IT'S MAGIC ❤︎ WHY DONT WE

twenty four

harry and ron found the paper in hermione's hand, reading it and piecing together the massive puzzle.

"if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is it no one's dead?" ron wondered, "because no one did look it in the eye."

"not directly at least." harry said, "colin saw it through his camera. justin... justin must have seen it through nearly headless nick, nick got full blast of it but he's a ghost he couldn't die again."

"what about zach? what did he see it through?" ron asked, and harry thought for a moment.

"his glasses. mcgonagall said he was holding a book and glasses. zach must have heard someone coming so he went to put his glasses on to see them and he must have seen the basilisk through the lenses before they were on his face."

"and hermione... had the mirror. i bet you anything she was using it to look around corners, in case it came along."

but there was one case left, "and mrs. norris? i'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera, glasses, or a mirror harry."

the boy stood silent for a moment, thinking. "the water... there was water on the floor that night. she only saw the basilisk's reflection."

ron had more questions, "but how's a basilisk been getting around? a dirty great snake, someone would have seen it."

"hermione's answered that too." harry points to the word written at the bottom of the page, "pipes? it's using the plumbing!"

although, it wasn't hermione that wrote it. she herself had been trying to think of who wrote it when she first found it.

•••

it was over. harry had stopped the basilisk, destroyed the diary, saved ginny weasley.

the mandrake draught was completed and everyone who was petrified is now able to wake up.

the group of friends were more than eager to have zach back with them. to see their hufflepuff friend be alright and happy.

everyone was sat in the great hall, all those who had been petrified had returned, sitting and laughing with their friends.

hermione appeared, running over to harry and ron. but where was zach? jonah, daniel, and kay couldn't see him anywhere. corbyn and tate hadn't found him. gabriela and christina weren't sitting with him as he wasn't there.

well, yet.

zach walked through the large doors, smiling from ear to ear when he saw his friends. christina and gabriela rushed to stand up and run over. corbyn and tate ran too, daniel, jonah, and kay following in suit.

the first to collide in a hug with zach was corbyn. swaying side to side as they squeezed tight. well, until jonah pulled corbyn off so he could hug the hufflepuff himself.

"we've missed you zach!" christina spoke cheerfully, hugging him tight. "i missed you lot too." the boy chuckled. "i certainly didn't miss the annoying me to death, but you were missed." he teased.

"ay! there's that zach we love!" daniel laughed. once everyone got their hugs in, they went to sit down once again.

as the three hufflepuffs were walking toward where gabriela and christina were sitting, they were interrupted by jack and draco.

"ah, how sweet! you got your precious little fairy back!" jack seethed, stopping zach in his tracks. "w-what did you say?" his heart began to pick up quickly.

"oh... does the little baby not like being called a fairy?" the slytherin taunted, "i-"

"zach don't listen to a bloody thing he says." gabriela cut him off, pulling him away to their seats.

•••

after the feast that night, the friend group stayed up all night long in the astronomy tower. they caught zach up on everything that had happened in the time he was in the infirmary.

"you gryffindors may have won the cup this year, but we've got it next year." zach teased his friends.

"oh really? you think so?" jonah playfully smirked. "oh yeah. what with harry, ron, and hermione constantly getting in trouble, i reckon it should be easy next year!"

"game on herron, game on." daniel chuckled.

"play nice boys! play nice!" christina said, holding in a laugh herself. this night was truly incredible, full of straight happiness.

just the way to end a stressful and scary second year. all eight of them ready for year three.