Chapter 2

"She's exhausted Albus, she has been through so much over the last five days. A lesser person would have been broken by the strain she has been under. To lose your father and then lose control of your gift all with in an hour…and then to find your best friends nearly dead…" Molly's voice sounded worried and motherly and she felt her hair brushed away from her forehead. "Severus says it's lucky she had those supplies in her trunk, he could make the potions directly with out having to return to Hogwarts or go out to buy them, saved a number of hours. Plus she had some he needed already made up so he didn't have to brew them." She sighed. "Her fever has broken, it's a good thing that Charlie was keeping such a close eye on her, she used nearly everything she had to heal those two."

"She knew what she was risking, Molly." A quiet whispery voice replied. The feelings that she got from the man was slightly confusing. There was pride, sadness, guilt, sorrow and relief. "We owe her those boys lives, even though she didn't do it for us. She cares for those two, deeply. It make me wonder how Harry managed to sneak off to visit her and how long they have been friends." Albus sighed. "From what Harry has told me they were friends in primary school, before he went to Hogwarts and she went to Beauxbaton. They kept in contact by owl and written letters over the years, a few visits over the breaks, though how he pulled those off I have no idea." The guilt and sorrow built up. "I do wish he had told me that his family had abused him, I would have found away to get him away from there, but all he would tell me was that he didn't want to go back and they hated him…I didn't know it was that bad Molly. I should have checked up on him over the years."

"Might have beens are no good, sir. Concentrate on the now and make the best of the second chance you have been given." Niya spoke up weakly.

"Wise advice from one so young, child." He chuckled lightly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a week old kitten." She smiled weakly and pried open her eyes and saw the elderly old man sitting beside her bed, long white hair, long white beard, half moon glasses and twinkling blue eyes, dressed in a blue robe and a dark purple over robe. "Dray and Haz?"

"Draco is fine and moving around carefully, he has a few scars to show what he has been through. He is still a little tender but will be recovered by the end of the week. Harry, is also recovering nicely, he still has a few bruises and tender bones and confined to his bed, he should be up and about by the end of the week and fully healed by the end of the month." Albus replied as Niya eased herself up so she was sitting up and leaning against the pillows.

"How long was I out?" She asked accepting glass of water and slowly sipped the first half to ease her throat before gulping the rest.

"Three days. You exhausted yourself to help them, you almost slipped into a coma and died, if Charlie hadn't been checking up on you and fed you a energy replenisher." He told her in a tone that she knew that he was scolding her.

"If I hadn't done what I had Haz would have died. I only fixed what I had too, he was gravely injured, he would have died if I hadn't been a healer with power to call on." She answered him accepting the refill that Molly gave her with out a word.

"I am truly grateful that you did manage to save Harry and Draco, but they are not worth your life." Molly finally spoke up. "I see Harry as a seventh son but that wouldn't have been worth your life."

"They are both worth it Molly." Niya turned her sight to the woman. "They are both powerful, strong willed and still whole even after everything that they have been through in their lives. They may bend and sway but they never fall or break. They are my friends, my only friends that accepted me for who I am and what I can do, just as I have done for them. We have helped each other through the worst and the best times, we keep each other moving and remembering that there is some one out there that cares." Tears prickled her eyes and slid down her cheeks. "Some times that is all that keeps them going, knowing that I am there to lean on if they need me, knowing that they don't have to ask, just with a look I can know what they need. So close…so close to shattering, but never breaking." She choked out, dropping her head into her hands. She struggled to get her shields back in place.

"Niya…your shields are down aren't they?" Molly asked in concern.

"Can't…" Niya choked out.

"I'll get Charlie." Albus murmured and shuffled out of the room quickly.

"Niya…concentrate" Charlie's soothing words reached her.

"Can't sense…" She tried to get out again.

"If she is a powerful empath and healer there is probably certain people she needs to keep in physical contact on a regular basis, to keep herself stable, and reassure herself that those people are alright subconsciously." Charlie spoke softly.

"Who?"

"Probably Draco and Harry. As more people come in to her life and she comes to care for them and comes connected to them then the more people she will have to support her." Charlie replied.

"Take her to Harry's room, I'll shoo the others down to breakfast and get Draco." Molly said.

Niya felt herself picked up and carried, trying in vane to calm her sobs, even as her gifts reached out searching. She was settled down on a bed and arms enveloped her from both sides and felt her gifts connected and she felt her shields slowly rising and her sobs slowed. She sensed some one move away that was needed and whimpered.

"Charlie stay." Haz's voice spoke up tiredly.

"This isn't the first time you've had to do this is it?" Molly's voice asked.

"No, it usually happens right at the beginning of summer when we first meet up, she just breaks down." Haz's voice slowly strengthened, but still sounded tired. "Though it usually doesn't take her this long to settle down."

"There still might be some one missing that she needs to connect to." Charlie spoke up. "Maybe the Twins…She seemed drawn to them at lunch."

"I'll see if I can find them." Molly offered and hurried off.

"I must admit that I've never heard of a Healer needed connections with certain people." Albus commented quietly.

"Yes but she is more then just a healer, she is also an empath, a strong one, stronger then me. Empaths make connections with people over time, when they sense that there is something that, that person has that they need and that they are needed for that person. It is all subconscious, we have no control over it. It's why I have to come home at least three times a year." Charlie explained. "If they are strong enough and need a person enough they can call that person to them and vice versa."

"That's how she knew Harry needed her." Albus commented.

"Partly, sir." Harry spoke up. "We are bound by her healing and empathy, she has patched us both up a few times. It kinda happened by accident, one time she had a cut on her palm from work and our blood mingled. If the need is great enough it triggers an effect to the point she can get glimpses of what is happening." He admitted a little sheepishly. "She is connected to both Dray and me that way, it also make it easier for her to call us when she needs us." He glanced down at Niya. "We felt your call last week, but I couldn't get away." He grimaced. "They came home early and with out warning."

"That would have been when she lost control." Charlie commented as the twins slipped into the room.

"It's been years since she lost control…what happened?" Draco finally spoke up, sounding concerned and worried.

"My father died." Niya spoke up, sniffing and accepted the tissues that Fred handed her, "I knew that something was wrong, I got the confirmation not an hour after we left the park."

"Merlin, I'm sorry Niya." Haz hugged her a little tighter, along with Dray.

"It took Charlie four days to pull her out again, mainly because it took him two days to get back to the Burrow." Molly said softly. "We were at a loss at how to help her, I'm just thankful that her father added instructions on what to do if anything like that happened in his will." There was a long pause. "Are you alright now dear?"

"Yes, Molly, I'll be fine now. Sorry I broke down." She flushed a little. "It happens when I exhaust myself."

"How often do you need contact? With out breaking down?" Albus asked.

"Once every three months, once a month if I have been doing a lot of healing." She replied with a small shrug. "I usually don't have to worry about it, I was trained at Beauxbaton but they rarely needed me to heal major injuries and that all they asked me to do for them as they knew it was a strain as I was learning." She explained. "I was usually only need once a year, usually at the end of year at the final Quidditch match."

"Have you finished your training?" Albus inquired.

"Yes, I just need practice to work up stamina." She nodded. "The more practice I get the longer and more I will be able to heal."

"Would you be will to be on stand by for the infirmary?" He asked. "It would give you the training you need, there are always injuries after quidditch games."

"That would be a help yes." She nodded in agreement. "I'll need to do up a list of potion ingredients that I'll need to make more potions that I use regularly when I heal."

"That can be arranged…I'm afraid that Severus used most of the ones you had left to make a few that he found that he needed. I can send him out to get more to replace what he used and to restock what you need." Albus nodded.

"I have money in my trunk to pay for what I need. I usually use my free time in the summer to restock, it costs me a lot but I don't mind because I can help others." She shrugged.

"If you write up a list I can send him out after lunch and if he isn't available then I'll find some one else." Albus nodded.

"Right now that everything is sorted, are you all ready to head down for breakfast?" Molly asked with a smile as several stomachs rumbled in agreement with that thought. "Everyone down stairs then, Harry you can join them if you think you can manage it, and rest for awhile. I'm sure Ron will be glad of some company."

"I think I can do that." Harry nodded.

It wasn't long before Niya was digging into a large breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast, fruit and juice, while writing out a list of what she could remember she needed along with the quantities that she wanted. As soon as she was finished she had the twins lead her back to her room to double check and added more to her list a little surprised that nearly everything was gone. She pulled out a large pouch of money and quickly counted out what money she had before digging through another trunk and pulled out more money.

"Do you really" Fred started.

"Think that it will" George continued.

"Cost that much." Fred finished.

"It usually does when I restock." She nodded as she placed all the money into one pouch and followed them back down.

"Ah Niya, this is Professor Snape, our Potions Master."

"Nice to meet you sir." She nodded in greeting, finally getting a name to go with the man in black.

"Your potions are extremely well made Ms Jackson, and your skills are quite a rare and a privilege to watch." He nodded in return.

"Severus has offered to gather the ingredients you need." Albus's eyes twinkled brightly.

"I wrote out a list and the quantities that I need, if you are going to the apothecary in Diagon Alley just say it is a total restock for Ms Jackson and hand over the list. They know me quite well there." She smiled faintly as she handed over the pouch and the list.

"This is quite the list you have here Ms Jackson, I presume that you know how to brew the potions by yourself?" He asked with a slight sneer.

"Quite well thank you Sir. I find that if I brew them myself they work better. I guess it's because as I am brewing them I tend to add some of my healing power to them on instinct and it makes them much more potent." She nodded. "I've gotten the highest scores in potions over the years in the entire school, bar first year that is." She shuddered slightly. "That was just a disaster."

"We shall see, I know from the potions you already made that they are well made, but I would like to see you make them for myself and judge where you are to see if it is necessary for you to do potions at all." He nodded slightly and left the room with a sharp snap of his robes.

"Hmm…" Niya's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched him leave. She sensed that he meant what he said, more so then his face said he did. "Tricky man, mask wearer, never says what he means, most would see him as snide, cruel and cold." She muttered to herself, her head tilted slightly. "Must recommend that he try my headache cure…" she mumbled making her way to where she could hear Dray and Haz were, forgetting Albus's presence entirely and missed his chuckle of amusement and the blinding twinkle.

Niya was in the middle of a chess game with Ron when Charlie stuck his head into the room.

"Niya, Professor Snape is back with your supplies, he said he'll show you to the potion lab that has been set up here." Charlie spoke up as she made her move.

"Right, well just as well I already lost this game." She smiled at Ron as she stood up and followed Charlie out into the hall and spotted the professor standing in the hall with her blue trunk hovering beside him. She followed him with out a word as he lead her to an unused part of the first floor and opened a door that had a door leading down and she followed him into the underground room taking in the room. It was the right temperature, the right light being cast and everything was organised.

"You have your own cauldrons I take it?" He asked snidely.

"Yes sir, I have everything that I need." She nodded as her trunk settled on the ground gently and she opened it up and pulled out a box and pulled out a number of cauldrons of different sizes and metals, different spoons, knives, jars of which most were empty.

"You may set up your supplies on this empty side bench here and arrange it as you want it." He pointed out the bench in question sounding as if he wanted to be anywhere but here, but the emotions coming off him told her the opposite.

"Thank you sir." She lined up the cauldrons according to size and metal before setting up the jars ready to be filled as he enlarged a box from his pocket. "Did I supply enough money sir?" She asked politely as she quickly and efficiently sorted out the ingredients into their proper jars and with out spilling a single thing.

"More than enough, as they were out of phoenix tears and dragon scales. The Headmaster kindly arranged to have his phoenix supply the tears in the quantities that you wanted and Charlie supplied the dragon scales. Both refused payment."

"I guess I am lucky then, as most of my rapid healing potions need the tears. I'll have to thank all three when I am done for the day." She nodded slightly as she quickly finished up with the supplies. Out of the corner of her eye she caught him pinch the bridge of his nose and with out a word she handed him a small brown coloured phial as she began setting up ingredients and cauldrons for different potions on three different desks. She saw him raise an eyebrow at her as she started the first one. "For your headache." She answered his unspoken question. "The only side effect is an increase of energy and the need to do things. Perfect for when you have to make potions as it keeps your hands busy and your mind free if you know the potion well enough." She shrugged, easily getting all three started and adding ingredients with out having to hurry. She saw him debate with himself for a few moment before downing it and began setting up his own cauldron.

"I went through your records that Beauxbaton sent over and was surprised that with your scores that there was no essays or proof that you earned your marks for the last two years." He commented as if to himself.

"Mainly because I was making all the potions for the hospital wing and on the odd occasion teaching the class when the professor was sick, I helped her to mark the other students work during the holiday breaks, helped her with research and experiments. That headache potion was one of the ones she helped me make, she was quite pleased with it." She smiled into her cauldron feeling his astonishment and his disbelief. "We actually found that giving that potion to students to recover from their headaches actually led them to study and do better for it, but it only works if there is actually a headache…she did insist that we test that." She shrugged slightly.

"And did your professor send the potion off to the potion Master's guild?" He inquired.

"Yes sir." She nodded adding a few ingredients to two of the cauldrons and stirring them at the same time at the correct speed and timing. "That's when they insisted that I become an apprentice."

"I must admit that you are showing the skills of a Master." He said grudgingly.

"I go for my Masters during the Christmas break." She admitted with a slight shrug.

"What year did you start your apprenticeship?" He asked sounding a little startled.

"Second year. Even I admit that the first half of first year was a disaster before I got the hang of things and studied every potions book I could get my hands on so I could understand it better, I also asked for tutoring. I made that headache potion during third year. Believe it or not it was actually an accident it was supposed to be a concussion cure, so in one sense I failed the set assignment but I got top marks for creating a new potion that worked well." She shrugged slightly. "It took a few months but the professor actually found that I worked better with out written instructions, and worked with my senses."

"How so?" He asked most of his concentration on the potion he was working.

"Because of my healing gift I can judge exactly how much of an ingredient is needed, after reading up on the potion and handling it a few times with out actually reading how it is made. It is actually easier for me to make potions for a specific person, then en masse like I usually make. Especially if I have touched the person it is for or healed them before or know them really well." She explained. She some times found it hard to explain exactly how she did things to a person who didn't know her or seen her at work. She left the second cauldron to simmer and focus on the first one.

"Have you ever tried the Wolfsbane potion?" He enquired and she could feel his curiosity.

"No, the professor told me that it would probably be set for my Masters test, I am only familiar with what has been written about it but not how it feels or smells." She shook her head, adding a phoenix tear to the first cauldron and stirring it eight times clockwise before taking it off the flame and setting it to the side to cool and turned to the third cauldron.

"So in theory you could improve a potion after studying both receiver and the potion it's self?" he questioned.

"Yes, after all each person is different and reacts differently to each ingredient differently. Back it takes time to tailor each potion, it's not exactly some thing I have time for when at school unless it is needed." She nodded, she glanced up at him as she sensed his emotions dim a little and saw him studying her.

"You've given me a bit to think about, I'll have to contact the guild to see what they say, you maybe able to help me with one of my potions that I have been trying to get right for some years." He turned back to his potion.

She didn't say anything and for the next six hour they spent in silent work. She only stopped when a potion was at a waiting point and poured previously made potions it phials and jars, labelled and stored on the shelf.

"Are you near a stopping point?" He asked some time later interrupting the comfortable silence.

"Just about sir." She nodded not really paying attention as she finished off another potion and set about pour it out into phials and setting the dirty cauldron in a sink to be cleaned, she quickly labelled the potion and set it on the shelf and busied her self by cleaning the several cauldrons that were stacked up and then thoroughly cleaned her hands and face, removing the apron she had donned to prevent splashes from ruining her clothes and followed him back to the kitchen and was a little surprised to see dinner being served. "Dinner…what happened to lunch?" She asked with a little confusion, the time didn't seem to add up in her head.

"You worked straight through it dear." Molly smiled at her as she set a plate down in front of her even as Professor Snape disappeared through the floo. "We tried knocking on the door but no one answered, we figured that you were too busy to answer it and would come out when you got hungry enough."

"I didn't hear it, I didn't even notice that it was so late." She shook her head slightly. "I guess that's why my old professor always insisted make potions beside me, I loose track of time. Father once complained that I disappeared for three days and I didn't even notice it had been that long." She sighed. "After that he installed an alarm in the lab, that set it's self every time I entered for eight hours so I would taken notice of the time and leave to eat and sleep."

"Sounds like Severus has found a kindred soul then." Albus chuckled from the other end of the table.. "He is the same, that is why he does not brew during class."

"So did he hover?" Dray asked dryly, even as Haz and Ron snickered.

"No, he was busy making his own potions." She shook her head. "The only thing that we talked about was my potions education…well more like I talked and he listened and tried not to look too stunned." She shrugged.

"Snape stunned? Yeah right." Ron snorted.

"Professor Snape, Ron." Molly scolded him.

"Why was he so shocked he read your records" Albus inquired.

"I don't think he believed them, he said there was no written proof of the marks, so I explained how I got them." She shrugged, and smiled slightly as Albus's eyes twinkled brightly.

"Oh he must have been quite surprised by that…did you inform him about your second year?" Albus asked letting out a small chuckle, Niya felt it as a large wave of amusement.

"Yes Sir, he was quite shocked, but he understood how and why after I explained a few things." She nodded.

"What could shock Severus? Besides a student actually be able to make a potion when he is hovering behind them?" A amber eyed man asked, mischief glowing in his eyes. Niya could feel the beginnings of discomfort and pain.

"That Niya here is an apprentice to the Potions Masters Guild and should complete her Masters in December." Albus told them with a chuckle.

"But it takes six years to complete…" The man blinked.

"She started in her second year. Quite a talented young lady." He turned his sights to her. "I must admit that your records are quite impressive, I am not sure that we have anything left to teach you…I must admit that your professors and headmistress did confess something to me to pass on to you."

"And what was that?" Niya asked with a raised eyebrow, doubting that they could have pulled anything on her with out her sensing it.

"The exams you took a few weeks back?"

"What about them?" She asked blank faced.

"Well they weren't the mock exam…"

Niya blinked and felt the stunned disbelief from every one in the room. "I'm sorry?"

"It was the real thing with a few extra bits thrown in, most of your teachers admitted that you were beyond most of the students and they were giving you harder work to do to keep you occupied. There was only a few classes you were average in and that was Divination, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Astronomy and History of Magic and a little above average at DADA and COMC."

"Well that just leaves, Charms, Potions, Transfigurations, Herbology and my Mediwitch training." She blinked

"Yes, in those five classes you tested heavily, more so then others. While they weren't exactly NEWTS they weren't Master tests either you did quite well." He slid the envelope down to Bill and it was passed from person to person until it reached her and she opened it and blinked. "In those five classes you got double distinctions, and the others were E's, well with one W."

"What did you get the Woeful on?" Molly asked with a slight frown.

"Divination." Niya snickered. "I never like the class, but my professors insisted that I take it to take up some free time so I wasn't always in the lab. Well I almost got a W on Astronomy." She shrugged.

"You took all twelve classes for your NEWTS?" Hermione asked in a small voice.

"Well I had no friends, I had nothing else to do but study. I couldn't be around many of the Veela's at Beauxbaton because they are so emotional, being around them in class was hard enough so I spent a lot of my time in my rooms which was heavily warded so I could be some where with my shields down." She explained with a small shrug. "That and I don't sleep much, my healing gift automatically gives me a boost when I start to get a little tired, I only need two to four hours sleep a day at the most. There is nothing we can do to counter it, believe me we tried. But it doesn't cause that many problems providing I rest and I have something to do."

"How are you going to handle Hogwarts then? It is much more emotional then Beauxbaton as there are more students and more upheaval every day." The amber eyed man asked in concern.

"The same way I did at Beauxbaton, heavily warded rooms." She shrugged. "But if I have done my NEWTS sir is there really a point to me attending?" She asked.

"Well it would give you a chance to complete you Apprenticeship under a Master, but I do see your point." Albus admitted. "I had most of it all planed out until I received your results and had a nice chat with your Headmistress."

"If you are all done you can all clean up the mess you all made in the sitting room." Molly told the others pointedly as she began collecting up empty plates, bring Niya's attention back to her half eaten meal and went back to eating, thinking about her options. Not that she had a lot.

She could got to Hogwarts and attend lessons she had already passed and study for her Master test or she could stay behind and work on her potions getting her stocks up, which would only keep her occupied for a few weeks…though she could work on the research part of her apprenticeship, like she had been wanting to for some time. Truly commit herself to working on improving some potions and see if with her healing gift she could work some cures that St Mungo's had been trying for.

She barely noticed when her plate was taken away and replaced with pudding, or that she had eaten seconds.

"Niya what would like to do?" Albus asked breaking her out of her musings. "You can attend Hogwarts, which in a way would be a waste of your time or you could concentrate on your potions and healing."

"If as you say there is little point to attending Hogwarts I think I would like to concentrate on the potions and healing Sir." She spoke slowly toying with the idea. "It will probably take me up until September to restock everything that I will need for emergencies and healings that I may be needed for, there are potions that I would like to experiment with to see if I can improve and create. I am willing to be on call if you need me for healings and I have no problem with that as it will keep me in practice and help me improve." She added with a little more enthusiasm.

"Very well, I am sure that Molly will make sure that you appear for meals and take breaks from the lab. I am sure that we can rig something up in the lab that will catch your attention if we need you for healing and something else as an alarm to remind you to eat and sleep…though I think Harry and Draco will be a little disappointed that you wont be attending." He nodded in understanding. "Just remember that it would not be wise to venture out to Diagon Alley on your own, it would be best if you get an adult to go at least until you are seventeen and are able to use magic with out coming to the attention of the Ministry."

"I understand sir." She nodded and broke into a yawn.

"You should go rest Niya, you've had an exhausting week, catch up on some sleep so you'll be fresh when you start your next batch of potions." Molly suggested.

"Good idea." Niya nodded and stood up. "Thank you Sir for the choice."

"It was no problem my dear child." Albus smiled. "And please call me Albus."

"Yes Sir." She nodded before heading out to the lounge room and found the others talking quietly.

"So what did they decide?" Dray asked as he spotted her.

"That I wouldn't be attending Hogwarts but rather concentrating on potions and healing instead here." She told him, covering another yawn. "You and Haz should head to bed early, you are still healing. I'll check you over in the morning see if anything else can be done." She added before waving and heading up to her room, changed clothes and fell into bed.