A thick cloud of funereal bereavement took over Hogwarts after the death of the first year.
The students were ushered into the castle from the Quidditch game by teachers and prefects, all of whom wore grave, stony faces. None of them explained the situation to the students yet. That was the headmaster's job.
Professor Arius sent an owl to the Ministry, informing them of the situation in Hogwarts. Everyone would be kept inside the school throughout the holidays and for the months following. None of the students would be permitted to visit their homes, and none of the parents would be allowed to visit after today - Samuel, Ross, and Harry were the only parents in the school. The three of them had already been exposed to the sickness, and now, they wouldn't be able to leave the school either.
Samuel sent an owl to Ireland, informing his good friend Mel - another carnie at his carnival - that he'd have to take over the carnival for a while. Ross did the same, sending a message to his family and informing them of the situation. Up until now, Ross had been staying in Hogsmeade when he arrived to assist Harry and Crowley - but now that he had been exposed to the school, he couldn't leave.
Professor Arius requested assistance from the Ministry of Magic, hoping to gather a team of aurors or enforcers to guard the school. Everyone needed to be kept inside, and no one could be permitted entry. Defending Hogwarts against invaders was relatively easy, as it was the most heavily-fortified magical institution in the wizarding world - but keeping all the students and teachers inside was another story.
The next day was when everyone in the school would be informed of the severity of the issue.
Professor Arius canceled the morning classes (which was a major red flag to students like Rose, who had prepared frivolously for an upcoming quiz in History of Magic). Everyone was called to the Great Hall. Aileen sat with her friends, all of them huddled at the edge of the Gryffindor table. Samuel sat beside her, and Ross sat with Maxwell. Harry was sitting between Albus and Rose, one arm draped around each of their shoulders. Unlike most gatherings in the Great Hall, there was no laughter filling the room, no chatter and no feasting on any enormous meals. Everyone was silent, staring up at Professor Arius with grim faces and severe stares.
Professor Arius didn't look like his usual eccentric self. There was no sparkle in his eye, no mischievous smile plastered on his face. He wore a stony visage as he cleared his throat and spoke to the school.
"It... is my duty to give you the news," he began gravely. "I regret to inform you of this, kids... but yesterday... we lost someone. As many of you know, students have been falling ill seemingly at random from some kind of mutated form of Dragon Pox. Thus far, the ill have been recovering... but yesterday, sadly... one student wasn't lucky enough to fend off the sickness. We lost Micheal Volin yesterday afternoon during the Quidditch game. Therefore... it is my solemn duty to Hogwarts that I ensure this sickness can't spread until further notice. We've contacted the top experts at the M.M.M.F. and we have them studying the illness in search of a cure. Until they perfect their medication... I'm afraid Hogwarts will have to remain under quarantine."
Samuel stroked Aileen lightly as they listened in silence. Aileen leaned on her father's shoulder, her head still light from the dementor encounter. She forgot to listen as Professor Arius spoke, still picturing the horrific scene from yesterday, Valefor in bat form, the wicked dementor, the cold corpse of an eleven-year-old boy...
"Did you tell them," Aileen mumbled softly, peering up at Samuel. "Harry, Ross, and Crowley... did you tell them what I told you? Did you tell them what I saw?"
Samuel nodded grimly. "I did. Professor Crowley and the other teachers are still searching the grounds as we speak. But... if Valefor was outside of Hogwarts, then chances are, he's already gone. He wouldn't stick around."
"He did it on purpose," Aileen murmured remorsefully. "He wanted me to chase him. He knew I'd follow him. He led me to the dementor... to the boy. He wanted me to see it. He wanted the dementor to get me... and he wanted me to be the one who found the boy. It was a trap... and I fell for it..."
"It's not your fault." Samuel hugged her, squeezing her tight.
"Are you gonna help them?" Aileen asked, glimpsing over at Harry and Ross. "Now that you're stuck here... you might as well help the aurors. Are you gonna help them, Dad?"
Samuel gave her his signature, winning smirk. "I'll do everything I can. I promise."
Aileen attempted a smile, cuddling closer to him, not caring who was watching. Samuel blinked, eyeing the velvety green cloak draped over his daughter's torso.
"Where'd you get a shield cloak?" he asked, stroking the soft green cloak. "These are pricey."
Aileen and Harry met eyes for a split second. Harry winked.
Aileen smiled up at her father.
"I got it from a friend."
Samuel nodded and went quiet, embracing Aileen and returning his attention to Professor Arius. As the speech carried on, Aileen found herself thinking of Professor Crowley, feeling a stab of guilt. Professor Crowley saved her life yesterday...
If she had any doubt about his loyalty before, she certainly didn't now.
As the weeks passed by and winter faded away, Harry, Ross, Samuel, and Crowley rarely spent any time apart from one another.
The Ministry sent guards to the school, keeping the quarantine in check. It was an unsettling adjustment, having Ministry wizards at every entrance and every exit - but after the first week, the students seemed to forget about their presence entirely. Students were still falling ill now and then, and Mad'Am Pomfrey teamed up with Professor Longbottom, hoping to utilize their exceptional medicinal skills, harvesting what they could from the Herbology class and manifesting some improvised medicine. The medicine was meant for Dragon Pox, not the mutant variant that was sweeping the school - but it seemed to dampen the illness to some extent.
Aileen and her friends didn't go out of their way to investigate or cause trouble. Mostly, Rose and Aileen kept their noses buried in books, researching anything and everything they could find about Dragon Pox, magical sicknesses being weaponized, and the Black Alchemist. To their dismay, their search for information was yielding little fruit.
Every month, Maxwell would become sick and irritable during the full moon, as usual. Aileen expressed a bit more worry than usual; she knew Maxwell's condition, and she knew it was normal for a werewolf bisect to grow ill near the full moon, but the mystery sickness had her on edge. She didn't like seeing any of her friends sick, especially after what happened to Scorpius.
Harry, Ross, Samuel, and Crowley refortified the outside of the school every day, casting defensive spells on every side of the castle. The four of them met regularly with Professor Arius, hatching plans and discussing the possible whereabouts of Valefor and Xyler. The three parents were sleeping in an unoccupied classroom every night. Mrs. Truman was kind enough to transform some of her desks into beds for them to use.
Aileen tried to focus on her schoolwork and keep up with her usual routine, but the sickness and the recent troubling events weighed heavily on her. The dead boy, Micheal Volin... she couldn't get him out of her head. Occasionally, she'd meet with her father in passing and steal a hug from him, hoping to feel better. It didn't always work.
The day Quidditch practices resumed, Aileen and her friends arrived on the field just in time to watch a dramatic showdown. Gryffindor and Slytherin were both practicing today, and when they marched onto the field, Callidus Catus and Eric Volin were shouting at each other, their wands drawn and their expressions warped with fury. Everyone else stood on the sidelines, watching anxiously.
"What's going on?" Maxwell muttered, trading glimpses with Aileen and Albus.
Aileen narrowed her eyes at the two Quidditch captains.
"You're a right foul git," Callidus snarled. "I'll have you kicked off the Gryffindor Quidditch team for that. I'll find a way. Mark my words."
"That was a private conversation," Eric snapped in response. "It's none of your business what I say about my brother!"
"You're a heartless waste of space," Callidus seethed, taking a daring step forward. "How can you boast to all your little fangirls about such a thing? I heard what you said to them - you said you didn't care that your little brother was dead. That little boy came to every practice and every game, just for you. How on earth could you be so cold? And to your own brother?"
"My brother is dead," Eric growled. "I can't be cruel to someone who's not alive."
"That tears it," Callidus hissed, raising his wand. "Hominem Exumai!"
"Stupefy!"
Callidus and Eric shot off spells, two blasts of light colliding and canceling out. Callidus reared back and shot another spell, and Eric dove to dodge it, rushing toward Callidus-
"BOMBARDA!"
BANG-BOOOM.
A harsh explosion erupted just a few yards from Callidus, creating an eruption of dirt and grass. Callidus went soaring backward-
"INCENDIO!"
Aileen strode forward and swiped her wand, creating a wall of fire between Eric and Callidus. Eric stopped on a dime, his eyes widening.
"Hominem Exumai!"
Aileen shot off a spell from the side, sending Eric flying across the Quidditch field. Everyone was screaming now, some players frozen in fear, others rushing to aid their Quidditch captains. The Gryffindors and fangirls surrounded Eric on the other side of the field, and Aileen broke into a run, rushing toward Callidus. Maxwell and Albus were hot on her tail.
Callidus sat against the nearest goalpost, leaning on it and wincing. Blood trickled down his ankle from beneath his robes. He grasped his leg, grinding his teeth.
"Are you all right?" Aileen gasped, hitting her knees in front of him.
"I'm fine," Callidus exhaled. "Just a scratch."
Aileen watched as his shoe quickly became saturated in blood. Callidus's face hardened, trying his best to mask the pain.
"Here." Aileen held out her hand. "I'll help you. Let's go to the hospital wing."
"No..." Callidus shook his head. "They'll kick me off the Quidditch team if they find out what just happened. I'll be fine."
"Blimey, what was that about?" Maxwell breathed.
"Why were you two fighting?" Albus asked.
Callidus swallowed a painful groan, clamping both hands onto his injured leg. "It was a mistake. I shouldn't have gotten worked up. I just... I heard what he said about his little brother, and it made me furious. It's bad enough to speak ill of the dead, but it was his brother for God's sake..."
"That looks really bad," Aileen muttered worriedly, watching as blood oozed between his fingers. "You really need to get that fixed."
"I can't." Callidus stared down, shaking his head again. "I need Quidditch. I can't get kicked off the team. I can't..."
Aileen bit her lip, her mind racing. "Okay, I have an idea. Let's go back to the common room. I know someone who can fix it for you. C'mon."
"I don't think I can stand," Callidus mumbled.
Aileen unraveled her Slytherin scarf, scooting forward and preparing to wrap it around his leg.
Callidus squinted at her. "Don't do that. You'll ruin your scarf."
Aileen ignored him, wrapping the scarf around his leg and tying it tightly. Callidus let out a sharp gasp.
"Damn me," he uttered. "I know better. I know better than to step out of line..."
"Breaking the rules isn't that big a deal," Aileen told him, reaching her feet and extending her hand. "C'mon."
As Eric lumbered to his feet, his fangirls escorted him away. Aileen and Maxwell helped Callidus to stand, and slowly, they led him back to the Slytherin common room. When they arrived, Aileen took him to the back of the dungeon, allowing him to plop down on her bed, hoping to keep his injury out of sight.
"Stay here," Aileen told Maxwell and Albus. "I'll be right back."
At that, Aileen spun around, leaving her friends alone with her Quidditch captain. For a while, she wandered the castle with a pep in her step, searching until she finally found her father. Samuel was standing at the entrance of the castle, discussing something with Ross. He stopped talking instantly when he spotted his daughter.
"What's up, hothead?" he asked.
"I need to talk to you alone for a second," Aileen replied. "Will you come with me?"
Samuel raised his brows. "Sure, kiddo."
Aileen didn't bother trying to explain the situation to him until they were back in the Slytherin common room. When they arrived, Aileen glanced through every doorway nervously, ensuring they were alone before she spoke.
"My friend got hurt on the Quidditch field," she told her father. "He got in a fight with another player. He won't go to the hospital wing because he's afraid they'll kick him off the Quidditch team if the teachers find out about the fight. Can you fix him?"
Samuel stared at her. "You have a real talent for trouble, y'know that? Going behind teachers' backs..."
"Where do you think I get it from?" Aileen smirked.
Samuel laughed. "All right. Show me. I'll see what I can do."
Aileen led him to the back, stopping at her bed. Maxwell and Albus were sitting on the bed beside Aileen's, and Callidus was cradling his bloody leg, blotches of crimson staining Aileen's scarf.
Samuel squinted at his leg. "Aileen, is that your...?"
"I'm sorry," Aileen said. "I didn't have anything else to use. He was bleeding real bad."
Samuel sighed, sitting in front of Callidus. "All right... take the scarf off. Let's see the damage."
"Er... no offense, sir, but..." Callidus mumbled. "Are you really qualified to treat magical wounds?"
Samuel chuckled, swapping smirks with Aileen.
"We grew up in a carnival miles away from any hospitals," Aileen explained. "My dad's a pro at wandless magic. He used to fix me all the time whenever I got hurt."
Cautiously, Callidus slowly removed the scarf from his leg, rolling up his robes and revealing a horrible, grisly wound. A chunk of skin had been blasted off his shin, leaving a red, pulpy hole in his leg, his ankle painted red with blood.
"Bloody hell," Samuel breathed, examining the wound closely. "Must've been some fight."
Samuel's eyes drifted shut for a moment. He raised his hands above the wound, inhaling a heavy breath and muttering one of his many homemade incantations. "Sana... Occludo... Sana... Occludo..."
Callidus let out a hissing gasp; the skin began to crawl inward, slowly sealing the wound and reattaching. Aileen smiled, but her grin quickly vanished when she spotted the look on Callidus's face. The spell seemed to be working, but it was fairly painful to endure. Samuel continued the chant until the wound was sealed completely, and Callidus's face had faded a deep, burning red.
Samuel surveyed his work, gently running a thumb down the red scar where the wound was moments ago. "Well... there you are. No worse for wear. Sorry, it's not a painless process, especially with an injury that bad. But you'll be all right. It'll still hurt for a while, but it'll heal fully in no time. Just go easy on it. Treat it like stitches."
Callidus blinked. "What are stitches?"
Samuel cocked an eyebrow. "Right. Never mind. Just... go easy on it for a little while. I sped up the healing process exceptionally, but you'll have to let nature take its course from here."
"Blimey, that's brilliant," Albus marveled, eyeing the scar.
"Aye... that was really cool," Maxwell grinned.
Callidus folded his leg, leaning forward and eyeing the wound. For the first time since Aileen met him, his expression displayed a sense of shock.
"Wow," Callidus exhaled. "That's... incredible. How did you learn that magic?"
"I didn't learn it," Samuel shrugged. "I made it."
Callidus narrowed his eyes. "You made it?"
"Aye. When you live alone and isolated, you've gotta find your own means of survival," Samuel replied. "Poverty is a good teacher."
Callidus gaped at him for a moment. Then, he turned his gaze to Aileen. "You realize your father is a prodigy, don't you?"
"Aye. An underrated one, at that." Aileen patted Samuel proudly on the back.
"How did all this happen, anyhow?" Samuel traded eyes with all of them. "Who was fighting? And what about?"
"It was, um..." Aileen turned to Callidus. "I'm not exactly sure what happened."
"Eric Volin," Callidus grumbled disdainfully. "The Gryffindor Quidditch captain... he was talking to his little gang of fangirls. He told them that he didn't care that his little brother died. He told them that it barely made a difference to him because his little brother was nothing special. I heard him say that. Aileen... the boy you found in the snow. Eric's brother... Micheal Volin. He said he didn't care. I just..."
Callidus trailed off, scowling into his lap.
Aileen observed him. Since the beginning of the year, Callidus seemed incredibly serious, never joking, never letting his emotions get the better of him. She'd never seen him like this before. The image of Micheal Volin's corpse invaded her mind again, making a disgusted knot form in her stomach.
Albus and Maxwell exchanged troubled looks. Samuel's eyes darkened.
"Gryffindors aren't always the heroes," Samuel murmured gravely.
"Couldn't agree more," Callidus rumbled.
"Well... I've got an important meeting to attend." Samuel stood and hugged his daughter. "All of you... be careful. Try not to get horribly mutilated anymore."
"Thank you, sir," Callidus said.
Samuel responded with a lazy salute. He turned and sauntered out of the room.
For a moment, the four of them were quiet.
"Things are getting tense, aren't they?" Albus muttered.
"Aye. Have you seen the hospital wing lately?" Maxwell asked. "When I went to get my potion yesterday, they had hospital beds in the hallway. They're running out of room inside. Everyone's getting sick."
"If Rose was right, we're running out of time," Aileen mumbled darkly. "If there's a stage two to the disease... it's only a matter of time before more students die."
"What can we do?" Albus wondered.
"We've already tried everything we can think of," Maxwell sighed.
"Not everything," Aileen stated. "There's one more thing... but it'll be dangerous. It's a last-resort sort of plan."
"What on earth are you three on about?" Callidus barked. "What're you planning?"
"Callidus... I did you a favor," Aileen told him. "I need you to return the favor. I need you to keep everything we're talking about secret... and if you can, cover for us."
"Excuse me?" Callidus took back. "What're you talking about?"
"Yeah, Aileen... what are you talking about?" Albus asked.
"It's a dangerous plan... but it's the only one we've got," Aileen said definitively. "We have to find Valefor ourselves."
"How can we do that?" Maxwell responded. "Hogwarts is being covered in defensive spells daily now, and there are Ministry wizards all over the place. Valefor won't come back to the castle."
"Who said anything about the castle?" Aileen replied. "We're leaving Hogwarts."
"What?" Albus gasped. "We can't leave during a quarantine, Aileen. Especially not with a dark wizard wandering around out there."
"Yeah, and... even if we find Valefor, it won't help to cure any of the sick students," Maxwell added. "The M.M.M.F. is working on a cure, Aileen."
"What if they don't make it in time?" Aileen asked. "Valefor sent Erika medicine at the beginning of the year - you know what that means? It means he knows how to counteract the sickness. If the aurors have him in custody, I bet they can get that information out of him. Valefor is the key to the cure. Besides, he's the one who started this whole thing. The aurors can't leave the school. If we don't look for him, no one's gonna be able to catch him."
"Hold on." Callidus's eyes zeroed in on Aileen. "Are you talking about hunting down a reputed Death Eater? By yourselves?"
"No. We'll do it together," Aileen replied. "Last year, I ended up facing him alone. I won't be alone this time. I'll be ready."
Aileen tried to stand, but Callidus shot forward, clamping Aileen's wrist with a viselike grip. Aileen met his eyes. He gave her a long, intense stare, his eyes burning a fiery blue.
"That, is, mad," Callidus said in a slow, firm voice. "You're going to get killed. You can't go. I won't allow it."
"Callidus... this seems like the same exact sickness that killed my mother," Aileen told him, her heart making a painful skip. "And I found that boy... I found him. I saw him, cold, stiff, white... it's too much. I can't just do nothing. I have to stop it."
Aileen gently slipped out of his grasp, motioning for her friends to follow.
Callidus gaped up at her, looking torn. "You're mad. You're absolutely mad."
"Maybe," Aileen shrugged. "But I have to try."
At that, she spun around and marched out of the room, Maxwell and Albus following suit.
