Disclaimer - It's not mine. Never was. The only characters I own are Sable and her family, along with any characters you have never seen/heard of from the movie and/or books.
A/N - Thanks to the following for taking the time to review this story. I appreciate knowing what you think as this story unfolds before our eyes.
Forever-A-Wanderer - Thanks for taking a chance on the sequel, and I am happy to hear that you like it so far. Thank you for the review, and I hope I don't disappoint you.
Princess-Danae - Alright hon, you're in here. Not much for this chapter, but you get to come out and play more in the next chapter. Love ya, muches. ;)
Wolvesaremylife1 - I'm glad I didn't throw people for a loop with that explanation. And I hope you like this chapter. Thanks again for the review
Sarah - Ahhh, you picked up on that little reference, did you? I think you were the only one that did. And there is going to be more little interludes with Ron and Hermione. They are good for comic relief, aren't they?
Camilinha - Okay, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it, as our werewolf takes center stage once again. (Although I do have a distinct feeling that you are going to want to flame me good by the end of the chapter…..) Anyhow, I'll catch up with you on the messenger soon. P.S. How'd the job interview go?
Wolf's Bane II: Return to Hogwarts
Chapter 9
Lessons and Answers
Sable stepped out into the bright sunlight streaming down into Diagon Alley, pushing her shrunken package of potion ingredients into her pockets. She'd been forced into going to Diagon Alley for some house supplies, and had brought Gabe and Sabine with her. Since she personally hated grocery shopping, she had given that particular task to her daughter, who had a bit more tolerance for it than she did. Now, she was on her way to Flourish and Blotts to meet up with her son, who was supposed to be looking over any respectable books she might be able to use in her class for the term.
"Excuse me, Ms. Lee?" came a man's voice behind her. Sable turned around, searching the bustling crowd for who had called her name, only to find a burly man with slightly grayed hair, and distinctly trollish features standing behind her. She quickly spied the crest on the man's robes and had to tamp down her reaction to run. She knew this man, all to well.
This was Justus Flint, the younger brother of Cody Flint, the boy that had helped to keep her and Remus captured at the old Zabini mansion sixteen years before.
"Can I help you, sir?" she asked smoothly, giving him a smile that she honestly hoped seemed natural, and not as phony as she felt at the moment.
"Are you Dr. Mikayla Lee?" he asked a woman with blonde hair came up to his side. She was dressed in what was obviously expensive robes, and had the aristocratic good looks that proclaimed she was one of the Black Family.
"Yes, I am." she said, nodding. "What can I do for you?"
"We are sorry to interrupt," the lady said warmly, although her eyes were shooting daggers through Sable's head. "but I was wondering if you are the one who will be taking the teaching position at Hogwarts this term."
"You are correct. I am." Sable answered. "And you are?"
"Narcissa Malfoy." she said haughtily, tossing her blonde hair back over her shoulder. "And this gentleman is Justus Flint."
"Pleasure." Sable said, nodding in the man's direction. "Is there something you needed, Mrs. Malfoy?"
"I just wanted to introduce myself to Draco's new professor." she said primly. "I was most aggrieved to find that his last Defense instructor was released from the position. Draco had nothing but good things to say about Professor Umbridge."
"Draco is your son, I take it?" Sable asked, recognizing the name as the boy who lived to torment Harry and his friends. She tried to find a way to buy some time to think of a way to get away from the cursed woman in front of her, and figured that getting her to talk about her son would buy her some time. "What year is he in?"
"He begins his sixth year this term." Mrs. Malfoy said. "He's such a bright young man."
"Well, I look forward to having him in my class." Sable said smoothly. "Unfortunately, I am afraid I must cut our meeting short, Mrs. Malfoy. I am in a bit of a rush, you see."
"Mikayla?" came another voice over the din of the crowd. Sable spun around, only to find the familiar face of her age-enhanced son coming to her side. "What are you up to, lass? You were supposed to meet me at Flourish and Blott's half an hour ago. You are late, love." Sable saw the funny look cross Mrs. Malfoy's face when Gabe walked over and put an arm around her, but she pretended to ignore it.
"I am sorry, Gabe. But I ran into Mrs. Malfoy." Sable covered easily, feeling better now that she had someone in her corner. "Her son Draco will be one of my sixth year students this term. And this gentleman is Mr. Justus Flint."
"Pleasure to meet you." Gabe said, nodding in their direction. "I'm Gabe Tartavu."
"Are you a relative of Kareema Tartavu?" Mrs. Malfoy asked, looking at Gabe suspiciously.
"She's me adopted grandmum." Gabe said proudly. Mr. Flint and Mrs. Malfoy seemed to take Gabe at his word, and turned their attention back to Sable.
"Well, any relative of Kareema's is a friend of mine." the blonde stated. "Would you care to join us for lunch, Ms. Lee, Mr. Tartavu? I was hoping to introduce you to my son Draco."
"Yes, I was hoping to discuss some things with you as well, Dr. Lee." Justus Flint said. "You are the creator of the Wolf's Bane potion, and I have some questions about how you came up with the idea to create such an elixir."
"Yes, well…I was not the only researcher working on that particular project." Sable said quickly.
"Such modesty!" Narcissa Malfoy said, smiling coldly. Unfortunately, she spied her son in the crowd and waved him over, just when Sable thought she was going to be able to get free. "Draco, come here." she called out. Sable saw a young man with blonde hair weave his way through the crowd, and to Narcissa's side. With him was another boy about the same age with black hair, blue eyes, and a dark complexion. "Draco, Blaise, this is Professor Lee, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor for this term. And this is her friend Gabe Tartavu."
"How do you do?" Draco asked, shaking Sable's hand and nodding politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Lee." The dark haired boy stepped forward and shook her hand as well, although Sable seemed to sense that he was not as reluctant to do so as Malfoy had been.
"Mr. Tartavu." Draco said, nodding politely. "It's a pleasure, sir." Gabe just nodded, but remained silent, leaving the pleasantries to his mother.
"Well, it's nice to meet two more of my students ahead of time." she said.
"It's always a pleasure, meeting Mikayla's newest students. But I ask you to please excuse me, ladies, gentlemen," Gabe said, looking pointedly to a spot over Mrs. Malfoy's shoulder. "I believe I see someone who is not supposed to be here." Sable, who was about to make him stay by her side, looked across the street to where Gabe was walking, only to see her sixteen year old daughter standing there, biting her lip and motioning for Gabe to get to her side quickly.
"Oh, this is not good." Sable muttered to herself as she turned her attention back to the group of people in front of her. "Not good at all!"
"Gabe! We've got a problem!" Sabine said as she pulled her brother out of the crowd.
"What happened, Sabine!" he asked, looking her over as if to try and find why she looked like her normal self as opposed to the thirty year old auburn woman she walked out of Haven's Hallow as that morning. "Now's not the time to go gallivanting around Diagon Alley looking like yourself! Mom's been cornered by the Malfoys, and she needs some help!"
"The potion wore off, you dick head!" Sabine hissed. "I was coming to find mom to see if she had anymore on her!" Gabe was about to say saying anything else, but the arrival of his mother and the Malfoys circumvented his tirade to his sister.
"Is there something wrong?" Sable asked, smiling gently at her daughter.
"Not really, ma'am." Sabine answered, nodding slightly as if it was no big deal.
"The potion wore off a bit earlier than expected." Gabe said evasively, catching the curious looks from the pit vipers gathered around them.
"Is everything else okay?" Sable asked, eyeing her son for some sort of answer.
"Everything is fine. But I think we should get Corbin home, don't you, Dr. Lee?" Gabe asked, using Sabine's middle name as opposed to her real name.
"Yes, undoubtedly." Sable answered. "Have you finished your shopping, Corbin?"
"I finished everything except for the pet food." Sabine answered.
"Gabe, why don't you take her home. This is her first time in Diagon Alley after all, and your grandmother would curse me if anything happened to her. I'll get the owl seed before I leave."
"Draco and Blaise can take her to the Apparition point near Eeylops Emporium if you'd like." Narcissa Malfoy volunteered.
"That's alright." Gabe said quickly. "I'll take my sister home, and I'll come back afterwards."
"Nonsense!" Narcissa waved. "Draco. Blaise. Take Ms. Tartavu to Eeylops and make sure she gets what she needs. Then escort her to the Apparition point that's nearby."
"Oh, I wouldn't want to infringe upon your time." Sabine said quickly, apparently not wanting to be stuck with the two Slytherin boys on her own.
"It's not a problem." Blaise said cordially, smiling at Sabine, who was partially hidden behind Gabe. "We don't mind at all. Do we, Draco?"
"Not at all." the blonde boy answered, although he didn't seem very thrilled at the idea.
"Mikayla?" Gabe asked uncertainly, not sure about letting Sabine go with the two boys. Sable bit her lip and nodded curtly. She couldn't afford to seem suspicious to the two other adults standing in front of her, especially when rumor had it that they were both marked Death Eaters. As long as they continued to think that Gabe and Sabine were the grandchildren of Kareema Tartavu, who was in reality Sable's own godmother, then they would be fine. Narcissa Malfoy nor Justus Flint would risk starting a blood feud with the Tartavu family, and Sable knew it.
"Let her go, Gabe. She'll be fine." Dr. Lee said. Gabe looked almost shocked, but stepped out from in front of his sister, albeit reluctantly. "We've got some shopping to finish ourselves before we can head back home."
"We'll see her off." Blaise said, offering his arm to the girl in front of him. Sabine smiled sweetly and took it, then fired up a conversation about only Merlin knew what. But whatever it was, both the Malfoy brat and the Zabini boy seemed interested.
"Well, we've taken up a great deal of your time, Dr. Lee." Narcissa said. "It was a pleasure to meet you. You as well, Mr. Tartavu. And do give Kareema my regards, will you?"
"I will, ma'am." Gabe said. "Good day to you both." With that final goodbye, the Malfoy matriarch and the burly man turned and walked back down the sidewalk towards Darvish and Bangs. As soon as they were out of sight, Sable pulled Gabe into an alleyway, heaving a huge sigh of relief that they were gone.
"Mom?" Gabe asked, looking at her carefully. "You okay?"
"Go find your sister and make sure those two boys don't hurt her before she gets to the Apparition point." Sable said firmly. "Narcissa Malfoy isn't stupid enough to start a blood feud between her family and your godparent's families, but that doesn't mean her son isn't."
"Do you want me to pull her away from them?" he asked.
"No. As long as they don't try to do anything, she'll be fine." Sable said. "Just make sure they don't get any ideas. I've got one more place to go before I can head home, so I'll meet you both there. Once you get back to Haven's Hallow, get Sabine to my lab, preferably without anyone seeing her, and tell her I said don't move until I get back and find out what made the potion wear off." Gabe nodded and quickly headed off down the alley to where Eeylops Emporium was, searching the sea of faces for his sister.
Meanwhile, Sable slouched back against the brick of the building behind her. Running into Justus Flint and Narcissa Malfoy had not been on her to do list, and it had shaken her up pretty badly. It had only gotten worse when she had seen Sabine standing on the other side of the street. She had no doubt that both Flint and Malfoy had noticed the physical similarities between the two of them, and would be doing a check with Kareema, inquiring about her grandchildren. She'd just send her godmother a letter as soon as she got back to Haven's Hallow, warning her of what had happened, and to be on the lookout for anyone asking about Gabe or Sabine.
Kareema Tartavu and her husband Niles Tartavu were the head of one of the most influential and well known wizarding families of the southern United States. They were well known all around the globe for their work with breeding rare and exotic species of animals of both the wizarding and Muggle worlds, and were right up there in the same social circles as the Malfoys and Flints. They were also known to adopt orphaned children and raise them as their own since they could not have any children of their own.
They had been named Sable's godparents before her own parents had died, but she hadn't found out about it until after her mother and father had been killed. Thankfully, with the Tartavu name being thrown around, she knew that Gabe and Sabine would be safe from problems with the Malfoys, or any other aristocratic jerks that lived on the continent.
"This has officially got to be the worst day of my life." Sable muttered, rearranging her cloak and heading back into the crowd of bustling people to finish up her shopping. "Only my luck is this bad!"
"So, where are you headed, Ms. Tartavu?" Blaise asked as they walked down the street. Sabine, who wasn't sure as to what she should and shouldn't say in front of the two boys, tried to play it natural.
"Please, just call me Corbin." she said with a smile. "And I'm a bit lost. I need to get some supplies for a number of family pets, but I got turned around somehow, and I don't know where I'm headed."
"Is it your first time in Diagon Alley?" Draco asked pleasantly.
"I'm afraid so, Mr. Malfoy." she said.
"The Emporium will have what you need." Blaise said, nodding to a large sign that read 'Eeylops Owl Emporium'. "They sell practically anything you may need, and the Apparition point is right beside the building." The three teenagers arrived at the building, and Draco opened the door to admit her through, then followed Blaise in.
"I apologize for taking up your time, Mr. Malfoy, Mr…."
"Zabini." Blaise said, grinning. "Blaise Zabini."
"Zabini?" Sabine asked, not quite sure she had heard correctly.
"Is there a problem with my name?" Blaise asked.
"No, no, not at all!" Sabine said, truly smiling for the first time. "Is your family the ones who run Camilla's vineyards, right outside of Venice?"
"You've heard of us?" Blaise asked, seemingly surprised.
"Please, Mr. Zabini, name one respectable wizarding family in the world that has not, and I'll hand you a thousand galleons!" she said with a grin as they walked along the shelves to the owl treats. "You're mother is Isabella Zabini, correct?"
"Yes." Blaise said. "How do you know all this?"
"I'm terribly sorry." she apologized. "But I am a bit of a Herbology fiend. Your mother's work with the species of hybrid grape vines she created by cross pollinating the red and white vines was the topic of a recent lecture I attended."
"Oh, you mean those horrible pink grapes she's so fond of?" Blaise groaned.
"Pink is hardly my favorite color either, Mr. Zabini." she laughed. "But her research is wonderful, and many of the hybrids she ahs bred have amazing properties. Except for that weeping rose bush. What was the point in that one?"
"You mean other than to sting the bloody hell out of you when you walk by it?" Draco huffed, apparently having been on the receiving end of said plant one two many times.
"She created that particular plant as a way to replenish the nutrients in the soil where we grow the grapes." Blaise said easily. "As we rotate the grape crops, we plant mother's weeping roses in the land we are not putting the grapes. When the roses weep, their tears help put vital nutrients back into the soil."
"They cry minerals?" Sabine asked, utterly amazed.
"And shook their thorns at you if you get too close to them." Blaise said. "As Draco can well attest to."
"Well, other than that minor drawback, they really are an amazing species. Does she plan on putting the seeds to market anytime soon?"
"I'm not sure. She's quite protective of that breed." Blaise said, a grin on his face. Sabine just smiled an continued to bombard the dark headed boy with question after question as she bought the food for the family pets. Draco decided to run commentary, and interjected with a few novel stories of the creatures Blaise's mother had managed to create by the cross breeding. Sabine was in stitches by the time she had finished her shopping and they were headed out of Eeylops. They quickly crossed the street, and Sabine caught a glimpse of Gabe standing nearby, watching her with the two boys. She nodded slightly, telling him that she was okay, but he just frowned and continued to watch as she got in line for the Apparition point. Since there was no one behind her, Sabine took her time.
"Will we be seeing you again soon?" Blaise asked as she secured her packages in her pockets.
"Well, since Gabe is the only real family I have left, I tend to drop in and check on him periodically. See how much trouble he can get himself into without me there to watch out for him. So, I might pop up at Hogwarts at some point in time this year since he's supposed to be assisting your Care of Magical Creatures professor."
"They're finally getting rid of that oaf Hagrid?" Draco asked. Sabine tamped down a very smart response, and shrugged.
"I don't think so." she said. "But I could be wrong. Gabe has to finish up his internship before he can get his final certification as a Handler. And the Headmaster of Hogwarts allowed him to take his training under the current professor."
"Well, we'll be looking forward to seeing you again." Blaise said, taking her hand and kissing it gently, causing Sabine to blush scarlet.
"I'm sure you will." she said, regaining her composure slightly and smiling at them, then Apparating out of sight, leaving a grinning Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy standing there by themselves.
When she touched down right outside the barriers near Haven's Hallow, Sabine wanted to kick herself.
"What the hell have you gotten yourself into, girl?"
Luckily, when Sable finally got back into Haven's Hallow, Harry and his friends were outside playing a game of Quidditch. She quickly dumped her packages on the kitchen table and headed for her lab, knowing that her daughter was being confined down there by her two brothers.
"What happened, Sabine?" she asked, walking into the lab and finding Ailric and Gabe arguing with her about something.
"It wore off." she said, shaking her head. "I don't know why. But I was at the market getting some chicken, and next thing I know, I get this funny feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I see my reflection turning back to normal in one of the store's windows!"
"Did anything feel weird?" Sable asked, going over to her cupboard to pull out a container of some greenish liquid.
"No, it felt normal." she answered sullenly.
"No dizzy spells?"
"No."
"No blurriness?"
"No."
"Nothing felt off or different? Nothing at all?"
"No, it was normal, just quicker than I had expected." Sabine said crossly. "Do you know what's wrong?"
"Yeah, I do." Sable said, taking a seat on a countertop and crossing her arms. "You are definitely your mother's daughter."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ailric asked.
"The age enhancer potion does the same thing to me when I take it." Sable answered. "The timing is off a bit when I take it, so the effect doesn't last as long."
"So I'll just have to take it more often?" Sabine asked.
"Partly. You'll have to take it more often, but you'll also have to have a break every few weeks from it, at least for a few days." Sable answered. "After about six doses, you're going to have to let it get out of your system before you take another dose."
"How long will that take? For her body to get rid of it?" Gabe asked.
"A day or so. No more than three." Sable said.
"So she'll take it for roughly three and a half weeks, and then have to turn normal for a few days?" Ailric asked.
"Exactly." Sable said.
"So can I take another dose now, or do I need to wait?" Sabine asked. Sable did some quick calculations, and decided that it wouldn't hurt her to take some more. She added a few drops of the greenish liquid to a flask of the age enhancer and swirled it around, then poured a glassful and handed it to Sabine.
"Take that, and the next time you fade back to normal, come find me." she said. "That should last you until the coming full moon, and you can 'disappear' with me for a few days until your system is cleared out." Sabine nodded and downed the smelly concoction, then slowly began to turn from a black headed sixteen year old, back to her alter-self, the thirty year old auburn haired witch.
When the transformation was complete, Sabine sat back down on the chair and shook her head.
"That stuff makes me dizzy." she said, blinking her eyes rapidly.
"Give it a few minutes, and it will pass." her mother said. "What were you three arguing about when I came in here, anyway?" Gabe frowned and pulled a chair around for himself to sit on. He plopped down and folded his arms across the back of the seat.
"It seems that our sister is quite taken with the Zabini twit." he said coldly.
"I am not, you paranoid jerk." Sabine said angrily. "How many more times do I have to tell you that we were just talking about his mother's blasted hybrid plants!"
"You were laughing." Gabe said flatly.
"And smiling." Ailric added, frowning at her.
"And how the hell do you know, Ailric?" Sabine snapped. "You weren't even there!"
"That still doesn't justify the fact that you were flirting with him." Gabe said, pining his sister with a glare that proved he was in fact Severus Snape's son.
"Well, what was I supposed to do?" she countered. "Act like some nervous little girl who thinks boys have cooties? Yeah, that's believable!"
"You didn't have to let him kiss you!" Gabe said angrily.
"He kissed you?" Ailric asked, cracking his knuckles threateningly. "I'll beat him to a pulp!"
"He kissed my HAND, you twit!" Sabine said. "That doesn't even count!"
"Yes, it does!" Ailric said. "You should have decked the jerk!"
"Mother?" Sabine asked, turning to the woman standing beside her. "Some help here, please?" Sable shook her head and pointed to the door.
"Out, you two." she ordered, nodding at her two sons.
"But…"
"Mom…."
"Now." she said firmly. "No arguments. I'll take care of this." The two boys grumbled, but listened to her and left without another argument. Sable turned to her daughter and took a deep breath.
"Sabine, what happened today, honey?" she asked.
"We left you and Gabe with the Malfoys, I went to the pet store with the two boys, we talked about how Blaise's mom is a Herbology researcher, and then I Apparated home." she said firmly.
"Is that it?" she asked.
"Well, other than the whole kissing my hand part, yeah." Sabine said, blushing slightly.
"Honey, you can't get tangled up with the boys at Hogwarts." Sable said carefully. "Just like Ailric and Gabe can't get tangled up with the girls there. The three of you are going to be seen as teachers, not students."
"I know." Sabine said. "It ought to be Ailric you're telling this to, not me. He's always been the one popular with the ladies."
"You're a smart girl, baby." Sable said, giving her a hug of reassurance. "I know you won't let me down. And I'll take care of your brothers."
"Thanks, mom." Sabine said. "I was about ready to curse Gabe into the next century if he wouldn't have shut up." Sable laughed and shook her head.
"They're just protective, Sabine." she said. "You know that."
"It's annoying." her daughter said flatly, daring her mother to argue with her.
"They do it because they love you." Sable said, trying to hide a smile at her daughter's discomfort.
"I'll remember to tell them that when I run off their next girlfriend." Sabine griped.
"I'll talk to them about it." Sable said. "Although I'm not sure it will do much good." Sabine nodded and stood from her seat.
"Where's the golden trio?" she asked, referring to Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Out back playing Quidditch." Sable answered, looking over at the clock on the wall. "It'll be lunch soon, and they'll be in to get some food."
"I'm on kitchen duty today." Sabine answered.
"Better you than Molly." Sable grumped. "I swear that woman hates me! And it's all because of Harry."
"Well, you're not the only one who doesn't think Potter should be coddled." Sabine said, shrugging as she pulled back her auburn hair into a ponytail and secured it out of her face. "So I wouldn't worry too much about it. Seems like she's been staying away from here more lately anyway." Sabine heard her mother mutter something along the lines of 'Thank Merlin for small favors', and grinned.
"I'm heading for the kitchen. You want some lunch, mom?"
"I'll be up there in a little while." Sable answered. Sabine just nodded and made her way up the stairs towards the first floor of the house while Sable put the bottle of greenish liquid back into the cabinet and straightened up a little in her lab.
She'd go help Sabine with lunch, then head back down to her lab to get some work done. After all, there was an Order meeting in two days, and she needed to have some headway on that voice alteration potion Albus had asked her about.
Harry had had a bad feeling all evening, especially after seeing the rush that Dr. Lee had been in to get to her laboratory once she'd returned from her trip to Diagon Alley. But, he had threw it off as an acure case of over-needed paranoia. Things had seemed somewhat normal during dinner, and afterwards, although it seemed like Ms. Meadows was on the outs with Mr. Tartavu and Mr. Robbins for some reason that he couldn't place.
They had all went to bed, like normal. Buta little past midnight, the cries from the next room was what had finally brought Harry out of his fitful sleep. He had been dreaming of something, of someplace cold and wet, but the pitiful cries and insistent pounding on the door that linked his and Ron's room to Hermione's and Ginny's room caused him to sit up and throw the door open.
"What's going on, Hermione?" he asked, looking at the pale young woman in front of him.
"It's Ginny." she said frantically. "There's something wrong with her! It's like she's having a nightmare, but I can't wake her up!"
"Geez, what's all the noise for?" came Ron's sleep voice. "Who's dying?" Harry didn't answer him, instead he rushed through the doorway and over to Ginny's side. He could vaguely hear Hermione telling Ron to get up and go get Dr. Lee, but his attention was mainly focused on the sweating red head who had somehow managed to tangle herself up in her bed sheets as she thrashed around violently, fighting an enemy only she could see.
"Ginny!" he called out, ducking when her hand came up to slap at him. "Ginny, wake up! Come on, you're just dreaming! Wake up!"
"Don't do……this again!" Ginny pleaded, struggling to fight her oppressor. "Leave me….alone!"
"Ginny, you're dreaming!" Harry yelled, grabbing her flailing hands. "Wake up!"
"What is going on in here?" Dr. Lee's voice boomed from the doorway. "Mr. Potter?"
"She's dreaming and we can't wake her up." Harry said. "She's talking crazy!" Dr. Lee rushed over, pulling her wand and knelt down to where Ginny was flailing around on the floor.
"What's wrong with my sister?" Ron asked, pushing to Harry's side while Hermione loomed over them. Dr. Lee said nothing, but pointed her wand at Ginny and muttered something, then closed her eyes.
"What's going on in here?" came a sleepy voice from the doorway. Harry turned to see Mr. Tartavu standing there, stretching his arms over his head.
"Something's wrong with Ginny." Hermione said. About that time, Dr. Lee's eyes opened, and Harry swore he could see blatant fear coursing through her.
"Mikayla?" Mr. Tartavu asked.
"Gabe, go wake up Ailric and Sabine and get them in here. Now!" Dr. Lee commanded. The man at the door simply blinked a few times, the rushed to do as he was told. "Harry, Ron, I need you to hold her down."
"What?" Ron asked.
"Just hold her." Dr. Lee snapped. "I can't do this if she's flailing around!":
"No…Remus….let us…..Tom…" Ginny cried, fighting as Harry and Ron grabbed her arms and legs. Harry watched as Dr. Lee pointed her wand at Ginny one more time and chanted a succession of spells that caused the flailing redhead to calm down almost instantly. "Leave…..Harry….alone…."
"What happened?" Hermione asked as Mr. Tartavu returned with Mr. Robbins and Ms. Meadows in tow.
"I'm not exactly sure at the moment, Ms. Granger." Dr. Lee said briskly. "But I do have a strong suspicion that…." She stopped speaking, shaking her head ruefully from sided to side, then turned to the other three adults in the room. "Sabine, get in contact with the Weasley's and Dumbledore, and get them here as soon as possible. Gabe and Ailric, go check the wards. I have a feeling that we're going to have some visitors very soon." The three adults nodded and scurried out of the room without question. Dr. Lee then turned to the three teenagers in the room. "You three, come with me."
She waved her wand, and Ginny floated from her spot on the floor, and glided towards the doorway with Dr. Lee right behind her. Hermione, Ron, and Harry followed her as she led them down the stairs and into the basement of the house, which was filled to the brim with bubbling cauldrons and shelves of ingredients. Harry noticed that there were two doors at the far end of the room, and Dr. Lee was headed straight for one of them. She opened the door, and floated Ginny onto the bed, then reached over and covered her up with a light blanket.
"What's wrong with her?" Harry asked, finally breaking the silence after the pale redhead was settled. "What happened?"
"She's never done that before. Ginny's always been a quiet sleeper." Hermione said. "At least when I've been with her."
"What…." Ron began, only to be hushed by Dr. Lee.
"I'm not sure, children." she said. "But that was no ordinary nightmare, I can assure you."
"Is there anything we can do?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, there is, as a matter of fact." Dr. Lee answered. "This house is going to lapse into complete and utter chaos is about five minutes. Hermione, Ron, I need you to go to the kitchen and make some very strong tea."
"My sister is lying here, almost dead, and you want us to go make tea!" Ron bellowed. "No way!"
"She is hardly dead, and there is a reason for it." Dr. Lee said sharply, pulling a small packet out of the pocket of her robes. "While you are steeping the tea, put this in with the leaves. Then bring it down here and give some of it to Ginny. She should be awake by then." Hermione took the packet without question, then tugged on Ron's arm none too gently.
"Harry, I need to tell you something before she wakes up." Dr. Lee said, her face utterly serious.
"What is it?"
"When Ginny wakes up, she's going to be on the verge of hysterics." she said calmly. "Because she just saw you die."
"What?" Harry asked, completely bewildered.
"She was attacked, Harry." Dr. Lee said. "Much like the way Voldemort led you to the Department of Mysteries, now he's looking for information about what the Order is doing, and he's exploiting his connection to Ginny to do it."
"Ginny doesn't have a connection to him!"
"Riddle." Dr. Lee said sadly.
"But…how?" Harry asked. "I got rid of him, and destroyed the diary."
"I don't know, but I know what I saw when I looked in on her dream." Dr. Lee said. "She just saw you die at the hands of Tom Riddle, and it scared her. I've neutralized any further contact Voldemort can have with her, but it is only temporary."
"What can I do?" Harry asked.
"Keep her calm." Dr. Lee said, looking down as Ginny slowly started to come around. "Ms. Weasley? Ginny?"
"Dr. Lee?" Ginny said sleepily. "What…were am I? Harry?"
"I'm right here, Ginny." Harry said, watching as the tears in her eyes began to flow out, like a dam bursting. The redhead latched onto him, sobbing her eyes out and muttering incoherently that he was alright. Harry wasn't sure what to do, so he hugged her gently, more confused than ever, although Dr. Lee did not seem too surprised.
"He's fine, Ginny." Dr. Lee said calmly.
"But I saw you!" Ginny wailed, absolutely terrified, and still clutching him. "He cursed you…and threw you….you were dead….I couldn't help you…."
"Who cursed him, Ginny?" Dr. Lee asked. "Who hurt Harry?"
"Tom." Ginny sniffled. "Tom Riddle." Harry felt his blood run cold when Ginny said the name. He thought he had gotten rid of Riddle four years ago, when he had fought him in the Chamber of Secrets. But whatever Dr. Lee had seen was right, and he believed it, because the normally fearless Ginny was shaking like a squirrel and crying in his arms. Ginny continued to whimper, and Harry heard the sounds of people coming down the stairs.
Dr. Lee, who had been sitting across from him, closed her eyes and tilted her head back, looking up at the ceiling as if for some sort of intervention from a higher being before getting up and heading towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked, not sure of what to do with Ginny.
"She's not the only one he got tonight, Harry." she said sadly. "Molly and Arthur should be here soon, so just be patient, please." A woman he had never seen before stuck her head in the door then, clear panic on her face.
"Mikayla, we've got a problem." the black headed lady said. "We need you in here quick! Sabine's already working on him as we speak."
"I'm coming, Danae." Dr. Lee answered. She turned back to Harry and felt a wave of nausea run over her when she realized how much he looked like his father, and how much Ginny reminded her of Lily. It really was scary how much Harry was like James, and Sable absently wondered if Harry would share his father's fate at the hands of Voldemort as well in due time.
'Not if I can bloody well help it!' she thought angrily as she rushed into the other small ward, and froze in her tracks when she saw Remus lying on the once white bed sheets. The man that had left the week before was bruised and bloody beyond almost all recognition. He was unconscious, which was probably for the best since there were angry red blotches all over his neck and face, and a serious wound on the left side of his chest that was oozing pus and blood.
"…are you doing? Snap out of it, Mikayla!" came Sabine's snappish voice. "I need some help for Merlin's sake, he's about to go into shock!" Sable came back to her senses immediately, and went to Remus' side, absently reaching out to wipe some blood off his face, only to have her hand knocked away by Sabine's. "Put some gloves on! He's covered in silver dust!" Sable hurriedly put on the latex gloves and got to work, stripping off what was left of Remus' tattered shirt, only to reveal an imprint the size of a hand on his stomach.
"Bloody fucking hell!" she cursed, taking in the damage. "What happened to you, Remus?"
"Peter….ambush…." the injured man muttered brokenly.
"Okay, so you're conscious after all." Sabine muttered, grabbing her wand and muttering charm after charm, only to growl in frustration and call Ailric to her side to perform some charms.
Sable turned to Gabe and nodded to her laboratory.
"Get me some blood replenishing potion." she said. "And some anti-infection potions."
"We need to get the dust off." Sabine said, grabbing her wand and muttering a charm under her breath while Ailric continued to try and stop the bleeding. Two seconds later, the fine film of gray dust that had been covering Remus' body was gone. Sable grabbed some bandages and a wet wash cloth, then started to clean the clotted blood off as much as she could. She heard Ailric cast the healing charms to reduce the swelling and slow down the flow of fresh blood.
"…hurts…" Remus mumbled a few minutes later.
"I know it hurts, Remus." Sable said, wiping an antiseptic over the wound on his chest. "I'm sorry, but it's either this or let you bleed to death."
They worked on the werewolf for nearly fifteen minutes straight before the wound finally stopped bleeding freely. Dumbledore and the Weasleys had arrived only moments before, and were now at Ginny's side, though she doubted that the redhead girl had let go of Harry yet.
"Whoever got you tried to pull your guts out, right along with your throat." Sabine said, wiping the fingerprints around his throat with an anti-swelling solution. "That should help the swelling and open up your throat. Better?"
"Yes…" he muttered. Sable looked up in time to see his eyes roll back into his head, and she panicked.
"Remus, don't you fall asleep." she said loudly. "You can't sleep! Not now!"
"..tired…"
"I know you are, but you can't go to sleep, Mr. Lupin." Sabine said quickly. "You go to sleep now, and you're more likely to slip into a coma."
"…sleep…"
"Come on, Remus." Sable begged. "Stay awake just a little longer."
"…can't….tired…."
"Oh, yes you can." Sabine said, finishing up a few stitches on the wound on his stomach. "Think about something happy. Hell, think about mom dancing around in her underwear if you have to! Just don't go to sleep."
"That's …..worth….it…" he mumbled, causing Sable to turn red, and Sabine and Ailric to snicker.
"Glad to know your sense of humor is still intact." she growled. Remus just gave her a weak smile, then turned his head to the side and took a deep breath. Sable took another needle that Sabine had sterilized and went to work stitching up the huge gashes on his arms. Since he was doused in enough numbing potions to make him feel like he was floating on a cloud, he didn't even flinch when she threaded the needle through his skin.
"You still with us, Mr. Lupin?" Ailric asked a couple minutes later when he handed his sister a wet cloth.
"…tired…."
"Yeah, but these two said no sleeping yet." he answered, grinning. "And trust me, you don't want to disoby'em. They can get nasty, especially mom."
"Not…bad…"
"You try living with her." Ailric said.
"…okay…" Remus said quietly, looking over at Sable with cloudy blue eyes. Ailric just shook his head and handed his mom the dreamless sleep potion and blood replenishing potion. They had done all they could, now it was left up to Remus to fight his way out. Since none of them were actually Healers, they had done what they could. Most of their knowlede was based on the stuff Sable had learned in Auror training, and the Healing Charms that Sabine had read out of books and mastered for the fleeting few months she had decided to study to become a Healer.
"That's all I can do." Sabine said, standing from her position on Remus' other side
"…sleep…"
"You can sleep just as soon as you drink these." Sable said, quickly uncorking the potions and helping him to drink them down. He chocked on the dreamless sleep potion, and Sable was afraid he was chocking, but the coughing quieted down.
"You okay?" Sabine asked.
"…tastes bad.." Remus muttered.
"Everyone's a critic." Sabine said with a grin. "Alright Mr. Lupin, get some sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up." Remus just grunted and closed his eyes as the sleeping potion went to work on his already exhausted body. Sable gripped his hand, and waited until she was sure he was sleeping before standing up.
"Dr. Lee?"
Sable turned around and found Dumbledore standing in the doorway.
"Albus." she said. "How's Ginny?"
"Peacefully asleep." the wizened Headmaster replied.
"Good, and the others?" she asked.
"Arthur is worried sick, and Molly is on the verge of hysterics herself." he said, walking to her side to look down at Remus. "Ms. Lovell and Tonks are with them as we speak."
"And Harry?"
"By her side."
"Ron and Hermione?"
"Hovering nearby." the wizard answered. "How is Remus?"
"He's beat up badly." she answered, her eyes resting on the sleeping man. "And there is a chance that some of the sliver dust got into his bloodstream before we got it off him. He's going to have a rough few days ahead of him, but he'll survive."
"Did he say how this happened?"
"The only thing he said was 'Peter' and 'ambush'.He'll be more lucent once he's had some rest, though."" she said wearily. Dumbledore remained quiet, but motioned for her to precede him out the room.
"We need to see to Arthur and Molly." he said.
"Yes, I suppose we should." she said, finally turning away from Remus, albeit reluctantly. "And you need to find a way to explain to them why Voldemort is poking around in their daughter's head like it's his personal playground!"
A/N - Okay everyone. Here's the latest chapter in this crazy saga. I hope I haven't lost anyone along the way. Remember, if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with me, and I will answer them to the best of my abilities.
Until next time,
A.A.
Oh, and remember to review. I want to know what you think. ';)
