A/N: Cheers for all the reviews – Poor Scorpius will recover don't worry. On another note - a week today is my wedding day. Yay!
Chapter Eight
Al returned to the entrance hall, ready to try and earn some bonus points from Scorpius. He was the one who spent Merlin knows how long searching Hagrid's friggin pumpkin patch for a plush toy of a damn coffin. He thought he at least deserved two kisses as a reward.
Glancing around he saw the entrance hall was empty. Strange. Maybe he got bored and went to talk to Rose in the great hall. Al decided.
He entered the great hall and Bryony pulled him to one side immediately, "Al what are you doing here? Go find out what happened to Scorpius and how he is."
"What?" he stumbled over the word. He had a sinking sickly feeling in his gut.
Bryony lowered her voice, "Rose and I heard screams and we went out to the entrance hall and Scorpius had been injured. Rose took him to the hospital wing."
Al barely let her finish, he was running out the hall before she got the last word out.
He burst through the doors to the hospital wing to find a sobbing Rose and a bed with the curtains drawn around it.
"Rose! What happened? Where's Scorpius? Is he okay?" Al rushed, desperate to know all the answers.
She sniffed and wiped her tears away from her face, "I don't know. I just heard someone cry out in pain and I went out and he was on the floor and his face – Al his face." She started crying again.
Al pulled her into a hug and let her sob, he wasn't going to be getting any answers out of her anytime soon. He felt his stomach tie itself into knots in anxiety and worry for Scorpius.
Sometime later, the doors opened and Mr and Mrs Malfoy entered with the headmistress.
"Rose, I'm glad you are here. Bryony said that you found Scorpius. Please can you tell us all you know?" The headmistress asked calmly.
Rose glanced at the Malfoys, their faces were blank, but she noticed cracks in the mask. Mr Malfoys face was blank but you could tell from the look in his eyes, he looked on the verge of a breakdown.
Rose swallowed and dried her eyes, she wanted to be calm and help the best she could. Even though she didn't know much, "I was in the great hall supervising the Halloween Scavenger Hunt. I heard Scorpius scream, I mean I didn't know it was him at first. I went out to see what was wrong, it sounded like someone was in agony."
She paused and took a breath not wanting to cry again, "He was slumped on the floor and his face was all burnt – like his skin was peeling away. Whatever was thrown at him was eating through the layers of skin. I don't know if it got in his eyes, I think it could damage his eyesight if it did. I conjured some water and washed his face, hoping it would clear whatever it was off his face. It seemed to sooth him. I then immediately took him here. He managed to say someone threw something in his face before he blacked out."
The headmistress looked grim, "Did you see any other students around?"
"No. I was too busy helping Scorpius that I didn't go searching for anyone. They could have been hiding. I think they targeted him specifically. Scorpius' wasn't wearing a top as part of his Halloween costume, and some of the stuff splashed on his neck, shoulders and torso. Who would do such a thing?" she sounded full of despair.
Al squeezed her hand.
The headmistress turned her attention to Al. "Mr Potter, why are you here? Did you witness the attack?"
Al shuffled his feet, but looked up and met her gaze, "No. I was outside looking for the stupid fucking riddle…"
"Language" she chastised.
"Sorry. Anyway Scorpius wasn't wearing shoes, I told him it was silly of him. So I had to go outside and he waited for me in the entrance hall. When I returned he was gone. I heard he was attacked and wanted to see if he was okay."
"Well that wasn't helpful at all" Draco drawled.
Al glanced at him, "Sorry. I can give a list of potential students who dislike him. Maybe they can be questioned?" he wanted to redeem himself in front of Malfoy Senior.
Draco eyed Al critically, "Very well. Give that to the headmistress" he turned and walked away. He pulled the curtain back and swiftly entered and closed the curtain behind him.
Mrs Malfoy started asking the headmistress about an investigation and potential punishment when the student was discovered. Al still felt ill – he didn't want to go back to his dorm, but what right did he have to intrude on a family moment.
Rose and Al settled in the spare chairs that were situated along the wall and went unnoticed by the adults.
Mr Malfoy re-emerged and whispered something to his wife. Al wasn't sure because the hospital wing was dimly lit, but he thought he saw Mrs Malfoy relax slightly. She didn't seem as tense and she leaned in against Mr Malfoy, allowing him to comfort her.
The nurse shortly emerged too, "His injuries were not caused by magic. No spell, hex or curse." She shook her head in shock.
"Then a potion. He did say something was thrown in his face." Draco suggested.
"No I don't think it was." She was uncertain.
"What do you suggest then?" he snapped.
Rose stood approaching them, she cleared her throat. All four adults turned to stare at her, "Yes Mrs Weasley?" the nurse asked.
"I-I think it was some chemical. I think from the way it was burning through his skin, I suspect it was acid." She bit her lip and looked at her hands.
"Acid?" Mrs Malfoy asked out loud, questioning what it was.
"Whoever did this, attacked with the intention of disfiguring Scorpius. The acid burnt his face and damaged the skin tissue. The most common types of acid is sulphuric, nitric, or hydrochloric acid." Madame Hodgson said.
Al couldn't wait any longer, "How severe are the injuries? Is he going to be okay? Is he in pain? Is he awake? Can I see him?" Al rambled, but stopped at the look Mr Malfoy sent him.
"Mr Potter please return to your dorm room. It is getting late." The headmistress crisply said.
"But…." Al argued.
The headmistress sent him a stern look. Al thought he saw Mrs Malfoy smile faintly, but it was quick and gone when he looked again. Mr Malfoy narrowed his eyes slightly and seemed to be weighing him up.
"Fine. But I'm coming back first thing tomorrow morning" he stalked out the hospital wing before he got detention for his attitude.
Rose scurried after him.
"Al I wish I got to him sooner. Why didn't he come talk to me instead of standing out there alone? Who would do this?" Rose asked, she rambled more when she was unsettled and upset.
"Rose please I have a headache and I'm stressing about Scorpius. Please just…just be quiet" he said softly and quietly.
Rose stopped the words she wanted to say, sensing that Al needed silence right now. They walked together until Rose had to split from Al to go her common room.
"Night Al. Try and get some sleep. He was seen to quickly and he will…"
"Don't say fine Rose. You don't know that. What if whoever did this attacks him again?" his voice shook with rage.
Rose hugged him and left without saying any more.
Al ignored his fellow Slytherin's when he stepped into the common room. They must have heard of the attack, as they all stopped talking and stared at Al. Then after a few moments they started whispering. Al continued on to his dorm, he glanced around quickly and noted that neither Goyle nor Paige were in the common room.
He stormed into his room. Shut the door and looked around, Goyle was lounging on his bed reading a magazine.
Al flew at him, tore the magazine out of his hands and had him pinned against the headboard within seconds. His forearm pushed up against his throat and his wand pointed in his face.
"You fucking bastard" he fumed. All the anger, revolution and panic poured into his words.
Goyle whimpered and flinched, but Al didn't know if it was from his current situation or because he was guilty.
"You didn't think you could do that to him and not have any repercussions of your actions?" He asked adding a sneer.
"Do what? To who?" he replied with difficulty, Al was pressing against his throat hard.
"I will only ask you one more time. I wouldn't deny it if I were you. You will be leaving this school for St Mungos if you do."
"Did you attack Scorpius tonight? Now think carefully." He warned as he dug his wand under his chin.
"No I didn't. I didn't even know he'd been attacked. I've been here most the night." He looked directly at Al.
But Al wouldn't be fooled by it, Goyle was a Slytherin. He could project innocence easily and without any signs that he was lying.
He cast a babbling curse on Goyle. It would only work if Goyle tried to talk, the curse would cause him to babble.
Al punched him hard in the stomach, "Now tell me what you meant when you said you were here most of the night? Where were you when you weren't here?"
Goyle clamped his mouth shut. He knew he didn't want to start talking otherwise he wouldn't stop. Al shook his head to show he wasn't impressed and punched him again, this time on the side of the nose.
"I can punch you all night Goyle." He calmly informed him.
Goyle huffed, "Fuck you Potter" he tried to slam his mouth shut again but his words continued.
"I was out earlier. I didn't participate in the hunt as I had no one to be o my team. I stayed out of everyone's way…"
"Get to the point Goyle. I know this curse causes you to babble but at least babble about what you know what happened to Scorpius."
"Paige asked me to follow you two. She was sure Scorpius fancied you and she was right. Fucking queer. I saw you two kissing and I told Paige. She wasn't happy. I told her that I didn't want to get involved in her bitter jealousy over you. I hate Malfoy and whatever she or someone else did, the fag deserves it."
Al removed the babbling curse and cast a silencio- – causing Goyle to stop ranting vile things. Al turned as if he was going to walk away, but he swung back around and punched Goyle in the face. He was going to have a black eye for sure.
Al settled for casting a body binding spell. He took Goyle's wand with him just in case, leaving the dorm room and locking the door. He ran all the way from the dungeons to the hospital wing. He burst through the door and came to a stop in front of Mr Malfoy who came to see what the noise was.
Al had a stitch in his side and he was gasping for air. His breathing ragged. He put his hands on his knees and bent over slightly, trying to regulate his breathing again so he could talk.
Once he had regained his composure he straightened back up and met Mr Malfoy's hard stare.
"I questioned Goyle. He claims he didn't attack Scorpius, but apparently he was spying on us earlier and he um….reported back to my ex-girlfriend and I think she is a likely suspect. Maybe you can push for McGonagall to question both Goyle and Paige." He hoped that the headmistress would grant permission, before Paige ran.
"Where is Mr Goyle now?" Draco coolly asked the agitated Potter boy.
Al looked at his feet and hesitated before replying, "I um cast a body binding jinx on him and a silencio charm. He can't move or talk and he is locked in our otherwise empty dorm room. He may have a broken nose and a black eye – not sure how he got those." Al joked.
Al thought he saw the corners of Mr Malfoy's mouth twitch up as if he wanted to smile but stopped himself.
"I remember the floors in the Slytherin dorm were uneven" he replied in his indifferent emotionless voice.
Al frowned, "Huh?"
"Maybe Goyle tripped on the uneven floor and hit his face – that would explain why he has a black eye and broken nose." He clarified.
Al smiled, "Maybe. Now you mention it those floors are awful – I've tripped many a times."
"I can quite believe that. Seems to be a family trait." He said without malice.
Al waited wondering what he should do now. Mr Malfoy told him to stay a moment and disappeared into the nurse's office. Not long after he returned with the headmistress.
"Now Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy has told me you believe you know who did this." She watched him carefully.
"I have my suspicions. I think you should go question Paige Flint. She has disliked Scorpius since he arrived and blames him for ….um….for us splitting up. Also Vincent Goyle is her friend and dislikes Scorpius for um…"
"Yes Mr Potter" she prodded.
"For being a Malfoy and for his um preferences" he carefully answered.
"I see" McGonagall said, "Other than dislike of him, you have no other reason to suspect them?"
"Goyle and Paige were absent from the hunt. They openly hate Scorpius and well this sounds silly, but they always taunted him for being good looking. Throwing acid on his face would seem like something one of them would do – to ruin those good looks." Al knew he didn't have anything concrete but it just knew it was one of them – gut instinct.
Al glanced at Mr Malfoy, he hoped he would convince McGonagall to question them.
"Surly headmistress it wouldn't do any harm in questioning these students. Even if it was to only eliminate them as the suspects." Mr Malfoy calmly and smoothly suggested.
"Very well. I will arrange to question them tomorrow first thing. However as I have previously told you Mr Potter, it is late. I suggest you go back to your dorm and stay there." Al could sense her disapproval, he was glad he didn't tell her about cursing Goyle.
He nodded to Mr Malfoy and begrudgingly left, sulking as he didn't get to see Scorpius yet again. When he returned to the dorm room he warned Goyle not to retaliate or try anything if he released him from the spells. Al still had Goyle's wand so he couldn't do much, but he was a big fella and Al didn't fancy having a matching black eye to Goyle's.
Surprisingly Goyle didn't attempt to kill him or hurt him in any way. He glared at Al, "My wand Potter" he hoarsely demanded.
"No I don't think so. If you're a good boy and leave me alone tonight, I will return it in the morning." Al didn't give Goyle enough time to reply. He climbed into bed, closed his curtains and cast numerous spells to prevent Goyle opening them. Also detection spells, that alerted Al if he tried.
He vanished his costume and slept in his boxers. Well not slept – he couldn't sleep. But he attempted to sleep, whilst he fretted over Scorpius and his condition.
End note - Sorry it is a short chapter. Busy busy busy.