Chapter 24: The Aftermath

*****

            George and Katie carefully carried Alinora up through the winding stairways that lead up to Madam Pomfrey's domain.  It was late, well past the time when they should've been back in Gryffindor tower; but luckily they didn't meet anyone along the way.

            As if sensing their presence, Madam Pomfrey met them at the door.  "Bring her over here.  What happened?"

            As George carefully laid Ali down on the indicated bed, Katie gave Madam Pomfrey the little information they had received from the Merpeople.  Tsking softly, she bent to examine the wound on Ali's head, glancing curiously at what had been used to bind it; it appeared to be some form of plant life.  Straightening up, she turned back to Katie and George who were anxiously waiting near by.

            "She'll be fine.  She appears to have a slight concussion from the blow to her head.  I'll fix that up in no time.  She just needs to sleep for now.  The two of you should be returning to your tower.  No good sitting around here- there's nothing you can do to help her at this stage.  You can come visit tomorrow… or later on today." she amended ruefully, glancing at a near by clock.  "Off with you!"

            Reluctantly, the two did as she asked and headed slowly back to the tower.

*****

            The next morning, they were back with the others to visit.  Unfortunately, Alinora still had not awakened.  Madam Pomfrey had healed the head wound while she slept, but had no idea how long it would be until she woke up.  Discouraged, the group left again when prodded by Madam Pomfrey.

            Not knowing exactly what the others should and should not know about Alinora's activities of the day before, George and Katie had simply told their friends that Ali had been hurt helping with another facet of the school's defense and should be up and about soon.  While Fred and Ginny had a feeling that there was more to the story, the others were content to leave the explanation at that for now.

            It was a rather subdued group at lunch that day.  Most of the school was still reeling from the previous day's attack.  There had been dozens of worried letters from parents who wanted to check on the safety of their children.  Luckily, most of the injuries sustained the day before had been easily healed and there had been no fatalities among the defenders.

            After a rather tasteless lunch, everyone prepared to return to the tower; they had classes the next day and nobody had accomplished much the day before.  Katie was walking with Alicia and Angelina when she heard her named called.  Turning, she saw Dumbledore walking towards her.

            "Go on, I'll catch you up in a minute." she said to the others as she turned to meet him.  "Yes, Professor?"

            "I feel some sort of an explanation is due to you and the others concerning… the events of yesterday.  Would you be so kind as to gather the other three and join me in my office at half past the hour?  The password is Everlasting Gobstoppers."  With a smile and a brief nod, he was gone.  Katie quickly made her way up to the tower to inform the others.

*****

            "Thank you all for coming.  I'm not sure what Mr. Weasley and Miss Bell have told you about the situation Miss Roane was involved in yesterday, but I felt a more complete explanation might be appreciated."  Dumbledore looked around at the four students sitting in various locations around his crowded office.  Fred and Ginny were looking at the other two with puzzled expressions while Katie looked concerned and George stoically ignored the rest, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face.

            Nodding slightly, Dumbledore leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, placing his fingertips together and staring at them over the top of his spectacles.  "I know that Alinora has explained the events that led up to her transferring to Hogwarts last year.  Upon joining us, she chose to keep certain aspects of her background and family to herself.  She had grown up rather isolated from people her own age and especially those who were also magically inclined.  Based on incidents earlier in her life, she was a bit wary of how she would be accepted, as I imagine most would be in her situation and considering what she'd recently been through…"

            "Excuse me, Professor, but what is the story with her family and background?  It's pretty obvious that something happened yesterday that has completely freaked George and Katie, but neither has said a word about what it was.  All I know is that Alinora's currently unconscious in the Hospital Wing and something happened yesterday that concerned her and the wards under that lake, though I can't figure out how she had much to do with that."  Fred had been looking at Dumbledore, but was distracted by a snort from Ginny.

            "Oh come on now Fred, you mean you really don't know?  It's so blatantly obvious…"

            "Yeah, that she's some sort of a mermaid!" George broke in, anger, confusion and hurt warring with each other in his expression.

            "Oh please!  George, you know that's not the case!  Think for a minute, why don't you?  Merpeople can't exist outside of the water for the length of time Ali's been here- I don't care how often she's hanging out down by the lake.  Besides, have you paid no attention to her last name?!?"  Ginny looked at the others, the twins and Katie with various degrees of confusion showing on their faces.  She could've sworn Dumbledore was smirking, so she ignored him to turn back to George.  "I realize that reading is not your favored way to spend time, but have you never heard of the Roane?  Scottish and Irish folklore?  Selkies?!?  Alinora isn't a mermaid, but I'll bet her mother is a selkie- her name states it pretty clearly and she as much as admitted it the one time I asked her."

            Ginny crossed the room to kneel down beside George.  "Look, I know that you're confused about what's been going on.  I know that you're worried about Ali, but you have no reason to be angry at her.  She told you yesterday that she would explain things to you as soon as she could.  She wasn't lying to you- she never has.  She is exactly what she says she is- a witch… a very human witch.  And the way you're reacting now would hurt her more than whatever went on yesterday in the lake… you know that." she added softly to him, reaching out to cover his tightly clenched hand with her own.  George's eyes went wide as what she'd said sank in, and then he closed his eyes, covering his face with his other hand.

            "Ginny is correct.  Alinora's mother is a selkie, one of the Roane, though her grandmother is a mermaid.  As Ali has told me on many occasions when we've discussed the topic, she doesn't understand the genetics involved behind a mermaid having a selkie daughter, though the two are related, but we assume that her grandfather must have had some selkie blood in order for things to have turned out as they have.  Ali is completely human, and a very talented witch at that when it comes to transfiguration.  Professor McGonagall has been very happy to have her here for the past year." Dumbledore added, smiling around at the group.  Growing slightly more sober, he continued, "And if you want to be angry at Ali not telling you about her family and background sooner, you can blame me.  I made her promise over the summer, when she was here, that she wouldn't tell anyone for a while.  She had foreseen a time when it would be important for her to be bound to the lake's wards- yesterday that came to pass- and to that effect I felt that letting it be known, to even her friends, what she is and her abilities, our advantage might be lost.  That was not an easily won argument and I know she has complained about it considerably in letters home."

            "So… Ali is an Animagus?" Fred suggested tentatively.

            Dumbledore began to laugh.  "If you value your life Mr. Weasley, I suggest you not mention that to Alinora!  She takes it quite amiss when the subject comes up, since, if she's an Animagus, it would mean that her grandmother was considered an animal.  And though the two don't always see eye-to-eye, and Ali is constantly baiting her, Ali will never agree that her grandmother is any less human than she is.  No, as I said, Alinora is just very talented in transfiguration… and other subjects…

            "I think you have enough to think about for now.  Perhaps it would be best to stop the explanations here and let you have time to consider what you've heard." Dumbledore said, getting to his feet.  The others rose and silently headed back to the hall to think on everything they'd heard that afternoon.

*****

            Another day passed and still Alinora slept on.  While refusing to call it a coma, Madam Pomfrey had admitted that she wasn't sure why she wasn't waking.  Discussing it later that evening, George made a passing comment on how much energy Ali must have expended during her defense and how it wasn't so hard to imagine that she'd be tired.  He missed the glances that Katie and Ginny exchanged as the implications of his comment hit them both.

            The next day, as soon as they could get free, Ginny and Katie headed up to see Alinora.

            "Do you really think this will work?" Katie asked, as they settled in chairs on either side on Alinora.

            "I have no idea, but George might be right.  I don't think Ali's tired, but I do think she's drained.  She poured a lot of herself into that ward to hold it together, I think she's trying to recoup that magical energy she expended and until she does, she won't wake.  We've shared power before- since that morning before Christmas, we've been seeing how it is that it works for the three of us.  I think we can 'feed' her now, enough that she can recover faster.  Even if it doesn't work, it can't hurt to try."  Ginny reached a hand across the bed to Katie and both took one of Alinora's hands with the other.

            The circle between them now complete, both began the mental exercises that they'd discovered helped them open the channels for their magic to flow through.  Ginny's included visualizing flames, while Katie's was watching ripples of water.  Eyes closed, both focusing intently, they struggled to find the essence of 'Alinora' and bring it back to the surface.  Slowly, they began to hear the sound of music- signaling that they were succeeding as this was Ali's sign.  Having now found her, the two gently began channeling power through the link, attempting to fill the void they could sense that still remained after almost two days of rest.

            After a while Katie broke contact, ending the cycle.  Ginny looked at her with a dazed look as she struggled to return completely to the reality around her.

            "I think we'll have to leave the rest to her, since we don't want to hurt her by pushing things too quickly, but I really think she should be waking in another day or so." Katie explained.

            "There you two are!  We've been wondering where you'd disappeared to.  You missed dinner.  Have you been up here the whole time?"  They turned to see Angelina, Fred, Alicia and Lee entering the room.  "George'll be up in just a minute, Dumbledore stopped him in the hall." Angelina continued.  "Is she doing any better?"

            "I'm no expert," Katie said, grinning tiredly at them, "but I think she'll be back with us in another day or so."

            George entered in time to hear Katie's response.  Looking at the tired expressions on her and Ginny's faces, he quickly looked at Ali.  For the first time since she'd been brought back she seemed truly to be asleep, peacefully asleep, and not simply unconscious.  A broad smile spread across his face as he hurried over to swing first Katie and then Ginny into a big hug, murmuring a quiet 'Thank you' to them both.

            Pulling up chairs, the group settled down around Alinora's bed to begin giving her the run down on what had been happening for the past couple days, despite the fact they weren't sure she could even hear them.  Luckily, the rest of the room was empty or Madam Pomfrey might have done more than stare at them sternly when she stopped by a little later to warn them that they needed to be back to the tower on time.  Eventually, they began gathering up their belongings and returning their chairs to where they found them.  Calling final good nights to Ali, they headed back towards Gryffindor tower. 

            George hung back for a moment.  Leaning over the bed, he lightly kissed Ali on the forehead and smoothed down the covers.  "Sleep well Ali.  I expect to see you up causing trouble tomorrow.  Otherwise, I may be forced to take drastic measures- and I think you'll be a little easier to handle right at the moment than you normally are- maybe that'll finally give me a bit of an advantage..."  He smiled and brushed a wisp of hair back from her forehead, wondering if it were just his imagination or maybe she really was smiling…  With one last pat on her hand, he quietly left the room.