Welcome to Hogwarts(Boyxboy)

Chapter 25

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"—set an Expulsion Jinx to go off at the door."

"I can't believe he's not dead."

"Might as well be. Did you see—"

"Can we not talk about that? It's...well, it's not pleasant. Besides they said with dittany he might not be too badly scarred."

"If he makes it."

"Stop."

"Did you see what he was holding?"

"The picture? Yeah I saw it. It's next to Leighton's bed."

The fog in his brain thinned a little at the mention of his own name. Everything was moving at a snail's pace, the words filtering into his mind and slowly being sucked in like an overfull sponge trying to take in more water.

His leg felt overlarge under the layer of blankets tucked around him, a dull throbbing rocking up and down the limb as he laid in the semi-darkness.

"Where are their parents?"

"Well, Leighton's parents and Gavin's mother are with McGonagall."

"But they found his father?"

"Yeah. He was passed out drunk in some pub not far from here."

...

"And?"

"Azkaban. For at the very least five years. Could be more. Probably will be given the damage he caused."

"At least they caught him."

"Bit late if you ask me."

Someone muttered something Leighton couldn't hear.

"Jeff, I'm fine. Seriously. That Healer fixed me up in about two seconds."

"I just worry about you, Nick..."

"I know."

"Okay, guys, I think you should head back to the tower. They need to rest. Blaine and I will wait here until their parents come back. You all need sleep, I can tell."

There were a few grateful murmurs of thanks and the sound of retreating footsteps and low voices.

"I'm so sorry I didn't come back right away, love."

"That's okay. No chance of you being hurt. It was bad enough as it was. It was...Blaine, it was awful."

"How's your arm?"

"Fine. Stings but...the burn wasn't too bad."

"Merlin, I'm glad you're okay."

There was a few seconds where he heard them shifting and he assumed they were embracing.

"I love you."

"I love you too. Sorry your trial was kind of overshadowed by all this."

"Don't you worry about that. As long as you're safe."

Leighton opened his mouth to try and make a sound but his throat burned and ached so he stopped. His lungs felt scratchy and swollen with each breath, which rasped down his trachea painfully. He tried to remember what had happened, wracking his overworked and exhausted brain through the haze.

Haze...

Smoke. Raging flames.

Gavin.

He tried to sit up but his body wouldn't react and he only managed a slight shift in his bed in what assumed was the hospital wing. The hangings were drawn closed.