Chapter Twenty-one
Death's Denial
"Miss Amethyst, please wake up." The voice protruded into my dreams, until I opened my eyes. I leapt up, seeing the translucent face of Quirrell looking into my face.
"What are you doing?" I hissed, "This is a girls dormitory!"
"For Merlin's sake, don't you think that's one of the perks of being a ghost?" He asked. I was too alarmed to catch the joke.
"What are you doing in here?" I hissed back.
"Sorry to wake you at such an hour, your presence is requested upstairs."
"What is the time Quirrell?" I asked.
"Quarter past three." I glared at him. "It's about your mother…" He explained.
I followed Quirrell's form down the dark staircases, clutching a lantern in one hand.
"Who's there?" Came a voice. I froze. Professor Moody was walking towards me, his wooden leg made a clatter against the stone floor, which echoed.
"Miss Amethyst, you must hurry. I was coming up to see what had happened to you." He shot a look at Quirrell. The ghost folded his arms.
"I did my best to not wake the whole school." Quirrell explained.
"Well you didn't do it fast enough did you?!" Moody snapped.
"Professors!" I interrupted. "Where exactly am I wanted?"
"Dumbledore's office Elixa." Moody told me, turning to lead me.
When I entered Dumbledore's office, I saw Snape seated next to the desk, shadows beneath his eyes, which I recognised were full of worry.
"What's happened?" I asked. Snape put a hand over his eyes and swallowed. Quirrell passed by me and settled somewhere around the shelves with the pensive. Moody shut the door and came to stand beside Professor McGonagall.
"Elixa, we have bad news, very bad news." Dumbledore spoke in a serious way. I looked at him, terrified. Dumbledore nodded.
"No!" I exclaimed, clutching my fists. "She can't be!" I looked to Snape from Dumbledore. He still had a hand over his eyes.
"How did it happen?" I asked, tears prickling in my eyes.
"St Mungos are sure it was the Avada Kedavra that took your father, it just got too much for her, and you to fight." Snape told me, unable still to look at me. I shook my head.
"You, it must have been you last night! It was you who was handling it!" I rounded on Quirrell. The ghost looked alarmed at being accused.
"Elixa, it wasn't anyone apart from Voldermort." Dumbledore told me.
"He was Voldermort a few years ago!" I snapped, angry.
"Voldermort took my life too!" Quirrell shouted at me. I felt defeated. My hope was gone, and I felt as if a dementor had kissed me. I pulled the necklace from my neck and threw it to the floor, before turning and running from the office.
Running flat out to the broomshed took a bit out of me. I was unused to running such distances. I had to find a broom, any broom. I ran to the back of the shed, passing the empty slot for my broom, cursing as I did. I ran past the seventh years and seized Snape's broom. I wasn't thinking about the consequences that I could be facing trying to get to St Mungos by air without anyone else to help me, and without the necklace. I didn't even know where St Mungos was properly because I wasn't conscious for the second part of the journey. I was going to ride a broom I'd never ridden before, that could well be cursed. My head wasn't thinking straight, and my thoughts spun. I clasped my hand around the risen broom and mounted.