Ancient Magician (Severus x Reader)

Chapter 34: The Dueling Club

╔⏤⏤⏤╝❀╚⏤⏤⏤╗

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 34: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘣

"𝘈𝘩𝘰𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦"

╚⏤⏤⏤╗❀╔⏤⏤⏤╝

Sunday morning greeted me with a stream of soft, golden light pouring in through the high windows of the hospital wing. The light warmed my face, and I blinked awake, momentarily confused about where I was. Then it all came rushing back—Colin, the Quidditch match, Dobby...

I sat up quickly, rubbing my eyes. The curtains had been drawn differently since yesterday, and I couldn't see Colin's bed anymore. My heart gave a little jolt. Was he still here? Was he alright?

Before I could get up and check, Madam Pomfrey bustled over, carrying a tray with a bowl of porridge, toast, and a small goblet of potion.

"Well, good morning," she said briskly, setting the tray down on the side table. "You're looking much better. Eat that and drink the potion, and you'll be fit to leave."

"Is... is Colin still here?" I asked, glancing towards the curtained-off section.

"Still Petrified," she said with a sigh. "But stable. Nothing more you can do for him now, dear. Now eat up."

I did as I was told—choked down the potion (which tasted like overcooked cabbage and burnt metal), wolfed down the toast, and barely finished my porridge before leaping out of bed and getting changed into my robes.

As soon as I was dressed, I took off in a hurry, practically sprinting toward Gryffindor Tower. I needed to tell Ron and Hermione everything—about Colin, about Dobby... and about the conversation I'd had late last night with Dumbledore. Or, as I'd begun to think of him privately—Uncle Albus. The way he'd looked at me, the quiet sadness behind his eyes—it hadn't been just about Colin.

But when I got to the common room, Ron and Hermione weren't there. Neither was Harry. I waited for a few minutes, pacing back and forth near the fireplace, but when they didn't appear, I turned on my heel and set off to look for them.

As I walked past the library, I spotted someone familiar—Percy Weasley, coming out of the Restricted Section with a stack of books. He looked surprisingly cheerful.

"Hello, Y/n," Percy said, his posture straightening a little. "Your flying was excellent—truly excellent. Thanks to you, Gryffindor is now in the lead for the House Cup. You earned us fifty points!"

I smiled, catching my breath. "Thanks, Percy. That means a lot. Have you seen Ron, Hermione—or Harry—anywhere?"

Percy frowned slightly, adjusting his glasses. "No, I haven't. I hope Ron's not gotten himself into trouble again. He does have a peculiar knack for turning up in... questionable places."

"Like girls' bathrooms?" I teased, raising an eyebrow.

Percy gave a reluctant smirk. "Exactly. I wouldn't put it past him."

"What about Fred and George? Have you seen them?"

"They were muttering about something this morning... though, now that I think about it—" He cut himself off mid-thought. "No matter. I'm sure it's nothing. Have a good day, Y/n."

He gave me a tight smile and turned to go, leaving me frowning after him. Why had he stopped himself? Percy usually didn't hold back when it came to rambling on. What were Fred and George up to now?

Pushing the thought aside, I continued on, feeling my gut tug me toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I didn't know why—I certainly didn't expect Ron and Hermione to be there again—but something made me go.