Azkaban's Youngest Prisoner

Ch. 23

Chapter 23:

"Miss Malfoy, you need to leave now, class is starting soon," Madam Pomfrey says to me as she rummages through her cabinet to get an antidote for Draco.

"But-"

"I assure you your brother will be okay. You can come check on him later when you have to change your bandages. He will be up around 5." I simply nodded and gave one more concerned look at Draco, who was currently sleeping, and headed out of the hospital wing.

I couldn't focus in class. I was too concerned about Draco to even think about what Professor Binns was talking about in class. Draco has gotten attacked not once but now twice because of me. All because someone didn't like me. It was my fault. I came to the realization that there was nothing I could say or do to make Ben Harris stop. The only thing I could do was stop talking to Cedric. If I left him alone, then maybe Ben would be happy enough to stop messing with my life.

After school I walk out to the courtyard to meet the trio.

"Tessa!" A voice calls out behind me that I know belongs to Cedric. I pretend I don't hear him and jog over to where Harry and his friends are sitting.

"Tessa! What happened to Malfoy at lunch earlier?" Hermione asks as I sit down.

"He got fucking poisoned," I reply.

"Wait, what?!" Ron exclaims.

"Do you know who it was?" Harry chimes in.

"I know exactly who it was. And it wasn't even meant for him, the poison was in my goblet, He stole it before I could take a sip."

"Who?" Hermione questions.

"Ben Harris," Harry replies when he realizes my expression. I had told Harry about what Ben had been doing when we were hanging out one on one last week. "He constantly torments Tessa about her return from... Yea anyways Tessa you need to report this!"

"Even though I know it was him I don't have any solid proof. He'll lie and let's be honest they'll probably believe him over me."

"But you can't let him get away with this!" Hermione protests.

"He's not going to leave me alone. Nothing I do will change the way he thinks of me. The best thing I can do is just stay away from Diggory and hope that it works."

"I'm sorry you have to deal with this Tessa," Ron says with a comforting tone.

"You don't have to feel sorry for me. I can't expect to be treated like royalty here after what I've done." After a few seconds of silence, Ron and Hermione get up to go to the common room leaving Harry and I by ourselves.

"So, spill." Harry says simply after they leave.

"I just did, Harry."

"No no. There's something else," he says poking my arm. "C'mon Tessa. You know you can tell me anything." I couldn't tell him. But I wanted to. I wanted to so badly.

"If I tell you, I'm going to get in so much trouble," I say simply.

"You'll only get in trouble if someone else finds out that I know. I swear to you I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to."

"Harry, this is serious. You can't even tell Ron or Hermione."

"I promise you I won't," Harry places a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"It's a long story," I say at a last attempt to avoid the topic at hand.

"I'm listening," Harry replies.