Chapter Forty Three

Petal arrived looking very confused as she walked into the hospital wing. It hadn't taken her long to get there, something Harry was grateful for as the wait seemed to last forever, each torturous second lasting an hour.

She clutched at her hands, giving a small bow to the Malfoys before straightening her slightly muddy uniform.

"Whats is wrong?" Petal asked, her eyes widened as she saw Draco lying in the bed, "Master Draco is hurt!"

"He'll be all right." Narcissa told her, "But he is very hurt."

"Is you sure he'll bees OK?" Petal asked, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Yes, we are very sure." Narcissa assured her, looking kindly at the little elf, "This is very important, do you remember giving this basket to Harry?"

Petal moved her head from side to side, her eyes slightly glazed, "That is Master Draco's treats basket."

Lucius moved closer to her, frowning in confusion, "Yes… yes that's correct. Do you remember giving it to Harry, in the Quidditch changing room?"

Petal frowned, "I… I… it is all blurry, like water on paints."

"It's all right Petal." Narcissa said, forcing a smile, "Are you feeling all right?"

Petal grabbed her head, "It hurts."

Madam Pomfrey walked over and waved her wand over the house elf, "She seems fine. Over tired perhaps?"

"Yes…" Petal nodded, "Yes I is tired."

"I think you should go for a rest." Lucius said gently.

"Poppy, any chance of a bed here?" Dumbledore asked, "I think it would be best to keep Petal close for now."

Madam Pomfrey nodded, "Yes, of course. Right this way Petal."

Harry watched as Petal took little steps towards the bed, heaving herself up and falling asleep almost at once.

"She doesn't look so good." Harry said carefully, watching the sleeping form.

"You're sure she isn't sick?" Narcissa asked.

Madam Pomfrey nodded, "Yes. Physically she is in perfect health, although I did detect high stress levels. However, little is known, even now, about house elf health."

Dumbledore paused, thinking deeply for a moment, "I think she will be fine after some rest. Poppy is one of the best healers I know."

Draco murmured in his sleep, moving his arm slightly.

"Draco? Draco can you hear me?" Narcissa said softly, moving back to hold his hand once more, Draco however had fallen still again.

"If you will excuse me. I am due somewhere of great importance quite soon, I am afraid." Dumbledore told them with a smile, "I trust you are all in good hands here however, a message can be left for me in my office, should you need me."

He rose from his chair, vanishing it with a flick of his wand and striding from the room; Harry followed quickly.

"Professor! Professor!" Harry called.

Dumbledore slowed down, turning to face Harry before he stopped, "What can I do for you Harry?" he said kindly.

"You're sure that Petal will be all right?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore smiled easily, "I am sure. As I said, Poppy is one of the best in the business of healing. Why do you doubt?"

Harry crossed his arms protectively over his chest, "Draco nearly died this evening. If I hadn't known about the bezoars, or the Potion's lab had been locked… I don't even want to think about what could, what would, of happened."

"Luck was on your side." Dumbledore agreed, "However it doesn't do well to over think such things. Take it from one with many years of experience."

"I'd be happier to know how this happened." Harry said, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

"Well, I'm sure we will find out eventually." Dumbledore smiled, "Petal may have just made a mistake."

"We both know that Petal didn't poison Draco, just like we both know that Hokey didn't kill Hepzibah." Harry said, more fiercely than he'd meant to.

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes Harry, I think we can say that is almost certain."

"So you think this was Voldemort as well?" Harry asked.

"I did not say that." Dumbledore said quickly, "In fact, in this case, I don not think it was Voldemort, at least not directly. It would have been nearly impossible for Voldemort to get to Petal, and the use of a muggle sweet would be most unlike him."

Harry nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah, I guess. But the cases are just so similar, there has to be something in it."

Dumbledore inclined his head slightly, "We shall see. Be assured I will look into the matter. For now, I suggest you go back to your friend, it wont be long before Madam Pomfrey wishes him to rest."

Harry didn't argue, he simply nodded and went back into the hospital wing, he caring more about Draco than almost anything else right now.

Draco hadn't woken yet, he was still lying flat but mumbling slightly and clutching his mother's hand at least.

"You have twenty minutes before the three of you need to head back to the Slytherin common room." Madam Pomfrey told Harry, Daphne and Pansy.

"I can't stay long either." Lily said, "I couldn't get a baby sitter for Danica so she's waiting in your office." she said to Severus, "But if you need me here then I'm sure we could smuggle her into Harry's room for the night."

Narcissa gave a small, teary laugh, "Thank you, but we'll be perfectly all right, I can always send for you if needed. I'm just glad he's going to be all right."

"Is everything all right at home?" Lucius asked, "You normally have no end of people willing to look after her."

Lily nodded, "Oh, yes, it's just bad timing. Nikka and Tonks are on shift, Remus is away for the Order, as is Kreacher. Either Alice or Frank are nearly always working or spending some time with the twins. It's mostly just Danica and I at home now."

Severus smiled, "I think she'll be fine for a few more minutes, she'll have her nose buried in a book I'd have thought."

"You'd be right." Lily grinned, "We had to bring two books with us just in case she managed to finished the first one. Besides, she loves it here."

The twenty minutes ended and Harry, Daphne and Pansy heading back to the common room. Harry, however, didn't stay long but grabbed the Marauders Map and quickly checked that Hermione and Neville were in their common room before leaving again.

Daphne grabbed his arm as he headed for the door, "Harry, you can't be out of bed. After this they will be keeping a closer watch on the corridors. Look," she pointed to the notice board, "they've already posted that everyone must stay in their common rooms."

"I've got the invisibility cloak." Harry pointed out, "I'll be fine."

"Harry, think about this. We can tell them in the morning far more easily than we can now." Pansy said levelly.

Harry sighed, "I know. But I can't be in that dorm room right now. I'll be back soon I promise and you can always follow me on the map."

Daphne and Pansy nodded begrudgingly, but they understood where Harry was coming from. Harry slipped from the room, pulling on the invisibility cloak the moment he left the common room.

The girls had been right, the corridors seemed to have every available teacher walking them, checking in the empty rooms and muttering to one another. Harry, however was practised enough by now to slip easily enough between them.

He spotted Professor McGonagall marching two older Gryffindors to the common room, berating them for being out of the common room and docking twenty house points a piece. Harry sped up to be able to stand next to the highly embarrassed students.

"You two are old enough to know how to follow the instruction of stay in your common room." the lady in the portrait tutted, "Whatever next?!"

"And if I hear any more bad reports you will be in a month of detentions." Professor McGonagall warned them.

Harry slipped into the warm and bright common room as the two Gryffindors muttered their apologies.

It wasn't that different from the Slytherin common room, just more red and gold rather than green and silver. It was also up in one of the many towers in the school, meaning the views were somewhat better than those from the Slytherin rooms.

Harry couldn't risk taking off the cloak, he'd be recognised in a second but spotted Hermione and Neville tucked around a table by the fire, much like he sat with his friends in the Slytherin common room.

He darted between the crowds of people and made his way to where his friends were sitting.

"It's hardly writing it for me!" Neville protested, "It's spell checking!"

Harry couldn't help but snort a laugh before covering his mouth with his hand. Thankfully he hadn't been heard; Neville had always struggled with spelling.

He picked up a spare quill that Hermione had been using to take notes from a very large textbook. Neville nudged Hermione, seeing the quill move.

It's Harry, can we talk?

Harry wrote on a bit of parchment. Neville and Hermione nodded. Neville took Harry and Hermione's hand and led them to his dorm room, shutting the door behind him.

Harry pulled off the cloak and took a deep breath, "Hi…"

"Harry?" Hermione asked, "What are you doing here? We were told that we needed to stay in our dorms."

"I know, and I know why." Harry said, fighting to keep his voice level, "Draco… Draco was poisoned this evening."

"Oh my gods." Neville said, "Is he all right?"

Harry nodded, "He will be, but I think it was a lot closer than Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey want to admit."

"How did it happen?" Hermione asked, sitting down on the edge of Neville's bed.

"Someone… someone had poisoned his treats basket, the bounty things to be specific." Harry told them, "He took one bite and then stopped breathing."

Neville blinked, trying to take everything in, "He… he stopped breathing? What happened?"

Harry took another deep breath and told them the story, the panic, the bezoar and getting to the hospital wing.

"…He's still there now." Harry said, "His parents are with him, he hadn't woken up by the time we had to leave. I know we were meant to stay in our common rooms but I had to tell you."

"I'm glad you did." Neville said, earning him a frown from Hermione, "I'm not glad he broke the rules but would have rather he hadn't told us?"

Hermione sighed and shook her head, "No… we still don't know how the poison got there then?"

Harry shrugged, "Not really. We know that Petal delivered the basket, and she seemed a bit out of it then and even worse today."

"Maybe she just made a mistake?" Hermione suggested, "House elves are often really overworked."

Harry shifted his weight on the bed, "I don't think so, one of the things I learnt in my lessons with Dumbledore was about a house elf who was convicted of killing her mistress, but it was Voldemort really."

"You think this was Voldemort as well?" Hermione gasped, "Here?"

Harry shrugged, throwing his hands in the air, "I don't know. Dumbledore doesn't think so, but I know there's something going on."

"Why doesn't Dumbledore think so?" Neville asked.

"It was a muggle sweet that was used and Dumbledore doesn't think that Voldemort would have any direct way of getting to Petal or the treat basket while it was here." Harry sighed, "He seemed a bit dismissive. He… he just left, barely even checked that Draco was OK." he felt anger start to bubble within him.

Hermione put a calming hand on his, "I think… I think you're just worried. I'm sure Dumbledore didn't mean to come across as dismissive."

Harry took several deep breaths, "Yeah… yeah maybe. I'd just feel an awful lot better if Draco had woken up before I'd have to leave."

"That's understandable." Neville said, "Could you maybe sneak back in?"

"I'd thought about it but there's no way." Harry shrugged, "Madam Pomfrey watches that place like a hawk and I'd have to stay under the cloak. Narcissa and Lucius will still be there at least."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Neville asked, giving Harry a small, half smile.

Harry forced a smile in return and tried desperately to calm down, "No… I don't think so."

The door to the dorm room flew open, Ron walking in, slice of toast in one hand and text book in the other.

"Bloody hell!" he gasped, "Harry? What are you doing here?"

"Draco got poisoned." Harry said bluntly, "Look I know that I shouldn't be here but I needed to tell Neville and Hermione… please don't…"

"Don't worry about it." Ron said with a shrug, "I'm not going to tell anyone. Is Draco going to be OK?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah, yeah he should be fine. He's in the hospital wing still, it got pretty close."

"Gees…" Ron said, shaking his head, "I mean… wow."

The room fell silent, the minutes ticking by as no one spoke.

Ron cleared his throat nervously, "I don't mean to be a dick, under the circumstances, but everyone else is going to be heading to bed soon… I don't want you to get into trouble."

Harry nodded, once again forcing a smile, "Thanks. I should go."

"You could sleep under the cloak." Neville suggested, "This is the first summer in ages I've not shared with the twins, horrors that they are, so I'm used to top and tailing it."

Harry grinned, "Thanks for the offer, but Ron's right, if I got caught it would mean a whole world of trouble, for all of us."

He said goodbye to Ron, Neville and Hermione before throwing on the cloak and leaving the dorm. It was just in time as well, he'd barely gotten a foot out of the door when Dean came in, chatting excitedly to Seamus about Quidditch teams. Harry ducked to the side, missing them by less than an inch.

It was an easy journey back to the Slytherin dorm room, where Daphne and Pansy were waiting for him.

It was a quiet evening, the noise and laughter from the other students grating on them constantly. Harry couldn't go back to the dorm room, not with Draco's bed sitting empty next to him. Pansy went and got the blanket from his bed, as well as the blankets from their own.

Harry smiled and didn't argue, he knew them well enough to know they wouldn't leave him, not now.

The three of them curled up together in the largest of the common room sofas, under a pile of duvets and slowly fell asleep.