"the flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all."
in which Peony Parkinson falls for Fred Weasley amidst a sea of adversities and finds herself grow stronger in the process
note: this is a slow-paced story taking place fro...
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chapter seven
The Basilisk attacks Penelope Clearwater and kidnaps Ginny Weasley before it is stopped. While the story of Harry Potter's heroic rescue is unclear to all who weren't present, it becomes a famous tale that will continue to be told years from now.
It seems that Hogwarts' luck takes a turn for the best as the Mandrakes for healing the Petrified are ready the very night of the heir's defeat. Professor Snape has the potion prepared in just hours and Madam Pomfrey is quick to give them to her patients.
Carefully, she takes the beaker, and tilts up the heads of the Petrified, pouring the potion into their mouths and keeping their heads up until the potion has been swallowed completely.
It takes all of three minutes before the students start rousing, groggy as they slowly sit up.
Peony's muscles are tense as she moves, trying her best to get her legs swung off the bed with little success. An arm rests against her back and eases her up and she looks up to smile at Madam Pomfrey.
"I missed you around here," she says as she steadies Peony.
Peony smiled as she pushed herself up, "I missed you too."
The doors open and everyone turns to see Professor Dumbledore, followed by McGonagall and Snape. "I see the potion has been a success, welcome back."
The formerly Petrified mumbled back their 'hellos' but Dumbledore doesn't seem bothered by their under-enthusiastic reactions. He continued with a smile, "I'm sure you all have many questions. I will do my best to answer them now, if you have further ones later, let Professor McGonagall or Professor Snape know and they will communicate it back to me."
He sits at the edge of one of the empty beds across from the students, "Now, as I'm sure you know by now, Hogwarts was under attack by the Heir of Slytherin. The heir has been apprehended and taken care of and the Basilisk used to petrify students is dead, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were two very brave souls who discovered the chamber and defeated the creature, saving Ginny Weasley in the process, as she had been brainwashed and kidnapped by the heir."
The group stayed silent, but Dumbledore continued, "You have all been Petrified for a very large portion of the year, it is now the end of term and your peers are soon to be in the Great Hall for the final feast. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will agree that many of you need your nutrition and if you are feeling up to it, are more than welcome to join. If any of you are feeling under the weather in any way, I urge you to stay here as there may be side effects to the potion or to being Petrified. There will be no final exams this year, OWLs and NEWTs will be allowed for retaking in the summer, but all other years will be pardoned."
He stood once more, clapping his hands, "Well, that will be all. If those who would like, head up to the feast. I have a few more things to discuss with Madam Pomfrey."
