The Broken Families | Draco Malfoy [6]

Chapter 18 ~ Another Timeline

Scorpius' POV

Three days later, Professor Umbridge told me to come see her after classes were over. So, after classes, I went straight to her office. This was all beginning to freak me out a bit. Everything was even worse than before. However, when I got up to her office, I stayed calm, but still alert.

"Thank you so much for coming to see me, Scorpius," she said.

"You're welcome, Headmistress," I replied.

"Scorpius, I've thought for a long time that you have Head Boy potential, as you know. Pure-blooded, a natural leader, a wonderful athlete..."

"Athlete?" I repeated, widening my eyes.

She giggled a bit. "No need to be modest, Scorpius. I've seen you on the Quidditch pitch. You are the best Seeker Slytherin House has had in a long time. You are a valued student. You are valued by the faculty and especially by me. I've positively glowed about you in dispatches to the Augurey. Our work together flushing out more dilettante students has made this school a safer and purer place."

"Has it?" I asked. Albus and I really messed up big time.

Professor Umbridge eyed me suspiciously. "You know, in the three days since I found you in the Black Lake on Voldemort Day, you've become odder and odder. In particular, this sudden obsession with Harry and Maxine Potter--"

"I don't--"

"--questioning everyone you can about the Battle of Hogwarts. How and why the Potter twins died. There's also this ludicrous fascination with Cedric Diggory. Scorpius, we've checked you for hexes and curses and there are none that we can see. So I'm asking if there is anything I can do to restore you to what you were..."

I quickly shook my head. "No. No, I'm fine. Consider me restored. Temporary aberration. That's all."

The woman gave me a creepy smile. "So we can continue our work together?"

"We can," I said.

"Good." She placed her hand to her heart, bringing up the other hand so that her wrists were touching. "For Voldemort and Valor."

Confused, I tried to mimic what she was doing. "For...um...yes, what you just said."

*******

"Hey, Scorpion King!" Karl Jenkins shouted as I entered the corridor. He gave me a high five, which really hurt.

"We're still on for tomorrow night, right?" Yann Fredericks asked from behind me.

"Because we are ready to spill some proper Mudblood guts," Karl added, smirking.

"Uh...you are?" I asked, not knowing what the hell they were talking about.

"Scorpius."

I turned around and widened my eyes in confusion. "Polly?"

Polly Chapman was standing there, then she huffed a sigh. "Shall we cut to it? I know everyone is waiting to know who you're going to ask because...well...you need to ask someone and I've been asked by three people already and I know I'm not alone in refusing them all. In case...in case you were to ask me--"

Still confused, I furrowed my brows at her. "Polly, wha--"

"--which would be great, if you were interested. The rumor is that you are interested, so I just want to make it clear that I am, too, and that's not a rumor. That's a fact."

I cleared my throat. "Well, that's great, but...what are you talking about?"

Polly playfully rolled her eyes at me. "The Blood Ball, of course. So tell me, who is the Scorpion King taking to the Blood Ball?"