Harry Potter and the Fortunate Queen - Chapter 381

Fergus pulled Malgino and slammed him back on a broom cupboard.

“You said you wouldn’t hurt the Dragons! You promised!”

Malgino was surprised by Fergus’s outburst but his face softened seeing the look on his face. He looked hurt.

“I didn’t hurt the Dragons, Fergus,” Malgino said calmly.

“The Hell you didn’t,” Fergus snapped. “Everyone is talking about how you defeated two Dragons on your own. Defeated? Defeated? Really, Malgino? Please tell me, how you defeated them when they never attacked you?”

“You don’t know that. You weren’t there,” Malgino retorted feeling irritated by Fergus.

“I know it. Because they are my Dragons. I grew up with them. Do you think I don’t know who they attack and when?” Fergus’s sweet face twisted in anger. “When someone threatens them, Malgino. When someone tries to take their blood — like you.”

Malgino sighed.

“Fergus, they are fine. I just took a little bit of their blood because I needed it. I didn’t harm them. You know, how powerful Dragon blood is.”

“And I specifically asked you to leave them alone. Why couldn’t you?” Fergus’s voice broke. “What’s so important, Mal, that you have to hurt the creatures we love. Why do you need so many powerful things?”

“Because I am experimenting,” Malgino said with a clipped tone.

“Experimenting what?” Fergus glared at his friend.

“You don’t need to know that, at least not now,” Malgino stared back at him, unflinching.

“I don’t need to know? Mal, I am your friend,” Fergus said looking furious.

“You still hadn’t said a word about your parents or who they really are. I don’t know the basic things about you, Gus,” Malgino said flatly. “Do not act like we tell each other everything. I always let you keep your secrets, now let me be.”

Fergus winced at Malgino’s words and dropped his hand. Malgino straightened out his robes and shoulder past Fergus. Taking two steps Malgino turned around,

“If you truly consider me a friend, Gus, then trust me. Whatever I am doing is for our good.”

He walked away and Fergus stared after him, frozen.

.

“Fergus? Are you listening?”

Hearing Emory Astralo’s shouting, Fergus was startled back from his daydreams.

“Yes, what Emory?”

“I asked you multiple times if you – never mind, what are you thinking?” Emory asked looking concerned.

They were sitting in a corner of the library.

“Nothing,” Fergus shrugged and tried to read his book.

Emory rolled her eyes.

“You know, you are a very bad liar. Also, never say nothing. Nothing always means something.”

Fergus chuckled at Emory’s speculation. Then suddenly looked somber.

“Emory, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, you can. Fergus, what —?”

“Does it bother you?” Fergus interrupted her. “Does it bother you that you don’t know anything about my parents?”

“I –” Emory was surprised by the question but she was excellent in keeping her emotions under control. She calmly replied, “Not all the time. I understand, that when we talk about our parents and you avoid the topic, there is a reason for that.”

“But does it bother you?” Fergus repeated quietly.

“Well, sometimes, yes. Sometimes it feels like, even though we have been friends for almost a year now, I still don’t know you,” Emory sighed but noticing the crestfallen look on Fergus, she quickly added, “But that’s definitely not true. Of course, I know you. Who your parents are doesn’t change who you are.”

Fergus looked at Emory strangely for a moment then got up from his seat.

“I will see you later, Emory. I have to find Mal.”

“But Fergus, what –?” Before Emory could finish Fergus was gone.

Fergus raced through the hallways, mumbling, “I am sorry that you are wrong, Emory. Of course, the fact affects me that who my parents are. Of course, their identity will change me and my future.”

He was almost at their secret classroom when the classroom walls and door exploded. Fergus was thrown back from the impact of that blast. For a long moment, everything looked grey because of the smoke and Fergus couldn’t see anything. Then the dust cleared a little bit and what he saw terrified him. Four students lay under a few big chunks of the stone wall and one of them had hit their head on one of the stones. He was lying on a pool of his blood and his eyes stared at the ceiling without seeing. He was dead.

Fergus couldn’t breathe. He tried to scramble back but his leg felt like jelly. He couldn’t get up.

Suddenly, two strong hands pulled him up from the ground. Fergus turned to find a worried-looking Malgino.

“Mal, they . . . he . . .” Fergus couldn’t make a complete sentence.

“I know,” Malgino said oddly as he pulled Fergus after him.

Malgino was trying to get out of there as soon as possible but as they rounded up the corner they came face to face with Helena and Rowena Ravenclaw.

Rowena took one look at horrified Fergus and Malgino and ordered them to follow her. Fergus, Malgino, and Helena followed Rowena Ravenclaw silently. In between, Malgino and Helena changed a few weird looks which Fergus didn’t notice. He was still seeing the dead student’s face.

Fergus took a calming draught from Genevieve, who still worked under Madam Josephine, even after finishing school. Then all of them walked to the headmaster and headmistress’s common office.

Four founders stared down a small group. All four of them looked furious.

“I will ask the last time what happened?” Salazar Slytherin hissed.

No one from the group met Salazar Slytherin’s eyes.

“This is ridiculous!” Godric Gryffindor exclaimed glaring at the group. “You need to answer if all of you don’t want to be punished.”

“I do not think you understand the gravity of the situation,” said Rowena Ravenclaw, her anger bȧrėly contained under her calm voice. “You have not only damaged our school but you also have harmed other students. We want to know what happened?”

“And “harmed” might be putting it lightly,” said Helga Hufflepuff grimly. “Genevieve, you are honest. Tell us what you saw.”

Genevieve stepped forward looking upset. Today when she was on her way to the healers’ wing, she was caught in the same mysterious explosion in the West wing.

“As I said, Madam Helga, I just arrived moments before the explosion. I clearly don’t know what happened. But I tried to send the injured students to the healers as soon as the accident happened,” Genevieve paused hesitating. Her eyes flickered between Helena and Malgino. Helena pointedly ignored Genevieve while Malgino looked surprised. Genevieve sighed and continued, “I am sorry, Madams, Sir, Brother. I don’t know for sure who could be behind the explosion.”

“Do you have any idea, Genevieve?” Salazar asked suspiciously.

“I –” Genevieve’s glanced at Malgino, who looked shocked then pressed his lips together looking defeated. Genevieve hesitated but opened her mouth. “I know someone who is always there. Ma —”

“It was me!” Fergus stepped forward shocking everyone in the room. “I always hung around that place. And the explosion was caused by me.”

Malgino tried to catch Fergus’s eyes but he ignored him.

“Correct me if I am wrong, Fergus but I think you, specifically you are forbidden to use magic without our supervision?” Godric Gryffindor said looking furious.

“You will be right. I broke the rules,” Fergus said looking down.

“Gus, don’t!” Malgino hissed quietly.

“A student died, Fergus,” Godric Gryffindor yelled slapping his hand on the table in front of him.

“Godric, I know he is from Gryffindor but considering the students were from Slytherin and Ravenclaw house, I would like to –” Salazar Slytherin began but Helga cut him off.

“Godric will decide the punishment, Salazar,” she waved her hands dismissively.

“But Helga –”

“Salazar.”

“Fine,” Salazar grumbled but didn’t say anything.

“What do you think you are doing?” Malgino slid beside Fergus. “Gus, stop. We know it wasn’t you.”

“I know,” Fergus whispered. “It was you.”

Malgino looked at Fergus shocked.

“Do you know what that means, Fergus? About your punishment?” Gryffindor glared at his son.

“Yes, Fa–sir.” Fergus nodded without looking up.

The punishment hadn’t changed in years. It was still the same. If he used magic he would not be allowed to go to Titian and see his mother. Fergus knew it all too well.

.

Malgino pulled Fergus aside as soon everyone got out of the office.

“Gus —”

“Shut up! Your experiment killed a boy, Mal. How could you let this happen?” Fergus burst out. “I told you. I warned you that whatever you are messing with is too dangerous. You didn’t listen!”

“Why did you save me, Gus? What punishment did you take? They are not going to kick you out, are they? Or are they going to lock you up again?” Malgino asked ignoring Fergus’s words and looking quite frantic. “Why did you do it, you stupid gnome-brained?”

“They are not going to do anything like that. They just don’t let me visit my mama again. At least not for two years,” Fergus said looking away. “But if they had found out it was you. They definitely would have kicked you out.”

“I know. But why not you?” Malgino asked surprised.

“They would never kick me out.”

“Why?”

“Mal, Godric Gryffindor is my father.”

⟦To be continued⟧