Chapter Two: Bucky

  “Ms. Carter, Mr. Smitty, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, Mr. Pettigrew, Ms. Evans, Mr. Snape, please exit the Hospital Wing,” Madam Pomfrey said, spreading her arms to block the herd of kids.

  “That’s my best friend in there! You let me in or so help me-”

  “Threatening a Staff Member, are we Ms. Carter?” the Headmaster asked, walking up from behind the kids.

  “Professor Dumbledore, Esme is my best friend. I need to see her,” Bucky said. Dumbledore held up his hand nodded.

  “Poppy, let these kids through,” he said. Madam Pomfrey nodded her head and moved out of the way. The seven kids herded into the Hospital Wing and crowded around Esmeralda’s bedside.

  “Esme?” Buck whispered, grabbing her hand.

  ‘Come on, Sis. You’re okay you’ve had worse,” James said, taking hold of his sister’s free hand.

  “Madam Pomfrey, what’s wrong with her?” Remus asked.

  “Coma,” Jake replied, his voice low. Lily was unable to speak. She had tears flowing from her eyes, Severus stood next to her. Sirius was silent.

  “This doesn’t just happen,” Bucky growled, staring at her friend’s pale face.

  “What do you mean?” stammered Lily.

  “I mean,” Bucky said through her teeth,”Someone tampered with that Bludger. Bludgers don’t get hit away and come right back. And didn’t you see how both Bludgers went after Jake? It’s unnatural. “

  “Bucky’s right,” Sirius said, looking up.

  “Who would want to hurt my sister?” James asked, tears forming in his eyes.

  “I don’t know. But I will find and kill whoever it is,” Bucky said. The seven grew silent.

  A new herd of Esme’s friends came bursting in, Olivia, Emma, Daniel, Rupert, Andromeda, and Marie. Emma saw Esmeralda’s condition and immediately burst into tears. Rupert hugged her friend, Olivia and Andromeda’s hands clenched into fists. Daniel couldn’t find any words to say. Marie stood, confused.

  “Will she wake up?” Emma finally managed. No one said a word. Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey stood just as silent as the children.

  Time dragged on. The room was so quiet the only sound was the hitched breaths and muffled sobs. It stayed this way until Bucky could no longer take it. She made a very hard effort to make as loud of an exit as possible. She stormed out of the room, cursing under her breath. There were only three kids in that room who had not cried in the hours they were there for, Bucky was amongst them.

  Bucky stormed to the Slytherin Common Room. Most of the kids were whispering. Out of all the kids, Bucky had her eyes targeted on one person.

  He was sitting with a group of kids his age and older, with Regulus as the exception.

  “Lucius Malfoy!” Bucky shouted. It got the entire room’s attention. She slammed her hands onto Lucius’s chest and grabbed the edges of his robes. His “pose” pulled their wands out. Bucky shoved Lucius into the wall, raising him up. He whimpered slightly.

  “Was it you?” She sneered.

  “I...I don’t know-”

  “Don’t give me that crap Lucius! This is my best friend! She never hurt anyone! And now, she may not wake up! Why? Why?!” Bucky slammed him into the wall again. He started coughing. A hand grabbed her shoulder and threw her onto the ground. Rodolphus.

  “Filthy Mudblood!” he spat.

  “Scum like you shouldn’t touch purebloods like us,” Bellatrix added. Bucky stood up.

  “Then don’t hurt my friends,” she seethed. Rodolphus and Bellatrix were both a year older, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t willing to hurt anyone if necessary. Rodolphus took no time to sock her in the jaw. Bucky stumbled backwards. By then, a small crowd had formed around them.

  “You punch like a muggle,” Bucky hissed. She spat out a bit of blood, before whipping out her wand.

  “Flippendo!” She shouted. Rodolphus flipped and landed on his stomach.

  “Expelliarmus!” Bellatrix said. Bucky’s wand flew from her grip and into the hands of another Slytherin, who tossed it aside. Bucky glared at Bellatrix, but charged her. Rodolphus was still on the ground, and slowly rising.

  Bucky grabbed Bellatrix’s hair a yanked on it. Bellatrix wasn’t used to muggle fighting, but Bucky was. She punched Bellatrix in the face, only to have a pair of arms wrap around her own arms, holding her back. It was Rabastan, Rodolphus’ older brother. Bellatrix cowered back into the crowd.

“You gonna hide behind your wand?” Bucky challenged. Rodolphus hissed. He hit her across the jaw, over and over. The younger kids could no longer watch. There were a few other older kids. Bucky’s eye started to swell. Her right cheek ripped open, as did her lower lip.

“Enough! A voice boomed. Bucky looked up, her eyesight blurry. She could barely make out the shape of a female.

“Enough,” the voice repeated quieter.

“Andromeda,” Bellatrix seethed.

“Bella,” Dromeda replied cooly. Rabastan let Bucky go. She fell to the ground, but Dromeda caught her.

‘Come on Jo, let’s get you to the Hospital Wing,” Dromeda said, helping her out of the Slytherin Common Room. Andromeda, as the Slytherin Head Girl, took 100 points from Slytherin.

“The two arrived back at the Hospital Wing to see the others still there.

‘Bucky!” Jake shouted.

“What happened?” Sirius asked.

“Nothing,” Bucky grumbled, taking her seat next to Esmeralda.