Chapter Twenty-Two

Cosmic Sleep

At last everyone was back at the school, and Jennifer was made comfortable in a private room in the back of hospital wing. Harry's wounds from the blast were tended, and his hand was wrapped so tightly he didn't think he could move it if he had wanted. Dumbledore, however, still had much to do. Walking into his second study, he waited patiently for the three investigators to be brought up. Mr. Filch looked rather disappointed when he dropped them off, but his three charges looked quite shaken.

"Sorry it took so long to get back with you, but we had an incident," Dumbledore explained.

"He put us in the dungeon!" Ederick scowled.

"I had to go fix Moaning Myrtle's favorite stall," Filch grinned. "I had to put them somewhere."

"That'll be all, Argus," Dumbledore said, sitting down in his chair. "So! Now that things are a bit less chaotic, would you please tell me why, exactly, do you want to arrest two of my professors and how exactly you got that mirror?"

"I got the mirror from someone I know around the Ministry. He heard I was working on investigating her death spell use, and thought she might have a link to the Death Eaters. He's the one that suggested that I use the mirror to locate where she's been going."

"And this person was?"

"Lucius Malfoy. He didn't say how he got it," Thurspire admitted.

"Quite all right, I can guess how and when he got it," Dumbledore's eyes flashed. "I take it you assumed that when she was transported through the mirror to Voldemort that she was one of them?"

"Well, there was a lot more evidence than that, sir, that was just the finishing blow, so to speak. She knows the Bleeding Death spell, for one…"

"I know it. Does that make me a Dark wizard?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"Er, no sir, but see her father also was a Death Eater, and all her school records said she had a natural talent to Dark magic over regular studies…"

"We can't exactly control where our natural talents lie, can we? We only decide how to use them, or in some cases how not to use them." Dumbledore said patiently.

"And also, begging your pardon, but she's been taking orders from Severus Snape, and everyone knows he's a Death Eater," Thurspire blurted out.

Severus, who had been quietly standing behind them, walked over and stood by Dumbledore, watching the surprise grow on Thurspire's face.

"You were saying, Ederick?" Dumbledore asked.

"Sir, I don't think these men actually meant any real… harm. It sounds to me as if they were just being manipulated so that the blame would fall on me if Jennifer had turned up dead." Severus said expressionlessly.

There was a knock at the door and Minerva entered with Arthur Weasley behind her, and Arthur had a paper in his hand.

"Ederick? Why was this fine sent to the school? I thought we had all decided to waive it," Arthur demanded.

"Uh, I was actually trying to use it to get more information about her use of Dark magic. There was an inquiry about her being a Dark witch…"

"Ederick! Dark witches don't ride Unicorns. Who's been feeding you all of this rubbish?"

Thurspire looked uncomfortable.

"The same person who stole Jennifer's mirror at the Ministry Ball, I believe," Dumbledore offered. Arthur thought about it a moment, and then rolled his eyes.

"Lucius Malfoy. Of course," Arthur shook his head. "I wonder if we got enough on him yet to put him away," he grumbled. Thurspire looked at Arthur wide-eyed. "Ederick, you fool, don't trust any wizard who doesn't roll up their sleeves no matter how hot it gets in the Ministry building. There may be more to it than just propriety. Come on, let's go so you can file your report."

"One question before you go, Arthur," Dumbledore requested as Minerva led the other three out. He gazed at Arthur over the rim of his glasses. "He's not going to lead the case against Malfoy, is he?"

"Oh no, sir. Bagman is," Arthur winked, leaving.

"That was a joke, wasn't it?" Severus asked after Arthur had left.

Downstairs, the corridor outside of the hospital wing began to get quite crowded as students trickled in to try and find out what happened in the Dark Forest. Many of them had seen Professor Craw brought up, pale and still, and all of them wanted to hear more of the details. Madame Pomfrey stuck her head out every now and then to try and shoo them away, and was doing so when Arthur Weasley came down from the study.

"Hello, Arthur, please come in. No, not you, or you, or you." Poppy Pomfrey frowned at the students. "Go away and let the poor professor sleep!"

"She won't wake up anyhow, not unless someone kisses her," Seamus reminded her. "That is, if it is Cosmic Sleep. It is, isn't it?"

"You'd think at least they'd let us in to have a go at waking her up," Fred said. Arthur gave Fred a stern look, who smiled innocently in return. Arthur shook his head and went inside.

"I hope you don't mind me keeping those two out, Arthur, but they were doing less visiting and more trying to get into trouble." Pomfrey admitted.

"I quite understand," Arthur said. "I can't believe we'll finally have them graduated soon," he chuckled.

Ginny was sitting up and talking to Ron and Hermione, who waved at him.

"Have you heard if anyone's kissed her yet?" Ginny wanted to know. Arthur chuckled.

"I just got here, although Professor McGonagall filled me in on some of it. What are you two in for?" he asked, looking directly at Ron in concern.

"Observation and smoke inhalation. We got caught up in a fire when we tried to follow Harry into the forest," Ron said.

"We were only trying to help," Hermione protested.

"You probably should have just left it to the professors." Arthur said sternly, but it was apparent he was glad that they were all right.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what they said when they found us. This huge herd of Unicorns came through, and there was a magic wave that came through with them."

"It was a sort of drowning spell," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Not a fear one like the one we learned in class, but a real one that takes oxygen out of the air. It suffocated the fire. I think Dumbledore cast it."

"That must have been a sight to see." Arthur smiled.

"Madame Pomfrey says I'll be able to go back to my room any day now," Ginny said with a smile.

"Just in time for the big crunch before finals." Ron warned her.

"Professor Craw was…" Ginny looked sad a moment. "Professor Craw was helping me keep up on some of my classes. I think I'll do okay."

"I'm sure you will, Ginny, that's my girl. And I'm sure Professor Craw will be okay too, so don't you worry about it." He got up when he heard Dumbledore's voice outside.

"I'll see you when you get home this summer," Arthur waved to them, slipping back out the door.

"…And it has been an exhausting day for most of us, so I think it'd be best if you all went to your dorms for the evening." Dumbledore was telling them sternly. "Professor Craw's medical condition is stable, and I'll hear no more speculation about her 'being dead', and no more talk of student kissing queues either, as noble as some of your intentions may be." Arthur had to quickly cover his mouth to keep from laughing. "To make sure my orders are carried out, I will ask the professors to take turns keeping watch at her door until I have found a way to break the spell that is upon her. You're all dismissed to head to your rooms."

Reluctantly the students began to walk off, whispering among themselves. After they had all gotten some ways down the corridor, Dumbledore took out a key and handed it straight to Severus, who stared at him.

"You take the first watch, Severus. I'll relieve you in a little while. If anyone can keep everyone out of her room, you can." Dumbledore said, walking off with Minerva.

Arthur then decided it was best if he called it a night as well and started for home, wondering what the morning would bring.

Severus quickly entered the room and locked the door, glancing over at her. He then turned, listened at the door, and checked his pocket for his snoop stone to make certain that no one else was around. Then he paced the room for a bit, thinking. He stared up at the ceiling for another ten minutes and then sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking at her.

She was so still, he thought, too still. Her hair was slightly singed, as was her robes. She looked so peaceful… it seemed a shame to wake her, he reasoned. He sighed. He wasn't even sure he could wake her. In fact, he was quite certain that he couldn't. And yet, here he was with the opportunity to prove himself wrong... he didn't want to prove himself right. Then again, what would was he going to do if she did wake up? His first impulse when considering that possibility was to just try it and leave. That way, if she did wake up, she'd be none the wiser for who actually did it. Oh, she'd remember eventually, perhaps, or there may come a time when he would have the nerve to tell her. Then again, perhaps she would be better off not knowing. She seemed to have had nothing but trouble from the moment he laid eyes on her. It seemed unfair to subject her to it any more.

Severus began to pace again. Regardless of what happened, he knew he was going to be suspect the moment Voldemort found out she was alive. It would be even worse if Voldemort found out who woke her. Assuming that Severus could wake her, he brooded. The odds of it working were… he tried not to think of that. This wasn't about him. It was about Jennifer, and he had to at least try. And as tempted as he was to attempt it and leave, he knew he had to stick it out. She had entrusted him with her life, and it was truly in his hands now. The last thing he wanted to do was to break that trust.

He got up and checked the door one last time, and then sat back beside her on the bed. He gazed at her for a long while, lost in thought. Finally, he leaned over and gave her a slow, gentle kiss. Cautiously he leaned back, watching her carefully for a moment, putting his hand on her forehead and wondering if she should be awake by now.