Chapter 87: The Coolness Factor

Moving across the Kitchens, Chiara and Victor used the Knockback Jinx to repel the Doxies flying around the Queen while Claire aimed her wand at the Queen.

"Flipendo!" Claire shouted.

Her spell knocked the Doxy Queen into the Kitchens' fireplace, but she managed to fly up the chimney before being burned by the flames.

"Blimey!" Claire cursed. "We almost had her."

"At least we sent the other Doxies packing," Victor said, while the rest of the Doxies flew out of the Kitchens.

"I could probably track the Queen's scent," Chiara said, but noticed Victor gave her an odd look. "Sorry, I meant that I have a pretty good idea where the Doxy Queen might have gone."

Then Chiara took off before Victor could inquire further. Claire followed the both of them, and soon they found themselves in the Prefect bathroom. Next to the large bath floated the red-haired Doxy from earlier.

"There's the Queen," Claire said. "We need to stop her and put an end to this infestation."

"You still have the Doxycide, right?" Chiara asked.

"Right here." Claire reached into her school robe and took out a vial full of a black substance.

"Couldn't we do something a little more dramatic than just tossing Doxycide on the Queen?" Victor said.

"No time for theatrics," Claire insisted. "The longer we put this off, the more people will get hurt by the Doxies."

So Claire sneaked up to the Doxy Queen. But just as she was about to pour the Doxycide on the Queen, she was startled by the Queen buzzing around her head. This made her drop the vial by mistake, causing the black contents to spill onto the floor in a large puddle.

"Guess that plan's not going to work," Chiara realized.

"Then we'll have to duel the Queen," Victor decided.

"No," Claire said, waving her wand around to keep the Queen from biting her. "The Knockback Jinx didn't work. All it did was push her back. Wait…I've got it!"

"Got what?" Chiara asked.

"We'll use the Knockback Jinx to push the Queen into the Doxycide," Claire answered.

"Consider me impressed by your quick thinking, Claire," Victor said, using the Knockback Jinx on the Doxy Queen.

As expected, she was knocked back. Though she wasn't close to the Doxycide, so Chiara helped Victor with Claire assisting. Following the two Knockback Jinxes from Claire and Chiara, the Doxy Queen fell into the puddle of Doxycide and drowned in it.

"Cool!" Victor remarked. "We got to save the day and do it with style."

"It doesn't matter how cool we looked," Chiara emphasized. "All that matters is we saved our classmates from harm by the Doxies."

"Yeah, because everyone's going to have their own opinion whether I did the deed to impress them or not," Claire said.

"That's well put," Chiara responded. "For me, the reason why you did something matters more than the act itself."

"I guess that's…noble, if a bit naive," Victor remarked. "Gives me something to think about. But you have to admit this Doxy Queen hunt was more fun with me around, right?"

Chiara didn't dignify Victor with an answer. Instead, she left to check on the students in the Hospital Wing while Claire decided to do the same. To Claire's surprise, Corey was up and about looking much better than before.

"So I heard you managed to get the Doxy infestation under control and defeat the Doxy Queen," Corey said.

"How did you hear about that?" Claire asked. "You were in the Hospital Wing the entire time. At least, I hope you were."

"Trust me, I didn't go anywhere," Corey assured. "Cedric was the one who told me, who heard it from Victor and he's bragging about how he helped the Hero of Hogwarts save the day with his vampire prowess. But at least he's not involved in our personal investigation, so the point for coolness ultimately goes to me."

"Okay, even though I don't think it matters who is more cool when there are more important things to think out."

"Speaking of our investigation, we never got to figure out which of us is Conebush or Persimmons. The hard-boiled Detective Conebush has an analytical mind, while the suave Auror Persimmons can talk his way out of anything. Who do you think you are?"

Claire thought for a moment before answering. "I think Detective Conebush fits me better."

"Great choice!" Corey smiled. "That means I'm Auror Persimmons, who I always thought was cool for his ability to charm his way out of a situation. So now that that's decided, let's get back to the case at hand!"

"If you two are done chatting, would you please help me administer the antidote to the last of the Doxy bite victims?" Madam Pomfrey insisted.

So Corey and Claire did what Pomfrey asked, helping Penny, Chiara, and Cedric with the antidote administration.

"You know, it's a good feeling to help people," Corey remarked once they were done.

"Agreed, and I think Victor could do with some congratulating for his bravery," Claire said.

Following a Care of Magical Creatures lesson on the Occamy, which were serpents from India that could expand or shrink to fit the space they occupied, Claire and Corey entered the Great Hall where Victor was leaning against the table where the teachers normally sat telling his story to a crowd of eagerly listening students.

"Was I scared of the Doxy Queen? Of course not!" Victor said nonchalantly. "I've seen far worse in the seedy underbelly of Paris."

Just then, Claire and Corey entered the Great Hall making Victor pause.

"Though I must admit, it was more of a team effort," Victor said humbly. "Claire was especially brilliant, since she was the one who dealt the final blow."

"Wow," Corey said upon overhearing the conversation. "I'm surprised he acknowledged your part in defeating the Doxy Queen."

"Did you think he would just take all the credit for himself?" Claire questioned.

"He did give off that vibe, but now I realize he might be more mature than I initially thought," Corey responded. "What do you think of him?"

"I think he's all right," Claire said. "He's a little conceited, but he's not a bad bloke."

To be continued…