American Royalty III

Part 31: Never liked this school

The post-Christmas chill lingered in the air as Leo sat slouched at his desk, doodling absentmindedly on the corner of his parchment. He and his classmates were packed into a dimly lit classroom, where the Carrows were droning on about the so-called "importance" of pureblood supremacy. Leo had long stopped paying attention, his mind wandering to how many ways he could sabotage the school's plumbing system to flood the dungeons.

Beside him, Frank sat upright, his broad shoulders tense and his jaw clenched as if physically restraining himself from lashing out. Hazel, seated on Frank's other side, kept her head down, her hand resting lightly on his arm to calm him.

When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, the students shuffled out into the corridor. Leo stretched dramatically, shaking off the stifling boredom, when he noticed a group of students ahead. Two boys were supporting another between them—a Gryffindor he recognized as Seamus Finnigan. Seamus's face was pale, his steps unsteady, and his hand clutched his side where a faint stain of blood peeked through his robes.

Hazel saw them too and frowned. "What happened to him?"

"Doesn't look good," Frank murmured, already moving toward the group. Leo followed, curiosity piqued.

As they got closer, Leo recalled something from the welcome-back speech Snape had given the night before. "Hold up," he said, frowning. "Didn't they say the hospital wing's shut unless it's a 'serious emergency'? If the Carrows did that to him, no way they'll call it serious."

Hazel looked horrified. "That can't be true."

"It's true," Leo said grimly. "So we're on our own."

Frank reached Seamus first, his large frame towering over the two students struggling to keep him upright. "What happened?" he asked.

One of the boys supporting Seamus, a Hufflepuff, glanced nervously over his shoulder. "Carrows caught him practicing Defense spells. They used the Cruciatus Curse—he collapsed after."

Hazel gasped, and Leo's jaw tightened. "Great," he muttered. "Even worse than I thought. Come on, we can't let him limp around like this. Frank, you wanna—?"

Before Leo could finish, Frank had already scooped Seamus up as if he weighed nothing. "We'll take him to Will," Frank said, his voice firm.

"Will?" the other boy asked hesitantly.

Hazel nodded. "He's good with healing magic. Trust us."

The group set off quickly, Leo leading the way. "We're not taking him back to the dorms, though," he added. "Not safe. We need somewhere better."

Hazel looked at him thoughtfully, then her eyes lit up. "The Room of Requirement," she said.

Frank nodded in agreement. "Good idea."

They made their way to the seventh floor, Frank still carrying Seamus, while Hazel and Leo kept watch for wandering Carrows. When they reached the familiar blank stretch of wall, Leo paced in front of it, focusing on what they needed. A safe place to heal. A safe place to heal.

The door appeared almost instantly, and the group hurried inside. To their relief, the Room had transformed into a perfect replica of the hospital wing—rows of beds, shelves stocked with potions, and even a faint antiseptic smell in the air.

Will was already there, crouched over a collection of supplies he must have been organizing for emergencies. He looked up as they entered, his brows furrowing in concern when he saw Seamus. "What happened?"

"Carrows," Frank said shortly, laying Seamus on the nearest bed. "He's in bad shape."

Will nodded, already moving into action. He pulled out his wand, casting diagnostic spells with quick precision. "He's stable, but he's in a lot of pain. I'll need to clean up that wound and give him something for the aftereffects of the Cruciatus."