Unexpected fellowship

Photo: Internet

The two little girls stood frozen in horror as their friend writhed on the floor in front of them. She seemed to be in unimaginable pain and though her mouth twisted not a sound came out of it. The boy holding the wand had an amused expression like he is watching something mildly interesting. But his friend had a horribly gleeful face. Everyone was so amused, and petrified, that none heard the footsteps approaching. As the footsteps became louder, it was Mark who noticed them first. His gleeful face eased a little as he whispered to Richie ‘someone’s coming’. His friend seemed unruffled, but as moments passed and the footsteps grew louder Mark became uneasy until he finally grabbed his friend’s arm and started to drag the reluctant boy away.

The boys had taken only a few steps when, from around the corner, Piova appeared. She saw the girls kneeling over their friend and the smug looks on the boys’ faces and realized what has happened. The boys barely noticed her hand move as she smoothly took out her wand and no one heard anything as a jet of blue light hit Richie on his chest. It threw him several yards away and crashed into a heap. Mark barely had his wand drawn when the second jet of blue light hit him, uniting him with his friend. Piova pocketed her wand and hurried over to the girls. ‘Follow me, and stay close’ she said to the other girls as she picked up the fallen girl. Yamina and Noemi were still stunned and followed her in a trance.

Piova stopped in front of the Hospital Wing, ‘let me do the talking, OK!’ she said to the girls. Yamina and Noemi quietly nodded, they were still too out of wits to say anything coherent in any case. She gave them a reassuring smile and added ‘everything will be fine, trust me’. Madam Pomfrey sensed something bad has happened as they entered the room. ‘I think someone has cursed her’ Piova said calmly as she laid Anne on a bed. ‘Oh dear, what the devil’ the matron sounded upset and disgusted in equal measures. She ran a quick check-up on the girl, rushed to her cabinet, and took out a bottle of amber-colored liquid. ‘Do you have something for them?’ Piova indicated to the other girls. Madam Pomfrey pointed to a large bottle of purple liquid and pleaded ‘will you, please!’

‘Of course’ Piova said brightly. She poured the liquid into two small glasses and beckoned Yamina and Noemi toward her. The girls regained a little composure after drinking the liquid. ‘Would you promise me something?’ Piova whispered in her soft, warm, voice. As the girls gently nodded, she continued ‘don’t say anything about what happened, except to the teachers’. ‘OK,’ Noemi said in a small voice. Piova smiled brightly and pulled them in a tight hug, as she held the girls she softly whispered ‘no one will ever hurt you, I promise’. ‘I’m going to take them to their dormitory, would you please inform Professor Dumbledore about what happened’ she said to Madam Pomfrey as she headed towards the door with the girls holding her hands. ‘Of course dear’, the matron replied.

They walked in silence for most of the way when Noemi mumbled ‘why did you do that, you are a Slytherin too’. ‘Yes, I’m’ Piova sighed and gave a rueful smile. ‘You are nice, I like you’ Yamina said in a small voice. ‘Yes, me too’ her friend chirped. Piova just gave their hands a little squeeze. But had they looked up, they would have seen her face glowing in happiness.

It was close to midnight and although some of the teachers in Dumbledore’s chamber looked a bit disheveled they looked as alert as ever. The Headmaster cleared his throat as he addressed the student seated on a chair in front of him ‘Piova dear, would you please tell us what has happened?’ Piova calmly detailed what exactly had happened. The faces looked grim when she finished. Dumbledore spoke again ‘Have you seen the boys cursing Anne?’ ‘No’ came a short, clear reply. ‘We can just check their wands to see what spells they have cast last’ said a cold voice as Professor Snape handed over two wands to the Headmaster. The room went awfully quiet as Dumbledore cast Priori Incantatem on each of the wands. There were some muffled gasps as Richie’s wand gave away the secret.

Professor Dumbledore looked rather relaxed and he spoke in his usual merry voice ‘Now that we have the necessary information, I think we can make some decisions.’ He continued ‘for the admirable presence of mind, exemplary compassion, and not to mention some excellent wand-work; I award Piova fifty points’. At this point, Piova stood up and gave a small cough. ‘Yes dear’ the Headmaster looked curious. She took a moment before saying ‘Sir, please forgive me but I can’t possibly accept the points for helping someone; after all, that’s the very notion of Hogwarts’. Dumbledore smiled genially, ‘Very well, then let us offer you our adulations instead’ as he stood up and started to clap, all the teachers joined.

Piova looked utterly embarrassed. She courteously nodded in the general direction of the teachers, mumbled ‘thank you’ and ‘good night’, and hurried off towards the door. ‘And what are we going to do about the culprits?’ Professor Snape’s cold voice sounded as soon as the door closed. ‘You are the House Head and I’m sure you will do whatever is necessary’ Dumbledore said in an almost jovial voice. ‘Indeed’ came the menacing reply from the potions master.

The breakfast hour was waning; most of the students were preparing to go to their classes when Professor Dumbledore and the teachers marched into the Great Hall. The chitter-chatters died instantly. ‘A first-year Ravenclaw was cursed last evening’ he said in a grave voice. The Hall immediately filled up with gasps and murmurs, the headmaster raised a hand and the silence returned immediately. ‘No need to worry’, he said in a less than grave voice, ‘She is recovering and will be up and running in no time’. ‘As for the culprits’ his grave voice returned ‘Professor Snape thinks cleaning the toilets for the rest of the term would knock some senses into their heads’. ‘Now, go on then’ his usual merry voice rang ‘Don’t let me hold you from attending your classes’ he finished with the familiar twinkle in his eyes.