"Sean, did you hear?" Blaise said, sliding into the seat beside him at the Slytherin table. "This morning, our Quidditch team and the Gryffindors had a run-in over practice time. The Savior's sidekick, Weasley, tried to jinx Malfoy. His wand backfired. They say he's been throwing up slugs ever since. Looked absolutely ridiculous."
Ron? Slugs...
The pieces clicked into place. The flying car. The crash into the Whomping Willow. Ron's wand had been snapped, making it unreliable, dangerous even. A backfiring curse... it made perfect sense. Though, Sean thought with a flicker of grim amusement, it was a shame the curse hadn't found its intended target. Seeing Malfoy vomit slugs would have been a highlight of the term.
After a morning spent brewing potions, Sean was mentally exhausted and famished. He had just settled in to enjoy a well-earned lunch, a roasted chicken already devoured as an appetizer, when a commotion erupted at the entrance to the Great Hall.
He looked up to see two identical redheads—Fred and George Weasley—half-dragging, half-supporting their younger brother Ron. They were heading straight for the Slytherin table. A cold knot of premonition tightened in Sean's stomach.
Before he could react, they were upon them. They stopped right between Sean and Malfoy. One of the twins—it was impossible to tell which—gave Ron a hearty, deliberate slap on the back. Ron wretched, and a fresh torrent of slimy, disgusting slugs spewed from his mouth, landing on the stone floor and spattering across the table.
The sight was revolting enough, but the smell—a muddy, earthy stench—was what truly turned the stomach. With another "helpful" pat from his brother, a particularly large slug arced through the air, landing with a wet splat right beside Sean's plate. Its slimy mucus sprayed across his perfectly cooked roast beef.
Ron's face, already a sickly green, turned pale with horror. He opened his mouth to apologize, to explain, but another slap on the back sent a new wave of slugs onto the table, choking off his words. He shot a betrayed, furious look at his older brothers. The plan had been to disgust Malfoy and his cronies, yes. But he had never intended for Sean to be a target. In Ron's mind, Sean, despite being a Slytherin, was a friend, an ally. He remembered the help Sean had given him, the way he had stood with them against Quirrell. And now his brothers were using him as a weapon against one of the few Slytherins he respected.
Sean saw the genuine apology in Ron's eyes. But honestly, at that moment, he didn't care. His appetite, which had been ravenous just moments before, was now utterly ruined. His good mood had curdled into a cold, quiet anger.
He put down his knife and fork. With a single, fluid motion, he vaulted over the Slytherin table, landing silently on the stone floor in front of the Weasleys. He grabbed Ron, pulling him away from his brothers' grasp. A gentle push sent the younger Weasley sliding across the floor toward the Hufflepuff table, where he promptly vomited another slug, sending a ripple of disgust and nausea through the unfortunate onlookers.
Sean then turned his attention to the twins, who were already trying to make a break for it. He moved with a speed that was almost inhuman, grabbing each of them by the collar before they had taken two steps. He lifted them, one in each hand, into the air as if they weighed nothing, and threw them.
As their surprised screams echoed through the Great Hall, Sean drew his wand. With a flick of his wrist, the enchanted house banners hanging from the ceiling came to life, snaking through the air like colorful pythons. They wrapped around the flailing twins, binding them tightly and leaving them dangling helplessly from the rafters like two sides of cured ham.
A stunned silence fell over the hall, which was quickly broken by a wave of applause and cheers, not just from the Slytherins, but from many of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs as well. With another wave of his wand, Sean vanished the disgusting slugs from the table. But the damage was done. His appetite was gone. He turned his back on the scene and, flanked by Blaise and Jensen, strode out of the Great Hall.
The Gryffindors glared after him, but none made a move. They had seen the whole thing. They knew the twins had started it, and frankly, many of them were just as disgusted. Having been on the receiving end of Fred and George's pranks countless times, they weren't entirely displeased to see them get a taste of their own medicine. Of course, Sean knew he had acted with restraint. If his methods had been harsher, Gryffindor honor would have demanded a response.
The afternoon was his own. He delivered the finished potions to Andy in the common room, then returned to his dormitory. After a short rest and some tea, he took his books and headed for the quiet sanctuary of the library.
Around four o'clock, as the older students were heading off to Hogsmeade, Sean returned to his room. He changed his clothes, drank a small vial of a prepared Polyjuice Potion, and cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself. Under the twin veils of magic, he slipped out of the castle and made his way toward the Whomping Willow.
The great tree, still bandaged from its encounter with the flying car, was less aggressive than usual. Sean easily found the secret passage at its base and made his way through the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. He carefully checked the subtle magical markers he had left on the doors and windows. Finding nothing disturbed, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief, then slipped silently out of the shack and into the darkening streets of Hogsmeade.
[Chapter Complete]
***
Want more? Check out my Patreon for:
✓ Advanced chapters of all my stories
✓ Exclusive novels & fanfics
✓ Early access content www.patreon.com/meowthtl
💪 Community Goal: 500 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter!
Thanks for reading and supporting the story!