Rose hadn't expected the sailors to become a part of life at Hogwarts, and for the most part, they weren't. They didn't eat in the Great Hall – though she had wanted a chance to talk to them again – but in the kitchens, or so she heard from a Hufflepuff named Peter Wallace, who saw them walking out of the kitchen talking about the meal they had just eaten and musing on the nature of house-elves. They returned to their ship shortly after eating, and Rose was sure they were hard at work to fix their ship. She hadn't been able to see how badly it was wrecked, but if the looks of the crew were any hint, then it was in bad shape indeed.

She didn't sent Hellebore out to them, for fear of interrupting their work. Captain Anholts seemed like a kindly man – and she was eager to talk with him again – but she was sure that he wasn't the type who ought to be crossed. Instead, hoping someone would be there who would answer her questions, she went down to the Hospital Wing.

She wasn't the only one who'd had the idea to go there. The door to the Hospital Wing was crowded with students, all of whom were sent away, grumbling. Even James was there, and he scuffed the ground with his toe as he walked off. "Don't bother, Rose," he said as he passed her. "They're not letting anyone inside, not even the seventh-years. The Head Boy and Girl both got kicked out."

Rose grinned at the thought of Edith Grint being sent on her way. She wasn't about to let James send her off without trying at least once though, especially when she saw who was standing at the door. It wasn't Madame Longbottom, as she might have expected, but a woman with dark hair and olive-toned skin. Rose recognized her as Lula, one of the women who had helped Vittore, and she wormed her way through the cluster of students to see her. She wasn't tall – at least, nowhere near as tall as Ruby – so she couldn't force her way through, but she did know how to use her elbows, even if it made other people mad at her. Someone did mutter something about "bratty second-years", and someone else told her to wait at the back, but she made her way to the front and stood in front of Lula.

"Can I go in?" she asked, smiling and hoping the woman would recognize her.

Lula looked confused at first, but then she smiled. "You're the first one our captain talked to, aren't you?" When Rose nodded, Lula stepped aside and said, "Go right in. If anyone has a problem with you being there, get Rike to defend you."

"Thanks," Rose said, and she slipped past Lula as the crowd behind her grumbled and some people yelled in annoyance.

The Hospital Wing was far quieter than the hall outside, and Rose wondered whether Madame Longbottom had used some kind of muffling charm on it. There were a few students on beds, but only those who were badly hurt enough that they'd had to stay. Rose crept by them as quietly as she could until she reached the curtained-off section at the far end, where the sailors were gathered.

Rose hadn't expected to see so many injured there, and even though about half of them looked to be in good spirits and were joking around despite their injuries, there were enough still ones and enough unconscious for Rose to hesitate at the edge. She stood there until Rike caught sight of her and waved her over, and even then she moved as slowly as she dared to join her by Vittore's side. Madame Longbottom hadn't noticed her yet and was fussing over an old man with a bandage wrapped around his eyes.

"Laila died last night," Rike said in a low voice.

"I'm sorry," Rose murmured. She felt sick to her stomach and wanted to turn and run, wanted to find James and tell him that she'd been turned away too, but then Rike set a hand on her shoulder, keeping her there.

"She always said she never wanted to die on the water," Rike said. "At least she got that wish. She got to be in a bed, on dry land, and in a place she'd never been before." Despite her tears, she managed to smile, and then she wrapped her arm around Rose's shoulders and pulled her close in a side-hug. "I'm glad you're here."

"Why?"

"You're our good luck."

"Is that because Captain Anholts spoke to me first?" Rose asked.

"Partly." With her other hand, Rike adjusted the sheets around Vittore. The wounded woman was asleep, but she didn't seem quite as bad as she had the night before. "Vittore's doing well. The healer says a month, maybe less, and she'll be on her feet and ready to sail again." Rike's smile grew, and she ruffled Rose's hair. "The healer's skilled, yes, but I think it is partly luck. When Vittore wakes, we'll tell her a clever girl was the one who kept her alive."

Rose knew she was blushing, and she couldn't help smiling a little, even despite the circumstances.

"So why did you come down here today?" Rike asked. "You could have easily waited a week before we started to think you didn't want to spend any time with us."

"Of course I want to spend time with you," Rose said. She glanced to the side. Madame Longbottom had moved along to a sallow woman who tossed and turned on the bed. "I do have a question, though, about what happened to the ship."

"Ask," Rike said. When Rose hesitated, she went on to say, "And don't be afraid you'll hurt us by bringing it up. We all saw it, and we were all terrified, but I think we ought to talk about it." She nodded, as though convincing herself just as much as Rose. "It won't do us any good to lock away the memories, will it?"

"I guess not," Rose said.

"So what do you need to know?"

"Was it the same thing that attacked Essemeulia?" She wasn't at all sure how to describe it, but she did her best to remember what Albus and Avina had said. "Was it a cold thing, that would devour people's warmth?"

Rike nodded. "That's exactly what it was. We knew it came from some other world than ours, but we weren't sure which world it could have come from. Whatever it was, it was terrifying." She shuddered a little. "That's what got Vittore. Lula and I were trying to patch a sail that had been torn by lightning, and the thing started climbing up the mast. Vittore went after it, screaming all the way, but it didn't attack her until she was just feet from it. Then it turned and surrounded her. I knew I had to do something, so I told Lula to stay with the sail, and I scrambled down the mast as quickly as I could. I still don't remember how I got her out, but there's a lot I don't remember. I hit my head on one of the spars, you see," she said with a rueful smile.

"I've got a cousin named Victoire," Rose said. She wasn't sure why she brought it up, but it felt almost like the right thing to say. Vittore didn't look at all like Victoire, but the names were similar, and Rose was sure she would have that same sick feeling if it were her cousin lying in a hospital bed. "Her parents lived through that war I told the others about."

Rike nodded again. "Liesa told us about that war," she said. "Everyone was affected by it, weren't they?"

"That's how my parents make it sound." Of course, her parents had been right in the middle of it, since their best friend had been the Chosen One. If there had been anyone who escaped largely unscathed, they might not have heard about it.

"That's what things are like on our world," Rike said. "Essemeulia's the center of it, or it was until the queen returned, but it's spread everywhere else. Not even the oceans are safe, and for the longest time we thought they would be our refuge." Rike sighed and adjusted Vittore's blankets again. "We think the cold thing destroyed at least one other world, maybe more. I only hope it doesn't reach yours."

Then it really might be Vittore lying in a bed, still and possibly dying, with Teddy standing beside her. Would Teddy have that same anguished look that Rike was trying to hide? Something clenched inside Rose's chest, and she bit her lip, trying not to think of bright, cheerful Teddy looking pale and shaken.

"Is something wrong?" Rike asked.

Rose shook her head. "I'm fine," she murmured, but her voice caught on the last word, and Rike pulled her into a proper hug. She was hard and muscled, but comforting nonetheless, and as she murmured reassurances, Rose relaxed a little.

"We'll make sure it doesn't reach your world," Rike said. "No matter what."

"Thanks," Rose said, and she blinked away a few tears that had started to form in her eyes. She would have to get out and do something before she started getting melancholy.

She had the chance to only a few seconds later. While she had been looking down at Vittore, Madame Longbottom must have noticed that she had entered and come up behind her. "Miss Granger-Weasley," she said, and Rose jumped, turning. Professor Longbottom's wife was known for being a gentle, cheery woman, but right now she looked stern and sharp, despite her round face. "This part of the Hospital Wing is off-limits to students for the time being."

"It's all right," Rike said at once, wrapping a protective arm around Rose. "She's with us. She's our luck."

"She can visit you other places," Madame Longbottom said. "Come along, Miss Granger-Weasley. I'm sure you've got homework to do. I know my husband said he'd assign plenty of reading over the weekends."

Rose didn't point out that she had already done the reading for that year, since she didn't want to be seen as trying to show off. She was, a little, but she only wanted Longbottom to know about it, not his wife. "See you around," she called to Rike as Madame Longbottom hustled her out.

"The captain told us about your owl," Rike called. "Write in three days, and I'll send you a response."

"Okay!"

That was the last word Rose got out before she was pushed through the curtains. There wasn't anything for her to do in the other half, so she slipped out, giving Lula a smile as she left. Lula smiled back, and Rose wondered whether she knew that Vittore would live. She looked cheerful enough that Rose was sure she had to.

"What's going on in there?" someone asked as Rose worked her way through the crowd.

"How come you got to go in?"

"Will you tell us who they are?"

That last voice was Peter Wallace, and Rose gave him a quick smile. He was a skinny kid, but nice, and so she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the group. "Keep it secret?" she whispered, and he nodded. "They're from another world, like that girl from last year."

Peter's eyes lit up. "What else do you know?" he asked, his voice rough and excited.

"Something attacked them," Rose whispered, and Peter's blue eyes grew even wider. "It was a monster that destroyed another world, and they're afraid it'll come to this one."

Peter gasped. "Do you think it will?"

There would be adventure and excitement, but then there would also be Victoire lying on the bed and Teddy standing beside her, terrified. "No," she said. "It won't."