(A/N: Back again! Hope you like. Just want to warn you it may get a little jumpy in the end.)
Chapter Thirty Seven
In the ten minutes it took Crabbe and Goyle find Professor Snape and the next ten to get him to the Founders' Rooms the blackness had spread from just around the wound to cover his entire shoulder and things were getting worse.
"Can't somebody turn up the heat?" Chris asked through chattering teeth.
"You're cold?" Harry asked.
"Freezing." Blaise arked up the fire and Chris relaxed a little.
Hermione gingerly touched the affected skin and did her best not to cry out, the black skin was ice cold while the rest of his body was burning.
Hermione got up and walked over to the others, "Have you seen anything like this before?" She whispered to the others.
"And why would you assume I have Granger?" Draco hissed back.
"Guys, I've got Centaur poison in my arm, I'm not deaf and my powers are still working. What the-" he groaned loudly as another bout of nausea washed over him, "fuck, is wrong with me?"
"Like you said Chris, you've got poison in you. Don't worry, Snape will sort you out."
The first thing Snape was greeted with when he came through the door was a heat wave.
"What is going on here?" Snape demanded.
"Severus!" Draco rushed forward and grabbed his Godfather's arm and dragged him over to the couch.
Snape knelt beside Chris, looking at the wound, "What in the name of Merlin happened here?" he demanded, gently prodding the blackened skin.
Chris slapped his hand away with a hiss of pain, "Hurts."
"I don't doubt that Christopher, now tell me what happened."
"Run…Morning...Forest… Centaurs… Arrows… Ow." Came the disjointed response.
"You went for a run this morning and ended up in the Forbidden Forest, where centaurs shot at you with arrows. Correct?" Chris nodded. "What did the arrow look like?"
"Sharp and pointy." Came the semi sarcastic response.
"Granger, Potter, go find the Headmaster, Weasleys one and two, go to the hospital wing and fetch Madame Pomfery."
"Yes Professor." And with that four hesitant Gryffindors raced out to do as they were asked.
"Black what in Merlin's name were you thinking?" Snape demanded once the door had closed.
Pushing himself up on his right elbow a little Chris groaned before replying, "Not thinking Sir. Running."
"It's called the Forbidden Forest for a reason Christopher."
"Yes Harry already pointed that our Draco, thank you for reminding me." He snapped, collapsing back onto the couch with a pained gasp.
"Black I'll thank you not to move again." Snape said.
"Don't worry sir." Chris said, "Don't plan on doing that again."
Little Tiny Line Break # 121
"Madame Pomfery!" Ginny called as they ran into the Hospital Wing, "Madame Pomfery!"
Poppy ran out of her office, "What is it?"
"We need you to come with us, Chris, he was shot with a poisoned arrow, his skin's turning black and Professor told us to come get you!"
Poppy went to the cupboard and grabbed some potions, "Alright, show me where he is."
Little Tiny Line Break # 122
Dumbledore was standing in the hall talking to Professor Flitwick, "Professor Dumbledore!" Harry called.
"Mister Potter, Miss Granger, what can I do for you?"
"Chris has been shot, the arrow was poisoned…Professor Snape told us to come get you."
"Show me where he is."
Little Tiny Line Break # 123
By the time Professor Dumbledore and Madame Pomfery reached the Founders Rooms the blackness had spread down to his elbow.
Poppy ran to his side, "Mr Black was this like this before you left this morning?"
"Do you," He said taking another couple of deep breaths, "really think," another couple of deep breaths, "that if my skin was turning black I'd leave the infirmary?"
"No need to be smart, now I want you to drink these, they'll help with the fever and might alleviate some of the pain."
"Might?"
"Just drink them." Using his right hand he downed both the potions, coughing at the taste.
"Why can't potions ever taste nice?" Chris asked.
"Because you don't deserve nice tasting potions Mr Black." Poppy said, "I'm just curious, what is it with you and poisoned arrows?"
"Can't you just cure me and stop asking questions?' Chris asked, the only thing he could feel in his left arm was that it was cold.
"Harry, go to Hagrids and alert him to what's going on. Go with him and look for an arrow so perhaps Professor Snape might be able to brew up an antidote."
Chris forced his eyes open, "Might? What do you mean might?"
"Well we don't know what's wrong with you exactly, and we won't know until we know what poison you've been given." Poppy explained.
"We'll go with Potter." Came the response from Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle.
"Why?" Ron asked.
"Because he's our friend Weasley," Pansy spat, "and Slytherins look after their own."
"He's a Gryffindor you pug faced bitch."
"What did you call her?" Blaise snarled.
"A. Pug. Faced. Bitch." Ron repeated.
A fight broke out between the other students with the teachers trying to separate them, forgetting for a moment the injured boy on the couch.
Chris' head was pounding, damn war drums, where'd his left arm go? It was as if it wasn't there at all.
"Guys-" he called quietly.
The fight kept going.
"Guys!" he said a little louder this time.
And the fight kept on going. And going, and going.
Chris was starting to panic even though he knew panic wasn't good, panic was something that uncapped his powers. Growling, he looked up and as a last resort screamed, "JOHN, BRING YOUR ASS DOWN HERE AND DO YOUR FUCKING JOB!"
Blue orbs formed and the figure of Chris' whitelighter appeared, his eyes widened when he fell on his charge, "Chris what the hell happened?"
"My arm…" he whimpered, "I can't feel it."
John completely ignored the fight behind him, and knelt beside the young Halliwell, "Chris tell me what happened?"
"Shot by a centaur. Poisoned arrow."
"Your arm…why the hell is it black?"
"Poison." Chris said, waving his right arm in the others' direction, "They're supposed to be finding an antidote."
"So what are they doing?"
"Ron called Pansy a 'pug faced bitch' and now they're IGNORING me!"
John held his hands over the wound, the golden glow seeping over the arm, the arrow wound was starting to heal, the wound closed over but the blackness remained.
"I've healed the wound but Chris, this poison, we need an antidote."
"Mr White, when did you get here?" Dumbledore asked.
"Just now Albus." John replied, "What are you doing to help him?"
"We need to go down to the forest, speak to the centaurs, find out what the poison was so Severus can brew an antidote."
"Alright, so who's coming with me?"
"I'll go." Harry said.
"Right, you here." John ordered. Harry moved to John's side, "Chris, I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Right." Chris nodded, shifting uncomfortably on the couch. John and Harry orbed out and Chris flushed a brilliant red.
"What is it?" Hermione asked.
Chris bit his bottom lip, this was way too embarrassing, "Can someone help me up?"
"You're not supposed to move." Snape said.
"Well," Chris hissed, he flushed a brilliant red again, and when it seemed his non-black skin couldn't get any redder it did, "unless you want me to pee on this couch…"
Draco, looking positively mortified at the prospect of Chris peeing on the couch motioned to Blaise and the two of them helped him to his feet. Chris leaning heavily on the Slytherins, made his way out to the bathroom.
A few minutes later Draco returned and said that they'd put Chris in one of the bedrooms. Everyone moved into said bedroom, Dumbledore turned to Snape and Poppy, "Severus, Poppy, I will take my leave now, please inform me if his condition changes."
With that Dumbledore walked out, Poppy looked over the wound, "So, Mr White healed the arrow wound I take it?"
"Yes." Chris said, "while you were all arguing and my fingers were turning black."
"Now, now, no need to snipe."
"My hand is turning black Madame Pomfery I think I have every right to snipe!"
Little Tiny Line Break # 124
John had orbed himself and Harry to Hagrids and after the briefest introductions they'd all set off into the woods until they came across Morrigan, Bane and Firenze who were all arguing quite loudly.
"Excuse me!" Hagrid called.
The centaurs turned to the trio, "Hagrid what are you doing in our forest?" Frienze asked.
"Somebody shot one of the students."
"It was me." Morrigan said, "The foal was trespassing and he was rude!"
"Chris is sick." John snapped, "Whatever you put on that arrow has turned his whole left arm black!"
Firenze turned to Morrigan, "Poisoned arrows? You know that is not our way."
"It was an experiment." Bane said testily, "The wizards are always developing things, we had our rights too."
"So you shot the foal?" he shouted, "Do you have an antidote to it?"
Morrigan nodded.
"Get it!"
"No."
Firenze reared onto his back legs, "Get it."
Morrigan turned and a few minutes of silence later he returned carrying a parchment with ingredients on it. (Do centaurs write like humans? I don't know so for now they do okay?)
John snatched the parchment from the centaur and grabbed Harry's arm, "Hagrid, I need to get to Severus, are you right to back to the school grounds?"
"Yea, don't worry 'bout me. Just go help Chris."
John and Harry disappeared in a swirl of blue and white orbs and reappeared in the Founders' Rooms.
John thrust the parchment into Snape's hand, "Make it now."
Snape shot a look back at Chris and then walked briskly out of the room, his robes billowing behind him.
"Ah, is he supposed to be sleeping?" Goyle asked.
They all turned to the boy on the bed, who was, undoubtedly asleep, "Chris," Hermione shook his shoulders, "Chris wake up."
Chris stirred but didn't wake, he was so far in dream land he barely registered their voices.
Dream
"My little Raven, are you coming?"
Chris looked up, "I'm almost done Godric."
"Rowena what are you working on?"
Chris brushed a few strands of hair behind his ear, "The flesh replenishing potion for Salzar, it's almost done, I've got the potion right this time." He said as he finished writing and closed his book.
Switch Dream
"What are you doing here?"
"Wyatt?"
"Chris you can't be here?"
"Where is here?"
"The afterlife you moron. What happened? Wyatt's eyes narrowed on the arm, "Why is it black?"
"There was an incident. It's fine."
"You're in the afterlife Chris, it is not fine!"
"John got the antidote, Snape'll make it up and I'll be fine. I'll probably be in detention for the rest of my life but I'll be fine."
"You need to go." Wyatt hissed, "Now."
"Can't I-"
Wyatt hugged Chris and pushed all his power into sending Chris back.
Another dream
Chris was standing face to face with Barbus, "Well, well, well, what have we got here? Itty, bitty Chrissy all on his own? I wonder what you fear? "
"You don't scare me." Chris snarled.
"Oh we'll see about that."
And another one…this is the last…
Pettigrew was kneeling before him, "Master? What are we doing in Hogwarts?"
Chris grinned at Harry and Snape then looked coldly down at Pettigrew, "Severus was able to get me Harry Potter, Wormtail to be honest, you disappoint me."
"Master, I'm sorry!"
Chris looked down on him, and said, 'crucio' using all his powers to make Wormtail believe that he was in fact under the Crutacius."
"You know Wormtail," Chris said with an amused smirk, "There is a way you can redeem yourself."
"How master?"
"The minister for magic is at this school, reveal yourself to him."
"But master if I do that they'll know Sirius Black was innocent.
"That's the point. I have plans for Black, perhaps he will be more useful then his brother was."
"But-"
"Are you loyal to me Wormtail?" Chris asked, a promise of pain laced behind the question if answered incorrectly.
"Yes Master, always."
"So do what I tell you, lest I punish you more. Now go with Severus and I will deal with you later." He grabbed Harry by a chain that was around his neck, and proceeded to drag the Boy-Who-Lived around the corner before the chain disappeared and the two teens burst out laughing.
Little Tiny Line Break # 125
Severus Snape rushed up to the Founders' rooms into the room where Chris was, seeing Chris was asleep he pulled out his wand.
Back in Chris' dream- so I lied.
"Harry this is the most important part of the plan, we need that hand."
"I can't go back there."
"We have to. Wormtail's hand is how we'll clear Sirius' name Harry. It's the only way."
"You don't understand!"
"No, you're right, I don't. But I know you want revenge on Pettigrew. Focus on that. Use it. We'll get the hand, I'll use the potion and we'll summon him."
"But can you summon him away from Voldemort?" Harry asked, "And keep him away from him? More importantly, how will you control him?"
Chris smirked, "I can do it. Trust me Harry, I wouldn't do this if I wasn't sure I could do it."
Wake up time.
Snape pointed his wand at Chris, "Eneverate."
Chris' eyes snapped open, "Whassgoinon?"
"Ah, your usual coherrent self I see." John grinned, he took the vial from Snape, "Drink this."
"Don't wanna…" Chris shook his head.
"Chris, do you want to feel better?"
The feverish witch nodded, "Yeah-"
"So drink it okay?"
Using his right hand he grabbed the bottle and downed it in one gulp and almost brought it up in the next breath as fire pounded through his arm. Chris cried out as the fire was replaced with pins and needles.
"How does that feel Mr Black?" Poppy asked.
Chris looked down at his blackened fingers and willed them to move, "Pins and needles, but I can feel it again." He said with a sleepy grin.