Harry Potter and the Crests of Hogwarts
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Everything belongs to the wonderful J K Rowling. But I do own some OCs: Pixie, Shawn Livinsky, Amanda, Tabitha, the kitten, Star Sprite, the white unicorn, step-siblings: Yumiko and Chris and a mysterious wizard named Archarnas. Original figments of imagination include a title called 'Famous Figures in the World Known to Magic' (stupid title, isn't it?), the name 'Agnes Barnwell', Gryffindor password 'Phoenix Eyes', a random wizard's name 'Darius Silvermoon', a magical powerful jeweled pendant called the Potestria Star Jewel, the fictional history and creation of the Crests of Hogwarts, another title: 'Hogwarts: The Origins of Wizard Schooling' and the heavenly Fields of Caelastra. Asterix, Obelix, Getafix and Dogmatix: the key characters of the famous Asterix comic franchise are written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo.
Author's note: There will be a crossover with the characters from the 'Asterix' series in the next few chapters because I love them so much and thought that Getafix should help out :) I know a bit about nightshade berries and their dangers but please by any means, do not take what I have written as totally factual information as this is written for the story. Please do your own research, okay? But the main point is that nightshade berries are NEVER to be consumed and that is a fact!
29/4/2013: Oh boy...I can't believe that there are just a few more chapters to go. It makes me proud that this story is becoming more readable :) and hopefully the plot is more resolved. (Special Bookmark)
Chapter Twenty Five: Between Life and Death
Rating: T to borderline M
"Harry? You awake?" Draco whispered to his boyfriend whose back was spooned against his chest.
The blonde Slytherin sighed and pulled Harry closer, hearing the soft sounds of his breathing. The Gryffindor was deeply asleep. He buried his nose in his lover's messy hair and inhaled the faint fragrance of mint from his shampoo. He hugged Harry tighter as his silvery eyes shone with deep thought and a bit of envy. He couldn't sleep at all for his troubled mind was preventing him from doing so...
"Hmmm...Harry..." Draco kissed his Gryffindor's neck.
"Draco?" Harry sleepily murmured as he rolled over and snuggled up on his chest, "What...are you all right, dragon?"
"Sorry, lion...I couldn't sleep," Draco responded as he hugged Harry closer, pressing kisses on his scarred forehead.
Harry's sleepiness dissipated immediately upon hearing the lost soft tone in his boyfriend's voice. He could feel the shivers and the tension in Draco's grip and he knew that Draco couldn't get over yesterday's harrowing memories from his mind.
Madame Pomfrey had told Harry to move aside as she took over holding the young girl at bay as she flailed and sobbed in the nurse's arms. Pixie had became more delirious and refused to go back to sleep, further endangering her health and sanity. Left with no other choice and with Professor Dumbledore's greatly reluctant and saddened consent, the school matron made a grim decision to inject a high dosage of an unnamed sleeping draught into her bloodstream and place her in an induced coma so that her body could regain strength. Upon the injection, the girl collapsed heavily with an airy sigh, tears still running down her cheeks. Pixie was not to leave her room until she was fully healed although it was highly questionable at that time that such a scenario would happen soon. She looked so different...almost resembling a delicate corpse. Her skin had gotten paler than ever like fresh fallen snow, clearly contrasting the shadows under her red-rimmed eyes. Her breathing was so soft and could hardly be heard. Her body, in general, had nearly been reduced to skin and bones, leaving her greatly malnourished. Madame Pomfrey had fitted a muggle IV tube into her thin arm, which was fastened to several pouches filled with liquid nutrients and healing potions. Harry recalled the pained look on Draco's face as he watched the school nurse set up the equipment near Pixie's bed. He knew that his boyfriend deeply cared for her like a sister he never had because of her kindness and the way she brought happiness to him by bringing Harry to him. Draco had cried silently as he held the limp girl in his arms, whispering apologies in her ear. He still felt guilty for hurting her back then and the pain weighed heavily on his heart. Harry, along with a horrified Hermione and a scared Ginny who dropped by to visit, were witnesses to the pitiful scene.
Harry snapped out of his reminiscing when he thought he heard a sob. He noticed that the blonde Slytherin was trying hard in holding his tears back. The raven-haired boy pulled his distraught boyfriend on top of him and carded his fingers through the golden hair.
"Cry, Draco...cry...I know that you feel pain for Pixie..." Harry breathed tenderly as he kissed his cheeks, "Cry..."
"I...I don't deserve to..." Draco sobbed, burying his head against Harry's shoulder.
"Why not?" Harry whispered, kissing his head.
"Because I did those terrible things to her...I knew she was feeling hurt with what's happening but when you got blown back against that wall...it made me so confused...you were hurt! And she's changed! I don't recognise her anymore!" Draco hugged him even tighter, "I don't know whether the girl I see as a friend will ever surface again..."
"Dray...I'm fine...you're fine...Pixie will be fine..." Harry shook his head firmly, "And I won't stop hoping that Shawn will live...please I don't want you to hold back...I want you to show me your tears..."
Draco picked his head up at momentarily look down at Harry. He looked so calm and tranquil but upon seeing the turmoil boiling in the glassy emerald eyes of his beloved, Draco realized that the Gryffindor was just as stressed and filled with deep anxiety as he was. He pressed his face against Harry's neck and allowed the hot tears to fall. He felt Harry's gentle fingers combing his hair and massaging his shaking shoulders and his lips kissing his temple tenderly. Draco's heart ached when Harry also began trembling in his arms and another set of tears trickled to join his own tears running down his face.
"Harry...I love you..." Draco whispered when he was exhausted of his tears.
The Slytherin hovered over the boy he fell in love with. Seeing the remaining tears staining the other boy's face, Draco leaned down to capture his lips in a kiss while his hand cupped his cheeks. As he touched the sun-kissed skin, he felt a growing fire of desperation burn within him as the stress from the Dark Lord's encounter finally caught up with him...he realized that he could've lost Harry on that blighted day...
"I love you so much...don't leave me..." Draco's tender kiss turned fiercer as he nipped and sucked Harry's lips, "Don't ever leave me alone..."
Harry could feel the growing brutal desperation in the kiss. He tangled his fingers in the silvery blonde hair and Draco's head down to reciprocate it. He too realized that he could've lost his beloved Slytherin to a deadly spell or a gruesome attack. He poured everything he had into that rough kiss. After a long moment, they pulled back, their lips swollen and bruised and saliva trickling down the corners of their mouths.
"I love you too..." Harry murmured back. His mumbles turned into whining moans when Draco started to nip and suck on his sensitive neck as his hands struggled to unbutton his pajama top and roughly positioned himself between his legs, "Dray...oh..."
"Harry...you're so beautiful..." Draco's mouth wouldn't cease the assault on the smooth skin he uncovered. In doing so, he felt the embers of lust burn in his belly...he needed Harry...only he could extinguish that raging fire into the soothing warmth only he could give, "I need you...I need you now!"
"Draco...please...please..." Harry whimpered under the assault as his arms tightened around the Slytherin's neck. The heat collected in his lower regions and the lust within him reignited. Suddenly his clothes became stifling...he needed to feel his dragon's skin against his...to feel his heartbeat to ensure he was alive and breathing, "Use me...do what you want with me, I can take it..."
After a harsh bite on his collarbone, Harry finally surrendered his body to Draco's rough yet loving ministrations...
"She'll pay for hurting Shawn and I'll never forgive her if he doesn't wake up..."
A young girl clad in her school robes with a Slytherin crest was seething with anger as she crushed some bright red berries in the mortar with the pestle. She collected the scarlet red juice into a tiny test tube and bottled it. She, along with the rest of the girls who chased the white cloaked girl, thought that the perpetrator still needed to be punished for hurting the boy she admired. She knew very well what the berries were and the terrible properties they possessed. When ingested, they caused hallucinations, convulsions, a rapid heartbeat, slurred speech...the symptoms went on. The plan was simple...they just had to make sure that she drinks the juice and let the berries do their nasty work on her. One of the other girls from Ravenclaw said that she knew how to get the juice to her and she trusted her because she had been nice to her on occasions.
"It wasn't easy finding those berries...but they don't call me a Slytherin for nothing...I'm so glad that my resourcefulness came in handy..."
With that, she cleaned her equipment and tucked the test tube in her robes before she left the vacant room.
Asterix and Obelix observed at the still boy on the padded table under watchful eyes as the druid continued to concoct the potion in the bubbling cauldron. The two warriors brightened slightly when they thought they saw the boy's hands beginning to twitch...it was a definite sign of life!
But the hope was short-lived when Shawn began to whimper and fidget...before a loud scream erupted from his throat.
"Pixie! Where are you!" Shawn shouted, hoping that his voice could reach her.
Just then, a pale form materialised in front of him on the ground. It was Pixie, whose bare body was wrapped in loose white sheets. Her long dark hair was stained in silvery blood and pooled under her head in a dark halo. Her skin was white and her eyes were closed, casting ominous shadows on her cheeks from her thick eyelashes. What caused him to panic was the stillness of her body...no rise and fall of her chest...
"No...no...no! You can't be dead!"
Shawn found himself frozen on the spot no matter how much he wanted to move. His limbs refused to move...
"Murderer...murderer..." an icy voice rang out from the darkness surrounding him.
"Who said that!" Shawn cried out, "Show yourself!"
"You're a murderer, Shawn Livinsky...you've broken her heart and she's dying because of you...murderer...murderer..." the mocking tone continued to burn in Shawn's ears, "Murderer..."
"Stop it! I'm not a murderer! I wanted to save her!" he fell onto his knees and pulled his hands over his ears in the vain attempt to muffle them out...but the voice just grew in volume and the venom in the tone increased...
"You're in denial!" the same mocking voice accused, "You killed an innocent girl who is willing to love you. But instead, you directed your affections to another...you are the cause of her ailment! Murderer!"
"No! Have mercy! I beg of you! I love Pixie!" Shawn screamed back, his eyes brimming with tears. He looked to where the girl laid and found her slowly disappearing into thin air, "NO! PIXIE! COME BACK!"
The Ravenclaw managed to reach out a hand towards her but she was gone before he could touch her...
"Look at you...so pathetic and helpless...you shall suffer greatly for your foolishness..." the voice cackled.
"LIAR! YOU'RE A LIAR! I LOVE HER! I LOVE HER!" Shawn's tears spilled over his cheeks as he shouted valiantly to silence the terrible voice once and for all.
Suddenly, the young boy was hit in the chest by a sharp cold punch, knocking him back into the growing darkness. He felt himself drown deeper and deeper into the dark abyss, suffocating him...blinding him...darkness...everywhere...no...
Broken cries could be heard in haunting echoes if one were to pass by the dungeons. Obelix was attempting comfort a distraught Dogmatix while Asterix did all he could to calm the boy down. But when Shawn started thrashing, the blonde warrior became slightly agitated.
"This kid is strong! It's as if he had drunk the magic potion!" Asterix grunted as he tried to hold down the flailing boy, "Obelix, I need help here!"
Obelix promptly held down Shawn, trying hard not to use the full extent of his godly strength to further hurt the boy.
"Getafix!" Asterix cried out to the druid urgently. Getafix turned around and immediately ran to the boy's side, "What's happening to him?!"
"The poor boy is in a lot of pain now. He's currently experiencing his worst nightmare," the druid deduced with a dark expression, "Please, my brave lad. Be strong!"
Shawn couldn't hear the druid's encouraging words as his body twisted and shook while wildly kicking and punching in the cold air. The boy narrowly missed hitting Obelix. His eyes were half-lidded and flooded with tears and skin was coloured in a deep rouge flush. His cries were unbearable to hear as they mixed with his choked sobs and garbled nonsense.
"Time is really against us...please...please hold on, dear boy! The potion is nearly finished!" Getafix quickly strode back to the cauldron and added the final ingredient which were strange purple herbal leaves into the concoction. The liquid bubbled in various colours. Both Asterix and Obelix flinched at the pained look on the druid's face as the old man clasped his hands and begged to the ceiling, his calm facade finally breaking, "Please by Toutatis...by Belenos...give the lad more time...more time until the antidote is done! Give him your strength! Let him suffer no more!"
Two cloaked girls loitered outside Pixie's bedroom door, their hoods hiding their identities.
"Are you sure this is where she is?" the Slytherin student asked her companion who bore a Ravenclaw crest over her school robes.
"Yes. I often seen Granger and the Weasley siblings enter here countless times..." the other girl nodded and checked the door, "Locked...no matter..."
The girl took out her hand and muttered an incantation, hearing the door creak open.
"Do you have it?" the Ravenclaw student inquired, holding out her hand.
"Yes, it's here...is this enough?" she handed the test tube to the other girl.
"Good...yes, it's fine...I'll take care of things from here..."
The Slytherin student departed while the second lingered behind. She tiptoed through the door and made out the prone form lying on the bed. Her shadowed face bore a sneer, uncaring of the poor condition the patient was in. She glanced at the test tube she had in her hand...this would make the criminal suffer...this was her form of justice to make her pay.
That worthless freak took her best friend away...and she had hurt Shawn...if it weren't for her incessant presence, Shawn would've looked at her kindly too!
She approached the bed and saw the IV tube and the various pouches nearby. Knowing that they would compromise her mission, she carefully pulled out the needle and tilted the unconscious girl's head back to trickle the fluid down her throat.
Meanwhile, Pixie coughed when she tasted a sweet liquid on her tongue...she couldn't see who was administering the drink...it was really sweet and delicious...and she swore she heard Shawn calling her...telling her to wake up...she willed herself to do so...Shawn needed her...she was going to him...if only her body would obey her and move...
Unknown to the intruder, Tabitha had woken up upon hearing the door creak open. She leapt from her basket and found a strange cloaked girl pouring something down her mistress's throat. She immediately hissed and yowled. She didn't like the scent emanating from the stranger...she smelled of ill intentions...she wasn't a friend. The little kitten scurried over to the surprised girl who heard the cat's screeches. With another screech, Tabitha scratched her claws on her hands as hard as she could...she had to get her away from her beloved mistress! The girl gasped and dropped the test tube. It landed on the carpet on the floor and rolled under the edge of the bed, undamaged.
"Stupid creature!" the girl yelled and swiped her hands aside to roughly brush the kitten off her onto the bed. Cursing silently to herself, she ran away, covering her scratched hands from view...
Tabitha clambered near her mistress and saw a strange liquid staining her cheek. She neared it and sniffed lightly. It smelled sweet...yet it had a strange feeling...instinct told her not to taste it...
Tabitha's eyes lit up with relief when Pixie slowly opened her eyes. She gingerly purred with delight and rubbed her muzzle against her. But the little cat became quite unsettled when the girl didn't respond to her purrs and nuzzles...she looked up and found her quite awake...yet at the same time, she wasn't. Her tearful silver eyes were dull and blank and her lips still damp from the strange liquid moved on their own accord as she mumbled to herself.
The kitten watched warily as the girl shakily pushed herself up, threw off the covers weakly and stood up on unsteady legs. She wobbled for a moment before walking and reaching her hand out to the door. She kept on murmuring the boy's name as the tears trickled down her cheeks, her murmurs soft and filled with sobs...
"I'm coming for you...wait for me, Shawn..."
Tabitha watched as the girl stumbled out of the door...she felt her fur bristle. She knew something was wrong...she needed to get help..her mistress wasn't herself! She leapt down from the bed and exited the room. She followed the girl for a while and her eyes widened in dread when she saw Pixie heading to the Quidditch Pitch...going farther away from the castle. She had to find a friend she could trust...only they could save her mistress from danger.
"You are really pleasant company, Yumiko," Hermione smiled at the Hufflepuff. The two girls along with Ginny exited the library together after a productive study session together. Ginny latched onto their new friend's arm, "It is a pity that we only gotten to know you after all the terrible things that happened to you."
Yumiko shook her head and smiled at the two girls, "I'm just happy that I have my new friends. It's more than I can ever ask for and my brother will no longer have to worry about me."
The three girls were about to turn the corner when a soft mewling noise interrupted their amiable conversation.
"Tabitha? What is she doing out here?" Ginny wondered curiously. It was then she noticed how deeply agitated the kitten was as she kept on pawing their shoes and mewling squeakily, running back and forth, "What's wrong, sweetie?"
Yumiko scrutinized the animal's aura and gasped at the intense urgency behind her actions. Suddenly she saw a flashing image of a girl stumbling in the Quidditch Pitch. She couldn't see her face but she could tell she was greatly weakened. Hermione saw the young Hufflepuff's face pale.
"Yumiko? What's the matter?" Hermione asked with concern.
"There's no time to waste...Tabitha is agitated for a good reason," Yumiko's voice was trembling, "Lead us, little one!"
Tabitha meowed and began sprinting ahead and the three girls followed behind.
The three girls found themselves in the middle of the Quidditch Pitch. Yumiko looked around, wondering why the kitten brought them here. It was only when she gazed up that she screamed and pointed to one of the spectator booths. Hermione and Ginny looked up and gasped.
"Is that Pixie?!"
Ginny choked up in horror upon seeing Pixie teetering dangerously close to the edge of the spectator booth. The two older girls immediately got over the shock and ran up the stairs as fast as they could. Ginny was far too petrified to move as she held the distressed kitten in her arms.
Hermione and Yumiko eventually reached to the top and tried to calm their anxious hearts at the sight of Pixie close to the edge of the booth.
"Pixie...Pixie...can you hear me?" Hermione tried to keep her voice as calm as possible. Pixie didn't respond and began humming to herself. When she turned around in their direction, Hermione frowned when she saw how vacant and glazed her silvery eyes looked and her skin was flushed, "Oh no..."
"What's wrong?"
"She's either sleepwalking or in some of delirium...she won't be able to hear or see us...and she's terribly sick too, judging by the flush...so it's up to us to save her or she'll hurt herself even more..." Hermione gulped and turned to Yumiko, "Yumiko, we must get her away from the edge...let's round up on her and trap her in our embrace...okay?"
Yumiko felt extremely skittish, the nerves starting to get the best of her...she was a bit afraid of heights. But the thought of Pixie hurting herself further overrode that fear. The girls steeled themselves and clumsily caught Pixie, pulling her safely away from the edge of the booth. Pixie began to struggle when she couldn't move her immobolized arms and legs. She collapsed and started sobbing, her speech slurred and garbled. But they could still make out what she was crying out.
"No! I couldn't save you again! Shawn, come back! Come back!" the girls' hearts ached upon hearing the gut-wrenching cries that followed after.
They loosened their hold when they felt Pixie sag and deep breathing filled the cold air. Hermione loosened her outer robes and draped them over her chilly body. She draped one limp arm across her shoulder while Yumiko supported the other.
"Be careful, Yumiko. It's a long climb down..." Hermione warned as she and Yumiko started their descent down the stairs.
Meanwhile, Ginny sobbed in relief when she made out Hermione and Yumiko grabbing Pixie away from the edge. She hugged the kitten close as her tears of relief fell onto her soft fur. She and Tabitha waited patiently for their friends to reach down the stairs.
Now they just had to return her to her room before anyone else would find them out here...
Harry and Draco held hands as they strolled near the lake, waving to the giant squid that was lazily wading in the water.
Draco watched Harry sit down on the green grass and inhale the fresh air blowing his way. The wind caressed his dark locks, brushing them gently across his forehead and the nape of his neck. His bronzed skin was slightly flushed from yesterday's activities and littered with fading hickeys with the rest hidden under the thick school robes. The blonde boy smirked reminiscently at the sweet fresh memory of the way his lion had responded to his urgent hot touches, rough caresses and passionate kisses.
Draco sat behind Harry and wrapped his arms around his chest. Harry sighed in contentment and leaned back into Draco's warmth, his hand gripping onto his lean arms.
"Are you absolutely sure I didn't hurt you last night?" Draco asked softly, kissing Harry's cheek, "I fear that I have been so selfish to take it out on you...I was pretty rough with you...I have to be sure..."
"Dragon, there's no need to worry. You didn't hurt me...to tell you the truth, I really enjoyed the mild pain that came with it," Harry reassured him and returned with a gentle kiss of his own, "I think we both needed it..."
"But you seem very quiet today, lion," the Slytherin remarked and he hugged the other boy tighter, "I should've been more gentle..."
"I'm fine, really...if I didn't want it, I would've stopped you last night," Harry pulled Draco's arms closer and nuzzled against his pale neck, "I just...I'm just feeling worn out from what has happened. These past days hasn't been easy for us both..."
"Hey...you know what, it's peaceful today. Let's go for a ride on our brooms," Draco suggested. He watched Harry's weary face light up slightly, "Up for it?"
"You do realize that I'm going to kick your sorry arse if you're going to challenge me to a race..." Harry grinned, his mirth starting to return.
"Oh no, my dear Gryffindor...it is you whose arse is going to be kicked," Draco smirked and leaned down to kiss his boyfriend before taking his hand and leading him back into the castle.
"How much farther is her room, Hermione?" Ginny struggled under Pixie's weight, "I don't know how long I can hold her up..."
"I can see the door, Ginny. Girls...just a bit further," Hermione grunted and hoisted the unconscious girl so that the other two girls could move, "Now just help-"
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! I HAVE LOOKED EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!"
The three girls stood still with frightened eyes and found a fuming Madame Pomfrey approaching them from behind.
"What are you doing with my patient?! And why are you out of bed, young lady?!" the school nurse demanded. Then her hardened features softened slightly when she noticed that Pixie wasn't responding to her.
"No, Madame Pomfrey, we wanted to put her back into bed! We found her outside on the Quidditch Pitch and she could've fallen off the spectator booth if it weren't for Hermione and Yumiko!" Ginny pleaded, hoping that the angry woman would see the truth.
"Please Madame Pomfrey, there's something really wrong with her...she looked like she was sleepwalking and she was delirious, calling out Shawn when he wasn't there. She couldn't see or hear us and she is terribly flushed...wait...her heart is racing...what the-" Hermione suddenly felt Pixie's body twitch and convulse and she began to choke and gasp, "Pixie!"
"Don't drop her! She's having a seizure!" Madame Pomfrey commanded as she deftly scooped the girl in her strong arms and carried her into her room to place her on the bed.
The three girls meekly followed behind to watch the nurse take out a small vial of potion and tipped it into her mouth. The convulsions stopped and Pixie was laid under the covers, the IV tube reinserted into her arm.
Madame Pomfrey sighed with relief and turned to the three girls gravely, "Tell me again how you found her...I was shocked to find her door unlocked, her bed empty and the IV tube taken off..."
Hermione stepped forward and repeated what she said earlier, "We found her up on a spectator booth in the Quidditch Pitch. She looked very unsteady on her feet and she didn't respond to our calls. Her eyes were vacant and had a faraway stare...it was scary..."
"She kept on calling for Shawn too and she had a flush all over her..." Yumiko recalled worriedly.
"I felt her heartbeat increase abnormally before she convulsed...what's wrong with her?"
"So her strange condition was indeed caused by a poison...I can't believe that someone deliberately want the child to suffer..." at this, the girls gasped in shock. Madame Pomfrey shook her head in disbelief as she made her deduction, "The question is what poison is it?"
"Tabitha? What's wrong?" Ginny knelt down and found the little kitten crawl under the bed while trying to reach for something. She squinted her eyes and found a test tube just lying out of reach. She picked it up and showed it to the rest of the group, "Tabitha found this underneath the bed. Could it be a clue?"
"Wait...I see something inside..." Yumiko took the test tube, finding a single red drop resting at the bottom, "What is it?"
"Plesse give it to me, child..."
Yumiko handed the test tube to the nurse who held it close to her nose and sniffed it lightly. She reeled back after recognizing the heavy sweet scent.
"Madame Pomfrey, what's the matter?" Yumiko picked up on the worried look on the school nurse's face.
"This is what poisoned her...thank goodness I always carry a standard healing potion with me...if she ingested any more, she'll never survive, given her weakened condition..." Madame Pomfrey rested her hand on her heaving chest.
"What has she been poisoned with?" Ginny inquired.
"The juice of nightshade berries..." the nurse said grimly, "These berries are extremely poisonous and they are dangerous since they taste deceptively sweet...now I am convinced that you girls told me the truth of her condition...her delirium...the rapid heartbeat before the seizure...it all makes sense...I just hope her body could fight off this poison until I get an antidote ready to cleanse it out of her system. Please excuse me, I'll be back shortly."
The three girls were left in a dense silence as they tried to absorb the news, looking at each other in horrified incredulity.
"What's going on here?"
They found Harry and Draco by the doorway, their brooms at hand and their faces filled with apprehensive worry...
"Yes! Finally! The potion is done!" Getafix proclaimed with exuberant relief as the liquid turned into a pure white colour while it simmered in the cauldron. The druid then ladled a scoop of the thick creamy liquid into a small bowl, "How's the young lad, you two?"
"He's stopped kicking and punching so I guess he has finally calmed down, Getafix," Asterix observed the boy in Obelix's arms. The young Ravenclaw looked exhausted in his unconscious state as his chest weakly rose and fell with each wheezy breath, "His breathing's getting softer."
"We must keep calm...what matters is that he's still alive, Asterix," Getafix patted the shorter man's shoulder as he neared Obelix and Shawn, "Asterix, tilt the boy's head so that I can coax him to drink it. Obelix, support his neck and body...hold him nice and steady."
The two warriors did as they were told as Getatix carefully poured the potion down the boy's throat, stopping once in a while to make sure that every drop was drank. All the while, he made gentle cooing noises when Shawn whimpered or began to struggle.
After a few minutes, the bowl was finally empty and the boy was once again laid down on the padded table. Asterix and Obelix waited by the druid's side to see any signs of improvemets on the boy.
There were none.
"Getafix, it's not working," Asterix said anxiously, "You've used each ingredient precisely and followed each step as you should and-"
"The antidote hasn't started working yet, Asterix," Getafix interrupted him, "It's up to the boy to fight back until it takes effect. We can only wait. He has a very strong soul...I know he'll pull through."
"Asterix?" Obelix looked at him with frightened eyes.
"Yes?" Asterix turned to look at his friend.
"He's...he's not going to die, is he?" Obelix asked in a whisper.
"That, Obelix..." Asterix looked up to the stony ceiling with an unreadable face, "Is something that I can't answer..."
Shawn felt something soft and billowing against his cheek and a gentle warmth raining on his body. It smelled like home...freshly mown grass...the sweet scent of ripe blackberries and fully bloomed roses.
"Where...where am...I?" Shawn wondered as he fluttered his eyes open and pushed himself up.
He was no longer drowning in the dark abyss but nestled in the middle of a spacious meadow. The lush viridian green thick grass was dotted with colourful wildflowers, creating a rainbow coloured carpet. The fleeting pleasant perfume of the flowers and honey filled the air. The sky was azure blue and the golden sun shone brightly in warm rays. Bluebirds flew in the air, chirping their melodious songs. One of them landed on Shawn's shoulder, cocking its head at him and staring at him with its shiny tiny button eyes. It flew away shortly after Shawn stroked its soft feathers on its chest. A cool breeze blew by his cheek, ruffling his brown hair and tickling his skin pleasantly. A spring was situated nearby. The crystal clear water had water lilies with pink and white flowers floating on the surface.
"How beautiful...is this Heaven?"
A soft chuckle belonging to a grown man echoed in answer.
"Not really, but you are close. These are the divine Fields of Caelastra, my chosen son of Ravenclaw..."
"Huh?" Shawn frowned...why did the warm voice sound familiar? He had heard it somewhere before. But he had a more pressing question, "How did I end up here?"
"I saved you from the darkness, my son...I cannot allow the darkness to claim your soul and spirit..." the boy turned to see a majestic wolf with dark eyes. Its silvery white fur shone in a lustrous shimmer and its eyes were filled with hidden wisdom. Shawn gasped and backed away, intimidated by the creature, "Do not be afraid...I won't hurt you. I am Archarnas, we have met before, my son..."
Shawn's eyes widened in recognition as he recalled what he researched in the library with Yumiko and when he was bestowed his weapon before the battle...so the cloaked stranger was...
"Y-You were in the Forbidden Forest...it was you who gave us those weapons..."
"Indeed, I am. Your memory serves you well..." the wolf nodded in acknowledgement and seemed to smile.
"Then...then can you explain about...this..." he spread his arms wide to gesture the field, "And...how can you talk to me even if you're in animal form?"
"I communicate with telepathy. Right now, you are in a place that situated between life and death, my chosen son of Ravenclaw. The Fields of Caelastra are the epitome of an utopia...a true paradise," Archarnas paused and looked deeply at Shawn, "Individuals pass here before going further into the afterlife. You, however, are one exception."
"What do you mean?" Shawn asked confused.
The wolf led the boy over to the spring, whereupon a ripple formed and the lilies sailed smoothly to form a ring, "Because, my son...something...or rather...someone who is precious to you is preventing you from leaving to the next world."
"I still don't understand..." Shawn shook his head, looking very lost.
"It is best that you see things for yourself...to make a choice..."
"A choice?"
A soft glow erupted from the centre of the ring of water lilies. An image was slowly forming in the circle. Although it was too dark and fuzzy to see, they could make out several people surrounding a bed. Shawn watched the white wolf transformed back into his human form, dressed magnificently in his white and gold robes and glittering headband. The staff materialized in his gloved hand. He held out his other hand to Shawn.
"Come, my son of Ravenclaw...you may want to see this..." Archarnas said gently as he was about to step into the pond.
Shawn hesitated slightly but resolutely nodded and grasped Archarnas's hand. Together, they stepped into the glowing ring in the spring water and disappeared...
Archarnas and Shawn found themselves in a very familiar room. Shawn vaguely noticed that the occupants weren't aware of their presence.
"They...they can't see me..." Shawn looked down to see his hands. They were transparent and it freaked him out slightly.
"You are in spirit form, my son," Archarnas explained.
"Wait a minute...this is Pixie's room..." Shawn felt a strange tension building up in his heart...he turned to Archarnas, "Why did you bring me here?"
"I think you should pay close attention..they may not see or hear us but we do..." Archarnas said solemnly, gesturing to the bed, "This is what's happening right now..."
"Here...the antidote should be able to dispel the traces of the nightshade berry juice from her system..." Madame Pomfrey injected a peach coloured liquid in another section of Pixie's arm.
The young students watched avidly as Pixie's breathing evened out and her face relaxed. Harry and Draco by then had abandoned their plans for a quick broom ride, their concern for Pixie overriding everything else.
"Perhaps it's a hidden blessing that the magical jewel is embedded in her...the magic has helped delay the full effects of the poison to a certain extent...thank goodness..."
"I swear I'm going to kill the bastard who did this!" Draco clenched his fist.
"Hush, Mr. Malfoy!" the school nurse harshly reprimanded the Slytherin, "What matters is that she's safe...I'm going to report to Albus about this...you three girls have to come with me..."
"Is she going to be okay?" Harry had to ask.
The school nurse smoothed back the sleeping girl's hair before turning to Harry, her face wary and grim, "I...I don't want to give false hopes...I honestly don't know how she will really be until I can examine her when she wakes. Even if her system's clear of the poison, her body is greatly weakened. And I don't know exactly how much poison she injested...if it's severe, there is a high chance she'll end up paralyzed, have respiratory problems...or even fall into a coma..."
The young students didn't know what to think after digesting this bit of news. The possibility of the girl being riddled with these potential ailments gave unhappy and unpleasant thoughts. A pale Ginny turned to Yumiko and Hermione who pulled her in for a tight hug.
After some quiet coercion, Madame Pomfrey guided the three girls out of the bedroom and they followed her to the headmaster's office. The boys were left alone in the dim bedroom.
"Why...why...she doesn't deserve this..." Draco whispered brokenly as he sat on the bed, reaching out to grasp Pixie's lax hand.
"Draco..." Harry murmured sadly as he heard the sniffles and the haggard sobs. He moved to hug Draco from behind, offering as much solace as he could while also trying to reassure himself that Draco was still with him. He knew that his words couldn't soothe the worry for their friend in the Slytherin's heart...
Harry felt the taller boy tremble in his arms but said nothing and just tightened his embrace. But before long, the Gryffindor himself began to shiver with suppressed tears, the stress finally hitting him hard. Draco felt the tremors and shuffled around to embrace Harry.
"I don't know how much I can take it...I can't stand it..." Harry looked up to his boyfriend, looking more vulnerable than ever, "It hurts...it hurts, Draco... I don't want to lose more friends..."
"Harry...shhh..." Draco kissed Harry's forehead as soothingly as he could even though he was still crying himself.
A soft mewl interrupted the moment. Draco looked down to see Tabitha with sad, begging eyes. Draco's expression softened as he pulled away from Harry slightly and took the tiny cat into his embrace. He pulled Harry back to him again and kissed his hair. Tabitha mewled sadly as she curled up against the two boys, looking very lost and afraid.
"We'll be right here, Tabitha..." Draco said, pulling the kitten closer.
Shawn could hardly believe what transpired before him. Archarnas looked at the boy with deep sympathy etched in his onyx eyes. The powerful wizardly guardian watched the young Ravenclaw pass by the two boys and the kitten and kneel by the girl's bedside.
"Pixie?" he gasped at the sight of the patient on the bed, "No..."
It was if the vision he saw in the abyss had become a sickening reality. Pixie looked so frail and delicate. He thought that she would've been truly dead if it weren't for the minute rise and fall of her chest under the thick sheets and comforter. He could hardly hear her breathe...it was so quiet like a summer breeze.
He reached out a hand to on her sunken cheek. But it passed through her. His eyes were downcast.
"Oh I forgot...I'm still in spirit form..." Shawn mumbled to himself. He turned to look at Archarnas with distraught eyes, "What happened to her?"
"That young girl was the most adversely affected when she heard the news about you, my son. Over time, she isolated herself, eating and drinking less each day passing. She was weeping for you endlessly. She harboured the guilt upon herself, truly believing that she was the cause of putting you and the others in danger. From what I gather, other people who admired you and your friends from afar took out their rage unfairly on her and even went as far to further endanger her life..." Archarnas pointed to the girl's bandaged arm, "That is only the first of her wounds, my son..."
"What...wounds...Pixie...why? It's my fault...it's my fault that she ended up like this..." Shawn murmured to himself, his heart furiously aching in his chest, "I am the true cause of her suffering...it's all my fault...the voice was right..."
He bowed his head in shame as he collapsed on the floor on his knees. Fresh tears pooled in his bespectacled eyes. They trickled down his cheeks and disappeared into sparkles before hitting the floor.
"Even after I hurt her feelings in the Quidditch Pitch...she never stopped believing about us and our friendship. I pushed her away when she needed me the most...all because I was so blinded by Amanda's attention to notice her pain and sadness...she wanted me to be happy so she kept herself away from me...even if it hurts her..." Shawn recalled the happy times they had together before everything changed on that day in the Quidditch Pitch...they had wasted so much time apart...and it was because of his selfish doing, "I never knew how much I truly love her until I heard that she was going to Lord Voldemort to keep Harry safe...I could've been there to stop her..."
"You cannot change what had happened, my chosen son of Ravenclaw..." Shawn looked up with tearful eyes to find Archarnas kneeling in front of him, his gloved hand gripping his damp chin, "All you can do is to look forward..."
"I don't deserve her...her friendship...or even her love..." Shawn lowered his eyes, "It would've been better if she found someone else who would love her for who she is and to protect her..."
"Then...is this how you want it to be, my son?" Shawn looked back up in questioning and found Archarnas with a serious frown on his handsome face, "You are now standing at the crossroads. You must make a choice: leave the girl behind and go on to the next world or return to her and tell her what's in your heart..."
Shawn looked back and forth from Archarnas and Pixie lying on the bed.
'She deserves someone better than me. I played with her heart...but she never looked at anyone else except me...'
'Shawn...don't go...we need you...I need you...' Shawn was shocked when he heard Pixie's soft, pleading voice in his mind.
"Pixie?" he turned to Archarnas in alarm, "What's going on?"
"You are hearing amplified thoughts of the two parties vying for your decision..." Archarnas explained, "This is an affair I cannot interfere with. As I said, it is solely your decision...choose wisely..."
'Please don't leave...don't leave me behind all alone...you have so much to live for..."
'No...pay no heed, Shawn. You want to go to Heaven, don't you? You can forget all about her and find your true love in Heaven,' a foreign voice echoed in his ear. It sounded kind yet it made him uneasy when he detected an underlying condescending tone, 'She never deserved you in the first place..."
'No...please...I beg of you! Don't go! I beg of you...' Shawn could hear the pleading sobs rising.
'Leave all the strife of life behind you...you have suffered enough. Don't you want to meet your soulmate in Heaven?' the honeyed voice whispered with seduction, 'She's the most beautiful angel you've ever seen...you mustn't waste this opportunity...'
'I'm so confused...' Shawn thought, feeling more depressed than ever.
He closed his eyes and took deep breaths to calm down. Archarnas observed the turmoil evident on his charge's face. He hoped that Shawn would be rational enough to find where he truly stood...
'That silly girl is holding you back...you don't need her when you can have everything you could possibly want in paradise!"
'Shawn...don't go...I love you!' Pixie's voice rang out in his mind before breaking into echoing sobs.
At that moment, a calm, serene look appeared on his teary face. Shawn knew what his choice was. He took off his glasses and wiped away the remaining tears. He stood up and looked up straight at Archarnas.
"Have you made your decision, my son?"
"Yes," Shawn said without hesitation.
"There is no turning back once the choice is made..." Archarnas warned him, "Are you sure this is your final decision?"
"I'm positive," the boy nodded with determination, his bespectacled eyes lingering to the prone figure on the bed, "I want to go...to her..."
Archarnas caught the softened look and smiled...he knew that his chosen son of Ravenclaw was smart..but most importantly, he thought with his heart...
A growing warmth started to emanate within Shawn's chest. Then a bright flash surrounded the whole room.
"Wha-What's happening?" Shawn asked in surprise.
"There is nothing to fear, my son..." Archarnas drew the boy close in his cloak, "You will be taken to your destination..."
Shawn closed his eyes to shield from the blinding light...but he found himself floating...and he felt so drowsy...he needed to close his eyes for a while...
Archarnas's eyes crinkled with warmth as he released the unconscious boy from his embrace.
"I am so proud of you...my chosen son of Ravenclaw..."
He watched the boy disappear into sparkles...
Hermione and Ginny returned to the common room in heavy silence before flopping onto the plush armchairs near the fireplace. After reporting to Professor Dumbledore, Yumiko had left earlier with Chris, clearly drained from the day's events. The siblings promised to meet up together for supper with them and the rest of their group to get to know each other better.
Just like Yumiko, the two girls felt exhausted and at the same time, they were angry and incredulous on why the perpetrators wanted to hurt their friend. Just then, they heard the portrait door open and several girls entered chatting excitedly amongst themselves. Hermione and Ginny perked their heads up just in time to see Lavender heading their way
"What's the commotion, Lavender?" Hermione inquired.
"You just missed out on serving justice to the criminal who hurt Harry and the others."
"What do you mean?" Ginny furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"We were told that the white cloaked girl that was always lurking in school was the culprit for making Harry and the others get into trouble and end up in the hospital wing, girls," Lavender looked pleased with herself as she talked in a hushed voice, "Oh, we have set her straight alright..."
"What exactly did you do?" Ginny's eyes were flashing dangerously but Lavender was too absorbed in her excitement to notice the glowering glare directed at her.
"We decided to teach her a lesson she wouldn't forget. We saw through her lies and pretense so we threw stones at her," Lavender explained, "Parvati and I went along with some of the other girls but the coward threw us off guard and ran away after blasting us with a spell. She's a total freak!"
Murmurs of agreement echoed behind Lavender. Hermione and Ginny were now seething with anger and glaring daggers at her. Lavender shifted uncomfortably under their hardened gazes.
"What did I say?" Lavender inquired her housemates.
"How dare you...how dare you...and you...and you..all of you do such an atrocious thing?!" Hermione shouted as she shoved the other girl after standing up and pointing at all the present girls who went quiet, "Joining in and hurting her like that! You have no idea what she's been through and you blooming lot made it worse!"
"Don't you have a heart?!" Ginny agreed.
"She deserved it for bringing Harry and the others into danger," Lavender said, startled at her housemates' anger directed at her.
"How reliable was this messenger?! What you heard were malicious rumours, Lavender!" Hermione tried to reason, "Who told you this?"
"We've only just heard it!" Lavender fiercely defended.
"Some Gryffindor you are...you disgust me..." Ginny said bitterly as she walked out of the portrait door, "I need some fresh air..."
Hermione roughly ushered Lavender to the small crowd of girls and crossed her arms across her chest. She had a lot to say. Knowing that the news about Pixie was bound to spread like wildfire sooner than later, she decided to set the record straight...
"I will tell you all this...Pixie happens to be Professor Dumbledore's granddaughter..." Hermione relished the growing shock on the girls' faces, especially with Lavender's pretty face turning white, "They aren't related by blood but he treats her as close family...would you like to know what happened to her after that lesson you taught her?"
Hermione took the tense silence as consent to continue.
"She had been poisoned by the juice of nightshade berries. Apparently some of you still hold a grudge against her for what she supposedly did to Harry and stealing affections of a Ravenclaw student, Shawn Livinsky...what petty and immature excuses...I never thought that you girls really detest her so much that you wanted to endanger her life..."
"P-Poisoned?" Parvati squeaked, "B-But we wouldn't go that far...that's too much..."
"We only wanted to scare her and-"
"Well, you did a bloody good job!" Hermione exclaimed, her rage escalating to new heights, "Because of you lot and whoever it is you're all conspiring with, she is stressed and malnourished. The worst part is that she truly believes your poisonous accusations! My good friends and I had to stop her from falling off a spectator booth in the Quidditch Pitch because she was trapped in a hallucination that she couldn't save the boy she loved!"
By then, most of the girls were cringing and looking down at the ground with growing guilt and shame. It took a while for Lavender to find her voice.
"You mean that..."
"She is very ill...her body is weak...her spirit is crushed...and her heart is aching...what did she ever do to you to make you all repay her by pelting her with stones...you're all spiteful bullies...that's what you are...that's what I see before me..." Hermione shook her head in disbelief, "Madame Pomfrey says that if the poisoning is severe, she might end up paralyzed, have respiratory problems or...may not even wake up..."
"But..." Lavender was now beside with great remorse at her recent actions, "You don't suppose...Hermione, I...we didn't mean-"
"Don't come near me. I'm ashamed to be in your company right now...I just hope that you lot have come to your senses after telling you what I know..." Hermione said softly and headed to the portrait door, "Until we are certain that Pixie makes it through alive, I don't consider you all my housemates and friends..."
With that, Hermione departed to join Ginny, leaving Lavender, Parvati and the other girls worried and horrified at the turn of events.
"What have we done..." Lavender's lamentful voice echoed in the common room, "No..."
To be continued...