"She said that Jane would wake up soon, George. Now stop hovering like a mother hen, and go outside with your brothers."
"But she'll want to know where the Greasy- er, Professor Snape is."
"George, just go. When she wakes up, I'll come and get you."
"I am awake," Jane mumbled, sleepily. She opened her eyes, only to find her vision blurry.
"How'd ya feel, Jane?"
"My vision is a little funny. But I feel all right. Where is Severus?" Jane felt funny calling him by his first name, but they had never agreed on what she was supposed to call him.
"They took him to Hogwarts. Owena said it was Death Eaters," George said with a shrug.
"That's Miss Owena to you, George Weasley. And Death Eaters are nothing to shrug over. You had a broken arm, but Miss Olivander fixed you right up. Nice young nurse, that one. I'm sending an owl to the Ministry to let them know you're awake."
"Mum, I can't find my hairbrush," a young red-headed girl called from the stairs. George looked distinctly guilty.
"George has it," Jane told the girl. George stared.
"How'd ya know I had it?"
"You look guilty. And it is in your pocket." The girl came over and claimed her brush, giving George a glare before flouncing off up the stairs. Jane felt sleepy again, but she stifled a yawn.
"Now then, dearie, you must not have had anything to eat for a while. How about some eggs and toast?"
"That would be lovely, thank you," Jane answered, using her best manners. George's mother laid a plate in Jane's lap with more eggs and toast than Jane had ever been given. Surprising herself, she ate all that she had been given.
Fred came inside, and the twins filled Jane in on what they knew of what had happened after she had fallen asleep. When the other people from the Ministry had arrived, Owena had bullied them into silence. She sent Professor Snape back to Hogwarts to be tended to by Madam Pomfrey. Discovering Jane was asleep, she told Mrs. Weasley to send her notice when Jane awoke.
"Which I have," Mrs. Wealey informed the boys. "I expect her within the hour, so please be polite.Oh, and this came for you Jane."
Jane took the envelope she had been offered. It was address to Jane, and she opened the envelope. She took in the unfamiliar handwriting first, and then tried her best to read what it said. After a moment she noticed Fred and George staring at her.
"I can't read it," she admitted. Fred grinned and took the letter from her.
" 'Dear Jane,' " he read aloud, " 'We thought you would like to know that Severus is out of danger. He was drugged, as you speculated, but he is recovering. Madam Pomfrey is anxious to examine your snakebite. She says you should ask Owena to be transfered here, as Severus was. We hope to hear back from you soon. Love, the Hogwarts Staff.' "
"Why does she want to look at my snakebite?" Jane asked, grasping on the first thing she could understand. To her confusion, everyone in the room looked uncomfortable.
"Kitt-er Miss Kitt," Fred amended, catching his mother's glare, "Said that there might be some bad side-effects due to the fact that the venom had sat in your system for so long."
"And what does that mean?" Jane demanded, a little worried by all the dancing around the subject.
"She said you could go blind," George told her gently. Jane blinked.
"I could what?"
"Blind means you can't see," Owena explained. She came in and plunked herself on the arm of the couch Jane had been resting on. "So, how would you like to go to Hogwarts and see Severus?"
"Very much," Jane replied eagerly.
"Good. I thought we might go now before it gets any later in the day. Molly, dear, who else has seen Jane?"
"Well, Ginny, Fred and George. Ron is out with Bill for the weekend. . . Why- oh. Is she in that much danger?"
"I'm afraid so Molly. Now Fred, George, I'll let you keep your memories about Jane from the school year, but I'm afraid this last night would compromise your lives. I'll be back in an hour or so."
Owena slid down off the arm of the couch and gathered Jane up, despite her protests that she could walk. She allowed Jane and the twins to say goodbye, and then carried her outside where she set her on her feet.
"I know very well that you can Apparate on your own. Go back to Hogsmeade, and tell Rosmerta I sent you. Your name until she gets inside Hogwarts is Emily. Think you can remember that, Jane?"
"I'm not Jane. My name is Emily."
"Good girl. Go on, off with you." At Owena's instruction, "Emily" disappeared.
"But she'll want to know where the Greasy- er, Professor Snape is."
"George, just go. When she wakes up, I'll come and get you."
"I am awake," Jane mumbled, sleepily. She opened her eyes, only to find her vision blurry.
"How'd ya feel, Jane?"
"My vision is a little funny. But I feel all right. Where is Severus?" Jane felt funny calling him by his first name, but they had never agreed on what she was supposed to call him.
"They took him to Hogwarts. Owena said it was Death Eaters," George said with a shrug.
"That's Miss Owena to you, George Weasley. And Death Eaters are nothing to shrug over. You had a broken arm, but Miss Olivander fixed you right up. Nice young nurse, that one. I'm sending an owl to the Ministry to let them know you're awake."
"Mum, I can't find my hairbrush," a young red-headed girl called from the stairs. George looked distinctly guilty.
"George has it," Jane told the girl. George stared.
"How'd ya know I had it?"
"You look guilty. And it is in your pocket." The girl came over and claimed her brush, giving George a glare before flouncing off up the stairs. Jane felt sleepy again, but she stifled a yawn.
"Now then, dearie, you must not have had anything to eat for a while. How about some eggs and toast?"
"That would be lovely, thank you," Jane answered, using her best manners. George's mother laid a plate in Jane's lap with more eggs and toast than Jane had ever been given. Surprising herself, she ate all that she had been given.
Fred came inside, and the twins filled Jane in on what they knew of what had happened after she had fallen asleep. When the other people from the Ministry had arrived, Owena had bullied them into silence. She sent Professor Snape back to Hogwarts to be tended to by Madam Pomfrey. Discovering Jane was asleep, she told Mrs. Weasley to send her notice when Jane awoke.
"Which I have," Mrs. Wealey informed the boys. "I expect her within the hour, so please be polite.Oh, and this came for you Jane."
Jane took the envelope she had been offered. It was address to Jane, and she opened the envelope. She took in the unfamiliar handwriting first, and then tried her best to read what it said. After a moment she noticed Fred and George staring at her.
"I can't read it," she admitted. Fred grinned and took the letter from her.
" 'Dear Jane,' " he read aloud, " 'We thought you would like to know that Severus is out of danger. He was drugged, as you speculated, but he is recovering. Madam Pomfrey is anxious to examine your snakebite. She says you should ask Owena to be transfered here, as Severus was. We hope to hear back from you soon. Love, the Hogwarts Staff.' "
"Why does she want to look at my snakebite?" Jane asked, grasping on the first thing she could understand. To her confusion, everyone in the room looked uncomfortable.
"Kitt-er Miss Kitt," Fred amended, catching his mother's glare, "Said that there might be some bad side-effects due to the fact that the venom had sat in your system for so long."
"And what does that mean?" Jane demanded, a little worried by all the dancing around the subject.
"She said you could go blind," George told her gently. Jane blinked.
"I could what?"
"Blind means you can't see," Owena explained. She came in and plunked herself on the arm of the couch Jane had been resting on. "So, how would you like to go to Hogwarts and see Severus?"
"Very much," Jane replied eagerly.
"Good. I thought we might go now before it gets any later in the day. Molly, dear, who else has seen Jane?"
"Well, Ginny, Fred and George. Ron is out with Bill for the weekend. . . Why- oh. Is she in that much danger?"
"I'm afraid so Molly. Now Fred, George, I'll let you keep your memories about Jane from the school year, but I'm afraid this last night would compromise your lives. I'll be back in an hour or so."
Owena slid down off the arm of the couch and gathered Jane up, despite her protests that she could walk. She allowed Jane and the twins to say goodbye, and then carried her outside where she set her on her feet.
"I know very well that you can Apparate on your own. Go back to Hogsmeade, and tell Rosmerta I sent you. Your name until she gets inside Hogwarts is Emily. Think you can remember that, Jane?"
"I'm not Jane. My name is Emily."
"Good girl. Go on, off with you." At Owena's instruction, "Emily" disappeared.