AN/ I'd just like to say that this story is dedicated to my cousin, who is fighting over in Iraq at the moment - come home safe, we miss you like crazy,

Love Natalie xxx

~*~*~ Chapter Six ~*~*~

Virus

Dear Harry,

Hello! Or should I say bonjour? Do you realise how hard it is to find a decent international post owl in this place? The area of France I'm in still seem to be living in the stone age so forgive me if this letter is a little belated.

I hope you had a good birthday, and that everything is ok on your side of the English Channel. I've been keeping in touch with Ron and he doesn't seem to be holding up that well does he? It's not really what he is writing, it's what he isn't and I'm seriously worried about them all. He's been keeping me up to date with the situation with Catalina. I saw the Daily Prophet article, and once you read through the usual journalistic garbage there were some worrying things she said…is she really as depressed as they say she is?

As soon as I get back me you and Ron are all going to visit her, let her know who her real friends are. We need to get her ready for Hogwarts don't we? I do hope she'll come back, the place won't be he same without her and I'm sure you won't be either.

I'll be back in England on Wednesday night, so I shall write then. Give my love to Catalina if you see her before then, and please write back with the news…I feel really cut off over here!

Au Revoir!

Love Hermione.

Harry put the letter into his pocket, and slung his backpack over his shoulder. It was two days since he'd been to Ron's house and he was finally going to see Catalina again. The newspaper had been relatively quiet about her, but a few of the glossy magazines had picked up her story and seemed to fall into two categories; stories about a the defenceless girl used by the forces of evil unwillingly, and the Death Eaters daughter who had managed to con her way out of prison.

Either way, Harry wished he didn't have to read them. However, Hermione's mail had been unexpected and her usual style, and mixture of naivety and perceptive reasoning. He was going to write back as soon as he got it, but decided to see what happened today first.

Soon he was stepping into the flames and being greeted by a sudden rush of emotions from Catalina – the usual saddnes with a tinge of worry as well. He walked out of Newcastle Station, and strode across the streets of Diagon Alley's sister street Tyne Way. He kept a secret eye on the area, looking out for more journalists, but saw none and was soon within the walls of the whitewashed hospital. Sirius was accompanying him as Remus prepared for his exam that was just one week away and again called at the reception, where the same nurse was sitting, looking no less harassed.

As soon as she saw Sirius she began to look even more flushed and began to tidy papers self-consciously. Harry merely rolled his eyes and made his way down towards the room where Catalina was staying. A few seconds later he was joined by Sirius and Dr Rahn, who was bringing Sirius up to date, while Harry stared at Catalina.

Her skin was still pale and even had the yellowy tinge he saw in the Courtroom, and the ever-present black bags under her eyes were even more pronounced. Far from looking any better, she looked even worse than the first day.

"She contracted a virus and has been a bit ill for the past few days. She had some kind of allergic reaction to the antidote, so she's just riding this one out," explained Dr Rahn after he greeted Harry.

"Is she going to be ok?" asked Harry, the ever-present question on his tongue.

"She'll on the tail end of it now, a couple more days and she'll be back on the road to recovery. But I daresay it'll take a lot of time, she's had a bit of a week."

"Why?" asked Sirius sharply, "What's happened?"

"Maybe you should come into my office first," said Dr Rahn ominously leading them away from the room.

After a few minutes they were all settled and Dr Rahn pulled out his file, pulling out a few pieces of paper.

"The media's been making our lives hell. Apparently all the country are desperate to know how their latest piece of gossip is doing. We've had to kick out three reporters posing as doctors this week already."

"Can they do that?" asked Sirius sharply.

"In a word no. Somehow they're getting information about her…And its things we'd rather keep out of the press. You will know shortly, if you don't already, that Mary Firelight has been admitted into the hospital last night. She has not been coping very well with the recent situation and neither has Catalina when she heard the news…"

Harry flinched visibly at the reaction he expected Catalina to have at that news, it wasn't going to be helping her case any if her mother got ill, and if, god forbid, anything else happened.

"Will she be ok?" asked Sirius.

"Time will tell," shrugged the doctor – Harry didn't like the sound of that at all.

"Anyway, this coupled with the virus has meant she's not been very well at all this week. She's still keeping up with her language-a-day game, although I did notice while you were here last time she spoke to you in English? What did you talk about? Did she say anything useful to us?" asked the doctor curiously.

"Not really," said Harry self consciously, "Just that she was feeling…well depressed, she blames herself for everything."

"Hmm, I thought as much. Well its Afrikaans today, maybe you could ask her a few questions casually for me, how she's doing, if she has any pain anywhere, that sort of thing?"

"Sure," said Harry unsteadily, already climbing to his feet.

"One moment, we need to disinfect you before you go in," said Dr Rahn pulling out his wand, "Purifico."

Harry nodded and walked towards the room, carefully pushing open the door and stepping in.

This time Catalina was sitting up in her bed, watching the door like a hawk as if she were waiting for someone to enter. Harry shut the door and leant against it warily, while Catalina watched him through deeply ringed eyes. He prayed and prayed that she would be better today, even after everything that was happening.

"I heard you coming," she said croakily.

"There goes my surprise," said Harry with a cracked grin.

She didn't respond.

"Can I come in?" he asked unsteadily.

"Would I be able to stop you if I said no?" she said monotonously, and he smiled slightly.

Harry walked further into the room and pulled the chair over to her bed as he had last time. He busied himself pulling his backpack off his back and rooting around in it's contents while he felt Catalina sit sorrowfully, yet slightly curious.

"I thought you might like something to do while you're in here, so I brought you some things…" said Harry trailing off under her morose stare.

"So…" he said hastily, diving into his bag and pulling out some magazines, "I got you some stuff to read, I don't really know what teenage witch's read but I saw these in the station and thought…you know, it's something."

Harry held out the magazines for her, but instead of taking them she raised a hand to her throat hurriedly.

"I don't feel very well," she said in a sudden panicked voice as she screwed her eyes tightly, "I'm going to throw up!"

Harry jumped up hastily, picking up the bowl from under her bed and shoving it into her lap, as she was presently violently sick. Harry grimaced and looked away as she retched. After a few seconds, Harry turned around and saw her shakily wiping her mouth, looking sweaty and yellow all at once.

"Are you ok?" asked Harry worriedly.

She shook her head groggily and Harry reached out to wipe the hair from around her face that was now sweaty and messed up. This time there was no electric shock, Catalina merely gave a horrible shudder as if the very presence of Harry was making her feel sick.

Harry felt more hurt by this than the previous attempt and dropped his hand to the side. He turned around and busied himself pouring her a glass of water as she shuffled across the other side of the bed.

"Here," he said, handing her the glass unceremoniously, "I'll go get the doctor."

She didn't say anything and a few minutes he was on the other side of the glass watching the now horribly familiar scene of Catalina fighting with the staff, and he frowned deeply. Something had happened in that manor he didn't know about, something that had affected Catalina so much, traumatised her so much…and it wasn't what Harry had seen.

He watched with his forehead against the glass and raised a shaky hand to the cool window. Sirius was standing next to him, watching the unfolding scene with a blank face.

"She hates me Sirius," said Harry unhappily.

"She doesn't Harry, you know she doesn't."

"She does. She can't even stand me being around her anymore, she won't even let me go near her!" Harry said in such as tortured voice that Sirius turned to him a put a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"It's not you ok? She's just…sick," he said heavily.

"It's not her virus," said Harry quietly.

"Not that kind of sick…she's sick in her head. There's nothing you can do about it except try and be there for her if she comes out the other side."

Harry didn't miss the blatant use of if that had now come into the conversations, even Sirius was giving up hope. Harry felt stupid for ever believing that things could be simple. Mr Weasley, Percy, Catalina, the media…everything was just getting on top of him.

'Can't you just give me a break?' Harry silently begged, looking up to the ceiling in desperation, 'Please, just give us all a break.'

*

"Take two," muttered Harry pushing the door to her room open again.

Catalina had clean bedsheet's, a new bowl, and new jug of water and was looking slightly more alive that previously. Harry tried to pretend that everything was normal, as if he were just visiting her in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. He sat on the chair in front of her bed, and picked up his backpack again.

"Feeling any better?" he asked, hugging the bag tightly.

She nodded her head, her eyes tightly closed and her head back in her pillow. Harry decided to carry on and picked up one of the magazines.

"I thought you could maybe read these when you didn't have any visitors…they're a little bit girlie, the sort of thing Lavender would read, but you know…it's something," said Harry awkwardly.

"Thank you," she said in a forceful voice.

Harry looked at her curiously, "It's alright, Sirius gave me the money for them really."

"No…not for that," she said, struggling against tears that had inexplicably sprung to her eyes, "for standing by me, after everything I did to you."

"It wasn't your fault," said Harry quietly, "Even if you might think it."

She sighed heavily, and locked him with a searching stare, her black eyes looking unfamiliar yet strangely enticing to him – they were so black you couldn't even see the pupils unless you looked really closely.

"The sooner you accept that," he said warily, "The sooner you can begin to get better and get out of there."

"How can anything ever be better after this? How can we possibly go back to being how we were after what we did, after what he did, after what they all did?" she asked him tearfully, looking at him imploringly as if his answer was all she was looking for and would believe.

"I don't know," admitted Harry despondently, "But I promise I'll do anything it takes ok? We all will, Hermione and Ron are going to come and visit as soon as you're a bit better."

"They're coming too?" she asked, almost surprised.

"Of course they are. Hermione sent her love, and you know Ron he would as well if he didn't have so much on at the moment," said Harry with another heavy sigh.

Catalina looked confused, she didn't know what happened after the Order attack so she didn't even know about Percy or Mr Weasley, and Harry thought it best to leave it like that. But at the same time as feeling so much weight on his shoulders, Harry felt slightly happy deep down inside, Catalina was actually holding a conversation with him, and she was going mental or crying – yet. If only he could just keep this up…

"Have you decided what you're going to do when you get out of here?" asked Harry hesitantly, picking absentmindedly at the frayed edge of the bedspread.

"I don't know," she said faintly, gazing off into the distance, "what do you think I should do?"

"Come back to Hogwarts," Harry said desperately, leaning on the edge of the bed, "Come back when you're better…stay in England."

"I don't know if it's safe to do that Harry," she whispered, looking into his eyes woefully, "If I do that, he'll know where I am, he'll to find me…make me finish what I started"

"What he started," said Harry forcefully, "and you remember that."

Catalina nodded weakly and struggled against the tears in her eyes while Harry watched her curiously. She was so different than when she was with other people. He'd seen her when the staff were in the room, she never spoke English, why was it so different now? Why was he different?

He hoped it was because they were friends and because he felt nervous and excited every time he came to see her, how even when she was this ill and this bad, he still liked being around her. Harry's thought drifted back to that time they were up in the astronomy tower, and he had told her how he felt. She hadn't said anything, she'd run away, but he hoped she felt the same, and deep down he thought that maybe she did. But that was then…and this was now.

"When they find me-" she began.

"If," interjected Harry.

"No when they find me, because it will happen, you know it will. And when that happens, they'll kill me, or use me to get to you again – and I won't be able to do anything to stop it…" she said, choking on her sobs.

"Catalina," said Harry leaning towards her, "you stopped it last time, you'll stop it again. And your not going to be alone if it happens again ok? We'll be there…I'll be there."

Catalina squeezed her eyes shut tightly but nodded her head. Harry felt sufficiently daring to reach out and stroke her hair again, although he didn't think he had any control over his hand anyway. Again there was no electric shock, or whatever it was, but she responded the same way, giving a huge shudder and flinching away from his hand. He could feel her fear and disgust at it.

"Please don't do that," she moaned, shrinking away from his hand.

"Sorry," said Harry, pulling his hand away and blushing brightly.

Harry sat back in his chair as he watched her hugging herself tightly, then pulling the sleeve of her robe down again. Harry had noticed her doing that a lot, and he knew why, but it almost seemed like some kind of obsessive behaviour, she didn't even realise she was doing it. Tugging her sleeve to hide her dark mark had become almost as natural as breathing to her, and it was just another symptom of her time in the manor. Another symptom Harry wanted to get rid of.

"I'm tired. I'm going to sleep now," said Catalina, turning over and pulling her blankets up.

"Ok," said Harry blankly, taken by surprise, "Are you feeling ok? Do you want me to get the doctor?"

"No, just go," came her muffled voice.

Harry frowned, but got up anyway, he hated the way he always left her, it was always on her terms, when she'd had enough of him or something. But he wasn't going to argue, and merely walked across to the door.

"I'll visit you soon, do you want me to bring you anything?" he asked.

"No."

"Bye," said Harry hopefully.

"Goodbye Harry," she said faintly.

Harry didn't like the way she said it at all, there was something in her tone, some sort of finality he didn't want to hear. He sidled out of the room anyway, and looked around for Sirius who was chatting to the nurse at the desk down the corridor.

Harry turned and looked at Catalina for a few moments before deciding to leave.

"Poor girl," came a voice behind him.

Harry turned around to see an old woman, hunched over a mop looking through the window as well. Her misty eyes turned to Harry, and showed no sign of recognition at all – for which Harry was eternally grateful.

"Sorry?"

"Such a sad story…poor girl," she said in an old, weary voice, "It runs in the family you know."

"What does?" asked Harry curiously.

"The Curse of the Firelights they call it," she said, as if not listening to Harry at all, "They've all met nasty ends, the lot of them. Always being killed in some war or another, always dying alone and unloved, always getting themselves into trouble…This ones no different either – got mixed up with the wrong crowd and now look what's happened to her."

"I don't really think it was like that," said Harry hesitantly, as the old woman shook her head and laughed.

"Ah, don't give me that," said the woman in a no-nonsense tone, "You can't tell me with someone of her abnormal abilities and background wouldn't be involved in them lot somehow…"

"Yes, I can actually," said Harry, angry now, "She was tricked, and if you read any of the papers, you'd know that."

"I don't trust the media," said the woman brusquely, "I only go on what I see, and what I see here is a girl whose been led off the tracks, and's gone too far now – no one wants her here now…she can follow him for all I care."

Harry glared at the woman, and looked over to Sirius, deciding he didn't much care for this woman's conversation.

"I don't think you should talk about things that don't concern you," said Harry bitterly, "and her friends want her here. So before you go making accusations, why don't you get yours facts straight?"

Harry gave the woman one last look, then walked off down the corridor, angrily. It was just another demonstration about how stupid people really were. Harry prayed to god that Catalina would be strong enough to deal with those kind of people when she came out.

Harry reached the desk where Sirius was and watched him openly flirting with the woman, who was giggling at one of his jokes. Harry trolled his eyes in disgust, it was bad enough watching him eyeing up the woman in the street, but having to actually listen to him as well? Harry gave a non-to-subtle cough and Sirius turned around with a smile.

"All ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Harry, shifting his backpack and looking back for the cleaning lady, who'd now disappeared.

"Well off we go then, I'll see you around Janey," he said with a sly wink, as the woman smiled and watched them leave.

"You're unbelievable," said Harry dryly when they got outside.

"Why?" asked Sirius with a grin, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Never mind," said Harry with a small laugh, sometimes he marvelled how much his godfather resembled his animagus form – slobbering and trailing woman like some lovesick puppy.

"Everything ok with Catalina?" asked Sirius a few minutes later and they walked towards the floo station.

"It could have been worse," said Harry with a shrug.

They entered the huge building and were greeted by the usual hubbub of the busy station and Harry spent a few moments watching the people go to and fro as Sirius bought some powder. There was a huge group of foreign teenagers taking up most of the floor in the corner of the building, sprawled across the floor on their bags. They were chatting in their own tongue and Harry couldn't understand a word of it, but they seemed to be having a good time, they were pointing to various people and laughing.

He sensibly hid from their gaze and looked at their bizarre clothes – not muggle but not magical either. They seemed to be dressed in strange combinations of billowy skirts and small tops, or hugely baggy jeans and shirts. He wondered where they were from, they sounded Eastern European, maybe they were Russian? Sirius presently returned with their tickets and Harry followed him towards the floo room. Their was a sudden announcement over the hubbub that the "2.30 portkey to Veliko Tărnova has been delayed for approximately 1 hour."

The crowd of bizarrely dressed teenagers gave a group shout of disbelief and began waving their fists at the desk, while the person behind it tried to hide their head in embarrassment. As they walked past the group Harry heard them talking furiously between each other, and while not understanding a bit of it he guessed from the tone they weren't being to kind.

Soon they were in the floo room, and stepping into the grate, appearing in the Gatehouse moments later.

*

Harry didn't have to wait long at all to read abut his latest trip to the outside world, it was in the next day's Daily Prophet article including a new photo of a furious looking Harry standing in the Hospital's corridor and quotes? Harry could maybe see how they might possibly get a photo if they were careful – but how the hell did they get quotes? Sirius had woken him up by chucking the paper on top of his head the next morning and he knew with a sinking heart what it would be before Sirius told him.

"Page 5 this time," was all he said as he strode back out of the room.

Harry grudgingly picked up his glasses and peered down at the paper with sleep blurred eyes, desperately trying to focus. The front page had some vague pictures of some ministry member or another talking about Fudge so Harry ignored it and jumped right forward to his latest 'outing'.

For the second time in as many weeks Harry Potter has been to visit Catalina Firelight, who shot from celebrity status to infamy over the summer after her involvement with the Dark Side in the Riddle Manor Attack. Insiders have informed us that the Boy-Who-lived had been to check up on recent accounts of her illness, which seemed to have taken a nosedive this week under suspicious circumstances. It seems Miss Firelight is having a violent reaction to something she took in the past few days, but is recovering well according to doctors.

Harry had to pause here and throw down the paper in disgust, it made it sound like she'd tried to top herself! Harry couldn't contain his anger and let out a groan of frustration – all she'd done was have a reaction against the medicine, and now the whole country are going to think she's tried to kill herself! He forced himself to be calm ad picked up the newspaper again roughly, knuckles going white as he read on with an ominous feeling.

Mr Potter is said to be hopeful for her recovery and dismissed rumours of a massive resistance movement to her return to Hogwarts, telling us that she was very much wanted in Hogwarts this coming term. It has been over two months since she was admitted to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies, and since then she has only ever had two visitors, Mr Potter and her own mother who is herself taking up a bed in the west wing after reports of a stress related illness reached this roving reporters ears. While Catalina Firelight increases in strength every day, it seems her mothers is failing and that Catalina may have to take up residency in her estranged grandparents home in Eire who she has not had contact with for over 20- years.

Harry really did drop the paper in shock at this point – Catalina had family? In Britain? He mouthed silently as he marvelled at this, she'd never told him she had other relatives. Although, when Harry came to think about it he had a rather narrow minded view, it wasn't that strange a thing to happen, surely most people had loads of relatives dotted around. When he actually came to think about it, he was surprised she didn't have more than just her grandparents – where were her uncles and aunts and cousins? He knew Ron's family tree looked like the Whomping Willow gone mad and even Hermione had told him about her younger cousins and favourite aunts.

Harry filed away this information and picked up the paper again, eager to read more.

Apparently the small families relationship broke apart after their daughter, Mary Firelight nee Cotard married Charles Firelight, the then sole heir to the Gryffindor heritage. Apparently the family disapproved of Mary's choice in husband which culminated in a huge row. The family has not been in touch for some time and the grandparents have never seen or met their third granddaughter.

Catalina is expected to spend another half of a month in hospital before she is fit to be released and take up her place in the sixth year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Harry laid the paper onto the bed and looked at the ceiling for some time – so the Cotard's didn't approve of Firelight and ended up not speaking for 20 years? Harry thought that was unbelievable, but he was more interested in the fact that Catalina had two cousins…

Obviously they didn't go to Hogwarts, but if they lived in Eire he supposed they went to the school in Southern Ireland, that would certainly explain the lack of Cotard's running around the country. But the thing he was most surprised about in the article was the fact that Catalina would be coming out in half a months time, just over two weeks! He didn't think she was ready at all, but he supposed once her illness was cured, they didn't need to keep her in any longer. As much as Harry wanted to protect her from going back into the outside world, he couldn't.

"Harry! Boots on now! Remus has lost another one!" came Sirius's voice up the stairwell suddenly.

Harry jumped up, threw on some trousers and a baggy jumper, ramming on his boots and darting down the stairs. Remus had been keeping and family of Clabbert's in 'The Shed', and almost every time he went in their one got out…which usually meant that the forces had to rally to capture them before they wandered off into Muggle Princetown.

Clabbert's were small tree-dwelling creatures that looked like a cross between a monkey and a frog. They're smooth and hairless and have such long supple arms and legs that from the moment they're outside they immediately head for the trees. Harry had spent the third day he was here trying to pin down a particularly mischievous one that had found the oak trees near the stream at the bottom of Remus's garden. And another interesting note about the Clabbert's – they had very sharp teeth, Harry didn't think he'd ever get rid of the scar.

He got outside and found Sirius shimmying up the side of one oak tree effortlessly, swinging from branch to branch as if he were related to the Clabbert in some way. Remus's was shouting directions, and Harry had to squint to see the flashing scarlet light coming from the top most branches.

As Remus had informed him when he had the first escapee, Clabbert have this huge spot on their head that starts flashing red when its in danger, which was almost always.

"Left a bit, three branches up…he's hiding behind the bird box!" shouted Remus loudly before adding to Harry in his professor voice, "you know Harry, the International Confederation for Wizards have introduced heavy fines on keeping these animals…yes, muggles used to wonder why magical families still had their Christmas lights up in June, when really they were just using the Clabberts as muggle detectors. NO THE NEXT BRANCH!"

"You go up the other side Harry," said Remus, while Harry obliged.

He'd always been good at climbing trees, you needed to be to get out of the way of Ripper the Bulldog from hell that Aunt Marge used to terrorise him with. So in no time Harry was up the branch again Sirius was waving him over in the right direction.

In a few moments there was a yelp from Sirius that told him he'd caught the creature…it had an unfortunate habit of locking it jaws when it bit you, so once bitten if was pretty hard to get the thing off and it was as good as caught.

"Sodding animal," hissed Sirius as they tramped towards The Shed.

In one deft movement they were inside and the door was shut firmly, and the noise that greeted them made Harry raise his hands to his ears. It really was some sort of St Mungo's for animals, and bigger version of the pet shop in Diagon Alley. Remus had charmed it to make it bigger on the inside than on the out and the walls were lined with huge cages, perches, ponds and various other habitats.

Harry looked around curiously as the two tried to unclamp the Clabbert from Sirius's hand. The ponds were the best – full of these little silver fish Remus had once told him where called Ramora's, but there was another cage Harry didn't approach often but was standing in front of now.

It was a large cage full of plants a foliage but in the middle sat a Runespoor – a three headed snake that was around 3 ft long and vivid orange and black. As he approached he could hear the constant stream of the right head's critique of the other two, who were hissing at him angrily. Remus had been given him by an African wizard who hadn't realised it had sneaked into his baggage when he came to country, and had told Harry each head had a different purpose – the planner, the decider and the dreamer.

"You two aren't going over there are you?" said Right scathingly, "It's much nicer over here."

"I think maybe we should go over here," said Middle calmly, trying to pull the body away again.

"One day, we could get out of here all together," said Left dreamily, and the other two stopped talking and looked at him before what could only be described as laughing.

"Hey guys," said Harry, leaning down and looking into the cage.

"Oh God," said Right, rolling his little red eyes, "The speakers back again."

Harry glared at the snakes, and decided he'd rather not talk to them today. He walked away just in time to catch Middle hissing to the other two,

"Thank god, we don't have to listen to him again…depressing sod."

*

AN/ Hey all, God only knows why that bit is in at the end…suppose I wanted to show you a bit of wildlife - all info taken out of the book Fantastic beasts and where to find them.

Thank you for all your reviews, this means YOU Heather, Riser155, Preciousgirl, tokfia, Esperanza and Mare… And especially to Preciousgirl who gave me this link for the American front cover for Harry Potter V, much more interesting than the British! ,