Fred was drifting off to sleep in the Hospital Wing, feeling quite groggy.
"Knock it off, George, I can't eat another bite," he mumbled, swatting George's hand away as he poked him.
But George kept at it. Fred impatiently opened his eyes, and George immediately put a finger to his lips, shushing him and gesturing towards the sounds coming from beyond the curtain. That instantly jolted Fred awake.
"…Severus, I can't help the poor child," Madam Pomfrey's voice drifted through.
"I've already informed Dumbledore. He'll be here shortly," Snape replied, his voice as cold and indifferent as ever.
Fred quietly slipped out of bed, pulling the curtain open just a crack. George leaned in, and after a bit of jostling, they each got half a view, peeking through the narrow gap.
They saw a small crowd gathered: Snape, Madam Pomfrey, and even Percy were there, all huddled around one of the beds. Percy looked like he was on the verge of tears, and Madam Pomfrey was trying to comfort him. Snape, meanwhile, was bent over, his lips moving silently, his wand repeatedly poking at the person lying on the bed. Fred couldn't help but crane his neck forward, trying to make out who it was.
Suddenly, Snape straightened up, revealing the figure on the bed. Fred realized with a jolt that it was Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw Prefect! He remembered her well – she was incredibly beautiful and remarkably clever, quite popular among the students. Fred and George had even made a bet about who could get her to Hogsmeade first. But now, she lay motionless in the Hospital Wing.
Who would dare attack a Prefect at Hogwarts? Could a dark wizard have broken in? Fred thought, a shiver of fear running down his spine.
At that moment, Snape spoke to Madam Pomfrey. "Clearwater isn't dead, she's merely been petrified."
Hearing Snape's words, Percy's face crumpled with relief, and Madam Pomfrey visibly relaxed. This was the first time Fred had ever seen Percy cry since they'd started at Hogwarts.
Suddenly, George yanked Fred back, and the next second, the Hospital Wing doors burst open. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall entered, accompanied by a rather peculiar bird. Fred immediately recognized it as Professor Dumbledore's legendary phoenix.
"Good evening, Severus, Poppy. I've brought Minerva with me," Dumbledore said simply, then wasted no time in hurrying over to the bedside.
"She's been petrified. The spellcaster is exceptionally powerful; at least, I couldn't achieve such a feat," Snape commented from the side.
Fred watched as the phoenix landed on Penelope, shedding a few tears, but nothing happened. Dumbledore frowned, surprised that even phoenix tears couldn't undo the petrification. He then aimed his wand at Penelope and shot a strong white light, but again, nothing changed. Dumbledore stopped chanting, bending down to observe more closely.
Professor McGonagall, meanwhile, led Percy aside, asking him what had happened.
"Penelope and I had a bit of an argument, and then she left alone. When I found her in the Ravenclaw girls' lavatory, she was already petrified." Percy's voice sounded hollow, and Professor McGonagall offered him a few comforting words.
Hearing Percy say that Penelope had been found in the Ravenclaw Tower, George quickly pulled out the Marauder's Map to check, but there was no one around the tower. George shook his head at Fred, and they continued to listen in.
Just then, Snape's suspicious voice cut through the air. "How fortunate for Weasley, to have an argument with Clearwater late at night and conveniently avoid the attack, wouldn't you say?"
At that, Professor McGonagall immediately retorted, "Severus, I trust my students. He couldn't possibly be involved in this attack!"
"What? I…" Percy, slow to catch on, finally realized Snape was suspecting him of being the culprit.
Fred, too, was certain Percy couldn't be the attacker. After all, he and George had often seen Percy and Penelope alone in empty classrooms on the Marauder's Map this year; sometimes their names would even overlap, which meant they'd known Percy was in a relationship for ages. And besides, Percy had just been crying!
But Snape's suspicious tone outside didn't let up. "Clearwater's expression of sheer horror suggests the attacker's identity was completely unexpected, quite possibly—"
Seeing Percy about to explode from Snape's accusations, Professor McGonagall quickly silenced Snape with a stern look. She then turned to Dumbledore.
"Albus, I should go check the Ravenclaw Tower. If the attacker is still there, the young wizards are in danger."
But Dumbledore stopped Professor McGonagall. "Minerva, would you mind waking the other professors? I will personally go to Ravenclaw Tower. If the attacker is still there, they won't escape." Dumbledore finished speaking, placed his hand on Fawkes, and vanished in a burst of flame.
Fred felt Dumbledore's voice was unusually chilling, sending a shiver down his spine. George, beside him, took a sharp intake of breath. The Weasley twins thought in unison: Whoever the attacker was, they had certainly angered the greatest white wizard of their time.
Suddenly, Fred's eyes met Snape's. Fred frantically waved his hands, and George, quick as a flash, hid the Marauder's Map. No sooner had George tucked it away than the curtain was yanked open, revealing Snape standing there with a cold expression.
"I'm not surprised in the slightest to find two Gryffindors eavesdropping here," Snape sneered.
Professor McGonagall looked at them in surprise; she hadn't expected to find three Weasleys here tonight.
"Mr. Weasleys, I've already warned you. You brought this upon yourselves." Madam Pomfrey declared, pulling out a vial of purple potion.
Fred and George exchanged a glance, then obediently drank the Dreamless Sleep Potion. The next second, they were both in a deep slumber. Madam Pomfrey carefully checked on them before closing the curtain again.
A brief silence settled over the Hospital Wing.
Soon, Professor McGonagall broke the quiet. "Percy, go get some rest," she said softly to him. Without waiting for Percy's reply, Professor McGonagall turned to Snape. "Severus, would you mind escorting Percy back to Gryffindor Tower? I don't feel comfortable with him going back alone. I need to inform the other professors to patrol the rest of the castle."
Though Professor McGonagall was displeased with Snape's earlier suspicions of Percy, she chose to trust her colleague to protect the student diligently.
Snape said nothing, merely giving a slight nod. Then, Snape ordered Percy in a commanding tone, "Come with me."
But Percy didn't move. His mind told him he should obey the professor, but his heart resisted leaving at that moment. After a brief stalemate, under Professor McGonagall's watchful eye, Percy finally followed Snape out.