Chapter 442 - Hogwarts Infirmary Ⅲ

With that last statement the entire infirmary room falls briefly silent as if digesting Rowan's words. Fabian politely coughs to draw the attention back to him and asks his next question, "Can you go into any further details, Miss Prince? Several of those present in their witness statements stated that you paused right before, before touching the Triwizard Cup, can you explain to us exactly as to why?"

"I could sense an unnatural magic about it," Rowan muttered as winced, before shuffling back against her pillows. "I was close enough that when Igor Kakaroff grabbed the portkey, he grabbed me as well when the portkey began to pull away. When we arrived, we were in some sort of marshland. The portkey didn't work for me, but the minute that Igor put his hands on the Triwizard cup, he was taken away."

Rowan paused to get a breath before continuing, "After that, I was running around in the dark avoiding masked figures and someone that they called, Lord Voldemort or at other times. the Dark Lord. I managed to thankfully dodge most of them, but I did come across a pool of Inferi."

"Inferi!" Scrimgeour roared as Alastor Moody pulled his partner back.

"My apologizes for my partner's rude interruption, please continue," Alastor briskly said as he gave his partner a warning, but rather pointed look to keep silent for the rest of the interview.

"Somehow, I got desperate enough and I don't know how, but I recalled the apparition exams three rules, which I recalled from briefly reading the pamphlet over for fun: Destination, Determination, Deliberation. Frankly, I really, really wanted to get back to Hogwarts and I did somehow. I'm frankly surprised I arrived all in one piece and that I managed to get through the Hogwarts wards," Rowan lied with a poker face.

"Hogwarts probably recognized your need," Fabian muttered out loud. "There are many recorded events where children in danger have managed to apparate themselves to a place of safety. I'd not be surprised if this was one of those unique cases."

"Is that all, Miss Prince?" Gideon asked.

"Yes, I have nothing else to tell," Rowan truthfully declared, which was no lie as she was not planning on saying anything more.

"You were very lucky, Miss Prince," Fabian said.

"Well, I am Godric Gryffindor's descendant, I'm bound to have some luck," Rowan drily said out loud. But all the while privately thinking to herself, "Even if does always run out in the end."

"That will be all, Miss Prince," Gideon kindly said.

"Wait, I have one more minute!" Scrimgeour exclaimed. "Did you recognize anyone during that interval, Miss Prince?"

"I'm afraid not," Rowan replied. "They were all wearing masks and I was quite literally running for my life through unknown marshes."

"That will be all," Alastor firmly said, before moving away as he dragged Scrimgeour away. Amundsen and Mr. Flint nod their heads at the Prince's, before rushing after the four Auror's.

"Can you release my hand now, Severus?" Rowan asked. "You're crushing it."

"Sorry," Severus grumbled as he loosened his painful grip, but didn't release her hand causing Rowan to sigh and stare in resignation at the ceiling.

Thankfully Madam Pomfrey arrives to her rescue. "Young man let go of your twin sister this instant! She needs to rest and never mind eat. I understand that you are very worried and are very much relived, but she'll be perfectly safe within the confines of the infirmary. Now go on down to the Slytherin quarters, Professor Slughorn is expecting you."

"And as for you, Mr. and Madam Prince, there are guest quarters available to you both in the Slytherin quarters," Madam Pomfrey politely added. "I can understand your immediate concern, but there is nothing wrong with the young lady in question. She merely needs a good night's rest and shan't have it being stared at all night long!"

Severus reluctantly let's go and is dragged away by Reginald and Georgine Prince. If they were being kicked out, Severus was going to suffer right alongside them. And yes, the Prince's were indeed petty.

Rowan happily digs into her soup and devoured every single last drop. Madam Pomfrey promptly stops by to grab the tray, when she says, "Would you like a bit of dreamless sleep potion, dear?"

"I'm already used to the nightmares," Rowan confessed with a shrug. "They'll be nothing new. Might as well get this over with."

Madam Pomfrey presses her lips together in sadness as she recalls the fact that the Prince grandmother had been killed before her own grandchildren. "Yes, of course, call out if you need anything," Pomfrey said as she closed the screens around her.

Exhausted, Rowan curled up on her side with her wand right under her pillow. She'd not been asleep for long, when she awoke to unseen eyes. The hair on her arms was sticking up as she slowly reached for her wand. The curtains slowly pull open as she points her wand at the intruder.

Ash brown hair, silver eyes, Barrett Boone says, "It's just me."

"Oh, it's you," Rowan slowly began to lower her wand when she spotted Barrett's shoes. They were black boots; Barrett never wore black boots. He said he hated the color in boots as it was boring and cliché. He much rather preferred brown leather or various other types of boots especially ones made out of dragon hide and so forth.

Faking a smile, Rowan says, "I just missed you. How about a kiss?"

"Sure thing, love," the polyjuiced Barret said as he leaned his face closer in for a peck.

He didn't get a chance to as Rowan pointed her wand at him and said, "Expulso!" Barrett Boone goes flying and crashing into a bed further away.

Jumping off the bed, Rowan runs out leaving the other patients behind in the infirmary behind. They'd be hurt in the backlash if they fought right in the middle of the infirmary. She shivered as she ran barefoot across the cold stones. Turning a corner, bright sparks just skid behind her as she stubbed her toe on a stone. Hopping in pain, she continues to run as she tries to think of a corner from which to attack from. Her magic was presently unstable given that despite the magic being fully absorbed it hadn't finished being digested much like a full meal.

Skirting around a corner, Rowan runs right into Filch. Before Filch can say anything Rowan says, "On my signal swing!" Give Filch the credit he is due; he didn't even argue.

Pointing her wand, Rowan waits for the polyjuiced Barret to turn the corner. Simultaneously they both fire their spells at the same time as she freezes him in place and the severing charm cut straight across her shoulder. She hisses in pain and says, "Now, Filch," before the polyjuiced Barret can finish throwing off the Stupefy.

Filch swings his lantern with full force into the skill of the polyjuiced form of Barrett Boone. And for added good measure gives him another whack as the figure lays unconscious on the stone floor. Breathing harshly, Rowan grinds her teeth in pain and says, "I greatly appreciate that, Filch. Now if Mrs. Norris would be a dear and summon help, I would be eternally grateful."

Mrs. Norris meows loudly before rushing off to find help. But help was already on its way as Madam Pomfrey had heard the crash and rushed out see Rowan's bed empty and Barret Boone rushing after her. Dumbledore is followed by the Professors, who were aiding him in the search for the missing Professor Lye and the ministry members, who had yet to leaving including theAauror's.

Rowan is a ghastly color as she and Filch press their hands to her shoulder to halt the heavy bleeding as best as they could. Madam Pomfrey let out a gasp as she found them first. "That's not Barret, it's someone else," Rowan croaked in pain.

"They're over here!" Madam Pomfrey cried out and for good measure gave the unconscious polyjuiced figure a good kick. It was normally against her moral code. But to attack one of her patients such codes were instantly thrown right out the door!

Madam Pomfrey sighs and says, "It cut down right to the bone. You'll be needing a blood replenishing potion dear and a muscle mending one. I'll give you the blood and pain alleviating potions first." Madam Pomfrey stopped the blood flow with a wave of her wand as she said, "Now hold to her side, Filch, and I'll have her lean against me as well. She'll be dizzy given the rapid blood loss."

Filch does as he is instructed as he wraps an arm around Rowan, while Madam Pomfrey does to the other side. Madam Pomfrey glares at Dumbledore and says, "I take that the polyjuiced Barret Boone is probably our missing Professor Lye. Which makes me think that he's not who he says he is! Might I suggest that next year a more in-depth investigation is done prior to hiring the next Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, Professor Dumbledore!"

Dumbledore at least looks ashamed and worried as he says, "It will not happen again, Poppy. I can assure you; it was not intention for any harm to fall any one of my apprentices." Madam Pomfrey stiffly nods her head at them, before leading the ghastly looking Rowan away.

"Auror's please follow me my office," Dumbledore said as Fabian and Gideon cast a binding spell on the unconscious polyjuiced figure. Mr. Amundsen and Mr. Flint were gone having left to inform the Minister of Magic. While the four Auror's had aided in searching the entire school and found nothing amiss except for the unexpected disappearance of Professor Lye. They'd remained behind at the request of Dumbledore.