"Does this sentence sound okay? I'm using it to get that extra inch—Cari? Earth to Cari."

Tracey's hand waved in front of Carina's dazed face. Glancing up from her book, she realized that she was sitting at the Slytherin table. She could hardly remember leaving the Charms classroom and piling food onto her plate, a plate that remained untouched.

All of the second years had their Transfiguration books open to the chapter on turning animals into water goblets. In preparation for the lesson, McGonagall tasked them with writing a three foot long composition on the spell and the consequences of improper wandwork. They were struggling with reaching the required length, resorting to pointless facts and long-winded sentences.

"Sorry. I zoned out for a minute."

Carina slid a cat-shaped bookmark into the book before closing it. Tracey did little to hide the concern on her face as she glanced over the parchment, her writing slightly larger than usual.

"Are you sure you're…" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "You've been like this since the showcase. Did something else happen with Simone? I know she isn't exactly a ray of sunshine. She makes Flint seem nice."

"I'm fine," she said, failing to sound anything close to okay. "I've just been a little distracted lately. K—Ken kind of asked me on a date. Well, he tried to ask and then he started getting nervous and I was nervous too and I said yes."

"WHAT?!"

Her and Daphne's combined shouting caught the attention of the other houses and even some professors. Completely abandoning their essays, they were more interested in hearing about her upcoming date. Not having much to go on, with Ken wanting to keep it secret, Daphne brainstormed ideas for the perfect outfit.

"It would work if it's inside or outside and if it gets chilly. You'd look amazing in—"

"Who did he lose to?" interrupted Pansy.

The pug-faced girl, no longer gushing over her shared holiday vacation with Draco, scrunched her nose. She had clearly been eavesdropping on their conversation when she was not making heart eyes at him.

"I mean, he obviously lost some sort of bet. Why else would he ask you?" Several Slytherins sniggered. "Is he that desperate?"

"Because it's what a boy does when he likes you but I wouldn't expect you to understand that," snapped Carina. "Maybe if you weren't so annoying, he wouldn't always look like he'd rather be fed poison than spend time with you but with a face like yours, I guess being a bitch fits."

In that moment, her lips moved faster than her brain. What she had been thinking over the past four months of Pansy's constant taunts no longer stayed inside her head but were spoken freely, leaving the Great Hall deadly silent.

The entire Slytherin house was speechless, looking at her like she had been briefly possessed. Daphne's hands laid one over the other, covering her mouth, and even Tracey seemed to be silently planning the best way to shield her.

"P—Pansy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

Pansy's cheeks swelled, giving her the appearance of an angry chipmunk. Rolling up her sleeves, she lunged across the table, only stopped from strangling Carina by Draco, who was just as surprised by her outburst.

"You're dead, Evans. Who the hell do you think you are?" Draco lowered her arms, her fingers inches from Carina's apologetic face. "I'll teach you to talk to me like that, you filthy—"

"Snape," hissed Theo.

Barely able to contain her anger, Pansy sat down on the bench, glaring daggers in her direction. Snape walked along the Slytherin table with a clipboard, jotting down names of any students staying at Hogwarts for the holidays.

"What was that?" Tracey asked, keeping an arm on the table in case Pansy attempted a round two. "As soon as he passes, we'll make a run for it."

"Davis."

Snape was standing directly behind them, holding a quill. Tracey plastered on a smile to distract him from Pansy's fury.

"Will you be returning home for the break?"

"Yes, sir. My father's taking us—"

"Evans?"

"No."

His dark eyes lifted from the thin clipboard. "I would think you'd wish to spend time with your family in the muggle world."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm staying here."

What was only a few seconds felt like a century as their eyes locked, her doing her best to act calm and him trying to read her mind. Grabbing her book, she left the Great Hall, quickening her pace when she was out the doors. She continued to walk until she found herself inside Myrtle's bathroom, the one place she could think of with her head a jumbled mess.

Opening the book, she saw Alec's message repeatedly scratched out, enough times to create tiny tears in the page. Surrounding the barely legible message was a dozen others in her own writing. Why she wanted a response, she did not know but the fact that the page was filled with solely her words drove her mad.

Sitting on the floor, she grabbed her quill and scribbled a new message (What do you want?). It was a simple question, not that she expected him to divulge his entire plan. Her eyes glued to the page, she waited for an answer. Impatience led her to write question after question, most nothing more than gibberish.

"Why won't you answer? Just say something," she begged, as if he could hear her through the pages. "Say something!"

A series of loud bangs made her heart skip a beat as toilet lids, sprung loose from their seats, smacked into the ceiling and the taps tore free, falling to the stone floor with a clatter. Water began to seep from the stalls and sinks.

Carina swiftly repaired the sinks the best she could, keeping the cold water from shooting her in the face, and noticed that one of the sinks remained intact, no visible cracks. A snake was scratched on the side of the copper tap. As she examined the odd drawing, she was overcome with a queasy feeling.

"Cari!" she heard, in the midst of shutting the door.

Fred and George, flashing identical grins, walked towards her, each carrying a small wooden crate.

"Been getting some new ingredients," said Fred.

"For secrets products of our own making. Nothing's ready yet but we've got the ideas," explained George. He spotted the puddle of water forming under the door. "Old Myrtle at it again?"

"Y—yeah," she lied. "I didn't think she was in there but I was wrong. Didn't McGonagall tell you to stop sneaking down to Hogsmeade?"

"Well, we've never been one to follow rules but this time, we did. We got these from our secret supplier." She looked at Fred, curiously. "Believe it or not, some Slytherins are actually useful. Warrington is dumber than a box of rocks but he's got a cousin who trades in black market substances."

"Nothing too dangerous, of course," assured George. "Some things that the Ministry thinks is too risky to be out in public…you wouldn't believe what his cousin can get for the right price. Let's keep that between us."

She pretended to turn a key in the corner of her mouth. "My lips are sealed. I should get going before Filch finds me here. He'll think I'm the one who caused the flood."

Instead of heading to Transfiguration, she waited in the Slytherin common room, sitting on the couch. She ducked her head whenever someone entered, praying that it was not Pansy.

As Daniel and his friends left, joking about Slytherin's monster attacking Ginny, another boy squeezed past them. He scribbled on a piece of parchment before tucking it into his back pocket.

"Hi Cassius."

His head whipped around at the sound of his name, his lip curling in mild disgust. "Oh, it's you. Hiding from Pansy? I hear she wants to throw you to the mermaids."

"Actually, I was looking for you." She stepped closer to him. "Fred and George told me that you sell them things that are really hard to get."

"Don't know what you mean," he said, poker-faced. "But the weasels shouldn't spread rumors."

"Believe me, I'm very good at keeping secrets."

He peered down at her. "Is there a point to this, Evans? What, are you going to blackmail me to get Pansy off your back? Even Snape won't be able to do that."

"No, I was wondering if you could get something for me. Nightshade powder? It's really tough to find but Snape's been giving me extra assignments because I'm bored in class lately—"

Cassius scoffed, seeing through her lie. He pointed out that nightshade powder was rarely used in potions, the substance banned in several countries.

"Even if you were telling the truth, Snape wouldn't assign you a potion like that. He's not stupid. It's worth more than you can afford. Besides, what do I get out of it?"

"I'm good on the money, no matter the price," she insisted. "I heard about Clare dumping you for Roger Davies. You could use the money to buy something pretty to win her back or to buy enough butterbeer to erase her from your memory."

A mischievous gleam was reflected in his dark brown eyes. "Tell you what, Evans. Forget the money. First batch is free."

"R—really?" she asked, skeptical. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. Instead of the money, I'll come up with something else. You might need it to run off and start a new life."

Truer words were never spoken. That queasy feeling returned when she walked into the Transfiguration classroom and instead of the Slytherins being caught up in their own conversations, they were all turned towards the door, as if waiting for her arrival.

Pansy's nails dug into the wooden desk, keeping her from attacking Carina in front of McGonagall. Her narrowed eyes followed her to the back of the room, where Tracey was waiting with bated breath.

"Where did you run off to? Was it to make an escape tunnel?" she whispered, hiding their faces behind her open book. "You and Draco could use it together."

"I just wanted to be alone for a bit. The whole thing with Simone's made me—wait, what do you mean?"

After Carina hurried out of the Great Hall, Snape continued to ask students about their holiday plans. It was nothing out of the ordinary, students muttering yeses and noes, and then Pansy was suddenly boiling with rage, her anger now directed at two people. Draco was staying at Hogwarts, seemingly forgetting (though it was hard to imagine how when Pansy mentioned it twenty times a day) the Parkinson-Malfoy vacation.

His father had decided it was best for him to remain at the school, due to the Ministry's upcoming raid of their home. Draco blamed Mr. Weasley, who was spearheading the search for dark objects, and apologized for not telling Pansy about the change in plans, having received the letter that morning. His apology did not absolve him of Pansy's ire, leading her to give him the silent treatment.

"It makes sense, keeping him away from all that craziness, but she doesn't see it that way. She thinks he's going on vacation with another girl and Snape's helping him cover it up."

Leaving the classroom, after being given another essay to write (McGonagall undeterred by the loud groans), they headed down to History of Magic, Tracey's most dreaded class. Carina stopped her from skipping the lesson, despite her valid argument that Binns would never notice her absence.

"Last lesson wasn't that bad. I think that learning about medieval times is pretty interesting."

"I don't have your attention span, Cari," lamented Tracey. "Is it fair to compare us? People learn in different ways and Binns droning on for an hour—"

"Evans." Pansy walked towards them, sporting her twisted version of a smile. "Can we talk? Just the two of us?"

Her sweet voice was supposed to calm her but it made Carina suspicious. Not that long ago, Pansy wanted to feed her to mermaids and tear off her head. Tracey, arms crossed, refused to move.

"Fine, three of us then. I'm willing to forgive you for what you said. It's in the past."

"Cari doesn't know you as well as I do," said Tracey, unconvinced. "You always hold a grudge, Pansy. You finally forgave me for wearing a blue bow to your fifth birthday party after you said no one else could wear blue. We're not falling for it. What's your game?"

Pansy giggled. "You're so paranoid sometimes. I'm—ugh, fine. I don't know why you would be dumb enough to say what you did, Evans. Maybe it's some muggle disease or you have brain damage. It doesn't matter. If you want me to forgive you, then you owe me a favor."

"Like what?" asked Carina, gripping the strap of her backpack.

"I want you to spy on Draco. His dad suddenly canceling the vacation is ridiculous and I feel like he's hiding something. Crabbe and Goyle are too thick to notice anything strange and the other boys wouldn't tell me the truth."

Carina waited for the punchline, thinking it was nothing more than a joke. Pansy's lack of smile and pursed lips suggested that it was serious. Having enough to deal with and not wanting to add an angry classmate to the list, she agreed to the odd request.

Tracey shook her head, watching her pug-faced frenemy catch up with her lackeys.

"I want to crack open her head and see what's going on in there. Ignore her, Cari. There is no other girl. He probably told a half truth. His dad does want him to stay but it also gets him away from her for awhile."

A familiar head of well-coiffed ebony hair was visible from the corner of her eye. "Maybe. I uh forgot my book. I'll meet you there."

"Well, don't be late. You don't want to miss his riveting lecture," she said, sarcastically.

Once Tracey disappeared up the staircase, blending into the small crowd of students, she walked over to the rusty knight in the corner. Cassius was leaning against the wall, absentmindedly rubbing dirt off of his fingers.

"That was fast," she said, her eyes on the the small brown packet in his hand.

He shrugged. "My cousin's one of the best. He nearly flunked out of Hogwarts but he's smart in other ways. You lucked out, Evans. He was getting some of this for another customer."

Without realizing it, her fingers curled around her left wrist. The expression on her face was passive but her mind was reeling, those few words sparking a million anxious thoughts.

"R—really? Guess it's popular." Cassius held the packet above her head. "Can I have it, please?"

"You're a puzzle, Evans," he said, with a quiet chuckle. "And not a typical customer. What do you want this for? Do you even know what it can do? It was banned after the scourers were disbanded. They used it to—"

"I don't remember asking you for a history lesson," she replied, tense. "I already knew that."

"Just curious why you want it."

"How much is it going to cost for you to drop it? Name your price."

"Get me and Clare back together."

That was nowhere on the list she imagined, which included doing his homework again and humiliating someone like Harry or Fred and George. Cassius explained that he was bitter over his breakup with Clare and intended to make her jealous. One of the reasons for their relationship deteriorating was Carina herself, due to Clare growing suspicious of her offer to do his homework.

Knowing about her nightly study sessions with Roger Davies, consisting of more kissing than work, Cassius formed what he believed to be a perfect plan. He thought that hearing about another girl interested in him would cause her to feel regret.

"T—that's mean. I don't want her to be mad at me. Maybe it's for the best that you two aren't together."

"It won't take much. Either you do it or I'll tell Snape about—"

"No!" She snatched the packet from him. "Fine. I promised to help Tracey with her potions essay so I'll be there already."

He was right about Clare being easily prone to jealousy. All it took was mentioning that he looked handsome with his hair pushed back during a recent quidditch practice. Tracey's genuine revulsion proved to be the perfect touch. Later that night, she saw the two fourth years sneaking up to the dormitories, their fingers entwined. Nasty glances from Clare were a small price to pay for a win-win situation. With Cassius's plan a success, he promised to bring her more nightshade if necessary.

Each day closer to Friday, she was growing nervous over her date with Ken. He continued to be vague on the details, not that they had much chance to talk with girls giggling if they simply said hello. She knew he would be a perfect gentleman but she feared what could happen on the date, mainly the possibility of a kiss.

When she was not panicking over a potential first kiss, Olivia demanding every detail of the night, she was waiting for a response from Alec and helping with the polyjuice potion. The potion was near completion, except for a couple key ingredients. Not wanting to jeopardize her somewhat friendship with Snape, she refused to sneak into his private stores.

After some bickering, which Harry used to vent his disapproval of her date with Ken (or 'that prat', as he called him), Hermione decided that it was best for her to steal the ingredients. Harry was the one to provide a distraction during their lesson, throwing one of Fred's fireworks into Goyle's swelling solution.

The ensuing explosion splashed over many of the Slytherins, enlarging various limbs (the sight of Pansy's enormous lips an admittedly funny sight), and though Snape was certain he was the culprit, Carina's puppy dog pout paired with a half-baked defense ("I was watching him when it happened. He didn't do it, I swear.") spared him a detention.

With the final ingredients added, their plan to expose Draco as Slytherin's heir, a theory that she was still against, would be ready in time for the holidays.

Carina stared at the clock above the fireplace, the little hand pointing to eight and the big one nearly on the six. Daphne had spent nearly an hour styling her hair, the soft ringlets cascading down her back, and it appeared to be all for nothing. To distract her from the obvious, she and Tracey showed her articles in Witch Weekly.

"That girl's lucky she didn't burn off her eyebrows. My mother always says that beauty spells shouldn't be taken lightly." Voices carried through the open archway. "Ooh, I bet that's him."

A large crowd of Slytherins entered the common room, the older students returning from a trip to Hogsmeade. Gemma was laughing at Flint's joke (a rare moment of her actually enjoying his company) when she spotted the three girls on the couch.

"Cari, why are you here?" she asked, frowning. "I thought you'd be out with…Ken…"

Her voice faltered as Tracey made a subtle gesture across her throat. "No. I guess he changed his mind."

The girls refused to believe that Ken would not show up for the date, despite him specifically telling her to be ready by eight o'clock. With each passing minute, she began to doubt that he was running late.

"He would never do that," said Gemma, joining her on the couch. "He's not that type of person. Plus he was really looking forward to it. I could see it on his face. His crush on you is as obvious as a dragon hiding behind a stump."

"Or maybe Towler came to his senses." She glared at Draco, who was sitting at a table with Blaise and Theo. "Probably realized he could do a lot better. Surprised you actually believed him, Evans. Are all muggles that gullible?"

"For once, can you not be a—"

"You're right."

His smirk fell, not expecting that reaction. Carina found herself not only thinking about Ken's rejection.

"I'm not worth it," she said, feeling a tight sensation in her chest. "Why would anyone bother—I'm nothing."

Before she could listen to the girls' comforting words, she dashed out of the common room.

"KEN!"

A harsh slap snapped him out of his stupor. Facing a bare stone wall, his eyes darted around his surroundings. He somehow ended up outside the Great Hall and to his left, he was met with the faces of several curious and concerned Slytherins. Daphne was holding onto Tracey's arm, preventing her from delivering another blow, and Gemma had one hand on his shoulder and the other painfully squeezing Malfoy's right ear.

"W—why are you all looking at—" Glancing at his watch, his heart raced. "No, it can't be—I have to—Cari must be worried."

"We're looking for her," said Tracey, looking at him like he was covered in polka dots. "She thinks you stood her up."

Gemma kicked Malfoy's shin. "Someone was very rude and upset her. She ran off then we found you here. You were just staring at that wall. It's like you couldn't hear us."

Ken stared at her in disbelief, his mind completely blank. One minute, he was leaving the Gryffindor common room, warning Fred and George to not ruin the date with one of their pranks, and the next, it felt like he was trapped in a dark room. He remembered staring at the wall and trying to resist but then the darkness returned, keeping him glued to the floor.

"You couldn't look away?" asked Celeste, anxiously. "Ken, that sounds like an imperius curse."

Flint scoffed. "Come off it. No one would be that dumb. Who would risk getting thrown in Azkaban to mess with Towler?"

"Someone who already attacked a student," said Gemma, releasing her grip on Malfoy who rubbed his ear. "What if it's the same person who attacked Colin? Cari could be the next target. We have to tell Snape. What if the monster already has her?"

Daphne looked out the window. "What is that?"

Following her gaze, Ken saw a petite figure floating high above the lake. The golden hair reflected in the moonlight was unmistakable. Gemma seized Flint's arm, pleading for him to apparate to the lake, but as he muttered out excuses ("I just got my license last week. I can barely do it myself."), Ken ran out of the castle.

Her eyes shut, her body hung limply in the air. He raised his wand to cast a summoning charm but it was knocked out of his hand.

A young girl, no older than twelve, with hot pink tips in her chestnut brown hair stood across from him. He immediately recognized her from one of Carina's photos, her best friend Olivia. Instead of the peppy girl with a penchant for making funny faces, she looked cold and distant, her eyes practically lifeless.

"Ken, wait. Daphne and Blaise are getting Snape. We have to—Liv?"

The Slytherins were surprised by her presence. From Carina had said, all of those families had turned their backs on the Fawleys after their father's antics went public, treating them no better than dirt. It was likely the first time any of them had seen her in years.

"What are you doing here?" asked Montague. "Your mother actually let you out of the house?"

"He told me to keep you away. You can't interfere."

"Liv, you're not yourself," said Tracey, cautiously taking a step forward. "Whoever said that, they're trying to hurt Carina. You don't want that. You're best friends."

"Stay back or—"

Gemma knocked her out with a stunning spell to the chest. As her body crumpled to the ground, Ken noticed another figure at the edge of the lake. It was Seth, whose eyes shared that same glassy appearance. Thinking on his feet, he rushed towards the blonde teenager and tackled him roughly. Seth responded with a headbutt to the face, with enough force to knock him onto his back. Blood trickled down onto his lips and before he could move a single muscle, Seth's hands wrapped around his throat.

"Seth, no!" shouted Gemma. "Tracey, slapping isn't the answer. Stop it. Seth, get off of him!"

As she attempted to stun him, her spell was rebounded by an invisible shield.

"You're not winning," he hissed, a crazed look in his eyes. "You hear me, you pathetic nobody? It's over."

Struggling to breathe, Ken managed to knee him in the gut. Seth rolled off of him, groaning in pain. Reaching for his wand, he flicked it downward and Carina plummeted through the ice and into the water.

"NO!"

Montague stopped him from crossing the lake. "Are you mental, Towler? You'll fall in too."

"I don't care!" he said, wiping blood from his nose. "We have to help her!"

"Apparate now." Gemma slapped Flint's shoulder. "Do it now!"

"She's too far," said Malfoy. "He won't know where to find her."

"Well, we have to do something! She can't swim!" Ken looked at her, confused. "Snape told me the first night. He said to keep her away from the lake because she's afraid of the water. Where is he? He's gonna kill me. We have to—accio!"

No cracks in the ice, no sign of her body. Gemma cast it a dozen more times, waiting for Carina to rise out of the water, but nothing happened.

"Maybe if we do it together, it'll be strong enough." She stamped her foot. "Don't look at me like that, Draco! It's your fault she's out here! Why couldn't you keep your damn mouth shut?"

"I didn't think—"

"You never do! All you care about is throwing insult after insult at her! Are you happy now?! She's—"

A soft crackling sound silenced her. Part of the ice split open, a mile on each side, but all that emerged was a cloud of black smoke.

"W—what is that?" asked Tracey, frightened. "Is it the mermaids?"

Hearing rustling behind him, Ken, fighting against Montague's hold, turned his head. Seth slowly rose to his feet, clutching his side. He had not even asked how he ended up at Hogwarts. Completely ignoring Ken and the others, he waved his wand in a zig zag motion.

He tentatively placed his foot on the ice before breaking out into a sprint.

"Is that Seth? How's he doing that?" asked Daphne, amazed, as she arrived with Snape.

Snape cast the same spell and upon reaching Seth, he flicked his wand. Ken sighed in relief when Carina's body was lifted out of the water, her twitching hand the tiniest sign that she was alive. On the way to the castle, Seth carrying his unconscious sister, Gemma repeatedly apologized to Snape, telling him to take her prefect badge.

"I shouldn't have let her leave but she just vanished, sir. I'm a terrible prefect. I don't deserve to have this responsibility."

"This is not your fault, Farley." He opened the door to the hospital wing. "How could you be prepared for such a situation?"

"S—she'll be okay though, right? Shouldn't we take her to St. Mungo's? She was in there for a long time."

"There is no need."

Once Madam Pomfrey had both girls settled in their beds, Carina's lips a pale blue and her skin freezing cold, he asked for an explanation. What he got was a collection of voices, all saying different things. Malfoy, predictably, argued against Gemma's version of events that cast him as the catalyst for Carina's attack.

"Professor, it wasn't—Gemma dragged me out to apologize but she was gone. How was I supposed to know she's that fast? I didn't—"

"Quiet, Malfoy." Ken tensed up when Snape gripped his chin. "Do you feel lightheaded? As if you've lost time?"

"Yes. Celeste thinks it was an imperius curse."

His expression, as usual, was unreadable. It made him wonder if Snape believed her theory. Seth, who had not left Carina's side since entering the hospital wing, shifted slightly in his seat and rested his hand over hers.

"It's whoever opened the chamber, right?" asked Daphne. "They tried to hurt Cari because she's muggleborn."

Just as Madam Pomfrey placed more blankets on her bed, Olivia's eyes popped open and she sat up straight, frantically searching for her wand.

"Don't touch m—" She spotted her unconscious best friend. "C—Cari? Wh—is she—Seth, what happened? What did we do?"

"Deep breaths, Fawley," said Snape, releasing Ken's chin. "You're safe…both of you. I've already spoken to your brother but his memory is a bit hazy. What do you remember? Did you see your attacker?"

"N—no. We were in the house, watching tv, and then Seth started acting weird. He said he had to go to Hogwarts and find Carina. I followed him through the fireplace but when I stepped out, I heard a voice in my head. It told me to let Seth do what they told him and stop anyone who tried to get in his way."

"A voice?"

"I kept hearing it." She closed her eyes, as if reliving a painful memory. "I know what it is. I'd never forget that feeling and I tried to fight it but it was too strong. Did I hurt anyone? Did I hurt her?"

"No. I think it's best if you both return home and tell your mother what occurred as best as you can. She should expect a visit from Professor Dumbledore. Are you well enough to travel?"

With a small nod, she moved from the bed. Seth was still in the chair, his foot restlessly tapping against the tile floor. Madam Pomfrey gently placed her hand on his back.

"Dear, she needs her rest. I'm sure your mother will let you visit when she wakes up."

"I'm not leaving."

Olivia was about to agree until she made eye contact with Snape. He stopped at the edge of Carina's bed.

"Your mother has made it quite clear that she does not want you here, certainly not without her. Did she not speak with you about your last unauthorized visit?" Ken noticed the perplexed look on Olivia's face. "As Madam Pomfrey said, when Miss Evans wakes, I will contact your mother and see if I can persuade her to allow a short visit."

"I said I'm not leaving."

"Seeing as you are not a student, I cannot allow you to remain here, Seth. If you were family, I could make an excep—"

"I am family!"

Seth had gotten up so forcefully that it knocked the chair over, startling even the normally stoic professor. The anger was evident on his face and in his eyes.

"I'm aware of how close you two are to Miss Evans but my word is final. To let you remain in a place where you were cursed would be foolish.

"S—Seth, he's right," said Olivia, clearly not used to this side of him. "Mom will let us see her. We need to get back. She's probably worried."

Taking his hand, she mouthed an apology to Snape and led him out of the hospital wing. Tracey offered to tell Harry about the incident at the lake, thinking it was better to hear it from her than Snape. Gemma and Ken were tasked with waiting until he arrived, Snape needing to speak with Dumbledore.

"The rest of you, off to bed."

"Go, before he decides to give you detention," muttered Flint, pushing a reluctant Malfoy towards the door.

Gemma quietly picked up the fallen chair. As Ken sat on the edge of the bed, he could not help a very grim thought creeping in the back of his mind.

"What if it wasn't them?" She stopped fixing Carina's pillow. "The one who attacked Colin and Mrs. Norris. If it was the same person, why not just petrify her too? Why go through all that trouble?"

"She's a talented witch for her age. Maybe they thought she'd be more of a challenge than a cat and a first year."

"It's still different. They could've knocked her out then petrified her but instead, they tried drowning her. What if they knew she couldn't swim? It's a big step to go from freezing people like statues to outright murder…but we know someone who threatened to do just that."

"You mean Lucas?" He nodded. "Okay, I know he's unhinged but what else would you expect from someone willing to date that hag?"

After the showcase, no one was willing to discuss what happened between Carina, Simone, and Lucas, mostly out of fear that Snape was listening to their conversations. Hadn't Lucas been willing to hurt Carina, outwardly stating it and even attempting the killing curse? It made more sense than pinning the blame on a culprit within the castle.

"Simone has an invisibility cloak," he said, remembering how she hid during the confrontation. "Maybe he used it to get to Seth and Olivia and then followed them through the fireplace to do the same to me."

"He just happened to pick the night you two had a date?"

"Carina said that Simone was Adrian's secret girlfriend…the one he kept bragging about before he got suspended. You don't think his friends are telling him what he's missing? Maybe one of them mentioned it and she passed it on to Lucas. It fits, Gemma."

"It doesn't matter. Whoever it was, they failed and if they try it again, I'll break both of their knees. I'm gonna see if Harry's close."

As she stood by the door, Ken sat down in the chair. Carina showed little signs of movement, aside from the occasional rising of her chest. He wiped away a black stain on the sheet and noticed that it was on her fingers. Her entire hand was covered in bits of shimmery black powder.

Curious, he lifted up the blanket and saw the same black powder on her knees and that her heels were covered in a mixture of dirt, snow, and wet grass.

"Where did you run off to?"