The Potter Twins and the Chamber of Secrets

IX

CRUNCH.

The car rammed into the thick tree trunk and dropped to the ground with a jarring crash. Steam billowed out from the crumpled bonnet; the owls were shrieking in terror, blood started to trickle down my cheek from a cut I'd gained, and in front, Ron let out a low, miserable groan.

"Is everyone okay?" Harry demanded, urgently. I was just about to mumble an affirmative when Ron let out a shaky breath. "My wand. Look at my wand."

I wrenched myself to the right and caught a glimpse of a broken stick: the wand had snapped, almost in two - the end was held on by a few splinters. "I'm sure we'll be able to mend it," Harry said softly. I, unusually, was still lost for words, and was about to mutter something when the force of a charging bull smashed into my side of the car, sending me lurching sideways to smack my head onto the side of one of our trunks.

I stayed conscious just long enough to hear someone yell my name, before blacking out.

I didn't stay knocked out for long, because when I came round, Harry and Ron were sitting miserably out of reach of the tree with all of our things. The car had disappeared and I, for some reason, was laid across Ron's lap.

I opened my eyes slowly and prised myself off Ron's knees. "Merlin's Beard," I mumbled incoherently, rubbing a thumb over my forehead, and wincing when I gained a splitting headache. "What happened?"

"Whomping Willow," Harry replied, staring despondently into the distance. "And the car's gone too," Ron added hopelessly. "Dad's gonna kill me. We were gonna sneak in but you were unconscious, and Harry figured we'd have some questions to answer if we dragged you in half-dead before the year had even started."

"Pretty sure we're still going to have some answering to do," I said, getting unsteadily to my feet. Harry gave me a hand up and we began to drag our things up the hill towards the huge oak doors.

It was not the grand entrance we'd imagined. The slope was larger than first appeared and I was flagging significantly just after halfway. Ron had to drape my arm around his shoulder just to stop my legs giving out, and I nearly cried with joy when we reached the doors. "Look!" Harry said in a hushed tone, pointing through the huge windows. "It's the Sorting!"

Innumerable candles were hovering in mid-air over four long, crowded tables, making golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling, which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with stars. Through the forest of pointed black hats, I could see a long line of scared looking first-years, Ginny amongst them. She was easily visible because of her red hair, stood next to another girl with hair so blonde it was pretty much white. Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall was placing the Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers. My eyes wandered past the spectacle to the staff table where Professor Dumbledore, watching as his half-moon glasses glinted in the candlelight, sat three seats along from the irritating Gilderoy Lockhart. Further along was Hagrid, drinking deeply from his goblet.

The sight made me lose my headache for a few moments as I realised that I was well and truly back home.

"Hang on..." Ron muttered. "Where's Snape?"

My chest filled with hope. "Maybe he's ill," I said optimistically. Snape hated both Harry and I, but possibly me just that tiny bit more because I was never able to stop talking.

"Maybe he's left," said Harry.

"Maybe he's been sacked!" suggested Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him..."

"Or maybe," said a cold voice behind us, "he's waiting to hear why you three didn't arrive on the school train."

All three of us span around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze, stood Severus Snape. His sallow skin, hooked nose and greasy, shoulder-length hair had never looked so unwelcoming, and at that moment, he smiled in a way that told us that we were in very deep trouble. "Follow me," said Snape.

I hooked my arm around Ron's shoulder again because this was clearly no time to plead that I had a concussion. If we were going to get expelled, we would get expelled together, and I would not let my last sight of Hogwarts be the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey's annoyed face when she learnt I would have been both her last visitor from the year before and the first from this one.

We entered Snape's office, shivering. "So," he said, softly, and I was already sick of his voice. "The train isn't good enough for the Potter and their Weasley sidekick? You were seen, boys, and you have threatened the future of our world. Not to mention that considerable damage has been done to a valuable Whomping Willow."

"Sir," I said tiredly, "we couldn't-"

"Silence," Snape snapped nastily. He looked me over and took in both my cut face and bruised forehead. "Reaping the benefits of rule breaking, Potter? And you," he glanced at Ron, "I believe your father works at the Misuse or Muggle Artefacts Office? What have you done with the car?"

If anyone found out that Mr. Weasley had bewitched the car, I would never have forgiven myself. "Dear, dear... his own son..." Snape continued. "Unfortunately, you are not in my house and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here."

As soon as he left, I slumped against Harry's chest. "I feel like shit. Your dad, Ron..."

"It's fine," Ron said, face pale, and it was clearly not fine. "It was my idea."

"We're screwed," I mumbled, mostly to myself, as Professor McGonagall arrived with Snape. I had never seen her so angry and flinched as she raised her wand, but she merely pointed it at the fireplace where flames suddenly erupted. She sat down into the last chair, and looked irritably at me. "Sit up, Potter," she said. "Have some respect." Harry shoved me back up into the correct position and said, "please, Professor, Sam's in a bad way. He hit his head and got knocked out."

"Was this before or after you crashed the car into the grounds?" McGonagall said, her lips thin. She had no sympathy. "Explain."

Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier at the station. "We had no choice Professor, we couldn't get through."

"Why didn't you send us a letter by owl?" McGonagall asked coldly. "You both have owls."

I could have kicked myself. It seemed the obvious thing to have done. "We didn't think-"

"That," said Professor McGonagall, "is obvious."

There was a knock at the door, and Snape, now looking happier than ever, opened it. There stood the Headmaster, Dumbledore, looking unusually grave. He somehow stared down his nose at all three of us and I found myself wishing that I was still unconscious. There was a horrifically long silence.

Then Dumbledore, perfectly calmly, but with a horrible tone of disappointment in his voice, said, "please explain why you did this."

hope everyone is well. please stay inside and stay safe. there will be another chapter soon,

lots of love.