A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. I am SO sorry for how long this has taken me!
Things Are Different – Chapter Three – Healing and Hogwarts
Recap: She vaguely heard her name being yelled through her pain and the darkness that began to fill her vision. She looked up at the sky above her only to see a pair of worried blue eyes and sandy hair and a pair of green speckled eyes before her vision went black.
Remus
The four men stared at Dumbledore, fear growing in their stomach as his answer sunk in. Remus felt himself get light headed. Hermione was being hunted by Death Eaters and missing. Sirius clapped a hand on Remus's shoulder and the four men looked at Dumbledore wondering what they could do to find their missing friend. Dumbledore opened his mouth to answer the unspoken question when a loud pop of someone apparating sounded behind Remus, making him turn quickly. The sight before him stopped his heart instantly.
Hermione lay on the ground covered in blood and gashes. Her arm was mangled from being splinched during her apparition and her throat was slashed. With a cry, Remus dove forward, tearing the sleeve of his shirt as he knelt beside her. He quickly wrapped her neck with his ripped sleeve while Harry dove around to her other side. Ron hung back, slightly pale at the sight of all of the blood but ready to assist if needed. He realized angrily that now would be a good time to remember all of the healing spells he had been taught over the years, but found himself unable to recall any of them.
"Hermione, hold on, alright Love? Harry, hold this so I can heal some of this. Hurry," Hermione's mouth opened slightly as she attempted to reply but blood blocked her throat and pooled out of her mouth. "Shh, just focus on breathing and keeping your eyes open. Keep your eyes on either me or Harry," Remus said as he pulled his wand out and Harry held the cloth on her throat. Dumbledore knelt next to Remus and began healing the slashes across her stomach while Remus focused on her neck. Sirius suddenly stepped forward, making Harry look up. Dumbledore finished healing the gashes on Hermione's stomach and looked at Sirius and the bottle he held. Remus gave a frustrated sigh as half of the gash on Hermione's throat healed but the other half didn't. "Dumbledore, I'm rubbish at these complex healing spells!" Dumbledore nodded and Remus focused his attention on Sirius.
"Here, I have a small bottle of Essence of Dittany. Let's use this to heal her arm," Sirius said as he knelt beside Harry. "Hermione, my name is Sirius. This is going to burn…a lot, but it will heal up your arm." Hermione's eyes met Remus's briefly before the sting of the Essence of Dittany hit and she cried out, choking on the still healing slash on her throat and the blood pooling out of the corner of her mouth. Her body jerked violently, making Harry fight to hold her arm still. Remus quickly wiped his bloody hands on his shirt before placing them on the sides of her face.
"Focus on me, Hermione. You'll be okay," Remus said to her as calmly as he could. Her brown eyes met his panicked blue eyes. Remus watched as Dumbledore moved from Remus's side and quickly ushered Harry out of the way so that he could finish healing her throat.
"Remus…" she whispered and he whipped his head back around to face her.
"Shh, shh, you're safe now," he interrupted as her eyes began to droop. "I need you to stay awake, love, can you do that for me?" Remus asked as her eyes closed and he quickly muttered a curse.
"She's lost too much blood; we need to get her to Poppy," Dumbledore told the four men as he finished healing her throat. Remus quickly scooped her limp body up and quickly ran through the school gates to the school. Dumbledore shook his head before pointing his wand at the sprinting man, making him disappear. Harry, Ron, and Sirius looked at him in surprise and he shrugged simply.
"Being Headmaster gives me a few benefits. Off we go," Dumbledore replied before performing the same spell on the rest of the group and himself.
Remus
Remus stumbled slightly as his feet suddenly came in contact with the cobbled floors of the first floor Hospital Wing. Remus glanced around and found the room empty of students and quickly placed Hermione on a bed and pulled the curtain around the bed.
"POPPY!" he yelled as he began to check Hermione's heart rate. "POPPY!" he yelled again when he found her pulse weak.
"Remus? What is the meaning of this commotion? Do you realize what time it is?!" Madam Pomfrey called out as she hurried from her office to where Remus was. Her eyes widened when she saw him peer around the curtains covered in blood. "What have you…Oh dear, who is this? What's happened?" she cried out as she began tending to Hermione.
"She is a very special case, Poppy," Dumbledore replied and Poppy turned to glance at him briefly before focusing on the unconscious girl in front of her. "I trust that we will have your complete silence on this topic."
"Of course, Headmaster, now tell me what has happened to her so I can heal her." Poppy demanded and Dumbledore quickly explained the basics of Hermione's injuries. Remus watched wearily as the older healer rushed to gather potions from her office and began pouring them down Hermione's throat.
"Will she be alright, Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked and the nurse stopped moving and glanced at the group in surprise, as if she had forgotten they were all there.
"Not if you all don't leave me to my work. Out! I will let you know when she is well enough for visitors," the nurse said as she tried to shoo the four men and the headmaster away. Dumbledore and Sirius happily backed up, but Harry, Ron, and Remus stayed put. Poppy stared at them for a moment before sighing and carrying on with what she was doing. The five men waited in silence for what seemed like hours to Harry and Remus before Poppy stepped out of the curtained area and nodded. "She's going to be fine. Whatever happened to give her those injuries…well she is just lucky that you five were there to quickly heal her. May I ask, will she be a new student?"
Remus sighed in relief before glancing at Dumbledore, who nodded and left the room without answering the head nurse's question. Remus cleared his throat before replying, "Unofficially, she will be. She's…not exactly permitted to be here…" Remus finished with a slight cough before glancing up at Poppy's face, which was currently holding a shocked facial expression.
"She's a muggle born! What will Albus do if the ministry catches on to this?"
"That's why he wants her situation to be kept delicate, Poppy," Sirius replied before glancing at the sleeping girl on the bed. "We're trying to keep as few people aware of her presence as possible. The Death Eaters were after her pretty intently, and judging by her wounds, I'm guessing she fought back. She's got nowhere else that is safe, Poppy, surely you can understand that."
"Of course I do!" Poppy replied indignantly.
"We're going to teach her to defend herself, Madam Pomfrey. She deserves a fighting chance," Ron stepped in, shocking Remus because the normally vocal red head had been unusually quiet through the whole experience. "Right, Lupin? You're going to help her learn to fight aren't you?"
"Of course I am. It's actually something Dumbledore and I were going to discuss shortly after her arrival," Remus moved closer to the bed and glanced at Hermione's face. He was relieved to see her face had almost returned to its natural color. Poppy gave a tired sigh before nodding.
"Alright, I'll keep this whole night quiet and I'll keep her area blocked off from the other children," she flourished her wand and the curtains slammed shut in front of Remus and spelled shut. "I understand your concern, Remus, but she needs her rest and so do you. No visitors for the rest of the night; go wash up and get some rest." Poppy demanded, making Remus glare at her and stare anxiously at the curtained off bed Hermione slept in.
"Come on, Remus, let's go wash up and get some rest. There's nothing more that we can do for her tonight," Harry told him as Ron helped to push the older man towards the exit where Sirius waited. Sirius clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder before glancing at Remus with a curious look to his face but Remus was too distracted trying to keep an eye on where Hermione was resting to notice.
