Chapter Nine

It was an unusually clear morning, and the bright sunlight filtered through the mullioned windows of the Hospital Wing, the beams of light bathing the two boys. They were the only occupants of the ward when Rose walked in, Albus sat in a chair beside the prone body of Scorpius, and she was struck by the appearance of both of them.

Scorpius was dressed in a hospital gown, and his face had the pallor of someone suffering a deeply debilitative illness; there were mauve shadows beneath his closed eyes, and the hollows of his cheeks were deep enough to be cast into shadow by his cheekbones. His hair had been combed off his face, presumably by the nurse, but it looked lank and had lost its usual silvery lustre.

When she'd entered Albus had been sat turned slightly away from the door, watching Scorpius with his chin resting on his palm, but he turned to look at her as she watched. His hair had turned into its natural dishevelled self, and was in dire need of a trim. The tangle of jet curls framed his face, and as he looked up at her his eyes seemed impossibly large, bloodshot around the green irises and with bruises almost as dark as Scorpius' beneath them. He clearly hadn't slept a wink, nor even moved from his chair. He was still dressed in his formal gear from the celebration party - a now-crumpled silver blazer, with a black shirt and a maroon tie pulled loose. Once again, she wondered how on earth he afforded such designer gear.

'I'm surprised to see you here,' he said as she sat down beside him, and his voice was hoarse and strained. 'I'm guessing it's already all over the school.'

'Yes, I heard at breakfast and figured that you'd be here. Are you alright, Albus?' she asked, giving him a sideways glance. He shrugged, running a hand through his hair so that it stood up on end even more. 'H-How did it happen?'

'He got too drunk, took something he shouldn't have. I don't know what, I wasn't there,' said Albus monotonous tone. 'Madame Abbott ran some tests, she should get the results soon.'

'Will he be alright?'

'I don't know, Rose. He - he stopped breathing, I don't know how long for, but he did. We just realised on the way to the Hospital Wing, Vittoria and I had to get his lungs to work magically. M-Madame Abbott said we'd see how he was when he woke up.'

Rose reached across, and took Albus' hand. He allowed the contact for a minute or so before shifting. 'Well I hope he's alright.'

'I'm surprised you care.'

'Just because we don't get on well doesn't mean I wish him permanent harm, Albus,' she snapped, feeling annoyed now.

'Alright, I'm sorry. That was too far. It's just … it's been a long night.'

'I know. I'll take notes for you today.'

She stood up again and Albus wondered how she could be so mature and functional; even her uniform was neat, her hair tamed into two plaits. He wondered how bad he must look in comparison - terrible, from the expression on her face. She gave him a rather pitying smile, and left the Hospital Wing. He was alone with Albus for hardly a minute before the door opened again, and this time Adelaide Gray walked in.

She looked tired as well - her and VIttoria had stayed until Scorpius had stopped fitting and Madame Abbott had finished treating him, which was well past four a.m. - and sat down quietly beside him in the chair that Rose had just left. She'd changed out of her party clothes and into uniform, but her hair was slightly tangled and he noticed a few smudges of makeup around her eyes, as if she'd got ready in a rush.

'What's going to happen?' she asked after a brief silence.

'I don't know,' said Albus, feeling like he was just repeating that same phrase and wishing he could say more.

'Albus,' she said, 'I have to ask. Did you give Scorpius whatever powder caused this? Did it come from you?'

'I … no, I couldn't have. I don't sell anything that could cause this, even mixed with a hundred units of alcohol! I'd never be that stupid. You have to believe me, Adelaide, you have to,' he said.

'I do believe you. I really do,' she said, and she took his hand as well, only this time he didn't pull away. They sat quietly together, watching Scorpius' sleep and enjoying the comfort that companionship brought.

'Thank you, by the way, for last night,' he said after a while. 'You didn't have to do everything that you did.'

'Yes, I did,' she said softly.

There was the sound of footsteps behind them, and they both turned to see none other than Scorpius' mother walking through the door. She looked like she'd come in a rush, her hair and clothes uncharacteristically disordered, and she hurried straight to Scorpius' bedside. With a tenderness that Albus had never seen before, she stroked his forehead, smoothing his hair back and cupping his cheek. As she did, Scorpius shifted slightly in his sleep, his eyelids fluttering, and then fell still again.

'Oh my baby,' murmured his mother, still looking at him. 'What's happened to you?'

'He … he got er … got given something, at the party. Thought it was something different,' said Albus evasively, feeling very awkward at the whole situation. Scorpius' mother seemed to hardly be listening.

'I just got Professor Flint's letter, came straight away,' she said.

'So did we.'

This time Albus jumped, looking around again and seeing his parents walk through the door. Neither of them looked remotely happy as they stood at the end of Scorpius' bed.

'I'd better get to lessons,' said Adelaide. 'I'll take notes for you, Albus.'

She hurried out the room, and Albus was left alone with the adults.

'I'd better go, actually,' said Scorpius' mother, suddenly straightening up. 'If you've both been written to then, well, Scorpius' father will have been too. He can handle things from here, I think, I just wanted to check Scorpius was alright.'

'Are you sure?' said Albus' father. 'He's just on his way, he'll be here soon.'

'Yes, yes, well, I think I'll be going.' She straightened her travelling cloak and left the ward so quickly she looked rather as if she was trying to escape. The door swung shut behind her and Albus stared at Scorpius, knowing that his parents were watching him and trying to avoid their gaze.

'What did Professor Flint say in his letter?' he asked finally.

'Only that you'd been involved in an incident, and that your friend had overdosed on something. He didn't say it was Scorpius,' said his mother. 'How did this happen, Albus? What are you lot up to, to mean that something like this could occur?'

'It … there was a celebration party, for our Quidditch match, and I guess things got out of hand,' he said quietly.

'We had parties that got out of hand, Albus, but none of us ended up in a hospital bed! This is a whole new level,' she said. 'Did you have anything to do with it?'

'No, Mum, are you really asking that? If I put my best friend in this condition? I wasn't there when this happened but I know that this wasn't Scorpius' fault!'

'Do you now?'

All three of the Potters turned around in unison to look at the new arrival. Draco Malfoy was in the open doorway of the Hospital Wing, resembling some gigantic bird of prey with his sharp features and long dark robes and travelling cloak. His expression made Albus' heart sink, if possible, even further. No one spoke as Malfoy grasped his silver cane tight in his fist and strode towards them. He stopped at the end of Scorpius' bed and stared down at him.

'Good morning, Draco,' said Albus' father, and Albus suddenly realised that he was stood behind him, one hand on his shoulder. 'These aren't the best of circumstances for us to meet again…'

'No, they aren't,' said Malfoy curtly. 'Well the situation seems quite clear. My son has been taking illegal substances, most likely because of your son here, and they both need strict reform.'

'Excuse me,' said Albus' mother. 'But I will not receive instruction on how to raise my son from you of all people, Malfoy.'

'Oh, terribly sorry, this situation clearly shows that you've done a fine job, Weasley,' snapped Malfoy, and Albus saw a positively dangerous look get into his mother's eyes.

'It's your son who's in the hospital bed, and mine who carried him there and saved his life. I think you need to evaluate why exactly Scorpius felt the need to get into the state he did and end up like this. Perhaps the fact that you and your ex-wife have very publicly split only weeks after you narrowly avoided Azkaban has something to do with it - although I'm sure you and Astoria have been very supportive of your son all through it. Clearly he's in a very positive mental state,' said Ginny icily.

'How dare you!' roared Malfoy, raising his cane in such a menacing fashion that both Albus and his father started forward, wands in hands. 'You are a pack of filthy upstarts, the whole lot of you, and I don't wish for you to have any association with my son! Professor Flint says that Scorpius likely faces a weeklong suspension from Hogwarts, and when he returns I will ensure that he has nothing to do with you or your son.'

He pulled the travelling cloak tight about his shoulders, glanced briefly at the still unconscious body of Scorpius, and then strode from the Hospital Wing. All three of the Potters watched him go in silence, and then turned to each other. Albus wondered whether the argument that they'd been having before would resurface, but before it could Madame Abbott emerged with several boxes and bottles balanced on a clipboard.

She bustled over, seemingly oblivious to the stormy conflict that had ended moments earlier, and set her things down on Scorpius' bedside table, flicking her wand so that the clipboard hovered beside her in midair. 'Hello, Potters!' she said brightly, smiling round at them all. 'Albus, how are you feeling, you must've been up all night.'

'I'm alright,' Albus mumbled, shrugging.

'Well, I'll get you a pick-me-up from my office once I've finished giving Scorpius a quick examination, it'll help you get through the day. Your son spent hours helping me with Mr Malfoy here,' she said, addressing the last part to Albus' parents. 'An astounding effort! I'd ask him to come be my assistant, if I didn't know he was destined for bigger and brighter things! Him and his friends, Miss Gray and Miss Zabini, certainly saved Scorpius' life last night - he'd have been dead before I saw him if they hadn't acted and kept him breathing. I was amazed at their actions, quite unbelievable! I did mentioned to Professors Flint and Clearwater that they likely deserve some sort of award, perhaps Services to the School, but I think the rather murky circumstances of the incident may cloud their judgments on the matter… Still, you should be very proud of your son.'

Albus looked up at his parents, who were both looking rather bewildered and amazed at the level of praise he'd just received. He himself felt a little perplexed. Wasn't he supposed to be in massive trouble? Madame Abbott was making out like he was a hero!

'Anyway,' she continued, glancing over the floating clipboard, 'the tests have shown what it was that Mr Malfoy had to cause this. I'll let your teachers do the questioning, Albus, because it is definitely an illegal substance - a rather potent mixture of cocaine, dried Billywig, and powdered unicorn horn. Taken separately, none of those substances in that quantity are likely to cause such a violent reaction, but altogether and with a lot of alcohol mixed in makes it a very nasty concoction indeed. Basilisk's Powder, I think it's called.'

'Scorpius didn't take it, at least not knowingly,' said Albus immediately, but Madame Abbott just shook her head.

'Don't say it to me, dear, say it to the teachers. I'll be keeping Scorpius asleep for two days - it'll help his body and mind recover - and then hopefully he can tell us what happened, although it's likely he won't remember much at all. So you might as well head back to your dormitory and get some rest.'

'Not so fast.' Professor Flint had joined the party. Albus wondered if they'd actually been coordinating their entrances and exits. 'Potter, you need to come with me.'

'Can't he sleep first, Marcus?' asked Albus' father, but Flint shook his head. His expression matched his name.

'I need to speak to him first. Come along, Potter.'

Albus rose from his seat, and nodded wordlessly to his parents, who nodded back. With a last glance at Scorpius, who was now being examined by Madame Abbott, Albus followed Professor Flint out of the Hospital Wing. As they turned left and started down the staircase towards the main part of the school, Albus realised they were headed for the dungeons.

'Are we not going to Headmistress Clearwater's study, sir?'

'No, she delegated this task to me.'

Albus wondered if this meant that he wasn't going to be expelled. It was midmorning now, and although it was lesson time and the corridors were fairly empty, they attracted more than a few stares from the students they passed. He knew from Rose that the story had already spread about the school, and he supposed that he must make an odd sight, walking along behind Flint in a crumpled and dirty suit, his hair all dishevelled.

They walked in silence all the way through the school and down to Flint's study, just off the Slytherin Common Room. Albus had always thought that Flint purposefully made his study an intimidating place for students, and he'd never felt it so strongly as now, sat on a hard stool facing his fiercely stern Head of House across a wide mahogany desk. Flint looked down at his meaty fists for a few seconds before speaking.

'Tell me, Potter, your account of last night's events.'

Albus did so. He skimmed over the earlier period of the night, where he himself had been drinking and smoking, until he reached the part where he walked into the room to see Scorpius having a fit. Flint held up a hand to stop him there.

'Can you tell me who else was in that room, when you walked in?'

'I … er … I'm not sure, sir. I was looking at Scorpius, really.'

'Of course. But do you remember any faces at all?'

Albus frowned. It was all a horrible, terrifying blur. A boy had shouted at him, about thinking the powder was Billywig, but his face swam in Albus' mind. He shook his head.

'I'm sorry sir. There were lots of people there, but I was too focussed on Scorpius.'

'I see. Potter, you may be wondering why I am so interested in who else was in the room. Perhaps you have already realised. The situation is this: you claim that Malfoy would not have taken such a substance - and Madame Abbott has informed me exactly what that substance was - if he had known what it was. That someone must have tricked, or coerced him into doing so. It that is so, it is very likely they would have been near you when you found Malfoy, as it can't have been more than ten seconds after he took the powder.'

'Yes, sir,' said Albus. He had already come to that conclusion.

'Well then, it is quite clear. Malfoy cannot be expelled for drinking - as he is seventeen, drinking alcohol to excess is punishable only by suspension. He can be expelled, however, for taking this drug, which is illegal whatever age you are. I do not want to have to expel an innocent student, Potter, but if no one is found to have coerced Malfoy that is what I will have to do. Do you understand?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Right. And as for you,' at this, Albus felt his stomach dropped, 'I seem to be talking to you rather too much at the moment, Potter, and its extremely frustrating. Your grades are exemplary, you have the means to have a very bright future, however you keep on going right up to the line when it comes to rule-breaking. If you're not careful, at some point before you graduate you will trip and fall over it, and don't think for a second that your surname will save you then. I do not like to be frustrated, Potter. Get your attitude sorted out and stop these immature and foolish actions. Now get out of my study.'

Albus left and went straight back to his dormitory, but he didn't sleep. He was physically exhausted but his mind couldn't rest. He lay flat on his back on his bed, staring up at the dark canopy as furious images whirled through his head. After several hours he sat up quite suddenly, and went to the bathroom. Stripping off the dirty, crumpled suit, he stepped naked into the shower and turned on the jets, pushing the dial so the water went as hot as possible. His skin burned and the steam filled his lungs, but he stood for as long as he could bear.

Lessons still hadn't ended and the corridors were deserted as Albus left the dungeons; his footsteps echoed loudly as he strode through the castle. He wasn't quite sure where he was going, but he couldn't stay in that dark dormitory with the image of Scorpius' unconscious body in his mind.

He found himself at the doors of the Library, and after pausing for a moment or two, he pulled open the door and stepped inside. As ever, the vast room, with its hushed quiet and row upon row of bookcases stretching away from him. Hands in his pockets, he strode between them, glancing over the titles without reading them.

'Albus!'

The whisper cut through the silence like a blade. Spinning around, he saw Lily step out from behind a bookcase, and then a moment later the gangly frame of Hugo followed her.

'What do you want?' he hissed.

'We've been looking for you, we need to talk to you about something!'

'I haven't got time for this, Lily!'

'But we think we can help you,' said Hugo.

He turned away from them, striding away between the bookshelves, suddenly angry at these two kids bothering him. Didn't they know that he had other things on his mind? He had to sort out this mess, get Scorpius out of trouble…

'Leave me alone!' he snapped, as they followed him around a bookcase and down another aisle. 'I've got other things on my mind, I've got my best friend-'

'We're here about Scorpius, you arrogant tit!' said Lily. He was so surprised by this that he stopped, and Hugo nearly collided with his back.

'What?'

'We're here because we know something about what happened to Scorpius!' repeated Lily.

'Tell me what you know,' he said quietly.

'Ask us nicely.'

'Lily, I will hex you.'

'Fine. Hugo, you tell, you're the one that heard it.'

Hugo suddenly flushed quite pink, so that his cheeks clashed with his red hair. 'W-Well, this morning Matty and I went for a walk quite early. We were in the courtyard, behind that statue of Egbert the Ecstatic, just … well we were …'

'Okay, you were making out, we get it,' interrupted Albus. 'Get on with it, Hugo.'

'While we were there, a load of boys came into the courtyard. They're this gang, half of them are on the Quidditch team, and well they're not that keen on Matty and me so we stayed behind Egbert. The boys started laughing, and I realised they were talking about last night. They were talking about how funny it was that Scorpius was in the Hospital Wing, and "how well it had been done".'

'You mean, they were the boys that poisoned him?' asked Albus, his heart thumping in his chest.

'I think so.'

'What were their names? Tell me their names!'

'It was Harriot McLaggen. Him and Connor Finnigan, they're the ringleaders of the gang.'

Albus raised a clenched fist, pressing it against his mouth. Fierce rage coursed through his body and he had to close his eyes to keep calm. He could feel Lily and Hugo staring at him and he turned away, running his hands over his eyes.

'Is this everything you know?'

'Yes. They left after that. But they were definitely involved, alright?'

'Alright - thank you.'

'What're you going to do?'

'Don't worry about it, I'll sort it okay.'

'Albus!' snapped Lily, grabbing him by the arm as he began to walk away. 'Don't you dare shut us out, we want to help. We've told you this, and now we deserve to be included.'

'You're a pair of fourteen-year-olds, no! I can handle it.'

'No, you can't. You and your Slytherin friends can scheme all you like, but you won't be able to get anywhere near McLaggen and his lot, they'll see you coming from a mile off. You don't think they'll suspect something? You need a Gryffindor to do it.'

He stopped and turned back to look at her. She was speaking sense, he knew that, but he balked from involving his baby sister in the scheme he'd have to concoct to bring down McLaggen and Finnigan. But her expression had that same old stubbornness he knew so well, and even Hugo was looking intransigent.

'Alright. You can help. But you have to do what I say, understand?'

He left the Library with the two of them at his heels, but he didn't return to the dungeons. Instead he headed for the Transfiguration classroom, where he knew Adelaide and his friends would be. They arrived just as the bell rang, and he nearly collided with Professor Foxworth. She cast a disapproving eye over the three of them but said nothing, disappearing off down the corridor. A few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws trickled out of the door, staring at him as they went. He supposed everyone must be talking about him all over the school.

The Zabini twins appeared first, closely followed by Adelaide and the others. 'Albus! What're you doing here?'

'We need to talk - all of us. It's about Scorpius.'

They found themselves an empty classroom a few doors down and ranged themselves across the desks and chairs, everyone staring at Albus. In a few short words, he set out the whole situation - what Scorpius had taken, what would happen to him if no one else could be blamed for it, and finally, what Lily and Hugo had told him. As he finished talking, there was a stretch of silence broken by Fitzroy.

'Those bastards deserve to be strung up by their toes.'

'Indeed. But for now, how do we pin them down and get a confession out of them? And by tomorrow afternoon, no less.'

'Easy,' said Lily. She was sat on a desk a little apart from the Slytherins, her legs swinging slightly, twisting a lock of hair about her forefinger as she watched the proceedings. 'We pretend that we want to buy some drugs off him.'

In unison, the entire room turned to look at her, and she smiled a little at the attention. 'What're you on about?' asked Zabini, leaning forward.

'McLaggen and Finnigan got hold of Basilisk's Powder, and as it was only last night they'll still have it on them. It's expensive and it's illegal. They'll want to be getting rid of it. By making them think that I want to buy it, I can easily lure them into a room and then … and then-'

'Wait, wait, wait!' Albus held up a hand. 'You're saying that you're going to be the one to do this?'

'Yes. Who else?'

'Anyone else!' he roared.

'Oh, calm down Potter, she's got a point,' said Langwith, giving Lily an appraising look. 'It's not a bad plan.'

'No - no, we're not doing this!'

'Yes, we should,' said Vittoria. 'Stop being such a nerd, Albus, your sister will be fine.'

'I am nearly fifteen,' said Lily. 'Tessa and I will be fine.'

'Who's Tessa?' asked Albus, feeling like he was rapidly losing control of the situation.

'Tessa's my best friend, Albus, she spent like half the summer with us!' replied Lily. When he thought about it, he did vaguely remember a blonde girl hanging about the house a lot during the holidays. The idea of another person being involved didn't endear him to the plan any more. 'It's fine, Albus, you can trust her.'

Several hours later, Albus found himself hidden in a spare Charms classroom, stuffed in an old book cupboard with Fitzroy and Langwith. They were lying in wait for McLaggen and Finnigan, trusting that Lily and her friend Tessa would be able to lure them into the trap they'd laid. Across the room, Vittoria and Adelaide were underneath the teacher's desk, and Zabini was behind the door.

In the cramped space, Albus could feel the air growing warm from their breathing, and his limbs began to cramp from staying in one position. With each minute that passed, their plan seemed more and more stupid, until finally he was on the verge of telling them to call it all off. He'd actually opened his mouth when they heard the door of the classroom bang open and giggling voices enter. Suddenly tense, he pressed his eye against the crack in the door.

He could only see a thin sliver of the classroom beyond, the vague shapes of the four figures. From the shifting red hair, he identified Lily - she was holding the hand of one of the boys, leading him to the desk. He couldn't see the other girl and boy, but he heard their voices. He felt Fitzroy shift impatiently, brushing against his back, and he held up a hand. They had to wait.

After a minute or two, although it felt like much longer, there was the distinctive sound of the classroom door slamming shut, and then a yell of surprise from both McLaggen and Finnigan. Grasping his wand tight in his left hand, Albus shoved the cupboard door open and burst out with Langwith and Fitzroy at his shoulders just as Adelaide and Vittoria appeared from behind the desk.

For a moment, McLaggen and Finnigan seemed paralysed by the shock of seeing six Slytherins suddenly appear from nowhere, and Albus grasped that split second. Raising his wand, he pointed it at McLaggen and yelled: 'Stupefy!' At the same time, Adelaide pointed her wand at Finnigan, and ropes flew out the end to bind him from head to toe. Both boys toppled over, Finnigan yelling and McLaggen motionless. Lily and Tessa had let go of the boys as soon as the Slytherins appeared, and wiped their hands on their skirts as if they'd touched something nasty.

'Alright, I guess we're starting with you,' said Albus, grasping Finnigan and pulling him upright. The boy had gone paler than his sandy hair, staring with wide, bloodshot eyes at Albus. Albus slapped him. It felt good, the sharp sting on his palm, the heat, the knowledge that he'd hurt Finnigan. 'You know what we want to talk about, don't you Finnigan? You slimy little bastard!'

'Albus, calm down,' said Langwith.

'No - this boy - he's a -'

A hand grasped Albus by the shoulder with a grip of iron and dragged him backwards. He looked up to see Zabini's impassive face staring down at him, and after a pause he nodded and shifted aside. Zabini stepped over him and grasped Finnigan by the collar, lifting him onto the desk as easily as if he was a child. If anything, Finnigan looked even more scared.

'Tell us how you did it, Connor.'

'I didn't do anything!'

'We know that you did it. Now just tell us, or we'll have to make it hard for you.'

'I won't tell you a thing!'

Zabini smiled. 'That's better. You're on your way. Vittoria, will you check McLaggen's pockets?'

'There's nothing here,' said Vittoria a moment later. 'Except some gum and a nasty old tissue.'

'Check Finnigan's pockets,' said Langwith, raising an eyebrow as Finnigan began to shake his head.

'No, no … no…'

'Let's see what packages you've got in your pants, Finnigan,' laughed Vittoria, reaching into the pockets of the boy's robes. After a moment, she smiled and pulled out a small package of purplish powder. 'Merlin. Everyone says that Gryffindors have wool for brains but you don't even have that.'

'That little bitch over there said she wanted some, what was I to do!' snapped Finnigan. Albus started towards him, but before he could hit him there was a sharp crack as Lily slapped him hard across the face. Finnigan fell back, stunned, and was dropped roughly to the floor by Zabini.

'But wait a second,' said Langwith. He was leant against the teacher's desk, his forefinger pressed against his hollow cheek as he watched the action. 'We've got another issue here. It can't have been either of these two who actually gave the drugs to Scorpius, they'd have been noticed and kicked out of the party within five seconds. Unless they'd drunk Polyjuice - and I doubt either of these two even really know what Polyjuice Potion is, let alone are able to brew up a batch - a Slytherin must have actually done it.'

They all looked around at each other, stunned. Which Slytherin would have done it? How were they to find out? Zabini walked over to McLaggen and pressed his wand against the boy's thick neck. 'Enervate.'

McLaggen opened his eyes and began to sit up, but stopped suddenly as Zabini pressed his foot against his crotch. 'No point fighting, McLaggen, your friend's confessed everything. We only want to know one thing - who did you pay to give Scorpius drugs? Who was it?'

'No one!' said McLaggen, but he let out a sharp wail as Zabini pressed down with his foot. 'Alright, alright! It was Fellerton, Jasper Fellerton! He's a Third Year.'

'We know who he is,' said Albus. Fellerton was a weedy, smarmy boy who had tried to become one of Albus' sellers that year, but Albus had taken a disliking to him and refused his help. After he'd got Fellerton to sign a cursed form preventing him from ever speaking of Albus' business, of course. It seemed he was right to distrust the boy. Zabini let go of McLaggen, who fell back, gasping and holding his crotch.

'Alright, what're we to do now?' asked Langwith. He was leant against the teacher's desk, his forefinger pressed against his hollow cheek as he watched the action.

'I think we can get these two to confess,' said Fitzroy, glaring down at the two prone boys. Kneeling down, he grasped Finnigan by the hair. 'Alright, fucker, listen to me. You're going to walk with us to Professor Longbottom's office, with McLaggen here, and then the two of you are going to confess exactly what you did to Scorpius. Understand?'

'Why should I do that?' croaked Finnigan.

'Because,' said Fitzroy, smiling slyly, 'if you don't, we'll beat you to shit and drag you into their office. Eight of us against two of you, plus you have drugs in your pocket. We're being nice and giving you the chance to confess - then maybe they'll just expel you, and not arrest you as well for good measure.'

'Come along, boys,' said Zabini, hauling the two of them to their feet. 'Let's move.'

They waited a little down the corridor while McLaggen and Finnigan entered the study. 'Do you think they'll tell the truth?' asked Langwith, lighting a cigarette in a nearby candle bracket.

'Yes,' said Tessa, speaking for the first time in the whole escapade. She was stood with Lily, and the two girls had their arms around each other. 'Those boys act all tough but it's all a lie. You'll have scared them enough to make them believe what you said. Anyway, we should be going - it's past curfew and if Longbottom comes out we'll get detention.'

She and Lily started to go, but before they went ten paces there was the sound of footsteps approaching from the other end of the corridor. At once, the whole group of them dove for cover, squeezing themselves into alcoves and behind statues as Headmistress Clearwater appeared. Albus held his breath, crouching behind a heavy marble bust, but Clearwater didn't notice any of them. She walked straight past and into Longbottom's study. After a pause, they all emerged from their hiding spots.

'That doesn't look good for McLaggen and Finnigan,' said Adelaide.

'Good for us, though,' said Fitzroy with a smirk. 'Oh, and while I was hiding behind that tapestry I found one of those Extendable Ears your uncle makes.'

'Give it here, I want to listen!' hissed Albus, but Fitzroy jerked the long, fleshy string out of reach.

'Fuck off, Potter, it's mine.'

He went to the study door and made to feed it underneath, but each time the string reached the gap under the door the end would jump away as if flicked. Fitzroy tried several times before Lily rolled her eyes and said:

'Longbottom isn't an idiot - he'll have made his door Impervious so you can't listen in. I mean, he did go to school with my uncle, he knows about Extendable Ears.'

'Right,' muttered Fitzroy, stuffing the Ear back in his pocket and walking back to them looking mutinous.

As it turned out, they couldn't have used the Extendable Ear at all as a moment later the door of Longbottom's study opened and Professor Clearwater walked out. They all froze, staring at her, but she didn't seem particularly surprised to see them.

'I did think it was surprising that McLaggen and Finnigan handed themselves in so meekly, I should have guessed that you lot may have had something to do with it. Well, the culprits of Mr Malfoy's overdose have certainly been caught and dealt with, so you can tell your friend when he wakes up that he is not expelled. He is still suspended for three days, for the drinking, but I think we can omit to put that on his record. Miss Potter, Miss Jenkins, I will inform Professor Longbottom that you two will serve detention with him tomorrow evening, as your curfew was half an hour ago. Good night, all of you.'

She gave them a rare hint of a smile, and then swept off down the corridor. They looked around at each other, and Albus let out a breath that he hadn't realised he was holding. 'Alright, let's go back then. Night Lily, Tessa. Thanks for helping.'

'No problem, those boys have always been gits,' said Lily with a sly smile, and she and Tessa left arm-in-arm. The others exchanged a look, and set off back to the dungeons together.