Disclaimer: same as always
Chapter 7
"Mum! Dad!" Kayla screamed jumping from her seat. "How did you get here, what's this all about?"
"Professor Dumbledore, what's wrong with her? Where is my son? Have they been attacked?"
"Calm down Nicole. It's not as bad as it might look like now. There has been no attack from the deatheaters. There has been an incident during the potions class and your son got injured." Dumbledore said in a calm voice.
"So Albus, what happened and how bad is it" asked Kayla's father his voice trembling with fear.
"Nicole and Floyd, may I introduce you to Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. They are fellow Gryffindor's and have witnessed everything that has happened. They can tell you what you need to know." Dumbledore answered.
"Mr and Mrs Warren, I'm Harry and I'm sitting next to Kelsey in potions. We were just adding our last ingredients to our multilingo potion when Malfoy threw something into Kelsey's cauldron and everything exploded. Snape didn't see what happened because he was yelling at another student." Harry said quietly looking back and forth between Dumbledore, McGonagall and Kayla's parents.
"Kayla, did you get hurt as well?" Nicole asked her daughter who has started sobbing again while Harry had tried to explain what happened.
"No mum, I'm fine. But Kelsey looks terrible. His eyes are burned and Madame Pomfrey can't do anything about it. They are bringing him to St. Mungo's now." Kayla answered, pulling her long brown hair out of her face, which was wet from her tears.
"Albus, the boy who did this... is he related to Lucius in some way? "Floyd asked firmly.
"Yes, he is his son. I heard from Professor Snape that there has been another incident last week where Draco Malfoy has been transformed into a fluffy pink bunny from one of our friends here and I'm very sure that this today has been the revenge. Or am I mistaken?" Dumbledore said turning his face towards Harry and the others.
"No Professor Dumbledore. I'm positive that exactly this happened." Hermione said still holding on to Kayla.
"Floyd and Nicole, your son will be transferred to the hospital shortly. I will meet you there in 30 minutes. There's something else that needs to be discussed"
"We will be leaving here instantly and Albus please make sure that Kayla is taken care of. It's enough that we have to worry about one child right now." Floyd stated putting a protective arm around his wife's shoulder, who was shaking, kissing a few tears off of her face. "Kayla be very, very careful, do you understand me? Don't try to get even with that boy. I will make sure that you can visit Kelsey tomorrow" Nicole said with a trembling voice.
"Claudo" Dumbledore said and the faces of Kayla's parents disappeared while the surface of the mirror turned back into solid glass. Dumbledore rose from his chair and stored the mirror safely in a drawer next to the picture of a former headmaster who was currently absent from his portrait, when somebody knocked at the door.
"Severus please come in" Dumbledore said when the door opened and Professor Snape entered the office. "Could you find out what exactly fell into Mr Warrens cauldron to produce such an explosion?" Dumbledore asked looking expectantly at the potion master.
"I searched the area carefully and examined Mr Warren's cauldron, at least the part that was not melted into the stone floor, and found something very interesting." Snape said.
"Minerva, please bring Miss Warren and her friends back to Gryffindor tower and then come right back to my office. Severus, have a seat and while we are waiting for Minerva to return, have a cup of tea with me." said Dumbledore conjuring a teapot and three cups while Professor McGonagall closed the door behind her and the others.
"Professor McGonagall, do you think Kelsey is going to be ok?" Harry asked, giving the sleeve of her robe a tug. "It depends on what exactly caused the explosion. His eyelids have been welded together and the healers have to find out what caused this reaction. It was not the heat alone. They can't do anything until we find some remains of what Mr Malfoy threw into the cauldron. And then, I can assure you, the healers will do everything in their power to cure Kelsey." Professor McGonagall answered, unable to hide the concern showing in her eyes.
"So Severus, you stated that you have found out something interesting. Could you confirm my assumption?" Dumbledore asked the potion master, glancing over his half-moon glasses after Professor McGonagall had returned to the office.
"Yes headmaster" Severus answered "it was indeed a nightshadow stone that was thrown into Warren's cauldron and I'm also sure that I know that Malfoy got it out of his father's study. I had a meeting with Lucius Malfoy right before the start of term about an assignment for the Dark Lord and he bragged about exactly this nightshadow stone right in front of me and his son. As you well know, headmaster, a nightshadow stone is extremely hard to get, very, very expensive and only used in potions for very dangerous and dark purposes."
"I know Severus; I haven't seen one myself in decades. Lucius Malfoy will not be pleased when he finds out that the stone is missing. The question is why does Lucius posses such an artefact for dark magic? Would it be useful for the completion of your assignment, Severus?"
"No not at all, headmaster. The Dark Lord currently is recruiting more followers and Lucius and I are supposed to make contact with the vampires in Transylvania. So you see there's no need for a nightshadow stone at all." Severus replied calmly, his hands folded in his lap.
"So Lucius must be working on his own agenda here, but what is he up to Severus?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Professor Dumbledore. But I will see what I can get out of little Malfoy." Snape replied while he rose from his chair.
"We need to know if there is any more protection necessary for the students here, Severus." Dumbledore said sternly. "I know headmaster. I have to have a little conversation with young Malfoy anyway about what happened today" said Snape when he left the office.
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