After the short conversation with Professor Snape, the first remotely strange thing Aria came across happened almost two weeks later. She was hoping the library would be able to help her finish her star charts for Astronomy as she had not been able to complete the charts during class, Hermione was helping Lavender and Parvati with their Transfiguration homework, and Harry had decided he was going to watch Ron annihilate Theo at a chess match with Blaise. Apparently, Ron had heard that Theo loved chess (which was not a surprise to anyone in Slytherin) and had challenged Theo to a match in the Great Hall. Theo was determined to beat Ron since everyone in first year kept telling him that Ron was unbeatable. As chess was boring and she doubted blood would be drawn, Aria had decided her star charts needed to take priority.
She was just turning down the corridor leading to the library when voices, hurried and slightly muffled, drifted out from an alcove partially hidden behind a suit of armor with horns. Aria slowed down, tiptoeing closer. In the back of her head she could hear her dad scolding her for eavesdropping.
"We can't do it here," she heard someone whisper.
"Why not? You're nervous doing it in our room."
"I'm nervous doing it anywhere! My brothers would have a field day if they caught us." There was some shuffling. "Ollie!"
Ollie? Who the hell was Ollie?
"Oh, come on, Percy!"
Percy, she knew. Aria pressed herself against the wall, peering around the edge of the alcove. In the dimness of the alcove she could just make out two figures. One faced her, that was Percy, and the other figure was a boy only slightly taller than the prefect. He was stealing kisses from Percy who was trying not to laugh and huffed with annoyance.
"You're incorrigible," Percy muttered, finally relenting and letting this 'Ollie' peck him on the lips several times. Aria hurriedly slipped away towards the library. She did not need to see any more of that!
She was on a ladder looking through the card catalog when Percy and the mystery 'Ollie' came in, uniforms neat and hair tidy. Aria nearly smacked herself. Of course! 'Ollie' was clearly short for 'Oliver' and 'Ollie' was Oliver Wood, fifth year Gryffindor, Quidditch Captain and Keeper. Marcus Flint was always muttering something or other about Wood. One of the rumors that floated around earlier in the year was that Marcus and Oliver were secret lovers which is why Prudence was so mad at Marcus. Aria had never believed that rumor, mostly because Prudence was downright snippy with just about everyone but Tracey Paddington, and because Ron said Oliver moaned about Marcus in the Gryffindor common room just as much as Marcus did about Oliver.
Plus, they had put each other in the hospital wing several times over the school year during Quidditch matches, and Aria had a hard time believing that people who loved each other (secretly or not) would harm each other like that so often.
Finding the cards she needed she quickly jotted down the call numbers and made her way through the library, only to realize that she would not get away from the two love birds that easily. Percy and Oliver were tucked away in a far corner away from the general populace of the library. From the dust on the books, Aria had a feeling most people did not come back here for astronomy books.
"Oliver, I thought you said you wanted to study," Percy's slightly peeved voice had Aria hiding behind a stack and peering around to look at them.
"Yeah. Study you."
"That's corny, Oliver." Still, Percy laughed quietly. The red-headed prefect put off a completely different picture than he had all those weeks ago. The image of him alone and crying popped into her head. In fact, when she saw Percy around, it was usually the first thing that came up because it had been so strange! Had he and Oliver had a fight that time? Was that why he had been crying? Percy was always so composed, a little uptight, but kind and always ready to help people with homework or directions, and he was always ready to tell Fred and George off when they were being too rowdy.
"Hey, what you do want?"
Aria gasped as Oliver suddenly appeared in front of her. He glared at her, crossing his arms over his chest, puffing it out to be intimidating.
"Oliver, don't scare younger students!" Percy showed up over his shoulder, relaxing when he saw Aria. "Oh, it's just you, Aria."
"Just Aria?" Oliver cried. "She's a baby Slytherin? She's gonna go and blab to Marcus or something and I thought you didn't want people knowing about us."
Ah, she should have known. It was a little disappointing to realize that the wizarding world was like the Muggle world in this aspect, but she supposed she should not be surprised. Hatred was hatred regardless of if you had magic or not.
"I won't tell anyone," Aria said, "I can keep a secret. Promise." She scooted closer. "What'll happen if someone finds out? They won't . . . hurt you will they?"
Oliver and Percy frowned at her.
"I mean, the twins will probably prank us until we leave Hogwarts, but I wouldn't call that hurting," Oliver answered.
"No. I mean . . . last year one of the boys doing his A-Levels . . . um I think his name was Craig or something like that . . . anyway, it was all over town. He got caught by his dad kissing a boy and his dad put him in hospital."
Percy and Oliver now stared at her with wide eyes.
"N-no!" Percy sputtered. "That's not . . . that's not what'll happen if people find out we're dating. Is that . . . common in the Muggle world?"
Aria shrugged.
"Dad said that while it's not illegal anymore, they still can't get married or anything."
"No one's gonna beat us up," Oliver assured her, "don't you worry your little green heart. If anyone touched Percy, they'd have me to worry about!" He thumped Percy on the back. "And we could totally get married if we wanted to."
"We're fifteen, Ollie."
"Well not now, Perce."
"We have a potions exam we're going to fail if we don't study." Percy hurried back to the table while Oliver winked at Aria and followed him. Percy's face was now as red as his hair, though Aria had a feeling it was because he was embarrassed and not angry. She found the books she wanted and went to the other side of the library to do her work. Let the love birds have their peace.
Defense Against the Dark Arts was not one of Aria's favorite classes. In fact, she was not sure anyone thought of DADA as their favorite class. She knew Harry enjoyed reading the textbook, and she admitted that the textbook was fascinating, but Professor Quirrell had long ago destroyed any hope of enjoying the class. And as the year progressed, he had only gotten worse. Now, with exams just around the corner, and with the warm days, every student dreaded going into the DADA classroom. It had smelled of garlic all year, but now it positively reeked of the stuff, as if Quirrell was attempting to ward off an army of vampires. And he refuse to open a window. On top of that, his stuttering had gotten so bad most students had a difficult time understanding him.
Thankfully, it was a Friday. The weekend promised to be warm, though Aria was still not sure how the Daily Prophet figured out the weather without any fancy computers like the Muggles used. Still, the promise of a nice weekend had led to the idea of swimming in the Black Lake, and Daphne was going to let Aria borrow one of her bathing suits.
However, half-way through DADA class, Aria realized that Harry was not looking well. He kept rubbing his forehead and he was sweating and looking pale.
"Are your headaches back?" she asked. He had had them during the beginning of the year, but they had faded to almost nothing and both she and he had chalked it up to the amount of garlic used in the DADA classroom.
"They're worse than ever," Harry muttered.
"I think you should go to Madam Pomfrey. Even if it is just the garlic, maybe she will write you a note and excuse you from class."
"It's my scar though," Harry said. "It's like stabbing me."
"Even more reason to go."
"I-is someth-th-thing the matter—matter?" Professor Quirrell asked, suddenly appearing by the two students. Aria struggled not to screech in surprise. How had he moved so fast? Harry tried to respond, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a pained groan. He decided resting his head on the desk was the better option for the moment. Aria looked at him worriedly.
"It's his head, Professor," Aria said.
"Has he finally gone mad?" Pansy asked.
"I think he needs to see Madam Pomfrey," Aria told the professor. She was pleased to see Daphne shove Pansy almost off the bench.
Professor Quirrell froze for a moment, a deer caught in headlights. Was he also afraid of sick students? What was the point of a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that was afraid of everything?
"Then," the man declared, "he must see Madam Pomfrey." He flicked his wand, packing all of Harry's things into his knapsack and shouldering it. "Come along, Mr. Potter. I will escort you. The rest of you, class is dismissed for the rest of the afternoon." Immediately the students began to chatter excitedly while packing their things. Professor Quirrell helped Harry to his feet, escorting him from the classroom.
"Should we go with him?" Blaise wondered.
"Why don't you go," Aria suggested. "I'm going to see Professor Snape." There was something off about Professor Quirrell. More than usual.
"Isn't he in the middle of a class?" Daphne asked. Aria paused. She had not thought of that.
"Professor Quirrell is a bit strange, isn't he?" Tracey questioned as they made their way out of the classroom. Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and Millicent walked ahead of them. "I mean, more so than usual?"
Aria, Daphne, Tracey, Blaise, and Theo made their way to the infirmary, hoping to catch up with their professor and friend, but apparently Quirrell could speed walk as they never caught up with them. Worse, when they got to the hospital wing, they found Madam Pomfrey shelving Pepper-Up Potion onto shelved labeled: FOR OWL AND NEWT STUDENTS ONLY.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Professor Quirrell was supposed to bring Harry here," Aria said, looking around. "They left before us."
"Oh? Well, no one's been here. Are you sure they were coming here?"
"Yes," Theo answered. "Harry was suffering a headache. He looked like he was going to be sick."
"That'd be a migraine, dear," Madam Pomfrey said. "I'll be on the lookout. Perhaps the migraine caused Mr. Potter to be sick and they're in a bathroom."
The Slytherin first years backtracked their steps to the only boys' bathroom between the DADA classroom and the hospital wing. No one was in there.
"Are there other routes to the infirmary?" Aria asked. The stairs had never changed along the route that she knew of, but that did not mean it did not happen.
"I don't think so," Daphne answered. A heavy feeling sunk into Aria's stomach. Something was not right. She went back over the DADA class and Quirrell leaving with Harry. What was going on? Where could they have gone? Why would Quirrell go somewhere else with Harry?
She gasped.
"Quirrell!" she cried. "He didn't stutter at all just before he took Harry out of the classroom."
"Merlin, you're right!" Blaise breathed, eyes widening. "He spoke like the rest of us!"
"We have to go to Snape," Aria insisted. "I don't care if he is in the middle of a class. I don't have a good feeling about this, and now Harry's missing and so is a teacher." She could feel her magic, just under her skin, agitatedly pricking at her, wanting to be released. She stamped down on the feeling. Now was not the time for accidental magic!
Just as they began to descend one staircase, movement in the corner of her eye made Aria look up.
"Look!" she cried, grabbing Daphne's robe, and pointing. Professor Quirrell and Harry disappeared off a staircase onto the third-floor corridor. Her mind immediately went to Fluffy and the trapdoor Hermione insisted she had seen, and the whole conversation with Hagrid and Nicholas Flamel and the Philosopher's Stone.
"That's the forbidden corridor," Theo said. "What's going on?"
Aria turned back up the stairs. "I don't think we have time to get Snape. We have to help Harry."
"Aria!" Daphne grabbed her, stopping her at the bottom of the staircase leading to the third-floor corridor. "What is going on?"
"I can't explain right now. But, Dumbledore's hidden the Philosopher's Stone in the school. I think Professor Quirrell might be trying to get it and for some reason has taken Harry with him."
"We should go and get Snape then," Tracey insisted.
"What if Harry's being hurt?" Aria cried. "We don't have time to go get Snape!"
"Then we'll go get Snape and you can go get Harry," Blaise decided, motioning to himself and Tracey. Daphne stepped closer to Aria.
"I'm coming with you," Daphne told her. Aria grinned at her friend. Theo sighed, drawing his wand.
"Someone's got to look after the two of you," he muttered. He turned to Blaise. "Go with Tracey and get Snape. I hope, Aria, that we don't get expelled for this."
Aria led Daphne and Theo into the third-floor corridor while Blaise and Tracey raced away to the dungeons.
On the third floor they found a room with the door cracked open. They could hear harp music coming from inside. Peeking in, Aria, Daphne, and Theo discovered the Cerberus curled up and sleeping. All three heads snored.
"Is that . . . a Cerberus?" Theo hissed.
"It's name is Fluffy."
"How do you know that?"
"Hagrid told us."
"Who's us?" Daphne whispered.
"Me, Harry, Ron, and Hermione."
"And you didn't think to tell us?"
"Now is not the time."
The three crept into the room towards the open trapdoor in the floor just in front of the gigantic three heads.
"I didn't know Cerberuses liked music," Aria whispered, peering into the dark hole. Theo muttered something and the tip of his wand was suddenly lit. Not that it did much good in shining a light into the darkness. They could not see the bottom of the hole.
"Do we have to go down that?" Theo asked.
"You're more than welcome to go with Blaise and Tracey."
"No, no. It's fine. Let's go before Fluffy wakes up."
The three friends gripped each other's robes and together they slipped through the trapdoor, falling and screaming as they fell. They landed on something not hard but not quite soft either. Aria gasped as the wind was knocked from her.
"Lumos," Daphne whispered and the tip of her wand lit. With the two wands lit they could see better. Large vines surrounded them, moving under them. Daphne waved her wand around to get a better look at where they were and the vines shrank back from the light.
"Devil's Snare," Daphne whispered. "I'm going to have nightmares, I'm sure."
"Doesn't Devil's Snare choke you to death?" Theo squeaked. Vines wrapped around his legs. He whimpered.
"Don't move," Aria instructed. She remembered Professor Sprout had done a lecture on the Snare just before Christmas. "They like movement, remember? And if I remember what Sprout said, they don't like sunlight either. Quick, what's that light spell?"
"Lumos," Daphne answered.
Aria drew her wand and, letting her buzzing magic flow up her arm and into her wand, she lit the tip of her wand. The extra magic expanded the light coming out of her wand until her wand glowed brighter and brighter. The Devil's Snare all but fled from the growing light. Yelping, she, Daphne, and Theo were dropped onto a hard stone floor. Pain shot up her spine from where Aria landed on her backside, and it took a moment for the feeling to come back to her legs.
"Are you okay?" Theo asked, crawling towards her.
"Just give me a minute."
Aria, with the help of her friends, managed to climb to her feet. Her tailbone was going to be bruised something awful, she just knew it. Every step hurt and after less than ten steps there were tears in her eyes.
"Are you sure you're all right?" Daphne asked.
"I will be," Aria gritted out. "Bloody hell!" she shuffled forward with Daphne and Theo into the next room. All over the floor were moth like creatures. A few attempted to flutter their wings, but it was clear that they were dying or dead. On closer inspection they found the creatures to be winged keys.
"This is creepy," Theo said. "I feel like the keys should be alive."
They tip toed around the keys to the opposite end of the room where a key was jammed into a door's lock, its wings bent and broken in a manner that made Aria's stomach roll. Theo yanked the door open, letting Daphne guide Aria through first.
Within the new room were statues, giant stone works of art upon a marble flooring. On the other side of the room, the three first years heard a door slam shut.
"How's Professor Quirrell getting along so fast?" Aria cried, wincing as she made her way forward around several black statues towards the white ones.
"Do these statues look familiar to you?" Ron asked. Aria and Daphne glanced around. Aria thought that they might look familiar, but she could not place them. The pain in her tailbone was making it hard to focus anyway. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes, using every bit of will power to push the thought of the pain to the back of her mind where it couldn't bother her. It sort of worked. The three stepped forward, only for the white statues to draw swords on them. They stumbled back and only when they were back on the other side of the room did the statues put the swords away.
"They're giant chess pieces!" Theo suddenly cried. "We're going to have to play to get across."
"How'd Professor Quirrell get across? You can't play chess that fast," Daphne pointed out.
"He's a Defense Master, Daph," Theo said, "he probably helped put these things in place to guard . . . what did you say it was, Aria?"
"The Philosopher's Stone."
"Right. That."
Aria glared at the stone statues in front of them.
"We don't have time for this stupid game!" she cried.
"Chess is not stupid," Theo argued.
"Harry could be hurt or worse!" Aria shouted. "We don't have time to play across the board!" Her magic flared, much like it had in the common room when she had broken the chairs and couch. A wind swirled around the room, picking up dust and forcing Theo and Daphne to hide their faces. Several statues cracked in half, crumbling to the ground. Aria gasped, sweat rolling down her forehead. She could feel her magical core pulse inside her, beating to the same rhythm as her heart.
"Aria!" Theo and Daphne cried. With one last beat of her magic, the white king crumbled with the ground. Immediately every other chess piece still intact, white or black, toppled over. Theo and Daphne had to pull Aria into the center of the board to avoid being crushed.
"You're scary you know that?" Daphne whispered.
"Yeah, I scare myself sometimes," Aria answered, staring at the destruction around her. She had done this. She had wanted the statues destroyed so she had destroyed them. Without her wand. Without a spell. Just her raw magic. What else could she do? What else might she do if she was not careful?
Taking Theo and Daphne by the hand she carefully led them through the destruction towards the next door and whatever lay beyond it.
The chamber Aria, Daphne, and Theo came to was tall and long, lit with over a dozen torches, illuminating the Mirror or Erised which stood in the very center of the chamber. Before the mirror stood Professor Quirrell who was holding Harry by his arms and shaking him hard as he forced the boy to look into the mirror. Even from where they stood, Aria could see that Harry was nearly limp.
"Intruders!" a voice cried, slimy and raspy, fill with such venom that chills raced up Aria's spine. Professor Quirrell paused in his shaking of Harry, turning to look at the three first years. Harry slumped against the man, his head lolling as he looked over at his friends.
"Run!" Harry cried, voice weak. Quirrell smacked him across the face before raising a hand in Aria, Daphne, and Theo's direction. Their wands flew out of their hands before invisible ropes wrapped around their wrists, yanking them forward until they were forced to join Harry in front of the mirror. The three toppled into Harry and the four children tumbled to the floor. Aria yelled as her tailbone was jostled.
"Get up!" Quirrell ordered. Aria noted that his stuttering had yet to return. Had that just been a trick? Daphne helped her to her feet while Theo let Harry lean on him. Harry rubbed at his scar, shaking and pale.
"It's a pity the four of you won't make it out of here alive," Quirrell muttered. "I hadn't expect anyone to follow us so closely."
"We wouldn't have if you'd just taken Harry to the hospital wing," Aria snapped. Quirrell glared at her.
"Silence, Mudblood," he hissed.
"Don't call her that!" Theo snapped. Quirrell's gaze snapped to him.
"Theodore Nott," the professor said. "What would your father think, being friendly with mudbloods and the Boy-Who-Lived?" Theo stiffened, his own face paling. Daphne shuffled herself and Aria closer to Theo who had begun to tremble as much as Harry.
"As it is," Quirrell continued, "perhaps one of you will be more cooperative than your friend. I want one of you to go and get the Philosopher's Stone for me."
"The what?" Aria questioned. Perhaps if they played dumb there would be more time for Professor Snape to come get them.
"The Philosopher's Stone," Quirrell answered. "It will bring my master back to his own body and I to mine. It'll give him enough strength to return to power."
"No!" Theo whimpered, one hand reaching back to clutch at Daphne's. "Merlin, no!"
"Enough, Quirrell!" the raspy voice snapped. "Just get the stone!"
"Yes, Master," Quirrell murmured. He pointed his wand at the four. "The stone is hidden in the mirror, and I cannot get it."
"What makes you think four first years can get it?" Daphne asked.
"Crucio!" Daphne dropped to the ground, convulsing and screaming, her entire body arching until Aria thought her back would break. She made to kneel by her friend's side, but Theo grabbed her, holding her back, as if afraid she would get caught in the spell. Tears rolled down Aria's cheeks as she sobbed. She would never forget the sound of Daphne's screams.
"Stop it!" Theo shouted. "Please!"
Quirrell released Daphne from the spell. Aria, Theo, and Harry dropped to her side. She lay trembling, tears running down her cheeks, hair matted against her sweat slicked face.
"Shall I do it again?" Quirrell demanded. Theo sobbed, throwing himself across Daphne like a shield. "Or shall one of you attempt to get the stone?"
"I'll do it," Aria answered, wiping away her own tears. She would never be able to sleep after seeing Daphne in such pain. She forced herself to her feet, hissing as her body protested the movement, and planted herself in front of the mirror. Once again, her mother and father appeared at either shoulder, smiling at her from the glass.
Now what?
For a moment nothing happened.
"What do you see?" Quirrell demanded.
"I . . . I see my parents," Aria stuttered. "My mum and dad. Mum's dead, you see. She had cancer." She stared at her mother for several more seconds. A small gasp escaped her as her mother moved, raising a finger to her lips to shush Aria. Her mother raised a hand, showing off a smooth red stone cut like a gem in her hand. With wide eyes, Aria watched Abigail Bourne slip the stone into her reflection's school robe pocket.
Suddenly, a small weight appeared in Aria's robe pocket. It took all her will power not to touch it.
I will not touch it, I will not touch it, Aria thought. This was the Philosopher's Stone! Somehow, she had gotten it when Professor Quirrell could not!
"What is it?" Quirrell snapped.
"Oh . . . um . . . Mum and Dad are kissing now," Aria answered.
"She lies!" the raspy voice cried. Aria backed away from Quirrell over to her friends. Theo and Harry had Daphne sitting up, though Theo still had his body angled to take any spells that came their way. She helped them pull Daphne to her feet and the four began to slowly back away.
"I want to see the children," the voice ordered.
"Master, you are not strong enough," Quirrell worried.
"I am strong enough for this!"
Quirrell reached up and began to unwind his turban. When it fell away, Aria's breath fled her lungs. She inched closer to her friends. Even though she was now in the wizarding world, and there was a great many things different about it compared to the Muggle world, she doubted having an extra face on the back of one's head was normal.
"What the hell?" Daphne whispered.
"Voldemort," Harry breathed. Theo whimpered.
"Indeed," the face answered, using the mirror to stare at the children. Aria cringed at the red eyes and slanted nostrils where a nose was meant to be. "I am Voldemort. And you have the Philosopher's Stone."
"That's the greatest Dark Lord of all time?" Aria could not help but whisper to her friends. "He's a parasite!"
"Silence, girl!" the face shouted. "Keep silence in the presence of your betters."
Fear bubbled deep in Aria's stomach. She needed to remember that this was the Dark Lord who had made it his mission to wipe out Muggleborns, the reason why Harry's parents were dead, the reason why she was such an anomaly in the House of Slytherin, the reason why Pansy and Draco and Lord Malfoy hated her on principle. What was four first years against a homicidal professor and a parasitic Dark Lord?
"Don't talk to Aria that way!" Harry snapped.
"Yeah!" Theo agreed. "She's worth twenty of the best purebloods!"
"Lord Nott has been lax in his duties of raising a pureblood son," Voldemort hissed. Theo flinched back. "When I get my full body back, I will finish what I failed to do that Halloween night." Quirrell began advancing forward. "And I will ensure that your little mudblood pet, Mr. Nott, learns her place." He reached out and grabbed Harry by the chin.
Before anyone could reply, Quirrell jerked back his hand with a cry of horror. Aria and Daphne screamed, seeing the man's hand wither and burn away to ash.
"What is this magic?" Quirrell demanded, panic filling his voice. "What has changed?"
"Get the stone!" Voldemort ordered. Quirrell went to grab Aria, but Harry blocked him. Quirrell grabbed hold of Harry's shoulders, intent on throwing him to the side, but Harry struggled, clawing at the man until he was able to get his own hands onto the professor's neck and face. The DADA professor shrieked at the skin-to-skin contact, wailing in agony as his face began melting away, followed by the rest of his body. The children screamed too as they watched whatever curse it was consume their professor's body. His skin turned dark and gray, crumbling before their eyes.
The man's clothing fell to the ground, a pile of ash smoking underneath.
A waif rose from the ashes, a transparent shrunken head of what had been attached to the back of Quirrell's skull. Its black, hollow eyes stared at the children as if trying to see into their souls. It released a short before flying towards the friends. The four screamed, ducking just as the waif almost flew straight through Theo's chest. It gave another cry before flying through a wall and disappearing.
The four first years staid huddled, crouching against each other, for several minutes. The chamber was silent except for the snapping of the torches. Each child trembled. Finally, Harry spoke.
"W-we should get g-going," he muttered. They stood, Aria wincing at the pain in her tailbone, and Daphne stumbling from the after shocks of the curse she had been hit with. Theo went and scooped up their wands, passing them back as they made their way across the chessboard.
They were just making their way through the room with fallen flying keys when Professor Snape and McGonagall appeared.
"Oh praise Merlin!" McGonagall cried. Snape, scowling angrily, knelt on one knee, drawing the four students into a tight embrace which last several shocking seconds before he released them and started waving his wand over them.
"How are they, Severus?" McGonagall asked.
"Did you just hug us?" Daphne asked.
"Shut up," Snape snapped. "Mr. Potter has some bruises, and a lingering headache, but nothing major. Miss Bourne has an extremely bruised tailbone and minor magical exhaustion while Miss Greengrass has minor nerve damage." He stood. "Do any of you remember what spell was used?"
"It was the Cruciatus, professor," Theo whispered. McGonagall gasped, hands flying to her mouth. Snape's mouth turned into a deep frown. Without another word he opened his robes, reached into a pocket, a pulled out a vial filled with a potion as silver as moonlight, with just the barest hint of a sparkle. It was almost like unicorn blood, but it did not appear as thick.
"Take this, Miss Greengrass," Snape instructed. He helped Daphne swallow it. Immediately the girl's trembling lessened, and she sagged with relief against Aria.
"Now you should be able to walk on your own," Snape said. "You, on the other hand, Miss Bourne, are not going to walk." He lifted her into his arms and together the six of them made their way through a hidden passageway that the professors had obviously come through.
In the infirmary Madam Pomfrey began to fuss, shoving a disgusting potion down Aria's throat and slathering an ointment over her bruised tailbone. The others were also ordered to beds and then she was doling out a potion that she called Dreamless Sleep and within minutes the four Slytherins were out like lights.