Books for the Bedridden
The weeks after were quiet once again. The attacks on students suddenly stopped, like they always had after finding a victim. It was between attacks that stress was at an all-time high. Security was tighter and everyone was beginning to feel the severity of the situation (if they hadn’t already). The snobbier Slytherins had been confident that they were untouchable due to their blood status, but once the news had come out of the first petrified Slytherin, everyone began to shut up and guard their backs. Whether it was an accident or not, no one wanted to toy with the idea.
You would’ve laughed in their faces at their rude awakening that it could be anybody of them — that blood status wouldn’t protect anyone — but seeing as the attack happened to Adrian, you decided to keep your mouth shut.
Studying was all you could do to keep yourself busy. Surprisingly, Solaris joined you more often in the library, even if she hated it. She told you that she kept thinking about Adrian and that having her mind on something else helped her manage — you couldn’t really blame her. However, it seemed that no matter how much time you spent reading the same passage, none of the information there seemed to stick.
Quidditch was cancelled soon after Adrian’s attack. Professors saw it fit to make sure students weren’t out of sight and in danger while practice and put a stop to it. You were glad it was, but you could sympathize with the other house players. It was the freedom of flying on a broom that you couldn’t fathom; feeling the refreshing breeze of spring while your friend remained stuck in a hospital bed wasn’t fair. Quidditch just wasn’t the same without him.
The twins tried their best to keep you from spiraling into anything harmful. You were thankful for all their extra pranks and random jokes throughout the day. Sometimes, when you weren’t up for mischief, they understood and often left you be. Sometimes, they’d surprise you with random activities that weren’t too energy-consuming and you were thankful for it. As long as they could make you smile, that was enough for them. They even interacted with Solaris (seeing as she wouldn’t leave your side) and tried to get her to laugh. They were successful for the most part.
The novelty of the shock and grief faded with time, thankfully. It was still difficult without your other Slytherin friend, but it wasn’t as unbearable as before. It was sometime after double potions that Snape had dropped the hint that Sprout was feeling chipper about the mandrakes — they would be ready soon and the affected students would be remedied.
That same day, you and Solaris decided to hit the library. It became a common occurrence to find something interesting in a book and recount it to Adrian later. You were unsure if petrified people could hear you, nevermind understand what was going on around them. Regardless, you and Solaris continued to read to him.
“You think he’d like this one?” You asked Solaris as the two of you walked out of the library.
She shrugged her shoulders, smiling at her own uncertainty. “I hope so, he better.”
The two of you shared a fit of giggles before being interrupted by a half-hazard bump. Quickly, you turned to look at the Gryffindor who rushed past the two of you. They muttered a quick ‘Sorry — sorry!’ Before running into the library.
“Was that —”
“Hermione?”
The two of you gave each other a worried glance but went on with your day, a little shook by the short interaction with the frantic Gryffindor.
- - - - -
He was still in his bed, cold and rigid as ever. You and Solaris tried to spend as much time as you could before being ushered away by Pomfrey. The two of you would spend your lunch or any recess periods there reading him the book you’d chosen or mindlessly chatting about school subjects. One time you were caught playing wizard's chess over him and got scolded for it. It was one of those light-hearted moments where it brought you and Solaris a brief moment of laughter.
Solaris, for the most part, was taking more in-detail notes for Adrian. She explained to you that it was so when he were to wake, he would have the lecture notes he missed to study and practice. You knew he would appreciate it when he would eventually be awoken, and Solaris thought of it as a nice distraction (as well as a form of studying since she never did it herself).
The doors to the infirmary opened quickly causing the two of you to look up. A group of teachers was crowded amongst two stretchers, whispering to each other frantically as they moved over to two empty beds. A sinking feeling made itself home in your stomach — this wasn’t good.
Yet another attack had happened. As soon as the teachers stepped away from the stretchers, the identities of the two petrified students were revealed. Hermione and a sixth-year Ravenclaw you knew, Penelope, had been petrified.
From the corner of your eye, Solaris held one of Adrian’s fingers with her own as she watched them place the two girls onto hospital beds. It didn’t take long for Madam Pomfrey to ask the two of you to leave out of concern for the patients and your own mental health.
Dinner was quiet and even more so after news had come out of the newest attack. You couldn’t help but steal a glance at the Gryffindor table. Harry and Ron sat there, pushing food around their plates and heads hung low from the news. You lost your appetite that evening.
- - - - -
“Exams are in three days, you ready?”
Solaris groaned and rolled over in her bed. “You’ve been cramming so much information into my brain! I don’t think I’ll function after finals.”
June was finally here and it was crap. Of course, the end to another school year brought you immense relief, but the exams before that were absolute hell.
“Don’t worry, Sol. I’m sure they won’t be too bad, I mean, we have O.W.L.s next year so these can’t be as bad —”
She groaned again and flipped you off. You couldn’t blame her, fourth-year end-of-term exams were excruciating. They were practically made to mimic the O.W.L.s content-wise. The professors warned everyone and that caused a few students to study like crazy. Luckily (or not so luckily), the two of you had spent the last few months studying to take your mind off of… everything that had been going on.
Before she could retort, a knock interrupted your conversation. Solaris beckoned for the person to enter and a few seconds later the door opened to show the Slytherin Prefect. She looked tired but nonetheless mustered as much professionalism as she could.
“Professor Snape’s calling all students to the common room,” she said. Before either of you could ask anything, she raised her hand to quiet the two of you and shook her head. “I don’t know why either, he just told me to round everyone up.”
And with that, she promptly left to alert the last few Slytherins down the hall. You gave Solaris a curious look and she returned it. Was another Slytherin attacked? Was he resigning? What gives?
It didn’t take long for the two of you to throw on a sweater and slippers before leaving your dorm. A few other Slytherins were poking their heads out of their doors before following suit and walking towards the common room. Murmurs were heard here and there, wondering what was going on; everyone was just as confused as you were.
The majority of them were already in the shared living area. Some were taking up spots on the sofa, on the carpet in front of the fireplace, others were doing their homework on the tables nearby. It seemed that many Slytherins were split in the matter. In the crowd of green and black-clad students, you caught sight of Snape trying his best to stay patient as the last of the students gathered.
“Is everyone here?” He asked once he saw the Prefects walk back into the common room. The two raised their thumbs as a signal, and he nodded. “I’m sure you’re all confused as to why I called you here so I’ll make this quick. Hogwarts is closing down and everyone is being sent home early tomorrow morning. Heed warning and pack all your belongings, the train will be doing a one-way trip to King’s Cross. Your parents have already been notified of the early departure.”
Immediately, students began to throw questions left and right, bombarding their Potions teacher to the point where he threatened to hex everyone quiet. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed once everyone decided to shut up.
“I will not go into more detail, all you need to know is that everyone is being sent back home tomorrow morning, eight o’clock sharp. So go pack your trunks — do not make me repeat myself.”
Everyone headed back to their dormitories, groups either entirely chatty from anxiety, or dead quiet from the past few minutes’ information running through their heads
You didn’t find everything that happened this past school year as seriously as you perhaps should have. It had only been earlier today that the news broke out that petrified students were going to be restored back to health. It was the biggest piece of joy and hope that you and Solaris were holding onto, but now… now what? What was going to happen to the petrified students if Hogwarts was being shut down?
Snape’s words rung in your mind: everyone was to leave the school by tomorrow morning, the Hogwarts Express was going to take you all back home. You threw a worried glance at Solaris as you walked back to your dorm. Her hand clasped onto the fabric from your sweater as a means of anchoring herself to reality.
Hogwarts was no longer safe.