For the Greater Good || Tom Riddle ||

Chapter Twenty-Six: Slug Club

The days after Jane's awakening were spent in idle contentment and ease. Each class passed by in a sleepy daze, and all of the excitement occurred after students' essays were penned and notes were studied. It was then that the castle came alive.

Gossip would surmount in the Common Rooms of each of the four Hogwarts Houses and circulate around the school in a matter of hours. The Black cousins were particularly responsible for any catty rumors, but many far-fetched stories were thrown around throughout the week.

Jane, Theda Ewing, and Robert Mott were suddenly instant stars—the startled souls that had been petrified by the unnamed monster and miraculously woken up by the work of Professor Beery and Professor Slughorn. Even Gwen found herself under the attention of admirable eyes; she had turned from the Durmstrang transfer student to the girl that found the cure for the three petrified students.

Jane was still not allowed to attend classes just yet. Madam Starkwell ordered that the children gain another week's rest under her watchful supervision before they were permitted to run amuck in the castle. It was also determined that Jane was not fit to resume her duty as a prefect quite yet, if at at all.

The three muggle-born students had not received many gifts while they were still atop the Infirmary cots, but once word got out that the Mandrake Restorative Draught had worked effectively, a snaking line led out of the Hospital Wing. Students from all years brought knick-knacks, candies, flowers, and many more materialistic items as gifts to gain the favor of those that had fall prey to the mysterious creature. To those who knew better, it was obvious that the gift-givers only sought juicy details of the incident and nothing more.

It was an often and repetitive task that Gwen and Simon had to tell the curious onlookers to scurry off to their respective Common Rooms and leave the recently awakened petrified people in peace. Of course, Simon was slightly more snarky in his given warnings than Gwen was. He quite enjoyed insulting the nosey Slytherins.

The pair was also asked by Jane to take her stack of every-growing treasures up to the Ravenclaw dormitory for safe-keeping. Simon would help Gwen tote all the gifts up the many flights of stairs and dump them in the girls' room. Gwen nearly always used magic to aid in the task, but Simon almost always refused to use his wand to make the trip easier. He insisted that magic should only be used in situations where one was unable to the physical work themselves. So while Gwen merely walked around the corridors with a gaggle of gifts floating above her head, suspended with the Levitation Charm, Simon struggled with the mountain of little trinkets that were piled in his arms.

Friday came and along with it, the end of the school week. Gwen and Simon visited Jane in the Hospital Wing and brought her a little mug of Butterbeer potted cream that Simon had managed to get from the kitchens. The dark haired girl scarfed it down with fervor, relishing the taste of the sweet treat. The three friends talked amongst one another about trivial things. Simon wanted to start a Muggle aviation club that would study sonar and radio waves. The only one interested in joining was Benedict Fawley; the two girls refused to take any part in it. Gwen had her first SlugClub meeting that night. Both Simon and Jane made a face at her reveal, which only made Gwen more anxious. After talking for about an hour and a half, Madam Starkwell kicked them out of the Infirmary. But before the left, Jane asked them to take her daily batch of presents up to the dormitory.

It was during this trip up to the Ravenclaw tower that Simon and Gwen had the unfortunate run in with Slytherins Theodore Nott, Abraxas Malfoy, and George Avery as they passed the library.

"Look at Selwyn, mate! Slaving after the mudblood," Nott sneered as he looked at Simon who was carrying a large amount of copies of Witch Weekly, given to Jane by a fourth year Gryffindor girl who thought that she would like to catch up with what had been "happening in the wizarding world" since her petrification.