Chapter 744 - Ug Ⅱ…. (1/2)
After breakfast, Severus and Rowan split their day with Severus minding the common room while he studied, and Rowan minding the halls until lunchtime. After lunch, they'd switch duties until dinner. After which they'd remain in the common room and maybe enjoy some free time, before ensuring that all the snakelings were properly tucked into their beds at the end of the night. Even on the weekends, a Prefect's tedious responsibilities never were over.
After docking points from a group of first and second years, Rowan pointedly directed them towards the infirmary. She watched the bruised group limped or cradled their arms and wrists as they headed towards the infirmary. She really hated Zonko's. It was all fun and games until someone slipped on a slippery stone floor covered in frog spawn soap.
In a sudden turn of events, the amateur pranksters discovered that they were now the tragic victims of their own prank. They suddenly couldn't get up anymore because they kept slipping back down onto the painfully hard, but very slippery stone floor. Bruises were the least of their problems as a couple of them had sprained ankles, wrists, and possibly a fractured bone or two. In fact, they were quite relieved when Rowan showed up to rescue them by clearing the floor of the frog spawn soap.
Feeling an impending headache, Rowan closes her eyes for a moment and rubs her temples. She might just have to take a trip down to the infirmary before lunch to ask Madam Pomfrey for a headache solution. It would be awkward, no doubt, but she had never had quite so many headaches until this year.
Deciding to find a quiet place to rest for a moment, Rowan turns further down into the corridors deeper in the castle. The castle is rather dark as the torches flicker from a brisk breeze within the stone hallways as the fierce sleet-like rain pitter-patters against the windows. A storm roars on the grounds tossing anything not pinned to the ground into the sky for flight. Even the Whomping Willow branches are f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y moved from the torrent of winds. For not even the foolhardiest of Gryffindor's didn't venture onto the grounds and hence why they and other energetic younger students are erroneously channeling their energy into unsuitable ventures!
A soft cry of pain causes Rowan to halt in her musings craning her ears towards the source. The cry sounds further away again as she carefully sneaks closer towards the source of the sound. Soon the sounds of a loud scuffle are heard as she hurriedly rounds the corner with her wand in her hand. A group of second-year transfer students surrounded a tightly curled-up form on the ground.
A wave of furry crashes through Rowan as just for a moment she sees red. Barely controlling herself, she manages to cast the Stunning Spell, ”Stupfey!” Red sparks emerge from the tip of her wand and smash into the group of second-year transfer students causing them all to stiffen and fall to the ground thoroughly stunned.
Taking deep breaths, Rowan calms herself as best as she can. It was small things like this that reminded her of the toll the Death Surge within her body. She idly wondered for a moment if this is how Riddle also began his descent into madness, before succ.u.mbing, and becoming that which he was today.
F.o.r.c.i.b.l.y pinching herself, Rowan reminds herself of her duties and kneels onto the floor. ”It's alright, I've got you,” she soothingly said as the arms protecting the curled-up figure's head slowly relaxed to allow a pale face with dark hair and soulless black eyes to peek out.
”Lorcan!” Rowan gasped in recognition as she hastily studied the first year Hufflepuff. There were bruises on his face and his lips are badly swollen with a bit of blood from a small cut across his lips.
”Can you stand?” Rowan asked as she rose to her feet and offered him a hand.
”I think so, Prefect Prince,” Lorcan quietly replied and with a wince climbed onto his feet cradling his badly bruised side, while his other arm hangs limply at his side.
Rowan's face darkens with outrage, but she forces herself not to dwell on the beating lest that irritational wave of anger takes over again. ”Lorcan, I need you, to be honest with me. Is this the first time this has happened?”