Courage - Harry Potter

-89-

Book: Courage
Chapter 89
Word Count: 6010

A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait! I haven't really been motivated to write lately or use wattpad at all. But my motivation is slowly coming back, the updates might just not be as quick for a while ❤️
-Helloluv06 xx

Hermione stopped in her tracks.

"Ron? What happened?"

Professor McGonagall hesitated, turning to face the two girls.

"Perhaps it will be best for Mr Potter to explain," she began, but Layla didn't hear the rest. She had broken into a run ahead of both her teacher and Hermione, climbing up steps two at a time, ducking through secret passages, sprinting full-bore until she reached the hospital wing on the third floor.

Harry sat on a bench outside the doors of the wing, staring at the ground in front of him, brow furrowed and lost in thought.

"Harry!" Layla demanded. "What happened to Ron? Is he alright? Did you do something? What happened?!"

Harry looked up at her, but he didn't look guilty.

"I think I might have saved his life," Harry answered.

"You saved his life?" Layla repeated quietly. "Well, that makes more sense, doesn't it?"

"Of course it does!" Professor McGonagall said sharply from behind her, closely followed by Hermione. Layla was only slightly surprised that Hermione and the professor had managed to keep up so closely with her as she ran through the halls. "I'd think you'd have realized by now, Miss Lupin, that when it comes to the Weasleys, Mr Potter is more often a help than a hindrance."

"Yeah, I've figured that out," Layla muttered, fighting the blush out of her cheeks.

"So what happened to Ron?" asked Hermione. "Can we go in?"

"Not yet," Professor McGonagall said. "He still needs his rest, and Madame Pomfrey needs room to work. As for what happened, he was poisoned."

"Poisoned?" Layla shouted. "Who would poison Ron?"

"Mr Potter will give you the details," Professor McGonagall replied. "Fear not. Madame Pomfrey assures us that Mr Weasley will make a full recovery. It will take some bed rest and some rather distasteful potions, but recover he shall. Now, I must go send for Professor Dumbledore, but before I do, I shall fetch Miss Weasley. She would want to know what has happened to her brother. Where is she?"

"The Great Hall I think," Layla answered her.

"I shall go and fetch her," Professor McGonagall sniffed, turning as she did so.

"Professor!" Harry called after her. "He's dating Lavender Brown! Should you go get Lavender, too?"

Hermione shot Harry a dirty look.

Professor McGonagall studied Harry for a moment, and then declared, "I think, perhaps, only family for the time being, Mr Potter. I shall send Miss Weasley along shortly."

"But Layla, Hermione, and I aren't—"

Professor McGonagall turned the corner, though, effectively ending the exchange.

"So what happened?" Layla asked Harry.

"It was a box of chocolates," Harry explained. "Spiked with love potion."

"Who would send Ron a box of chocolates spiked with love potion?"

Harry looked down at the floor and shuffled his feet.

"Er, it wasn't for Ron. It was for me. It got mixed up with his birthday presents."

For a moment, the three of them sat together in silence. Then Layla's eyes widened.