[37] A Ravenous Appetite

The deal was excellent. Hall had sold the entire formula for half the profits. No more brewing — he was done spending his youth in a potions room.

His hair got greasy every day.

He mentioned this to Snape. Snape's gaze turned murderous.

Hall sighed and opened his diary.

Sometimes trouble found you before you found it.

"Henry! I found something incredible in my father's study." Draco appeared, holding a notebook, his face thinner than before Christmas.

He wrote in it: Riddle, this is my friend Henry.

The words faded. A new sentence appeared: Hello, Henry.

"See? He replies." Draco handed Hall a quill. "Try it!"

Hall studied Draco's face. "Have you noticed anything different lately?"

"Henry, you're such a good friend! You knew I wasn't feeling well?"

Hall's wand was already in his hand. "Where?"

"The family doctor said I have bulimia."

"What?"

"I can eat ten meals a day." Draco spread his hands. "I ate the whole table myself."

"What did the doctor say?" Hall looked Draco over carefully.

Draco's eating habits made his current state deeply abnormal. Eating constantly and still losing weight — that was wrong.

"That notebook. Something's off about it. Don't touch it anymore."

"Riddle's perfectly friendly." Draco shrugged.

"Let me borrow it, then."

Draco grinned and held out his hand. "Pay up."

"I'll drop your prefect duties next month."

Draco handed over the diary immediately.

First-year prefect work was simple — attendance, homework, helping younger students. Draco was good at the first two but had no patience for the third. He'd outsourced it all to Hall. Fifty Galleons a month for a hundred questions, one Galleon per question after that.

Hall took the diary. "Let's see if your appetite returns."

He didn't open it. He dropped it straight into his storage bag.

There was already a crisis in the infirmary. He didn't need a third.

But Hall frowned. He remembered this diary had ended up with Ginny in his original timeline. His little sister, confiding in a Horcrux. He'd need to deal with it properly.

Draco, mistaking Hall's expression, said, "The doctor said it's normal growth. And my dad says Malfoys eat more during puberty."

Hall watched Draco devour everything in sight at dinner. Two portions became four, then half the table. Other Slytherins went hungry. The house-elves couldn't keep up.

Draco finally burped.

Snape stood from the staff table. Hall grabbed Draco, and they headed for the infirmary.

"Henry, where are we going? Professor? What happened?"

"Madam Pomfrey. Please examine him."

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Madam Pomfrey looked Draco over. "Professor Snape, what's wrong with this child?"

"Everything. Please examine him thoroughly."

Draco was pulled into a cubicle. Hall and Snape waited in strained silence.

Ten minutes later, Madam Pomfrey emerged, furious. "Professor Snape, are you not feeding this child? He's malnourished! I'm telling Dumbledore — I suspect Slytherin is abusing him."

Snape rubbed his temples. "His name is Malfoy."

That silenced her. The Malfoys didn't starve.

But Draco had grown gaunt — pointed chin, hollow cheeks, thin limbs. He looked starved.

"I'm so hungry..." Draco's voice trembled.

Madam Pomfrey cast a diagnostic spell. "How is this possible?"

"What's wrong?"

"Severe malnutrition. He needs feeding immediately." She'd examined him minutes ago — it was ordinary malnutrition. Now it was critical. In this short a time.

Draco groaned weakly on the bed.

"Please look after him, Madam Pomfrey. I'll inform his father." Snape turned to leave.

"I'm starving! Henry! Please — please give me something!"

Hall pulled out energy-restoring potions. Madam Pomfrey fed one to Draco without hesitation.

The effect was immediate. Draco stopped crying, his face relaxing.

Fifteen minutes later, he threw off the covers, desperate again. Hall handed him another vial.

Thirteen minutes.

Ten minutes.

The intervals were shrinking. Hall's fears were confirmed. The diary had already marked Draco — even locked away, the connection was draining him.

A commotion at the infirmary door announced an arrival.

As the potion's effects wore off, Lucius Malfoy arrived.

"What happened?!" His brow was furrowed, his voice tight with worry.

He tried to reach the bedside. Snape stopped him. "Dumbledore is examining Draco."

Draco lay on the bed, emaciated. Hours ago he'd been cheerful. Now he was barely recognisable.

Lucius noticed Hall. They exchanged a nod. They'd worked together on the potion's approval with the Board of Governors. Lucius had been sceptical of an eleven-year-old inventor until he saw the profits.

"Mr. Malfoy." Hall approached. "Did you drop a diary?"

He was angry. He'd noticed Draco's decline because they spent every day together. But what if it had been Ginny? The boys' and girls' dorms were separate. Even with four brothers, they might not have noticed in time.

In the original timeline, Lucius had slipped the diary into Ginny's books. Hall couldn't be certain he wouldn't do it again. The diary had to be destroyed. If Lucius wanted it back, he could take it to Malfoy Manor and whatever happened there was his problem. If not, Hall would hand it to Dumbledore.

Lucius swallowed. "You know where it is?"

"Do you still need it?"

Lucius's expression shifted. "Draco is this because of the diary?"

"Mr. Malfoy. What diary?" Dumbledore had finished his examination. A reverse-protection circle surrounded Draco's bed, isolating him completely � preventing any life force from escaping.

The circle was advanced. Dumbledore's forehead was slick with sweat. Madam Pomfrey handed him a handkerchief.

He'd heard every word.

"The circle is only temporary," Dumbledore said. "Draco can't stay in there forever. We need to find what's consuming his life force and destroy it."

Lucius's composure cracked. "I don't know what's in that diary. He gave it to me � told me to keep it safe. I cast a protective spell. How did Draco get it?"

"It's the thing consuming his life force."

Hall reached into his storage pouch.

Empty.

He patted his robes. Nothing. He checked every pocket.

"Henry? What's wrong?"

Hall's confusion was so complete that Dumbledore noticed immediately.

"The diary. It's gone."

He always kept the pouch on him. He'd only put the diary inside � nothing else, to be safe.

"What?!"

"Is your head full of slugs, boy?"

"Think carefully, kid. Did you put it somewhere else?"

Hall ignored them. His mind raced through the past few days, replaying every second.

Teaching assistant work. Potion-making. The Room of Requirement.

The twins.

Two nights ago, he'd argued with George and Fred about a prank potion. They thought his design was too cruel. When they left, they'd both bumped into him hard. He'd nearly fallen.

Those two.

Hall ran. He ignored the shouts behind him. He sprinted to Gryffindor Tower.

"Fat Lady, please call George Weasley and Fred Weasley. Thank you."

"Oh, what a polite child! No wonder you're in Slytherin!" The Fat Lady beamed.

George and Fred emerged in their pyjamas, covering their ears.

"What do you want?"

"Come to apologise?"

Hall's face was dark. "Where's my storage bag?"

They exchanged a glance and stepped back.

"I advise you to think very carefully before you speak."

"George! Fred! Ron has fainted!"

Harry stood in the doorway, holding up an unconscious Ron.

"Ron!"

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