Minerva slowly opened her eyes, wondering why she could scarcely breathe.
Not to be cliché, but she felt as if the weight of the world was resting on
her chest. She didn't dare move, imagining herself in what muggles called
cardiac arrest. Instead, she glanced up to find herself in the hospital
wing with Poppy standing over her. She looked so pale and so worried. When
she realized that Minerva was staring at her she gasped, her eyes alight
with tears. "Thank goodness! Oh, don't move and please don't try to speak!"
Poppy exclaimed, taking a seat beside the bed. Minerva couldn't help
herself. She closed her eyes and drifted off. It was simply too much effort
to keep awake.
Sometime the next morning she awoke to bright sunshine spilling through the window and to the sounds of voices beyond her. Opening her eyes she found Poppy and Severus talking quietly just beyond her bed. She still felt completely weak but she found the breathing just a little easier, and therefore decided it worth a try to use her voice. "Good morning, Poppy," she greeted in a slightly hoarse voice, "and to you Severus." The two turned to her, slightly surprised to hear her speak. "Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you." Poppy apologized, coming to her side. "It was the sunlight that woke me." Minerva replied, wincing as she tried to move herself into a sitting position. "No! Don't try to move, it'll only make it worse. Honestly! You're hit with four stunning spells to the chest at your age and you expect to move about with ease the next morning?" Poppy chastised her while Severus tried to repress the smirk that was itching to show itself.
Minerva glared up at the two coldly. "I'd thank you not to lecture me Poppy, unless you'd like to be the one bedridden. I'd be only too happy to oblige you." She retorted, her eyes fierce. "Tut tut, Minerva. Such gratitude, after Poppy stayed the whole night by your bedside. Might I add that she gave one of your attackers such a tongue lashing that has never been seen before, that possibly rivaled one of your own verbal barrages." Severus cut in silkily, that trademark smirk on his face. "That will do, Severus. Forgive me my rudeness, but why don't you both try laying here bedridden with numerous thoughts of guilt and failure and tell me you wouldn't be a trifle waspish. I've failed Hagrid and Dumbledore, not to mention the students. How can I possibly teach the students and keep things in some amount of safety and order in my condition?" Minerva catalogued, with a heavy sigh.
Maybe it was the sigh or the sight of her so frail, but Poppy and Severus exchanged a meaningful look of understanding. The smirk left Severus's lips and Poppy smiled sadly. "Minerva, the truth is your condition is really more serious than you might think. Neither of us or the rest of the staff want to see you go, but it's in your best interests that I'm having you sent to St. Mungo's. As much as I hate to admit it, I cannot help you." Poppy told her, gently taking Minerva's hand in her own. "Everything's been arranged for you." Severus informed her, his expression somewhat softer than usual. Minerva sighed again, and looked around the room. "I should have known. What a fine mess, headmaster and deputy headmistress gone, not that I've made much of a difference this year with the High Inquisitor running around Hogwarts." She murmured in a fatigued voice.
Once again Severus and Poppy exchanged glances. They couldn't bear to see Minerva feeling the way she did. It was such a stark contrast to her usual cool and collected demeanor. "She'll need some breakfast before she goes." Poppy said, more to herself than anyone in the room. She conjured a dish of toast and eggs along with a glass of marmalade on a bed tray. "Severus, you may go on to prepare for your classes." She then told him. He nodded and swept from the room. "Have some of this," she coaxed while placing the food before Minerva, "I'll just be a moment." Poppy told her. "I'll need to arrange how you'll be traveling," she added before bustling out of the room.
Once Poppy was out of sight, Minerva tried once again to sit up. Her heart was beating like mad and her chest felt tight. Pausing, she waited a few seconds before attempting to push herself upright again. Another several minutes went by before she was somewhat satisfied. She may have hated to slouch in the past, but this was the closest she could get to actually sitting up. Sapped of the little energy she had, she merely nibbled at her toast and eggs. After a few bites, she set down her fork and looked out at the sunshine spilling through the window. The shafts of light reminded her of the jets of light that had put her in this condition.
Several moments went by before Minerva suddenly wondered what else the spells had done to her. Slowly she unbuttoned the first six buttons on her dressing gown. Pulling back the flaps, she gasped at what she saw. From the neck down to her midriff were a series of angry red scars. She traced one of the marks with her finger. She wondered if Poppy had seen these and then realized she must have, for who else would have changed her from the robes she'd been wearing the previous night into this dressing gown? Looking down at the scars again, she wondered if her skin would ever be the same again.
Minerva buttoned up the gown again and turned back to the sunlight. It's probably a good thing that she was too weak to even think of revenge. Though she quite liked the idea of dueling with Dolores and tossing in a couple kicks. She knew she'd been disgusted and quite angry with Harry and George for attacking Draco as they had, but she could now understand the heat and passion that had crept up on them. She wouldn't mind taking a swipe or two at Dolores, but in the back of her mind she felt slightly disgusted with herself for even thinking it. She would not dispense with her dignity nor would she stoop to such a level.
Maybe it was the effort put into sitting up or the combined effort at staying awake and battling feelings of failure, but in the next few moments Minerva slumped down a fell asleep, drifting away on her shallow breathing. She didn't dream, but flashes of light and shadows paraded around in her mind, and she could have sworn she'd heard a voice telling her, "Keep fighting, Hogwarts needs you." Even more amazing she felt someone kiss her brow, before she spiraled down into deeper sleep.
Sometime the next morning she awoke to bright sunshine spilling through the window and to the sounds of voices beyond her. Opening her eyes she found Poppy and Severus talking quietly just beyond her bed. She still felt completely weak but she found the breathing just a little easier, and therefore decided it worth a try to use her voice. "Good morning, Poppy," she greeted in a slightly hoarse voice, "and to you Severus." The two turned to her, slightly surprised to hear her speak. "Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you." Poppy apologized, coming to her side. "It was the sunlight that woke me." Minerva replied, wincing as she tried to move herself into a sitting position. "No! Don't try to move, it'll only make it worse. Honestly! You're hit with four stunning spells to the chest at your age and you expect to move about with ease the next morning?" Poppy chastised her while Severus tried to repress the smirk that was itching to show itself.
Minerva glared up at the two coldly. "I'd thank you not to lecture me Poppy, unless you'd like to be the one bedridden. I'd be only too happy to oblige you." She retorted, her eyes fierce. "Tut tut, Minerva. Such gratitude, after Poppy stayed the whole night by your bedside. Might I add that she gave one of your attackers such a tongue lashing that has never been seen before, that possibly rivaled one of your own verbal barrages." Severus cut in silkily, that trademark smirk on his face. "That will do, Severus. Forgive me my rudeness, but why don't you both try laying here bedridden with numerous thoughts of guilt and failure and tell me you wouldn't be a trifle waspish. I've failed Hagrid and Dumbledore, not to mention the students. How can I possibly teach the students and keep things in some amount of safety and order in my condition?" Minerva catalogued, with a heavy sigh.
Maybe it was the sigh or the sight of her so frail, but Poppy and Severus exchanged a meaningful look of understanding. The smirk left Severus's lips and Poppy smiled sadly. "Minerva, the truth is your condition is really more serious than you might think. Neither of us or the rest of the staff want to see you go, but it's in your best interests that I'm having you sent to St. Mungo's. As much as I hate to admit it, I cannot help you." Poppy told her, gently taking Minerva's hand in her own. "Everything's been arranged for you." Severus informed her, his expression somewhat softer than usual. Minerva sighed again, and looked around the room. "I should have known. What a fine mess, headmaster and deputy headmistress gone, not that I've made much of a difference this year with the High Inquisitor running around Hogwarts." She murmured in a fatigued voice.
Once again Severus and Poppy exchanged glances. They couldn't bear to see Minerva feeling the way she did. It was such a stark contrast to her usual cool and collected demeanor. "She'll need some breakfast before she goes." Poppy said, more to herself than anyone in the room. She conjured a dish of toast and eggs along with a glass of marmalade on a bed tray. "Severus, you may go on to prepare for your classes." She then told him. He nodded and swept from the room. "Have some of this," she coaxed while placing the food before Minerva, "I'll just be a moment." Poppy told her. "I'll need to arrange how you'll be traveling," she added before bustling out of the room.
Once Poppy was out of sight, Minerva tried once again to sit up. Her heart was beating like mad and her chest felt tight. Pausing, she waited a few seconds before attempting to push herself upright again. Another several minutes went by before she was somewhat satisfied. She may have hated to slouch in the past, but this was the closest she could get to actually sitting up. Sapped of the little energy she had, she merely nibbled at her toast and eggs. After a few bites, she set down her fork and looked out at the sunshine spilling through the window. The shafts of light reminded her of the jets of light that had put her in this condition.
Several moments went by before Minerva suddenly wondered what else the spells had done to her. Slowly she unbuttoned the first six buttons on her dressing gown. Pulling back the flaps, she gasped at what she saw. From the neck down to her midriff were a series of angry red scars. She traced one of the marks with her finger. She wondered if Poppy had seen these and then realized she must have, for who else would have changed her from the robes she'd been wearing the previous night into this dressing gown? Looking down at the scars again, she wondered if her skin would ever be the same again.
Minerva buttoned up the gown again and turned back to the sunlight. It's probably a good thing that she was too weak to even think of revenge. Though she quite liked the idea of dueling with Dolores and tossing in a couple kicks. She knew she'd been disgusted and quite angry with Harry and George for attacking Draco as they had, but she could now understand the heat and passion that had crept up on them. She wouldn't mind taking a swipe or two at Dolores, but in the back of her mind she felt slightly disgusted with herself for even thinking it. She would not dispense with her dignity nor would she stoop to such a level.
Maybe it was the effort put into sitting up or the combined effort at staying awake and battling feelings of failure, but in the next few moments Minerva slumped down a fell asleep, drifting away on her shallow breathing. She didn't dream, but flashes of light and shadows paraded around in her mind, and she could have sworn she'd heard a voice telling her, "Keep fighting, Hogwarts needs you." Even more amazing she felt someone kiss her brow, before she spiraled down into deeper sleep.