Poppy POV

We searched for her continuously. We still couldn't find her. Severus was growing more stressed by the minute.

"Severus, clear your mind. Where does she normally go to hide?" He looked painfully lost. He thought deeply, but no relief seemed to find him. Suddenly, he looked up, hopeful. "The Astronomy Tower."

He began running and I tried to keep up with him. We ran outside trying to reach the entrance to the tower. I looked up suddenly and spotted a form in the tower. The form was sitting on the edge. "Severus, look." I pointed towards the tower and he gasped.

The form plummeted as if it was in slow motion towards the ground. I just watched, unable to jump into action. Severus though, immediately ran forward. He pointed his wand to the falling form and it stopped just above the ground.

I suppressed the sob that rang through my body. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't see her, but I knew deep down who it was. I heard Severus mutter the stunning spell. He turned to me, looking absolutely distraught, worse than during the episode he had in my office a month ago.

"Poppy, please . . ." He closed his eyes, stuttering. He gasped, trying to hold back the tears that pooled in his deep eyes. "Severus, just do it. Albus has no . . . he has no reason for you not to now. She's too young. People much older than her . . . can't even handle this burden. I'll tell Albus now. Take her back to the Hospital Wing and perform the charm." His eyes met mine sorrowfully.

I swept away from them, knowing he didn't need a witness of his pain. I walked with purpose towards the HeadMaster's office. I was furious with that meddling man once more. Why this time did he wish to follow the rules? When things affect him directly he never wishes to abide by them.

I shouted the password at the gargoyle, carrying myself quickly up the winding staircase. Not bothering to knock, I strode into the office. Albus sat at his desk with Minerva standing in front of him. They both looked to me, shocked that I just barged into the room.

I glared with a great fury towards Albus. He just sat, accepting my ferocious anger.

"My I ask, Poppy, what required such an entrance?" I allowed my mouth to gape at him, narrowing my eyes. "Albus, you are absolutely mental! That's what required such an entrance! You should have let him obliviate the girl, that's what required such an entrance!"

Albus sighed painfully, "What's happened?" The fury was emitting off me in great waves.

"Anne has pitched herself off the Astronomy Tower is what's happened!" Minerva gasped in horror and Albus at up straighter, looking aghast. Tears began to fall from Minerva's eyes slowly, "So the wee lass is gone, is she?"

"No. She's fine. Severus caught her in time. But . . . it wouldn't have been an issue if you had just let us obliviate her! You let those parents obliviate their son, but why not her!?"

He just allowed me to yell at him, waiting patiently for me to finish. "Poppy, I had my reasons. The boy, well he remembered doing something awful, wretched, to a child. He thought himself a monster. There is no way to recover from that because of the remorse he felt. I told them I wouldn't suggest it, but it may have been necessary. The reason I didn't want to proceed with Anne was because it is against the laws to obliviate someone unless they have proven to be harmful to themselves or others. Severus has been treading light water in caring for them. Fudge has been looking for anything to call him out on. I believed Anne, with time, could handle this. But as we have been shown, I was wrong."

I closed my eyes, sighing deeply. I nodded my head. I was still furious with the bloody coot for being a meddlesome, old fool. "I need to go check on my . . . my patient." I sniffled a little and strode out quickly.

I hurried quickly from the room, towards my place of practice. I was there within minutes to see Severus laying her back in her cubicle. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, so unhurt. She could have been such a happy child, but truth be told, Albus ruined her life. I hope that Bulstrode girl goes to hell. She placed an enormous pain on two people, a pain that spreads to the people around them.

Severus just watched her quietly, as if expecting her to move. The tears flowed out of his eyes like rivers. The pain on his face, manipulated by the actions of others. The sorrow, so unbearable to witness.

"Severus, you need to do it . . ." He looked up to me and motioned towards the girl. I nodded kindly and raised my wand. I looked at the girl, wondering if I should modify the memories to make them appear more realistic.

"Obliviate." The white light erupted from the tip of my wand. I focused on what I wanted her to forget. All of the past three days. Then I went to the blank slate of Tuesday, I went to the morning. I saw her walking up the stairs with Ms. Capper.

Manipulating the memory, I changed it to her tripping and falling back down the way she came, making the image go black. I pulled out of her mind, gasping at the horrid images I saw flash by.

I heard a relaxed sigh come from the bed before me. She smiled in her sleep. I nodded at Severus and walked from the compartment. I heard rustling from the cubicle on the far end of the Hospital Wing. I swiped open the curtain gently to see Reginald sitting up in his bed.

"How are you Mr. Burton?" He smiled politely at me. "I'm alright. A bit peaky, actually." I nodded at him and called a house elf to deliver him food. "Madam Pomfrey, when will I be allowed leave? Other than not remembering this week, I feel fine."

"I know you feel fine, but I have just been wanting to keep you for observation. You may leave tomorrow morning, if you wish. You won't have classes though, they've been canceled." He looked confused, "What do you mean canceled? They are never just canceled."

I thought deeply of what I should say, "There was an incident. The teachers had to take care of it. They just decided to cancel for the week." He nodded in understanding.

"Well, I guess I got lucky that I got injured when I did. At least I won't have to make up any work." I smiled at him ruefully, he didn't understand. I nodded at him, "Well, I'll leave you to your meal. Call back the house elf when you're done and she'll take your plate." He smiled at me once more before I swept out of the cubicle.

Anne POV

I felt . . . a distinct feeling of emptiness. What day was it? Yesterday I . . . yesterday was the first day of classes, wasn't it? But it felt so far away. Like there was a gap, but then a fuzzy memory came to the forefront of my mind.

I was walking up the stairs in the Slytherin common room with Susan. We were going to help someone. Then all of a sudden, I was falling back. Back down the stairs. It hurt. Pain. Everywhere. The falling felt so familiar.

Then, with a horrendous thud, everything went black. My eyes slowly fluttered open, I waited patiently for the image before me to come into focus. Dad was sat in an armchair reading a book quietly. His eyes flickered up to meet my own. He had a questioning look in his eyes that I didn't quite understand, but he seemed to relax a little my confusion.

"Where am I?" He smiled at me. "You're in the Hospital Wing. You had a great fall down a long staircase. Hit your head, you have been out for a few days." I gaped at him, I didn't understand, "A few days! I remember falling, but something about it didn't feel right. I don't know, maybe I was just disoriented. Well, obviously I was. I fell."

He smiled at me, almost nervously. His eyes kept flickering away from mine. "Where is Susan? Did she see me fall?" He shook his head. "Susan isn't here. She went home for a while. To see her friend in the . . . state he was in, was quite frightening for her." I nodded, but the questions kept running off my tongue.

"Is that boy alright?" He nodded once more. "What about Harry, where is he? I want to see him." I started climbing out of the bed, but an aching pain stopped me short. My legs, arm, throat, and chest all ached painfully.

He smiled sadly at me and immediately handed me a vial, pain killing potion. I gulped it down quickly and sighed as the warm liquid soothed my aching body. I smiled at my dad brightly. "Can I see Harry now?"

"Slow your roll, kiddo. I'll retrieve Harry and bring him to you, if you wish to see him. But not now. I know you are wide awake now, but it is three in the morning. Harry best be asleep now." I nodded upsetted.

"Dad, you said I was out for a couple of days. How many? What's today?" He happily answered. He was acting odd, almost surprised. "You've been out for three days. It's Friday. But you've been healing, so don't fret over it." I nodded.

"Are you alright? You're acting . . . I daresay, odd. Has something happened?" He looked down, but shook his head. "Dad?" He looked up at me sternly, "Anne just trust me. Nothing has happened."

I was slightly taken aback by his outburst, but visibly showed my understanding. He sighed deeply, "How about I go wake Poppy, I can have her make sure you are alright to go, then we can go home and make some potions." I nodded my head ecstatically, wanting to get out of the wretched Hospital. I was happy that I would get to see Poppy though.

Dad swept out of the curtain. Before he did leave he looked back at me nervously, as though I would leave. He was acting fairly odd. He seemed just so . . . I don't even know how to explain. He was anxious about something though. I knew I had to find out what.

Well, maybe I shouldn't. When I found out about Harry's godfather I was distraught. Maybe if he's hiding it from me, there's a good reason. There was before. But I still longed to know what had happened to make him act this way.

Dad and Poppy walked into the cubicle, dad sighing deeply at seeing me there and Poppy smiling brightly at me. I returned her gesture, happily. "Well, it is nice to see you awake, dear. Let me check over you and then you are free to go, dearie."

She did a few quick spells and read over her parchment meticulously. She smiled brightly after reaching the end of her writing, "Well, you seem quite healthy. Just take one more dose of that pain killing potion at lunch today, will you? Good. Take that and you should be fine. Come back and tell me if you are having any . . . abnormal symptoms." I smiled and nodded.

I reached my hand out for dad to take, he smiled at me and we left. I waved to Poppy as we left. I noticed another cubicle as we passed it. "Dad, who is in there?" He glanced back at the curtain, a flicker of fear and pity flashed across his face. "Just a student. He had an accident similar to yours actually. He was poisoned and that poison caused him to collapse while on the moving stairs. You were lucky you weren't on the moving stairs when you fell."

I peered gloomily back towards the curtain. I peered towards my dad curiously, he's lying. Or not entirely being truthful is better. I wanted to know why. I'll find out.