Chapter Twenty-six: Fiasco in Potions
As December drew to a close, Erin found everyone discussing Christmas plans- except for her. Albus and James were going home to spend the holiday with Rose and her family; Nick was going to have a Christmas just him and his mum; Charlie, Scarlet, Michelle, and Diana were going home as well. Even Evan, who remained fascinated by Hogwarts, complained that his parents were making him spend Christmas with them.
I don't know what he's complaining about, Erin thought savagely to herself as she stroked Sapphira's wings at breakfast. She had decided to remain at Hogwarts alone, not because she had anything to do but because she didn't want to spend Christmas at the orphanage. "You could come stay by me," Albus offered when he discovered Erin was going to stay at the school by herself. But Erin refused. "No," she found herself saying before she had even reached a decision. "I can't."
"Okay," Albus said uncertainly.
She wasn't sure why she had turned down his offer. Now, as she watched her friends packing or chatting about their holiday plans, she felt jealous and regretful.
Charms class didn't make anything better. The constant noise enabled Scarlet to explain, in a loud voice with much detail, about the wonderful trip her parents had planned for Australia. "And its summer there," she gushed, "so none of this awful weather," she said, gesturing distastefully the sleet of rain that was pouring outside the window.
Erin instead used this opportunity to obtain more information out of the Alexander Rade. She noticed he seemed to know a lot that he shouldn't, but wasn't all too sure if she liked him. For one thing, he tended to be creepy and was always arrogant.
She asked more questions about Ender, curious about why he had been expelled, although the only thing Alexander could tell her was that it involved the fight between him and Dippet. He also assured her that Ender really did kill Dippet's wife. "It was more of a joint effort, though," Alexander said. "Dippet's actually the one that killed her. Ender only participated."
"And why would Dippet kill his own wife?"
Alexander shrugged. Erin did, however, discover that Dippet had a son who had died a few years back."
"I saw a picture of him," she told Nick and Albus as they walked through the dungeons to Potions. "He was really little and kind of chubby… didn't look much like Dippet."
"I wonder how he died, though?" Nick mused.
"I don't know," Erin said, wishing she'd had more time in Charms before the bell rang.
Potions, as always, was easy for Erin and difficult for Albus; and even more so for Evan, who couldn't seem to follow the proper instructions. Today, Erin had to admit that the formula for the boil cure wasn't as simple as usual, and Evan seemed to be under a great deal of pressure. He face was shining with sweat as he cut up a nasty looking root on his desk with his knife.
"Boys and girls!" Professor Prince called out. "Make sure your potions are in tiptop shape, this is the last grade you will be receiving before the holidays!"
There was a knock at the door. "Ms. Geller, could you get that?" Michelle came back with Dippet and two men. Erin recognized them each as Wallace and Maurer, the Aurors who had both interrogated her. What were they doing here?
"Good afternoon, Professor Prince," Dippet said, inclining his head toward the frazzled teacher. "What are we learning today?" he asked a Slytherin girl nearest to him.
"A cure for boils," she stammered, humbled at being addressed to directly by the headmaster.
The two Aurors positioned themselves on opposites sides of the room, their eyes sweeping everywhere, while Dippet approached Professor Prince. The entire class broke into a wave of whispers and Erin edged her desk up closer, trying to hear what they were saying.
"I'm sorry to disturb your class," Dippet whispered to Professor Prince, who shook his head nervously. "Not at all, not at all headmaster! Is there a problem?"
"Actually, there is," he said. "I just received information that there is something planted in this room."
"Planted?" Professor Prince repeated. "Like- like a bomb?"
"That's a Muggle's toy, Lucas," Dippet said dismissively. "I'm hoping its not another berserk decoy, or perhaps something worse. Please continue with your class lesson, and we will just peer around the room. If it appears to be nothing- which it very well may be- we will be out of your hair in no time."
"Yes- well, thank you very much, headmaster," Professor Prince said, and then turned back to the class. "Well, what are you all waiting for? I told you to make sure your cures are perfect!"
But no one seemed to be concentrating on the potion. Rather, they watched as the two Aurors and Dippet patrolled around the classroom, rummaging through the ingredients cabinets or shelves, and even occasionally around a student's desk.
"What are they looking for?" Nick muttered to Erin from the corner of his mouth.
"Looks like they got the heads up that something's in the room," Erin responded, and then saw a great shadow mask them. Professor Prince looked very upset. "Now really!" he exclaimed. "Ms. Lyths and Mr. Grindelwald, I cannot further explain how important it is that you two complete today's lesson. If not," he turned to the class at large, "you may risk failing!"
This got everyone moving, no matter how curious they were as to the purpose of the headmaster's and his Aurors' intrusion. As Erin grabbed a handful of sapruckle leaves to sprinkle into her potion, a hand clamped itself around her wrist to stop her. It was Maurer. "Hey," she said angrily, pulling her hand out of his. But he wasn't paying attention. "Headmaster!" he called, and Dippet hurried over. "I've just realized… what if it was already planted in the cauldrons?"
And they turned, horrified, as they watched the potions bubbling in each student's cauldron. "We should evacuate the room," Dippet decided. He moved toward Nick and Evan to address the class. "Children, I am asking you not to panic but to please-"
BOOM!
It felt to Erin as though the entire castle was collapsing. The floor was shaking so violently she wasn't entirely sure she was on the floor anymore. Her world was a haze of black smoke and rubble. Coughing, she managed to get to her feet as the remaining dust settled.
The Potions room was no longer a room. It seemed to have been reduced to heaps of rubble and dust that was milling around the ruins. Beside her, Erin's called had become a twist of black. She touched it and immediately drew back her hand. It was searing hot.
How had she survived? Then she gazed around her and saw students emerging from the floor, all choking and coughing. They all seemed to have a blue shield around them. Erin peered at her own body and saw that she, too, had the same shield. Dippet and the Aurors, the only ones still standing, waved their wands, and the remnants of the blue shield disappeared.
"Is everyone alright?" Professor Prince called as he rose, brushing off his robes. "Wallman? Are you okay?"
The Gryffindors immediately crowded around Evan. He was still on the ground, whimpering, with several boils on his face, but otherwise quite unharmed.. "It was my fault," he sobbed. "It was my cauldron that exploded."
"Mr. Wallman-" Professor Prince began sternly.
"It was not his fault," Maurer said, leaning down to examine what remained of the cauldron. "Headmaster, Wallace, come here and see this."
What they were looking at, Erin wasn't exactly sure. Evan's cauldron seemed to be in a far worse state than hers. His had melted into a puddle of goop. But Maurer, prodding it with his wand, jabbed into it and siphoned out a stream of white dust.
"Whitehorn powder," he said in the dramatic pause. "Professor?" But Professor Prince had already brought a small vial, and Maurer disposed of the powder into it. "I'll take that as evidence," he said, pocketing the small glass. "You're a very lucky boy," he said to Evan, and then shot Dippet a look.
Dippet turned to the class. "I am terribly sorry for the event that just occurred. Rest be assured, we will be looking into this matter to catch the culprit."
"That's what they said about Seamus Finnigan," Scarlet whispered, "and they still haven't caught whoever did that."
"If anyone has any information that would be of use, please do not hesitate to come talk to either I or Mr. Mauror or Mr. Wallace. And I apologize for your room, Lucas," Dippet said, peering at the Potions room sadly. "We'll have it back to its original condition by the time you all arrive back at Hogwarts after your Christmas vacation."
Before they left, Maurer peered at the class with narrowed eyes. Was it just Erin's imagination, or was he looking at her? But instead, he said, "Evan Wallman, please come with me," and Evan had no choice but to follow him, looking back at his classmates with pleading eyes.
"Whitehorn powder?" Erin asked in a whisper. "Its used in explosives," Scarlet answered back quietly, "and it's poisonous to inhale or touch." On cue, they all looked around at the dust still settling around them, and hurried out of the room.
"I still think it was Evan," Scarlet said once they were safe from the possible poison. "Not on purpose, of course."
"Where would he have accidentally gotten whitehorn powder?" Erin said doubtfully, and then turned to Nick and Albus. "You know what I'm thinking?" she said in an undertone. "That this is the third attempt on Dippet's life."