Violet Potter and the Basilisk Plague (Year Two)

Chapter Thirteen: A Second Wave of Attacks

Draco Malfoy was still laying sprawled on a bed in the hospital wing as if he'd been more seriously hurt than he actually was and kept on grumbling about having to share the hospital wing with the likes of Harry Potter. So much so that Madam Pomfrey, sick and tired of it finally snapped at him, "Mr. Malfoy. Will you stop making such a fuss, you can go---" She also handed Pansy a small vial of Shrinkage Salver. "Miss Parkinson, apply this to your nose, and it should return completely to normal within the next hour."

"A whole hour! What am I supposed to do until then, walk around the castle looking like a muggle circus freak from last century ago?" Pansy wailed. "While Violet Potter and Victoria Maynard both get away with what they've done to me and stealing a house-elf from her rightful master---"

"Miss Parkinson, that's quite enough of your absurd tall tales concerning house-elves. Now you'd best be on your way, stop whining, and find something to do while you wait, like homework for example. I certainly hope you and Mr. Malfoy will learn something more from it. I must attend to Mr. Potter now." And with that, Madam Pomfrey turned and hurried over to the bed Harry was in, surrounded by Violet, Ron, Hermione, Victoria, and the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. On her way, she picked up a large ivory bottle that read in distinctively large black lettering, "Skele-Gro Potion."

Malfoy was seething. He said as quietly as possible so that only Pansy could hear it, "So the special treatment goes once again to Potty the Scarhead and his jumped-up sister and their stupid friends. The Monster of the Chamber can't strike again soon enough---"

"Shhh! We can't talk about it like that just anywhere Draco. Besides, I heard Skele-Gro seriously hurts so at least Potty is going to suffer through that overnight. Still, I have something on little Violet and Victoria. I intend to use it against them, believe me. I just need to report to the right people with this information since Madam Pomfrey is so clearly biased."

***

Madam Pomfrey hadn't been wrong about the effects of Skele-Gro being extremely painful as the potion did its' job regrowing the bones in Harry's arm. It felt like about a million wood splinters, it was a total bust. Violet, Ron, Hermione, and Tori had gone back to their dormitories as Madam Pomfrey had told them to when Fred and George also showed up, arms full of Flootswuber Colas, and several packs of peanuts and crisps with the idea of making sure Harry's overnight hospital stay wasn't entirely boring as well as excruciating. "Let's not be so ridiculous. The boy has got a flaccid arm of missing bones to regrow and he needs quiet. He needs rest!" Madam Pomfrey declared as she ushered them all out of the hospital wing, to leave Harry alone with the agony. Though Dobby did also make a visit to Harry later on, to warn him of further dangers to come.

That night, a second wave of attacks had occurred. Colin Creevey was discovered to be petrified this time, as well as two fourth-year girls from Ravenclaw, a fifth-year boy from Hufflepuff, and a ghost nicknamed Edelbert the Lonely, who wasn't nearly as well known as the four official Hogwarts House ghosts, and preferred to haunt alone. The hospital wing was getting even more packed full, and as soon as Harry was permitted to leave the hospital wing the next day once all his bones were regrown, he found Violet, Tori, and Ron waiting outside the hospital wing entrance for him.

"Hermione's in the library right now, trying to find a book that might have even more answers for what's been going on." Ron explained to Harry as they walked. "I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a looney, but to know he built a chamber and bred some great evil monster inside of it for exactly this reason...I wouldn't be in Slytherin for anything. If the Sorting Hat tried to put me there, I would leave Hogwarts straight away!"

"Er...ahem. We are both in Slytherin House and that doesn't mean we are all like that, you know." Tori reminded Ron.

"The Sorting Hat actually considered sorting me into Gryffindor." Violet confessed, "but I got to choose Slytherin in the end, so that's where I went." Ron looked at Violet funnily. "But why would you choose Slytherin if Gryffindor was also open to you?"

"I suppose I was just looking for my own way to say to everyone, look, I'm not this perfect person who is going to choose Gryffindor just because it was expected of me since I'm a Potter. I'm going to choose the best possible house for me. Besides, you probably never knew this Harry, but our Gran on our Dad's side, she was sorted into Slytherin House and she turned out all right, Emily told me so during last summer holiday. That surely must be good to know right about now."

"Sure must be nice to have someone who cares enough to be willing to tell you these things when you're back home. Never mind feeling bad for me, it's just that---" Before Harry could muster up the courage to confess that he was almost sorted into Slytherin, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe, and Goyle spotted them heading in their direction and stood right in front of all of them, blocking their way. Ron rolled his eyes at them all. "And here we go again with the Slytheridiots. Why don't you slither back to your dungeons and leave us alone?" Ron asked them in a very irritated tone.

"Careful now Weasley. You wouldn't want Mummy to have to come to Hogwarts and take you straight back home now would you? If you put another toe out of line..." Malfoy imitated Mrs. Weasley mockingly. "Even among your pathetic own it sounds like you're the family disappointment. Don't worry. That small child inside of you ensures you'll always be a loser, Ickle Weaselby!" Malfoy added in a mocking drawl. Harry and Violet had to hold Ron back from ending up in a fight with Malfoy. That was the last thing any of them needed to get into any more trouble over. Most especially with Crabbe and Goyle looming threateningly behind Malfoy, and Ron's broken wand.

"Speaking of disappointments, I knew you were half-blood broomstick stealing scum, but I never would have believed you would sink so low you'd be a house-elf thief Violet Potter, or that you'd be an accomplice to such a crime Victoria." Pansy said with a malicious glint in her eyes. "You didn't like it when your father sold the only friend you really had before Hogwarts, now did you? Well, I think I'll go to Professor Snape with this bit of information I'm sure he'll be interested in. MacNair has been looking for Tiny you know, and once he hears about this, you will never see that worthless elf again---"

"The joke is on you Parkinson, we already let Tiny go and seeing as she's an elf and has powers we don't, she was able to safely disapparate from Hogwarts. So there's really nothing you can do---" Violet would have continued on smugly were it not for the fact that Professor Snape had swooped in to collect Violet and Victoria Potter, and he was very angry, it was apparent that he had been listening in. "To the Headmaster's office once again with the pair of you, THIS INSTANT!" Snape snarled.