It must get worse to get better

Meanwhile Minerva lay in the hospital wing and her condition worsened by the minute. Poppy had done her level best but hadn't been able to burn out the infection, already spreading in Minerva's body, completely. If anything Poppy was becoming more and more worried about her friend.

The nausea lingered. Minerva ate nothing and the little she had been given in her captivity she threw up. She grew paler and listless, showing little interest in anything. She slept a great deal, but only for short intervals. Her dreams were full of horrible images of torture and rape.

But the worst was the fever. Because of the infection in her womb, a high fever had settled over her and drew the last shreds of strength away from Minerva. Blue lines, indicating blood poisoning, had started to show on the woman's belly.

Poppy ran to the dungeons and knocked frantically at Snape's door.

"Severus, open the door immediately! I need a potion, the strongest potion against fever you have. Severus, come on, open that blasted door!"

Severus finally appeared in the door way and handed Poppy the potion.

"Do you need any other help?" he asked gently.

"Yes, could you please go into the kitchen and gather as much ice as you can get and bring it to me. We have to cool Minerva down. Please, inform Albus and Molly."

Severus nodded, turned back into his room and closed the door. Poppy also turned and ran back to the hospital wing. Near the hospital wing she ran into Albus Dumbledore.

"Severus just informed me that Minerva has a high fever. I left to five minutes and ..."

"Albus, it's not my fault! The infection in her womb has proven to be more difficult than I anticipated. It turned into blood poisoning. Severus is coming to help me cool her down. I want you to stay out of my way and make sure she hears your voice. We have to appeal to her will to live."

"What do you mean? She'll be fine, won't she?"

Albus' voice was forlorn. His shoulders drooped and he looked deflated. Minerva was his life. Without her he was nothing. He needed her like he needed air to breath. What had Voldemort done to her? How had he been able to break his beautiful wife, make her want to die?

He walked up to Minerva's bed and sat down in the chair next to it. Softly he brushed the sweat-soaked hair from her burning forehead. His eyes were glued to her troubled face of his beloved partner. She had gone through a lot and Albus wished he could have spared her that and endured it himself.

"Mina, sweetheart, please fight against the fever. I need you. Please, wake up."

The usually strong, in-control voice of the headmaster of one of the most esteemed school in the Wizarding community was now broken and weak. Poppy turned away with tears in her eyes. She felt as though she was intruding on them.

She was thankful for the interruption when Severus entered the Hospital Wing with a barrel full of ice floating behind him in the air.

"Oh, thank Merlin, you're here! What on earth took you this long?"

Severus overlooked the remark and went straight to the bed with Minerva in it. He conjured up a waterproof blanket and scoop ice around his colleague. Never before had anyone seen Snape this caring and considerate. He placed a hand on Albus' shoulder and murmured gently:

"She'll be fine. Poppy gave her one of my strongest fever-reducing-potions and I have found a potion against blood poisoning. We'll heal her. Trust me."

Albus barely nodded and swallowed hard.

"I can't live without her. She is everything I have. I can't loose her."

Albus tears fell onto his wife's closed lids, her nose and lips. Gently he kissed Minerva and whispered sweet names in her ear.

Snape was overwhelmed by his tenderness and turned away. Poppy watched her friend worriedly and couldn't bring herself to tell Albus that Minerva was closer to death than to life.

But before she could say anything the door swung open and Molly ran in.

Her hair was in disarray and her robe hung loosely around her form. Arthur was right behind her but couldn't keep up with his frantic wife.

"What's wrong with Minerva?"

"Molly, calm down ..."

"WHAT IS WRONG?"

None of the present, neither of them being one of her children, had ever heard her yell like that. Poppy finally mustered enough courage to face Molly.

"Minerva has fever and blood poisoning. I'm afraid she won't live through the night if we can't cool her down and dam in the infection."

Albus' head jerked up. He had not known it was this serious.

----

The night passed with sweat and tears. By the next morning Minerva was still alive and much improved. Her blood wasn't poisoned anymore and the fever had receded.

Albus was very tired but refused to leave Minerva's side. Molly was lying in one of the nearby beds and slept fitfully, Arthur sitting on her bed and cradling her. Poppy seemed to be asleep on her feet and Severus led her to another bed, tucking her in gently.

A soft knocking noise came from the door and Albus stood and called:

"Enter."

Harry came in cautiously. He looked very worried and hesitant.

"Professor, I'm sorry but I wanted to know how Professor McGonagall is. I can come back later."

But Albus was having none of that. He motioned Harry forward and indicated a chair next to him.

"Sit down. As you can see Professor McGonagall is doing better."

"I heard that she was nearly dying last night. Is that true?"

"Yes."

Harry didn't want to pain Dumbledore more than necessary. He watched his sleeping transfiguration professor and silent tears fell down his cheeks.

"I was very worried for both Mrs. Weasley and Professor McGonagall. They are both like mothers for me. I would hate to loose one of them."

Albus nodded. He knew that his wife felt more for Harry than a mere teacher. She was as protective of the boy as any grandmother. She saw not the last hope for the wizarding world in him but the 15 year old child he was.

"Don't worry. She is safe now."

Long moments of silence followed until Harry gathered his bravery around him like a cloak and asked:

"Professor Dumbledore, what did you do to Voldemort?"

It was obvious that Harry had been wanting to ask that for a long time.

"I cursed him with something he will find much worse than death."

"But I thought death was, at least for Voldemort, the worst thing that could possibly happen to him."

"That doesn't mean that I have to agree with him. There are much worse things in this world than death. Rape for example is worse than death for every woman. But I see you want to know in detail.

The 'Tortura'-Curse is one of my own creations. Every pain he inflicts on someone, muggle or wizard, he will feel twice as intense. Should he use magic or physical violence makes no difference. He will feel every punch or kick he doles out as if hitting himself. 'Cancellare Magica' is cancelling all magic he has possessed. He is now a muggle. The very thing he despises and looks down on."

Harry was aghast. This was worse than death.