The Battle Of The Basilisk

-1-

"It burns!!!" Raghavi screamed. "HELP ME!!!!"

Her face seemed to lose whatever little color it had left. Raghavi's hands looked as though they belonged to a corpse rather than a living person. Blisters decorated her slender porcelain arms, only increasing in number as she writhed in pain.

Ayano leaned over her, her beautiful blue hair falling in waves on Raghavi's face. She spoke gently to Raghavi, in a soothing voice, doing her best to comfort her, and the whole time, desperately trying not to giggle.

"Step aside, students." Madam Pomfrey pushed through the crowd, who were staring and whispering. "Move along, now. Go to- MISS SCARLET!!!"

Ayano leaped up, her pitch black eyes showing surprise. "Madam Pomfrey?!? Thank goodness, please help Raghavi, I tried my best, but-"

"I know quite well what happened, Miss Scarlet." Madam Pomfrey snapped. "Miss Valentine!"

The bespectacled Ravenclaw girl stepped forward, her hands shaking. "Yes, Madam Pomfrey?"

"Relate to me what exactly took place here." Madam Pomfrey ordered.

Much to Ayano's shock, Alice Valentine spilled everything- How, the 5th, 6th and 7th Year students were having a potions lesson together (The orders of Professor Dumbledore, apparently to "Unite all four houses of Hogwarts"), and how Ayano had spilled an unfinished Strengthening Solution on Raghavi's arms, hence resulting in a massive amount of angry red blisters that burned her skin. Five house-elves entered the room and carried a still-screaming Raghavi away. Madam Pomfrey scowled at Ayano and left as well. As soon as she shut the door, Ayano turned to Alice.

"How could you just LIE like that?!?!?" Ayano immediately lost the aura of beauty that normally surrounded her, and was shrouded my clouds of anger. "Raghavi is my FRIEND, Alice!! And you weren't even here, you went to the bathroom, so on what basis were you to give a false report?!?"

"It wasn't false." Alice replied curtly. "When I came in, I saw you holding a flask dripping with potion, and Raghavi with you, and she was screaming. Blisters began appearing on her skin."

"She. Is. My. Friend." Ayano snarled. Much to her shock, Alice chuckled.

"Friend? Ayano, she's a pure-blooded Gryffindor. You're a Slytherin. It is impossible. Look at you. Look at her. And if she were your friend, why would you do such a thing?"

"Goodness, Alice! It was an accident!!! I never meant to do anything like that! I was just showing Damian how to make a Strengthening Solution, and he tripped over a fallen Bezoar, so what could I-"

"Damian? Is she telling the truth? Is she really sticking up for a Gryffindor?"

Damian Wayne looked stunned. He was far too tall to be a 5th Year, but nobody judged him. Ayano silently prayed that he would stick up for her, because that was what fellow house-members were expected to do, right? Be there for the other?

Damian ran a hand through his spiky black hair. "Alice.....I love you, but this........You're not entirely wrong, but......."

Ayano bit her lip. She'd completely forgotten that Damian and Alice were dating. Ayano was surprised when she found out- Damian was a rude loner, and nobody expected him to get a friend, let alone a girlfriend. "Damian, you were here. You saw it. Tell her."

Damian shook his head. "Not to put your 6th Year at risk Ayano, but she has a point. You crossed the line by making a Gryffindor your friend. If the others found out-"

"They already have, I'm afraid." Hydra Malfoy made her way to the front. She was in Ayano's year, and was probably the nicest Slytherin of them all. People often wondered how she hadn't been made a Hufflepuff. "I'm sorry, Ayano. But word's gotten around. Nasty rumors about a certain 6th Year Slytherin trying to kill a 7th Year Gryffindor...."

"You rotten pumpkin head!!" Ayano screamed and lunged towards Alice.

Alice shrieked and leaped back. Damian, Hydra, Pranaty Ghosh and a few others restrained her, while Ayano desperately tried to wriggle free.

Alice regarded her with disgust. "You Slytherins are awful." She pulled out her wand, and yelled "Incarcerous!"

There was a loud, collective round of screaming from those watching as a bolt of blue light shot towards the group of Slytherins.

Ayano finally wriggled free, drew out her own wand and screamed "Protego!"

There was a loud BANG as everyone rushed to Alice, who struggled and tried to be free of the thick ropes that had tied her up.

Ayano was about to sigh in relief, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. When she turned, Damian was glaring at her, his brown eyes as hard as rocks.

"We need to talk, Ayano."