Chapter 43

Two days later,

When Alex walked into the Great Hall after getting discharged, he took a couple of deep breaths. He was trying to push out all the stiffness his body had accumulated for the two days he was in the infirmary.

Just when he was about to step in, he was stopped by Malfoy and his gang.

"Finally found you. I heard that you got your head cracked open. Are you feeling better now?" Malfoy asked with a snicker all over his face.

"Why were you looking for me?" Ignoring his comment, Alex asked without beating around the bush.

Malfoy didn't reply right away. Instead, he continued to stare at Alex. Alex did not like the way Malfoy was looking at him. He pushed him aside and tried to walk past the trio.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Alex had not walked more than two steps when he heard Malfoy from behind. Listening to him, he stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at Malfoy.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked with his trademark poker face.

"Don't try to deny it. It all makes sense. You were there in the Forbidden Forest, you were hit by the spell, and after that, you spend a couple of days in the infirmary" Malfoy connected the dots.

"I don't know what you are talking about, but Everyone knows why I was in the infirmary," Alex said.

"But---" Malfoy wanted to say something, but he was cut short by Alex.

"And more importantly, Professor Snape helped me to the infirmary. Why would he lie about my injuries? Are you saying Professor Snape is conspiring with me or something?" Alex said, bringing Professor Snape into the conversation. Now every word of Malfoy was like going against Professor Snape and not Alex.

"That's not it, but---"

"If there is nothing else, I will leave now. I have not had a decent meal in two days" Alex didn't give Malfoy the time to think and walked away.

"I think it's really not him. What he said about Professor Snape made sense," Crabbe said to Malfoy.

"Yeah, Professor Snape won't help him hide his injuries". Goyle said, agreeing with Crabbe.

"No, it was him," Malfoy, on the other hand, still insisted.

"How do you know?" Goyle asked.

Malfoy did not reply to them. He continued to stare at Alex, who was walking towards the Slytherin's table and thought, 'Otherwise, he would not have spoken so much to me. He would have just walked past me, ignoring me and my words'.

* * * * *

Alex went and sat beside Daphne, and without speaking a word, he started to gobble down the food. Like there was no tomorrow.

"You are looking fine," Daphne asked with surprise. It was unusual for Alex to sit beside her on his own accord.

Alex just nodded with his mouth full.

"Did they starve you for two days?" She asked, again.

"Food was terrible".

Daphne smiled hearing this. She had this sudden urge to ruffle his hairs, but she resisted somehow.

On the Gryffindor table, when Ron noticed Alex, he could not just let this opportunity to embarrass Alex let by. He cleared up his throat and turned to Nicole, "Nicole", he called out.

"What is it?" She asked irritatingly.

Ron, on the other hand, did not mind the tone at all, "I heard your brother broke a bone or two because he slipped some stairs".

Nicole's face turned ugly hearing Ron.

Ron ignored the look on her face and continued, "How is he? Will he have to stay there longer? Did someone pranked him?" Ron said whatever came to his mind.

Nicole frowned, hearing Ron. She glared at him, and in a low, threatening tone, said, "Shut up and mind your own business. Otherwise...".

Ron didn't let her complete her threat, "Why are you getting angry? I am just concerned about him as a fellow student. I heard someone say, he cracked his head open, so I got worried about him " Ron defended himself with a smile all over his face.

"Are you?" Someone asked Ron.

"Of course, I am---" Ron turned around to answer but stopped when he saw Alex standing behind him.

"Then you should have paid me a visit in the hospital wing". Alex said with arms across his chest.

"I---I wanted to but--- you see--- I thought--- as you know---" Feeling the continuous and piercing gaze of Alex, Ron find it hard to reply and stammered all along.

"Did you bring something for me?" Alex asked.

Hearing Alex, the confused Ron asked, "What?"

"You wanted to visit me. So you must have bought something for me, right? Don't tell me you were going to visit me empty-handed, were you?" Alex asked.

"I--- I---" Ron looked towards Harry. His plan to embarrass Alex came back at him. Now he did not know how to get out of this mess. After facing the pitiful gaze for a while, finally, Harry nodded.

"I have something in my room. I will give it to you later". Ron said, a bit more confident than before.

"You better", Alex said as he patted Ron's shoulder and leaned towards him and said in a low whisper, " I hate being lied to the most".

Hearing Alex, Ron gulped in fear, "I will give it to you as soon as possible".

Alex nodded and left the Great Hall. He didn't really care if Ron was going to give him something or not. Alex just wanted to make sure that the fear he spent so much time instilling in Ron's heart does not weaken.

Since today was Sunday, Alex was going to spend his time playing with Erebus. He didn't even get to thank the little guy for helping him out when he was in a pinch.

After Alex left, Ron slumped back to his seat and sighed in relief. He looked towards Harry with a pitiful gaze, but the latter just ignored him.

Now it was payback time. Nicole turned towards Ron, and as if trying to make everyone hear, asked, "Oh Ron, why didn't you tell me that you cared about my brother so much? Tell me what have you bought for him? Trust me, I won't tell my brother".

Red-faced Ron could only swallow all the humiliation he was getting.

"Enough of it. Hermione, I have something to tell you. Come with me. Ron, you too".

Nicole knew that Potter was not going to tell her anything. She pulled Hermione and whispered into her ear, "Tell me everything later".

Hermione nodded and followed behind Potter and Weasley.

* * * * *

"What is it?" Hermione asked as soon as they were in a quiet place.

Harry looked at Hermione's not interested face and thought, 'Do you think I would have called you if I didn't need your knowledge?'

"I think I know who was there in the Forbidden Forest". Harry said after composing himself.

"The one who saved you?" Hermione asked.

"No one saved me, and not him. I am talking about the one who is killing the Unicorns". Irritated Harry, said.

"Who was it?" Ron asked.

"Voldemort". Harry said with a serious face.

"Shuushhh, don't say his name," both Hermione and Ron said at the same time.

"Snape wants the Stone for Voldemort . . . and Voldemort's waiting in the forest . . . and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich. . . ." Harry continued to explain, ignoring the two of them. Maybe he just wanted to show them he did not care.

"Stop saying the name!" said Ron in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.

Harry wasn't listening.

"You know what Hagrid said, no one, even the bad guys' dream of killing a Unicorn much less drink their blood". Harry said.

Both Hermione and Ron nodded.

"You know that a Unicorn's blood can bring someone back to life even if they are one step away from death?" He asked again.

"But it will be at a price, right? You will have a cursed life if you drink that". Hermione pinched in.

Harry nodded, "But what if you had an alternate to be back to life and you are just holding long enough to obtain it?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"The sorcerer's stone. Voldemort want the sorcerer's stone to bring himself to life". Harry said that out loud. He couldn't keep his voice down.

"Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed.

"So If all goes according to Snape's plan. He will just steal the stone," Harry went on feverishly, "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off. . . . But I won't let that happen, never" Harry said.

Hermione looked very frightened, but she had a word of comfort.

"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't dare to look for the stone, and if he can’t get the stone, there is no way he can touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."

Harry thought for a while. He was not very convinced by what Hermione said, but he didn't think he could persuade them today.

"I think we all should forget about this matter for a while. Let's concentrate on our exams first," Hermione said again, trying to divert the topic.

Hearing the word exam, Ron's face lost colour.

"Not that again. I really don't want to study," Ron said.

"Then practice to respect us from now on. Juniors don't act friendly with their seniors".

"Ehhh!"

"If there is nothing more, I will leave. Nicole is waiting for me". Hermione said and walked away.

"You know she will tell everything to Nicole," Ron said as they watched Hermione going in the direction of Gryffindor tower.

"I don't care. I need her for what she is good at".

"What is she good at?" Ron asked, confused.

Harry looked at the clueless Ron and shook his head in disappointment. Leaving Ron behind, he walked away...

* * * * *