Chapter 2

Ginny Weasley looked around for her friend and returned to where she last saw her: at Buckbeak's Tree. Lorelei's belongings were still there and it seemed as though Lorelei simply stopped everything she was doing and disappeared, but living in a magical world, this was not so unusual. She asked Neville if he'd seen her.

"I saw Ferreus talking to her and Malfoy taking her to the buildings, if that helps."

Ginny turned to Ron, Harry and Hermione, and judging by the look on Ron's face, they heard her talk to Neville.

She raised her eyebrow at Hermione, who took a deep breath and glanced at Harry, with a look on her face not often seen.

"Hospital wing…that's what Ferreus said… I think he pranked her." Hermione whispered uncertainly. Ginny looked at Ron but he simply shrugged. Harry stared at his feet.

"Do you know what happened?" Ginny asked them as Ron, Harry and Hermione struggled to keep up. She didn't get an answer.

"I'll take that as a no."

Arriving at the hospital wing, they watched Madam Pomfrey drip a strong-smelling liquid into Lorelei's mouth. It was unusually quiet in the hospital today.

"I doubt that's alcohol." Harry said suddenly, and with slight sarcasm. It took a while for Ron to respond.

"What's…?" Ron began to say.

"Nothing." Harry muttered. Ron looked distant again. Then he looked up at unconscious Lorelei and beside her was a horrific sight: Malfoy.

"What's that git doing here?" He muttered into Ginny's ear, aware that Draco was thinking the same thing.

"Neville said Malfoy took her here."

"Oh. How…unlike him."

Harry heard what he said and laughed quietly.

McGonagall returned, and when she saw Harry, Ron and Hermione her lips tightened and she said

"What is it with you three?" She turned to Malfoy, straightened her robes, and said

"Oh, Malfoy, thank you for bringing her in. A minute later and the serum would have taken its toll, she would have been out for a week! I trust, you," She turned to Hermione, "Hermione, would know what the Suffoco Somnus Serum can do to people, yes?" Hermione looked reluctant, but she explained anyway,

"It makes the victim feel like they're choking on something until eventually they fall unconcious. They wake up usually a week later, feeling so starved that they want to die...most people do die..." she trailed off. There was a long silence afterwards. Professor McGonagall left the room.

Someone old and hoarse-voiced broke the silence,

"Thank Heavens for Madam Pomfrey." It was Professor Dumbledore. He pointed at something small, colourful and round on a thin gold chain, around her neck, something normally gone unnoticed.

"That necklace she wears is a heavy burden for a young child who should be free. You see, that necklace is cursed. Take it off her for more than an hour and she dies. I don't suppose any one of you could think of someone so horrible to curse a pure being such as a unicorn or an innocent baby, could you?"

"Voldemort." Draco mouthed, bravely, looking very distant.