Disclaimer: Still only own Amelia Grey.

Author's Note: Here's Chapter Four of Making Amends. I hope you enjoy this chapter, reviews are welcome also. Should hopefully have an update for This Is War tomorrow.


Amelia weaved her way through the throngs of students as they all headed between classes, her path leading her to the hospital wing and to its Matron; Madam Pomfrey. She let out a huge sigh of relief to be out of the tidal wave of students and lent gently back against the stone wall before walking towards Madam Pomfrey's office, she rapped her knuckles against the wooden door and waited,

"Come in" came a soft voice from behind the door, pushing gently Amelia entered the Matron's office and smiled,

"Madam Pomfrey, I need your assistance in a most delicate matter. Might I trouble you for a dreamless sleep potion and a bed for the afternoon, Headmaster Dumbledore has given me permission to remain at Hogwarts but I currently don't have anywhere to rest and I've been up since early yesterday morning." she remained near the doorway unwilling to fully enter Madam Pomfrey's office, mindful that although she had permission to be here she didn't want to overstep her bounds. Fortunately Dumbledore had already informed Madam Pomfrey that Amelia may be visiting and so the healer had been expecting her,

"I'm aware of your predicament and will do what I can to help you, do you require any other potions aside from the dreamless sleep potion?" she asked with a soft smile to which Amelia shook her head,

"No, the pain isn't as bad as it was and sleep will help. I only ask that you wake me in time for dinner" she smiled in kind, glad that healer hadn't asked too many questions,

"I will wake you in time for dinner, now here you go. Use any bed that is currently unoccupied." Madam Pomfrey handed over a vial of purple potion and signalled behind Amelia who took heed and swiftly turned on her feet and headed for the nearest bed. She downed the tasteless potion in one and settled down on the nearest bed, the hard mattress a welcome sight compared to her recent accommodation. Thankfully the dreamless sleep potion took effect almost immediately before she had time to dwell on the last few weeks, and soon she was sleeping soundly.

Another Owl came looking for Amelia during lunch and some how found its way to the hospital wing much to Madam Pomfrey's dismay, she was able to take the parchment from it before shooing it out the nearest window placing the letter on the bedside table beside the sleeping Amelia. She couldn't help but notice the official seal from the Ministry of Magic and reasoned it must be important but all thoughts of waking Amelia slowly disappeared as she finally took stock of the woman asleep on the bed. Amelia's medium length black hair was greying slightly at the temple, her robes were still torn from the night before but as she was no longer moving had sunk into her frame. She was thinner than she should have been for someone her age and the dark circles under her eyes indicated that she hadn't slept for a while and what ever glamour charms she had been using had stopped working once she had taken the dreamless sleep potion, her left robe sleeve had ridden up to reveal the words carved into it; causing Madam Pomfrey to gasp. All the visible evidence was pointing towards a woman who had been held captive and only recently escaped, was that why she had managed to apparate on to the grounds of Hogwarts. With a flick of her wand the curtains moved around the bed that Amelia was occupying, Madam Pomfrey had no desire to subject the woman to scrutiny from any curious students that happened to drop in during the day. With a soft sigh she walked back to her office, planning to leave Amelia to rest until dinner.

Minerva had grown worried at not having spied Amelia during lunch in the Great Hall, only to be informed by Albus that she was resting in the hospital wing having taken a dreamless sleep potion and Madam Pomfrey had asked that she not be disturbed. Although Minerva understood this, it still worried her that Amelia had sought refuge in the hospital wing rather than her private chambers but they weren't exactly on speaking terms after the night before; she just hoped that certain grievances would be aired after dinner that evening.

As the end of classes neared and the last student was ushered out of the classroom, Minerva breathed a huge sigh of relief and sank back into her chair. Aside from her first lesson in which Amelia had made an appearance the rest of the day seemed to drag and take forever to finish, the first years had been asking her constantly to change into her animagus form and the third year Gryffindor and Slytherin students had been making snide remarks at each other throughout their lesson about the upcoming Quidditch match so it was relief when classes finally finished for the day. Minerva rose from her chair behind her desk and exited the transfiguration classrooms, making her way to her private chambers to begin marking the sixth years essays before dinner.

Just before dinner Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtains back on the still sleeping Amelia using a levitating spell to sit her upright before administering the antidote to the dreamless sleep potion before levitating back into her original position. It took a few minutes for the potion to take affect but soon Amelia was rubbing the sleep dust from her eyes and smiling gratefully at Madam Pomfrey,

"Thank you." she managed before her eyes settled on the letter from the Ministry, shaking her head she reached for the parchment and unravelled it; reading the words quickly before screwing up the parchment the anger evident in both her demeanour and her eyes, she swung her legs round and pushed up from the bed,

"Thank you once again, Madam Pomfrey. Forgive me for leaving rather abruptly but I have some business to attend to." she smiled a little before walking out of the hospital wing, the parchment still within her hand as she headed to the Owlery intent on sending her resignation before heading to the Great Hall for dinner. Tying her own piece of parchment to the ankle of one of Hogwarts Owls she spoke the destination clearly before sending the Owl on its way, soon she'd be free of the Ministry and able to rebuild her life again the way it should have been all those years ago.

Amelia arrived in the Great Hall a few minutes after dinner had started and once again took a seat at the Ravenclaw table, slowly picking her way through the mountains of food. It was a lot to stomach having been starved by the Death Eaters that held her captive, but the need to eat and replenish the weight she had lost was a must. Part of her already knew that Madam Pomfrey was likely to have taken note of her appearance and passed her concerns on to Albus Dumbledore so being seen to eat in the Great Hall would go a long way to appeasing him. Having pushed the food around her plate for a good half hour she finally admitted defeat and rose from the Ravenclaw table only to spy Kingsley Shacklebolt entering the Great Hall, she mumbled something incoherent before heading directly toward him,

"What in Merlin's name are you doing here?" she asked, the anger evident in her voice as many of the students and some of the Professors began to look in her direction,

"You know full well why I am here" he answered producing the parchment in which she had written her resignation on, "Its not every day that one of the Ministry's senior Auror's quits, the Minster of Magic is quite perplexed by it." Kingsley held her gaze as he spoke a smirk forming across his lips,

"Well tell the Minister that my resignation is final and no amount of persuading by you Kingsley will change my mind." she fired back at him her anger growing by the second, she really didn't need this right now not when she planned to tell Minerva all of this after dinner had finished,

"Don't run away because of what the Death Eaters did to you. Amelia, you are one of the Ministry's best and you're going to allow Bellatrix Lestrange to force you from it." the gasp from Minerva shook Amelia to her core as she glared at Kingsley, tearing the left sleeve from her robes in sheer frustration at the man before her earning collective gasps from around the Great Hall,

"I'm not allowing Bellatrix Lestrange to force me from anything, you think these words here now define me Kingsley? Then you are truly mistaken, I might be a 'pureblood traitor' in their eyes but I will never back down from my beliefs. I ended up here for a reason and I'm going to stay, I cannot work for the Ministry any more and kindly request that you leave and tell the Minister that. Kingsley please, I'm asking as a friend to let me do this." her words echoed across the Great Hall, her voice pleading with the man stood before her as he nodded silently. In that moment he understood why she had come back to this place and why it was she needed to stay, for Hogwarts was the only place that she could heal and forget the torment she had suffered at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange and the Death Eaters,

"I shall tell the Minister that I was unable to convince you to return, I wish you well my friend and know that I am truly sorry for not aiding you sooner." he pulled Amelia into a hug before turning and walking back out of the Great Hall, the silence that remained deafening until the students started chattering amongst themselves about what had just occurred, Amelia stood unable to move knowing that the entire student body and Professors of Hogwarts had found out what she had been hiding since her return. She felt suddenly ashamed and numb at the same time, before she felt someone behind her gently guiding her out of the Great Hall and along the familiar corridors of Hogwarts; it took a moment for her senses to respond,

"Minerva?" she managed shakily,

"Ssh, I've got you Amelia its just a little further" came the familiar Scottish brogue of Minerva McGonagall as she led Amelia to the safety of her private chambers and away from the prying eyes of the students, much had been revealed in the Great Hall and none of it was pleasant and while Albus would calm the students; someone needed to calm Amelia and now was as good a time as any to talk about everything. Minerva gave the portrait her password before guiding Amelia into her chambers and settling her down in the chair, stoking the fire and taking a seat opposite silently studying Amelia who had yet to utter another word; tonight it seemed was going to be a long night.