Chapter 37
Saying goodbye the morning after the Boggart incident wasn't easy. Although Eliza had only woken a few times during the night she still felt exhausted. The usual stress of last minute packing and chaotic Weasley temper made her feel slightly at ease though, some things never changed.
"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE?" Yelled Mrs Weasley breaking Eliza from her thoughts. She joined the adults in the hallway, the first student there.
"Right, Eliza, you're to come with me and Remus, leave your trunk and Biscuit, Alastor will deal with that." Eliza nodded at Mrs Weasley's words and smiled slightly at Tonks, whose disguise was an old woman.
"Ready, Eliza? You're going first and then I'll follow with Harry and the others." Tonks said brightly. Eliza nodded again as Remus joined the group and opened the door.
The walk to Kings Cross was almost silent, Mrs Weasley appeared to be building up the courage to say something to Eliza but her nerve appeared to have failed her. As they neared the station Remus turned to his god-daughter.
"Now, Eliza before we go in, you need to remember that the Daily Prophet has been saying lots of things about you and Harry, we know they're not true but that doesn't mean that everyone believes you. You may get a bit more attention than usual, stick with Harry, Ron and Hermione during the day and use the blanket at night- hopefully it will help with your sleeping but…but Eliza, it is imperative that you tell someone if you're struggling. Be careful what you put in a letter, if it's important go to Professor McGonagall and she can help you or get a letter to us, ok?" Eliza nodded feeling a tear form in her left eye. Mrs Weasley knelt down in front of Eliza, as if she was a toddler.
"You need to remember that you're not alone, Eliza, while there's a Weasley on this Earth you will never be alone!" Mrs Weasley pulled Eliza into a hug and the young witch barely flinched. Remus watched the two witches' embrace with a relieved smile.
The trio made their way onto the platform and Eliza was surprised at how full the space seemed to be, they lingered on the platform for a few minutes until Harry and the others arrived.
Eliza listened with half an ear as the others said goodbye, she would miss them all. As Mrs Weasley began to give random hugs, Eliza whispered a quiet thanks to the adults, the platform was noisy and she thought no one had heard until Snuffles nudged her hand with his nose and licked her.
The journey back to Hogwarts started out pleasant enough, Luna and Neville joined the group in the compartment and conservation flowed easily allowing Eliza to have a short nap resting her head on the window.
Neville watched Eliza sleep and turned to Harry.
"Eliza looks tired, how is she?" He asked quietly,
"Tired." Replied Ron, in an unfamiliar voice of concern.
"She's getting better though." Said Hermione carefully.
The compartment door opened suddenly and Draco Malfoy walked in,
"So Potter, how does it feel being second best to Weasley?" Malfoy sneered looking down at Harry; Eliza woke as she felt the atmosphere in the compartment change. The sight of Draco Malfoy accompanied by his goons was not a pleasant one.
"You look a little tired, Potter, nightmares perhaps?" Malfoy's sarcastic comment was joined by a determined step towards Eliza, all of the Weasleys, Harry, Neville and Hermione raised their wands but Eliza's wand acted alone and spun round to shoot red flames at the intruder, Eliza reached to the floor to grab it as the Slytherin's ran from the compartment, Malfoy dousing the flames on his robes as he went.
As Eliza grabbed her wand it scalded her and she dropped it quickly, Hermione was clearly thinking fast and pointed her wand at the still flaming Ebony stick.
"Finite incantatum!" She said in a determined voice, the wand stopped firing immediately.
"How did you do that?" Asked Luna looking awestruck, Eliza ignored her and instead picked up her now slightly cooler wand.
"It's malfunctioning isn't it, Eliza? Professor Dumbledore is going to have a look at it tonight." Hermione's smooth lie seemed to plicate Neville and Luna but the other occupants of the carriage looked uneasy, Hermione kicked Ron in the shin to try and get him to close his mouth.
The rest of the journey was filled with Exploding Snap which George had suggested no doubt to cover the awkward atmosphere amongst the group. As they arrived in Hogsmeade, Eliza stuck close to Fred through the crowds, Ginny and Harry were momentarily lost in the chaos but Eliza and Fred waited to re-join them before walking towards the carriages (George had left to find Lee and Katie).
As they approached the carriages Eliza saw something move in front of them, she jumped slightly and Fred noticed.
"Alright Eliza?" He asked quietly, Eliza pointed at the movement in response. She walked round to the front of the carriage and was startled to see a skeletal looking flying horse pulling the wheels. Convinced she was seeing things she reached out to touch the horse and was surprised the feel the horse's skin under her fingers. Harry was next to her and had mimicked her actions.
"What in Merlin's name are you two doing?" Said Ron, who had already climbed into the carriage.
"Looking at these horse things obviously." Said Harry still looking at the horse.
"What horse thing?" Asked Hermione.
"This flying horse thing that Eliza and me are patting!" Spat Harry looking annoyed.
"There's nothing there." Said Ron looking at Harry as if he had lost his mind, "the carriages pull themselves like always, and can we go now I'm starving!"
"You can see it can't you, Eliza?" Asked Harry, Eliza nodded she could even see the horses reflection in Harry's glasses.
"I see them too; they've always pulled the carriages. You're just as sane as I am." Said Luna drifting towards them and offering the horse an apple.
Eliza, Harry and Luna climbed into the carriage together, Harry looking entirely unconvinced by Luna's words. As they approached the castle Eliza looked out of the window and was unsurprised yet annoyed that she didn't get the usual feeling of comfort from the sight of Hogwarts.
Eliza allowed the conversation in the carriage to wash over her; she was looking at the horses pulling the carriage and barely noticed when they arrived at their destination.
"Come on, Eliza." Said Hermione as she stepped down to the ground, Eliza followed her and felt her nerves intensify as they entered the Great Hall. They sat down on the Gryffindor table and Eliza only caught a word of two of the sorting hat's song. The sorting began and Eliza paid no attention.
"Eliza, you're rubbing your wrists again." Whispered Ron, so quietly that no one else at the table heard him; Eliza looked down at her arms and saw that the bandage was indeed falling away again. She pulled down her sleeves and nodded at Ron, grateful that he hadn't caught the attention of anyone else.
When the new Professor stood up and interrupted Dumbledore's speech the increase of noise in the hall caused Eliza to look up and pay attention. The speech gave Eliza a feeling of unease that she could tell Hermione shared.
Eliza picked her way through the meal, half-heartedly listening to Hermione's analysis of the speech.
"Come on Eliza, have a bit more." Ron whispered again, this time Harry and Hermione noticed but only Harry chose to comment.
"You love Shepard's pie Eliza, just have a bit more." Eliza glared daggers at him and he backed down. Eliza did love Shepard's pie, but that didn't mean she had to eat lots of it when she really didn't feel like food!
As Dumbledore dismissed the students Eliza saw Professor McGonagall making her way towards her. Ron and Hermione left to help the first years but Harry, Ginny and Fred stayed seated waiting until the rush of students had lessened.
"Miss Potter with me, please." Professor McGonagall said as she reached them, Harry and Fred stood up with Eliza and surprisingly the teacher didn't comment.
"Madam Pomfrey wants to check on you, follow me." Eliza, Harry and Fred followed Professor McGonagall in silence; she led them to the hospital wing. When they arrived Eliza indicated to Harry and Fred that they should wait outside, Harry looked set to argue but Professor McGonagall cut across him.
"We won't be long, Potter." She said, ushering Eliza inside.
Madam Pomfrey was standing by an empty bed arranging a tray of Potions. When Eliza and Professor McGonagall entered, she looked up at them and pointed Eliza to the nearest bed.
"Right let's see how you're getting on. Are you sleeping?" Madam Pomfrey asked with a quill and parchment floating mid-air in front of her. Eliza looked at the ground and tried to control her blush as she nodded.
"So that's a no." The matron muttered to the quill that began flying across the parchment, it reminded her of Rita Skeeter's Quick Quote Quills.
"Are you eating normally?" Eliza nodded, with a bit more substance.
"Not quite." Replied Madam Pomfrey.
"Let me see your wrists." Eliza sheepishly pulled up her sleeves to reveal the bandage wrapped haphazardly round her wrists, the nurse waved her wand and the fabric fell away to reveal red and broken skin but no blisters, Eliza was quite pleased with their progress.
"Getting there, let's put some cream on and re-bandage them." Eliza nodded and the three witches stood in silence as Madam Pomfrey worked.
"Now I just need to check your Potion tolerance so swallow this." Eliza took the Potion and swallowed it without question, after a few moments her face began to turn blue. Madam Pomfrey waved her wand and Eliza's normal blushing colour returned.
"As I thought, you can't have any sleeping potions, your tolerance is too high now. If things get too bad you'll have to spend the night in here." Eliza's eyes widened in shock, there was no way she was spending her nights in the hospital wing.
Before Madam Pomfrey could proceed the doors to the ward opened and Professor Dumbledore walked in.
"Good evening Eliza, Miss Granger has informed me that your wand nearly ignited Mr Malfoy." Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling and Eliza had the feeling he was trying not to smile.
"May I examine your wand please?" Eliza nodded and pulled the stick out of her bag.
As the headmaster examine the instrument, Madam Pomfrey began to give Eliza advice on how to overcome nightmares, Eliza only listened with half an ear, she was beginning to feel tired again.
"You have a distressed wand, Miss Potter." Said Professor Dumbledore as he passed the wand back to its owner, "I would suggest only using it in class, I will inform your teachers that you will have less time to practice so…" Dumbledore stopped talking as the doors to the hospital wing were once again opened, this time Professor Umbridge walked in.
"There you are Miss Potter; I have been looking for you in Gryffindor Tower. I'm afraid that I am going to have to give you a detention, Mr Malfoy told me about you attacking him on the train and I'm afraid that such behaviour can't go unpunished now, can it?"
"I hardly think that is necessary, Professor Umbridge, I have been informed that Mr Malfoy raised his wand first." Professor Dumbledore spoke softly yet with determination.
"Be that as it may Headmaster, Miss Potter was the first to act, if you apologise now Miss Potter I may reconsider." Eliza remained silent and avoided eye contact with the new teacher.
"Dear me, well then I have no choice, I will see you in my office tomorrow evening at 7pm, Goodnight all." Professor Umbridge left the room and the occupants of the hospital waited until the sound of her footsteps had lessened before speaking.
"Eliza, I believe that Professor Umbridge wanted an excuse to get you in detention to discuss the events of last year. It is however imperative that neither you, nor any of your friends let slip that your wand is acting of its own accord. Professor Snape modified Mr Malfoy's memory but that may not be possible a second time. Do you understand?"
Eliza nodded feeling only slightly annoyed that she had earned a detention after only a few hours of being in Hogwarts.