"Can I help you, Potter?"

In The Infirmary

"Look, Ron, it's not like I'm the one to blame. Ever heard of not shooting the messenger?" Hermione asked rhetorically, looking very displeased with Ron's whining. McGonagall had asked to see them, Harry presumed, to talk about how the Slytherin dorms were working out. Ron was rather miffed since he'd rather have been having lunch.

McGonagall was sat behind her desk as she usually was. Similar to the previous visit, she smiled before motioning for them to take a seat. "How have the three of you been?" She begun, taking off her reading spectacles.

"Good, thank you, professor." Harry replied first.

"Slytherin isn't as bad as thought if I'm totally honest." Ron shrugged simply.

"We've been getting on well with Draco, if that's what you're wondering, professor." Hermione finished. To Harry, he felt like they'd summed up whatever McGonagall was going to ask pretty well. They were ok, the dorms were ok, Draco was ok. All fine and dandy.

"Has he been getting on with the other students as well?" McGonagall asked, gracefully entwining her fingers as she leant her elbows on the desk. There was a small moment of silence where the three considered whether to mention to mysterious wounds Draco would show up with.

"Well," Hermione started, courageously offering to be the one to tell McGonagall that perhaps they hadn't done magnificently at keeping her bullying worries at rest, "sometimes he comes to the dorm with a few bumps that we think maybe were caused by other students..."

McGonagall sighed, looking quite disappointed. She gave a small nod, though to what she was nodding at was a little unclear. "Unfortunately I had suspected as much. I did think it unlikely that after coming out top of his class last year, that a 'potions accident' was the reason for his damaged arm." She explained, the frown remaining on her face. The trio solemnly nodded in agreement at the unlikeliness. Especially since Harry had told his two friends about Draco letting slip the third year Ravenclaws responsibility. "Have you seen him today?" McGonagall asked.

"Yeah, in free period he went off to the library to study or something." Ron answered.

"Haven't seen him since." Harry helpfully supplied the end of the sentence for his friend. McGonagall let out a hum of thought.

"I think perhaps-" She begun, but was cut off by the sound of someone bursting into her office. The trio turned to see Hagrid stood breathlessly in the doorway, he appeared to have ran the whole way there. He began talking motioning multiple times to the door, but he was so out of breath, not a word could be made out.

"Bloody hell Hagrid, take a breather would you?" Ron was as confused as the rest of them to what the problem was which'd merited for Hagrid to run to the Headmistress' office. Hagrid started over, not extravagantly more understandable, but a few words could be made out.
Harry heard: 'Hufflepuff', ' 'orrible Slytherin boy', 'cruciatus curse' and 'infirmary'.

"Where are they now?" McGonagall asked sternly, standing up. Apparently she heard more than Harry had.

"Just said, they're with Poppy, aren't they?" Hagrid motioned to the door yet again. He was beginning to catch his breath.
McGonagall rushed around the desk, her robes flowing behind her.

"Professor, what's happened?" Hermione asked, standing up in worry. Harry still hadn't the slightest clue what was happening, and judging by Ron's face, he hadn't figured it out either. So it seemed the trio were entirely clueless.

"I'm afraid I haven't the time to explain. Do hurry, Rubeus." McGonagall vanished through the doors, Hagrid hurriedly following after.
There was a small confused silence. Hermione remained stood, a rather lost look on her face as her gaze remained on the door. In the meantime, Harry and Ron just looked at each other, exchanging a shrug each.

"How odd." Hermione finally said.

"All I heard was something about vengeance for someones parents and how 'both of them' are now in the infirmary." Ron stated, looking to Hermione to see if she'd figured anything out.

"I heard a mention of Antila Tansy. She's a Hufflepuff third year I think... That, and something regarding the first-floor corridor." Hermione replied. Harry could practically see the pieces of the broken case being put together in her head.

"If it's to any use: I caught something about the cruciatus curse and a 'horrible Slytherin boy'." Harry supplied, not sure if he was actually assisting his friend. However, when Hermione's eyes grew wide and her hand flew to her mouth, he figured something he'd said had slotted into the final place of Hermione's case puzzle.

"Antila Tansy used the cruciatus curse on Draco in the first-floor corridor in vengeance for her parents torture during the war!" Hermione exclaimed, finally figuring it out.

---

Before Harry knew what he was even doing, he found himself running down the stairs toward the infirmary. He heard Ron and Hermione yelling after him, asking what he was doing, where he was going and whether he'd slow down. He ignored them.

He pushed open the doors, his eyes darting over the beds looking for him. Almost instantly, he spotted the large crowd on the far right side. Madam Pomfrey could be heard asking them to 'give him some space' and yelling about the six visitor limit. He ran over, pushing through the crowd.

"Is he okay?" Harry asked no one in particular. Draco was lying unconscious on the bed, looking paler than usual, his white blond hair spread out on the pillow.

He looked around the group. There were a bunch of third years, one of whom was sat on a chair sobbing. McGonagall and Hagrid were there, along with Neville, Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones. There were also a few other students whom Harry didn't recognise.
No one seemed to have heard Harry.

"Harry!" Neville acknowledged. Seeing as Harry was stood beside him, it'd taken him a while.

"What happened? Is Draco okay?" Harry questioned, figuring Neville was his best chance at any information. Taking a nervous glance toward the sobbing Hufflepuff, before leaning closer to Harry and lowering his voice, Neville explained that he'd been heading to the library to study with Hannah, when Susan stopped them to talk, and not too far into the conversation they'd heard shouting. Apparently, they'd rounded the corner just in time to see Tansy cast the curse. Neville had sent Susan to get Hagrid, whilst he and Hannah tried to stop Tansy - unfortunately not before Draco passed out with pain.

"Madam Pomfrey told Professor McGonagall he'd wake up within at least an hour, though. If he doesn't, they'll send him to St Mungo's." Neville finished. Harry looked toward McGonagall who was talking to some of the Hufflepuff girls about what'd happened. Hagrid was helping Madam Pomfrey clear some of the students who'd simply gathered out of curiosity.

"Thanks, Neville." Harry mumbled, unable to take his eyes off of Draco. He resembled the Draco from the war, and it broke Harry's heart.