"Mr. Weasley, did you forget your brain, what did I just say..."
"Granger, I didn't ask you to come here to show off, ten points from Gryffindor for disregarding class discipline.”
"Thomas, did I say that we can add the Fire Lizard's blood now? 10 points from Gryffindor for not paying attention.”
"Miss Buffett, if you have read the book carefully, you should know that this is not the eye of a salamander at all. Even the material is wrong. Siley, labor service, stay here after class to clean up.”
"Finnigan..."
“……”
From Valentine's Day onwards, Snape's gloomy expression and sarcastic words became a nightmare for all students. It was common to see students looking like they had just survived a disaster after Potions, helping each other out of the basement. Potions homework had become unusually heavy, too, and they spent the weekend in the library, doing research, writing seemingly never-ending piles of papers, even canceling several D.A. activities. The House Quidditch teams could not even find time to practice, and when Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were playing, Harry managed to catch the Snitch after a few minutes of wandering, to the relief of the Hufflepuffs-too much playing time would delay their homework.
Carefully weighing the dried nettles, Harry gave Neville and Ron a helpless look half a classroom away.
They were separated by Snape at the start of the lesson, and Harry and Malfoy were put in the same group, surrounded by a group of Slytherins, far away from the Gryffindors, no longer able to whisper to them about their troubles.
Everyone thought Snape was angry because of Lockhart's words, but Harry didn't think so. Dumbledore had once again refused Snape's request to substitute Professor Flitwick after the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had 'accidentally' gotten food poisoning-perhaps that was why he was so angry now?
Malfoy was quietly cutting daisy roots on the other side of the desk, and Harry glanced at his standard movements as he placed the dried nettle into the cauldron and stirred it carefully clockwise with his wand. When the purple liquid began to bubble, Malfoy cooperatively handed over a cut daisy root. He reached out to take it, poured the daisy root into the crucible, and continued to stir the potion counterclockwise with his wand.
The potion emitted a faint purple smoke. The two of them stared at it closely. As it turned turquoise, Malfoy handed Harry another vial of salamander blood. Harry stirred the potion in his right hand, his left hand shaking rapidly, and dark green blood dripped into the cauldron.
After the potion had boiled for five minutes, Harry removed it from the fire, cooled it, and poured it into the glass bottle at his hand. The Enhancer, which would enhance the effects of other potions, was complete.
Snape stopped in front of them, lifted the glass bottle up to his eyes, and shook it. The turquoise liquid inside swirled gently, glistening with clear water.
"Very well," he said in a low voice."Slytherin plus ten-"
Malfoy stared.
"-Gryffindor-"
Harry pricked up his ears.
"Ten points."
Wow!
Everyone in the classroom was stunned.
Snape put down the bottle, saw Harry's lips curl up uncontrollably, and with a low snort of disapproval coming out of his nostrils, went off to pick on the others again.
Harry snickered behind his hand and did not see Malfoy sigh. As the first Gryffindor to get a score from Snape, today's event was so great that it could be recorded in school history.
He looked around, his cheerful smile suddenly gone, and he frowned slightly at Malfoy.
"What happened to your hand?" Pulling his left hand over, Harry saw a shallow gash at the tip of his index finger, from which black drops of blood were dripping, the edges of which had turned a bluish green.
"Damn it!" With a low curse, Harry shouted at Snape, who was reprimanding Ron,"Professor, Malfoy's hand is hurt, and it's stained with salamander blood..."
Snape spun around, hurried over to examine Malfoy, breathed a small sigh of relief, and said to Harry grimly,"Potter, take Draco to Madam Pomfrey in the infirmary, there's an antidote ready.”
"Yes, Professor,"
Harry pulled the bewildered Malfoy out of the cellar and heard Snape shout behind him,"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and do it…"
Malfoy was pale and dazed as they neared the infirmary, and he was half-leaning on Harry, his whole weight on him. Harry helped him forward with both hands and asked worriedly,"Hey-are you okay?"
Malfoy's lifeless eyes flickered slightly, and he forced a smile. However, he staggered and almost fell to the ground.
"Sigh…"
Harry sighed quietly and scooped him up in his arms."Never mind-"
Speeding into the infirmary ward, Harry was surprised to find Dumbledore and Professor Flitwick there. Nodding to them, Harry said to Madam Pomfrey,"Malfoy's got an injury on his hand, salamander blood, and Professor Snape asked me to bring him to you.”
"Oh-leave him there while I get the antidote.”Madam Pomfrey pointed to an empty bed and hurried away.
Harry laid Malfoy flat on the bed, tucked him in, pulled his left hand out, and placed it on the square stool beside the bed.
On the other bed lay a girl wearing a turnip earring. Her face was pale and her breathing was weak, as if she would die at any moment. Harry gave her a surprised look, feeling that she had very little life left, no different from an old man, and that was-
"Headmaster, Professor Flitwick," He bowed slightly to the two of them in the room, then looked at the girl and asked hesitantly,"That... she's Lovegood from Ravenclaw? What happened to her?"
Dumbledore peered at him through his half-moon spectacles."She fainted in Charms-Harry, you know her?”
"Yeah," said Harry, nodding."Ron's sister told me about her, they call her Crazy Girl-well, she's a bit odd, they say, but Ginny's a good friend of hers, and she gave me a butterbeer cork necklace for Christmas-is she all right?"”
Professor Flitwick said worriedly,"How can she be fine? She…"
"Poppy will cure her," Dumbledore interrupted."You don't have to worry.”
"Yes."
Dumbledore and Professor Flitwick left, and the room fell silent. Harry sat quietly, staring at the bed.
According to Luna's symptoms, it was a coma caused by excessive loss of life force. It was obvious that Dumbledore was interested.
It appeared that the girl had found the Ravenclaw crown, opened the Chamber of Secrets, and released the Basilisk to attack Filch's cat. The Horcrux failed to find a chance to strike again. It focused on absorbing her life force in order to obtain a physical body. Luna was not popular and was usually eccentric, so even if she did something strange, it would be difficult for others to suspect her. This time, she was lucky that she was unconscious. If this continued, her soul would be completely devoured.
Things would be easier now that he had found her. Well, there would be someone to hold up the sky if it collapsed anyway. He did not have to care so much anymore.
Madam Pomfrey entered the ward with a bottle of potion. Harry stopped thinking and stood up.
"Help me hold him." she instructed.
Harry helped Malfoy to his feet and pulled him into his arms. Madam Pomfrey pinched his nose and poured the antidote down his throat.
Malfoy was groggy, frowning as he struggled to take his medicine. Harry clutched his shoulder and said, amused,"Alright, just one bite, be good-"
When the bottle was empty, Harry released him carefully and helped him lie down.
"Fortunately, the wound is not big and there is not much blood.”Madam Pomfrey took out a handkerchief and wiped the potion off Malfoy's mouth, looking at the fading wound with satisfaction." Let him rest for a day and he'll be discharged.”
Harry glanced at Malfoy, who was still smacking his lips." Then I'll leave him to you. I'll go back to class first.”
"Don't worry."
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