𝓛𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓪𝓰𝓮 - 𝓐 𝓗𝓪𝓻𝓻𝔂 𝓟𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓢𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂

Year 3: Chapter 3

The trio stayed in the hospital wing with Malfoy until lunchtime, with Clarissa using the excuse of her twin to miss the rest of her classes for the day, while Ursula and Penelope went to lessons instead. By the time dinner came around, the entire year group knew of Draco's altercation with the hippogriff.

"Merlin, he's laying it on a bit thick, don't you think?" Ursula said exasperated, arriving at dinner with Penny and seeing Draco surrounded by Pansy Parkinson and her groupies. Penelope was the least likely of the trio to express her opinion in such a way, but while she cared for her cousin like a brother, this was doing even her head in.

Clarissa meanwhile was chatting across the table to Theodore Nott, looking up at him through her eyelashes and twisting a piece of her hair, which Ursula noticed and made her roll her eyes. "So this is Clary's pick of the year." Ursula thought herself. Clarissa was the type of girl who always liked to have a crush, but never to actually want something serious. In their second year, she tried her hand at Tristan Avery, who wasn't interested from Day 1, though Clarissa claimed it was only because he was so busy with Quidditch last year. Now this year it looked like Theodore Nott would be her pursuit instead.

"Does it hurt terribly, Draco?" Pansy's shrill voice pierced the air. Both Penelope and Ursula looked up at the scene of half of the Slytherin girls fawning over Draco, before turning to each other and pulling faces that had the word 'yuck' written plainly across them.

"It comes and goes.  Still... I consider myself lucky. According to Madam Pomfrey, another minute or two... and I could've lost the arm." Draco replied, in a tone that his cousins could instantly pick up as a tad theatrical, however the girls surrounding him lapped it up, each gasping at the thought of their poor, lovely Dracy-poos being hurt.

"At what point am I allowed to hex his mouth shut?" Penelope deadpanned, not even looking up from her charms homework.

Ursula couldn't help but laugh, "Penny, you're supposed to be the nice one out of us." She continued a little more solemnly, "Plus, as much as I don't want to admit it, I think if there were to be an enquiry it would maybe be a good thing."

"An enquiry? From Uncle Lucius? You can't be serious? Draco's the idiot that walked up to the wild creature." Penelope exasperated, looking at Ursula with a face of shock.

"Yes, Penny, I'm aware. But it was our first lesson, we hadn't been taught anything yet about how to protect magical creatures, what to do in emergency situations-" Ursula stressed, trying to get her point to across.

"Ursula Lestrange, I think this is the first time in my life that I've heard you say that we should've followed actual protocol." Penelope looked at her cousins dumbfounded.

Ursula tried to continue, "Look, either way Uncle Lucius will be putting forward an enquiry. Let's just hope they let Hagrid off easily."

Penelope scoffed, and looked at her cousin and shook her head. "Ursula, it's not Hagrid I'm worried about. Dumbledore would walk barefoot all the way to Camelot to let him stay. It's the hippogriff that'll pay. It shouldn't have to lose its life because of our idiot cousin."

"I know, Penelope. But in this case it's only fair-" Ursula sighed.

"It's only fair? Please, Ursula, we're Slytherins. It's not like we play fair." Penelope said, letting out a deep sigh and looking back at her work before folding her books up. "I guess you're right that we'll have to wait and see what the enquiry decides."

"I think so." Ursula said, glad their conversation had calmed down, even if she could tell that her cousin was still agitated inside.

Penelope decided to make the conversation a bit more light hearted, smirking "Well, either way we know the Gryffindors are going to be furious at this news."