The Dark Promise// Theodore Nott

CH 41

Padma couldn't hold him up anymore. She sat Mattheo on the ground gently as a crowd began to form around them. It seems they made it back in the nick of time because the Polyjuice potion was fading. Her hair became longer and straight, she began to shrink several inches and her face contorted into her more delicate features. "Is Neville still gone? Mattheo needs medical attention now." She said to Bill Weasley who was standing in front of the crowd, looking worried. Mattheo was alive, but in pretty bad shape. His skin looked dull from all the color draining from it. Blood had covered not only his arm but was splattered all over his torso from holding his hand against it.

"They still haven't returned. It's surprising you two are here before the Hogwart's team. You have only been gone an hour tops." He said, crouching down and taking Mattheo's wrist in his hand, examining his open wounds. "What the hell happened to you?" He said, looking into his dark eyes. Mattheo winced, feeling a throb in his hand every time he moved it. "They have a baby basilisk guarding the vault. I made a deal with it in order to get the horcruxes." He said, raising his head toward the doctors bag he had pulled from the pile of treasure.

Padma opened the bag, showing the crowd it's contents. Wizards and elves alike began to cheer, making Mattheo smile through his pain. Bill didn't exactly know how to feel. Sure, he was ecstatic that they were able to get the horcruxes, but how did the death eaters get ahold of a baby basilisk? He had heard of a large basilisk that had killed al the muggleborns in Hogwarts, but how did they get a baby? Breeding the large serpents had been banned since the medieval ages and was rarely heard of since then. That would be a conversation for another time. Right now, they had to make Mattheo comfortable until Neville could get back and look his hand over.

They placed a pillow under his head, hearing a crack off to the side right before they could wipe the blood from his arm with a warm washcloth. The Hogwarts team had returned only five minutes after they did. The large smiles on their faces quickly fell as they saw Mattheo lying on the ground, covered in blood. Olivia rushed over to him in a panic, her eyes going over his body to figure what had been done to him, finally stopping at his hand. "Merlin's beard! Your fingers are missing!" She shouted, feeling abit sick to her stomach. Mattheo chuckled, happy to see she was ok. "You have always been the most perceptive witch I've ever known." He said sarcastically.

"Are those the only wounds you have?" Neville said walking up to him, looking over his stubs. Mattheo was quickly growing tired of being gawked at and prodded. Just heal the damn things already. "Yes." Padma said, now fully herself. The gothic robes she as wearing were now slumped on her petite frame. "He lost a lot of blood though." The Weasley twins took it upon themselves to move him to the tent that he shared with Theo and Olivia, Neville following closely behind with a paper sack filled with healing remedies, not sure which one he would need.

Olivia watched as the walked down the grassy knoll towards their tent, folding her hands and bringing them up to her chest. She was glad he was alive but was still extremely worried. Theo couldn't help but notice a strange look on her face. It wasn't just worry, she looked like she was longing for Mattheo. He shook that thought of jealousy out of his head, knowing it was just an intrusive thought. "Hey, don't worry. He will be fine. That squirrelly dufus is resilient. You know that." She knew Theo was right. It would take a lot more than two missing fingers to make Mattheo Riddle drop. She wondered what he was going to give her before they left earlier. She decided to talk to him later when he was patched up.

"Did your team find the diadem?" Bill asked nervously. Hermione dug through her bag, pulling out the crown they had acquired through Blaise and Myrtle. Bill tried to hide his enthusiasm when he realized that both teams were successful in their efforts, but it was futile. "We need to destroy them all at once. Voldemort will certainly feel it and start to guard the rest of them, but we can't take the chance of him stealing them back. We will hold a large bonfire tonight and do it then. This is a time to celebrate." He said, a toothy grin falling on his lips.