The Battle Of The Basilisk

-5-

"Raghavi."

Raghavi's eyes flew open. Her arms still hurt. Hovering above her was a familiar Chinese face.

Charles Designs.

Raghavi rubbed her eyes. "Charlie, how-"

"Sshh." Charles whispered. "I'm not supposed to be here. It's after curfew."

"You'd better go back to the Common Room, Charlie." Raghavi whispered.

"Not just yet. I came to talk to you, Raghavi."

Raghavi was fully alert now. "Is this about your powers?"

Charles glanced around the hospital wing quickly. "Yes. And about.......Something else."

Raghavi sat up. "Tell me."

"I- I'm the reason you got hurt, Raghavi."

"What?"

"I entered the Mass Potions classroom before anyone else did. I used the room for an experiment. And I didn't cover up everything. I left a conjured Bezoar on the ground under the table. I didn't know that later Damian would-"

"Charlie," Raghavi interrupted. "That is ridiculous. You come here in the dead of the night to apologize because you left a Bezoar on the floor?"

Charles was quiet.

Raghavi sighed. "All right. I forgive you. What's the 'something else'?"

Charles' Chinese eyes sparkled. "I made you something."

"What is it?"

Charles pulled out a small vial of shimmering blue liquid. "Drink up."

"Not until I know what's in it."

No use of saying so- Charles poured the contents down Raghavi's throat before she could even notice. The liquid was hot, so it warmed her slightly as it passed through her body.

Then nothing.

"What was the point of giv- Ohhh....."

A gasp escaped Raghavi's mouth. The few remaining blisters on her hands (Which were to heal slowly- Madam Pomfrey said) immediately began to disappear.

"Charles, thank you."

"Charles?" He looked amused. "What happened to 'Charlie'?"

"'Charlie' is a child." Raghavi said quietly. "You're nothing like that. You're a genius, Charles. You're amazing."

Charles felt the ends of his lips slowly move upwards. He moved a little closer.

The door of the hospital wing swung open, and Charles immediately rolled under Raghavi's bed, his heart thumping against his chest. From there he could see light streaming in from the hallway, and a pair of shoes.

Girl shoes. Small girl shoes.

"Charles? I know you're hiding."

The voice seemed vaguely familiar. Charles poked his head out to see who was there, and nearly ended up hitting himself in surprise.

"Jane?"

"Charlie?" Raghavi called. Charles inwardly groaned- It was 'Charlie' again. "What's going on? Is everything alright?"

Charles got to his feet. "Yes, everything's fine."

"Not really." Jane put in. Her black hair was a mess, and one of her fake facial tattoos was coming off. "Hydra's missing."

"Hydra?" Raghavi interjected. "Hydra Malfoy?"

"Yes." Jane replied. "She ran off somewhere, and I don't-"

"Miss Everlasting?" A soft voice called.

Jane tensed. Charles gulped. Professor Dumbledore stood in the hallway, his half-moon spectacles glinting.

*

"SHE'S NOT HERE, WILL."

Why did I leave the Common Room? Ayano thought.

Pranaty stood behind her, frowning. "What were we expecting?"

"A Ravenclaw girl, apparently. Who ISN'T EVEN HERE." Ayano glared at Will, who looked equally bewildered.

"Okay." Will replied calmly. "I think..... I think we should go look for her."

"I'm not coming." Pranaty said. She started to go back, but Ayano stopped her.

"Hydra's still missing, Pranaty." Ayano pointed out. "We're not going back in there without her. So come on. And keep an eye out for teachers or Mrs.Norris. I hate that cat."

*

Hydra clutched her bleeding leg and leaned against a tree. 

Somebody help me, she thought.

But nobody was there. Who would be there in the Forbidden Forest at midnight?

The girl in the hooded cloak was clearly smiling. She held the twin daggers, Glory & Pride, and wiped them clean of her victim's blood. "So," She began. "Do you plan on revealing the Moerder at all?"

"Never even in your dreams." Hydra tried to sound rude, but her voice shook.

The girl chuckled. "Your death is a necessary one, Malfoy. I am sorry."

"You don't sound sorry to me."

The girl stopped smiling. "I sound sorry to none. Least of all, to you."

The girl lunged forward and let Glory sink into Hydra's other leg. Hydra screamed, and the girl whipped out her wand in a flash. "Silencio!"

Hydra stopped screaming. No voice came out. Blood ran down her pale legs. Hydra desperately tried to stem the flow of blood. If only she hadn't been wand-less when she'd entered the Forest........

"The next one will have to be the Ravenclaw you were in the library with." The girl snarled. "Avada Kedavra!!"

There was no sound, as a blast of green light escaped the girl's wand, and hit Hydra Malfoy squarely in the chest, right at the heart.