Mistress Civis ran over, her eyes flickering over Draco lying on the floor and back up to me. She quickly performed the reversal spell upon us. Before I could even think to respond Draco's mind was wrenched from my grasp and I was once more fully aware of my pain.
My legs gave out under me and I fell to my knees. Air rushed into my lungs in gasping sobs and left in dry heaving coughs. I choked for a minute as something foreign filled my throat and as I leaned over blood spilled from my mouth onto the stone cobbles. I wept involuntarily as blood continued to drip from my mouth, my tears mixing with. I watched in horrid fascination as the roots pulsated darkly and slowly forced their way upon my hand and curling around my fingers. I could feel them forging new paths down my legs, and up from neck they crept to my cheeks and face. In that moment I wanted so much to die, it was unbearable, like millions of red-hot needles piercing my entire body, inside and out.
"…Oh my god…."
I weakly lifted my head, the eyes of half the class or more watched my in shock. Hermione turned white and her eyes rolled back in her head as she fainted, Ron catching her stiffly in his arms.
I slowly pushed myself to my feet and stood before them. At the front of the group, Draco stood watching me, a mixture of fear, wonder and sympathy was his expression, more emotion than I had ever seen him display since I had known him.
"Now do you believe me?" I asked him softly, my question catching the dead air and echoing around the silent hall.
He nodded mutely.
I lifted a single shaking hand and carefully wiped the blood from my chin.
"I think both you and Mr. Malfoy need to visit the hospital wing…I've never seen a reaction like this from this spell, from any spell." Mistress Civis paused and violent shook her head, "The rest of you return to your dorms until your next class." She ordered, "NOW!" she bellowed, when they were reluctant to move.
I could feel my entire body shaking, hear my labored breathing in my ears. I knew the day would come when I could no longer hide what was happening. Today was that day.
Mistress Civis, then began to lead us to the hospital wing, her complexion was pale and she seemed very worried. When I stumbled and almost fell, I was surprised when it was Draco who steadied me, pulling one of my arms over his shoulder, and not the teacher. The closer and closer to the hospital wing we got the more I found myself stumbling and slowing. My eyesight began to grow dark and spots appeared upon my vision.
As the door to the wing swung open I whispered, "Need…bed…lie down."
I was slowly led, practically dragged to a bed which I managed to drag myself onto before losing all strength and sinking into unconsciousness.
In my mind a war raged, filled with pain and blood. Far away I felt my body shudder and cough up more blood. I ran from those feelings, I retreated to the darkest most hidden part of mind and there I found something I had not expected. There, was a single fragile thread of power and magic, the remains of the connection created by that spell. I carefully followed it to the edge of Draco's mind. Far away, from his ears I could hear the sound of people talking. Behind me, the pain was catching up, following my retreating consciousness, demanding that I participate in the growing pain.
I pressed myself against Draco's mind and cried out to him, begging sanctuary from him. I doubted that he would allow me into his mind, considering what had happened before, I doubted that he would even feel me there outside his mind, but he did. He opened his mind to me, allowed me to slip inside his, sterile, pain free mind. I huddled there, refraining from touching any of his personal thoughts or the workings of his mind for fear of him pushing me back into my own.
I could feel his silent scrutiny of me. I remained still as he studied me, for a moment his attention was drawn away from me but he returned and opened to me the use of his eyes and ears.
"You say that when your minds touched for the spell everything was normal then?"
It was the voice of Dumbledore.
"Yes." Draco said flatly, "I said something to him, I can't remember what, through the spell, through the link of our minds and he said, 'Let me show you what dieing feels like.' I was like he grabbed hold of my mind and forced it in the place of his own….I've never felt pain like that…I can't even imagine…"
"Then what happened?" Dumbledore asked.
Draco remained silent as Mistress Civis explained about my collapse, the blood and tears. Draco looked at me, lying huddled upon the bed. It was horrendously unsettling to look at myself. I looked so pale and thin, the roots of the seed, pulsated slowly upon my skin. Every now and then they would grow and push farther along my flesh.
I mentally recoiled, sickened by what I saw.
"I don't understand how such a violent reaction could happen from such a simple spell." Mistress Civis whispered diminutively.
"I don't think it was from your spell, rest assured of that, Cheryl. I think it was something the boy had before."
Draco shook his head slowly as he turned back to Dumbledore, "A couple months ago I bumped into Potter and he collapsed, he said he was dieing and I asked me not to tell any one. I didn't believe him, thought he was just trying to get more attention, he said that he hoped it appeared that way. I thought he was just shitting with me but, that pain was real, too real."
"He's getting worse." Pomphery said shakily, Draco spun around to see her, holding my limp wrist, counting my pulse and watching my shuddering breathing.
"If only we knew what it was, there has to be some sort of clue. Perhaps he told one of his friends?" Dumbledore muttered.
"I'll go get them!" Mistress Civis exclaimed a little too eagerly.
"Don't bother." Draco said icily, "We'll just ask Potter and he can tell us."
"Mr. Malfoy," Dumbldore responded patiently, "Harry is uncurious and too weak to respond to anything."
"Yes, his body perhaps, but somehow, a tenuous link from the earlier spell managed to remain and Potter's consciousness is currently residing in here." He tapped his head, "Tell us, Potter," He demanded then, out loud for the benefit of the others, "Or I'll put force you back into you body, you know I would and use my voice, I'll not be you message boy."
Fearing the pain of my body more than anything these others could inflict, I replied softly, unused to Draco's voice, "The one who implanted it within me, he called it a seed of pure darkness."
"Who?" Demanded Dumbledore urgently.
"Voldemort."