Chapter Ten
The outdoors had slowly turned into afternoon, the lowering sun spilling its ray across the castle and its verdant grounds. But it was quiet with the hallways and many rooms deserted. Only a few members of the teaching staff had remained during the holidays.
The hospital wing of Hogwarts was mostly silent apart from the occasional sob. Members of the Order stood around one bed at the far end of the room. The double doors had been closed for maximum privacy while a screen had been placed around one half of the bed, shielding it from all the other beds.
"Will he be alright?" asked Harry, his green eyes focused on the matron.
Madam Pomfrey appeared frazzled. She was dabbing at the wounds with a thick green ointment that had a pungent smell while the others looked on. Molly held onto Bill's blood-spattered hand tightly while clutching a white handkerchief in the other which was pressed to her lips. There was no colour in her face which was also the same for Arthur.
"I don't know," said Madam Pomfrey, when she straightened, the hand holding the cotton falling to her side. "I know of no magic that can heal this. I've never dealt with anything like this before. Could Severus not have a look?" she added enquiring, looking towards Dumbledore.
"No," said Dumbledore quietly. "I'm afraid not. I was only able to get him for a short moment to look at Remus' injuries. I believe something is happening within the Death Eater camp which he had to remain for."
In the corner, Remus and Tonks sat beside each other on stools the former had conjured. They were close together, their inner legs touching by the barest of margins. Tonks leaned against the wall, looking pale and exhausted while Remus' attention seemed focus on Bill.
"What does it mean?" asked Molly shakily, her eyes landing on Remus.
Several other pairs of eyes found him too, all of them full of uncertainty and questions.
"There was no full moon," stated Remus confidently. "It won't make him a full werewolf but... there may be some side effects. But the extent of what's happened to him won't be known until he wakes up. I don't have all the answers. I don't think something like this has ever happened before."
"It's alright, Remus," said Arthur calmly.
"Where's Charlie?" asked Ginny, as she looked around with wide eyes as though just noticing he wasn't around.
"He'll be back," said Arthur knowingly.
Once the group had left Grimmauld Place all of them, except Charlie went onto Hogwarts. He had apparated elsewhere without saying a word to anyone. As the group quietened down again, Dumbledore stepped back and took his leave, knowing there were things that needed his attention.
The double doors opened and closed quietly with Dumbledore's departure although no one seemed to have really noticed. On the bed, Bill's body spasmed once and a strange sound rumbled from his throat. Molly leaned back in alarm but settled when Bill seemed to calm again. Remus' eyebrows arched, surprised at the involuntary movement but soon rested against the wall, joining Tonks, when nothing else happened.
The infirmary doors opened again and two people made their way through the ward. Charlie walked in front with Fleur following behind, her beautiful face tense with worry. They reached the bed quickly, Fleur lagging behind a little, her bright blue eyes fixed on Bill's immobile form.
"How's he doing?" asked Charlie, placing both hands on his hips.
"Not much better," answered Hermione, who stood beside him, in a sad, tiny voice.
From the other side of the bed, Harry watched as Fleur flicked her shimmering silver hair behind her and smoothed her robes before approaching the bedside, her face set in a strange sort of determination. Without a word she took the bottle of ointment that the matron was using on Bill and she began treating the wounds herself after placing a small kiss to his bloody cheek, seeming to not care about the trace that clung to her lips.
The Weasley's watched in surprise as Fleur hummed while doing what needed to be done, the worry that had been present on her face now gone, replaced only with love. A light conversation started between Molly and Fleur about Bill and from across the room, Harry stood back, watching the whole scene unfold.
The original idea he'd had at the meeting hadn't gone away. Despite being shot down by his godfather, he knew it was a good idea. Even Harry had himself tried to get into Voldemort's mind and find out what the horcruxes were but not once did he have any luck. And a strong feeling inside told him that Sage would be able to find it, to at least sense what the objects might be.
The afternoon soon turned into early evening, the twinkling stars easily visible from the ceiling high windows, the closest one wide open. A few members of the Order left, returning to Grimmauld Place once the moon had risen high into the sky, their fallen member still not waking. But most of the Weasley's remained while Kingsley went off to the Ministry.
For the fifth time, Sage rolled over to her other side, attempting to get comfortable and let sleep return. When it refused, she lifted her head against the pillow and noted the time on the clock. It had just ticked over three in the morning and Sage let out a huge sigh, letting out some of the frustration she felt.
With a great kick, the blanket scrunched to the bottom of the bed and Sage sat up, rubbing her tired eyes. With a quick look out the window she saw wispy clouds and the hint of a dark steel blue sky above them. There were no stars to be seen but the glow of the moon percolated through the cover but the orb itself could not be seen.
Sage slowly got up from the bed and placed on her black dressing gown. She wrapped the cords around securely and left the room, descending the stairs in soft steps so as to not wake anybody up. The air was chilly and the curtain flapped over the frame picture on the first floor landing, making Sage tiptoe across. On the ground floor she went to the end of the hallway and went down the narrow staircase into the kitchen.
During the entire trek downstairs, Sage saw no one and as she went to the pantry and turned on the light it made her wonder if anyone had returned at all. But a light breeze of air wafted her way and Sage retreated from the pantry, leaving the dim, orange light on. Harry stood in the doorway, his green eyes already focused on her.
A small frown appeared between Sage's brows as she stared back. There was a curious look in the young man's eyes, something she couldn't quite decipher but she could tell the look was cold and calculating. On instinct, Sage patted the side of her gown, where the pockets were for her wand; temporarily forgetting that it had been taken from her. The sudden knowledge of it being gone left her feeling defenceless and cold.
"I didn't know if anyone would come back tonight," said Sage, hating the silence and rising tension between them.
"Got back a few hours ago," stated Harry, his voice quiet.
Sage stepped away from the pantry, letting the door swing half shut. She put a little more distance between herself and Harry, which included the wooden table. "How's Bill?"
"Bad," said Harry simply. "But it's not like you care, right?"
For a second, Sage hesitated, deciding to twist her answer rather than outright admit that he was correct. "I don't know him but I think it's horrible for anyone to be hurt in that manner," said Sage.
"You're not very good at lying or being sincere so don't even bother," said Harry, eyes narrowing momentarily.
"I don't understand the problem," said Sage slowly. "What happened to Bill was not my fault. It had nothing to do with me. I don't understand your hostility."
"You're Voldemort's child!" Harry half-shouted, making Sage visibly jump. "The way in which you don't end up like him is a mystery to me. He has been my enemy since I was a baby and you... you're not even supposed to be alive."
There was a tense pause.
"How do you know that?" asked Sage, moving closer to one of the chairs, the thoughts of needing space between them, gone.
"Dumbledore told a few members and then Remus told the rest of us," answered Harry, sounding as though it didn't matter. "I saw you with him this afternoon," added Harry, a clear after thought.
"So?" said Sage shrugging.
"You call him Albus," stated Harry.
"That's his name," informed Sage, the confusion on her face growing. "Are you going somewhere with this?"
"I can tell he cares for you," said Harry quietly, his tone vague. "And that he loves you but I don't see it returned."
"From one conversation you think you know my relationship with him?" asked Sage bitingly. "You don't know anything."
Finally, Harry moved from within the doorway and the kitchen door slowly closed behind him with a soft thud. The space between them began to shrink until Sage realised and moved away, her back soon hitting the window beside the back door. The glass rattled and it made her freeze but Harry didn't hesitate in his stride forward.
"I'll let whatever animosity I have for you go if you do one thing," said Harry, his walking slowing considerably.
"What?" asked Sage nervously.
"Look into his mind," answered Harry.
"Whose mind?" enquired Sage, the frown reappearing.
"Your father's," clarified Harry. "We believe he has seven horcruxes somewhere out there and we don't know where," added Harry, pointing in the direction of the front door.
"So?" questioned Sage. "It doesn't have anything to do with me. I..." she said after slowly licking her lips. "... am his biological daughter but I have no connection with him other than that. I cannot see into his mind. It doesn't work like that."
"Can he see into yours?"
The question caught Sage off guard and she attempted to say something but stuttered, giving Harry the answer he needed. Harry then moved closer and Sage slunk against the wall, towards the inner kitchen, her eyes darting between Harry and the door, trying to judge the distance to see if she could make it if she ran for it. But even as she moved, Sage couldn't tell why she suddenly wanted to get away from him so badly.
Harry's movements tracked hers and when she pounced off the wall, he moved at the same time, grabbing her upper arm and pushing her so hard into the kitchen that she knocked into the side cabinets. Sage gasped and clutched her shoulder where the pain was radiating through her body and she instantly locked eyes with Harry, her own showing surprise at his actions.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked roughly. "What do you want?"
"I want you to go into Voldemort's mind and find something, anything, which will help us!" demanded Harry, the green of his eyes darkening with his anger.
"I've already told you that it's not something I can do," said Sage, irately. "I don't care what connection you think I have with him because it doesn't exist!"
Harry advanced and shoved against her. Sage's back hit the cabinets hard, her dark red hair flying around her wildly and she gasped as Harry jabbed the tip of his wand into her neck, the skin denting as the pressure increased second by second.
"Do it or-"
"Or what?" challenged Sage, holding the eye contact. "There are two people who will be awfully upset if you hurt one little hair on my head." There was a slight pause. "So, what are you going to do?"
Realisation dawned on Harry's face as he understood who the two people were that Sage was talking about. "You don't love him, do you?" said Harry, the horror clear in his voice. "I've been right all along. Everyone was so concern about treating you properly and making sure you were comfortable but it's a trick isn't it?"
"No," said Sage softly. "There's no trick. I have nothing planned. Some things are just as they appear. Plain and simple."
A sudden bout of anger exploded from Harry as he removed the wand from Sage's neck and slammed his fist into the cabinet, making Sage recoil. "I don't believe you!"
The kitchen door burst open and a tall, dark figure hovered in the doorway, the wide, grey eyes taking in the scene. When realising there was someone behind them, Harry released his grip on Sage and turned around, coming face to face with his godfather.
"What's going on in here?" he asked, looking between them. "Sage, go upstairs."
Not needing to be told twice, Sage slinked between the two men and disappear out through the kitchen door, not hearing it close. The silence lingered, one of them not knowing what to say while the other was figuring out where to start.
"Harry... what have you done?"
"Nothing," mumbled Harry, subtly putting his wand away.
"What did you tell her?" pressed Sirius, stepping further into the room. "And don't tell me nothing," he added sharply at seeing Harry's mouth open quickly.
It shut a second later but Harry found something else to say. "The horcruxes," said Harry feebly, suddenly unable to find his voice. "I told her about Voldemort's horcruxes."
"Damn it, Harry," hissed Sirius, looking away. "Why?"
"She can connect with him just like I can," said Harry quickly, wanting to be heard. "I don't know how I know but I just know. She has some sort of strange connection to him but she's refusing to even try. She-"
"And you should be lucky she is," snapped Sirius, interrupting. "Harry, all of us want to find and destroy each horcrux but this is like a game to Voldemort and Sage is one of his pieces. We're trying to keep her out of it. Don't bring her into it and don't tempt her to contact him."
Sirius turned and headed for the door, thinking the discussion over but Harry's voice stopped him in his tracks. "What makes you think she's tempted?"
"Think about it from her point of view," said Sirius quietly, looking at Harry again. "If you knew one of your parents was still alive, wouldn't you be tempted to contact them, no matter who they were?"
Harry gave no reply. Instead, he bit his bottom lip and looked away, his eyes shining distinctly. The conversation was now over and Sirius left, knowing that the others would have to be informed of the night's events. When he reached the hallway, Sirius stopped and retrieved his wand to summon the others. Light footsteps sound behind him, telling him that Harry had departed from the kitchen and was heading back upstairs.
The bedroom door closed softly and Sage leaned against it, her breathing harsh as her heart hammered in her chest. The new knowledge ran through her mind and she wasn't quite sure what to do with it exactly. Helping her father was a bad idea, she knew, but there were no alliances here either.
Sage bumped her head against the door as an image of Dumbledore and his stern expression hovered behind her eyes. It was enough to make her legs weak and cause her to slide down onto the floor. Sage brought her knees up and crossed her arms over them, sighing as she did so. Betraying the man that raised her wasn't an option but Harry's words echoed, the truth of them making her hate herself.
Love wasn't something she naturally felt and that in itself was a problem. Even the few days of being here Sage could see how much the Weasley family loved each other and that was without words. The emotion had always seemed alien and illogical. How could people be so open and honest with each other? How did the feeling develop in the first place or is it something that's just always there?
Sometimes, when they were together or Aberforth was there, she could pretend that she was normal and feel the love that she was supposed to feel for them. But it never lasted. It always faded after the good time ended and life went back to being full of nothing but studying and tests.
Despite that, Sage knew that deep down, she did care about Albus although it was never something she'd said nor tried to express. Nor had she mentioned about her trouble or problems with love. Even when she was little Sage had the feeling that it was unusual to feel almost nothing for everyone.
The clock on the bedside table read ten minutes past four when Sage peeled herself off the floor and moved to sit on the bed. The tiredness and frustration from earlier was gone, replaced with confusing thoughts that she didn't want to face or shift through.
"Horcrux..."
The word escaped Sage's mouth as she exhaled and she placed a hand to her chest. When she was little that's where she thought the soul sat within the body. Unconsciously, her fingers circled a small area on her chest as she thought about ripping the soul in order to split it. It sounded painful and Sage didn't know how one would accomplish something so heinous.
"I want you to go into Voldemort's mind and find something, anything, which will help us!"
As the words kept repeating themselves, Sage looked to the spot on the wardrobe where the mirror sat inside. The other two visions or whatever they were that she'd had always involved a mirror and she wondered if Voldemort could show her things, could she find something herself.
The answer remaining unknown and hanging almost in plain sight bothered her so Sage got to her feet and approached the wardrobe. The hinges holding the door in place creaked once as she pulled it open. In the simple square mirror was her reflection which gazed back.
For ten minutes, Sage stared at it, waiting, hoping for something to happen. But for that whole time the mirror remained solid and showed only her face. Sage sighed and leaned back in slight disappointment, her shoulders slumping. It seemed whatever was going on wasn't in her control.
But as Sage glanced away and gripped the side of the wardrobe, a shimmer caught her eye. She looked back towards the mirror and fell backwards, to the ground, in fright, seeing a familiar figure. He stood on a high hill where tall trees with thick trunks and long waving branches surrounded him. The sky was grey and full of thick clouds. The wind swirled almost violently, the man's long black robe swishing around his feet.
Sage stood transfixed at the mirror, unable to blink as she watched and waited for something to happen. Long seconds passed and she stared as the mysterious man lifted one arm and pointed in distance, towards her. At first Sage frowned, confused, but soon realised that he was actually pointing down at the frozen pond at the bottom of the mirror.
The solid white mass sat there, surrounding by shrubs and low hanging trees. The grass just beyond was over grown and led her straight back to him. The wind stopped abruptly and a flash of red passed over the mirror. It shined outwards and Sage gasped and shielded her eyes. Sage counted to three before dropping her arm and looking to the mirror again.
The tension left Sage's body at seeing the mirror was just an ordinary mirror once more, the glass surface showing nothing but the reflection of one bedside table and half the bed. The feeling of disappointment returned and Sage rolled her body forward, burying her face in her hands.
Sage replayed the vision in her mind and made a quick decision. She pulled herself up off the floor and left her room and began heading up to the fifth floor. Despite her doubts and vacillation she had done it although the location remained hazy, there was someone she had to speak with.