The Healer- A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction

Chapter 10

Penny, Evelyn and Greta returned to the dorm earlier than expected. I looked up from the healing textbook on my lap, my substitute pastime since I ended up leaving my notebook in the restroom at Hog's Head. I debated going back for it, but decided it wasn't worth the trouble, and I would come back for it another day.

"Erica," Greta breathed, her maroon hair dotted with snow, "You'll never guess what just happened."

"Katie Bell was cursed," Penny announced excitedly, not giving Greta a chance to break the news. I blinked.

"Huh?" I blinked, wondering if I heard them correctly.

Evelyn sat on her bed, peeling off her scarf and wool coat. "It happened just outside of Hogsmeade. Potter and his friends saw it all. By the time we got there, Katie had been taken to the medical wing."

I paused to digest the news. We were all just at Hogsmeade. And now a girl's been cursed. "Do you reckon Potter did it?" I asked with uncertainty.

"Why would he curse someone from his own house?" Greta frowned.

"Because he's a loon," Penny remarked.

I had a bad feeling in my stomach. "Wasn't Katie at Hog's Head when we were there?"

"Yes, she was," Evelyn agreed. "Though, I didn't look at her too closely. I was busy looking at Dimitri."

"Who cares who did it," Penny chortled, "It's hilarious."

Greta looked at Penny with wary eyes. "Penny, she's been sent to the hospital. She may have to stay there for the rest of term."

Penny shrugged, checking out her nails. "Good. That means a vacancy on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

I couldn't believe Penny's blatant amusement at this horrible situation. I had been reading up on curses in the medical encyclopedia. They were torturous, some long-lasting; even fatal. Removing them takes a lot of work and often means a long recovery.

"People said they saw her with a parcel," Evelyn informed me. "Reckon that's what cursed her."

A parcel. My heart stopped. I saw someone else with a mysterious parcel at Hogsmeade. But I couldn't say who it was; not to my friends. Not to anyone.

My brain began to piece things together. That's what Draco was doing in the women's restroom with that box; and if he gave the box to Katie, and now she was cursed-

No, no. I stopped myself. There was no reason why Draco would do that. And I couldn't be certain it was even the same parcel.

But... remember what Draco said that night at the lake? My blood ran cold. Draco did tell me he was burdened with a difficult task. Something that only he could do. Was this it? My thoughts wandered into dangerous territory. Perhaps that parcel that Katie Bell had was meant for Harry Potter.

But then... Why was Draco in the women's restroom?

"I'm going to get some dinner," Penny announced, practically commanding all of us to come with her. Greta and Evelyn went with her, but I decided to pass. I doubted I could keep down any food right now.

Maybe I should go to the medical wing to see if Madam Pomfrey needs help, I considered. I began to rise from my bed, and stopped myself, suddenly remembering the notebook I had left in the restroom.

If someone were to find that and trace it back to me, I could be considered a suspect for planting that cursed parcel in the women's restroom for someone else to find. Oh, no.

I had to tell someone, I decided. I owed nothing to Draco anymore, so exposing him to McGonagall was the best course of action. I had to protect myself.