Translation by Jessinthedungeons.

Chapter 31 - Confrontations and Betrayal

I knew something was wrong when I realized Minerva was avoiding eye contact with me during practice the next morning, but I wasn't sure until she started reviewing the strategy for the second public display against Uagadou, the first had been a few months ago. This time, demonstrations of magic without wands, common practice in the African School, were planned, so I took my participation for granted, since I had trained individually with Severus this type of magic.

— We will make some changes to the formation of the front line.

A sharp, shrill warning sounded in my head. Damn, I knew that. I knew to the marrow of my bones what was about to come out of her mouth. My gaze darted to my partner, who was busy looking over the headmistress's shoulder, a furrow creasing the skin between his eyebrows.

Minerva recited the names of the Wizards: Dean and Justin, levels nine. Cho and Sarah, levels seven, and other names. She spoke every name that didn't belong to me. Disbelief made my face turn hot, when the only "change" to the list was the absence of Hogwarts's most powerful Muggle-born. The only level ten of the team was simply cut off.

— There's no reason it shouldn't be an excellent display. — Minerva said in a confident voice as I stood there, humiliated and almost ready to curse anyone who dared to pass in front of me.

I tried to tell myself as I listened to the headmistress uttering words of encouragement that I shouldn't take this personally. Minerva adored me, it wasn't like she didn't want to see me acting. She had always been much more than simply a teacher to me, I practically adopted her as my mother in the post-war Wizarding World.

Oh Merlin, I needed to scream. Someone else might have rationalized that she wasn't including me, because I had just suffered a seizure and it would be wise to let me "soak" either for health or safety reasons. But I couldn't think like that. In fact, I couldn't, because I knew that this decision had been made by someone else.

It's OK, I forced myself to remember. Just because I wasn't cast for the screening doesn't mean I couldn't be present. But that wasn't enough to comfort me, no matter how hard I tried. It was a damn display of wandless magic with a traditional school in this type of spell and I wasn't going to get a chance to demonstrate my gifts. Be an adult, this is not the end of the world. I let out a trembling sigh as Minerva continued her speech.

Over her shoulder, Severus was looking directly at me. His face blank except for how prominent his jaw suddenly became. I knew what he was trying to convey with that look. He was telling me not to be him: "Don't be young Severus Snape." That means he was ordering me to stay calm and not react now. Telling me that we would think about it together, as a couple.

Breathe, Hermione. Take a deep breath. Be an adult. Patience. I repeated it to myself until I was in control of my emotions again.

It was Cho who came to me first, when the team finished leaving. She put her hand on my shoulder and lowered her head.

— Hermione, that sucks! — She swore, at the same volume that she would have used if she was talking about the weather.

— It's okay, Cho. — I answered, even though I wasn't.

I really wasn't. The veins in my temples throbbed from the effort to keep myself in check. I didn't even know I was capable of being so angry. But that situation affected me a lot.

— Fuck! It's not right. — She hit back. — I'll tell you something...

— Please, no. — I cut it. — Don't bother, really.

I went to get my backpack and kept repeating the mantra of patience to try to calm myself down. Looking at Cho's closed expression, I couldn't help but smile at my friend. She was there with me now for so long. I put my arms around her and hugged her.

— I want to tell you before everyone finds out, I learned from a reliable source that Robards is trying to transfer me.

She pushed me back, her eyes wide in shock.

— What? No, it can't fucking be!

— Yes. You noticed how he forced Minerva to cut me out. Do you think she would leave me out of this "show"? — I sighed. — I'll try to get out before it's too late. — I explained, trying my best not to look so sad about it. — It's our secret. I have to tell Dean...

— Tell me what?

Neither of us realized he was coming to complete our threesome. Cho responded.

— Robards is trying to kick her out of Hogwarts.

Dean gaped at me.

— What? Who told you that? — I shrugged because it didn't matter. Tears immediately welled up in his eyes. — Where to?

— Beauxbaton.

None of my friends spoke. It was Cho who broke the silence more than a minute later. — With that bitch Chloe? You're not thinking that, Hermione, are you?

— I thought of Sweden. — I explained. — Perhaps. If someone wants me there…

— Everyone wants you in any place! — Cho hit back fiercely.

Dean sniffled. — Are you really leaving?

Oh Christ!

— I'm leaving Hogwarts, not you. You know Robards could never stand me. I'm not really surprised he finally decided to get rid of me, but I didn't believe he was going to try to send me to France, of all places.

— They will never let you be the witch you are there. — Dean shook his head.

A hand gripped my elbow, before going all the way down my back and the heat of a man's body warmed my right side.

— You'll be fine. — A silky voice said.

It took a second for my brain to register what was happening. Severus was touching me in public, at training, in front of my friends and whoever else walked into the main hall. When his hand left my back and went to my far shoulder, the tension drained from my lungs and shoulders. Fuck it all, we're not even a secret to Cho and Dean. I put my hand on his, even at the risk of someone else catching us.

— I hope someone will accept me in some foreign team.

— They will. — Severus stated with complete confidence and I was glad that one of us was confident like that. His gaze settled on me, as if he himself did not notice or did not care that we were with other people. — I need to talk to you.

I wanted to ask about what, but I thought it was better to wait.

— See you guys later? — I asked Cho and Dean, who were watching me still discouraged by my imminent departure.

— Yes. — They both agreed.

Severus didn't bother to wait until we got to my car. I was needing to save my magic for a surgery later in the hospital. He stopped me in the middle of the castle garden, an unusually serious look on his face.

— They cut you off from the show.

— I know, I was there, Severus. — I returned it with a grudge.

He ignored my rude response.

— If we do nothing, they will not let you participate in any more screenings. And it's important that you're seen, Hermione.

Sadness and anger were so similar that it was difficult to distinguish which one was crushing my lungs.

— I know.

Severus stepped forward.

— Do you trust me?

If I trust him? My head retreated a little and my eyebrows rose. He should know better than that by now.

— Yes.

His nostrils widened and his chin drooped down. He looked exactly like professor Snape in one of the days of complete fury when confronting Sirius in Grimmauld Place.

— Let's talk to Robards. — He declared.

I had just told him I trusted him, but I still wanted to ask him what the hell we were going to talk about with that idiot. Confidence, right? Severus knows what was at stake. As for me, I wanted to throw up, but instead, I found myself agreeing with him.

— I'll meet you at the Ministry. — He said before returning to the castle.

Okay! I had no idea what the hell we were going to do, but I continued to my car, threw my backpack there and went up to Minerva's office, she was nowhere in sight, but I had free pass to use her fireplace for emergencies, and an order from a furious Severus Snape certainly be emergency.

I got off at the Ministry and didn't look around as I made my way to Robards's office. The house-elf who had taken me there last time was nowhere in sight, but sitting at the ante-room table was an assistant witch, who looked at me curiously.

The Witch looked like everything one can imagine on an older Secretary, neat, white hair, cut short, a meticulously well-ironed robe. It was almost easy to believe that she was a nice lady doing her job, but, like her boss, she wasn't; at least with me she never had been.

— Hi, Ma'am. Rosier. I want to talk to Mr. Robards, please. — Always be kind, right? I thought to myself.

— You need to schedule a time. — That was the rude response I got back.

Breathe, Hermione. I kept a sympathetic expression on my face. I can do it, I'm better than them.

— Can I talk to him now? For just five minutes? It's very important. — My sympathetic expression dropped when I heard myself speaking to deaf ears, who had turned away to focus again on the scroll on the table.

— I have already explained, it is necessary to schedule a meeting. He has a free ten-minute slot on Monday at eleven o'clock. — She stated, without even looking at me.

— There's no way I can talk to him today? — I asked, already without any warmth in my voice.

The lady rolled her eyes and made no effort to be discreet and told me a dry "no". Obviously, she wouldn't give me anything else.

— Thank you, anyway.

I turned and headed in the direction I had come, intending to find Severus and let him know that if he really wanted to talk to Robards, he was going to have to get the assistant to let us in. Even before I stepped out of the ante-room, Severus approached, frowning.

— She won't let me in to see him. — I explained.

Severus raised his eyebrows in defiance and then grabbed my hand, palm to palm, and led me back to the assistant witch's desk.

— I need to talk to Robards. Now! — He said in that same authoritative tone of voice that he used in our trainings.

She took off her rimless glasses to see who was talking and her whole face changed from that unpleasant expression to a friendly one when she spotted my advisor.

— Severus! Oh, I'm sorry, but you really should schedule a meeting... — she stuttered.

—No Dominic, what I need is to see him now. — He cut.

Her eyes turned to me, and I didn't miss the wrinkles on my nose. Dominic Rosier was sympathetic to the pure-blooded causes of the Voldemort era, her entire family was Death Eaters, and apparently, she couldn't see me well, even after all.

— Well, let me warn you that you are here. — She went to the office of the coordinator of the magic training programs and, no more than fifteen seconds later, she was holding the door open and beckoning us to enter. — He'll see you now.

Robards was sitting behind his desk, Severus went ahead of me still holding my hand, gently dragging me along with him. I knew what it would look like for the two of us to walk into our superior's room like this, but finally I allowed myself, and I didn't worry one bit. Severus took the seat farthest from the door and I took the other, his fingers intertwined with mine and I noticed that Robards watched the gesture coldly.

— How can I help you? — The man asked with a closed expression, addressing exclusively Severus.

— I will accept the position definitively if you leave her at the next screenings. — Severus went straight.

My head turned to him. What? Apparently, I wasn't the only one surprised by his words.

Robards's eyes widened. — Is that serious? Will you stay?

— On two conditions. The first is that you let her demonstrate what an exceptional witch she is, which is only possible if she is participating in the screenings. — Severus uniformly stated.

The older man in the room seemed to consider this, almost surprised that this was Severus's demand. — Is that your condition?

— A part of it. — Severus said.

But he did not want to stay after the end of the one—year contract. He had told me that. So why was he saying that now?

— Severus... — I whispered.

He turned to me with a kind of look that reminded me that I had promised to trust him. Shit.

— Yes or no? He demanded of Robards.

— I... — Our boss stuttered. — I can't have you on the team at the same time. The rumors sparked complaints from other members...

Severus raised his hand to stop him, shooting me a long meaningful look, which I didn't understand until after he finished speaking. — I will move away from the next two screenings. — He offered, watching me as I spoke.

For that brief moment, time stood still.

Robards had no idea what had just come out of his mouth, of course, he heard the words, but he didn't understand the meaning behind them. I heard the words and understood.

— No. — I told him.

He didn't once break eye contact with me, confirming that he wanted me to really hear what he was meaning, what he wanted me to understand.

— Yes.

— Severus, you are the co-leader of the team, you made all of us level up with two months of work, you cannot stay out of the screenings.

He gave me a hard look; his face stamped a fierce and serene expression at the same time. — I've never been more sure of anything.

Oh, fucking hell.

— You'll be left out to leave her show off? Robards's emphasis on the last word was almost a mockery, as if he meant that I wanted to demonstrate the power I had as a way to stay famous and not in the way Severus and I had talked before: as a symbol of hope for those waiting for the end of magical scarcity.

With no hesitation and still looking directly at me, my boyfriend replied to the boss: — Yes, I will. Do we have a deal?

The other man seemed to think about his answer for a minute.

— Okay. You have a deal, as long as your next demand is not nonsense.

I couldn't help but look at Severus. My whole body concentrated on him, on his words, on his face and on the swell in my chest that wanted to squeeze my vocal cords until they burst.

— Good. The other thing I want is for you to take a look at Hermione's contract with the British Ministry. I am paying her fine for leaving before the end of the term and I need to know how much I should transfer from my account in Gringotts for this. — Severus explained. Before I could argue, he made sure I knew he was talking to me and not to Robards. — Don't argue. You would do that for me.

— Just because I would...

— I'd do anything for you. — He cut me.

Oh shit, was Severus making me a declaration of love right in Robards face? My heart was beating a beat he had never known before. He simply told his own boss that he was going to sit out the upcoming Magic screenings, keep himself in a job he clearly loathed, and pay the fine terminating my contract so that I would be released. All this while we were in search of a magical war against rebels and hunting for magical books protected by deadly spells. He doesn't know what he's saying. He doesn't know what he's doing, I repeated to myself, trying my best not to get out of control here.

— Robards, do we have a deal?

Neither of us was looking at the office owner, so we lost the incredulous look on his face. Since this idiot wizard had no idea of the depth of Severus's statement to me at that moment, we didn't care about his presence. This was between Severus and me, and the coordinator was just background noise to get us where we wanted to be.

— Pay her fine? — Robards's laugh gave him an advantage. — Of course, Mr. Snape, you are more than welcome.

If I hadn't been so dazzled by the move Severus made for both of us, I might have been offended by how easily this jerk dismissed me.

— You weren't together... — Robards sneered softly.

— Now we are. — Severus said coldly.

— I heard the rumors, but I thought one young girl was just a distraction, I didn't know you had become so attached to her. — Robards rested his eyes on me. — As your friend, Severus, I have to say... the girl is very little for you.

I noticed Severus's eyes darken with that cloud of hatred he usually has in situations where Occlumency needs to be strong so as not to make him lose control.

— One...— Severus growled. — You're not my friend. Two, it is none of your business.

Robards's eyebrows rose in surprise.

— Alright. Where does Miss Granger the adorable plan to go when she is out of Hogwarts? Well, I suppose that's good news for Beauxbaton.

— Beauxbaton? — It was my turn to react. — I'm not going to France.

— Oh, no? Miss Chloe de Lapin has given me to understand that there is a history of yours there. Robards sounded almost amused. — She suggested that you were available for... ─ he seemed to think better of his own words. — Honestly, Miss Granger, what do you think most French journalists think about you?

— If you offend my woman, you die. — Severus's fierce voice reached my ears. — The next time you think of insulting her, I will drown you in your own blood. And I will do it smiling.

Six long seconds of silence stretched out as I stared at Severus in shock. He had never imposed himself so deadly in front of me.

Robards recovered from his surprise and rose from his desk, skirting it and stopping beside Severus, resting his hand on his left forearm. I wondered if he remembered what was stamped there, before that colorful tattoo underneath his sleeve.

— Surely there is no reason for this animosity? Making threats against a superior?

— Take your hand off me. — Severus said softly.

But Robards did not let go as he addressed me: — you are excused from this room, Miss Granger. Get out.

I focused my gaze on his hand that held Severus's forearm. — Get your hand off him! — ordered.

— I can do whatever I want and I'm still your superior, so if the smartest witch of your generation has any sense, she'll get out of my office before I do…

Flames erupted and Robards's scream echoed through the room. The fire wrapped around his arm and he released Severus's forearm to try to put them out. The Aguamenti he evoked with his wand did nothing to quell the fire consuming the sleeve of his tunic and quickly reaching his chest. His eyes were wide as he turned to Severus and begged: — Don't let me burn!

But Severus ignored him, turning his eyes to me. — It's not my magic.

Robards eyes turned to me and I smiled at him.

— If you threaten any inferior of yours with the power of this shit position you occupy, I will make sure I find you and make these flames consume you. — I said sweetly. — And the next time you touch Severus without his permission, I will melt your bones before you have a chance to scream.

Robards was pale as the flames continued to dance in his robe and the only thing between his skin and the fire was my control over them.

I looked back at Severus, smiling. — You're my superior.

Severus seemed to be trying his best not to smile back, though it was evident the fun dancing in his eyes as he studied Robards, who barely moved, barely breathed.

—Let him go and we'll have lunch.

The flames went out so fast that it was as if they had never existed. Robards leaned over, resting his arm on his work table and threw up on the floor, under the horrified gaze of his assistant who had come into the room, certainly attracted by the small discussion of our group. We both left the room and left her there to deal with the mess made by the boss.

— Your control of the flames... I think your nickname will be level eleven now. — Severus said amused, as we crossed the atrium.

— Will it be a problem when I get to twelve and throw all those rocks back at you, Severus? — I played back.

He let go of my hand and his arm wrapped around my shoulders, while his other hand reached for the Floo by the fireplace and I heard the sound of a soft laugh accompany us as we swirled in the green flames.

My surgery ended quickly that afternoon. Perhaps my saving of magic, even though I had a furious burst of fire magic with Robards, was very efficient and in two hours I was already free of my work in Saint Mungus.

Resolving to follow Harry's advice, I returned to the castle via Floo and went to the library in search of clues to The Wizard Directory. With nothing more than a hunch that the original scroll would be here, I picked up a copy of Hogwarts, A History and started reading everything he told me about the founding of the castle and the building of the library. If I forced my mind a little, this book was pretty much decorated page by page inside it, but checking it line by line wouldn't hurt, since there was no indication of where I should start this hunt.

I don't know how long I stayed there, absorbed in my reading and taking notes on one of my Scrolls.

— Hello. — Said a soft voice.

I lifted my eyes from the book, staring at the ethereal figure smiling at me.

— Do you make visits outside the tomb now? — I grumbled, trying not to demonstrate how much the sudden entry of the Ghost of Regulus into the library had frightened me.

— No, — said Regulus, simply, as if he were not at this very moment visiting me in a place that looked nothing like the founders' tomb. — But it is stronger than my will, this inclination to help you.

— Help me? You exchange one information for other, Regulus.

— Don't be ungrateful, I gave you my locket, didn't I? — He smiled sweetly, and I did not answer. — Believe me, sooner than you think, it will protect you.

I crossed my arms, letting out a long sigh. The riddles of Regulus tired me more than this insane quest for breaking the magical block.

— The founders sent me with a message. — Regulus Said. — They stressed that I would have to deliver it to you alone, so my visit here tonight. I suspect her territorialist man wouldn't let you walk down to the tomb without his company. — He smiled at me again, eyes shining with malice. — I know how Severus can be, Granger.

I had the feeling that I was standing in front of a high wave, waiting for it to burst but, although my curiosity about the common past of Severus and Regulus was keen, that could wait, the message of the founders could be something important for the liberation of magic. My curiosity could wait.

I closed the book and stared at the handsome, youthful face of the younger Black. I saw his curious gaze land on the cover of my copy.

— This book won't help me, will it? — I asked.

— No. — Said the Ghost, in a lower tone of voice than before.

The famous ground zero, it felt like it was where we'd been for weeks, ever since Severus and I found the admission book. I averted my eyes from Regulus and caught a glimpse of the darkness hugging the castle grounds, broken only by the pale moonlight of the waning moon.

— Let's hear their message. — I said at last, sighing.

Regulus cleared his throat, then spoke in a voice that sounded bizarrely like the sound of many voices together:

— If we could leave you alone, we would. But you discovered at the age of eleven that being a witch makes you never escape some burdens. There is a prophecy about you that seals your fate to the future of magic. Your path has already crossed with that of the other magical pillars that can free our world, so now you are in a position to make a difference in the lives of many.

My stomach churned as I was reminded of the weight of that responsibility.

— The lost item you are looking for is nearby. — Regulus continued.

— I'm trying to find it. — I muttered, even though I was not sure if the founders could hear me.

— There will be clues that will lead you to it. Signs you should follow.

I looked at the shelves around us.

— I followed a hunch to here, the Hogwarts library. It's all connected to the castle, isn't it?

— You already know the answer to that, Hermione Granger. — The voices coming from the Ghost of Regulus echoed.

My heart beat fast — afraid, angry, why not, I did not know.

— The four of you are still clearly powerful if you manage, even after a thousand years, to remain bound to the castle. Why can't they find what blocks the magic?

— It is your destiny and your responsibility. — It was the first time only one of the voices spoke. It was a woman's, but I couldn't tell if it was Rowena's or Helga's.

— My fate? — I managed to control myself enough not to spit out the words.

— The little witch who was saved from a chimera only because the strength of her house at Hogwarts compelled her to our tomb and made her sword appear to save her does not seem to me to be grateful. — Mocked the voice of a man.

From the content of the dialogue, I identified him as Salazar Slytherin. Offended, I got up from my chair, walking away from the Ghost of Regulus.

— I am the girl who spent years fighting a war invoked by your beliefs. — I hissed. — I am the witch who knows that you were the wizard who did not care about the lives of the Muggle-borns and spread hatred against my equals. — I stared into Regulus's eyes, praying that Salazar could see my anger through him. — Come to think of it, I can't remember why I should bother helping pure-blood Wizards regain their magic, when their supreme idol obviously never cared about someone like me.

— Because you're not like him, honey. — Said another female voice, and from the kind tone in her voice, I assumed that this was the voice of Helga Hufflepuff.

— I can be. — I said, holding my wand tighter. — You can find another person, one who allows himself to be commanded by a ghost without question.

— You need to find the directory... before it's too late. — Finally, the fourth voice echoed. Godric Gryffindor.

— Why do you only care now? We have been searching for this for years! — I narrowed my eyes towards him, crushing the pain inside me into a dark corner of my mind. — There's another madman killing people in the name of magic that he doesn't even own anymore! The world is in ruins, and only now have you decided to intervene?

Regulus's eyes seemed to soften, as if he could see what I was trying to hide inside of me.

— I'm sorry for what you lost. — Said Regulus's own voice this time. — And I'm sorry about the death of your friend Ronald Weasley. He went...

— Don't ever talk about him! — My cry came out loud in the silence of the library, and my right arm pointed the wand right at Regulus's ethereal face. — I don't give a damn if you are the lackey ghost of the founders of this castle. If I talk about Ron again, I'll summon a demon to drag him to whatever hell there may be for ghosts of wizards!

Regulus just blinked in my direction.

— You have been on this quest for too long, Hermione, don't pretend that you don't care. Believe me, I know what I mean when I say that you want to unleash magic even if pure-bloods don't deserve it.

— Will you tell me something concrete, Regulus? — I growled, the wand still pointed in his direction.

— Come down from where you are, Little Witch. — He said and dissipated into the air, leaving me in the darkness of an empty library.

There was a person standing at the library door when I left, I was too enraged by yet another frustrated encounter with the ghost of Regulus Black to bother identifying who it was; I only had time to hear her take a sudden breath before I saw a flash of metal. My wand still in my hand cast an Incarcerous in a second — but it wasn't fast enough to avoid the sting in my rib and as the person fell to the stone floor, I could feel a thin line of blood trickle down my side.

— Nobody wants you to be a hero again. — A hateful voice sounded from under the hood, before spitting in my face.

I wiped the disgusting liquid with the back of my hand and with a wave of my wand tore off the fabric that hid her features, seeing myself face to face with my former arithmancy teacher. The shock must have been startled on my face because she scoffed at my expression and I forced my strongest wand down her throat until she gave in to the unspoken threat. But, even immobilized, hatred emanated in waves from her in my direction.

— Did you betray us? — I asked, my voice came out lower than I would like, still shaken by the shock of having been attacked by the PR of the Hogwarts staff.

Septima stirred against the ropes, not bothering to respond, propelling her body up, trying to let go. I cast a second containment spell, immobilizing her and this time she gave a low laugh.

— You don't want to know what's on my blade? — Vector asked, a gleaming smile stamped on her face.

In one nimble movement, I picked up the dagger dropped next to us and inhaled. I would later thank Severus for making us identify poisons by smell because it was only because of his practical classes that I was able to identify that one: batrachotoxin. Originating from Colombian frogs, it is a poison that attacks the nerves and causes total paralysis.

Vector's smile turned triumphant as he saw my horror at the identification of what I had been infected with.

— There is only enough to make it erase until my companions arrive and take it to another, more reserved place. — She declared.

Bitch! How much had I been exposed to? The cut was shallow, but I felt It bleed, meaning that the infected blade had entered, even if little. But the batrachotoxin of one of the species was capable of killing twenty people at once, I could not be calm about this. I could feel the poison working in my body. I need to ask for help. Now.

I lifted my hand from the wand to stupefy Vector, but my fingers felt hard; my magic failed and the strings loosened around her. Taking advantage of my slowness of movement, she came out from under me, throwing me so hard on the ground that my skull seemed to break when it hit the stone and the air was sucked out of my lungs.

The poison was acting too fast. A flash of panic ran through my body, but I focused on the body-combat trained moves Dean and I had always trained together and lifted my legs and kicked her face hard.

— You mudblood bitch! — She roared at me.

Her cry reached my ears at the same instant that my fingers on my left hand, which were still functioning, closed around the handle of the poisoned dagger. A second later, Septima Vector grabbed her own neck as blood gushed over me and collapsed beside me, making gurgling noises.

Even though I was betrayed and attacked by her, I wished I had had time to use compassion and kill her faster, but my seconds were numbered and I staggered to my feet. I ran as fast as I could down the stairs, toward the hospital wing, hoping my legs wouldn't paralyze by then, but I could feel myself losing control of my body with every pulse that propelled the poison into my veins.

I fell when I reached the corridor of the hospital wing, but seeing the inviting doors of the medical stronghold gave me the strength to drag myself across the cold stone of the floor. With blurry vision and cracked teeth, I forced my arms to drag myself across the floor.

Just a little more...

The doors were ajar and I didn't even notice that I had already crossed them and when the light from the space burned my eyes, I was only aware that I was inside. The sound of voices reached me and, in my haze of venom, I remembered that today the members of the defiant school were already in the castle.

I need to tell someone what antidote to give me — just tell someone...

With one hand resting on the floor, I tried to raise my head to call for someone, but my tongue failed as my breath forced itself into my throat, and though it seemed high to me from the shortness of breath in my lungs, no one even looked in my direction.

I once again forced my body to crawl further within the confines of the ward and approached the first pair of feet within my reach, touching it with my icy toes. A small scream was heard followed by gasps of concern, before soft hands lifted and I blinked the mist out of my eyes to catch a glimpse of Cho's familiar black eyes gawking at me in concern.

A choking noise came out of my throat.

— Severus...— I groaned, trying to touch my friend, but my hard fingers refused to act.

But he was already firing in my direction, shouting my name. When my knees gave way and I fell to the floor, dragging Cho with me, I found my boyfriend's dark orbs and held on long enough to whisper:

— Batrachotoxin.

Then my vision went black.

Final Notes

Two important points that have been questioned by some people have been answered in this chapter: 1. Yeah, Ron's dead and 2. The traitor among them was revealed. Lucius would never have been able to break into the castle if there wasn't someone inside, acting.

Did you like it?

Kisses, guys!

Translation by Jessinthedungeons.