"Pomfrey is coming." Lily told her. "She will fix it! She will fix it! She has to…"
Lily was very nervous. When Rose said to practice spells, she never thought it would end with Melissa lying helplessly in the pool of her own blood.
"I will be fine…" Melissa agreed.
Madam Pomfrey came inside and both Lily and Rose were taken to the Headmistress McGonagall.
"What were you thinking?" Neither of them had ever seen McGonagall so angry. "How did you….What…."
McGonagall had no idea how to form her words.
"What Professor McGonagall is trying to ask is….." Neville Longbottom, the deputy headmaster intervened. "Where did you find this spell? And, why did you use it on your cousin?"
"I…..found it." Rose said, her eyes downcast. "In the restricted section of the library. I found a potions' book."
"The Half-Blood Prince?" Neville Longbottom said.
"Do you know him??" Rose asked, excitedly.
"Yes." Neville said shortly.
He and McGonagall shared a look. McGonagall sighed. These Weasley-Potter kids would be the death of her.
"I swear, I didn't know. Professor." Lily tried to explain herself. "Neither did Rose!"
"I know." She murmured.
"Will Melissa be okay?" She asked, anxiously. :Her sister, Mavis is supposed to come by with Mom."
"She will be fine." Neville replied. "Now, both of you will be let off…But, without consequences."
McGonagall smiled, a once shy and passive Neville Longbottom had become comfortable in a position of power.
"Ms. Weasley..You first." He said, "Six weeks of detention, polishing the Quidditch brooms for the clear violation of entering-the-restricted-area rule."
Rose groaned.
"And, you. Miss Potter." He turned towards the eleven-year old who was clearly shaken by the spell she had just used. "Four weeks in the library, organizing books."
McGonagall's smile got wider. He had chosen the tasks they both would hate completely
"And, now." Professor McGonagall said, "Go, both of you. Only a couple of hours till the last task."
Both Rose and Lily ran out of her office and into the Great Hall, they quickly grabbed some food. Rose insisted that she should eat as she was supposed to compete in the third task in less than two hours. Lily reluctantly agreed.
The two hours passed as if they had been seconds. Lily couldn't understand where the time had just flown by. She was terrified when Oliver Wood read the rules of the Third Task.
"The third task will require a partner for both the Champions." His voice boomed as several people looked at him. "The partner's job is to keep a wand ready for the Champion and to revive him\her if needed."
Lily looked around the room and saw her family gathered around. Each and everyone of the Potter-Weasley-Granger members of the family had come. Even Melissa's sister, Mavis came. Though, she didn't look particularly pleased. Maybe, because Mel was in the Hospital wing.
"The partner cannot have any more part than that." He bellowed, "The Champions are allowed two wands each."
Lily was terrified.
"The forbidden curses are like their name….forbidden." He said, "Choose your partners, Champions."
