Chapter Twenty Five: Recovery

A/N: The previous chapters have been updated with more information added to most if not all chapters. Please enjoy. -QN

It had been a couple of months since the incident. Emalia was back at home; she had not returned to Beauxbatons. Albus had decided that she should not return there for second year. He had arranged for her to attend Hogwarts to finish her education. There he would be able to keep an eye on her, along with all the other Professors.

They would be his eyes and ears on Emalia's situation. Not that he would really rely on them for that too much, he was always aware of what was going on in the school. Plus, it would be easier to get her to St Mungo's if needed.

Surprisingly, Emalia had not put up much resistance when Albus informed her that she was going to be attending Hogwarts. Emalia cracked a small smile when he told her that, had it been a year ago she would have been bouncing off the walls with joy. However, with the recent happenings, she did not show as much emotion as before.

In fact, sometimes it seemed to Albus that Emalia avoided strong emotions all together. It was something Albus worried about frequently, but he did not want to push it. Every time he mentioned it, Emalia got visibly upset and her features started to shift from human to the harpy-like form.

Albus knocked on Emalia's door. 'Emalia my dear, it is time for us to go to St. Mungo's' he said as he gently opened the door. Emalia was sitting in a chair facing the window, watching the sun shine through the flecks of dust on the ground.

Albus's eyes fell, and he remembered back to St Mungo's Hospital a couple of months ago, how the potion Celeste had given him had burned Emalia. The pain she felt when she drank it. It was hard for him to watch, to see her writhing in pain as the healers looked on in terror wondering what had happened. Eventually the screams stopped, and Emalia looked up at Albus through tear-filled eyes.

It had been a turning point. She wasn't cured of the curse Corisande had put on her, but for the most part his foster daughter was back. She was more reserved in her emotions, almost scared at first, but Albus had been trying to coax her out of that. Success had not come until one night where he accidentally, but maybe on purpose, drank a potion that changed his beard a vibrant purple colour.

Upon seeing this, Emalia erupted into a fit of giggles which then lead to peals of laughter. Albus began to chuckle along with her until he too had tears of joy in his eyes. She had the most infectious laughter, a delightful sound that made his heart soar with joy. From that moment on Emalia allowed herself to feel her emotions a little more. The only downside was that she had to consume this potion every two weeks for the rest of her life.

Albus could have brewed the potion at their home, he was by all means quite an accomplished wizard and he had been told that he could have been a potions master if he had wished. He did not want to take the risk, he wanted to ensure that she got the best help. The healers at St Mungo's were highly educated and trained in that regards.

When she started in Hogwarts, Severus Snape would be taking over the mantle from them, but the healers would always be on call. Emalia had formed a close bond with a few of them. She called them her friends more than her healers. Albus had ideas that Emalia would then maybe be turned towards the profession of a healer. She would certainly be suited to it.

Emalia turned around to face Albus when he opened the door, a faint smile on her face. Her face blurred slightly. Albus frowned slightly, the potion should not be waring off yet. He walked over to her and held out his hand 'Time for us to be on our way, Bonnie is waiting for us' he said smiling. Emalia smiled; her whole demeanour brightened. Albus chuckled to himself. Bonnie and Emalia had bonded during her time in St Mungo's.

Bonnie was a young healer, she like Emalia had a previous infliction. She had been thrown into cursed fire when she was young, and her body was 90% covered by scars. She had been the one who had coaxed Emalia out of her quiet, unfeeling solitude. Bonnie had been able to reach Emalia where Albus could not. They both had that shared connection. They had both been cursed.

Albus and Emalia travelled to St Mungo's by the Floo Network. Bonnie was there waiting for them on the other side, her warm smile a welcoming sight for both Albus and Emalia. 'How is my favourite person doing?' asked Bonnie brightly 'You're looking good, I hope you're excited to be starting Hogwarts in a couple of weeks?' Emalia looked at her and sighed. 'I suppose Bonnie.' She said in a flat voice. 'I don't really feel much about it if I am being honest.'

Bonnie's smile faltered slightly when she heard Emalia speak. She looked over to Albus with a quizzical look. Albus shook his head with a sad smile. Bonnie looked back at Emalia and wrapped her arms around her in a big warm friendly hug, 'Don't you worry Miss Em, all of us here are excited for you' she said her warm smile returning. She spun around to Albus and spoke to him 'Mr. Dumbledore, Healer Strout asked me to kindly request that you join her in the tearoom. She would like to discuss some things with you.'

Albus nodded and turned to Emalia, 'I will be back shortly but if you need me, ask Bonnie and she will find me' he said. Emalia looked up and him. She squeezed his hand gently, letting him know that she would be fine.

Emalia and Bonnie walked together; Bonnie nattered away trying to get a reaction from the young girl walking beside her. Emalia refused to budge, a small smile or a sigh here or there but nothing more. Bonnie handed Emalia a small glass that contained the potion she needed. 'Ok missy! Sit your bum down on that bed. Drink that potion and have a little lie down. We need to make sure that you don't get a dizzy spell' said Bonnie cheerfully. Emalia did as she was asked. Bonnie looked at her and smiled, but behind the smile Emalia could see the worry. Or was it pity? She couldn't tell, nor did she care. She just wanted to take this potion and go home.

While Emalia was mulling over her own thoughts when a letter flew into the room. Bonnie caught it, ripped it open and read it quickly. Her eyes widened, 'I'm sorry Emalia, I have to go' she said 'Emergency on the third floor. I will be back as soon as I can.' Bonnie smiled at Emalia again and ran out the door.

Waiting for what seemed like hours, Emalia got fed up. The potion didn't make her feel dizzy. She felt agitated. So she decided to go for a walk. 'Probably not my smartest idea' she conceded to herself. Mungo's could be a busy and potentially dangerous place. 'I'll just go to the tearoom' she muttered to herself 'Maybe I can get a pumpkin pasty'.

Emalia wandered around the hospital floor she was on, searching for the elevator. Eventually she found it and got in. There were a few others in the elevator. Some visitors, some healers and some were potentially patients, but Emalia didn't really care who was who. It was only when she got onto the elevator, she started to feel a little dizzy.

She leaned against the back of the elevator, until the next stop. Which she thought was the tearoom, but as it turns out it wasn't. She wandered up and down the hall. She didn't know why; she knew she was on the wrong floor and that the tearoom was probably on the next floor up. But there was something pulling her to the ward at the end of the corridor.

The ward at the end of the corridor was full of people who had suffered irreversible damage from spells. In it, the small frail woman still sat looking out the window. In front of her she had carved another two words into the windowsill with her nails.

'Emalia Potter'