Title: Healing Spells

Author: Kayla

Chapter: 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any associated companies. I do not intend to use this for matter of profit.

Special thank-you: Thanks to Misty for beta reading. It looks so great :) :) If it weren't for you beta reading, this fic wouldn't have made it this far.


~*~*~*~*~


Ginny was surprised. This should have been the most terrifying week of her
life, but it wasn't. She had survived more than most ever had to in the last
month, so in a way she felt lucky to have so many people in her life,
helping her. The most wonderful person in her life was of course, Draco.
This ordeal was more on him than on anyone. He seemed very upset every time
that he came to see her and it would take her a half hour just to tell him
that she would be okay. Why did he even doubt her? He just needed to trust
that it all would fix itself. Ack, she thought realizing what an effort it
took even to think so hard, Maybe I am dying, maybe Draco's grim attitude is
here for a reason. I just...

~*~*~*
A few days later the curse specialist arrived at the castle. He was middle
aged with brown hair. He looked at Dumbledore seriously. "Albus," he said
smiling gravely "Your instructions were not specific. Not specific at all...
I do not understand."


"I apologize for that," Professor Dumbledore replied "This has never been my
strong area, this all is beyond some form of dark magic that can be dealt
with so easily. I could reverse many a spell, but this is different."


"I don't understand it though," he replied "Not your area? Excuse me sir,
but it is known that you are as good as I am with these things."


"I've tried to my hardest," he said softly " yet I cannot. Go up to the
infirmary please, I must leave. The Minister of Magic requests my attendance
at a meeting."


He did as he was told and met the nurse. "Hello," she said "Are you the
doctor? Mr... um..."


"Richardson," he replied "Yes, I am. Please let me see the patient now. This
whole thing has me very bewildered." She led him to Ginny. She was half
asleep and his arrival shocked her.

"Sorry to alarm you dear." Madam Pomfrey said and the man nodded grimly.
Ginny sat up with the man's wordless instruction. He looked her over for ten
minutes straight. Then he said a spell, her weakened mind was unable to
comprehend the words. She felt tired again and fell asleep.

"This is beyond unbelievable..." the doctor was nearly speechless as he
stared at Madam Pomfrey. Finally, he found the right words, "This is
different than any of my previous cases. I cannot believe that even a Death
Eater could manage this alone."


Madam Pomfrey sighed, he was taking too long, "I am a nurse Dr. Richardson.
I do not have any hope of saving the darling. You are her only hope."


"The only person who has ever done this kind of curse was You-Know-Who
himself. Even he had help then. Not one Death Eater could have worked alone
on this thing. I am going to try my hardest on the potion to save her, I
will, but I firmly suggest that the staff look farther into the case and see
who else did it beside the suspected person."


"Couldn't it have been He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" the nurse was inclined to
ask, "The reports did say he helped guard her too."


"That doesn't seem likely," he scoffed "If this is what I think it is then
it has been planned for a long time. I advise the Hogwarts staff to think
fast, who was close enough to the girl.... and the Death Eater?"


Madam Pomfrey left immediately. "The son..." she mumbled as she headed to
Professor McGonagall's office, "Lucius Malfoy ... his son was with her!"


~*~*~*~*
"Have you lost your mind?" the deputy Headmistress said as the nurse rushed
in, "I have so much to do tonight, why are you here?"


"Excuse me Minerva," she said quietly, "That doctor has been here. He
suggests that perhaps the curse on the Weasley girl was not done by one
man."


"Yes?" Professor McGonagall asked tiredly, she clearly did not get why the
panicked nurse was standing before her.

"Well," Madam Pomfrey started timidly, "I can only think that perhaps it's a
little odd that... who should arrive with the girl, but the son of the man
who did this."


Professor McGonagall squinted slightly. She was an intelligent woman, but
this accusation shocked her. "Poppy, do you really believe he could? Malfoy
has changed in all the staffs eyes and I think... it's impossible."


"How impossible?" the nurse accused "He's been nothing, nothing but complete
trouble. Now his father did this to her and we have not suspected him?"


"Go to one of the other staff," McGonagall cried insanely, but she did get
her point. "Go on and accuse him of cursing her. You could be right I
suppose... but I am too busy. The people that went to the Death Eaters are
not all accounted for and I have parent complaints over all this and...
and..."


"I understand," she said, "May I call the staff to a meeting. Can you
attend?"


"I will make time to come," McGonagall replied strained. The job of a
Headmistress was one she clearly couldn't handle, even if it was just for a
little while.
~*~*~*~
Draco got his mother's reply to fill Snape's empty spot soon after.

Draco,

Are you sure I am capable? I know that your Professor found me to be
qualified, but I am so unready. I have been stuck in our house for years.
What if I can't? And what if everyone hates me? Our family isn't exactly
popular nowadays. Please tell me what I can do.

Love always,
your mother

He sighed a little. Did she have to doubt herself so much? His dad must have
done a lot to her confidence over the years. He scribbled his reply.

Hogwarts needs you. You didn't need me to tell you that. You sort of have to
trust in yourself and those around you. Start with trusting me when I say,
it works. It's times like these when you start over.

Draco

He knew she'd be at the school the minute she got his letter. Some people
were very predictable... of course his mother had been anything but
predictable lately. He sent off the letter with an owl. After he made sure
it was sent, he headed around the hall toward the infirmary, that curse
specialist should have all ready been in to see Ginny. He needed to see if
she would be all right. On the way he ran into Professor Sprout and
Professor Flitwick, the two other heads of house.

"Mr. Malfoy," Professor Sprout said "There is a meeting in the staff room
now that concerns you. Come along..."


Her voice was extremely cold for the usually cheerful Herbology teacher.
When he followed them into the staff room, all the teachers were situated
together. He took the hint and sat down. What did they want with him?
Suddenly, Professor McGonagall entered the room.

"I am here," she said softly.

"What is this?" Draco asked softly staring at McGonagall. He had learned to
trust the Gryffindor Head of House as much as he had trusted Professor
Snape.

"Well," McGonagall said, her voice filled with the same cold as the other
Professor's had been, "It appears that when Doctor Richardson examined Miss
Weasley ... well, he has a strong opinion in his mind that your father did
not perform a curse on her alone."


"What? He didn't-wait, you mean that you think I..."


"It's very likely," said Professor Flitwick from the corner, "According to
your story Minerva, and that of the Nurse too... this boy was with the girl
as long as the Death Eater was."


"That's crazy!" Draco said finally getting the idea that no one was on his
side. He sputtered, unable to speak in his shock.

"Why is it 'crazy'?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"I... I'd never even think... never hurt her. I couldn't, she's the reason I
changed myself. I-I-I love her! How can you..."

"You knew your father was working with Dark Magic?" Professor Sinstra, the
astronomy teacher asked, getting into the interrogation.

"Yes," he admitted "but I didn't know how to live any other way. Until..."

"Your situation is suspicious."

Professor McGonagall's stern words alarmed everyone. "I will no longer allow
my civilized staff to question a fifteen year old, but I agree that this
situation is suspicious. I have to go further into this."


"But you..."


"I'm sorry Mister Malfoy," she said, "but Miss Weasley's family does have
the right to find out, if they suspect you. I will bring Arthur Weasley in
here when his job allows it."


Draco was stunned. He was simply stunned and he couldn't bring himself to
think. All of the Hogwarts staff was fully convinced that he helped his
father curse Ginny.

~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~
Three hours later, an owl arrived from Mr. Weasley. He wanted Draco put on
trial this minute and regardless of his work, he'd be there. Draco sat all
alone, basically locked in a back room behind McGonagall's office. Questions
swarmed his mind, why did they suspect him? Why didn't any of the teachers
support him? Did Ginny know what they were doing? Would his mother try and
help and would they get her too?

He soon found out about his mother. He heard her yelling in the office next
door. "My son! You accuse me and my son of what... I helped the girl, I did.
My son is in love with her and your accusing him of trying to kill her."


"There is no other way it could have happened," a man said "Someone was with
my daughter in there... it had to be the boy. Curse you Malfoys... I will
kill you all!"


"Now Arthur," McGonagall's voice came sternly "We have not yet accused the
boy of anything. You are just here to tell me if you wish to press the
accusations."


"Of course I do!" he yelled "My daughter, have you seen her? Have any of
you! How could your kind do this to an innocent little girl? She's so
innocent... how could they do this?"


Draco could hear his mother's sobbing. "Please, Mr. Weasley. I know your
daughter's condition is terrible... but not my son! He's not like his father
was. All the things Lucius did to my son through his childhood, he was never
like him ever."


"I'm leaving," Mr. Weasley concluded "I want that boy in jail for doing
this. I want him dead!"


More crying came from his mother, and more indifferent, confused noises from
McGonagall. He wanted to break through the door and scream.
A few moments later he heard a quick

"I am so sorry," from McGonagall "It seems that Severus Snape has
recommended you for this job before he... well, if this ends and the
accusations are untrue... then I'd be glad to see you as Potions Professor."


"I want to see my son," came his mother's voice again, strong and
determined.
A second later she entered, pale and crying. "My baby," she said "Are you
all right?"


"Yeah Mum," he said trying hard to figure what to say, "I am okay... I just
want to know why."


"I... why... I have no clue. No one here will listen to me at all. I never
expected this from them! I'll do everything I can. I can't believe that no
one can see how much you..."


"I'd never hurt her."


"I know that," she said softly moving closer to him forcing him to look at
her, "I know that you've changed. I just have to figure out how to let
everyone know. Get some rest darling, I think they want to have an official
trial."


"Professor McGonagall," he asked over his mother's head, "I know that I
won't get you to trust me, even after all you saw, but is she all right? Is
that man going to be able to help her?"


"I don't know," Professor McGonagall said shortly, "I won't know until the
end of the week according to Doctor Richardson."


"Fine," he replied coldly and he hugged his mother. She smiled and hugged
him back, she was crying.

"Wait," he said as his mother turned to leave.

"What is it?"


"You're getting pretty good at this mother thing," he said smiling "It works
for you."


"Thank You," she replied softly, "I needed to hear that."


~*~*~*~
That day, the specific day when it was to be found out if Dr. Richardson's
potion worked for Ginny... was the day that they wanted to hold a trial
against Draco. So he was in a courtroom. It was two hours before the
trial... his mother was there defending him.

"Draco," she said "This sounds pathetic, since you are so innocent... but is
there anyone who would call defense to you? Someone who could know the
truth."


"Yeah," he said to his mother once he could think straight, "Can you get
them to bring Hermione Granger out of the school? She was there that night!"
He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of that. He had spent the last six
nights awake thinking and he came up with this now, mere minutes before they
were going to accuse him?

If only you were here Ginny, he thought suddenly If you were okay right now
then nobody would suspect me. Only you can really prove that I'm perfectly
innocent. Even if you were just here to say those intelligent, kind things
again... it would help to have you here.