My Guide

Harry's Side

Harry Potter the boy who lived for the first time since he learned he was a wizard was left utterly speechless. His former friend, someone he had buried deep in his memories, was here confronting him, with tears in her eyes. She was completely different from his memories of her, she was gaunt, shallow-eyed, & all around completely fear-stricken. 'what was she doing here?!' was the first thought to enter the young boy's mind, but that was quickly replaced by 'What's happened to her!?' He scoured his memories recalling every last faded thought he could about her, It had only been three years since they had last seen each other. She has completely transformed since their last interaction. He had been so lost in his confusion that he hadn't even noticed his friend's attempts to comfort her, but even he couldn't have missed her reaction, the terror in her eyes before she quickly fled leaving him awe-struck.

Hermione and Ron turn to Harry to face them, their faces consisting of pure confusion. Hermione spoke up pretty quickly after the crying girl ran off "Can you explain what just happened?" "Yeah," chimed in Harry's best friend Ron "What the bloody hell was all that about!?" With an equal level of confusion as his friends Harry hesitantly responded "I have absolutely no idea?" he said, attempting to laugh off the entire encounter. That answer didn't seem to sit well enough with his friends, Hermione shook her head as she spoke "This is no laughing matter, Harry, she knows you personally, and the face you had after she ran off shows that you know her as well" Harry hadn't even noticed he had been making a pained face till she mentioned it, Ron chimed in again "Yeah and did you see her arms? They looked Like she took a bad fall in a quidditch match!" Harry let out a deep sigh trying to unknot his chest "We used to know each other before I started school, but once I received my letters My Aunt and Uncle started losing their minds, I hadn't seen her for a month before Hagrid showed up. I thought I might have heard her name called out during the sorting ceremony but I just assumed it couldn't possibly be the same person!" He stammered out, Harry's friends looked pretty disappointed with him "Why didn't she come to me up until now!" he retaliated "She could have approached anytime she wanted to" he snapped growing slightly agitated by their negative expressions.

With that response, both Ron and Hermione looked at each other, and a wordless agreement between the two of them formed "I'll check the library and the girl's washrooms" said Hermione Ron nodded in agreement "I will look around the main hall, and ask around" said Ron, Both of them looked to Harry simultaneously expecting him to help."I'll..." Harry started before being quickly cut into "You'll go to the hospital wing" said Hermione "She said she spent a lot of time there so you go ask the Nurse anything you can" This upset Harry but he had no choice, his friends were mad and he couldn't fight them at the moment. All three of them parted ways in different directions, Harry was really upset at Ron and Hermione but also understood that they couldn't let this go. Plus at the same time, he couldn't let go of the slowly forming knot in his chest and figured if he just went along with it he might feel better.

Harry reached the Hospital wing rather quickly, the room filled with multiple cots and the smell of harsh medicines. With a quick look around Harry could tell immediately that Maria wasn't there which makes him subconsciously feel relief. Nurse Pomrfrey turned her head and noticed Harry had walked in but was only standing by the door, she approached him with a small smile "Hello, Mr. Potter, may I assist you with anything?" Harry shook his head in response "No, ma'am I was just looking for Maria Montgomery did she come here?" he asked pensively. The nurse didn't waste much time jumping in "The poor girl didn't break another bone, did she? I've been relieved that she hasn't been in my care as often as her first two years so far" That Pensive feeling was growing and spreading into his throat now he wasn't sure about what to say next, Honestly he had hoped she was lying to him "Miss Pomrfrey, did Maria ever say who has been harming her so much?" Harry said, trying to smother a slowly growing agitation. "Unfortunately no, Mr. Potter'' Responded Madam Pomrfrey "I tried on a couple of occasions but she always refused to answer, maybe you can ask some of her peers if they know anything, truthfully I'd be thankful if you did the medical treatment she has been receiving isn't dangerous but too often can lead to further Side effects," She said very matter of factly.

Harry left after that, honestly, he couldn't handle this feeling in his chest anymore, he wanted to punch the walls until all the bones in his hands had shattered but he couldn't stop now, he needed to find his once close friend and figure out who it was that kept bullying her. He wasn't sure what he'd do once he did but at the very least he knew who he could go to to find out for himself. Harry stomped through the hall in search of the stuck-up Slytherin Gang leader who was always somehow able to find him, but he had no luck in the obvious places so he made his way down to the dungeons, he wasn't sure what to do when he caught him but he decided to just wing it. He didn't need to wait long, he'd learned where the entrance to the Slytherin common entrance was during his first year so he knew exactly where to hide in the labyrinth of the school basement, he watched the blank stonewall he knew led to the Common room. As he watched what looked like a stone snake statue came out of the floor and formed a door frame within it a door appeared as it opened he saw Draco and his friends exiting the room. They seemed to be laughing amongst themselves and having a great time. "Let's hope he drops dead sooner rather than later," Draco said to his cohorts. 

Harry's eyes narrowed at the sight of the white-haired snake, he left his hiding spot and stood in front of Draco "Malfoy!" His face turned into a scowl at the sight of Harry "What do you want, Potter?" He was caught off guard which helped slightly' Harry thought. Harry got closer to Draco with an intense stare "What do you know about Maria Montgomery?" As Harry said that name he noticed Draco's friends flinched a bit, but not in fear. Instead they began to smile and laugh amongst themselves like they heard a funny joke. "Ah the Mudblood," Draco said wistfully with a smirk "Don't tell me 'it' has your attention now Potter? Was the Weasly trash not enough of a charity case for you? Or the other Mudblood you waste your time on? You really Don't know how -" he was cut off as Harry couldn't help it anymore, he balled up his fists and took a step forward. He couldn't believe Draco wouldn't even acknowledge Maria as a person. "You have said a lot of disgusting things since we met but that's the worst by far, Malfoy. You must have been the one who has been physically abusing her!" He Accused letting venom drip from his words. Draco's gray careless eyes and voice sparked with malice as he spoke out against the accusation "I wouldn't touch the filthy mudblood with a ten-foot pole! Others are much more amenable to their garbage." With that Draco and his friends walked off, leaving Harry alone. As his anger built up he felt his hand twitch to his wand before stopping himself "I have to find her" he said under his breath a new determination forming as he began running.