Yay! A really fucked up dramatic chapter!

And a reviewer!

Thanks so much to citrine, who, although breif in her support, made my morning! (oh. wait. its like 2 in the afternoon.)

It doesn't take much to make me smile, guys, just review, even if you don't have anything to say!

Hermione was considering telling Malfoy that she had had enough and was going to head back when she spotted the odd sight of Professor McGonagoll, with a hand clamped over her hat in the wind, rushing up to meet them.

Upon doing so, Hermione's manners forced her to be polite, even though she was feeling anything but, what with the attitude Malfoy was giving her.

"Good afternoon Professor, is there something-"

"Come with me immediately, both of you."

Without another word, McGonagoll rushed back off to the castle.

Hermione glanced to Draco, who glanced back to her, but seeing that she was forgetting their previous spat, Hermione immediately hmphed, stuck her nose in the air, and jogged to keep up with the Professor.

Malfoy just shook his head and followed without enthusiasm, wondering what in bloody hell was going on today.

-

Leading them into the hospital room, the professor rushed over to a bed with the curtains closed and immediately swished them to the side.

Upon being faced with what was in the bed, Hermione let out a slight squeal and turned herself away, pushing her face absentmindedly into Malfoy's chest.

Realizing that she should be stronger and should not be treating Malfoy as such, Hermione glared at Draco, who only raised an eyebrow in return before placing his hands on her shoulders and turned her around so that she could face the bed.

McGonagoll herself was not looking, but instead pushed a stern glare unto the two Heads. "If either of you had anything to do with this then I will personally see to it that neither of you ever-"

"Professor, how can you even suggest-?"

McGonagoll cut her off with a raised voice, closing her eyes in frustration, a hand to her forehead. "She was found just inside the Head's common room, and…" The professor's voice reached a high tone, exasperated, "the only thing she seems to say is what is obviously a- a… repetition of the last words spoken before she… lost consciousness. She keeps saying-"

But just as McGonagoll was about to explain, Ginny sat straight up in her bed, grasping the rails of the bed with sweaty hands, eyes wide open and blank. "I'm sorry Hermione! Please, no…!" As soon as the last word was uttered, Ginny's eyes closed and she collapsed back into her bed.

Hermione fell onto the bed across from Ginny, eyes wide open and watering easily, pulled her legs onto the bed and hugged her knees, staring at her best friend with shock and fear.

McGonagoll glanced at her, only a shred of pity in her eyes, and tried to assess how genuine Hermione's reaction was.

She glanced to the Head Boy, who was staring at Ginny with an emotion she could not place, somewhere between suspicion and disgust… distrust?

Ginny, for her part, seemed to be sleeping, restlessly, and was prone to trying to turn on to her side- but she was restrained from doing so by the fact that every time she would try- her face would scrunch up as the wounds on her chest would start, bleeding into the heavy bandages even more.

McGonagoll pulled Ginny's wand from the bedside table and held it out to the two Heads. Carefully watching them for their reaction, Minerva muttered a spell, "Prior Incantato!"

Rising from the wand was a figure of smoke, a hand that grasped a wooden cross- that which would control a puppet.

Draco's eyes darkened at the sight and Hermione looked aghast.

Glancing between the two once again, the Professor sighed. "Do either of you know what this means?"

Draco, who was heading closer to Ginny, squinted at her expression of sleep. "Imperius…" He muttered, staring closely at Ginny's form.

"Malfoy, get away from there…" Hermione pleaded softly, her whine arousing him from his stupor and pulling him away from his interest in the youngest Weasley.

McGonagoll also pulled another wand from the bedside table. "Hey, that's…. mine…" Hermione's voice dwindled under the stare that McGonagoll gave her.

"This was found in your room, Miss Granger. Would you like to confess to the last spell or should I show it to you?"

Hermione looked confused- the last spell she had used was a heating spell on her socks after her escapade in the lake with Malfoy. That was in no way related to… Hermione gulped and looked at Ginny. This.

When the professor muttered prior incantato once more, Hermione was shocked to see what rose from the tip of her wand.

Forming itself out of the smoke was a sword, thin and intricately designed, which- before any of them could even get a long look at it- started slashing back and forth at the air in front of it.

With a faint heart, McGonagoll whispered deletrius and the smoked sword was gone, the smoke vacuumed into Hermione's wand.

Startling them all out of their silent, shocked reverie was a bang of the hospital wing's doors slamming open.

Madame Pomfrey jostled out of her office, ready to reprimand those who created the commotion- when she noticed that a furious looking Snape, accompanied by an apprehensive looking Dumbledore, was quickly making his way over to the bed where the three stood over the bed.

Professor McGonagoll took charge of the situation, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Professors, I have just demonstrated what the last spells seemed to have been and I don't believe that we can-"

"Allow Mr. Malfoy to be a part of such a manner." Snape muttered between clenched teeth, finishing what he believed should be her statement. "If the young Head Boy would please step out, these matters do not concern him."

Draco stood up straighter and responded in a snarl. "I was with her the entire day- she hasn't even had her wand on her-"

"It is not your business to defend her! I would think that you of all people would hope that no one ever again, no matter how goody-two-shoes, gets away with such a curse as sectumsempra-!"

"Severus, please." Dumbledore brought himself next to Snape, "They know more than we do, let them speak."

Snape's nose twitched, but he waited for the two teenagers to speak.

Hermione suddenly assessed something- "Hey- my wand was just sitting on the table! Anyone could have-" But Hermione stopped, she knew what was wrong with her defense, as did Draco, who sighed sadly and only glanced to Ginny again.

"We have discovered, Miss Granger," McGonagoll said in a softer voice than she had used all day, "that you cannot defend yourself as such. As unfortunate as it may be… it seems that you had a lock on your wand… only you could have used it."

The conversation was paused as Madame Pomfrey made her way up to them. "If only you could take this talk outside-"

"Impossible, Poppy, and I do apologize- but it must be continued in here-"

"Then I could get to my patient and this entire mess could be solved."

With that, everyone moved out of the way as the nurse made her way to Ginny's bedside.

Everyone watched closely as, with the assistance of Minerva, she held up the head of the youngest Weasley and poured a steaming orange potion down her throat.

Malfoy muttered something callous as he watched and, without turning to him, Madame Pomfrey answered. "This potion was only created after your unfortunate… accident."

With that Madame Pomfrey stepped back, and Professor McGonagoll followed suit.

Draco glanced to Hermione, who only gave him a short, worried look before watching her best friend- if she was still- very closely, for any signs of consciousness.

Just when Snape was about to restate his argument, Ginny suddenly sat up straight in her bed, and unlike before, started coughing as Madame Pomfrey held her shoulders, trying to empty a swirling purple potion into her mouth.

Once this was fully downed, Ginny fell back onto the bed, eyes wound shut.

"Miss Weasley," Dumbledore started, looking at her with sad eyes, "I am afraid that in your current condition we are not all trusting of what you may have to tell us." Dumbledore sent a glance to Snape, who sneered in response as he rummaged through his robes, before continuing. "So it is imperative that we issue you with a truth potion."

Ginny nodded weakly, eyes still closed. Snape pulled a small flask from his robe and, moving past a depressed McGonagoll, proceeded to push it into the young girl's mouth- before Madame Pomfrey, in disgust, took it from him and eased it into Ginny's mouth.

After momentary silence, Ginny seemed to settle, though her eyes did not open.

Snape and Dumbledore pushed forward, taking stances across the bed.

"Miss Weasley," Dumbledore started, "are you conscious?"

"Yes." Ginny's voice was clear and strong, much different than before.

"Good," Dumbledore continued, "Good. And- and do you know who I am?"

Ginny smiled slightly. "Headmaster Dumbledore."

Dumbledore smiled slightly as well. "Do you know what time of the day it is?"

Ginny's forehead creased slightly. "A little after lunch."

Dumbledore glanced to Snape. Snape, out of his own curiosity, "Miss Weasley- where were you last?"

Under the influence of the potion, Ginny did not hesitate. "I was heading into the Heads common room. I wanted to see Zeus before tonight- and I was hoping I wouldn't run into Hermione."

With the last statement, everyone in the room stiffened, and Draco sent Hermione an unusually frustrated and disbelieving look.

Snape, however, continued. "And who did you happen to meet inside the common room?"

Ginny shook her head, her voice and face blank. "I don't remember that."

"Who opened the portrait for you?"

"I don't remember."

"Miss Weasley!" Minerva placed her hand on Severus' arm to calm him down, "Miss Weasley- who did you perform the Imperius curse on- an illegal curse worthy of Azkaban!"

Ginny's eyes opened slowly and her blank blue eyes stared directly into Severus. "I have never used the Imperius."

"Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said softly, aware that Severus' patience was wearing thin, "we found you inside the common room. Do you remember how you got inside?"

Ginny shook her head again. "No."

Finally asking the simplest question, Snape asked Ginny one more question before the potion wore thin. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"I was at that ludicrous picture of the monkey- and Hermione called my name from beside me. And… and I was so happy to see her."

With that final remark, Ginny collapsed into the bed as the potion wore off.

Silent, Madame Pomfrey waved her wand over Ginny's form and the girl relaxed into a needed slumber.

The four Professors, all at once, looked behind them, to where Hermione was.

Hermione's face was streaked with tears, her eyes wide open in shock, as she replayed her best friend's recollection-that by all means Hermione used sectumsempra, a curse she only learned about from Harry, never practiced, never considered- on her best friend.

Draco, not able to look at either Hermione or the Professors, tried to take control of the situation. "What about Zeus?"

None of the Professors paid attention to the fact that he ignored everything Ginny said, understanding that his hunch was more than severe paranoia.

Professor McGonagoll, breathing deeply with her eyes closed after such an episode, answered him with her best steady voice. "It seems… it seems that Mr. Orcanil cannot be located."

"Well that's convenient." Draco spoke quickly, trying to finish the entire mess.

"Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore spoke for the first time in minutes, "you should take advantage of the fact that there is no evidence. I am asking you to accompany Miss Granger to your common room- and you are to keep an eye on her from now on, hmmm?"

"Because it is certainly safe for me to sleep in a bed so vulnerable to an attack from a dormmate."

The Professors glanced at one another, before Poppy breathed deep. "This is an area not fit for such a discussion. I'm going to ask that you all leave."

No one moved, not even Dumbledore.

"I think Albus is right," Minerva continued, "I think it would be best for the Heads to return to their common room and… and for this to continue under different circumstances. Miss Granger, I'm afraid we must keep your wand. You see… we just can't let you have control of it, just yet…"

As McGonagoll finished her statement awkwardly, all eyes turned to Malfoy as a guttural snarl rose from his throat as he glared at her. "You're a fool." He glanced between Dumbledore and Snape. "You're all fools."

He glanced down to Ginny. "Her story doesn't match up. Not even under Veritaserum. She says she didn't want to see Hermione but she was- what was it that made tears sprite to your eyes, 'so happy to see her'? This is bullshit." Hermione placed a hand awkwardly on his arm but it was unnoticed. "If you use reasoning then you might just want to pay more attention to the fact that whoever attacked her was put under Imperius, that she wasn't even in her right mind when she committed this. Or is that something you'd rather ignore?"

Hermione looked away, as did any professor but Snape, who sent him a reprimanding look, glancing to the girl standing closely to him. Malfoy brought himself to sneer at his tutor and, despite Hermione's impulse of anticipation, Malfoy spat on the face of young Ginny Weasley.

"Mister Malfoy!"

But none could speak as he placed his arm around the shoulders of the petrified, crying girl next to him and placed a kiss to the top of her bare, naked head.

He ushered her out of the room without a single look back.

"Albus…"

"Minerva, I am afraid there is nothing that can be done at the moment. I would like the both of you to alert the school to be on the watch for Mr. Orcanil- but do not tell them, in any circumstance, what has transgressed. They will create their own gossip. Now," Dumbledore smoothed his robe and placed his hat on his weathered head, "although I do not wish to concern him in the matter, I must see a Mister Potter about a certain mischievous map, yes?"

And as Albus left, Severus and Minerva shared a quick glance before turning away from each other and heading out to their respective houses, neither understanding what had transgressed-especially not the actions of their two favorite pupils.