering I don't normally lose my composure like this. "You'd better stop whatever it is that you're doing. Now."

The brunet gives me a look of confusion and pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "What are you talking about?"

"The chamber of secrets and whatever you've been doing that's petrifying people. My friend has been petrified because of you."

"It's not me, I swear to you," Potter tries to reason, but I don't want to listen to his excuses. I'm tired of listening to excuses, I just want answers. Instead, I whip out my wand and point it directly at the boy.

"Okay, I think we'll be going now," Weasley whines, his voice getting higher and higher with every word that he speaks.

"Potter, so help me, if you don't undo what you've done with your freaky Gryffindork friends, I will shove this so far up your--."

"Miss Kane! I best hope you're not planning on using that on Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter," I hear Professor McGonagall call out to me, making my face twitch with annoyance. My jaw tightens as the woman stops beside us, her figure casting a shadow as it blocks out the sun. By now, I know all the students near by are watching, waiting for me to do something. I reluctantly lean back and slowly lower my wand, but my eyes never leave the two boys in front of me. Weasley looks like he might wet himself in fright as I finally tear my eyes away from the boys' and put my attention on Professor McGonagall. I do my best to cover the anger as I speak to the woman.

"No, professor. It's just a misunderstanding. I'm sorry," I say through gritted teeth. I then hear my name being called out by Theo, he and Blaise rushing toward me. I turn and begin walking toward them, and when they see the look on my face, they slowly come to a stop. I brush past them, not really feeling in the mood to talk. Unfortunately for me, I also happen to pass Malfoy who smirks at me.

"That was quite the show, Kane," he teases. "I didn't know you--."

"Silencio," I say, waving my wand in the blond boy's direction as I pass by him; a silencing charm. That should make things a tad bit better. I don't care enough to look back as I storm off to the the common room to grab my books before class. This is my worst nightmare come to life; the one thing I didn't want was for Eleanor to be petrified. It wasn't even supposed to happen to her to begin with; what, or whoever, is petrifying people has only been going after muggle-born witches and wizards, until Eleanor. It doesn't make any sense. Does this mean that no one is safe now? Are they going to have to shut down Hogwarts and send all of us home?

"Lenora, wait." I don't stop when I hear Theo's voice as it pulls me from my thoughts, I don't want to stop. But I'm forced to a halt when a hand wraps around my wrist. I spin around to see Theo holding me with Blaise beside him. "We're going to get El back, okay? Everything's going to be alright. Professor Sprout and the nurses are doing everything to get the mandrake potion ready."

Blaise nods in agreement. "It's only a matter of time before El is back to normal. She's going to be fine, Lenora... She has to be."

A lump has already formed in my throat but I don't push them away. I sigh quietly and instead of pulling away from Theo, I hug him, which makes his body stiffen. He relaxes after a moment and that's when I grab Blaise by his robes and pull him into the hug as well. "She'll be alright," I whisper, reassuringly.

After about a week or so passes, it's revealed that a girl has been kidnapped and taken to the chamber of secrets; Ginny Weasley I think it is that had been kidnapped. We're all sent to our common rooms for the night, most everybody already in bed with how late it is. I, however, can't sleep. Instead, I sit on one of the couches in the common room, watching the fire crackle and flicker, casting shadows on the walls and floor.

"I'm sorry about your friend." I jump a little at the sudden voice. When my head snaps around, I see Malfoy standing behind the couch, his face covered in shadows from the fire, but his eyes shine brightly, their steel gray color burning themselves into my mind. "Smith will get through it; she's a tough one."

I send him a quick smile. "Thank you, Malfoy... And I'm sorry about that charm I put on you earlier. I was in a bit of a mood."

The blond boy shakes his head, his eyes meeting mine for a moment. "You're a bloody psycho if you think I'm going to accept your apology. Don't make me regret being friendly toward you."

I snicker lightly and say, "You're right. I'm not sorry... You did kind of deserve it, if I'm being completely honest."

I think I hear him chuckle. "Maybe, maybe not. Get some sleep, Kane."

"You, too."

With that, Malfoy turns on his heel and makes his way back to the dormitories. I decide to wait a little longer before trying to get some sleep myself. It's been a long year, it seems like. Only a couple more weeks before we go home for summer break, and I can not wait to hit the hay in my own bed for a little while.

A yawn makes itself known to me, making me realize that my eyes are half closed. Maybe I should head to bed now. It's best to get some sleep these next couple of days. I reluctantly push my exhausted body off the couch and make my way though the common room to the winding staircase, leading to the dormitories. As quietly as I can, I push the squeaky door open and close it behind me before tiptoeing to my bed. Thankfully, my bed doesn't squeak and I climb under the covers before feeling my eyes instantly grow heavier than before and I'm slowly being pulled into the darkness and silence of sleep.

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