::::::-------------
Chapter Eight: Throwing the Curse
::::::-------------
'Smash the vials, smash the vials,' said the voice. Seemed reasonable. Hermione moved towards the table. *But why?*
'Smash them now.'
*I don't want a detention.* Hermione stopped.
'You won't get one!' The voice was desperate. 'Break the vials.'
*Don't want to.*
'NOW!'
*No.*
The first voice stopped. Hermione opened her eyes. She was halfway between the desk and her cauldron. Looking over at Draco Malfoy, she saw him cradling his head in his hands.
Snape was busy telling Neville off (for melting his fourteenth cauldron since first year), so Hermione hurried over to where Ron and Harry were frantically trying to prevent their cauldron from following Neville's.
"Reparo! Reparo!" Ron was crying. "Come on! Oh - Reducio!"
"Why'd you shrink the cauldron?" shouted Harry.
"Thought it might make the hole smaller," he shrugged.
"Engorgio!" said Harry. The cauldron surged back to its normal size. Unfortunately, so did the hole. "Reducto!" A blast, and half the cauldron lay shattered on the floor.
"Why the hell did you use the bloody Reductor Curse?" yelled Ron.
"Reparo," sighed Hermione. The cauldron flew back together. She knelt and pointed her wand directly at the hole. "Reparo." About a third of the potion was lost, but Hermione dropped some powdered unicorn horn in and it stopped trying to dissolve Ron's cauldron. "I threw off the curse, by the way."
Ron dropped his wand. "Great!" said Harry, but there was no chance for jubilation-
"I would love to know what's so great that you can justify using the Reductor Curse in my classroom!" Harry whipped round to face Snape.
"Sorry, sir - I was trying to fix my cauldron."
"Unless by 'fix' you mean 'blow to bits', I don't believe you."
"I confused it with-"
"I don't want to hear it, Potter," he snarled. "Twenty points from Gryffindor and detentions for all three of you."
*****
Malfoy sat in his room. For the first time today, he felt himself. For one of the first times in his life, he felt humiliated. His curse had failed. The Dark Lord was angry with his family. "Father," he muttered.
*****
"You wished to see me, my Lord?" said Malfoy mildly. He wasn't sure whether he was about to hear good news or bad.
"Your son failed," said the Dark Lord. "Harry Potter is beyond my reach - for now. I will implement your plan, eventually. I have other things to worry about at the moment."
"F-failed, my Lord?" stuttered Malfoy.
"Failed. The girl escaped the curse by lunchtime today. Barely a day under it."
Malfoy fell to his knees. "My Lord, I am sorry, I beg you-"
The Dark Lord laughed. "Crucio!"
*****
"Aargh!" shouted Harry, grabbing his scar. "He's angry with someone."
"Who?" asked Ron.
"Lucius Malfoy."
Chapter Eight: Throwing the Curse
::::::-------------
'Smash the vials, smash the vials,' said the voice. Seemed reasonable. Hermione moved towards the table. *But why?*
'Smash them now.'
*I don't want a detention.* Hermione stopped.
'You won't get one!' The voice was desperate. 'Break the vials.'
*Don't want to.*
'NOW!'
*No.*
The first voice stopped. Hermione opened her eyes. She was halfway between the desk and her cauldron. Looking over at Draco Malfoy, she saw him cradling his head in his hands.
Snape was busy telling Neville off (for melting his fourteenth cauldron since first year), so Hermione hurried over to where Ron and Harry were frantically trying to prevent their cauldron from following Neville's.
"Reparo! Reparo!" Ron was crying. "Come on! Oh - Reducio!"
"Why'd you shrink the cauldron?" shouted Harry.
"Thought it might make the hole smaller," he shrugged.
"Engorgio!" said Harry. The cauldron surged back to its normal size. Unfortunately, so did the hole. "Reducto!" A blast, and half the cauldron lay shattered on the floor.
"Why the hell did you use the bloody Reductor Curse?" yelled Ron.
"Reparo," sighed Hermione. The cauldron flew back together. She knelt and pointed her wand directly at the hole. "Reparo." About a third of the potion was lost, but Hermione dropped some powdered unicorn horn in and it stopped trying to dissolve Ron's cauldron. "I threw off the curse, by the way."
Ron dropped his wand. "Great!" said Harry, but there was no chance for jubilation-
"I would love to know what's so great that you can justify using the Reductor Curse in my classroom!" Harry whipped round to face Snape.
"Sorry, sir - I was trying to fix my cauldron."
"Unless by 'fix' you mean 'blow to bits', I don't believe you."
"I confused it with-"
"I don't want to hear it, Potter," he snarled. "Twenty points from Gryffindor and detentions for all three of you."
*****
Malfoy sat in his room. For the first time today, he felt himself. For one of the first times in his life, he felt humiliated. His curse had failed. The Dark Lord was angry with his family. "Father," he muttered.
*****
"You wished to see me, my Lord?" said Malfoy mildly. He wasn't sure whether he was about to hear good news or bad.
"Your son failed," said the Dark Lord. "Harry Potter is beyond my reach - for now. I will implement your plan, eventually. I have other things to worry about at the moment."
"F-failed, my Lord?" stuttered Malfoy.
"Failed. The girl escaped the curse by lunchtime today. Barely a day under it."
Malfoy fell to his knees. "My Lord, I am sorry, I beg you-"
The Dark Lord laughed. "Crucio!"
*****
"Aargh!" shouted Harry, grabbing his scar. "He's angry with someone."
"Who?" asked Ron.
"Lucius Malfoy."