Anne POV

I woke with a silent scream. Trying to empty my mind, not wishing reminisce on the contents of my nightmare.

I let the tears storm as I remembered everything. Everything reembedded in my brain. All I did was cry and cry and cry, until I felt arms wrap over me.

I fought back with everything I had, kicking, biting, scratching, and sobbing. The arms continued to hold, like a steel trap around me. I feel limp, giving up once more. Just sobbing. I couldn't do anything. The salt water blurred my vision, deeming me blind.

I cried until there were no tears left to shed. My eyes stung. That wasn't all that hurt me. My chest was pained. My ribs felt snapped. I could feel the sting come from my legs. I could feel the bandage on my forehead. My throat burned with an intensity I couldn't explain.

My vision finally cleared up, I realized I was sitting on someone's lap. I screamed silently and started fighting again.

"Shhh . . . Anne it's alright, you're alright. I promise you're safe." I stopped, listening to the comforting voice. I continued pushing and pulling weakly at the arms. I felt a hand brushing through my hair and I cried, begging the person to let me go.

Finally, the arms indulged me. Their grasp released me and I shot away from the person. I hit a wall, still unable to clear my vision. I groped the wall and tried to get away. I just dropped in a heap on the floor, waiting till I could see once more.

I looked around and spotted a figure sitting above me. I flinched and inshed away. As my vision became clear, I saw who it was . . . my father. He peered down at me, concerned. He opened his arms wide for me and for once I didn't jump into them. I stayed, against the wall, breathing heavily.

Suddenly the curtain swung open, Poppy strode in. She twisted her head around till her eyes landed on me. Her eyes ran from dad to me. She seemed to nod in understanding. She walked meticulously over to me, like approaching a wild animal. I flinched as she got closer. She sat on the floor three feet away from me.

She smiled kindly at me, handing over a vial. I looked at it and grabbed it from her quickly. I uncorked it and took a whiff. I looked from Poppy to my dad, it was a calming potion. It was not likely that I would take that. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I grasped my throat.

Poppy frowned at me, "Dear, you need to take that potion. If you do, I'll give you a healing potion for your throat. Your vocal cords were damaged." I shook my head wildly and grasped my throat, backing away from her. "Anne please. Please, you need both. Trust me. I would never, never hurt you. It's alright."

Tears dropped from my eyes. I shook my head wildly. She just sighed and looked back at my dad. When she looked away, I slipped behind the curtain. I found I was in another cubicle. I turned slowly and saw him. I would have screamed bloody murder, but a strangled noise just erupted from me. The curtain behind me swiped open. Poppy and dad just looked at me sadly.

I backed away from the bed that held a monster captive. I backed right into Poppy. I flinched at her touch. I felt like a circled animal. I backed away and grasped my throat, wishing I could tell them to leave me alone. I backed away till my back hit the wall once more. I was cornered.

Dad walked slowly over to me, kneeling before me. He looked me in the eye. Willing me to calm. He nodded his head at me, breathing in and breathing out. I followed the pattern. Breathing in. Breathing out. Breathing in. Breathing out. He slowly reached his hand out, resting it on my shoulder softly. I flinched non the less.

He nodded at me once more. He slowly pulled me closer, my breathing increasing. He stopped, cautiously. Breathing in. Breathing out.

I nodded, breathing in, breathing out. Breathing in. Breathing out. He pulled me closer, into his tight embrace. He held my head to his chest, as he had down so many times before, allowing me to listen to his heartbeat. I slowly felt myself calming. I felt I was being moved and my head shot up.

"Shhh, shhh. It's alright. We are just moving to a chair." I laid my head back down and tried to relax. When he sat down I looked back up, but more calmly. "Anne?" I nodded my head, not looking him in the eyes. "Can you please drink those potions? They will help you." I shook my head. "Please, Anne." I thought. I wanted the pain to go away. Maybe the potions will help. I nodded my head. "Poppy," I heard him say. I heard clinking and then he handed the two vials to me. I drank the calming potion, it felt nice trailing down my throat.

I uncorked the second vial, sniffing it. I couldn't place it, but I trusted them. I think. I gulped it down quickly, the taste burning my throat. I squealed. Grasping my throat tightly. Dad just rubbed my back until the burning dulled, seconds later all the pain that ached in my body dulled significantly.

I relaxed as the pain ran from sight. I tried to test my voice, "W-wh . . . w-wh-y." My voice had a deathly scratch to it. He continued to rub my back. "Don't strain yourself, your larynx was damaged. Can you figure out another way to explain?" I nodded. I pointed to the curtain I slipped through minutes before. He seemed to understand.

"He was injured, too. That's why he's here. He didn't have control of himself. I know it's not any consolation, but . . . I don't know, don't blame him. You have a right to, though." I nodded, wanting to change the subject.

"S-s-s . . .u-s" He took my face in his hands, quickly. "Anne, stop. You're going to hurt yourself worse. Are you asking about Susan?" I nodded my head sadly. "She went home. With her parents. She was the one who found you. Do you remember?" I nodded and shook my head soon after, hoping he would understand. "You remember a little, but not everything?" I nodded.

"Anne?" I nodded my head into his chest telling him to proceed. "I'm sorry this happened to you. I shouldn't have brought you." The tears fell from my eyes before I could stop them. He held me tighter and I let myself fall into the horror of my dreams.

Anwen Burton POV

I sat comfortably on my couch reading the daily prophet. Felix, my husband, was sat reading his own copy.

"Do you think Reginald is enjoying his last year, Anwen?" I sighed, setting my paper on the table, "I think he will enjoy it. I hope he and Grais Payne stay together as well. I like that girl. I'm just sad my baby boy is growing up so fast. It seems like just yesterday we took him to King's Cross for the first ti-" An owl swooped in and stopped me short.

The barn owl dropped a letter on my lap and left as quickly as it came. Felix looked at me curiously, nodding at me to open it.

"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Burton,

I regret to inform you that Reginald Burton has been in an incident, a serious one. I will further explain, but not in the letter. Please come to the school immediately. Reginald is in a stable condition, not seriously injured. The floo to my office is open. Wishing you safe travels.

Albus Dumbledore"

"Oh dear! Oh dear! What do we do?" I looked at Felix, terrified. "Calm Anwen, calm. We go to his office, like he instructed us to do. We stay calm and we find out what has happened to our boy. Alright. Let's go." I nodded and followed him to the fireplace. I stepped in next to him as he called our destination.

We stumbled out and into the wondrous office of Albus Dumbledore. We spotted him sitting behind his desk. He motioned to the seats before him and we took our seats quickly.

"HeadMaster Dumbledore what has happened to Reginald-" Dumbledore held his hand up to me. "Anwen, calm. Rambling will not help the situation. I know you love your son, but this is a delicate situation." I nodded my head nervously. "Unfortunately the night before last a love potion was administered to your son. A powerful one. I have yet to decipher which. He didn't start showing the symptoms until he locked eyes with someone, Mary Anne Walker. He attacked the girl, not intending to hurt her, but did non the less. One of our prefects restrained him with the help of another student. Ms. Walker is in a state of shock. After he had been restrained, two prefects set off to get the help of a professor. It was in the early hours of yesterday morning. The prefects found their head of house. Their head of house was working on a project with his daughter when they found him."

"Excuse me, sir, why is that important?" He just sighed intently, "You will see."

"Prefect Lewis and Capper found the pair. Professor Snape sent Prefect Capper with his daughter to retrieve the antidote because his daughter knew where it was. Professor Snape went with Prefect Lewis to give your son a calming potion before administering the antidote. Your son did not swallow the calming draught. When Prefect Capper and Ms. Snape arrived, your son caught sight of Ms. Snape and believed her to be Ms. Walker. He snapped and ran straight for her."

"Excuse me, sir, why did he react that way? I thought love potions make you very slurred and dopey." He sighed again. "Mrs. Burton, I understand your curiosity, but please allow me to finnish. To answer your question, we don't know what type of potion it was. It could have been a dark love potion for all we know, but it made him . . . allow me to continue please."

"He took the girl. For the entire day. No one could find them. We didn't know what type of dangerous situation we were dealing with, so we sealed the students in their common rooms until we found him. We didn't get far, until one student, two actually figured out their whereabouts. We found them. Prefect Capper was with them when we arrived. She had to stun your son because of the circumstances and Ms. Snape was in critical condition. Prefect Capper has been sent home. She was in a worse shock than Ms. Walker after what she witnessed. Ms. Snape is now in a stable condition, she has woken up now, but the damage is most likely irreparable. Emotionally, I mean. Your son has yet to wake, we don't know if he'll remember what he did, but if he does . . . you can expect the emotional pain to be . . . significant."

I looked to Felix with concern. "HeadMaster, what did he do?" Dumbledore looked to my face sadly, his face greatly pained. "I'm sorry to inform you of this, but . . . your son . . . he raped her."

I gasped deeply. The tears dripped from my eyes, Felix grabbed my hand and spoke up. "Surely you must be mistaken. He would never." Dumbledore closed his eyes sadly. "He did, but he wasn't in his right mind. He didn't know what he was doing. Our concern now is if he remembers what he did. That could have catastrophic repercussions." I nodded.

"Can we see him?"

Felix and I followed Dumbledore down the hall. We soon reached the Hospital Wing. I saw two cubicles surrounded with fabric. Dumbledore took us to the closest one. He swung open the curtain, allowing us in.

I saw my baby laid dormant under the sheets of the bed. A bandage on his forehead. He looked pale. I seated myself beside him, stroking his hair. Felix just stared at him as though he was a stranger.

Suddenly Professor Snape walked in, looking quite stressed and tired. I looked up at him sadly and suddenly remembered what my son put his daughter through.

"Professor, I'm so sorry." He just shook his head at me. "It's not your doing Mrs. Burton. Nor was it Reginald's. I know that now. I admit I wasn't as forgiving when I found them, but we have discovered the true perpetrator." I looked up at this, interested.

I was furious, "Who? Who did this to our children?"

"I can't yet indulge that information with you-." Dumbledore cut him off, "Severus, it is fine. They have a right to know." Professor Snape nodded cooly.

"Macilyn Bulstrode. She sent the love potion in chocolate candies to your son."

Felix began muttering to himself and I waited until he spoke up, "Bulstrode. You don't mean Cygnus Bulstrode's daughter?" Snape nodded.

I knew Cygnus and Felix were close at work. I decided to focus more on the issue at hand, "Professors, how do we proceed?"

"I would suggest we wait until the boy wakes up. If he remembers we have two options, let him remember and work through it or . . . obliviate him, I wouldn't suggest doing this though."

Even if he didn't 'suggest' it, why would he mention it. "Although if he wakes up and doesn't remember, we just need to keep him away from the other victim." Snape tensed at that. I looked up at him inquiringly, "How is she?" He looked at me coldly, but then softened slightly.

"Not very good. She is . . . very tense, shaky, and . . . just terrified. Took her a long time just to let Madam Pomfrey and I near her." I nodded sadly, "How old is she?" He looked up once more, tears pooling in his eyes. "How old is she?"

"She's nine." I gasped and started sobbing, "I'm so sorry." He nodded at me and swept out of the cubicle quickly.

"Mum?" I quickly stopped my weeping, steadied myself, and wiped away any trace of my crying. "Yes, baby." I smiled at him as his eyes fluttered open. He smiled back at me for a split second, then it disappeared. The brightness in his eyes quickly left and horror replaced it.

"Mum . . . what did I do?" He looked around wildly, hyperventilating. "Reggie, calm down-" He shook his head wildly, "No, no, I'm a monster! . . . Oh, that poor girl. What have I done?"

I don't know what took over me, but I raised my wand, "Obliviate."