The next day, everyone was buzzing. News traveled around Hogwarts like wildfire.

First, McGonagall had walked into the Great Hall during breakfast with a somber expression on her face. As she made her way to the Head Table, the witch pointed her wand at her throat and said, "Would the following students please come with me? Daphne Greengrass, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Draco Malfoy, and Neville Longbottom?"

The five students rose from their seats and met her by the doors of the Great Hall. All eyes were on them, because what could this group have in common?

But as they exchanged uneasy glances, it was clear that they knew exactly what they had in common.

"Is she all right, Professor?" Neville asked as they walked briskly down the corridor. His voice was quivering and it was clear he was trying not to burst into tears on the spot.

"Don't act like you're so worried about Avalon now, Longbottom," Daphne interjected rudely, bumping into the smaller boy with her shoulder. "We all know that you told her you didn't want to be friends anymore because of everything that was going on. You didn't care what happened to her when she spent her days crying in the library."

Blaise glared at Daphne. "You're not any better, Daphne. When was the last time you talked to Avalon? The eyebrow incident?"

Daphne's hand flew to her face instantly, as if making sure her eyebrows were still firmly planted on her face. They all begain bickering over who had been the worst friend to the girl over the past few weeks.

"Would you all shut up?"

Everyone looked at Theo, whose face was bright read and his fists clenched from his outburst. "Sorry for shouting, Professor, but I couldn't take them rowing anymore. Where is Avalon? Is she all right? Has she been…" his voice trailed off. "You know."

They had finally reached the Hospital Wing, and Professor McGonagall led them inside. "See for yourself."

Stretched out on one of the beds in the Wing, next to Colin Creevey, was Avalon. As she laid on her back, her eyes were squinting at something they couldn't see and her mouth formed a small 'o.' Daphne reached out and took Avalon's hand, which was stretched out as if she had been touching something only right in front of her.

"I'm sorry Avalon. I shouldn't have been ignoring you. You've always been there for me, and I wish I could've done the same."

She was sobbing by this point, and Theo reached out and gently touched her elbow in a sign of comfort. Neville felt out of place in the room full of Slytherins, but suddenly abandoning Avalon—at Seamus' suggestion—seemed silly. Obviously she had nothing to do with the attacks, or else she wouldn't have been petrified. He'd had no idea that she'd be so upset at the end of their friendship. To him, she was a strong Slytherin girl who would move on and just increase her time spent with Daphne, Blaise, and the others.

"You have to come back to us," he muttered. This message was for Avalon, and Avalon alone. "I won't be able to help you in Herbology if you're petrified."

They all stood in silence for a few minutes, looking down at her. In this moment, all the bad blood between Neville and Draco didn't matter. Neville almost forgot about the time the other boy had stolen his remembrall and taken to the sky on a broom, and the countless other offending incidents. Right then, all they could think about was their friend.

"When was she petrified?" Blaise asked finally.

"We don't know for sure," came Madam Pomfrey's response, as she made her way from her office to the main section of the Hospital Wing. "Cedric Diggory and Gemma Farley found her last night doing their rounds. She was in one of the out-of-the-way corridors near the Slytherin dungeons."

"The shortcut," said the Slytherin students in unison.

Blaise nodded. "She was probably on her way back from detention with Professor Sprout. She and Seamus Finnigan have been doing work for her every night because there was a Herbology incident."

"I've heard," Professor McGonagall said. "Seamus is in my house."

"He probably had something do with it," said Daphne with a sneer. "It's no secret he hates Avalon. Maybe he lured her into a trap after they left detention and let Harry Potter finish her off."

Draco nodded in agreement. "I agree. You saw what happened last night?

Professor McGonagall turned her stern gaze to the girl. "Ms. Greengrass! Harry Potter being 'the Heir of Slytherin' is a nasty rumor, and I don't want to see it brought up again, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Professor."

There was a voice from the doorway of the Hospital Wing.

"I didn't have anything to do with this."

They all turned to see Seamus Finnigan behind them holding his wand in one hand and clutching his forearm with the other. Neville seemed to be the only one not annoyed by the boy's presence, but didn't make any move to wave at his friend. It wasn't the time nor the place.

Finnigan took a tentative step towards them. "I'm serious. I didn't even know that she was… like this. The last time I saw her was when we got to the castle, I told her I'd see her at Duelling Club and then I went to the common room and changed. Then I went to Duelling Club. I was actually a little bit worried when I didn't see her there."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm serious," said Finnigan, nervously fiddling with his sleeve. "I didn't assume she was petrified or anything. Maybe just sick. She didn't have her cloak on outside."

SFSFSFSF

"See you at Duelling Club," Seamus said smugly, twirling his wand between his fingers. "Let's hope I get the chance to hex you."

"You'll probably blow up the Great Hall in the process."

With that, Steele turned away from him and began walking in the other direction. Seamus stood for a few moments more, rooted to the spot as he watched her go. His wand clattered to the floor but he waited until the girl had turned the corner, shiny brown ringlets swinging behind her, before stooping to pick it up.

It was a secret he would take to his grave.

Seamus Finnigan did not hate Avalon Steele. In fact, the opposite was actually true. But he shook these thoughts from his head and began to run in the direction of the Gryffindor Tower so he could change his clothes.

SFSFSF

"Yeah, right," Daphne repeated.

The Gryffindor Head of House gave the Slytherin girl a look, making it clear that she did not approve of her comments towards the boy. She turned to the other students. "Now, you five should try to go about your day. Your first class will be starting soon. Ms. Steele is in excellent hands here. Now, Mr. Finnigan, I'm assuming that there's been some sort of pyrokinetic mishap and you need Madam Pomfrey's immediate attention? I'll see you in Transfiguration."

Finnigan seemed to have forgotten about his injured arm and looked at Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey with a dazed expression on his face, until he looked down and saw the burn on his wrist peeking out from under his robe sleeve.

"Oh."

Daphne, Blaise, Neville, Theo, and Draco found themselves being ushered out of the hospital wing as Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over Avalon and Colin in their beds to check their vital signs.

Within an hour, the entire school had heard about her predicament. Suddenly, the Slytherin students weren't even safe from the Heir of Slytherin.

"At least we can breathe for a few moments before the next attack, yeah?" Theo said as they walked from the dungeons towards their next class.

Justin Finch-Fletchley was petrified later that day.