A Changed Lestrange (1-2) (under editing)

15: Visiting Hours

"How's Harry?" asked Ashton after the Quidditch match, where Gryffindor won one hundred and seventy to sixty. 

"He'll be fine, don't worry for now, you was bloody amazing!" said Ron excitedly. 

"Don't worry? Ron, you know I dislike Quidditch. The last thing I want to do is celebrate anything to do with it. And also, are you forgetting Harry doesn't have any bones in his right arm? I'm going - now."

Unfortunately, Oliver Wood had other plans. Hoisting Ashton into the air, he allowed the rest of the house to cheer at the top of their lungs and celebrate yet another victory for Gryffindor. For the first time at Hogwarts, Ashton found himself being cheered on by the people who usually sneer at him in the halls. It was an unusual sensation - something he wasn't even sure he enjoyed.

***

"Ashton," said Hermione in a terrified manner. "don't ever do that again! Do you know how worried I was?" she seemed at the point of hysterics. "That was so dangerous - honestly, do you know how many ways you've gotten injured?"

"Am I injured? No, I'm absolutely fine. Not a scratch on me." 

Hermione wasn't reassured, however, and continued o reprimand Ashton all the way through their journey to the Hospital Wing.

When they finally arrived, Madam Pomfrey was far from pleased to see them. 

"You should've come straight to me!" she raged. "Honestly, I can mend bones in a heartbeat - but growing bones, dear lord, it's a process!"

Harry, who was now conscious and lying in bed away from the perils of Gilderoy Lockhart, seemed to be undergoing some serious pain. "I had to take some weird medicine called Skelle-gro - it was disgusting, and regrowing bones is not a pleasant experience, I'll tell you that."

Ashton turned to Hermione. "Have you still got a reason to defend him now?" he said sternly, gesturing to Harry.

"A-anyone can make a mistake." she said in a small voice.

Ashton dropped his wand on the floor as everything went silent.

"No. Hermione, listen to yourself! He's a liar, he's a fraud, he's a pompous prick who couldn't even dream about doing half of the things he's said he's done! How can you defend him? He's blinded you - he's blinded you with stupidity!" he took a pause. "I'm done with this. I'm done with this idiocy. You know what?" he turned to Hermione. "I'm going to prove it. I'm going to prove he's a liar, that he's a fraud. You'll see."

He gave Harry some Chocolate Frogs before storming out of the Hospital Wing without a second thought.

***

"You're telling me... that the Chamber's been opened before?"

It was Sunday morning, Harry had just been excused from the Hospital Wing, and he bumped into Ashton as he passed the Library. The two of them were now on their way to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and Harry had told Ashton all about his encounter with Dobby, and that it was him who was responsible for the rogue Bludger, as well as the platform not letting them through - and, on top of that, Colin Creevey had been Petrified.

"That's what both Dobby and Dumbledore said," said Harry, shrugging. "That means Professor Binns was lying about the Chamber being a myth, then."