Chamber Of Snakes

Scared kids

There was another attack the previous night and newfound panic accompanied it. It had gotten so out of hand that the prefects and other trusted seniors had been called to receive instructions on how to manage the crowds, and now they had to patrol every two hours in groups of two.

In just one day the crowds were on edge and the first years were walking in groups to their classes. Malfoy had become less boisterous too, maybe he hadn't realised the true wait of his words before, and less outspoken in defending the royal trio, as he called them.

With Malfoy gone and the prefects busy, there were new rumours, that there was once again no sighting of the three when the attack happened, just like the last time. Meaning that the whispers had gotten louder, and were no longer whispers. They were threats, loud and clear. Assault threats, rape threats, death threats.

The three now ran to return to their dorms as no senior was left to escort them as they'd been taken to patrol on rounds.

"Another safe day! One week done." Hyacinth smiled as he made it to his dorm.

I never was, I am always to be.
No one ever saw me, nor ever will.
And yet I am the confidence of all,
To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball.
The knocker asked.

He was about to answer the riddle when someone opened the door.

"Thank– mmph!" Before he could thank them though he had someone put a handkerchief on his mouth.

By the time he woke up, he found himself in an abandoned classroom.

"—was chloroform. I know for a fact that was chloroform." Wendy was saying. She was propped up against one of the desks by the older students.

"But how did you make it work, chloroform typically takes two to five minutes to work and in high doses."

"So the heir did her homework, did she? Beauty with brains… it's a pity you'll not be ever able to use them." The fifth year said as he forced open her mouth.

"Stop that, you pox marked, pus filled, good for nothing, toe sucking cur!"

The Hufflepuff's grip on Wendy loosened as he was confused by Cordy. Just how many insults had she used?

But the momentory confusion was enough for the three to gain their footing.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego duo!"

"Rictumsempra!"

They shouted in quick succession, getting the wands of the five students, forming a barrier and trying to render them physically incapable of harming them from laughing too much. The group of older students though, were still able to move.

"Protego duo!" Cordy shouted again to keep the shield from breaking, while the other two kept at the laughter charm, hoping they'd give up already but they didn't.

So they casted, again. And again. And again. They didn't know how long it had been but they casted again, till the older students were too exhausted to fight for their wands.

Quickly they made a dash for the door running and running till they were in front of the herbology professor's room.

"Professor Sprout! Professor Sprout please let us in." They banged on the door and they were answered pretty quickly.

"Kids? Kids. What's wrong?" She ushered them in.

The professor lit her cabin up, only to see them fall to the ground, eight wands clattering around them. Without missing a beat she waved her wand and propped them up against the wall before proceeding to conjure three glasses of water and mixing a few herb essences, handing each of them one. "Have some water kids."

She looked at the tear struck faces of the first years and at the extra set of wands around them. She looked at the way they wolfed down the water and the way they interlaced their hands together the moment they had the tiniest energy back. She looked at them faint after the tiniest thank you hearing their glasses clink to the floor.

She looked at them helplessly, outraged at her employer. She knew who they were, how could she not? And she knew what had happened. What she did not know was, why had that person done nothing when he'd promised her.

She at once sent her patronus to five people demanding to see them right then. Soon enough there was Snape, Flitwick, McGonagall, Dumbledore and Pomfrey in her study room.

"What are the late hour summons for Pomona?" Dumbledore asked.

"Dumbledore, you promised. You promised, so what is this?" She pointed to the three neatly tucked in her bed, though still haggard. But before he could answer she turned to the healer. "Poppy please take a look at them."

She immediately got to work and there was silence, with Pomona's words still hanging heavily in the air.

"They are extremely exhausted after using magic continuously for more than three hours." She concluded, and summoned strengthening solutions to administer to them.

"Now all we can do is wait."

"Pomona, I know what I said. But this… first tell us what happened."

"Fine! I was asleep when they knocked on my door looking very scared." She narrated the whole story in front of everyone watching. McGonagall, Flitwick and Pomfrey's eyes widened. "It's obvious they were attacked."

"No it isn't. They just ran here with extra wands there is no proof." Dumbledore said calmly after hearing the story and even Snape could not believe his ears.

"And those extra wands, we don't even know whose they are. Maybe they stole Mr Diggory and his friends' wands. They are close, no?"

"But Albus, we can ask the portraits. Someone must have seen something."

"I highly doubt Minerva, they'd be asleep right now."

"Dumbledore, surely you're not saying that you will not investigate this?"

"I will Flitwick, but you'll find there was no need."

"Dumbledore but you know the rumours. I told you they've received death threats. How can it be nothing?"

"Pomona—" but he was cutoff before he could continue.

"Dumbledore, I see what this is. You see him in her don't you. You don't care, because you've already formed an opinion on her."

"Severus—"

"You truly believe she is like him." He picked a wand up. "I know this wand, it is Mr. Youngblood's. The same Youngblood you sent to them to relay your message. The same Youngblood who hates Mr. Diggory with a burning passion. The same Youngblood you knew hated him enough to sneak into your room and hear you talk to these kids to get get something against him. And the same Youngblood I told you to discipline because that is what he did but you passed it off feigning ignorance. Because you'd already decided that she was too uncannily similar —"

"SEVERUS!"

"To the dark lord to let her roam free." He continued unbothered. There were gasps at this declaration.

"Fine, you protect the potter kid like you always do, and I'll protect them, all three, unlike you, who couldn't care less about Weasley or Granger." Saying so he stormed out of the room, taking the wands with him.

Though he did not know, the other teachers left after him, with no recollection of Snape's speech. They did still remember Dumbledore's flippant attitude though, and that was enough to lose the respect they had for him.