XXVII

"Family matters," Scorpius grumbled as he made his way towards the Slytherin common room. He also threw away the piece of paper with the three-day detention notice, deciding that he'd deal with it later.

It was hard for him to believe that someone could act so despicably towards a family member, especially one as close as a sister. Having the Potter siblings as an example, who always stood by each other, it wasn't easy to imagine any other behaviour. Yet, a few moments ago, Scorpius had been an eyewitness to it. Worse, Elizabeth's manners clearly suggested that it wasn't an isolated incident. She seemed resigned, even accustomed to her brother's aggression. That was probably the most disturbing aspect of it all. How long must it have been going on for the girl to grow used to something like that? Can such behaviour ever become normal?

In Scorpius' nature, there was always the spirit of a fighter. No matter what happened, no matter how hard life hit him, he always stood up to challenges. He could never passively accept his fate. It made it all the more difficult for him to believe that the relentless attacks from Nash's brother were met with silent acceptance. Just the thought was terrifying. Scorpius imagined what might have happened if he hadn't been around if he hadn't chosen to reveal his presence. His vivid imagination could easily fill in the rest of the picture.

He stopped, feeling an unpleasant tightness in his stomach. Throughout a little more than a year, he had witnessed Timothy Nash tormenting weaker students at least twice. He suspected there were many more such incidents. While these typically ended with verbal arguments or minor scuffles, like many among the students, he couldn't rule out the possibility of the bully abusing someone beyond his sister.

Abusing…

Scorpius still had Nash's words echoing in his ears, uttered towards his sister.

"...father will be furious", "it will hurt more", "I'd like to watch..."

Suddenly, Scorpius felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He could only hope he read too much into the situation. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling another surge of anger. Technically, he shouldn't care; it wasn't his business. In fact, given the circumstances, he should be relieved. The girl was annoying and had been a pain in the arse during recent months. She had clung to him, and he never really understood why. But did he? He gave a bleak smile to his last thought. Everything seemed to fall into place logically. Could it be that she had targeted him as a way to cope with the torment her brother inflicted upon her? After all, weren't people who experienced violence more likely to become perpetrators themselves? On the other hand, she had never gone beyond verbally insulting him. She never laid a finger on him. So perhaps there was something more to that.

However, it wasn't the time to dwell on it. He should head back to his house and get some rest, although he didn't have high hopes for sleep. He knew that when his mind worked at such high speeds, it was difficult to shut it down.

He moved down the corridor and reached the entrance to the dungeons when he stopped again.

"That isn't your concern," he muttered to himself with reproach when he was ready to speak the password to open the passage. But he couldn't just let it go. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself, he still saw the angry look on Nash's face and the terror on his sister's face. Such things should not happen anywhere, let alone at Hogwarts.

He sighed heavily, feeling that he lost the internal battle between what was convenient and what was right. Perhaps spending too much time with Albus started to corrupt him. In the past, he wouldn't have had such doubts. In fact, he would have used it to his advantage; there were so many possibilities. With that knowledge, he could make Nash's life a living hell. But currently... currently, he left the dungeons and walked up the stairs to the first floor.

The hour was late, but Scorpius was convinced that the Headmaster was still awake. From what he had observed, the evening was the time when she worked the most. She probably had a lot of matters to attend to at that moment, and he didn't want to add another one to her plate. So before he knocked on her door, he hesitated once more, contemplating if it was really a good idea.

Unexpectedly, the door to her office swung open, and Professor McGonagall stood there, looking surprised. There was no turning back, as the furrow on her forehead clearly indicated that she demanded immediate explanations.

"What are you doing here, Scorpius? What has happened?"

Again, she didn't ask, 'Has something happened?' She knew he wouldn't have shown up without a reason.

"I think I came at a bad time," he said, holding on to the faint hope that the Headmaster would dismiss him to his House. She, however, only furrowed her brows further.

"I assume it's something more important than Mr Filch's issues with Peeves?"

Scorpius swallowed hard. The die was cast, and he couldn't back out. So he nodded in agreement.

"I believe so."

The Headmaster stepped back, allowing him to enter her office. Scorpius walked in but didn't take his usual seat. Instead, he just looked at the woman, mustering up the courage to speak.

"You asked me to come if I had another problem," he began, hypocrisy scratching him at his throat. He hadn't gone to her about the memory loss. But that was something entirely different; that was his private life. Here, he was dealing with school matters.

He tried to convince himself that that was the truth.

"That's correct," McGonagall replied, sitting down behind her desk with an expression of genuine concern etched on her face.

"I don't even know where to start," Scorpius admitted, running a hand through his hair. "There's a girl in Ravenclaw, Elizabeth Nash, who has been harassing me relentlessly. She's been following me, threatening to do everything she can to get me expelled from the school, and so on. I tried to ignore her and not let her provoke me. That has been going on since the beginning of the semester. It continued until last Thursday when I felt unwell in the corridor just outside the library. She was around and started bad-mouthing me."

With each word, Scorpius noticed the lines on the Headmaster's face deepening. He could imagine the dark scenarios forming in her mind. Although he had a strong urge to twist the truth a bit, he knew that if McGonagall were to question Nash, their versions of the events needed to match as closely as possible.

"Just then, Albus appeared and took her wand," he continued, unknowingly pacing around the office. "He was really angry, thinking that Nash had harmed me in some way. It upset him to the point that he broke her wand. The girl fled, and for a few days, I had her broken wand, not knowing what to do with it."

That was it; he would soon have to confess to one of his misdeeds, and such confessions always proved to be a challenge for him. Scorpius took another deep breath and continued, "Eventually, I used Mrs Scamander's credulity to my advantage, which led me to Mr Ollivander on Diagon Alley, where he repaired the wand."

Scorpius clearly saw the anxiety on the Headmaster's face being replaced by anger when she asked:

"Credulity?"

"I understand that you might not approve of such methods, but my intentions were good. I hoped that if I showed goodwill and repaired her wand, it would end that absurd conflict. You can give me a month of detention if you want, but please let me finish because that's not the main issue."

McGonagall's face showed signs of irritation as she replied:

"I already see several issues here, but go on."

Scorpius nodded.

"I told you all of that to explain what I was doing tonight in the sixth-floor girls' bathroom. I was simply looking for Nash to return her unfortunate wand. I saw her entering, so I waited in the corridor. But then I saw her brother, Timothy, entering the bathroom as well. I found it very odd, so I decided to investigate. And when I got inside, I saw him hitting her. Overall, he was very aggressive and unpleasant. I assume he would have done much more if he hadn't seen me. It's not my business, and maybe I shouldn't interfere, but the expression on that girl's face, the way she reacted... It wasn't the first time. Moreover, from the words I heard, it could be inferred that it's not just about Timothy but also about their father. They're abusing her, Professor."

He watched as the Headmaster turned pale, and a tense silence settled in her office, broken only by the ticking of the clock. Finally, McGonagall took off her glasses with a trembling hand and massaged the bridge of her nose.

"That is a very serious matter and a grave accusation," she said with a shuddering voice.

"I know what I saw," Scorpius quickly replied, suddenly worried that she might not believe him. However, she shook her head.

"I absolutely have no intention of questioning your truthfulness. I trust that it happened as you described it, and I'm glad you brought that to me."

Scorpius shrugged.

"I couldn't just walk away from it."

"I understand you very well. I will handle that." The Headmaster sighed heavily, put her glasses back on, and continued in a more determined tone. "Go back to your dormitory."

"What are you planning to do?" Scorpius asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I will certainly speak with Professor Flitwick and with Elizabeth herself. But, considering your relationship, I believe your presence here wouldn't be well-received."

Scorpius couldn't disagree with that statement.

"If you need me..."

"We will definitely come back to that topic," McGonagall assured, standing up from her chair. "Thank you for bringing that to my attention, but now, please go to your dormitory. I have a busy night ahead of me."

Scorpius gave a bitter smile, then bid farewell to the Headmaster and left her office together with her.

Lying in bed, Scorpius stared at the ceiling, still replaying the conversation with the Headmaster in his mind. He knew she wouldn't let the wand incident slide. There were likely many interesting evenings ahead in the basement of Madam Scamander's house. Albus might also face repercussions, even though his actions were justified. Breaking someone's wand was far beyond the boundaries of school rules.

With that thought in mind, Scorpius sat up and checked the clock. It was already past one in the morning. It might be late, but he didn't want to wait until morning. He reached for the mirror and called the Gryffindor. It took three attempts before Albus' sleepy face appeared in the mirror.

"What's going on?" he asked, half-awake.

"I was with McGonagall," Scorpius whispered, trying not to wake their roommates.

In a few sentences, he described what he had witnessed and his conversation with the Headmaster. By the time he finished, Potter was fully awake.

"She might call you in, as you were involved," Scorpius continued, "but not a word about my memory. I just felt unwell; maybe I had some stomach problems. Got it?"

He saw the doubt creeping onto Potter's honest face.

"Maybe you should tell her," Albus suggested.

Scorpius clenched his teeth, feeling his patience wearing thin.

"I've told you why I can't," he replied. "If I've really stumbled upon something bad, it will put McGonagall in a difficult position. First, I need to find out what I've forgotten and then decide whether to go to the Headmaster."

Reluctantly, Albus nodded.

"Too much hot chocolate with the addition of olives didn't do you well," he said with resignation.

"Thanks," Scorpius replied, smiling wryly.

"I hope I won't regret that," Albus muttered.

"Show a little trust," Scorpius said.

Albus rolled his eyes.

"You're asking me to trust a Slytherin. It's risky."

Scorpius chuckled and ended the call. Then, he lay back on his bed. He truly wished he could fall asleep, but the whirlwind of thoughts kept him restless. He kept wondering if he had made the right choice by getting involved in the Nash family's private matters and whether it would bring more trouble upon him. Most likely, neither Elizabeth nor her brother would let that slide. He could only hope that they would fear McGonagall's reaction too much to engage in open confrontation. It was a small comfort, but the only one he had.

However, despite his dark thoughts, somewhere deep inside, Scorpius felt a peculiar satisfaction. He really wanted to see the face of that jerk, Timothy, when McGonagall summoned him. He would probably try to shift the blame onto Elizabeth or even accuse Scorpius of lying. But, in the latter case, he knew he had earned the Headmaster's trust over the past few months. In a confrontation, his word against Nash's, the Ravenclaw had no chance.

Then, an unpleasant shiver passed through him. Nash was already seventeen years old, so according to the law, he was an adult wizard. If that escalated, if the Ministry got involved, he wouldn't be treated as a child. Could similar acts lead to a sentence in Azkaban?

For a brief moment, Scorpius doubted the rightness of his actions, but then he remembered Elizabeth's resigned look and all his doubts vanished. That jerk had more than earned any punishment that would be handed to him.

How differently family relationships and fates could unfold. Scorpius might not be particularly fond of James Potter, but he couldn't imagine him raising a hand against Lily or Rose. He would sooner cut off that hand.

Scorpius smiled at his thoughts and finally drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

The morning came way too fast, and Scorpius had a hard time getting out of bed.

"You look like a zombie," commented Zachary. "To what time did you camp in the library?"

"You don't want to know," muttered Scorpius, rubbing his face.

He knew that sooner or later, he would have to tell them about what happened; after all, he promised not to feed them with lies. However, at the moment, he simply didn't feel up to it, especially since his story would inevitably lead to a hundred additional questions.

"You should take better care of yourself. How are you going to represent us in such a state?" Karl added.

"Back off," Scorpius grumbled and quickly made his escape to the shower to avoid further nagging.

Feeling refreshed after a shower and dressed in clean clothes, Scorpius was more awake, at least enough to join the guys for breakfast without further concerns about his health.

As they entered the common room, they almost immediately spotted seven pedestals near the entrance. On each pedestal stood a small box with a number corresponding to different years of study, alongside a stack of small cards and a quill.

Seeing that, Karl and Zack went to the one labelled "four," each taking a card and, without hesitation, writing Scorpius' name on it before putting it into the urn. They both had sly grins on their faces, and Scorpius responded with a theatrical eye roll. He had no intention of voting, as it made no sense in his current situation. He also noticed many Slytherins from other years kept a close eye on him. They likely knew they'd be competing against him, which didn't seem to fill them with optimism. However, Scorpius didn't intend to be bothered by that and headed toward the exit to have his breakfast before classes started.

He hadn't made it to the Great Hall when a very enthusiastic Lily caught up with him while a noticeably less excited Albus followed behind.

"Guess who the second-year Gryffindors want to choose as their representative?" she called out, barely containing her self-satisfaction.

Scorpius couldn't help but flash a mischievous smile.

"I have no doubt it will be Hugo Weasley."

The Gryffindor girl pouted and placed her hands on her hips.

"You're mean, Scorpius."

Scorpius chuckled and then smiled more kindly, patting the redhead on the head.

"Well, I know you. At first glance, it's clear you're bursting with pride."

"Of course! There were heated debates last night, and today, I saw students casting their votes. I really don't understand why the voting will take a whole week when it's already obvious today."

"It's to keep the students in suspense," said Zachary, joining Scorpius. "Besides, not everything is as straightforward as you think. Look at Ravenclaws; there's quite a commotion at their table today."

Hearing that, Scorpius instinctively glanced over to the Ravenclaw table, where, indeed, there was an odd atmosphere. Many people were whispering amongst themselves, and practically no one was laughing. Everyone seemed rather concerned. Scorpius turned his attention back to Albus, who also watched them with unease. Only the two of them knew that these discussions were probably not related to the Olympics. It seemed that rumours spread quickly.

"And who did you choose as your representative?" Scorpius asked, trying to divert the focus away from the Ravenclaws.

Albus shrugged.

"It's obvious, isn't it? They chose Rose. No one else had a chance," he grumbled, then added with an even gloomier expression, "They also chose James, so I'll be in the stands with you."

Scorpius cringed inwardly. That wouldn't do much for Potter's self-esteem.

"I'm joining too," he said concisely.

Albus looked surprised.

"What about your detention?"

"McGonagall lifted it a few days ago. She made it clear that I should compete."

To that statement, the Gryffindor only nodded sadly.

"Chin up, Potter," Zack chuckled, approaching and putting his arm around Albus. "Not everyone is a nerdy swot who spends their life in the library. Think about it: we're going to have fun while they're going to struggle. They'll be jealous of us."

Zachary had an incredible way of dealing with problems. Although he usually acted as the Slytherin jester, when it came down to it, he knew how to detect and address the issues at hand. He managed to turn the problem into a joke, which was highly effective, as Albus smiled and stopped sulking.

"Let's finally go to breakfast because we can't seem to make it to the table," Karl interrupted, pointing at the clock.

Scorpius had to agree; they had less than twenty minutes before their first classes, and they needed to hurry. Since the Slytherin table was quite empty, Lily and Albus joined them for breakfast, which was surprisingly unnoticed by others, and that was a refreshing change.

"I haven't seen Nash anywhere," Albus whispered just as Scorpius scanned the Ravenclaw table. "It seems she didn't come to breakfast today."

Scorpius shrugged.

"McGonagall was supposed to talk to her; it's hard to say how it ended."

"Others must have noticed her absence."

"Probably. I wonder when they'll decide to skin me for it," Scorpius muttered while sipping pumpkin juice.

"Maybe they won't link you to that incident."

"I'm not optimistic about that."

Suddenly, the doors of the Great Hall swung open, and the Headmaster entered with determined steps. Her face was stern and grim, yet it carried a remarkable sense of fatigue. She clearly hadn't slept at all that night.

All eyes turned to her as she approached the Slytherin table.

"Come with me, Scorpius," she said in an unwavering tone that allowed no opposition.

Scorpius exchanged a meaningful glance with Albus before looking at Karl and Zack, who were both puzzled.

"I'll explain later," he said to them and then obediently rose to follow the swiftly walking Headmaster, leaving behind the curious gazes of many students who were probably thinking he had caused some new trouble. How long would it take them to connect that to the disappearance of another Ravenclaw? Scorpius shuddered at the thought of how it might reflect on him.

"Muffliato!" McGonagall whispered before they even left the Great Hall. "For Miss Nash's sake, it's better if no one overhears us. We don't need more rumours."

"In Ravenclaw, everyone seems to suspect something already. They were incredibly agitated today," Scorpius replied.

"Two of their housemates didn't return last night; it has to cause concern. I'll explain their prefect shortly to ease the tensions."

Scorpius nodded, though he genuinely doubted that would be sufficient. He really wished to avoid all that commotion, but as usual, he found himself right in the middle of it, partly by his own doing.

"And what now?" he asked.

"I've decided to report the whole matter to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. An auror is waiting in my office to interview you as a witness."

Scorpius swallowed hard. He had hoped to avoid encountering any auror for at least another decade, but apparently, it wasn't possible. Furthermore, he had a strong feeling that the auror wouldn't give much weight to his words, especially considering he was a Slytherin. He decided not to share that concern with the Headmaster, particularly since she seemed lost in her thoughts.

They walked in silence for a while, and Scorpius saw no reason to break it. However, with an odd tone in her voice, McGonagall suddenly asked:

"Why have students lost so much faith in their teachers?"

Although Scorpius wasn't sure if the question was directed at him, he could sense the underlying query.

The Headmaster let out a heavy sigh and shook her head.

"Perhaps we've stopped paying enough attention to the signals that should have alarmed us. In the past, the school had fewer students, and the groups weren't as large, making it easier to spot something amiss. Now, more magical children are born each year. How many of them experience similar traumas without finding any support?"

Another question to which Scorpius had no answer. He had never counted on the teachers for help. They had always seemed like the last people he'd want to confide in about his problems. What about students from the other Houses? He couldn't say.

Finally, they arrived at the office, and McGonagall let him in before closing the door behind him. If Scorpius had thought that meeting an auror wouldn't be pleasant, he felt even worse when he saw that the auror in question was Ronald Weasley. He put in considerable effort to keep his emotions in check and entered the office.

Mr Weasley didn't look surprised. McGonagall must have informed him in advance. He took a seat next to Scorpius, took out a parchment for notes along with a self-writing quill, and asked:

"Why, every time something happens in the school, you are involved?"

Scorpius clenched his teeth and held back the first response that came to mind. Engaging in an argument with an auror would probably lead to nothing good.

"I'm not involved," he grumbled. "I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You have no idea how often I hear that answer," Mr Weasley replied. "But let's get to the point. According to the Headmaster, on Sunday evening, you sneaked into the girls' bathroom on the sixth floor and witnessed a confrontation between the Nash siblings. Is that correct?"

Scorpius felt his irritation growing but managed to keep his anger at bay.

"I didn't sneak in anywhere," he snapped. "I was waiting in the corridor when I saw Timothy Nash enter the bathroom. It struck me as strange, so I followed him. That's when I overheard their argument. Although, I wouldn't call it an argument; rather, Timothy was yelling at his sister for losing her wand."

"The one you had with you at that time?" Mr Weasley asked.

Scorpius nodded.

"Albus had broken it a few days earlier. I'd fixed it and wanted to return it to her."

"How long did that confrontation last?"

Scorpius shook his head.

"Not long, just a few sentences spoken in anger. Then Timothy grabbed his sister by the hair and pushed her towards a sink, causing her to hit the mirror."

"Did she resist?"

Scorpius shrugged.

"No, she seemed to take the hits passively."

He noticed a subtle change in the auror's expression. Scorpius realised that the mother of the Potters was his younger sister. It was easy to imagine what might be going through Mr Weasley's mind.

"What happened next?" auror asked.

Scorpius took a deep breath and continued,

"Timothy continued shouting about their father for a moment and then prepared to strike again. That's when I entered the room, and he saw me."

"Did he attack you?"

"No, he looked rather surprised. Then he threatened me and left."

"What were the threats?"

Scorpius shrugged again.

"He said he'd kill me if I told anyone what I'd seen."

For the first time, Mr Weasley's face showed a flicker of surprise.

"You don't seem too concerned about it," he noted.

Scorpius couldn't help but let a shadow of a Slytherin smirk cross his face.

"It's not the first time someone's threatened me, and I'm not afraid of that scoundrel."

The auror gave him a strange look.

"Bravery worthy of a Gryffindor. It seems you didn't inherit that from your father."

Suddenly, Scorpius felt his blood begin to boil. He knew that Weasley harboured no fondness for his father, but he had hoped that, in the current situation, he wouldn't bring that up.

"Does my parentage matter here?!" he growled, no longer concealing his anger.

"It matters because it makes me seriously doubt your words," the auror hissed, his face showing anger. "The explanation involving the wand is convenient, but how can I be sure you weren't conspiring with Nash? His sister argued with you. Maybe you decided to motivate her in a particular way to make her leave you alone, and now you're trying to shift the blame to her brother. If he attacked her, what stopped him from attacking you? Am I supposed to believe he just walked away like that? And even if he did, why did you go to the Headmaster with that when Elizabeth had a conflict with you? You could have used that against her. Such a turn of events would be much more beneficial for you than the current situation."

Scorpius rose from his chair, his eyes filled with anger as he glared at Weasley.

"Much more in line with a Slytherin, isn't it?!" he snarled. "Sure, that would fit the pattern perfectly. I'd strike a deal with Timothy, attack his sister, and then push the fault on him for the entire incident! Is that what you're suggesting?"

"Sit down!" the auror barked.

"I'm not going to! For a brief moment, I thought you might understand why I did that. After all, you have a younger sister too. I don't, but I've never raised a hand against anyone weaker than me. In fact, I'm usually the one who gets the short end of the stick. And even though Elizabeth gets on my nerves more than anyone else at school lately, I had no intention of just standing by and watching that guy mistreat her. I don't know why he didn't attack me; I suspect it's because he only attacks when he's sure the victim won't fight back. It just so happens that, ever since Peggy White's death, all the Ravenclaws at school have viewed me as vengeful and dangerous. So yes, he didn't attack me because he was afraid he'd end up like White."

In the office, an unpleasant silence hung in the air, and Scorpius felt his blood boil. He could sense his anger growing stronger, but at the same time, he became aware that he had probably just made a terrible mistake. Ronald Weasley was still in shock, but it wouldn't be long before he remembered that he was an auror there.

Finally, the man cleared his throat and looked at the parchment with notes.

"Strike the last two paragraphs," he muttered to his quill, which obediently removed them. Then he looked at Scorpius.

"Sit down," he repeated, more calmly that time, pointing to the chair.

Scorpius took a deep breath and reluctantly sat down.

"Do you intend to bring any charges against me?" he asked.

"No," the auror replied, still not looking at him. "Your account aligns with the stories told by the Nash siblings, or at least with the one given by Elizabeth because Timothy refused to cooperate."

Scorpius said nothing, but he felt the tension in his body and a building headache.

"What happened after Timothy left the bathroom?" Weasley continued.

"I tended to Elizabeth's head wound, returned her wand, and then I went to the dormitory. I just wanted to go to bed, but eventually, I decided that the Headmaster needed to know about it."

"Have you seen either of the Nash siblings since then?"

"No."

"Has anyone else approached you about that matter?"

"No."

"You're free to go," Weasley said. "There may be a need for further questioning, and you'll receive the appropriate notice from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Scorpius wordlessly got up from his chair and headed towards the door.

"Malfoy," Weasley called after him. When Scorpius turned around, Weasley added in a sombre tone, "You really do look a lot like your father when he was your age. But only in appearance."

Scorpius felt a surge of anger, and bitter words rushed to his lips, but he bit them back. He turned on his heel and left the office.

Out in the corridor, he saw Professor McGonagall speaking with Mrs Scamander. However, he didn't want to discuss what had just happened. He felt he wouldn't be able to control his emotions. So, he just nodded to both women and quickly made his way to the classroom where Charm's class was in progress.

As he apologised for being late and took his seat, he noticed the questioning looks from Karl and Zack. He simply responded with a silent "later" and immersed himself in unpleasant thoughts. The auror's words continued to reverberate in his mind, reminding him of everything he loathed about wearing green robes. Sometimes, he truly hated being a Slytherin, and occasionally, he managed to forget that most of the world viewed him as a deceitful, slimy snake. Thanks to Potter and McGonagall, he was just Scorpius without all the vile baggage. But it was all just an illusion, and that day had brutally reminded him how wrong he was. No matter how hard he tried, whatever choices he made, he would always be a snake in the eyes of the world.