Snowflakes in a Storm - [Scorose]

Chapter 21: Thief's Downfall

By the time I got back to Hogwarts it was nearly midnight and I was tired but there was too much going on for me to sleep. Three Aurors had helped me get back to the school and they took me to the hospital wing where they left me with the matron. She gave me a muscle relaxing potion, which actually helped with the pain from being tortured by my father that I had barely even noticed was there. I had no time to concentrate on the pain when all I could feel was a sort of relaxed bliss, which was only enhanced after taking the potion. Being under the curse made me question why it was so unforgivable. Unlike the Cruciatus curse and the Killing curse, the Imperius curse actually felt... good.

I looked around the hospital wing feeling dazed and vague – a feeling I assumed would stay with me until this curse wore off, not that I minded. I watched lazily as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Weasley and the three other Aurors who brought me here walked into the hospital wing and over to my bed.

"I've given him quite a powerful potion to calm his nerves." The matron explained and the Aurors nodded and surrounded my bed. The potion and the curse were both so powerful together that I could barely keep my eyes open, especially given how tired I was anyway.

"Scorpius..." Albus' dad said to me, sitting in the chair beside my bed and placing his hand on my shoulder just as my father had earlier that day. "We need to know what happened to you." I nodded and remembered one of the vows I swore to my father – to keep the plans a secret from anyone who asked.

"I... I don't really remember." I lied. "One minute I was watching Professor Faraway die and the next I was in Hogsmeade being brought back here."

"Damnit." Rose's father mumbled. I yawned and my eyes closed slowly as my head drooped downwards. I opened them again and looked at everyone. Suddenly the hospital wing doors opened and Albus and Rose rushed in. Rose's wrist was bandaged up and she had a few cuts and bruises on her face.

"Scorp'... We thought you were dead." Albus said as Rose moved past her parents and the aurors to walk closer to me. She placed her hand on top of mine as I laid in bed. Albus moved to the other side of the bed and stood behind his father who was still sat beside me.

"I'm fine." I said. I felt fine. I felt more than fine.

"Are you sure you can't remember anything?" One of the Aurors I didn't know asked. I shrugged my shoulders and all of the Aurors moved to the other side of the hospital wing and began whispering to each other. Albus sat down in the chair his father had just vacated.

"Okay now they're gone, what actually happened? You seriously don't remember anything?"

I could feel part of my brain, a tiny part, trying to fight the curse. "Nope." I said, maybe a little too casually to be believable. I looked over at Rose. She looked sad – no wonder, she'd been kidnapped and then when she got back I was gone.

"Do you guys know anything about... I think it's called the resurrection stone?" I asked, as if it was no big deal and not completely out of the blue. My cursed self wasn't very tactical. Rose and Albus looked at each other, confused and sceptical.

"Uh, why?" Albus asked.

"I think I had a dream about something like that when I was there." I lied. "I saw my mother." The truth was, I knew enough about the stone to formulate a reasonable lie. I knew it brought back loved ones from the dead, just like most people in our world.

Rose squeezed my hand. "It was destroyed years ago during the war." She explained. "I'm sorry Scorpius, I know you miss your mother-"

"No, I was just curious." I interrupted, yawning a little. "Where was it destroyed?"