Chapter Fourteen: Holiday Attacks
After that day, Ginny accompanied me to all my sessions with Madame Pomfrey (which in the absence of classes increased to one or two a day), and I was glad of her support. I think it was only her presence there that made sure I didn't go entirely insane, for the flashbacks grew more draining on me both physically and emotionally. Once, Madame Pomfrey mildly suggested, after one particularly bad session, that perhaps I should move into the Hospital Wing until everything was organized in my mind, but I refused. I didn't want to give any fodder to the Slytherin/Junior Death Eater/Inquisitorial Squad rumor mill.
Ginny was my life-line to normality. If I showed signs of mentioning that I should be locked up in St. Mungo's, she would draw me into fourth-year life and show me how happy all of us were. Emily Braydon of Hufflepuff, especially, was helpful in keeping up the girly chatter, although I don't think she realized that she was keeping me sane. I owe both girls more than can ever be repaid in one lifetime.
On Christmas Eve, we had all gone to sleep jabbering about what we hoped to find at the foot of our beds the next morning. Deep in the night, I woke up to find Ginny being quietly taken from the room by Professor McGonagall. Both of them were crying, which I found ominous. The next morning, I found out why from Madame Pomfrey when I went to my session with her alone: Ginny's father had been attacked and was in St. Mungo's, critically ill.
I fainted with another flashback of Agatha Agnes falling on top of me in front of six Death Eaters. As I woke blearily, for a moment I thought Madame Pomfrey was Agatha Agnes, and I hugged her tight. "Aunt Aggie, you're back!" I cried, only to be embarrassed when I was fully conscious. "Quite all right, child," Madame Pomfrey said encouragingly, "The shock can do that at times." At her words, another flashback enfolded me, but did not make me pass out.
This was one of a happy Christmas Day, just after Harry had been born and my third birthday. Aunt Aggie was there, hovering over me and baby Harry like a mother hen, even worse than Mommy herself. Daddy and Mommy were so proud to have a son that Christmas. Uncles Peter, Remus, and Sirius were also there, beaming, especially Uncle Sirius, because he had been named Harry's godfather. Uncle Remus was mine, and I was sitting on his knee. Of course, I couldn't quite say "Remus" at three, so he was my "Unkie Remy." Tears ran down my cheeks as I relived that wonderful Christmas. Madame Pomfrey handed me a huge bar of Honeydukes' best and a bottle of butterbeer and nudged me out the door, saying, "We're done for the day, dear. You go have fun now."
Angelina Spritely met me in the hallway on the way back to the Common Room and said, "Come on, Mel, let's go have a snowball fight!" I grinned and agreed, wolfing down the chocolate and butterbeer on the way. I offered her some of the chocolate, as I was having trouble juggling both the large bar and the bottle, and she took it and broke off a hunk. We chattered like magpies as we went outside, sharing chocolate and butterbeer. Once there, we hurriedly finished our shack and went to join the fight. It was third and fourth years against fifth and second, no Houses, and so much fun that for a few hours I forgot about all of my troubles.
Nevertheless, the snowball fight had to end, and all too soon my memories of the night before and the morning came tumbling back. I hoped Ginny's father would recover soon and with no lasting injuries. I wished that she'd be able to come back to Hogwarts. I trusted that all would be well. I went back to Gryffindor Tower very subdued, and sat down to write a letter to Cat and Try. This occupied me until almost dinnertime, and took three rolls of parchment. But finally I was done, and I went up to the Owlery to see if there was a bird willing to fly to Songsmith.
I had trudged all the way up there for nothing, however. None of the owls wanted to fly on an eight thousand mile round-trip flight just to deliver a letter in the dead of winter. They all flew up to the rafters and refused to look at me or answer my hails. In desperation and almost in tears, I went down to Professor Hagrid's hut and asked for Jakkin back. He said that I could have him back, because he wasn't any help in classes.
I thanked him profusely and asked Jakkin if he would go home with a letter for me as I carried him back up to the castle. He replied, "Of course I'll help you, Mellie. You and your friends have always been kind to me; the least I can do is to return the favor by delivering your letter." I hugged him close and gently tied the scroll to his collar, then set him down on the snow in a courtyard. He jumped, did a triple somersault, and landed on the ground twice as tall as I am and bearing great feathery wings patterned like his hide. I hugged him again, and bade him a tearful farewell. He twitched an ear at me in reply and bounded into the sky. "Don't let yourself be seen, but hurry back!" I whispered, waving a handkerchief after him. I turned, walked into the castle, and headed for the Great Hall and the Christmas feast, musing on the happenings of the day.
