I give Di Angelo the opportunity to make a dramatic exit
PIPER:
There's no smooth transition into this point of view, is there? I can't waste time with the usual explaining how my day has gone followed by me complaining about something, topping it off with some witty joke. You just read about Draco beating the daylights out of Harry. You don't care about how my day has gone or what I have to complain about, all you want to know is whether Harry Potter is alive. Of course you want to know about him, his picture's on the front cover. Still, it annoys me that I have to start off at the point when I had to drag Harry's blood-covered body to the hospital wing.
Anyway, in case you were wondering, that's where I am right now. I'm sat in the hospital wing, wondering what to do. I'd brought Harry Potter to madam Pomfrey unconscious and covered in blood and I told her I found him like that. It wasn't a complete lie, but leaving out the whole Draco attacking Harry thing wasn't a complete truth either.
Students gathered around the hospital wing, having heard the news that Harry Potter was mysteriously attacked. Worst of all, they surrounded me, hearing that I had been the one to find him.
I felt like I was a part of some sort of interrogation. Students fired questions at me from every direction. It was quite overwhelming, I had momentarily forgotten I could just order the students out of my way.
"Move it!" Nico shouted. He pushed past the crowd, grabbed my arm, and pulled me away. Students still shot questions at me from afar, but since they were far more interested in Harry's current state of health they stayed outside of the hospital wing.
Nico and I stopped in an empty hall. I sat down and buried my face in my hands as the reality of the situation sunk in. Nico placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, probably not knowing what else to do.
"It was awful!" I exclaimed. "I'm the absolute worst. I could stand Harry, he's an alright guy! But the last thing I said to him before he was attacked was some sarcastic comment about his head being on a stick."
Nico didn't question it, he only sat beside me in silence. Sometimes the best friends were the ones who said nothing. The best friends were the ones who didn't question. Too bad I had hardly knew Nico for a few days, I could hardly consider him a close friend.
"What happened?" Nico asked. I had been annoyed at every other student who fired that question at me. Somehow, coming from Nico, I was willing to answer.
"Draco attacked Harry," I said. "I told Madam Pomfrey that I found Harry unconscious and bloody in the halls. You should've seen him, Nico."
"I'll go with you to tell Madam Pomfrey," he reassured. "Draco can't hurt you. He doesn't have to know you told. And I did see Harry--quite a state he's in." Nico said.
"I know very well that Draco can't hurt me, Nico!" I defended. "And I meant you should have seen Draco! The look of regret in his face. Gosh, there's a good person in there, I just know it."
Nico's hand fell from my shoulder. I looked at him, greeted by a suddenly stern expression.
"You mean to tell me that you didn't tell an adult that Draco attacked Harry because you believe that Draco can change?" Nico asked. I didn't say anything.
"Imagine that I'm in a war," Nico said darkly. "I get word that the other side is going to bomb us as midnight. However, I don't tell my side because I'd like to believe that the other side can have a change of heart." I tried to interrupt but Nico continued. "That night, my side loses the war. All because I thought the enemy could have a change in heart. THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID! That's your logic? And to think, people around the house say that you'd make a great leader!" Nico exclaimed.
"I don't know who you are right now, Piper. I sincerely don't know who you are. This isn't you! Who's side are you on? Harry has done nothing but help you, and help us! Yet, you're going to the ball with the man who got him in the hospital wing!" Nico shouted. I'd never seen anybody look so betrayed in all of my life.
"You don't know who I am, Nico! Same as I don't know that either. I don't know who you are, and neither do you! We aren't even living our real lives right now, Nico! Who are you to tell me that what I'm doing isn't me when you don't even know who you are? You said to me yourself before that you were scared that who you are isn't who you want to be. Who are you to judge Draco for his actions? Maybe he's living your fear, maybe he isn't who he wants to be." I argued.
Nico crossed his arms.
"You're fighting against yourself, Piper. Last week I saw you with Draco Malloy during your corridor duties. You and Draco both tried to hex a Gryffindor boy for no reason! I was the one who made Draco trip, Piper! I wore my invisibility cap and stopped both of you before you could do anything to him. But then, you join Harry and I in figuring all of this out, I figured you had changed. Next, you're parading around with Draco Malfoy, who for the record, has said plenty of unpleasant things about me when he thinks my back is turned; next, you're comforting me in the common room, asking if I've eaten supper; after that, you're defending the guy who just--"
"Stop talking!" I commanded.
Nico stopped immediately.
"You don't have the right to tell me what's good and what's bad! Those definitions vary from person to person, especially in a world like today when nobody knows who the good guy really is! Heck, I don't even know if you're a good guy. I've heard rumors of Harry Potter conspiring against the ministry, I've heard rumors that you killed your own parents, I've heard rumors about Voldemort's return...I've heard all of those rumors get debunked, then come back with even more evidence supporting them. It's an endless cycle that I've tried to stay away from, but now suddenly everybody is telling me I have to pick a damn side! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PICK A DAMN SIDE? Everybody here has a different definition of what's good and what's bad. What if what I think is good is bad to somebody else? Or, vice versa." I took a breath, then continued. "I'm done with everybody telling me I have to pick some side in all of this! You know what? I pick my damn self! I pick my own happiness, is that so wrong?" I asked.
Nico stared at me in shock after that speech. I thought that I had left him dumb-founded, but then I remembered I had commanded him to stop speaking. I wasn't going to storm away without at least giving his a chance to retaliate. That wouldn't be a fair fight if I left now.
"You may speak now." I said.
His expression softened.
"Piper," Nico said. "It's up to you whether or not you come to the room of requirement tonight. I can't make that decision for you...I'm sorry if I've tried to. You're a part of something, though. I am too. It's up to you whether you choose to continue being a part of that."
"Nico, wait--"
I wanted to say more, but he vanished. Curse him and his stupid teleportation ability.
"Ugh!" I said, because what else do you say when somebody makes a more dramatic exit than you ever could? I turned the corner in a rush, hardly paying attention to my surroundings.
CRASH
The boy's books went flying to the floor. I got a sense of déjà vu back to the first day of classes when I had ran into this same boy. Jason Grace, Leo's friend. The one who I had caught running around with Leo and Percy Jackson after curfew last week.
"S-Sorry," he stuttered, probably scared that I'd yell at him again.
Crap. This was the same boy Draco and I had attempted to hex in the halls last week. This was the boy who Nico was talking about. I hardly remembered it.
"No, I'm sorry," I said. "Let me." I gathered his books and handed them to him. He looked half-scared to take them from me, probably afraid it was all a part of some prank.
"Harry Potter has just been attacked in the halls during midday," I spoke, handing him his things. "I don't know if sneaking out after hours is a habit of you and Leo, but I don't want to catch you two doing that again. You could run into something you can't turn back from."
"W-Was that a threat?" He asked, alarmed.
"What?" I asked. "Oh, no! I just--" we stared at each other for a long moment.
"I feel like I know you." We said at the same time.
God, this day had been too weird.
"I'll see you around," I said. He finally took his books. "But please, do be careful where you walk. You may run into somebody far more unpleasant than me."
I turned away, debating whether or not to go to the room of requirement with Nico tonight. If there was a possibility of Jason being there, I might go. To think, I was considering making amends with a Gryffindor. Was this the definition of good I had been seeking?