Roses and Riots | f. weasley

Chapter 7: The Chamber

Emilia got down to the Quidditch pitch in record time and ran straight into Fred who was coming out of the Gryffindor changing rooms. He grinned down at her, but his face immediately fell when he saw her expression.

He dropped his Beater's bat and broom onto the grass and took her by the shoulders, "Emilia, what is it? What's happened?"

She wiped her eyes and shook her head, "I need to find Dumbledore, or McGonagall, or any of the teachers."

He nodded without question and turned back to the tent, "oi! Will one of you tell McGonagall to get out here!?"

"Mr Weasley, that was very rude-" McGonagall marched out of the tent, clearly intending to scold Fred, but she stopped when she saw Emilia, "oh goodness, Miss Potter, what is it?"

Emilia opened her mouth and closed it again, and McGonagall turned to Fred, "I can take it from here, Mr Weasley."

Fred looked at Emilia who nodded, and he reluctantly picked up his bat and broom and walked back into the changing rooms.

McGonagall looked at Emilia with the familiarity she saved for when other students weren't around, who didn't know that the older witch had helped to raise Emilia alongside Remus in the years after her parents had been killed.

"Emilia, what is it?"

"Minerva- it's Hermione, I just found her, she's been petrified," Emilia whispered shakily and McGonagall's face went white.

"Oh, goodness," she whispered, and then she gathered herself, "Weasley!"

Fred and George stuck their heads out of the tent immediately. "Yes?" they answered in unison.

"Get on your brooms and fly up to the stands and fetch Dumbledore, and as many members of the faculty as you can. Tell them that I sent you and that it's urgent."

They did as they were told, and when the teachers returned, Emilia led them to where Hermione lay. They brought her to the Hospital Wing, and Emilia stayed by her bedside while McGonagall went to get Harry and Ron.

Emilia held Hermione's solid, cold hand and waited for them to arrive. When they did, they saw her stricken face and then looked down at the hospital bed next to her, where Hermione lay.

"Hermione," Ron gasped in horror and Harry's eyes widened in shock.

McGonagall looked at them sympathetically, "Miss Potter found her near the library, along with this."

She held up the small handheld mirror that Hermione had been holding when Emilia had found her, "does this mean anything to any of you?" The three of them shook their heads and she nodded, "I'm sorry to do this, but I need you all to go to Gryffindor Tower immediately, you can come back later."

Back in the common room, Emilia sat down heavily on a chair near the fireplace, while Fred and George sat on the arms of it at either side of her, giving her anxious looks every so often. They weren't their usual chatty selves after she'd quietly told them about Hermione. Everyone in the common room was whispering nervously, speculating as to why the Quidditch match was cancelled and why everyone had been instructed to gather in the common room.

A while later, McGonagall came in with a grave look on her face, making everyone turn around and conversations slowly faded out as she spoke, "could I have your attention, please? Because of recent events, these new rules will be put into effect immediately. All students will return to their house common rooms by 6 o'clock every evening. All students will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No exceptions."

A stunned silence fell over the room and McGonagall looked around wearily, "I should tell you this: unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught, it is likely the school will be closed."