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Ch.21: Bad Reaction
Lily entered the portal room. She locked the door and went into the storage room. She looked in the mirror and saw a huge bruise on her left cheek. She touched it, it hurt a lot. Lily walked to the dresser and put away her gun and ID. She headed to the bathroom and changed back into her regular clothes. Lily walked out of the bathroom and looked up at the clock. It was 7:30 AM, she forgot about the time difference which meant she had classes in an hour.
Lily walked out of the room and to the common room door. Through the door she saw the group sitting on the sofas talking.
"Huh, I guess I'll have to enter at some point." Lily told herself. She reached for the handle and turned the knob.
With the sound of the turning knob all of them stood up. James was the fist to do so. He looked over and saw Lily enter.
Lily came through the door and quickly turned around trying not to show her bruise and to shut the door quickly.
"Lily?" James asked immediately.
Lily turned around and looked up at her friends.
"Morning," Lily greeted. James walked quickly up to her and hugged her.
"Ahh" Lily groaned. James quickly broke away.
"What, I'm sorry. What is it?" James asked worriedly.
"Sorry I'm just a bit sore that's all." Lily replied.
"Are you alright?" Emily asked quickly coming over. The rest followed.
"Yes I'm fine I just need to get cleaned up and see Pomfrey, that's all." Lily said making her way upstairs. Everyone looked at each other.
"What happened, no offense lily but you look like hell, where did the bruise come from?" Sirius asked.
Lily turned around. She was now standing on the stairs.
"Nothing just got into a row with someone." Lily said and quickly ran up the stairs to her room.
Lily got a change of clothes and hurried to the bathroom. She turned the shower on and waited a few second while the water warmed up. She glanced in the mirror at her reflection.
"Sirius was right I do look bad" Lily thought to herself
She quickly undressed and got into the shower. Her bruises hurt tremendously. She finished and got out. She changed into her uniform slowly so she wouldn't cause anymore pain from bending. She applied a heavy dose of cover up and the rest of her makeup to cover her bruises. She then grabbed her books and walked out. The group was still downstairs waiting for her.
"Okay I'm ready." Lily said as she landed firmly on the ground from the stairs.
"You okay?" James asked taking her hand.
"Yeah fine" she replied with a smile.
"Lily, are you hungry?" Emily asked
"A little." Lily said. She actually was starving, she hadn't eaten anything except a small cup of Jell-O at the hospital, and it was flavored orange which Lily hated.
"Well during the break we can get you something from the kitchen." James said.
They entered Potions and sat down.
"Ms. Evans, good to see you back and . . ." Professor Slughorn said as he looked over to his star student, who at that moment was wincing in pain due to her bruises.
"Ms. Evans, are you alright?" He asked coming towards her.
"I'm fine professor just a bit sore, didn't sleep well." Lily said in a groan.
"Oh I see you should see Madam Pomfrey. Um where were you last class by the way?"
Lily looked up.
"Uh I went back home due to some family business." Lily lied.
"Oh is everything alright?" he asked
"Fine,"
Slughorn addressed the class and gave them their assignment. They were to make a healing potion. The class got to work. Lily paired up with James and they began.
"So how was work?" James whispered to Lily while he poured in the ingredients.
"It um was fine." Lily responded. She stirred the mixture with her spoon.
"James, I can't go and get something to eat I have to go talk with Professor Dumbledore after this." Lily said as she began to stir counter clockwise.
"Oh. He came in to the common room the night you left asking how long you had been gone for." James mentioned.
"He did?" Lily asked surprised by this news.
"Yeah, he looked a bit worried, did anything bad happen?"
"No." Lily said quickly. James gave her a questioning look.
"What? Nothing happened."
"If nothing happened then why are you bruised up?" He asked.
"It's none of your concern." Lily snapped. She could see James's was taken aback by this comment and cursed herself for saying it.
"James I'm sorry, I can't talk of it, really. I shouldn't have snapped. I'm sorry." Lily said apologetically.
"It's alright, I just worry that's all."
"I know. . . Looks like we're done" Lily said as she looked down into their cauldron the potion was a rich purple color. Slughorn walked over and looked down.
"I believe the head boy and girl have completed their potion first and have it correctly brewed!" Slughorn cheered. Numerous groans came from across the room. James and Lily poured a sample of it out and gave it to the professor.
"Oh no Ms. Evans you are to try it out. The potion is supposed to heal any ailments and wound one might have." Slughorn said handing back their potion.
Lily looked to James.
"Go on, you need it more than me." He said urging her to drink it.
Lily lifted the vial and brought it to her lips, she drank it. The whole class was watching in anticipation.
Lily swallowed the potion, suddenly her vision became blurry and she felt dizzy. Everything went black
"Lily!" James cried. Lily fell to the floor. Everyone cried out and rushed from their seats over to Lily.
"Oh my God!" Slughorn cried out. He ran to her side and began to perform several charms to bring her back to consciousness. After two tries he stood up.
"I'll take her to the hospital wing." He said and magically lifted her. With in minutes Lily was in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey shushed into the ward from her room.
"What is going on?" She exclaimed
"Poppy something has gone awry. Ms. Evans collapsed after drinking a Helorius potion." Slughorn exclaimed lowering Lily on the bed.
"Stand back I need to examine her." She said pushing Slughorn away.
By this time lily had turned very pale. Her skin became clammy and she wasn't conscious. James along with the others rushed into the ward.
"Madam Pomfrey will she be alright?" James cried out with loss of breath, he had run up two flights of stairs straight.
"I'm not sure." She replied. She ran to her cabinet and retrieved two bottles.
She opened lily's mouth magically and forced down a tablespoon of one of the potions.
"Did you put anything in the potion that wasn't called for Potter?" she asked urgently
"No we followed the directions exactly." He said
"I don't know what went wrong but she shouldn't be reacting to a potion like that this way." She said.
Lily was still unconscious.
"Has she been anywhere, been hexed or dueled anyone lately?" She asked
"I don't think so. Why?"
"Sometimes if a person is hit with a powerful charm or hex and has not been treated immediately for it, certain potions may react with the charm or hex violently, causing the victim to reject simple healing potions such as this one." Pomfrey explained
She ran back to the cabinet and grabbed another potion.
"Step back Professor, this will make her vomit what ever is in her system" Pomfrey warned. They all stepped back.
She once again forced it into Lily's mouth.
Lily suddenly woke up and flew to the side, over the bed and threw up.
"Eww" The crowd said.
"Pomfrey wiped her mouth and lifted her up onto the bed. She then gave lily another potion; this would make her senses more clear.
Lily lay back down and looked up and winced at Pomfrey's tight grasp of her arm.
I'll have to put her to sleep until she is fully settled." Pomfrey informed them. She went back once more and grabbed a sleeping drought. She gave it to lily and she felt asleep quickly.
"Very well, all of you report back to class." Slughorn addressed the student.
"Sir, can we stay with her?" James asked.
"She will be asleep Mr. Potter, you may come with your friend after this period." Madam Pomfrey told him.
They all left the hospital and headed back to class. There was five minutes till the bell
"Everyone we will finish this up next time, set your cauldron's on the window ledge, till next time. You may leave early/" Slughorn said. With that the group left and headed straight for the hospital.
They sat around Lily.
"Don't worry Mr. Potter she will be fine." Madam Pomfrey assured James. Suddenly the doors of the ward opened and the head master along with Professor McGonagall entered.
"What has happened?" Professor Dumbledore asked quickly walking to Lily's bed.
"Ms. Evans has had a severe reaction to a Helorius potion. Professor." Pomfrey explained.
"Helorius, isn't that a simple healing charm for wounds and injuries?" McGonagall asked surprised.
"Yes, but in order to have such a reaction she must have been hit with a massive hex or at least charm."
Dumbledore looked up from Lily's still body.
"When did she arrive?" he asked looking to James.
"This morning sir." He answered.
"Arrive?" Pomfrey asked confused.
"Did she mention of any magic she had used or fights she had been in?" he asked.
"She said she was a bit bruised." Alicia said.
"Poppy, do an evaluation on Ms. Evans, I'd like to know if she was badly injured last night."
"Last night?" she asked
"Yes Ms. Evans went home for the night due to family reasons." He replied.
"Very well." With that Madam Pomfrey shielded Lily with curtains. She entered the canopy of curtains and began to examine her. Several minutes later she came from behind the curtain with a grim look upon her face.
"She is injured indeed, lacerations on her back, Bruises all over and . . ." she said.
"And?" Dumbledore asked.
"Take a look for yourself."
James looked to his friends with a worried look. Dumbledore went behind the curtain with Pomfrey and McGonagall.
Pomfrey turned Lily's body over and drew back part of the sheet. There on her shoulder blade was dark mark. Dumbledore's eyes widened.
"Albus?" McGonagall said
James and the rest of them could here McGonagall's gasp. Soon the three teachers came out from the curtain.
"Tell me when she awakes Poppy; I'll need to speak with her."
"All of you may be dismissed from your classes. You may stay here."
With that Dumbledore left the ward.
"Professor?" James asked McGonagall.
McGonagall shook her head in response and left the ward following Dumbledore. They all turned back to Lily. Pomfrey had pulled the curtains back and Lily had been changed into a night gown.
James sat her side along with the others he took her hand and looked at her longingly.
-Dumbledore's office-
"Albus what are we going to do, she has been attacked by the death eaters if not the dark lord." McGonagall said with worry.
"Calm down Minerva, I need to make a call to a friend of mine. I think I know what happened."
"Very well, I'll leave you." McGonagall left the room leaving Dumbledore to call his friend.
Dumbledore walked to the far wall and magically opened a hidden door. He stepped into the room and on the far wall hung a telephone. On the other side of he room laid tables and chairs. He picked up the receiver and dialed.
"Hello this is Phoenix. Connect me to Squibbing" He said in to the receiver.
Pause.
"Hello?" A man on the other line said.
"Langston, this is Albus. I need you to come to Hogwarts immediately, it's about Ms. Evans" Dumbledore said.
"I'll be right there." Langston confirmed.
With in five minutes Langston arrived. He entered the hidden room through another door.
"Hello Albus, what is it you wanted to see me for, about Ms. Evans?"
"Yes come with me." Dumbledore said. He lad Langston to the hospital ward.
James and the others were still sitting by Lily when suddenly the ward's doors burst open and Dumbledore swiftly came up to the ward followed by Langston.
"Professor what . . .?" Pomfrey began then realizing he had company.
"Please excuse this interruption Poppy but I need my friend here Mr. Langston to see Ms. Evans." Dumbledore said quickly.
"My God!" Langston exclaimed
"She didn't look this way last night Albus I assure you." He said walking towards the bed.
"What happened?"
"I believe that's the question I was going to ask you." Dumbledore replied.
Langston turned around.
"I was going to call her in tonight along with Charming to explain what took . . ." Langston stopped realizing that James and the others were sitting right there.
"Perhaps we could talk in private Albus?" He asked.
"Certainly, would all of you please leave, I need to speak with Mr. Langston alone, you may come back in two hours time, I promise." Dumbledore requested.
They all got up and left.
As soon as they left, Langston continued.
"They went to Italy two last night; they were retrieving two of our spies who had gone off line just hours before. They were spying on a meeting which the Dark Lord was present along with his followers. One of our men died, the other tortured and Evans and Croft got into a full blown shoot out. They retrieved with one agent, Burns who is a wizard."
"That explains the reaction" Dumbledore said looking at Pomfrey.
"Yes they were hit with massive charms and hexes from what Croft said. Lily made a deal with him."
"Him who?" Dumbledore asked confused.
"The Dark Lord." He whispered.
"Voldemort, what kind of deal?" he asked
"Have you heard of the book of Vlasco?" he asked.
"Yes, what about it?"
"She said he can get it for him, but she plans to duplicate the copy and give him a false one. She knows where it is located. I suggest when she waked up you talk with her immediately. They, meaning her and Croft are planning to make a Volacian potion."
"I see, well I'll talk to her immediately."
Langston soon left.
-Heads common room-
"What did he mean last night she didn't look that bad?" Remus asked rhetorically.
Everyone was in a sad mood.
"I'm going down to see her." James stated getting up from the chair.
"It hasn't been two hours yet." Alicia said.
"I don't care." With that James stormed out of the room.
"He's going to get into trouble." Alicia said.
"Just let him go." Sirius said putting his hand into Alicia's.
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James entered the ward carefully. He peaked in and saw that the headmaster and his friend were gone he walked into the ward silently and took a sea t next to lily. She was still asleep. He bent down and kissed her. He stayed there for the rest of the night with the company of the others. They slept over night in the ward. Alicia and Emily took up the two beds across from Lily while Remus and Sirius took the beds next to them. James fell asleep in the chair.
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