Richard Malfoy's light blonde hair was hanging limply around his face, and his short stature reminded Jacob of Quidditch Beaters. His light blue eyes seemed to have faded away to a dull gray, and the snarl on his face was full of animosity. There was stubble on his face, and his clothes seemed like they were taken from some old Muggle shop. From what the two had last heard, he had been sent to St. Mungo's for psychiatric treatment a couple of months ago, for he had gone completely and utterly mad.
"I was going to wait until graduation to show my face." Richard said, taking a step towards the two. Jacob gulped and steadied his arm, pointing the wand right towards Malfoy's forehead.
"To do what? You haven't got a wand." Jacob asked tauntingly, although he had no idea where he found his courage.
Memories of the Malfoy brothers attacking Anthony flooded his mind, and quite suddenly, his face began to regain the heat it had lost. He never saw Richard or Stephen after that terrible afternoon…they had been the cause of his brother's many night tremors and sleepless nights…he could never forgive them and now that he had his chance…no, he couldn't attack him, he didn't have a wand…that wouldn't be honorable.
Richard snorted, interlocking his fingers to crack them.
"You ruined my life. I had to live like a bloody Muggle." He spat, taking another step towards them, though now he was wary of the two wands pointed at him.
"You ruined your own life." Jacob said back, equally as vicious. Then, Richard laughed. It was a bit strangled, but the laugh sent chills down both Jacob and Soledad's backs.
"My father told me to just ignore Weasels…" Richard growled. "To just act as if they don't even count…which they don't…" Jacob started towards him, but Soledad held him back. Richard grinned slightly. "But the stupid girl…that stupid bitch…" He looked around Jacob to stare at Soledad, and his expression softened, a miniscule amount.
"So you got rid of her? Found yourself a prettier piece of meat?"
Two thoughts crossed Jacob's mind: one, to kill Richard for saying that about Soledad. Two, Richard thought he was Anthony…the same mistake the brothers had made six years ago.
"You're insane." Jacob whispered. He began to back away, pushing Soledad softly towards the door. "We're leaving. You won't be able to get out of here once we're gone, and if you take one more step towards us, I will be forced to stun you."
Richard just stared at them, burying his hands in his pockets.
Jacob sent one last stare towards the deranged Malfoy, and turned around, to usher Soledad out the door. She sent him a very concerned stare as she tugged onto his sleeve. Jacob sent her a reassuring smile as she reached for the knob of the door. He had a few locking charms he was going to place on the house.
"Hey Weasel," Richard called. Jacob rolled his eyes and much to Soledad's protests, he turned around.
Richard wasn't as visible as he was before. But, from what Jacob could see, the blonde had his arm pointed towards him. He squinted, and it occurred to Jacob that Richard was holding something.
Jacob didn't have a chance to examine Richard more closely. A blast rung out around them, and Jacob was suddenly on the floor.
"Ow..." Anthony moaned, grabbing his left shoulder. An immense pain shot through it, and now it throbbed with consistency. Something flashed in front of his eyes, an image of…him. Anthony shuddered at the thought.
Taylor looked up at him, and put down her book.
"You alright?" She asked, touching the shoulder softly. The blonde was immediately reminded of his nightmare last night. Anthony's pained look did not disappear, and now Taylor grew concerned. "Anthony?" She whispered.
He turned to her, and forced a smile.
"Must be sore." He said through gritted teeth. Of course, Taylor didn't believe him for a second, and she stood up.
"Come on, we're going to the hospital wing. You might have dislocated it or something." She said, her voice full of urgency. Anthony rolled his eyes as she dragged him up by his other arm.
"I can't have dislocated it by just moving it." He complained as they left the common room.
"You never know, love." Taylor said dismissively, striding down the halls at full speed. Anthony kept his left arm tucked in, and tried to ignore the pain that continued to shock him.
It took them a few extra minutes to get to the Hospital Wing, for the two Gryffindors seemed to run into every Ravenclaw in all of Hogwarts ("You're going to lose and that's final!" Taylor had screamed at one point).
Taylor pushed the doors to the Hospital Wing open and quickly noticed that Madame Pomfrey did not accost them immediately.
"Come on, she must be in the back." She muttered, angry that her boyfriend was not getting the attention he needed. Anthony pulled away from Taylor, and she quickly spun to look at him. "What is it?"
With his not-throbbing hand, Anthony put up one finger to silence her. Instantly, Taylor realized what he was doing, and she began to listen carefully.
There was a murmur of voices behind the curtain the two were standing near. As they shifted closer, the voices became more recognizable.
"You think he's around here?" Professor Potter asked, clearly angry.
"How can you be so sure?" Hermione Granger-Weasley choked out. Anthony immediately grew more concerned at his mother's voice.
"I'm not, it's just a feeling." Headmaster Dumbledore said quietly. "He should be of no real threat to us, even if he is on the loose. Richard Malfoy has not held a wand since he was expelled."
"Then why the secrecy?" Madame Pomfrey asked, clearly confused. Dumbledore sighed softly.
"The Daily Prophet reported that a Muggle shop had been broken into by a man that looked suspiciously like Richard, and that he had stolen some very dangerous items."
"Oh wow…" Taylor whispered, completely in shock. Her eyes had been locked on the shadows moving behind the curtains. Her 'brother' was insane…wasn't he? Who knows what he could do now that he was out of the restraints of St. Mungo's…he could never stop being a wizard…he might be able to make some terrible things happen without the use of a wand…
There was a small thud to her side, and Taylor jumped. She turned to look at the noise, and gasped.
"Anthony!" She exclaimed. He had fallen to the ground, his legs underneath him, and his face white. Taylor bent down beside him and took his face in her hands. A cold sweat had formed on his forehead and he looked up at her with eyes that contained the utmost fear.
There was a shuffle behind the curtains, and the four adults appeared behind them.
"Oh!" Madame Pomfrey squeaked as Hermione rushed to her son's side. Taylor was pushed away as Professor Potter came over to help Hermione lift him up.
"Move…" Professor Potter groaned; Anthony was much taller than he was. Hermione had almost burst into tears at the sight of her son in such shock, but the two managed to sit Anthony on the closest bed.
He was shaking, and his right hand was rubbing his left shoulder roughly. Hermione put an arm around his shoulder, but Anthony didn't seem to respond to the touch of his mother. Madame Pomfrey had run off, most likely to retrieve something to sooth the boy.
"Anthony…" Hermione whispered soothingly as she patted down his hair. "It's alright…"
He shook his head violently and threw his hands down onto the bed.
"No! He's here, I know it!" He cried loudly, turning to stare his mother in the eyes. Silence fell onto the room as all eyes remained on Anthony. His breathing was ragged, and it soon began to quicken. Dumbledore broke the silence,
"Why do you think that, Mr. Weasley?" He asked softly. Anthony's eyes darted away from Hermione's and to the floor, then to Dumbledore.
"I…I don't know…exactly." He admitted. Anthony was surprised to see that Dumbledore did not look disappointed. "My shoulder." He said suddenly, not really knowing himself where the thought had come from.
"What about it?" Taylor asked, peering between Dumbledore and Professor Potter. Anthony gripped his shoulder tightly.
"It just started hurting out of no where…and the first thought that came to my mind was…" He paused and took a breath, "was when Stephen placed the curse on me."
Hermione gripped her son's arm tightly, Professor Potter unconsciously rubbed his scar, and Taylor covered her mouth with her hands to hold back any sounds she was ready to make. Dumbledore remained eerily still.
"So he's attacked." Professor Potter said softly, staring intently at Anthony. Taylor held a sob, and Dumbledore nodded.
"Wait, I don't understand…" Madame Pomfrey whispered, coming towards them with a tray of different potions.
"When one survives an Unforgivable Curse…" Dumbledore began. "That person is marked for life, to feel pain whenever their attacker hurts another. But, Richard didn't perform the curse…"
"He held me, right until Stephen said…" Anthony said quickly, and then he bit his tongue. He hadn't talked about the experience in a long time, and now…the emotions began to resurface.
"It's okay, darling." Hermione whispered, running a hand up and down his back.
"So there's reason for him to be connected to Anthony." Professor Potter said, trying to ignore the tension. Dumbledore nodded slightly, though still not convinced. He had another idea of why Anthony was feeling the pain.
"Yes…it could be." The wise wizard turned towards Taylor, who was still staring at Anthony with her eyes wide. "Miss. Parkinson?" He asked softly. She turned towards him, her hand still on her mouth. "Do you know where Jacob is?"
Brian Weasley ran into the Great Hall, bursting the doors open. The few students that were in the room looked up, just to see the Gryffindor in an odd state. He looked absolutely hysterical.
His green eyes were extremely wide, and his mouth was contorted in some weird smile/sneer.
"Is Jacob in here?!" He screamed, in a voice that was much higher than his normal one.
Brian scanned the room for any shade of red other than Gryffindor robes. He nearly fainted when he saw Emily, Orion, and Ronny.
He raced down the aisle and skidded to a halt. In one quick swoop, he grabbed Ronny by the collar of his robes, and pulled him out of his seat.
"Brian!" Emily and Ronny screamed. Brian stared at his cousins oddly.
"I need him!" He yelled. It didn't bother him at all that everyone was staring at him. Then, he saw Orion. "You! I need you too!" He began to drag Ronny out of the Great Hall, and Emily and Orion followed,
"What's going on?" Emily asked, actually running to catch up with her insane cousin. Brian, with his free hand, began to make wild gestures.
"It's three thirty, three thirty!" He exclaimed, tugging on Ronny's collar harder. "Jacob and Soledad are nowhere to be seen, and the game starts in thirty minutes!"
"What does that have to do with us?" Orion asked, clearly interested now. Emily lagged behind slightly and Orion slowed down to grab her hand to help her catch up. Brian stopped abruptly, causing the two to ram into him.
He spun around, an odd flare in his eyes.
"You are going to play replacement Chaser. And Ronny here," He lifted Ronny about a foot off the ground. "Is going to play Keeper."
"What!?" The two boys shouted, although they were clearly excited.
"But it's the deciding match!" Ronny said, his voice cracking. "You're going to let us play in the de-ci-ding match?!"
"Would you rather have us forfeit? To Ravenclaw?" He growled, and Ronny shook his head. Brian's head snapped to Orion, and the boy shook his head as well. Brian seemed to look triumphant…or maniacal. "Good. Now, to the Quidditch pitch!"
He let go of Ronny and ran off, yelling madly at any student who passed him.
The three Gryffindors stared at each other for a few moments, but then decided to run off and catch the insane Co-captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
Brian turned a corner, actually, slid around the corner, and of course, ran into someone. Instead of falling, he caught her quite suddenly, and literally swept her off her feet.
Sarah Lee did not look pleased. Brian blushed as he held her from under her legs and around her back.
"Put. Me. Down." She demanded. Quickly, Brian agreed and gently placed her on the floor.
"So sorry Sarah; wasn't paying attention." And he looked behind him to see if the was anywhere near.
"When do you ever?" She muttered, smoothing out her skirt. Brian rolled his eyes as she adjusted her Head Girl badge. "Now, have you seen Anthony?"
"Are you obsessed with arranging this ceremony?" Brian moaned, putting his hand to his head. Sarah looked as if she was ready to start a rant and Brian shuddered softly, "I really have to be going…"
"Brian! Do I get to ride Jake's broom?" Ronny asked excitedly, as the three finally caught up.
"I suppose, I bet he won't mind, just don't scratch it." Brian said, smiling at the boy. "You're going to do a fine job, and this will definitely secure a spot for you next…year…"
His gaze had slowly turned to Sarah, who was quietly sneaking away. Brian realized, for the first time today, that she was a Ravenclaw.
"Oh no you don't!" He exclaimed, running after her and catching her arm. Sarah smiled sarcastically at him, and she quickly tried to get out of Brian's grasp.
"Excuse me while I go to my common room to support my House!" She squealed, as Brian began to drag her towards the Quidditch pitch.
"And let you tell Daniel that we have two substitute players? You must be crazy!"
Emily, Orion, and Ronny watched in amazement as Sarah's face burned a deep crimson. The five students began down the hall, and outside towards the Quidditch pitch.
"I swear Brian Weasley! After all these years of driving me ab-so-lutely insane, this has to be the stupidest thing you've ever—mmm!"
The Head Girl was not able to finish her rant, because as quickly as Brian had swooped Ronny out of his seat, he had grabbed Sarah's shoulders, and placed a passionate kiss on her lips. The Ravenclaw stood limply in his arms, and did not push him away. The trio stared in shock.
Brian broke the kiss and looked down at Sarah, whose eyes were wide and face was burning. Brian's face had flushed as well.
"No Sarah," He said, his voice a bit husky. The Ravenclaw's knees wobbled. "That was the stupidest thing I've ever done. Now, come on."
And they all headed towards the Quidditch pitch.
"Jacob!" Soledad screamed, dropping to her knees. Richard began to laugh loudly, dropping whatever he had in his hands and clutching his sides.
Jacob had absolutely no idea what had hit him, but it hurt. It had hit him underneath the center of his left collarbone. His left shoulder and chest throbbed with agonizing pain, and he felt his throat closing. He was on his knees, but he really didn't think that he could stay on them, not that he could really think…
The room blurred around him, and he leaned forward, ready to fall face first to the ground. He did.
"¡Ay Dios, ay DIOS!" Soledad screamed again, tears streaming down her cheeks. Quickly, she grabbed Jacob's shoulders and rolled him onto his back. She covered her mouth with her hands and began to sob at the sight.
His Quidditch jersey was soaked with deep red blood, starting from his left shoulder and trickling down like estuaries.
Jacob's eyes blinked furiously, and Soledad leaned over him, putting a hand on his cheek. His rolling eyes finally focused on her.
"Hi." He whispered, though it seemed to take a lot of effort. Soledad's tears began to fall more freely as she watched him struggle. Richard continued to laugh.
The curly haired girl listened to the laughs of the Malfoy. Gritting her teeth, Soledad stood up, her wand tightly gripped in her hand.
"Fix him." She demanded, pointing her wand at Richard and stepping towards him.
Soledad had absolutely no idea what was wrong with Jacob, for she had grown up in a Wizard only community; she assumed the weapon was Muggle. Richard immediately stopped laughing and stood up straight, crossing his arms.
"Hell if I know how." He snorted, as he doubled over in laughter again. Blood rushed to Soledad's face as she stormed towards him, but was stopped, by a weak voice.
"Don't." Jacob croaked. Soledad turned around to see him trying to push himself up on his good arm. Without turning her back to Richard, she was immediately back at Jacob's side.
"Try not to use too much energy." She whispered, pushing some of his hair out of his face. Soledad wrapped an arm around his good side to help him sit up. "You'll need it for the game."
Jacob forced a smile and nodded, wincing in pain.
"Cut the shit and take me to Hogwarts." Richard said, with a vicious tone. Soledad looked up, and her eyes widened as he saw him pointing the object at her. "I know you two are the only students in Hogsmeade, show me how you got here." She pointed her wand at him, and was ready to stun him when Jacob choked slightly.
Soledad looked down at him with pure fear, just to see him smiling. She stared oddly at him, and he whispered,
"Take him."
"¡¿Que?!" She hissed, moving closer to him. "He could hurt others!"
Jacob closed his eyes and smiled wider.
"Trust me, he won't." He opened his eyes, and they were shining.
Soledad stared at Jacob until her eyes hurt from not blinking. Then, she released a breath, and leaned forward. She kissed him on the nose, and then stood up.
"Alright, let me take care of Jacob, and then…I'll take you to Hogwarts."