All I could hear was buzzing. I could barely make out what those around me were saying through my pounding headache which was quickly morphing into a migraine. I ground my teeth together as my injured body continued to throb with pain, my teary eyes squeezed shut tight against the agony I felt. I directed my focus to Madame Pomfrey as she gently examined me and performed healing spells, with the reassuring pressure of Hermione's hand in my own as I tried to tune out Dumbledore and Fudges' shouting match.

"I told you Dumbledore, that Dementor needed to be there for my protection! That criminal could've killed me after all!"

Rose Potter heard Dumbledore take a steadying breath before replying, "That criminal, as you say, was the closest link we had to discovering Voldemort and his supporters and now it will be impossible for us to get any information whatsoever out of him."

"Come now Dumbledore, there's no proof of his return! For all we know Potter could've been hallucinating in that maze."

Rose's eyes snapped open at that statement, and bringing herself into a sitting position she leveled her gaze at Fudge before shrieking "Cedric is dead! Voldemort murdered him right in front of me, how could I make that up?"

My supply of adrenaline must've been nonexistent at this point, as it did nothing to help dull the pain that yelling at Fudge had caused me. It soon felt as if I couldn't breathe, and I doubled over at the pain in my ribcage as I tried to draw breath.

"Out, now!" Madame Pompfry yelled as she cast a diagnostic spell over me and helped Hermione to lay me back down onto the bed.

"You see Dumbledore, the girl is obviously hysterical! She can hardly—"

I attempted to rise again, but this time Ron held me down as Madame Pompfry practically growled "Minister, you must leave now or I will have someone remove you by force."

"Why I never" Fudge said aghast, harrumphing angrily as if to continue his idiotic tirade. Dumbledore interrupted him, requesting that Professor McGonagall take Fudge off of Hogwarts grounds so that he might apparate back to the Ministry immediately. I heard their footsteps as they exited the hospital wing, Fudge angrily muttering to himself until the door shut behind them.

Madame Pomfrey lifted my head from the pillow and began to pour potion after potion down my throat. As the pain began to ease from my body and my migraine slowly faded, I started to become aware of the new reality that had been so suddenly forced upon me. Life in a world with the constant, tangible threat of Lord Voldemort hanging over me and those I loved. And a world without Cedric…

As I blinked the tears from my eyes, Sirius morphed out of his animagus form and began stroking my hair back from my sweaty face.

"Rose, are you in pain?" he asked me, concern riddled in every inch of his face.

I shook my head no, turning my head to the side only to see the Weasley's looking at me with unmasked worry, as if I was something incredibly delicate.

Snape moved into my view suddenly, glaring hatefully at Sirius, and made a grab for his wand.

"Severus, no!" Dumbledore stepped in to block Snape as Sirius began to rise to his feet, a scowl on his face. "This is not the time, we all have work to do. Fudge has just made everything more difficult by denying Voldemort's return. I will explain later, but suffice to say that Sirius is not the guilty man you think he is."

Snape turned to glower at Dumbledore, outrage plain on his face, but eventually he began to lower his wand all the same. He met my warning gaze for a moment as he noticeably calmed himself, quickly turning away as Sirius sat back down beside me.

Dumbledore turned to me then, "Rose, we will return but I need as many Order members as possible right now." Dumbledore's gaze flickered meaningfully to Sirius for a moment before returning to mine, but it was enough. Sirius began to rise again, and it seemed as if all the stress and pain of the day burst out as I realized he would have to leave.

"No! Sirius, please!" I sobbed, "No, don't leave me alone!" I couldn't stop the tears this time. Seeing Cedric murdered, being tortured at the hands of Voldemort, and seeing Mad-Eye, someone I had trusted, morph into a Death Eater after trying to kill me was too much. I didn't want to be alone, I felt more vulnerable than I ever had before. And the thought of Sirius putting himself in danger for the Order was the tipping point. I didn't want to be brave anymore, I had been through enough tonight and couldn't control my emotions any longer.

Sirius looked broken hearted as he rushed to my side again. He took my hand and tried to reassure me as I began to hyperventilate "Come on Rosie, you know I need to go. I have to help them."

Snape strode over as well, tipping the calming draught that Madame Pompfry had yet to administer into my mouth with surprising gentleness as Sirius glowered up at him.

"Your godfather will be back before dawn, Potter" he said calmly as I swallowed the last of the potion. Whether it was the draft or Snape's reassuring words I don't know, but my breathing began to even out and Sirius bent down to kiss my forehead in farewell.

"Just be careful…" I moaned as I stifled my sobs, and Mr and Mrs. Weasley moved to stand beside Sirius and Snape as members of the Order.

"Don't you worry, dear. Just focus on getting some rest now, hmm?" said Mrs. Weasley, giving me a tender hug and kiss on the cheek. My heart squeezed at her gesture and in slight fear of the possibility that I could lose one of them tonight as they carried out their missions. Dumbledore gave me a quick look before turning to leave the hospital wing, the rest of the Order on his tail. Snape glanced back too, his usual angry scowl replaced with a look of regret. As the door shut, Madame Pomfrey came over to me with what I knew to be a sleeping draught. She didn't bother with the changing screen, instead siphoning away as much dirt and blood from my clothes as she could with her wand. I drifted off almost immediately after swallowing only a gulp of the blue sleeping potion, with Ron and Hermione both by my side.