𝙮𝙤𝙪 || 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐨𝐧𝐞: 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬

Ron thought your still body was posed strangely. Your eyes were wide as if you were caught off guard but other than that the rest of your features were relaxed. One arm was at your side while the other hovered over the collar of your shirt. It was obvious you hadn't expected to see whatever creature had crept close enough to petrify you.

"We've got to go and talk to Hagrid," said Harry quietly. "I can't believe it's him this time, but if he set the monster loose last time he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that's a start."

The hospital wing was mostly empty. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the only ones who visited you that day. Madam Pomfrey was strict when it came to letting people see you and the rest of the victims. It took a lot of begging and Hermione almost tearing up before they were let inside.

"But Harry," said Hermione, matching his tone. "You heard what McGonagall said. Unless we're in class, we've got to stay in the tower—"

"I think," started Harry, "it's time to get my dad's old cloak out again."

Hermione's hesitance was palpable. Ron wasn't as attentive and had his arms crossed, staring intently at the sleeves of your robes. He didn't know if it was merely his eyes playing tricks, but he thought he saw something move under there for a second.

"You two do that," said Hermione after a moment of silence. "I think I can find something in the older sections of the library. I know I've read about a petrifying creature somewhere..."

Something green pokes out. Ron's mouth is agape as he reaches for the familiar critter. "You!"

Both Harry and Hermione looked over at the redhead, perplexed. In Ron's hand was a small Bowtruckle, its leaf-like body quivering. It hastily crawls up Ron's arm and dives inside his collar, making him jolt a little at the sensation. Its head pops up a second later, the intensity of its shaking lessened but the chitters it let out were akin to whines.

"This was one of her Bowtruckles," Ron explains at the look on Hermione's face. "It always does this with her. It's funny, actually." Ron tenses up when he feels its claws brush against his skin ever so slightly. "B-but a bit dangerous...how did she do this without flinching?" He mutters to himself, trying not to swat the creature out of instinct. "I think she named it...Junior?"

"Junior?" Harry's face that once lit up in recognition at the creature screws up in puzzlement. "I thought its name was Theo. Or Liza. There's more?"

"No, Theo's way bigger and—wait a second," Ron cuts himself off to look at Harry. "How'd you know about Theo?"

"I was going to ask the same thing."

As the two connect the dots, Hermione, the most clueless out of the two, was frowning. "I didn't know she was taking care of Bowtruckles," she mumbles, glancing at you with an unreadable expression.

She was used to you telling her almost everything that this information was especially hard to swallow. Hermione understands that you didn't have to share what goes on in your life all the time. Just because you're friends didn't mean you had to be open about the things you do. But it still felt a little odd that you didn't bother saying something about the Bowtruckles under your care.

"Ron and I will take the Bowtruckle back to Hagrid's tonight." Harry's voice intervenes with Hermione's train of thoughts. "Then, we'll talk about the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione, you're going to search the library for more clues."