Hush

Name: Madam Poppy Pomfrey.

Position of occupation: Matron at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Draco Malfoy was admitted into my care two days after the Quiddich Season had finished. Teachers had complained that he had stopped talking, refused to answer questions or participate in activities during class.

It was Professor Severus Snape who brought the matter to my attention. Being Head of Mister Malfoy's House, he had received multiple complaints about Draco's behaviour. Of course, this was usual. Draco was notorious for disrupting classes and being a general nuisance, but this was a complete contradiction from his previous behaviour. When Professor Snape took Mr. Malfoy's potions class a few days into his abnormal behaviour, he reported it directly to the Infirmary.

Mr. Malfoy expressed no look of deep thought or unusual emotion that would go with such behaviour; he was silent, even to his good friends and classmates.

I was always interested in Muggle medicine especially one form, psychology. It was something not many wizarding folk knew about. You learn about the way people think, how they operate, patterns and emotions. This was probably why Professor Dumbledore hired me. There were many others who were more qualified than me in the art of Healing, but at a school it is important to understand not only the body, but the mind as well why a student has a breakdown or starts crying without warning during a class without making the situation worse by asking immediate probing questions.

When Draco Malfoy was told to go to the Hospital Wing he put up no fight. He merely picked up his homework he'd been doing in his common room and followed Professor Snape. When I showed him his bed he simply sat down on it and continued his homework. I then asked him for his wand. I have students to have their wands in the hospital wing for many years now. Fights often broke out between injured Quiddich players of the opposite team or students that had been injured by fighting. He remained unresponsive for a moment, but then handed over his hand crafted ebony wand without looking up.

Mr Malfoy stayed the night without any arguments. I was about to inform his parents that there was a problem when I realised that maybe I should wait a few days with a case like this. I had discovered in the past that talking to students' parents immediately was not prudent.

It was approximately midnight; Mr. Malfoy's second night in the infirmary. I'd been finishing some paperwork to order in more Skelligrow for the upcoming Quidditch season when I heard a strange sound coming from the main ward. I walked silently towards my office door. I looked through the blinds and saw the strangest sight, and for a moment I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

Draco Malfoy was deep in sleep, facing the infirmary entrance on the opposite side of the room to my office. He seemed to be glowing slightly; it illuminated his pale skin and fair hair. I was entranced; I had only heard of such things in books hundreds of years old. Draco shifted to face in my direction. His eyes glowed a blinding silver. I swiftly backed away from the window.

This was beyond my knowledge. This looked like Dark Magic. Albus Dumbledore was the only man at the school who would know how to deal with this kind of situation.

Name: Professor Albus Dumbledore.

Position of occupation: Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Draco Malfoy's condition was quickly brought to my attention. It was Mr. Malfoy's second night in the infirmary and Poppy flooed into my office around midnight. She looked very distressed. I offered her a seat but she insisted on my coming with her to the infirmary; I, of course, obliged. When we arrived she pointed me towards the window. Mr. Malfoy was indeed glowing, but not as though there was light next him like a candle. The light was coming out of him.

I quickly walked over to him. Hurriedly I cast some protective spells over myself and bent down to feel his pulse on his wrist. Mr. Malfoy was freezing and beginning to shake violently. I decided it was time to ask the person who was closest to Draco in the school.

Name: Professor Severus Snape.

Position of occupation: Potions Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I have known Draco Malfoy since he was a very young boy. Only a very small handful of people around the boy actually know that he has a very deep-rooted reason to hate people around him. This is not for me to tell, although I can tell you about Draco's personality.

Draco realises that the personality he produces to the world is that of a horrid, spoilt brat, a child that has everything but wants more. He does it deliberately. It's not to make others jealous or to show off.

He is an actor.

He loves to watch people's reactions. Draco started in his first year. It's quite obsessive really. In that way he is really quite like his father. Both are obsessed with masks. Lucius wears many and Draco followed this.

Draco knew it was just going to be a bit of fun. Wasn't it? Lucius Malfoy would defend his son because of his powerful position as Chairman of the School Governors. Draco also thought that I would help him out of any troubles he had.

Now, don't you all start thinking that Draco is some kind of angel, he is far from it. He simply took his own personality and adjusted it, enhanced it, one might say. During his second year Lucius got sacked from his position as School Governor. During the summer holiday between his second and third year, Draco decided he had become bored of his game but he realised that he didn't know how he was going to revert to his normal personality.

Everybody now knew Draco as a conniving, arrogant little brat. Draco's little plan to fool everyone had severely backfired.

Name: Miss Narcissa Black

Position of occupation: (relativity to case) Mother of Draco Malfoy.

I remember the night before we, as a family, went to get Draco's school supplies for his first year. Draco behaved very oddly at dinner. He would go to pick something up, like the saltshaker or a piece of cutlery, and suddenly drop it, as though he had done something wrong. Draco would then put on an expression as though he were scolding himself and pick up the item again. This second time his chin would be raised higher, his posturing arrogant and eyes expressionless. Lucius didn't notice of course; he was rather stressed. His father had become quite ill a week and a half before. Lucius, unlike most Malfoy men, was rather attached to his father. Lucius loved Abraxas, and Abraxas loved him in return, or at least as much as he could. Abraxas was a Malfoy, which therefore meant a great deal of responsibility.

None of which included family.

What had always made matters worse was that Lucius's mother had died when he was eight. Quite mysterious that was...

Name: Professor Albus Dumbledore.

Position of occupation: Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The week after Draco Malfoy's strange occurrence,[Author ID1: at Thu Oct 19 14:50:00 2006 ] something odd happened. Nothing unusual had happened for an entire week. Nothing. Then he began talking Parseltongue.

Name: Harry Potter

Position of occupation (relativity to case): Student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and a Parselmouth.

I was rather shocked when Dumbledore called me to the hospital wing to visit someone. Usually Dumbledore was being called to the hospital wing because of what I had done. When I arrived,[Author ID1: at Thu Oct 19 14:51:00 2006 ] the hospital wing was empty. Then I felt drawn to a light coming from the private room. There was only one.

Through the time I had been at Hogwarts, I had been in there a few times. I was never actually conscious, usually it was when I'd done something 'great' and the tabloids wanted to know.

I headed over to the door slowly; it was opened a crack. From inside the room,[Author ID1: at Thu Oct 19 14:52:00 2006 ] I could hear Draco Malfoy's voice. His tones were no longer cold or drawling but pained as though he was being tortured. Each word sounded like a hammer hitting glass.

"Release me from the pain!" Draco's voice rasped. "Please! Release me!"