XIV
The ceremony of sorting the first-year students had begun. Every now and then, the Great Hall erupted in applause emanating from one of the tables. Scorpius watched it with little interest. The number of newcomers joining Slytherin didn't excite him much. What seemed much more interesting was the chocolate cupcakes sitting on a platter right in front of him. They were delicious and significantly improved his mood. His mood had been somewhat dampened by a few insignificant incidents that nevertheless vividly reminded him why he didn't miss Hogwarts.
Before he even got on the train, he had run into a group of girls who were just starting their magical school adventure. Initially giggling and amused, they looked at him with concern for a while. They clearly noticed his silver and green tie tucked into his robe pocket, as he could sense almost palpable aversion coming from them. Not that the opinion of a group of first-years mattered to him. All he did was flash them his most sinister smile and move away. They sent him off with hushed voices, probably praying not to end up in that dreadful House.
Unfortunately, that was not the only incident. When he entered the Great Hall, he almost collided with his favourite Ravenclaws, Nash and Baxsing. The latter pushed him aside so strongly that Scorpius hit against the doorframe. He muttered a curse under his breath, barely restraining himself from reaching for his wand. What stopped him was the thought that he didn't want to explain such actions to McGonagall on the very first day.
To make matters worse, as he sat down at the table and looked around the hall, instead of seeing the familiar and friendly faces of the Potters, he almost immediately noticed Dean Westwood's hateful glare. The Gryffindor sat there in the company of his blocks, and if looks could kill, Scorpius would be dead right at the moment.
In the end, Scorpius just shrugged and looked toward the teacher's table, where Professor McGonagall began her speech. At least her presence brought more pleasant associations. They hadn't discussed it last year, but Scorpius had no doubt they would continue their meetings. And when, at one point, as the sorting ceremony was coming to an end, McGonagall looked in his direction and nodded slightly, it solidified his conviction.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts," the Headmaster said, standing in front of the assembled students in the Great Hall as they all sat at their respective tables. "I hope you've made good use of your summer vacation and you are ready to take on the new challenges that the teaching staff will set before you. Our staff has expanded with a new face. Let us welcome the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Mrs. Luna Scamander."
Upon these words, a woman rose from her seat at the teacher's table. She was dressed in a standard robe, with a colourful scarf wrapped around her neck and a wide-brimmed hat adorned with raven feathers on the right side. She had an odd, almost absent look and a gentle smile imprinted on her pale face. She nodded first to the Headmaster and then looked around the hall, greeting the students with a wave of her hand. She didn't speak a word and quickly sat back down as if overwhelmed by too much attention.
"I think I might sign up for Care of Magical Creatures; the new teacher looks intriguing," Zachary remarked as they unpacked their things in the dormitory that evening.
"I doubt she fancies children," Scorpius muttered.
"Who are you calling a child, shrimp?" Zack stood right next to him, towering over Scorpius by a head. Indeed, he looked like he was closer to seventeen than fourteen years old.
Hearing their conversation, Karl chuckled. "Maybe you have more height than the rest of us, but before you start hitting to the professor, get rid of the zits on your nose first."
Zack stood between them and crossed his arms over his chest. "Jealousy speaks through you because now you look like first-years in my presence."
"Rather, you look like a coat hanger," Scorpius retorted and, not caring about the murderous look from his friend, began to unpack his things.
"That coat hanger also has long legs," the blond said and placed his disproportionately long left leg right in front of Scorpius. The latter stumbled, dropping a pile of books on the floor.
"Merlin's beard! Are you bored, you troll's saggy butt!?" he hissed, getting up from the floor.
Zack didn't respond; he merely smiled slyly, making Scorpius more and more inclined to rearrange his face, whether with a spell or, at the very least, with his fists. But at that time, he refrained, especially since Karl began gathering his textbooks.
Suddenly, Scorpius' gaze stopped on a small brown leather-bound book with the gold-embossed date "2020" on the front cover. There was nothing else on the cover, not even a title. Before Scorpius could react, Karl opened it, and a genuine look of surprise appeared on his face. It turned out to be an album of photos. It was a gift Lily had sent Scorpius at the end of the summer holidays. It contained photos taken during their trip. Scorpius also added the ones he had received in June from Albus. However, at that moment, he regretted that he had packed it into his trunk on a sentimental impulse.
"Give it to me!" he growled, taking the album from his roommate's hand.
Karl looked at him questioningly. "I didn't think you were that close with Potters."
Scorpius cringed internally, hearing the tone in Karl's voice that carried a hint of resentment. However, he quickly dismissed that thought and went back to gathering his books.
"It just happened. They insisted, so I went with them."
"And this?" Karl pointed at the book.
Scorpius shrugged. "Lily sent it to me a while later."
Suddenly, Zack sneaked up from behind and snatched the album out of Scorpius' hand. That rascal not only kept his hands out of Scorpius' reach, but he had also become incredibly agile.
"Lily, huh?" Zachary teased, laughing. Then he jumped onto the bed, where Scorpius had no chance of catching him anymore. "So, she's not the little, annoying Gryffindor anymore; now she's 'Lily.' Our Scorpio is growing up. Is she your girlfriend?"
Scorpius couldn't take it any longer; he grabbed his Potions textbook and hurled it at Zachary. Unfortunately, he managed to dodge it skillfully and continued to browse the album.
"She's actually quite cute," he commented. "And she smiles so adorably. And the way she looks at you..."
"Silencio," Scorpius called, aiming his wand at Zachary. "I've had enough of your babbling."
Zack said something in response, but much to Scorpius' joy, complete silence accompanied it.
"I'll remove the Silencing Charm when you give the album back," Scorpius retorted and went back to collect the rest of his things. He preferred not to dwell on what Zachary had been blabbering about or why Karl smiled so suspiciously.
He knocked and entered the room when he heard the invitation. McGonagall, as usual, was seated at her large desk, only briefly taking her eyes off the documents to nod and invite him to the chair across. Although the Headmaster didn't invite him, after the first day of classes, Scorpius decided to come and investigate the situation. Even though he was confident that they would continue their lessons, a small underlying fear told him that he might be wrong.
"I'm glad you came," she finally spoke, pushing the parchment aside. "I was about to summon you. How's your study with your father?"
As always, she didn't waste time on unnecessary small talk.
"Good, I think."
"Aren't you sure?"
He knew there was much more behind that question. She wanted to know whether he had managed to improve his relationship with Draco.
"Good. I went through all the assigned material, and then my father gave me two books from his collection," he stated, and seeing McGonagall's slightly concerned look, he quickly added, "Nothing dangerous, just some history and theoretical concepts."
The headmistress nodded. "Very well. I'm glad to see you've spent your holidays so productively. We have a lot of work this year."
After those words, she got up from her chair and moved around the desk.
"I thought a lot about our lessons during the holidays and decided it's about time for you to start thinking about specialisation."
Scorpius looked at her with open astonishment, not only at her statement but, most importantly, at the fact that she admitted to thinking about him during the summer break. As the Headmaster, she certainly had plenty of other duties during that time, yet she found the time to focus on him.
"You're approaching the midpoint of your education," she continued. "Although the school program covers a variety of subjects, students who successfully complete their OWLs begin to train in selected directions to achieve outstanding results. Most witches and wizards choose one or two specialisations in which they are developing. Of course, theoretically, you still have plenty of time to make such decisions, but at your level, I believe you can speed up this process. You don't have to respond now, but it's worth considering and answering the question of which magical subjects you'd like to develop the most."
Fortunately, the Headmaster didn't require an immediate answer from him, as he had no idea what to choose. Many things fascinated him, but he had never thought about what he'd like to specialise in. Alongside that question was another, much more challenging one: what he'd like to do after finishing school. Although he tried not to be pessimistic, there was a huge possibility that what he wanted to do didn't align with what he could do.
However, he didn't share these thoughts with the Headmaster. At the moment, such contemplations wouldn't make much sense. Instead, he nodded.
"I'll think about it, although it won't be an easy decision."
"I'm not giving you a time limit for an answer. When you find it, we'll move on to specific topics. Meanwhile, we'll continue our lessons as usual."
He nodded in agreement once more.
"What can you tell me about the Arresto Momentum charm?" McGonagall never beat around the bush. Scorpius smiled to himself. He had really missed her.
Over the next few days, Scorpius spent a lot of time dwelling on the issue raised by the Headmaster, but he still didn't have a clear answer. There were just too many fascinating things and topics to limit himself to a chosen group. He decided to give himself more time and hoped that the decision would come to him naturally.
In the meantime, he had to put these thoughts aside because they were entering the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Professor Willick already waited for them behind his desk, hunched over some notes, and didn't even honour the students with a single glance.
Out of all the problems, that one was the most urgent for Scorpius. Not only did they learn spells he had known for a long time, but the teacher himself irritated him to the core. He was a real grouch, and he demonstrated how little he cared about the students, especially those from Slytherin. When he looked at Scorpius, he understood that he had to do something about that.
All students took their seats, and the teacher finally tore himself away from his notes. He stood up, circled his desk, and eventually leaned against it. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his expression was grim.
"You're beginning your fourth year of study. We won't be learning about charms against boggarts or how to get rid of a banshee in the closet. Let's leave those games for children. Unfortunately, the truth is brutal. During the last war, most witches and wizards died due to much more dangerous spells. There are many spells, charms, and curses that can lead to death. Among them, there are three particularly dreadful ones, which, among other reasons, are called Unforgivable Curses."
When he mentioned the name, a murmur of excitement passed through the class.
"Don't get too excited; we won't be using any of them. Remember that using any of them against another person is a one-way ticket to Azkaban. In that class, you'll only learn how to defend against them. Well, against those you can defend against. In truth, the most powerful of them, Avada Kedavra, the killing curse, is practically unstoppable. No shield or counter-curse can protect you from it. Fortunately, it's an incredibly difficult spell to master, requiring an exceptionally strong will, and even then, it's not without consequences for the user. There haven't been any cases of that curse being used in Great Britain for over fifteen years, so you can rest easy. Even in last year's incidents on Diagon Alley, where there were many casualties, that particular curse wasn't used. That only confirms my thesis that there are many other spells which can kill a person."
"The second Unforgivable Curse is Cruciatus, the torture curse. It doesn't cause immediate death but inflicts excruciating pain beyond imagination. People subjected to prolonged exposure to that curse often suffered permanent brain damage, which even the best healers couldn't fix. The last one is the Imperius Curse, a control curse. It allows the caster to force the victim to perform almost any command."
Suddenly, a Ravenclaw girl sitting in the front row raised her hand. It was Peggy White, one of the top students and one of the most promising students of the year. She was also considered the most beautiful of the girls, probably due to her long chestnut locks cascading down her back.
"My father claims that the Death Eaters themselves invented the Imperius Curse as an excuse to avoid Azkaban," she said when Willick granted her the floor.
"Miss White, it is widely known that the Imperius Curse leaves no tangible evidence of its effects on the victim. That's why it's challenging to determine definitively whether a person was acting under the curse or under their own will. The trials of suspected Death Eaters continued for years after Voldemort's death, and it was often difficult to provide a clear answer."
"So what happened in such cases?"
"The principle of the presumption of innocence still applies in our legal system," Willick replied, and Scorpius noticed that the teacher looked in his direction. "Those who couldn't be proven to have acted with premeditation were set free."
"So, it was a perfect excuse," the Ravenclaw girl concluded with a smile that sent shivers down spines.
"Unfortunately, there is some truth in that."
"Wouldn't it have been better to just lock them all up instead of letting some Death Eaters avoid punishment?"
"What about those who were genuinely innocent?" Esther suddenly spoke up, surprising both Scorpius and most of the students in the room. "Would you send those who were victims to Azkaban with a clear conscience?"
White let out a snort, casting a disdainful glance toward the Slytherin girl.
"First, we'd have to assume that anyone there was innocent. After all, even the professor admitted that it was often a smokescreen used by those with much wrongdoing on their conscience. Besides, even if a truly innocent person were to be found, I'd rather sacrifice one such person than let the scum run free."
"For a Ravenclaw, you have a particularly odd sense of justice."
Peggy shrugged.
"And is it just to let families of the murdered watch their perpetrators go unpunished? So, yes, I'd rather sacrifice an innocent person so the guilty one is brought to justice. I assume you have a different opinion. But everything depends on the house someone was raised in. For example, I don't have to worry about that; none of my relatives were accused of supporting Voldemort."
Scorpius didn't like the expression on Esther's face at all.
"It's quite interesting because, with such ideas, you could've been one of his followers as well," she snapped.
"How dare you?!" Peggy got up from her chair. "Professor, did you hear what that little wretch is saying? She seems to have forgotten that the slimy Slytherins were on his side. It was your families who answered in court, and they should all meet the same, fully deserved fate!"
Esther was faster than Willick; in an instant, she had risen from her seat and drawn her wand.
"Rictusempra!" she cried with fury, sending Peggy flying several rows of benches backwards.
She fell not far from the bewildered teacher, who apparently didn't know how to react in such a situation, standing there dumbfounded while watching the two girls.
"You bloody hag!" The Ravenclaw girl yelled, reaching for her wand.
"Expelliarmus!" Scorpius shouted, and a second later, Peggy's wand landed in his hand.
"You?! Why do you interfere, you miserable little scumbag?! Is it because your daddy also shielded himself with the Imperius Curse, and now you feel a specific bond with that..."
"Shut up, you dumb hen! Silencio!" Scorpius snapped.
That one sentence had infuriated him more than anything before. In an instant, he marched up to White, who was screaming at him soundlessly.
"In truth," he began in a sinister tone, "my father had seen the Imperius Curse being cast on entirely innocent people, something you assumed was impossible. You know nothing about those times, and you spout stupid, reckless judgments. Who gave you the right to decide whether someone deserves to die in Azkaban or not? You're just a foolish girl who is trying to get attention. It makes me sick."
Peggy turned crimson, but the Silencing Charm effectively prevented her from engaging in a verbal skirmish.
In the meantime, the rest of the students looked at Scorpius in astonishment, who, still irritated to the brink of his patience, shifted his gaze to Willick.
"What kind of teacher are you that allows such things to happen in your class?" he asked, still visibly angry.
It was only then that the man somewhat shook himself out of his shock, and a grimace of anger appeared on his face.
"Give me Miss White's wand, Malfoy," he said, extending his hand towards the Slytherin.
For a fraction of a second, Scorpius felt like spitting on the outstretched hand, but he held back and pressed the wand into it with an angry gesture. Then, for the last time, he turned to the Ravenclaw girl.
"If you utter even a word, I'll silence you for good," he muttered, then used the Finite Incantatem spell to dispel the previous Silencing Charm.
The girl stared at him with a mixture of fear and anger but ultimately said nothing. She just walked over to Willick to retrieve her property.
Meanwhile, Scorpius returned to his seat, passing by Esther on the way. She was still nervous, clutching her wand so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"Thank you," she hissed through gritted teeth as he passed by.
Scorpius nodded ever so slightly, then sat down on his bench, swearing to himself that it was the last time he'd waste his time there.
He spent the whole afternoon of that day and the next day in the library, reviewing materials related to Defense Against the Dark Arts topics covered in the fourth year. Practically, only two were completely unfamiliar to him, which he intended to catch up on before the next class. It was there that Esther found him in the evening. The Slytherin girl entered the library, approached the counter, and returned the books she had borrowed to Madam Pince. Then, she made her way towards Scorpius and silently took a seat in the chair next to him. He could tell she wanted to talk to him, but he didn't press, seeing that she was mustering the courage. It was somewhat unusual as she hadn't shown such hesitations before.
"My parents were under the influence of Imperius," she began without preamble.
"I suspected that," he replied, tearing his gaze away from the book he read. He looked at Esther, who had an unusual look in her eyes as she gazed into the space in front of her. "I hope you don't mind my intervention. I thought you wouldn't want to face the whole Ravenclaw gang alone. I know how it feels."
A sad smile appeared on Esther's face, and she shook her head. "I appreciate it, although, at that moment, I regretted not silencing her myself."
Scorpius also smiled slightly. "You shouldn't be bothered by her words. She has no idea what she talks about."
"It's not just about her words but what they represent. You see, my parents didn't want to join Voldemort, so he forced them to cooperate. After his death, they were interrogated and monitored for almost three years until they were finally cleared due to a lack of concrete evidence. It seemed like the nightmare was over. They never returned to our family home; they moved far away to Wales, where they had a large farm. That's where I was born. I don't remember much from that time. When I was six, my parents went to London for some business. You would think that after so many years, the whole matter had subsided; unfortunately, someone recognised and accused them. To make matters worse, those who attacked them were drunk."
Esther looked straight at him with a gaze filled with pain and anger.
"They lynched them," she said. "They beat them like dogs, despite the court's verdict, justice, or innocence. To them, my parents were Death Eaters, scum deserving death."
Scorpius remained silent for a while, understanding Esther's previous outburst much better. With such experiences, it's no wonder she couldn't calmly listen to Peggy White's words.
"I'm sorry," he said, "such things should never happen."
The Slytherin girl let out a heavy sigh, and her face regained a more normal expression.
"But they do happen and will continue as long as there are people like Peggy White."
There was something hauntingly true in those words. After all, Scorpius had also encountered such situations numerous times, perhaps not in such a drastic form, but undeniably.
"If she ever gets on your nerves again, you can always count on my help. I know a few charms that can effectively temper her impulses."
"Thank you," Esther replied. "I hope it won't be necessary. I wouldn't want you to have problems because of me." She paused for a moment and continued, "I have one request, though. Please don't tell anyone about that. When I lost my parents, my grandma was the only family member left, and, well, she's a squib. I prefer that no one in Slytherin knows I live among Muggles."
Scorpius nodded, fully understanding the request. "Don't worry; luckily, I'm not like Zack, so your secret is safe with me."
Esther also nodded in agreement, then she leaned over and kissed Scorpius on the cheek. "Thank you... for everything." She didn't wait for his response and headed to the library exit. Scorpius remained slightly stunned for a moment and then shook his head, returning to the book he had read. Esther was indeed a strange girl, but with each passing day, he began to understand her better.
He was determined, especially after McGonagall agreed to his plan. If, for some reason, Willick wouldn't want to agree, Scorpius could count on the support of the Headmaster, although he hoped he wouldn't have to bring that up. Even without it, the "McGonagall's pupil" label had firmly stuck to him, but he wasn't concerned anymore. Ultimately, it was probably the most pleasant of the labels thrown his way.
He entered the classroom where the Defense Against the Dark Arts class was about to begin. As usual, the teacher sat behind the desk, engrossed in some materials, not paying attention to the students. Scorpius didn't even look at any of the Ravenclaws and went directly to the desk at the front of the room. Only when he stood right next to it did Willick notice his presence. He raised his gaze from the book and fixed it on Scorpius. His well-known grimace appeared almost immediately. It was clear at first glance that he had no intention to speak with Scorpius.
"I want to take the exam," Scorpius said, not making the slightest effort to be polite. Unlike other teachers, Willick had done nothing to deserve it.
"What?"
"That's what you heard. I want to take the final exam for the fourth year today before the class starts."
"Are you kidding? You can't..."
"I can. The school regulations allow that for students who, for whatever reason, have missed more than fifty per cent of the classes. Since I don't plan on coming here again, we can sort it out right now."
"I don't have time for such nonsense," he tried to dismiss him.
Scorpius sighed, suppressing his growing irritation. At the same time, he felt an increasing number of surprised glances upon him. Most of the students knew he had a problem with Willick, so their confrontation naturally piqued their interest.
"You will do a favour for both of us. We both know that my presence here is clearly not to your liking and thanks to that, you won't have to endure my ugly Slytherin face for the next ten months. That's enough reward for so little effort," Scorpius retorted.
"As usual, your arrogance defies description," the man replied with distaste. "But if you're so incredibly self-assured, then go ahead. Just don't expect any special treatment; on the contrary, such non-standard conditions require exceptional criteria."
Scorpius smirked, not for a moment expecting anything different.
A strange silence filled the classroom as Professor Willick signed his name with a nervous gesture on the parchment for Scorpius. After nearly an hour-long exam, Scorpius had every reason to be pleased with himself. He might have completely forgotten the name of the spell that reversed the effects of Furnunculus and got a bit mixed up in differentiating between the Water Nymph and the Freshwater Plimpy, but it was still a decent result. At least, it was more than enough to deny Willick even a shadow of a chance of failing him.
After a moment, the teacher put down his quill, glanced over the document once more, and then handed it to Scorpius with a murderous look.
"Congratulations, Mr. Malfoy. You've just passed your fourth year of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Scorpius accepted the parchment and, without saying another word, spun on his heel and left the room. Willick could choke on his insincere congratulations for all he cared. The most important thing was that he wouldn't have to bear with him for the next few months. Scorpius had at least a handful of better ideas for how to spend his time.
While he felt a twinge of guilt about leaving Estera and his friends behind, he believed they would manage fine without him. And if Peggy or some other Ravenclaw student decided to take revenge on them again, well, he had experience in dealing with unruly Ravenclaws.
Later that same day, he brought the document to McGonagall, who accepted it with stoic calm, stating that she had no doubt he would pass with ease.
"If only I had the same luck with Potions," he commented, taking his usual seat. "Not to mention the History of Magic. Even regularly attending those classes, I can't memorise half of it. A nightmare."
The Headmaster smiled faintly at that statement. "I have the feeling that your ability to memorise information is directly connected to your interest in the subject. You should work on it; after all, you won't always be studying fascinating and captivating topics."
Scorpius rolled his eyes. At his moment of triumph, she was going to lecture him. He should have kept quiet about that wretched History of Magic.
"It would also be worthwhile for you to take an interest in Ancient Runes. It's a difficult subject, but directly related to the matters we will be addressing."
A shiver ran down Scorpius's spine at the thought of yet another lesson, especially one described by her as "difficult." He certainly didn't feel like such a workhorse. Apparently, McGonagall had a different opinion on that matter.
"I didn't take Runes last year," he grasped at the last straw.
"That's not a problem. I'll help you catch up," McGonagall replied.
Scorpius winced inwardly and then smiled somewhat defiantly. "I suppose you don't like me after all, professor."
McGonagall gave him a critical look. "You have high aspirations, and my expectations follow accordingly. Do you think that just because you passed Defense Against the Dark Arts in advance, you can rest on your laurels? Use the free time you've gained to study Runes."
He could figure out ten other ways to spend his time, but he kept that thought to himself. What puzzled him more were the high aspirations she mentioned. In truth, he still had no idea what he really wanted to achieve. He certainly didn't intend to settle for mediocrity, but his actual goal remained a great unknown.
The rest of the evening was spent practising one of the charms Scorpius had mastered during the summer, and they parted just before dinner. Scorpius briefly stopped by the library to pick up a third-year Ancient Runes textbook before heading to the Great Hall. However, he never made it there because halfway through, he suddenly felt the characteristic tingling sensation that accompanied spellcasting and almost immediately lost consciousness.
The first thing he felt as he began to regain consciousness was the searing pain in his left forearm. He didn't know what had happened yet, but he sensed that he could barely move his arm, not even clench his fingers. He opened his eyes, but it took a moment for his vision to clear. He looked around and saw that he was on the floor in some classroom that didn't seem to be in use, judging by the chairs stacked in the corner and the moved benches. Then he glanced at his arm and experienced a strange déjà vu from the Room of Requirement.
The sleeve of his robe was cut open as if by a knife, along the entire length. Scorpius grimaced as he tried to sit up, biting his lips in pain, as his completely limp left arm twitched terribly, even when he didn't move it. It was only then that he noticed the source of his pain. On the inner side of his forearm, he had an imprint, as if seared by a hot iron, of the symbol: a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth—the mark of the Death Eaters. In an instant, he felt a surge of anger and panic. Who could have done that? Who could come up with such a sick idea? Several names crossed his mind, but the relentless pain made it hard for him to think. He would think about it later when he got rid of that mark.
He took out his wand and cast a healing spell, but the wand slipped from his hand when another intense wave of pain engulfed him. The pain radiated from his forearm to his chest and seemed to accumulate in his head. Scorpius couldn't control himself and let out a disjointed scream.
Several minutes passed before the pain receded, at least enough for Scorpius to stop trembling on the floor. If he had ever wondered what it felt like to be hit by the Cruciatus Curse, he had certainly experienced a foretaste of that. There were two conclusions to draw: first, the symbol was not just an ordinary burn, and second, it was undoubtedly some form of curse. But who in Hogwarts would dare to use dark magic? It was madness.
After a few more minutes, Scorpius managed to sit up again. When he looked at the symbol, he noticed black lines, like veins, radiating from it and reaching all the way up to his elbow. That didn't bode well, and the longer he stared at it, the stronger the sense of dread overcame him. His mind was in turmoil, and the constant pulsing pain didn't make finding a solution any easier.
He had to get help, but where? He couldn't show himself with a Death Eater's symbol burned on his arm. If it reached the Ministry, he would be accused of dark magic practices. After all, he had no evidence, nothing that could convince anyone that he didn't do it to himself. Just his word, a Slytherin's word, which meant nothing to them.
McGonagall wouldn't betray him, would she? He could trust her; she would help him with her knowledge, certainly knowing some way to remove a curse. But what if she thought that, despite his promise, he had tried something by himself? Would she believe him when he told her that someone had attacked him? A mysterious attacker he couldn't describe.
He felt the pain and panic tightening around his throat. With his trembling right hand, he grasped his hair and squeezed it hard. With every moment, he felt more and more dazed, and it became increasingly difficult to draw logical conclusions. He felt his thoughts becoming tangled in an ever-increasing mess.
No, McGonagall was the school's headmaster; she would have to report something like that. She couldn't find out. But if not her, then who? He wouldn't go to Willick; of course, it was his field of expertise, but that rat would rather watch than help Scorpius. Unfortunately, no one else came...
His father! In a sudden realisation, he managed to muster the strength to get up from the floor. After all, Draco himself dealt with dark magic, and there were many books related to it at home. Maybe he could find a solution there; he just had to endure the pain until then.
He raised his wand and cautiously aimed it at the sleeve of his robe. A moment later, the mended fabric concealed the cursed mark, and Scorpius took a shaky step toward the door, trying to use his left hand as little as possible.
When he left the classroom, he realised that not much time had passed since he had been unconscious. It was possible that dinner hadn't even finished yet, and the hallways were still crowded with students. Many of them cast suspicious glances at Scorpius as he walked with his left arm hanging strangely at his side. He couldn't entirely hide the grimaces of pain on his face either, but he didn't care, barely registering the people he passed. His mind was fixated on one thought - he needed to get out of Hogwarts and go home.
Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice among the students. Lily stood in the hallway among other Gryffindors, talking about something with amusement. When Scorpius saw her, he didn't think twice; he knew she might hold the key to leaving the school. He didn't consider what he planned and walked towards her. She was in the middle of a conversation, and when he was only a few steps away, she finally noticed him.
"Scorpius? What..."
"Come," he muttered through clenched teeth. He grabbed her arm with his healthy hand and pulled her towards a side corridor, paying no mind to her friends' frightened glances.
"What are you doing? What's going on?" Lily asked with growing concern. If he had been more rational, he would have realised how terrified he had just made her, but he didn't pay any attention to that at the moment.
"Your brother has a magical map, right?" he yelled as he stopped in a spot where nobody could see them.
Lily looked at him with wide eyes. "What happened?"
"He said that the map shows secret passages, including ones leading out of Hogwarts. Where are they?" He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the girl.
The Gryffindor girl looked at him, her fear increasing with each moment. She probably thought he had lost his mind, and unfortunately, she might be right.
"I don't know. I've seen some... Albus showed me a hidden passage under the statue of a one-eyed witch on the third floor. You need to use the spell... Dissendium and it will reveal a tunnel leading to Hogsmeade."
Scorpius didn't need to hear more. Without a word, he put away his wand and hurried towards the nearest staircase, leaving a crying Lily on her own.
An hour, or perhaps a little more, passed as Scorpius navigated the dark tunnel. When he emerged into Honeydukes, he struggled to see anything in the room. Initially, he thought the cause of that was the bright light there, but the effect stayed despite the darkness outside. It was evening, and only a few lamps along the street provided sparse illumination.
Scorpius began moving forward, unsure of his destination. How would he get home from there? He noticed some people observing him with suspicion, whispering to each other as he staggered along the street. His legs were weak, his head and hand throbbed with excruciating pain, and he appeared to be running a fever, drenched in cold sweat. At one point, he stopped under a lamppost and, with a growing sense of dread, uncovered the collar of his robe. To his horror, he discovered that the black veins extended almost up to his collarbone, if not higher, but he couldn't be sure.
In a final surge of logic, he made his way to the outskirts of the village where the railway station was located. The Hogwarts Express would usually stop at that station. He hoped it wasn't the only train that took the same route.
As he approached the station, he saw a timetable hanging on one wall of the old building. Despite his difficulties with focus, he managed to read that the next train was scheduled to arrive early the next morning.
With no other ideas and no energy to carry them out, Scorpius sat on the ground, leaning against the brick wall. With each passing moment, it became more challenging to remain conscious, and the darkness beckoned with the promise of release from pain. Despite occasional waves of fear that he might never open his eyes again, he ultimately couldn't resist for long. He soon succumbed to a numbing sleep.
"Scor... Scor... Scorpius!" The distant call broke through to his consciousness, and then someone touched his left arm. It exploded in hellish pain, and Scorpius screamed as he fully woke up. It took a while for his arm to calm down enough for him to catch his breath and focus his gaze on the figures in front of him. In the front row, he saw Albus's terrified face, leaning over him but hesitating to touch him again. Just behind Potter was his brother, wearing a less frightened but deeply concerned expression. Two steps behind them stood a visibly shaken Zack and Karl.
If Scorpius had been able to gather his thoughts for even a moment, he might have wondered how that odd group came there. He might have considered various scenarios to explain the unusual assembly. Perhaps Lily had told her brothers about his strange behaviour, and maybe his roommates started looking for him when he didn't return to their room in the evening. He could have formulated different hypotheses to understand the situation. However, he was unable to formulate a single coherent sentence, let alone analyse the whole situation. The only thing he knew for sure was that he was incredibly relieved to see them because he did not doubt that he was dying.
"My arm... my left arm... don't touch it," he mumbled, barely audible.
"What happened?" Albus asked.
Scorpius just shook his head, unable to say anything more.
"That doesn't matter right now," James said. "We need to get him out of here because he doesn't look good." With those words, the oldest Potter turned to the Slytherins. "Will you help us? We need to organise some kind of stretcher."
Both Zack and Karl nodded almost immediately and set to work.
The journey back to Hogwarts was mostly a blur for Scorpius. He had only brief flashes of consciousness during which he saw himself being alternately carried by James and Zack or Albus paired with Karl. He couldn't remember much about the trip, but when they reached the school gate, there was chaos. Scorpius had almost completely lost his vision's clarity, but he could still hear individual voices. First, it was Filch, then Smilthon, and eventually McGonagall.
"What's happening here? What have you done to Malfoy?" He heard the Headmaster's raised voice.
"We found him in that condition," James explained. "We don't know what happened to him. He was semi-conscious in Hogsmeade."
"Take him to the Hospital Wing," McGonagall ordered. "We'll talk about your unauthorised trip outside the school later."
Scorpius heard as Albus tried to explain something, but the meaning of the Gryffindor words escaped him as he lost consciousness again. When he woke up, he was already in the Hospital Wing, as indicated by Madam Pomfrey's concerned voice. He groaned in pain when she touched his arm to cut the sleeve of his robe.
He heard several horrified gasps as everyone saw what had caused his condition, but he couldn't say anything more. Then he heard Madam Pomfrey cast a charm, and another wave of awful pain washed over his entire body. The pain engulfed him, and he was swallowed by darkness once more.