Chapter 2: Of Injuries and Implications

Harry and Ginny practically dragged Ron from Quality Quidditch Supplies before he bought himself a Firebolt; having a vault full of treasures was enticing, especially with the Quidditch Final approaching. Ginny reminded her brother that if he didn't get a job right out of Hogwarts, he'd need that money for things besides a broomstick. Finally, Harry offered Ron the use of his Nimbus Three Thousand for the rest of the season, and the redhead left the shop happy.

The trio enjoyed a cheerful debate about the benefits of the leather versus dragon-hide gloves they found on sale when suddenly Ron dropped everything and stared straight ahead in shock.

"Ron?" Ginny shook his arm, but her brother didn't move. His face was wrought with an expression of horror.

"Something's wrong …"

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Her awareness was almost gone, but Hermione knew Goyle wasn't the sharpest quill in the pot.

She stopped struggling and let her body go limp as though she'd passed out. Goyle gave a grunt of satisfaction and promptly threw her down. She tried to fall convincingly and didn't react, even when her head collided with the earth and her shoulder struck a sharp rock. Unfortunately, her wand had fallen from her grip and landed several feet away. She resisted Summoning it; she didn't know if Goyle was still watching her or if he'd return to Draco.

She opened one eye a tiny amount and almost shrieked; the huge wizard was bent over her gripping a dagger. His angry blue eyes glared as he reached for her hair and yanked her head back, exposing her throat–

"NO!"

Hands grabbed Goyle by the neck and dragged him backwards, but the irate ex-student swung his dagger out blindly at the figure.

Hermione wordlessly Summoned her wand to her hand and leapt to her feet, which was a mistake – blood rushed to her bumped head making her nearly fall again, and her shoulder pulsed painfully. She struggled to see straight as two figures wrestled in the shadows. Two male voices shouted at each other, but their voices were distorted as though she were listening from underwater. She heard an angry shout of pain – Blaise?

She stumbled toward the pair but between her unsteadiness and the alley shadows she couldn't tell them apart. One wizard shoved the other so hard his head bounced off the wall and he nearly fell to the ground.

Hermione slipped a bit closer, but gravel crunched under her feet. A powerful arm suddenly flung out, caught her in the chest, and threw her against the opposite wall. Through the agonising crack resounding in her head she desperately choked, "Stupefy," and the wizard tumbled.

She was dimly aware of the other figure reaching for her before everything went dark.

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"Enervate,"

Harry's quick spell revived Draco. Ron was turning furiously in every direction as the blond leapt to his feet.

"Where is she?!" Draco tried to turn but his head was spinning, and he actually clutched Harry's arm to stay standing as Theo ran up to them in concern.

"Is Hermione unconscious? I felt–"

"Down here!" Ginny called. Harry half-led Draco into the shadow-ridden alley where they almost tripped over a large figure.

"Goyle?" Draco said in disbelief.

Harry pulled him around the unconscious boy in the direction of Ginny's voice. In the shadows Blaise held Hermione's limp body off the ground though he was nearly unconscious and dripping with blood.

Harry lit his wand; he saw a large bump on Hermione's head but was quickly distracted by the blood stain spreading across the front of Blaise's shirt and the long gash down the side of his sweating face.

"Ginny, run for help," Harry insisted quickly, and she dashed away.

Guided by an instinct he didn't understand, Harry reached for Blaise, who only let go of Hermione once she was wrapped safely in Draco's arms with her head propped on his shoulder.

"No," Blaise grunted to Harry, trying to shake the other boy's hand off his shoulder. "Help her …"

Draco had torn Hermione's sleeve away to look at her gash, and he quickly murmured a spell to clean the blood and dirt from it. He looked pleadingly at Harry; he was good with potions but had always been rather useless at healing spells.

Harry's heart clamored for him to heal Hermione, but he knew, instinctively, Blaise was in much worse shape.

"She'll be alright; she's not bleeding to death like you are."

He gently guided the weak Slytherin by the shoulders to sit against the brick wall. From the hazy look, Harry suspected a concussion along with the two nasty cuts. He murmured Tergeo to clean the blood from Blaise's face and stared at the jagged slice running from his temple to his chin.

"You won't be the only Scarhead in town anymore," Blaise choked as he tried to smirk at Harry.

Harry was quite pale and didn't respond. The few healing spells he knew flew through his mind, but none of them seemed powerful enough. He needed Hermione … but with a pulse, he remembered part of her soul lived in him now.

"I can see your soul, Harry," Theo murmured suddenly from behind him, as though sensing exactly what Harry just realised. "It's strong; I think you're meant to heal him. Try and reach out with your energy."

My element is energy – magic. But Harry didn't understand what that meant; they were all wizards, so how was he any different?

Harry only knew, fundamentally, that Blaise needed to be fixed.

He flashed back to the bonding ceremony where he let all logic go. How many times had he saved others, or himself, by trusting his gut? If they'd learned anything in the past few years, it was that magic didn't always act as expected.

He glanced at his unconscious sister in Draco's arms. Her soul would guide him … she'd always known how to guide him.

Harry reached out to touch Blaise's slashed cheek, he closed his eyes, and he focused.

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Ron stood against the mouth of the alley guarding Goyle as he raged with fury. He never thought himself capable of committing murder, but he wanted so badly to stomp Goyle's big head into mush. He dug his shoes into the gravel at his feet to give himself something to do. He sensed, rather than saw Theo return from the others.

"They'll be alright," the dark-haired wizard reassured quickly. "Ron, what was it? I saw your soul react – you felt something."

Ron gripped his hands into fists. "Something was here, Theo. Something … evil."

"Do you still feel it?"

"No … but it was him, wasn't it?" he aimed a kick at Goyle. Theo looked down at his former dormmate with a frown.

"He attacked Hermione and Blaise with a knife … it fits the pattern–"

Hurried footsteps approached; the boys leaned out of the alley as Ginny returned, breathless, followed by Professors McGonagall and Gangrous. Theo wordlessly sent a Lumos maxima to light the alley and sent them in the direction of the others. Ron made to follow, but Theo grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back out to the street.

"Wait, something's wrong. Draco was Stunned, and Goyle couldn't've done that. He might've mastered the Torture Curse, but he was pants at Stunning."

Ron's hands curled into fists as he looked down the road angrily. "He wasn't alone."

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Draco watched in amazement as Blaise's skin began to knit itself back together under Harry's touch. The wound glowed with violet light as it slowly faded away. Only a thin white scar remained, just discernible on Blaise's dark cheek.

Harry withdrew his hand, breathless, and stared at his fingers.

"That was … new." Blaise managed.

Harry opened his mouth to reply but light flared above them, illuminating the alley. They turned to see Professor Gangrous jogging towards them with Professor McGonagall close behind. Harry stood and backed out of the way as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher bent down to examine Blaise and started asking him questions.

Professor McGonagall's wide eyes travelled back and forth between Blaise's blood-soaked clothes, Hermione's unconscious body in Draco's arms, and Goyle lying prone several feet away.

"Goyle knocked me out, then attacked Hermione," Draco explained in a growl. "He pulled her into the alley, and Blaise found them, but Goyle had a knife, and he–" He looked away as Harry magically tore Blaise's shirt down the front, uncovering a horrible slash not unlike one that Harry inadvertently gave Draco two years ago. Professor Gangrous cleaned the wound, examined it, and conjured a large bandage.

The Headmistress had slumped to her knees from shock or exhaustion, Draco couldn't tell. He hadn't seen the elder witch so frazzled since the Battle of Hogwarts. She carefully leaned in to look at Hermione but shook her head.

"She needs to see Madam Pomfrey. She may have a concussion or a fractured skull; I don't feel comfortable waking her here. Mr. Malfoy, can you …?"

"Yes," Draco slowly rose to his feet and shifted Hermione's weight in his arms.

"Mr. Zabini here will need the hospital wing as well," Professor Gangrous called. "I've healed some bruises, but he sports a sprained wrist, a concussion, and a deep cut to the chest that might've nicked a lung."

Harry slung one of Blaise's arms over his shoulders as the professor took the other. Blaise leaned on them and managed to get unsteadily to his feet. Professor McGonagall retrieved the weapon from Goyle's stiff hand and sent her Patronus off quickly with a message.

"I will have Hagrid retrieve Mr. Goyle so we can hold him for questioning. You all go straight to the hospital wing with Miss Weasley."

"I know this boy," Professor Gangrous bent in Goyle's direction with a frown. "He tried to get past the main gate back in January, claimed he was a student–"

"He was a student," Draco spat in the direction of his former friend. "He was in Azkaban after the war 'cause he tried to kill Harry."

Professor McGonagall looked sideways at the blond, perhaps in surprise at his use of Harry's name, but she said nothing else. She conjured ropes to bind Goyle's limp wrists and then wordlessly waved the group along.

Ginny ran up to Draco, who exited the alley last.

"Ron and Theo think someone else was here; Theo says Goyle couldn't've Stunned you."

Salazar, that's right … who the hell is he working with?

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Theo breathlessly chased after Ron through the streets of Hogsmeade. Though he had long legs himself, the other wizard was clearly in better shape thanks to his Quidditch training.

"Ron, wait …" Theo clutched a lamppost as he panted. "I think … I understand something."

"Never time for a lecture, Theo, I need to find out who's behind this!"

"I think I can help …"

Ron reluctantly stopped running and stood relatively still, looking at Theo expectantly. Theo straightened up and focused on Ron, letting his gaze relax so he could see the redhead's soul.

"I want you to tell me what you felt, as soon as you realised something was wrong."

Ron held back a burst of anger at this seemingly pointless exercise. His hand tightened around his wand, and he tried to explain.

"It was … it was cold, y'know, like when the Dementors showed up in the Forest that night?"

Theo nodded, encouraging him.

"But it was different … it was cold and– and evil. It felt … I dunno. Dark?" Ron squinted. "Hermione told us when she's near a Dementor she feels Darkness … blimey, was that–?"

"You can feel it, too," Theo confirmed with a sigh. "I expected this; as the Strategist you should be the one who knows the enemy. The poem called it the Shadow and the centaurs called it the Darkness. We don't know who or what it is, but we know it's been controlling students to go after Hermione. It might've been controlling Goyle. What do you feel, right now?"

As Ron adjusted his focus, Theo knew he'd been right. He watched as Ron's silver-white soul shimmered around him, reaching out experimentally as though searching the very air for a scent of danger. His soul changed colour slightly, becoming a little brighter in places as if testing its limits.

Slowly, Ron relaxed his concentration and his soul returned to normal as he regretfully shook his head.

"There's nothing here now. I think it's gone. Or it really WAS just Goyle …"

Theo closed his eyes and re-focused to locate Hermione. "They're heading back to the castle, let's go find them."

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Ron and Theo caught up to the others halfway to the gates and Draco gratefully handed Hermione off to Ron. Theo whispered what they'd discovered as Draco stretched his exhausted arms.

Draco frowned in irritation. He wanted to know who Goyle was working with.

"I think someone at Hogwarts talked to Goyle," Ron murmured, cautious of Professor Gangrous several feet ahead helping Harry guide Blaise. "He must've known Hermione would be in Hogsmeade; she hasn't left the grounds in ages so there's no way he just happened to pop in today and find her …"

"Well, our decision to abandon our homework wasn't exactly a quiet one," Theo mumbled to himself. "Anyone in the Great Hall could've overheard."

"Think it's a Slytherin?" Ron asked in an unsure tone. His anti-Slytherin attitude had all but vanished since he now trusted three of them like family, but the other boys weren't surprised at the assumption.

"I don't see anyone outside Slytherin wanting to help Goyle," Theo muttered as he exchanged a glance with Draco, who nodded.

The blond reflected that he should be angrier about the betrayal of his former friend, but he felt little beyond a dull numbness. He needed Hermione to wake up.

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Hermione woke to a lovely smell of roast beef and baked potatoes, an unexpected smell considering she seemed to be back in the hospital wing. Draco, noticing she was awake, quickly took a plate from her bedside table and slipped onto the bed beside her.

"Madam Pomfrey let us bring dinner for you and Blaise; she said the protein'll be good for recovery."

Hermione turned her stiff neck to her other side to see Blaise sitting up in the bed next to hers. He was covered in bandages and had one arm in a sling, eating with Theo's help.

Draco peppered Hermione with questions about how she was feeling while he helped her swallow her dinner. Falling on a gravel-lined alley and getting thrown into a brick wall left her stiff from head to toe, but her cut shoulder was almost completely healed, the bruises around her neck were gone, and the food was helping her headache. She kept glancing at Blaise in concern; she'd heard him get hit at least once by Goyle's dagger. He gestured to the bandages on his chest and reassured her he was healing.

After Theo finished helping his friend with dinner, he caught Hermione's attention and gestured sneakily to a stack of books beside her bed; he'd had them delivered from Hogsmeade. She sighed but gave him a grateful smile; most of the books were about curse-breaking and she was excited to start reading, but she resolved not to touch the books until Blaise was alright. She hated that he'd been hurt on her behalf.

Draco felt strange. He kept feeling pangs of anxiety, which he expected to vanish after Hermione awoke. He felt the pangs subside slightly after Blaise laughed at something Theo said or returned one of Hermione's concerned looks with a little wink to reassure her that he felt fine. Clearly, she was worried for Blaise, but Draco knew his tough friend would pull through. So why did he still feel worried?

Hermione wanted to know what happened to Goyle and who Stunned Draco – she never believed it was Goyle – but Draco insisted they wait for the others to return from dinner. Madam Pomfrey came in as they finished eating and nodded in satisfaction at her patients.

"Mr. Zabini, what is this scar on your cheek? I don't recall seeing it before–"

Hermione flashed on the memory of Blaise catching her as she collapsed, his face half-covered in blood. She turned to Draco in confusion, who pursed his lips and shook his head at her carefully.

The doors opened to admit Harry, Ron, and Ginny, but Madam Pomfrey made Blaise drink another Blood Replenishing Potion before she let the visitors near her patients.

As soon as they were alone, they began talking over each other in loud whispers.

"Harry healed Blaise!? So, his magical energy is able to heal–?"

"Who'd wanna help Goyle, I mean seriously …"

"McGonagall's really suspicious, I reckon."

"What does that mean for the other elements, I wonder? We didn't know Ron could–"

"–but where is Goyle?"

"Hagrid's watching him; he's still knocked out–"

"I didn't knock him out, Hermione Stunned him before she fell."

"That's my girl," Draco said proudly. "So, Potter can heal people, this 'Darkness' is real, and Weasley can feel it?"

"I'm still trying to figure it out," Ron said carefully. "I definitely felt something was wrong, like there was something evil nearby. It was like that feeling something's watching me, y'know?"

Theo pulled out his alchemy book.

"I've assumed the Shadow from the poem was a Dark wizard, like Voldemort, but what if this Shadow or Darkness is something else entirely? Perhaps it's invisible, because Ron was still able to sense something even when there was nothing around, and it's been controlling people somehow …"

"Hermione," Harry said thoughtfully. "You said you just see darkness when you're near a Dementor, and they make people relive their worst memories–"

"DEMENTORS!" Ron suddenly yelled. "Oh, Merlin I'm so daft–"

"Well yeah, but would you please be more specific?" Ginny asked dryly.

His improved relationship with Ron Weasley aside, Draco felt a sudden flare of affection for the younger redhead and hid his smirk in Hermione's hair.

"Last time she left the grounds – we bonded – they just showed up …" Ron began pacing in circles, clutching his hair. "And she's faced them all along, so they always knew … But if it didn't know who she was, but only where she was, that's why it used the Slytherins, 'cause Dementors can't get in … Theo was right, but even if Goyle was the one; and he still couldn't've Stunned–"

"RON!" Five different voices yelled.

Ron stopped spinning in wild circles and started flapping his hands at Theo.

"Poem – lemme see the poem …"

Theo handed his book over. Ron mumbled under his breath as his fingers traced the words again.

"OK, 'A Darkness perceives; she remains unaware' – it knew who she was! We've been fighting the Darkness for years and it was trying to kill her before she bonded with us, 'cause now it'll be harder than ever to defeat her, and it knows she's here–"

"Ron, slow down." Ginny demanded. "You're referring to darkness as an 'it'–"

"It's an IT!" Ron said excitedly. "It's not a wizard! Look: it 'desires to kill … to spread fear all around'?"

"A Dementor," Theo said slowly. He tried to understand Ron's magic, which was shimmering in multifarious colours and couldn't seem to settle down.

"The Darkness is … a Dementor?" Draco said blankly.

"No, Dementors are part of the Darkness!" Ron continued as he dropped the book on the end of Hermione's bed. He was still flailing his long arms in his desire to explain what was going through his head.

"It's not a person, it's like all dark stuff – all Dark magic – it controls the Dementors, but it also controls people, 'cause that's how it attacked Hermione! This dark thingy can float around or something – that's why it's called a Shadow – and it gets in people's heads like an Imperius Curse–"

"Oh!" Theo recalled suddenly. "Ginny, isn't there something in there about it being beyond the world …?"

Ginny had retrieved the volume Ron dropped and was scanning the poem again. "Past the edge of the world, it steadies its ground–"

"YES!" Ron roared triumphantly, as three people tried to shush him. "It can't be seen!" he continued in a loud whisper. "It's like a Dark force, it moves around, and it can possess people – that's why they show up with black eyes! They're literally being controlled by Darkness, by Dark magic!"

"Er, OK …" Harry tried to follow. "But, Ron, what is it? Some kind of … entity? All magic comes from somewhere, right? Is it like a ghost or a monster or a curse, or something?"

Ron's lips flapped soundlessly as he tried to think, and he began pulling his hair again.

Hermione had a sudden flashback to the paranormal research she'd done years ago, in her desperate attempt to learn why she could make things move without touching them. If Ron were correct, and the Darkness could possess people …

"Some Muggles believe in demons – or devils," she began slowly. "They believe people can be possessed by an evil spirit. One of the signs of a supposed possession is that the victim's eyes would change–"

"The demons and shadows …" Ginny traced the words on the page slowly.

"–demons were often dark souls or spirits that came from Hell …" Hermione continued in a small voice. "They could make possessed people do terrible things …"

"This shadow of Hell causes all things to die," Ginny said with a flourish as she slammed the book shut.

Dead silence filled the hospital wing.

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