Last time:
"I've got my wand. It broke as I escaped" I cried out in between the waves of pain I felt going through my body as she vanished from in front of me.
"Goodbye Isabella I love you" I heard my mother say as I felt myself slide back into my body. My eyes flew open and I sat upright as air rushed into my lungs as I took a deep breath. I cried out as I tried to move and my body irrupted into agonising flames of pain. My vision started to go fuzzy as I heard several loud pops and several voices calling out my name. I briefly saw Professor Dumbledore run through the trees before I fell backward onto the forest floor unconscious.
Present: Continuing from Chapter 23 Izzy's still in St Mungo's (December 3rd)
(When Izzy or Viktor speak in Bulgarian the speech will be in bold)
I groaned as I opened my eyes. I'd been in St Mungo's for two weeks now and I just wanted to home. Wherever home was though I didn't know and it scared me. I sighed and pushed myself up on my arms so I wasn't so flat on the bed. I looked up just as Viktor walked into the room. He saw me struggling to sit up and rushed over to help me.
"Thanks" I whispered softly to him when he sat down next to me. He shook his head at me and told me not to worry about it.
"They've announced that there is going to be a Yule ball at Christmas Isabel" Viktor said with a stony expression on his face. I laughed softly at his expression. I knew all too well that Viktor hated dancing. He had two left feet and couldn't dance for toffee.
"You survived a dragon Viktor it's only a bit of dancing" I said teasingly as I patted his shoulder. He grumbled at his predicament.
"I can teach you to dance if it'll make you feel better about it" I offered causing him to smile broadly at me. He nodded and hugged me gently. I leaned back against my pillows as a Healer and my father walked into the room. I sighed knowing what they were about to do and turned so I was facing Viktor and sat sideways on my hospital bed. Viktor looked at me sadly and took my hands in both of his as my father held up the back of my pyjama shirt. I cried out and squeezed Viktor hands tightly as the Healer tried again to heal the three gashes I had on my back that went from my left shoulder to waistline of my right hip. They were made by really old and dark magic and the healer was finding it difficult to heal them with his magic. My arms where littered with scars and gashes that were either healed or bandaged up because the healers skills were useless against the dark magic they were made by. The Pain stopped suddenly and I heard the Healer sigh sadly from behind me.
"I'm sorry but there's nothing more I can do I'm afraid. The Magic that created theses is centuries old and I too powerful and dark for me to try and fight I'm sorry" The Healer said as I felt my back being covered by a couple of bandages and tape. Tears trickled down my cheeks as my back continued to burn long after the Healer left the room saying I could return to Hogwarts as long as my back was checked regularly. I was dreading going back to Hogwarts and having to face everyone. Having to face Fred…
"I asked Hermione to get some of your clothes in case you came back today." Viktor said handing me my black and white patchwork rucksack. I muttered a small quiet thanks before slowly getting of the bed and walking to the bathroom to get changed. I smiled when I opened my rucksack and found my comfortable black skinny jeans and my red converse. She'd also put my black spaghetti strap top and my large red off the shoulder shirt that had the words so what in black bold writing on the front. I made a mental note to thank Hermione when I next sore her for the clothes as I changed careful of my back and arm which was as worse as my back. I folded my pyjamas and put them back in my bag after brushing my hair with the brush Hermione had also thrown in. My mother's necklace however still sat undisturbed around my neck.
"I have to leave now Isabel but I will save you a seat at the feast later" Viktor said hugging me carefully before leaving quickly. Despite what I was wearing my scared and bandaged arms where still visible and so was part of my back. Another cut the healer couldn't heal sat just above my right eyebrow and was hidden slightly by my hair but to those who hadn't seen it before it was very obvious.
"I'm so glad you're safe" My father said hugging my carefully as soon as Viktor had left the room. I melted into his embrace and the comfort it provided. I pulled away from him a couple of minutes later when he suggested that we should get going. I sighed when he offered me his arm to take so we could apparate. I braced myself for the strange sensations that came with apparateing as I grabbed hold of his arm. I nearly collapsed to me knees when everything stopped moving and we landed in his office. He caught me quickly and held me till I was steady enough on my own feet.
"You shouldn't apparate for at least a couple of months Isabella" he said concern clear in his tone as he let go of me carefully. I nodded knowing he was right just as Hermione came running into the office. She stopped at the site of me and beamed at me before turning back to my father.
"Their ready for you now" Hermione said as my father nodded and led me towards the door of his office. Hermione linked my arm through hers while my father gripped my other hand. Both helped to steady me as we walked out of my father's office towards the great hall. My legs ached and were bruised and cut badly although not as bad as my arms. I stopped outside the closed doors of the great hall and let go of my father's hand as he opened the two great hall doors in front of us. I tried to ignore the gasps and the staring that followed as I walked with Hermione towards where Viktor was sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table closet to the doors. Whisper's followed me and Hermione as we walked towards Viktor who got out of his seat so that he could help me to sit down. Once I was sat down my father walked down towards the teachers table as the rest of the Gryffindor table were left to stare at my battered form. I sighed as I sat in between Viktor and Hermione and opposite Harry, George and Ron who paled when my eyes met his. If my bandages didn't say I'd been through hell my eyes certainly did. My eyes Hermione had told me looked haunted that I'd seen more and been through things no person should. I sighed happily at the sight of the food appearing in front of me just as Hermione asked me something. I turned to talk her but my words caught in my throat when my eyes met a pair tortured green ones a couple of seats down the table…
A/N: So she's returned to Hogwarts! This chapter is a bit of a filler so I'm sorry guys! I didn't write about the first task because it took place a couple of days after Izzy and George were kidnapped. Things are about to get much more interesting I promise with the Yule ball coming up and Izzy's return. Fred will start to appear more and more in the following chapters so stay tuned!
A.K.