On reaching the Slytherin table Snape asked if anyone had seen Draco Malfoy. The Slytherin students responded with lots of head shaking.
"Follow me" Snape said to Talitha. They walked quickly to the door where Charlie caught up with them. With Snape leading the way they ran through the Castle down into the dungeons where the Slytherin common room was located. It was empty when they arrived, most of the students being at dinner. Snape headed down a small tunnel and stopped outside one of the doors. He opened it and went inside. Draco was lying on his bed struggling to breathe.
"Aspirare" Talitha yelled pointing her wand at him. Draco took a large gulp of breathe and then his breathing settled. Talitha ran over to him.
"Draco, who did this to you?"
"Don't know" Draco said weakly "I didn't really see. A man, very short hair, tall"
Talitha turned back to Snape and Charlie
"We need to get him to the Hospital wing. Severus can you go and tell Dumbledore what has happened" she told them
Snape nodded and left. Charlie picked Draco up of the bed and set of for the hospital wing. Talitha walked with him opening the doors as they went.
"Poppy" She called as they entered the hospital. Madam Pomfrey appeared. Charlie lay Draco down on the nearest bed
"Astrangulare curse" Talitha told her. Madam Pomfrey had a quick check over Draco and then disappeared to fetch some potion or other. By the time she returned Snape had arrived after seeing Dumbledore.
"He's sent word to the others" Snape told Talitha and Charlie "He's suggests we all go to your office Talitha and stay there until we find out more." They both nodded. Talitha stood thinking for a moment.
"Charlie, fetch the kids and I'll see you down there"
"I'll stay with Draco and bring him down as soon as I can" Severus added. Talitha and Charlie both left. At the end of the corridor they went their separate ways, Charlie to Gryffindor tower and Talitha to her office.
Remus and Sirius were already there when she arrived. They all went inside.
"What's going on?" Sirius asked.
"I'll explain when everyone's here" Talitha replied. "How did you know to come here?"
"Dumbledore, he sent a message to us at the three broomsticks. Asked us to come up here and sent Dung with a message to the Weasley's"
A few minutes later Charlie arrived with the five students and were shortly followed by Snape and Draco, who was now looking very pale and weak.
"Now are you going to tell us?" Remus asked once everyone had settled themselves.
"One minute" Talitha replied, she pulled out her wand and pointed it at the door.
"Claudo" she said and sealed the door. She turned to face everyone.
"Some Death Eaters have been seen in Hogsmeade" She told them "Severus took a message from Alastor Moody a short while ago. When we couldn't find Draco, we went up to his dorm and found him choking. Someone had put the Astrangulare curse on him. I think they were trying to make it look accidental. Fortunately we got there in time and stopped it. As yet we don't know who, but it seems likely that one of the Death Eaters got in the Castle. Moody and the other Aurors are now searching the grounds, the castle and Hogsmeade"
"How did someone get in?" Hermione asked.
"I'll be honest, I have no idea. The only thing I can think of is if Wormtail has passed on his knowledge of animagi"
"Professor Dumbledore has suggested we all stay here until everywhere has been searched" Snape added
"We don't know if this person was particularly after Draco or if they might make an attempt to get someone else"
They all spent the rest of the night in Talitha's office. Dobby the house-elf arrived with some food although nobody ate much. Draco drifted in and out of sleep due to his weakened condition but nobody else slept at all.
Professor Dumbledore arrived in the early hours of the morning, and informed them that the Aurors had searched every where and had found no-one. As they were all getting up to leave Talitha gave the students strict instructions that they were not to go anywhere on their own and they were to stay in the Castle at night time. The five Gryffindor students went back to their dorms where they were all asleep within minutes. Snape took Draco back to the Hospital wing.
"So who do you think it was?" Remus asked once they had all gone.
"I don't know but Draco's description, although it was vague, sounded just like either Rodolphus or Rabastan Lestrange"
"Follow me" Snape said to Talitha. They walked quickly to the door where Charlie caught up with them. With Snape leading the way they ran through the Castle down into the dungeons where the Slytherin common room was located. It was empty when they arrived, most of the students being at dinner. Snape headed down a small tunnel and stopped outside one of the doors. He opened it and went inside. Draco was lying on his bed struggling to breathe.
"Aspirare" Talitha yelled pointing her wand at him. Draco took a large gulp of breathe and then his breathing settled. Talitha ran over to him.
"Draco, who did this to you?"
"Don't know" Draco said weakly "I didn't really see. A man, very short hair, tall"
Talitha turned back to Snape and Charlie
"We need to get him to the Hospital wing. Severus can you go and tell Dumbledore what has happened" she told them
Snape nodded and left. Charlie picked Draco up of the bed and set of for the hospital wing. Talitha walked with him opening the doors as they went.
"Poppy" She called as they entered the hospital. Madam Pomfrey appeared. Charlie lay Draco down on the nearest bed
"Astrangulare curse" Talitha told her. Madam Pomfrey had a quick check over Draco and then disappeared to fetch some potion or other. By the time she returned Snape had arrived after seeing Dumbledore.
"He's sent word to the others" Snape told Talitha and Charlie "He's suggests we all go to your office Talitha and stay there until we find out more." They both nodded. Talitha stood thinking for a moment.
"Charlie, fetch the kids and I'll see you down there"
"I'll stay with Draco and bring him down as soon as I can" Severus added. Talitha and Charlie both left. At the end of the corridor they went their separate ways, Charlie to Gryffindor tower and Talitha to her office.
Remus and Sirius were already there when she arrived. They all went inside.
"What's going on?" Sirius asked.
"I'll explain when everyone's here" Talitha replied. "How did you know to come here?"
"Dumbledore, he sent a message to us at the three broomsticks. Asked us to come up here and sent Dung with a message to the Weasley's"
A few minutes later Charlie arrived with the five students and were shortly followed by Snape and Draco, who was now looking very pale and weak.
"Now are you going to tell us?" Remus asked once everyone had settled themselves.
"One minute" Talitha replied, she pulled out her wand and pointed it at the door.
"Claudo" she said and sealed the door. She turned to face everyone.
"Some Death Eaters have been seen in Hogsmeade" She told them "Severus took a message from Alastor Moody a short while ago. When we couldn't find Draco, we went up to his dorm and found him choking. Someone had put the Astrangulare curse on him. I think they were trying to make it look accidental. Fortunately we got there in time and stopped it. As yet we don't know who, but it seems likely that one of the Death Eaters got in the Castle. Moody and the other Aurors are now searching the grounds, the castle and Hogsmeade"
"How did someone get in?" Hermione asked.
"I'll be honest, I have no idea. The only thing I can think of is if Wormtail has passed on his knowledge of animagi"
"Professor Dumbledore has suggested we all stay here until everywhere has been searched" Snape added
"We don't know if this person was particularly after Draco or if they might make an attempt to get someone else"
They all spent the rest of the night in Talitha's office. Dobby the house-elf arrived with some food although nobody ate much. Draco drifted in and out of sleep due to his weakened condition but nobody else slept at all.
Professor Dumbledore arrived in the early hours of the morning, and informed them that the Aurors had searched every where and had found no-one. As they were all getting up to leave Talitha gave the students strict instructions that they were not to go anywhere on their own and they were to stay in the Castle at night time. The five Gryffindor students went back to their dorms where they were all asleep within minutes. Snape took Draco back to the Hospital wing.
"So who do you think it was?" Remus asked once they had all gone.
"I don't know but Draco's description, although it was vague, sounded just like either Rodolphus or Rabastan Lestrange"