CHAPTER 12

I closed my eyes, taking in the possibility of death, yet I was scared and could

hear both sides of my brain arguing for me to fight back, but I simply couldn't.

A bright flash came from under the water and I swear it was my sole, it was

beautiful and looked like a snowy tiger. I had a sudden sensation of warmth and

the pressure under my arms were pulled upwards to the surface, I imagined that I

was being taken to heaven where I could finally see my mother and the rest of my

loved ones. I opened my eyes to welcome death, but he hadn't come and I was left

alone on the ground staring upwards into the canopy of the forest. I now realise

that someone had pulled me out and I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't feel

them and opening them was so hard, so I decided to use my ears to find out who

saved me.
"Bella!" The voice was muffled and I couldn't tell who it was, but

it was definitely a mans voice, Fred? He cursed a lot and then picked me up one

arm under my back and the other under my legs.
"Can you hear me? Bella, can

you hear me?" The voice was so familiar but the throbbing in my head slowed

down my thinking, finding the person who had possibly saved my life would take a

while. And only possibly saved my life, I have accepted that I might die here

and now, "squeeze my hand if you can hear me!" My finger twitched at the least

but I couldn't squeeze his hand, "okay, lets get you to the hospital wing.

Bella, it will be alright. I swear it will." The voice echoed through my head, I

suddenly felt dizzy and confused of where I was, did we just disapparate? Fred

didn't know how to do that.. I felt a drop of liquid fall on my neck, was this

man crying for my life? Snape! I tried to move but my leg cracked and I

screamed, it was horrid and I couldn't stop the sound.
"Bella? ... Oh

holy.." His voice was cut off by more drops of liquid dropping on my skin, I

could here foot steps coming to where we were, (wherever that is) and

whispering, lots of whispering. I could tell that there was a crowed of kids

around us and the person I could feel checking my pulse was the hospital wing

nurse. I twitched my leg again, not on purpose this time and screamed, "please,

you have to help her, now!" Snape and someone else was running and there was a

struggle to get me on the hospital bed, "Severus, we need to put her on the

bed.." I could feel Snape's face come close to mine and kiss me on the cheek, "I

love you Bella.." He put me down on the bed and I wanted to tell Snape the same

and that I was sorry for all the trouble I had given him, there was no choice, I

was going to die. The numbness in my body was letting up and I could finally

feel my hands, one was enclosed in Snape's palm, I could also feel my leg, it

was twisted and in excruciating pain.
"Back away! Everyone go to their common

room! .. Now!" Dumbledore's voice, you could tell from his superiority.
"No,

we are staying no matter what. I want to see my friend before.."
"Mr and Miss

Weasley, Mr Malfoy, please we will need peace and quiet for a while, but I will

notify you when you can come see her." Draco wanted to see me? A heavy pair of

foot steps, presumably Dumbledore's stopped at the side of my bed.
"Severus,

may I talk to you?" The two left and stood somewhat near because I could hear

what they were saying, "Severus, she may not liv-"
"Don't say that!"
"Its

true, and you will have to accept it sooner or later. You truly care for this

girl now, don't you?"
"Of course I do, and as long as I live, she shall." The

conversation stopped and my breathing became hard as the nurse poured a potion

down my throat. I screamed again and the sound was horrid and high pitched.

"What happened?" Snape's voice was my comfort at the moment and it steadied

my breathing, or was that the potion?
"It will help her breathing, she will

be able to talk in about ten minutes."
"Thank-you!" He gripped my hand tight

again.
"Oh, Severus.." I didn't recognise this voice, it was neither

Dumbledore or the nurse.
"Minerva.."
"I'm so sorry.." Is that Mrs

McGonagall?
"Don't say such things! She will live."
"It is true, she is

the toughest girl I have ever met, but Severus.." Mrs McGonagall came around my

other side and put her hand on my shoulder, they were talking about my death and

Snape was trying to hide the truth when I knew it was coming.
"There is no

accepting the inevitable, but if she does not survive.. Then..." Snape had never

been like this, or never in-front of me anyway. He wanted to be my father and

this situation proved it, I was happy to die knowing that.
"Bella, I know you

can hear me. The potion I just gave you will help you breathe and talk, can you

try and talk for me?" The nurse replaced where Mrs McGonagall was in seconds and

I didn't even notice the change of positions.
" ... F.. Father?" I heard his

chair move, Snape had jumped to his feet and was now leaning over the bed, "yes,

i'm here." His tears were still falling at a considerable rate and his grip on

my hand hardened even more.
"I have to give you another potion Bella, it will

hurt your leg a bit.." I gulped down the potion and waited for the pain, I

screamed louder than ever before and started to squirm in the bed trying to hold

my leg, to comfort it from pain.
"Be still girl! You'll only make it worse!"

The nurse strapped my leg down to the bed making it impossible to move it. My

scream echoed the halls and rumbled through my head, I couldn't stop and after a

while I tried to open my eyes, to see the world I was about the leave, my vision

was fuzzy at first and it took about five minutes before I could see the roof

clearly. I looked over at Snape and noticed his face was covered in tears with

his long black hair drooping besides his face. His hand was purple, I was

cutting off his circulation. The light in the room dropped and I prepared for my

next journey. I wanted to tell Snape I was sorry, and that he was the best

father that I could have hoped for, "I... Love you..." My voice subsided and I

took in the sight of Hogwarts before I blacked out..