Chapter 3: Morana's Poison
It had been almost a week since Draco came to Ilvermorny. He just woke up, got dressed and went to classes. He was less cheerful with his friends and he didn't even bother to bully Aria. Maybe because he kept thinking about her. Draco often tried to detect any powerful trace of magic in her but he found nothing. She was normal and surprisingly, even she did not bother to talk to him. Draco had got thinner and paler since he got the dark mark as he hardly ate or slept as he kept himself drowning in thoughts which were not possible. It was a rare occurrence for people to see Draco laughing freely now. It was as if the Dark Mark had sucked all the happiness out of him and in return, it had spread despair. He spent nights thinking what could he do about his task.
Invite Aria alone and then cast the horrible curse which will finish her off in a fraction of seconds? but it was not easy as it sounds. Draco would never see himself the same way after that. He thought of befriending her and then bringing her over to his side, but even in his mind, the thought sounded stupid.
Draco and his friends were making their way towards professor Lynass' class when they met a huge crowd. It seemed like all the students in the school were standing in the way. Draco and his friends exchanged confused looks.
"excuse me! I am the head boy! Move out of the way!" shouted Draco as they made way for him. When the crowd separated, Draco finally saw what had caused the chaos. The elegant, cream colour wall was covered in blood letters. In front of that, on the ground was....
.....was Aria, lying unconscious. Draco stared at her in horror.
"I-Is she d-dead?" said someone from the crowd, snapping Draco out of his trance. He carefully stepped towards her to make sure she was alive. He knelt down next to her when suddenly he heard a cry.
"Aria!" cried Marissa. It seemed like she had just joined the crowd and she was unknown to what had happened. Oliver White was just next to her too, looking white as paper. Marissa pushed her way out and ran towards Aria when Draco stopped her.
"wait! wait! don't touch her. You never know if she is save to touch." he said keeping her out of the way.
"But sh-" she protested but Draco shook his head in an alarming way. He then slowly touched her wrist and he realized that she was still breathing, though it was faint. He let go of the breath, he didn't know he was holding.
"She is not d-dead, but she is unconscious." he told the crowd. He looked up at the wall and read what was written in blood red ink.
"I HAVE COME BACK TO WASH THE WIZARDING WORLD. SOON ALL THE MUDBLOODS WILL BE TURNED TO ASHES TOO AND THE WORLD WILL BE PURE AGAIN."
As Draco finished reading, terror filled him like a waterfall. He knew who it was. He definitely did. No one will be so cruel enough to do this. He looked down at Aria and realized that all the colour was leaving her face to be replaced by a tint green. It looked like poison was spreading all over her body. He wondered what the message meant by, "SOON ALL THE MUDBLOODS WILL BE TURNED TO ASHES TOO"
The message made sense to him but there was something else nagging in the back of his head which he could not put a finger on but then realization hit him like a sword in his gut.
Aria was poisoned and not just any poison but Morana's poison. T-That poison can turn people to a-ashes. It gives them a slow and a painful death. He widened his eyes in horror as fear filled him.
"we need to take her to the hospital wing!" cried Oliver, still pale but looking as though he had come over the shock.
"y-yes" Draco stammered. He was picking her up when they heard footsteps and the teachers stepped in. Professor Fontaine looked at Aria, the letters on the wall and then at Draco who was kneeling next to Aria.
"what d-does this m-mean Agilbert? murmured professor Lynass.
"This message contains a terrible a meaning, Maria." he said quietly as if he was recalling something and that was not pleasant.
"what are you doing there draco?" asked professor Gladstone.
"N-Nothing professor. s-she must be taken to the hospital wing. Her skin is turning green." he stammered as he was still shaken.
Professor fontaine raised his eyebrows but said nonetheless, "Yes yes she must be taken urgently. Maria please help us."
"yes" she said and levitated Aria in the air so that she could be taken to the hospital wing.
"Everyone! Off to your classes!!" shouted professor Gladstone and dismissed them.
All the students headed to their next classes, whispering under their breaths.
"Mate, you look like you have seen a ghost." said Theo as they were walking.
"Rosewood didn't look less than a ghost." he replied, his mind somewhere else.
"who would have done that?" asked Theo. "I mean who cares about muggleborn anyways, but still. She was turning green you said, and then the message about turning to ashes..."
"Francis! Francis!" Draco turned and saw Oliver White and Marissa Miller running towards them.
"what?" he asked.
"what happened to Aria? We were in classes and she excused herself for washroom but then she...she never returned." she asked, her eyes watering.
"Look i don't know" he said, " We were going to classes when we saw all the students in the way and then we we all saw her and...she was lying on the ground and-and..."
"I-I think it was her blood on the wall." said Oliver. "I saw her arm bleeding heavily when professor lynass levitated her."
"who cares anyways? her blood is not important. It belongs to filthy muggles." said Nico. Oliver lunged at him.
"what do you have in your blood, stupid? Diamonds? i am sure they won't even sell for 1 galleon." Oliver spat at him.
"This is not helping!" shouted Draco, frustrated. They let go of each other, throwing dirty glances.
"We have to make sure she is alright. Fighting is not helping White!" he told Oliver.
"We?" asked Theo
"er... I-I mean, they. I don't care what happens to her." Draco said.
Marissa rolled her eyes and said, "For once Francis you are right. Oliver, we don't care who says what about her. We know she is valuable like a ruby to us." she threw a dirty look at us and then stormed off.
Draco and his friends, ignored and continued with their classes. Professor Lynass started the class a little late as she had been checking on Aria, but the whole class, Draco's mind was wandering somewhere else.
Draco was darn sure that whatever had happened to Aria was Morana's fault. It was only her poison which could cause this to her. But then Draco would have been fine with it if it weren't for the mark on his hand. His first task was assassinate her, but then why wasn't Morana waiting for him? Her poison was definitely going to kill Aria so what was he supposed to do?
Then why did she need Draco? If she is doing all the work herself, why is Draco needed? D-Does that mean he is free?
The whole day, Draco was deep in thought. He was hardly aware of his surroundings. After classes, Draco went to his dorm and pulled out a letter and a quill. He started writing...
Dear Mother,
Aria was found unconscious today. She was found in the corridor and above her was a message, "I HAVE COME BACK. TO WASH THE WIZARDING WORLD. SOON ALL THE MUDBLOODS WILL BE TURNED TO ASHES TOO AND THE WORLD WILL BE PURE AGAIN." I have a faint suspension that it the dark lady's work since it is only her poison that causes a person's skin to become green and then slowly burn to ashes. The first task that had been assigned to me was to kill her but then the poison will kill Aria nevertheless. If the dark lady is doing all that by herself, why am i needed? d-does that mean i am not supposed to do anything?
Regards,
Draco.
Draco finished the letter and his owl flew off. After dinner, Draco tried to take off his mind by doing his homework or playing quidditch with his friends but then in the end, Draco got frustrated went to bed. He switched off the light by a wave of his hand.
Wandless magic helps
After a while, Draco drifted off a peaceful, little did he know that the letter he sent will not contain a good news for him.
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