The Head Boy's Secret
Author's note: Thanks for everyone who has been patient! I have been soooo busy recently but I just had to get back to this. :) I hope you enjoy the following chapter, and I hope to have more reviews! Happy reading!
P.S. Who is excited by the new Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 trailer?
"Where am I?" said Neville groggily as he tried to sit up- with difficulty.
"In the hospital wing." said an unfamiliar voice. Neville turned hid head swiftly to find the Head Boy of Slytherin reading the latest Prophet, which lay on his bedside table. His expression was a mixture of guilt and worry. Neville stared for a moment or two. How in Merlin's beard did he get here?
Seeing a bottle of murtlap essence on his bedside table made a sudden flow of memories gush back into his mind. Oh. I remember now.
Neville glanced back at the Head Boy who was still peering at the Prophet's front page.
"Is it about the school?" asked Neville hesitantly.
"They say that they might close the school." he said, but it seemed as though he was half talking to himself.
"Why?" asked Neville incredulously, but backtracked, realising that he had been stupid. of course he knew why. It was because of them, or rather... Him.
"Do you reckon the guy who attacked us yesterday was, you know," said the Head Boy, avoiding Neville's gaze, "He-who-has-no-name?"
"If you mean Malfoy's supposedly dead father yes, I think so. But I have a question for you. Why did he attack you?" asked Neville in a firm judgemental voice.
At which point, both boys suddenly heard a loud crash outside followed by severe shouting.
"Sounds like an argument…" murmured the Head Boy. It was no long before the voices had returning to normal level and a moment later the doors of the Hospital Wing. Professor McGonagoll was red in the face and quite flustered, as if she had just been tackling a herd of centaurs as she accompanied Hermione and Draco into the Wing. Madame Pomfrey did not seem happy.
"Please Professor, they need time to heal-" started Madame Pomfrey in a huff but McGonagoll silenced her with a glare.
"Enough of this. These children have much to do in so little time. Don't you want this all over with as well?" snapped McGonagoll. Neville simply stared at the scene in front of him. He had never ever seen McGonagoll in a temper like this since Umbridge had been working at Hogwarts. At last, Pomfrey gave up and left the room.
"Neville are you alright?" asked Hermione with concern as she sat next to his bed. Her eyes flickered briefly at the Prophet before returning them to his face. He looked at her questioningly. He knew that she had not come just to see if he was ok.
"Yes, I've read it." said Hermione with dread. "And it seems true. Which is why I need your help to resolve this quickly."
"Hermione, why is McGonagoll here?" asked Neville with utter politeness, trying not to be rude.
"I have heard everything from Ms Granger Mr Longbottom, and have decided that I will allow your team of students to try and solve this problem with attacks around the school. I will help in anyway possible. We know what happened last night, but the question is who attacked you." said McGonagoll, her eyes firm but Neville felt there was a hint of a smile coming from her.
"She helped us get in Neville," said Hermione desperately, fearing that he disapproved. Neville smiled however, which made her mind at rest.
"Did you think it was my father?" came a hesitant voice from the back. Everyone turned to see Draco, who was looking uneasy.
"Yes, actually I did." answered Neville. It felt strange talking to the boy who used to bully him so much. It seemed… unnatural.
"Why?" asked Hermione warmly.
"Well, I saw a flash of blonde while fighting him off this idiot next to me, and well, he sounded like Lucius Malfoy."
"Well, that's not enough to assume that it was he," said McGonagoll disapprovingly, much to the silent delight of Hermione and Draco, "it could be anyone if you based it on those facts."
"Ok, here is another question," said Hermione, trying to divert the conversation. She had to get every piece of important information from Neville; it was becoming apparent that they were not going to find the attacker so easily.
"Why did he attack the Head Boy?"
"Well, that is something I want to know." said Neville, as everyone turned they eyes towards the Head Boy, who had so far said nothing.
"I'm so sorry Draco, for everything you've done for me so far. You kept your promise for so long, despite everything that's happened." blurted out the Head Boy.
Everyone turned their perplexed glances towards Draco who said sympathetically, "Don't worry, you can tell them. It's about time you were honest with who you are."
"I'm so sorry, but what's going on?" asked Hermione, looking at Draco with suspicion.
"Haven't you noticed that Susan Bones is a muggle-born?" said Head Boy, making everyone's attention revert back to him again.
"Yes, but what has that got to do with you?" asked Neville impatiently.
"I'm a half-blood." said the Head Boy bluntly, his eyes cast down. Everyone feel silent as a dense atmosphere started to close in.
"You're saying that all this time, you've kept this hidden? So that this wouldn't happen? That's the reason for these attacks. Like in the chamber of secrets, all the victims were not of pure-blood… They were muggle-borns or half-bloods like you… And you were helping him cover it up?" asked Hermione to Draco, unable to decide whether to be angry or admiring. Half of her hated him for not mentioning this to her, for it could have explained a few things very quickly, but another half admired him for being able to keep a promise and also protect someone, although she did think that this Head Boy was a bit of a coward.
"In order to protect him." said Draco defensibly, his eyes piercing hers. "I've been covering up for him for years. He's scared of what the students would say, or rather, do. It's not like I didn't appreciate what he was. Well, not now anyway. Besides, wouldn't you do the same?"
Just as Hermione was about to answer, Madame Pomfrey yet again entered the room while saying, "I'm afraid that is all the time I can allow you to be here. Please be so kind and leave. Minerva, a word."
"I'm afraid that I am out of Murtlap Essence," started Pomfrey as she sat down at her desk, as the students left the Wing.
"So how does this concern me?" asked McGonagoll icily.
"Well, Hagrid is away with that, that tall French woman-"
"You mean Madame Maxine." interrupted McGonagoll.
"Yes, and as a consequence I am afraid that I did not know who to ask. I wrote a note for Dumbledore, yet he has no replied and I have visited his office several times today and it is already 6 30 and he still-"
"Why, don't you know?" said McGonagoll in surprise, accidentally dropping her stern tone, "Dumbledore is not at Hogwarts. He is away seeing Mundungus Fletcher in Azkaban."
"Azkaban? But I though nobody could go to the place-"
"Well, knowing Dumbledore, he does have his ways….." said McGonagoll proudly.
Hermione turned towards Draco, having just eavesdropped on the staff's conversation by the corner of the corridor.
Their faces were close. Too close.
Draco looked down her, his grey eyes flickering with a hints of worry, and she immediately understood. They both felt something. They both felt like they were being betrayed. By someone close. Too close.