DAMASCUS GATE

CHAPTER NINE-BLINDED

After the short break, we headed to the rest of our classes.

Up next was Potions, which we were learning about the Wilcop Potion. It was to cure seasonal allergies and much like an eye drop. Professor Anicks would give us a potion to start sneezing and if our Wilcop potion worked we would stop sneezing.

It was administered through an eye dropper into each eye.

I carefully mixed each ingredient into the potion.

Remus got up and got one of the ingredients from the back cabinets. He came back and handed me the rest.

"I hope we don't sneeze our heads off," Lily moaned behind us as she stirred her potion.

"Then hopefully the antidote will work no?" Sirius said grinning.

I added the ingredients into my potion and stirred.

Finally, after we were all sneezing, Professor Anicks had each of us take an eye droplet filled with our potion and administer it to ourselves.

Remus' worked fine. It was my turn.

I dropped one drop into my eye…then the second…and felt as if my eyes were on fire.

REMUS.

Kelly screamed and dug both heels of her palms into her eyes.

"Kelly?" I demanded anxiously.

"They're burning!" she cried. "My eyes are burning!"

"It's not supposed to burn," Professor Anicks said nervously. "Did you add the ingredients in the right way?"

"She did," Lily said. "We saw her."

The Gryffindors nodded.

I gently pulled her hands away from her eyes.

Her eyes were normal colored though.

"Your eyes are okay," I said.

"I can't see!" she cried hysterically.

I slowly waved my hand in front of her face. Her eyes remained motionless.

"Take her up to Madam Elkin," Professor Anicks said.

So I gently grabbed Kelly's hand and carefully led her out of the Potions classroom.

I linked arms with her as we walked down the corridor.

"What on earth happened?" I mused.

"I don't know!" Kelly sobbed. "I added the same ingredients that you did."

"Yeah," I said deep in thought. "But I didn't have a chance to test mine yet. I was supposed to go after you."

Kelly was silent.

"Someone is trying to scare us," she said.

"Who?"

"Who else? Dumbledore is right," Kelly said.

"We can't be sure that that is the case," I said reasonably. "It might just be a mishap."

"Sure," Kelly said. "A really bad mishap."

She sighed.

We reached the hospital wing. Madam Elkin said that the reason for Kelly's blindness was because someone added a Tredno root into her potion. They cause blindness.

"When will my eyesight come back?" Kelly demanded shrilly.

"Not sure," Madam Elkin said gravely. "Tredno roots can be seriously poisonous when exposed to unprotected areas of the body…and being that it was added to your potion and placed in your eye, I really don't know. All I can do is give Geban drops to help your eyes. It's really only a matter of time dear."

Kelly swore angrily.

Madam Elkin gave Kelly two drops in her eyes of the Geban potion and then we were off, with me helping her.

"So basically, I'm going to be blind for a long time," Kelly muttered bitterly.

"I'm here," I said gently. "I won't let anything happen to you. I'll help you."

"Sure," she said sarcastically. "Just like you helped me with becoming blind. I still got blind even though you were there."

Her words stung. I knew she was just upset but still.

"Fine," I said angrily letting go of her arm. "You want to be like that? Then find your own way back to the common room."

I began taking several steps down the corridor.

"Thanks!" Kelly called as I turned around and saw her feeling her way along the corridor, feeling the walls. "I can most certainly find my own way!"

I turned around quickly and began walking back to the corridor.

I reached the common room. While we were in the hospital wing, the 45 minute break had come. Lily and Sirius were sitting in the common room. They looked up.

"How's Kelly?" Sirius asked worriedly.

"Fine," I said sharply. "She's just peachy."

"What happened?" Lily asked immediately.

"She blames me for becoming blind," I said plopping down on a chair.

"Aw man," Sirius moaned. "Just when you two get together you have your first fight…how sweet."

"Can it," I snapped. "I can't understand why she would blame me! I would never deliberately hurt her!"

Lily sighed.

"I know," she said sympathetically. "But she's probably just distraught over becoming blind. She doesn't mean anything."

"Where is she anyway?" Sirius asked.

"Left her in the corridor," I said.

Sirius snorted and Lily smacked him up the backside of the head.

"You left her? Remus that was cold!" Lily scolded looking shocked.

"Hey," I said angrily again. "She was the one who said 'I can most certainly find my way'"

An hour later, Kelly still hadn't arrived in the common room. I had to admit I was getting worried and feeling guilty for leaving her there. I should've just dragged her back to the common room anyway.

Sighing, I got up from Charms class and excused myself from Professor Grey's class.

I headed back to the corridor where I had originally left her.

She was still there.

I breathed a sigh of relief and jogged over to her.

She was sitting on the floor with her back pressed up against the wall.

"Kelly! Oh thank God!" I cried, dropping to my knees and I skidded a few inches on the floor in front of her.

"Leave me alone," she muttered as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," I said automatically. "I should've never left you alone."

"You had every right to leave me," Kelly sobbed. "I was being a bitch toward you."

My lip twitched.

"I have to admit, I wasn't exactly being a good protector either,"

Kelly shook her head.

"No," she said. "None of this is your fault. I was just angry at becoming blind. I'm so sorry."

I reached forward and grabbed her under her arms and lifted her to her feet. I gently grabbed her wrists.

"I understand," I said gently. "Let's never blame each other again okay?"

"Deal," Kelly sobbed.

I drew her close into a hug and she pressed her face deep into my chest.

I hugged her tightly.

"Come on," I said pressing my face into her hair. "Let's get back to Charms class okay?"

She sniffled and pulled her face back.

I stared into her face.

"How can you still like me even though I'm blind?" she asked in a small voice.

"Because I didn't fall in love with your eyes," I said softly smiling. "I fell in love with you and you only."

She smiled at that.

I gave her a quick kiss and then continued.

We headed back to class and I carefully sat Kelly down at a table.

Kelly was allowed to sit the class out because she wasn't able to see what she was doing.

After classes, we headed to dinner.

Lily helped Kelly eat.

"I still can't believe that happened," Sirius said shaking his head as Lily helped Kelly spear a baked potato.

"I know," I mused. "I would've had the same problem as well had I gone first. I should've."

"Naw," Sirius said shaking his head. "No one knew. Don't you dare blame yourself."

"I hope he isn't blaming himself," Kelly said turning her head. She was looking right past me.

"No," I said smiling. "I'm not."

"Good," she said nodding fiercely.

I continued to smile.

After dinner, we all headed to our dorms. Lily helped Kelly into the girls' dorm.

I headed off with Sirius to bed.

"I hope James is okay," Sirius mused as he quickly changed into his Pj's. "I wonder what he's doing right now."

"Probably wishing he was back here," I said. "And probably wishing he hadn't used an Unforgivable curse."

"Yep," Sirius said nodding.

We climbed into bed and soon dozed off.

The next morning, Sirius and I awoke and headed down to the Great Hall.

Oddly, Professor Dumbledore wasn't at the Head table.

"Where's Dumblydore?" Sirius asked affectionately.

"Dunno," Lily said.

"I hope he's alright?" Kelly asked feeling around for her goblet of water.

Lily grabbed it before she would've knocked it over.

Lily carefully helped Kelly take a sip of water. Kelly took several sips. Lily put down the goblet.

Suddenly, Kelly went rigid in her seat.

"Kel?" I demanded automatically.

Kelly didn't answer.

KELLY.

I naturally could see nothing but whiteness, but all of a sudden, I saw the corridors and the torch lit hallway. I was walking toward an office, but yet I was sitting here. It was as if I was seeing through someone else's eyes.

I saw Professor Dumbledore's office ahead of me, and I looked down at my hand. It was a man's hand holding a large, long cane. I looked back up at Professor Dumbledore's office doors. I knocked on the door.

"Come in," I heard him call.

I entered the office. His back was to me. He was scanning the books in his large collection. I went right up to him and raised the cane.

I heard the portrait's gasp to my left. I brought down the cane.

The office vanished and the whiteness returned. I jumped.

"Oh my God!" I cried jumping up. "We've got to get to Dumbledore's office!"

I felt around for someone. I grabbed the person's shoulder next to me.

"Is this Lily or Sirius?"

"Sirius, Kel," Sirius' voice said. "Let's go."

SIRIUS.

Kelly had grabbed onto my shoulder. Lily and Remus jumped to their feet as well.

I had Kelly latch onto the back of my robe and we hurried up to Professor Dumbledore's office.

We reached the office.

Remus knocked on the door.

"Professor?" he called. "Are you alright?"

There was no reply.

"Professor?" Lily called next.

Still nothing.

Remus turned the knob and pushed open the door. We entered the office.

"HELP!" the portraits cried.

We scanned the office.

Professor Dumbledore was lying on his side in front of the bookcase. He wasn't moving.

"Professor!" Remus cried as we rushed to his side.

"What happened?" Lily asked tearfully as she dropped to her knees. "Is he okay?"

Remus put two fingers on Dumbledore's neck.

"Yes, there's a pulse," he said relieved.

"What on earth happened?" I asked.

"Someone came into the office and hit him over the head with this cane," Kelly replied leaning on my shoulder.

"How do you know this?" Remus asked curiously looking up at her.

"I had a sort of 'vision' if you will," Kelly said slowly. "It was like I was seeing through someone else's eyes. It was a man though."

"Yes, yes!" a portrait of a witch cried eagerly. "It was a man, but we couldn't see his face or anything because of a cloak. He had his hood pulled over his head as well…but he was short."

Remus, Lily and I looked at each other.

"And he was carrying a cane," the witch continued.

"Did you get a look at the cane?" Remus asked Kelly.

Kelly closed her eyes.

"It was black with a silver tip on it sort of like the cane from the movie "Storm of the Century" by Stephen King," Kelly replied.

"It had a silver wolfs head?" I asked.

Kelly nodded.

"She's right," the witch said nodding.

"Stay with him," I said as I gently handed Kelly over to Lily. "I'm going to see if I can pick up a scent."

I quickly changed into the black dog and began sniffing around the office.

REMUS.

Sirius changed into the black dog and began sniffing around the office.

Kelly looked completely upset.

"Don't worry," I said reassuringly to her. "Dumbledore will be alright."

Lily helped Kelly drop to her knees and Kelly put a hand on Dumbledore's arm.

Sirius took off into the corridors next.

I had hoped he would be alright and not get seen by any of the students, especially during the day time.

Dumbledore let out moan and slowly began stirring.

"Sir? Are you alright?" I demanded as Lily and I helped him get to his feet and then we sat him in his chair behind the desk.

He rubbed the back of his head.

"What on earth happened?" he asked massaging the back of his head. There was a small cut back there.

"Someone knocked you over the head with a cane," Kelly replied still kneeling on the floor.

I helped her up and into a seat.

"What happened to you?" Dumbledore demanded, momentarily forgetting about what happened to himself.

"Someone put Tredno roots into her potion and it blinded her," Lily said.

"Why hadn't any of you come to me?" Dumbledore demanded angrily.

Lily and I looked at each other.

"We thought it was an accident," Lily said truthfully.

"I doubt very much it was an accident," Dumbledore replied. "The same as me getting hit over the head."