CHAPTER TWENTY: Sectumsempra

Pansy Parkinson was running so fast she was soon out of breath. When she finally reached the Hospital Wing, she pushed the door with her remaining strength. And then she saw him.

He looked as if he was dead. He lied in one of the beds, with wounds that looked like he had been slashed with swords. Horrified at his state, she had to grab the wall for support. Feeling weak in the knees, she quickly sat down on one of the beds. She didn't even notice Pomfrey's furious look – to be fair, she didn't even know that the healer was there.

'NO. VISITORS.' Pomfrey yelled angrily, as Pansy was leaning over Draco to examine the wounds more closely.

'Oh shove it up your arse, why don't you,' Pansy snapped, not even realising what she was saying. 'I'm staying, end of story.'

Something in her tone or maybe expression made Pomfrey study her more closely. She didn't seem mad or resentful, even though Pansy's been incredibly rude to her. Pomfrey was more… surprised.

'Fine,' she said reluctantly. 'I've just given him the sleeping draught. So if I hear you disrupting my patient, you're out.'

Pansy just nodded and came over to his bed as Pomfrey left the room. All of the wounds were already tended to and closed. But he still looked horrible. She couldn't even imagine what it must've looked like when they were open, dripping with blood. Reaching for his hand, she noticed her own were shaking. She also felt sick, weak and dizzy.

'I love you, too, please be okay,' she whispered.

Tears started going down her face, but she didn't care anymore, she didn't try to stop it. She was just sitting on the floor next to his bed, holding his hand and couldn't stop crying.

She hadn't moved an inch for half an hour when Narcissa Malfoy strode into the Hospital. Her face was even paler than she remembered. She was clearly terrified and nearly ran over to his bed. She resembled her son in so many ways right now. She looked like she hadn't slept in weeks, bags under her eyes dark, face almost grey, lips trembling.

Pansy let go of his hand and got up.

'Hello. I'll just leave, Mrs. Malfoy, I'll leave you two alone,' she said quietly, not meeting her gaze.

'No, please, Pansy, stay,' she whispered but also avoided looking directly at her.

'I couldn't, you should stay with him,' she pressured. 'I'll be fine.'

Narcissa finally lifted her eyes. They were almost bleak, filled with tears.

'Please, just tell me what happened. The headmaster said it was an accident.'

Pansy snorted in anger.

'It was Potter, Mrs Malfoy. He cursed him. Moaning Myrtle saw this.'

Narcissa's face suddenly darkened.

'Potter, you say.'

'Yes, ma'am. I'm sure he'll be punished accordingly, though. I don't know who found him, but Snape won't let it slide.'

'That he won't,' she said with a sudden self-confidence in her voice.

Pansy knew she was thinking about the Unbreakable Vow but decided against mentioning it.

'Mrs. Malfoy… I just want you to know that he's got a lot of people on his side. I mean, we may not be able to help him but… We try to support him – er – you know, emotionally.'

'Thank you, Pansy,' she said genuinely. 'It means a lot to me. To my son as well, even if he doesn't tell you that.'

Pansy nodded and went for the door.

When she left the hospital, most people were going back from dinner. She felt a sudden rage in her. Potter did this. Did he even know Dark Magic? Knowing him, it had to be an accident, he probably didn't know what spell did or lost control, but what gave him the right to attack Draco? What gave him the right to endanger his life? Wasn't he one of 'the good guys'? He was supposed to be better than to throw spells that make blood gash out of people's bodies. What on Merlin even was that curse? She didn't know it and have never heard of it. Whatever it was, Potter had to pay.

She tried looking for him among the students swarming around the halls, but there was no sign of him. She hoped he was in the middle of a pleasant chat with Snape right now. They probably won't expel him, he was THE Harry Potter, after all. But Snape would give him a detention, possibly until the end of the year. She smiled to herself at that thought.

Then, she stumbled across Milicent and Tracey. They looked at her worriedly but didn't say or ask anything. Pansy decided to do what she did best.

'Hey,' she greeted them. 'Have you heard about Draco?'

Both of them nodded sadly.

'The whole school knows,' mumbled Tracey. 'Moaning Myrtle's been going around the bathrooms telling the whole story.'

'So what is the whole story?' Pansy asked, trying to sound as bland as she could.

'Well – I – I guess Draco was in the bathroom where Myrtle was? I didn't quite catch it,' Tracey admitted, abashed. 'I think she was trying to tell me that he was visiting her, but that's ridiculous, isn't it?'

'Get to the point,' hissed Pansy through gritted teeth.

'Well, anyway, while he was there, Potter saw him, and they started duelling, and then, Potter screamed some sort of weird spell – sectu-something-'

'Sectumsempra,' Milicent cut in, much to Pansy's surprise. It was surprising she would remember such a thing.

'Yes, and anyway, there was blood everywhere, Myrtle started screaming, and so Snape came in-'

'Snape was there? First?' Pansy asked, euphoria too strong to keep it away from the tone of her voice.

'Yes, he closed his wounds, transported him to the hospital wing and when he came back to Potter – we don't know what happened because he sent Myrtle away. But he must've gotten a hell of detention if you ask me-'

'Well, I'm not,' she smiled insolently. 'But thanks, anyway.'

She left the two girls, still gossiping behind her back. Now she had all the information she needed. She stopped every other Slytherin she met and told them the story about how oh-our-hero-Potter cursed Draco and if it wasn't for Snape, would've killed him. Sometimes, she even stopped some Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws if she knew they weren't very fond of Gryffindors. She even thought about talking to Luna but decided it was pointless in the end. She probably wouldn't even know what they were talking about.

She felt vindictive satisfaction. It wasn't the same as facing Potter herself and cursing him with bat-bogey hex – but she couldn't do it as well as Weaslette, anyway. And if the events of last year proved anything, it was that Potter hated being in the centre of attention when not being seen as a hero. And she was going to use this against him the best way she could.

When she got back to the Common Room – Daphne, Theo and Blaise were all sitting on the couch opposite the fireplace, whispering urgently among themselves. They looked at Pansy worriedly.

She sat next to them heavily, as she felt she was drained of all strength. Resting her head on the base of the couch, she closed her eyes for a second.

'And how is it?' asked Daphne quietly, taking her hand delicately.

Pansy looked at their palms in surprise but didn't comment.

'Well – it's bad. I mean, what you've heard from Myrtle is true. Draco was with her at the time, and Potter found him, they started duelling-'

'What was Draco doing there?' asked Theo.

'I don't know,' Pansy sighed. 'But considering how he looked before leaving – he didn't feel that good.'

Daphne nodded with a frown.

'Well, they were duelling when Potter struck him with this "sectumsempra" curse. I don't know this spell, and I have no idea how Potter knows any Dark Magic. I don't want to sound like I'm defending the guy, because right about now I want to strangle him with my bare hands – but I think it must've been an accident on his part. I don't think he'd use it if he knew what it did. Or maybe he lost control.'

There was a silence for a minute.

'I haven't heard of that curse,' Theo shook his head. 'So, what does it do?'

'He – He had over a dozen wounds – as if from a sword or a knife. I've heard that Myrtle started screaming and that Snape was first to arrive at the scene. He closed the wounds and moved him to the hospital.'

'Please tell me Potter's got detention until the day he dies,' muttered Blaise, weirdly quiet for the whole conversation.

'I don't know. But I've seen McGonagall in the halls. I've never seen her so furious, so even if Snape doesn't give him detention until the end of his life, she will.'

All of them nodded.

'So I sat with him for a minute but then Narcissa came, so I left them.'

'And then you started to look for Potter, didn't you?' asked Theo with a shrewd stare.

'Yes,' she said, looking him in the eyes. 'But I didn't find him. So I-'

'Started talking shit about him to everyone you met,' he finished.

'Well, yes,' she admitted, a bit taken aback.

'Not the best play, but I guess a smart one. Potter hates the attention if it's negative.'

'That's what I thought,' she smirked. 'Anyway, I think I'll just go to sleep. I'm done.'

All three of them looked at her, clearly concerned, but she went upstairs without a second glance. She threw herself on the bed and started crying again – for some reason, not being able to stop. Pansy Parkinson fell asleep only when it started getting light.