The Hospital Wing and the Astronomy Tower, the Sequel

"Did Lucius come in here?" Sirius demanded when he saw Blaise and Harry looking perfectly relaxed in the empty classroom.

"We threw him in the closet," said Harry. "We weren't sure if he was good or not."

Just then, Verity entered the room, followed by Professor Lupin and Seamus.

"That wasn't the real Malfoy," said Lupin.

"Then who was it?" said Sirius.

"It was 'Bob,'" said Seamus. "I mean seriously, would the real Malfoy wear a dress like that?"

Sirius thought for a moment. "That would explain why he was running from me..."

"Do you think the Polyjuice Potion will have worn off by now?" Blaise asked. "I'm really anxious to find out who it really is."

"It should wear off soon," said Sirius. "What have you done with Pettigrew?"

"We haven't decided what to do with him," said Blaise. "So he's still here." She dangled the mouse by his tail.

"So we've caught 'Bob,'" said Seamus. "That's that finished."

"Now we can worry about tormenting the rat," said Blaise. "We've brainstormed a few ideas, but we just can't decide. My favourite was the one about replacing his insides with oil and then lighting his tail on fire, but Harry doesn't seem to think that's reasonable."

"Sounds reasonable to me," said Sirius.

"No, no, that isn't reasonable at all," said Lupin. "We can't just kill him."

"We torture him until he wishes he had never been born," said Sirius. "And that's exactly what we'll do."

'No it's not," said Lupin. "We'll hand him over to the Ministry."

"The Ministry?" said Sirius. "We won't hand him over to the Ministry until we get a decent Minister."

"Why don't we send him to Dumbledore?" Harry suggested. "He'd come up with something just."

"But where is Dumbledore?" said Verity.

"Nobody's seen him," said Lupin. "I'm beginning to get worried."

"Beginning?" said Blaise. "Beginning to worry? You should be absolutely berserk by now! We should all be panicking! Where is Ron Weasley when you need him?!"

Then, as if answering to Blaise, the door of the classroom opened again, admitting Ron Weasley.

"Lucius Malfoy!" Ron shouted when he saw that there were people in the room. "Lucius Malfoy in the school! He's 'Bob'! I know it! I saw him!"

"It wasn't him," said Seamus. "It was someone else who supposedly used Polyjuice Potion to look like Malfoy. He's in the closet now."

"It was him!" shouted Ron. "He looked all dirty like someone who's just escaped from Azkaban."

"Are you sure he wasn't wearing a dress?" said Blaise. "Like someone who's trying to look like Madam Pomfrey."

"I'm sure," said Ron. "He was all dirty and his hair was all over the place. I didn't have my wand with me when I saw him, so I couldn't really do anything about it."

"When did you see him?" Lupin asked.

"Just a couple of minutes ago," said Ron. "And he was with someone else, but I couldn't see the other person very well."

"Was it a pupil?" asked Lupin. "Or did it look like another death eater?"

"I couldn't tell," said Ron. "I think it was one of the Slytherins; but I can't be too sure."

***

"Colin, why are you wearing Slytherin robes?" said Kiera. "And why is she all dirty?" she asked, pointing at Pansy. "What have you been up to, and where have you been?"

"I've been at school," said Colin. "But I haven't quite been, er, myself. Half the time I was Malfoy, and a couple of times I was Seamus. Once I was even Crabbe, but that was just scary because Goyle caught sight of me."

"What are you talking about?" asked Kiera.

"We made Polyjuice Potion," said Pansy. "We disguised ourselves as different people."

"And who were you supposed to be?" said Kiera.

"I was Lucius Malfoy," said Pansy. "And I almost got away with it if that other Lucius Malfoy hadn't barged in. Then it got weird because this other Lucius Malfoy appeared, so then I left."

"I just saw Lucius Malfoy," said Kiera. "He was with his son and Ginny Weasley. And Terry Boot was with them too."

"Really?" said Pansy. "I almost convinced Draco that I was the real Lucius Malfoy, but then that other one came in and tried to kill me."

"Which other one?" said Kiera.

"The one who was dressed like Pomfrey," said Pansy. "And after that, some other one came."

"Another one?" said Colin. "So there are two Lucius Malfoy's? That's absurd!"

"It is, but I've seen them," said Pansy.

"I saw both as well," said Kiera. "I walked into the one who wasn't dressed like Madam Pomfrey not long ago, and he told me to watch it. And then the one in a dress just ran by here."

"We've got to get out of here!" cried Colin. "We can't let the real one see us!"

"What do we do then?" said Kiera. "Where are we supposed to hide?"

"If only we had more Polyjuice Potion..." said Pansy.

"Is that your answer to everything?" said Colin. "It was all you could say yesterday and the day before: I need more Polyjuice Potion... What if we're caught? We need more Polyjuice Potion!"

"It works well," said Pansy. "If your Gossip Union thing had been clever enough, you'd have had way more stories. I mean to say you could have sneaked into the Hufflepuff common room and listened in on their stories. And believe me, they've got a lot."

"Oh, I know," said Kiera. "Especially that Hannah Abbot; she's a gold mine!"

"Enough of this chit chat!" said Colin. "Let's get out of here!"

"Where are we supposed to go?" asked Kiera. "The common room? You two can't be seen by anyone; you'd be questioned till your ears fall off!"

"We'll go some place where no one goes," said Pansy. "Colin and I have been hiding out there all week long."

"Just the two of you?" said Kiera. "I don't think I want to know what you got up to!"

"Please," said Pansy. "I'm reserved for Neville Longbottom."

"Longbottom?" said Kiera. "Ooh, Hannah has a lot to say about him!"

"Like what?" said Pansy eagerly.

"We can talk this over in a more closed space," said Colin. "The corridors aren't safe at Hogwarts, believe me, I would know."

"Don't worry," said Kiera. "There's only one Gossip Union!"

"Whatever," said Colin. "But I still think we should go somewhere else; anyone could simply over hear us here!"

"Fine then, let's go," said Kiera. "Lead the way."

Colin led the two girls down the corridor and around the corner. He slipped behind a drape into a hidden corridor he had trodden many times the past week. At the end of the corridor, there was a large door with no handle.

"Fizzy pop," Colin said, and the door swung open, revealing a large, brightly lit chamber.

Kiera stepped into the room behind Colin with wide eyes. "Wow!" she exclaimed. "Not too shabby."

"We're running low on Polyjuice Potion," said Pansy, looking into a large cauldron. "Who's this batch?"

"I think that one's Lucius Malfoy," said Colin.

Kiera looked around the room; a large table stood in the centre, laden with jars filled with coloured liquid. The room did not contain beds, but only one large wooden chair.

"Where did you two sleep?" Kiera asked.

"On the floor," Colin replied. "Pansy slept on the chair."

"So, Kiera," said Pansy, emphasizing Kiera's name. "What do you know about Neville?"

"Well," said Kiera, taking a seat in the large chair. "Susan Bones told Hannah everything, believe it or not. She said that Neville has a wandering hand and-"

"Stop," Colin cut in. "I can't listen to any of this if I don't have pictures!"

"Can't you just imagine it?" asked Kiera.

"No, I need pictures," said Colin. "Pictures are proof. Pictures are entertainment."

"Ooh! Which reminds me!" said Kiera. "You won't believe what I have a few photos of!"

"What?" said Colin. "Was it Malfoy and Lavender? Because you may not know it, but I was there. I was going to use those on Ginny earlier, when I was disguised as Malfoy, but I thought I might give myself away. I doubt Malfoy would black mail himself."

"No silly," said Kiera. "I have pictures of you and Ginny!"

Colin jumped up and down in a giddy way, clapping his hands together. "I wanna see! I wanna see!" he cried.

"With time, Colin," said Kiera. "But they turned out really good!"

"Really?" said Colin, sobering ever so slightly. "Where did you take them? When did it happen? I need details woman!"

"In the Entrance Hall last week," said Kiera. "It's from when you and Rachel were working together."

"Oh that," said Colin. "You got me excited over nothing."

***

"Where have Weasley and Draco got to?" Lucius demanded.

Terry shrugged. "They were here just a minute ago."

"Well that's not good enough," said Lucius. "Didn't you see them stray off?"

"Well, no," said Terry. "You pushed me to the ground and I had the air knocked out of me. After that, you asked where Ginny and your son had got to, and obviously I wouldn't know because I was momentarily indisposed."

"So now you're blaming me?" said Lucius. "Oh, just go on ahead and put the blame on the one who had the evil sucked out of him."

"Well you were the one who caused a disturbance," said Terry.

"You shouldn't ask stupid questions without expecting grief," said Lucius. "You should know that by now; you're old enough."

"All I asked was why you parted with He Who Must Not Be Named," said Terry. "How is that a stupid question?"

"I'm tempted to use my wand on you," said Lucius. "Don't stop me if I try."

"Why are you tempted to use your wand on me?" asked Terry. "I asked a simple question!"

"Call it withdrawal," said Lucius. "I haven't murdered anyone in a long time..."

"That's a real comfort to know," said Terry.

"Are you being sarcastic boy?" Lucius almost shouted.

"I don't know," Terry replied. "Did I sound sarcastic?"

"I couldn't tell," said Lucius. "Do you mind saying it again?"

"That's a real comfort to know," said Terry, doubtfully.

"You're using a different tone," said Lucius. "You changed your tone. Say it again in the same way as the first time."

"Why?" Terry asked.

Lucius whapped Terry over the head without warning.

"What was that for?" Terry demanded.

"Stupid question," said Lucius, slapping Terry on the back of the head. "Stop asking stupid questions."

"What classifies as a stupid question?" said Terry.

Lucius slapped the back of Terry's head again. "That, for one," he replied.

"Should I just keep my mouth shut?" said Terry, rubbing the back of his head.

Lucius hit Terry over the head again.

"Will you stop that?!" Terry snapped.

Again, Lucius hit Terry.

"Did you know I'm losing brain cells because of you?" said Terry.

"Stop asking stupid questions," said Lucius. "I thought you'd understand by now. Why did they make you, of all people, Head Boy? You've got no brains in that oversized head of yours!"

"How would you know?"Â Terry snapped.

"And you're asking stupid questions still," said Lucius. "You still haven't learned your lesson!"

"I've learned, I've learned," said Terry. "Now stop hitting me!"

"That's better, I suppose," said Lucius. "Now where is Draco?"

***

"Do you think it's all right that we left Terry with your father?" said Ginny.

"They'll get over it," Draco replied. "And neither of them are helping the matter in the slightest; they won't stop their arguing!"

"I'm worried for Terry's sake," said Ginny; "what'll your father do to him?"

"I don't know," said Draco. "Maybe whack him over the head a few times. I doubt he'll do any serious harm; Boot is a pure-blood after all."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," said Ginny. "Now where are we going?"

"Well, we're no longer walking around like blind mice," said Draco. "That's what we were doing before."

"So we have somewhere to go?" Ginny pondered. "Where are we going?"

"To an empty classroom," said Draco. "I think the Astronomy Tower's off-limits now."

"Oh Draco, you're terrible," said Ginny. "The school's in the middle of an identity crisis, and all you can think about is-"

"But there are people fixing the crisis," Draco interrupted. "Besides, we'd still be helping; if 'Bob'Â or whatever decided to come hide in an empty classroom, we'd catch him."

"Unless he chooses a different classroom," said Ginny.

"Don't be complicated," said Draco. "Things are complicated enough as is."

"Fine," said Ginny. "Maybe 'Bob' will magically appear in our classroom. I'm guessing it's that same classroom we went to last week, the one with the cupboard."

"That's the one," said Draco. "Where was it again?"

"It was down the same corridor where I saw 'Bob' disappear and then reappear as Seamus," said Ginny.

"Oh, that's not far," said Draco. "Or at least I don't think it is. I'm not really certain where my father was trying to lead us."

They walked quietly for a few minutes down the deserted corridors.

"It must be late," said Draco. "There's no one around..."

"I don't think time matters today," said Ginny. "I'm not tired at all, no matter how late it is."

"What do you mean by 'I don't think time matters today'?" Draco asked.

"I don't know," said Ginny. "I just said it. I think I am tired after all... I just wish we could find 'Bob'!"

Suddenly, as though in answer to Ginny's wish, a person who resembled Draco came strolling down the corridor.

"It's 'Bob'!" Ginny cried. "It's Bob'!"

The Draco coming towards them looked startled.

"Why is he wearing Gryffindor robes?" said real Draco. "Who's he trying to convince? A Hufflepuff? Malfoys don't wear Gryffindor robes!"

Ginny darted forward and tackled the Draco in Gryffindor robes to the ground.

"Impressive," said real Draco. "Now let's find out who 'Bob' really is." He strolled up to where Ginny was seated on 'Bob's' stomach.

"This was easier than I thought," said Ginny. "Now I'm disappointed..."

"Ah well," said Draco. "At least we can rest now. How do we find out who this is?"

"Er, we wait," said Ginny. "A standard Polyjuice Potion takes an hour to wear off."

"So you're going to sit there for an hour?" said Draco. "What a plan..."

'Bob' looked astonished and struggled to get a way.

"Whoever you are," Ginny said to 'Bob', "You're a weakling. You don't play Quidditch, do you?"

***

"You know, we're just walking around aimlessly," Terry pointed out as he followed Lucius up a stair case. "We've walked up these steps already."

"Yes, but we haven't been down these steps yet," said Lucius, stepping onto the landing. He then turned on his heel and walked down the stairs.

Terry stood on the landing, looking down at Lucius' retreating back. "We aren't getting anywhere," said Terry. "You keep going up and down, up and down. We know there's no suspect on the fourth and fifth floors, so could we please move on to something else?"

Lucius turned around mid step. "You don't know there's no suspect on the fourth and fifth floors," he said. "The suspect has legs too, and he can move around just as you and I. He will at some point come to one of these floors, or one of the stair cases we have crossed, and we will find him eventually."

"We haven't been yet to the Astronomy Tower," said Terry.

"I'm married," Lucius said plainly, descending the last few steps.

"No, that's not what I mean!" Terry snapped. "Pansy Parkinson and Colin Creevey were last seen in the Astronomy Tower, were they not?"

"I can't decipher whether that was a rhetorical question, or a stupid question," said Lucius, making his way up the stairs, "so I'll hit you anyway."

"Don't hit me!" said Terry. "I'm the only one who's thinking straight here, and by hitting me, you'd be lessening any chance we have of finding the criminal, whoever he may be."

"Are you calling me stupid?" said Lucius, looking down at Terry in a threatening manner.

"No sir," said Terry. "Never. No Malfoy is or ever has been stupid, I'm just saying-"

"Good," said Lucius. "But if you ever even as much as think that I am stupid, you will regret it, boy."

"I know," said Terry. "And I never would think you're stupid; never."

"All right then," said Lucius. "Am I intimidating?"

"Well, a little," said Terry. "I'm just afraid you'll blow my head off."

"I might," said Lucius. "But only if you ask another stupid question."

"Okay, okay," said Terry. "So as I was saying, the two missing pupils were last seen in the Astronomy Tower, and if they happen to be the suspects, or the victims, then they might just return to the Astronomy Tower."

"Why would they do that?" said Lucius. "That's the first place people would think to look! And why would you want to be found if you were in hiding? You'd make a terrible death eater..."

"I don't know whether I should feel insulted or ecstatic," said Terry. "But I'm thinking like a victim, Mr. Malfoy. And even if we don't find the pupils, we might come across the criminal, or at least one or two clues."

"Do you think the MacRiddler's is still in the Astronomy Tower?" Lucius asked. "I really feel like I could use a draught of it."

"It just might be," said Terry. "Why don't we go there and find out?"

Lucius didn't reply to this.

"Er, Mr. Malfoy," said Terry. "Shall we go then?"