A/N: Many thanks to the Guest reviewer's and Slytherclaw's suggestions. I'll use them for the last chapter.
Dumbledore stood up and stared at Barty Crouch with disgust for a moment, before raising his wand once more. Ropes flew out of it, which twisted themselves around Barty Crouch, binding him tightly.
He turned to Professor Flitwick, "Filius, could I ask you to stand guard here, while I take Hailey upstairs?"
"Yes," Flitwick said, looking nauseous as if he had seen something very disgusting, before he drew out his wand to point at Barty Crouch.
Dumbledore turned to Snape, "Severus, please tell Madam Pomfrey to come down here; we need to get Alastor Moody into the hospital wing. Then go down into the grounds, find Cornelius Fudge, and bring him up to this office. He will undoubtedly want to question Crouch himself. Tell him I will be in the hospital wing in half an hour's time if he needs me." Snape nodded and swept out of the room. "Hailey?"
Hailey got up and swayed again. The pain in her leg, which she didn't notice as she was busy listening to Crouch's story, returned into full force. She realized that she was shaking and Dumbledore gripped her arm and helped her out into the dark corridor.
"I want you to come up to my office first, Hailey," he said quietly as the headed up the passageway. "Sirius is wanting for us there."
Hailey nodded. She felt a strange kind of numbness and a sense of complete unreality were on her. She didn't want to think about anything that had happened when she touched the Triwizard Cup. She didn't want to think about the memories that kept flashing in her mind: Mad-Eye Moody, inside the trunk, Pettigrew, slumped on the ground, cradling his stump of an arm, Voldemort, rising from the steaming cauldron. Cedric…dead…Cedric, asking to be returned to his parents…
"Professor, where's Mr and Mrs Diggory?" Hailey mumbled.
"They are with Professor Sprout," replied Dumbledore. His voice had wavered slightly, in contrast with him speaking calmly to Barty Crouch. "She was Head of Cedric's House, and knew him best."
They had finally reached the stone gargoyle, which Dumbledore gave the password. The gargoyle sprang aside, and the two went up the moving spiral staircase up to the oak door. Dumbledore pushed open, revealing Sirius standing there.
Sirius's face was white and gaunt, as it had been when had escaped Azkaban. He crossed the room. "Hailey, are you all right? I knew it—I knew something like this—what happened?" His hands were shaking as helped Hailey sit down in a chair that was in front of the desk. "What happened?" He sounded urgent.
Dumbledore explained to Sirius about everything that Barty Crouch said. Hailey was so tired and every bone in her body was aching. She wanted to sit there undisturbed for hours and hours. She wanted to fall asleep so she didn't have to or feel anymore.
She heard a soft rush of wings, because Fawkes had left his perch, flew across the office to land on Hailey's knee. "'Lo, Fawkes," Hailey muttered, stroking the phoenix's scarlet-and-gold plumage. Fawkes seemed to blink peacefully up at her and it was oddly comforting about the warm weight.
Dumbledore had stopped talking because he was now sitting opposite of Hailey, behind his desk. He was looking at her, who was avoiding his eyes. She knew that he was going to question her and make Hailey relive everything.
"I need to know what happened after you touched Portkey in the maze, Hailey," said Dumbledore.
"We can leave that till morning, can't we, Dumbledore?" asked Sirius harshly. He put a hand on Hailey's shoulder. "Let her have some sleep. Let her rest."
Hailey was grateful that Sirius said that, but Dumbledore didn't seem to hear Sirius's words, because he leaned forward towards Hailey. Unwilling, Hailey raised her head to looked into Dumbledore's eyes.
"If I thought I could help you, by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when finally feel. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened," Dumbledore said.
Fawks let out a soft, quavering note and Hailey felt as though a drop of hot liquid had slipped down her throat into her stomach, warming her. It seemed to give her strength. She took a deep breath and told them. Visions of everything that had passed that night seemed to go before her eyes. She saw the sparkling surface of the potion that revived Voldemort, she saw the Death Eaters Aparating between the graves around them. She saw Cedric's body, lying on the ground beside the cup.
Every now and then, Sirius, his hand still on Hailey's shoulder, made a noise as if he was going to say something, but Dumbledore had held a hand to stop him. Hailey was relieved that Dumbledore stopped him, because it was easier to keep talking about it now that she started. Hailey felt as if something poisonous was being extracted from her and it was taking every bit of determination she had to keep talking. She sensed that once she finished, she would better.
When she got to the part of Pettigrew piercing her arm with the dagger, Sirius let out a vehement exclamation and Dumbledore sat up so quickly Hailey jumped.
Dumbledore walked around the desk, "Hold out your arm."
Hailey showed him her arm and the cut. "He said my blood would make him stronger than if he'd used someone else's. He said the protection my—my mother left in me—he'd have it too. And he was right—he could touch me without hurting himself. He touched my head." For a fleeting moment, she though she saw a gleam of triumphant in Dumbledore's eyes, but Hailey was sure that she may have imagined it because of the ordeal she had gone through and how tired she was.
Dumbledore returned to his seat behind the desk, looking old and weary as Hailey ever seen him. "Very well. Voldemort has overcome that particular barrier. Hailey, continue, please."
Hailey continued explaining how Voldemort emerged from the cauldron and told them as much of Voldemort's speech, to the Death Eaters, as she can remember. She told them that Voldemort freed her from the statue, how she grabbed her wand, and prepared to duel. She reached part of the golden beam of light that connected their wands; she found that her throat seemed to get clogged. She tried to keep talking, but all she could keep picturing was Cedric emerging, the old man, Bertha Jorkins…her parents…
"The wands connected?" Sirius asked, looking at Hailey to Dumbledore. "Why?"
She was glad that Sirius broke the silence. She looked at Dumbledore, who had some sort of guarded look.
Dumbledore muttered, "Priori Incantatem." He was looking into Hailey's eye and it seemed like an invisible beam of understanding seemed to cross between them.
"The Reverse Spell effected?" asked Sirius sharply.
"Exactly," replied Dumbledore. "Hailey's wand and Voldemort's wand share cores. Each of them contains a feather from the tail of the same phoenix." He pointed at Fawkes, "this phoenix, in fact."
"My wand's feather came from Fawkes?" Hailey asked, almost amazed.
"Yes," said Dumbledore. "Mr Ollivander wrote to tell you had bought the second wand, the moment you left his shop four years ago."
"So what happens when a wand meets its brother?" asked Sirius.
"They will not work properly against each," explained Dumbledore. "If, however, the owners of the wand force the wands to do battle…a very rare effect will take place. One of the wands will force the other to regurgitate spells it has performed—in reverse. The most recent first…and then those which preceded it…" He looked at Hailey, making her nod. His eyes seemed fixed on Hailey's face, "Which means, that some form of Cedric must have reappeared." Hailey nodded again.
"Diggory came back to life?" asked Sirius sharply.
"No spell can reawaken the dead," replied Dumbledore heavily. "All that would have happened is a kind of reverse echo. A shadow of the living, Cedric would have emerge from the wand…am I correct, Hailey?"
"He spoke to me," she replied, shaking all over again. "The…the ghost Cedric, or whatever he was, spoke."
"An echo," explained Dumbledore, "which retained Cedric's appearance and character. I am guessing other such form appeared…less recent victims of Voldemort's wand."
"An old," Hailey replied, her throat still feeling constricted, "Bertha Jorkins. And…" she couldn't say it.
"Your parents?" replied Dumbledore, using a quiet voice.
"Yes," replied Hailey.
Sirius's grip on Hailey's shoulder was now so tight that it was actually painful.
"The last murders the wand performed," said Dumbledore nodding, "in reverse order. More would have appeared, of course, had you maintained the connection. Very well, Hailey, these echoes, these shadows…what did they do?"
Hailey told them about how the figures prowled the edges of the golden web, how Voldemort seemed to fear them, how the shadow of Hailey's mother told her what to do, and how Cedric's made the final request. At that point, Hailey found she couldn't continue and looked around at Sirius to see how he had his face in his hands. She realized that Fawkes had left her knee and looked to see that he had fluttered to floor, where it was resting his head on Hailey's injured leg. She saw thick, pearly tears were falling from its eyes and onto the wound that had been left by the spider. The pain had vanished, the skin had mended, and her leg was now repaired.
Fawkes rose into the air and resettled himself on the perch beside the door.
"I will say it again," said Dumbledore. "You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight, Hailey. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourself equal to it—and you have not given us all we have a right to expect. You will come with to the hospital wing. I do not want you returning to the dormitory tonight. A Sleep Potion and some peace…Sirius, would you like to stay with her?"
Sirius nodded and got up, transforming into the great black dog. He walked with Dumbledore and Hailey out of the office, accompanying them down a flight of stairs to the hospital wing.
When Dumbledore pushed open the door, Hailey saw Mrs Weasley, Bill, Ron, Hermione, Mandy, and Michael grouped around a harassed-looking Madam Pomfrey. It looked like they had been demanding to know where Hailey was and what had happened to her. They whipped around as Hailey, Dumbledore, and Sirius entered.
Mrs Weasley let out a kind of muffled scream, "Hailey! Oh, Hailey!" She started to hurry towards her.
Dumbledore moved between them, "Molly, please listen to me for a moment. Hailey has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. She has just had to relive it for me. What she needs now is sleep and peace and quiet. If she would like you all to stay with her," he looked at the Hogwarts students and Bill, too, "you may do so. But I do not want you questioning her until she is ready to answer, and certainly not this evening."
Mrs Weasley nodded, looking very white. She turned to the Hogwarts students and Bill, as if she they were being rude. She hissed, "Did you hear? She needs quiet!"
Madam Pomfrey was busy staring at the great black dog that was actually Sirius, "Headmaster, may I ask what—?"
"This dog will be remaining with Hailey for a while," replied Dumbledore. "I assure you, he is extremely well trained." He turned to Hailey, "Hailey—I will wait while you get into bed."
Hailey felt a sense of gratitude to Dumbledore for asking the other not to question him. She wanted them there, but the thought of explaining it all over again, the idea of reliving it one more time, was more than she could stand.
"I will be back to see you as soon as I Have met with Fudge, Hailey," Dumbledore stated. "I would like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school." With that, he left.
Madam Pomfrey led Hailey to a nearby bed and as they walked Hailey caught sight of the real Moody, lying motionless in a bed at the far end of the room. His wooden leg and magical were on the bedside table next to him.
"Is he okay?" Hailey asked feeling a bit worried for him.
"He'll be fine," replied Madam Pomfrey giving Hailey pajamas, and pulling screens around her.
Hailey took off the Triwizard clothes and pulled on the pajamas, before getting into bed. Her friends, Bill, Mrs Weasley, and the Sirius came around the screen. They settled themselves in chairs on either side of Hailey. Her friends were looking at her in a cautious way, as if they were scared of her.
"I'm all right," Hailey replied, "just tired."
Mrs Weasley's eyes seemed to fill with tears as she smoothed the bed-cover, which was unnecessary.
Madam Pomfrey, who had went to her office, returned holding a small bottle of some purple potion and a goblet. As she poured the potion, she said, "You'll need to drink all of this, Hailey. It's a potion for dreamless sleep." She handed the goblet to Hailey, who took it.
Hailey drank a few mouthfuls and felt herself becoming drowsy at once. Everything seemed to become hazy. The lamps around the hospital wing looked like they were winking at her almost in a friendly way through the screen around her bed. Her body felt like it was sinking deeper in the warmth of the feather mattress.
She didn't even finish the potion before exhaustion came over her and she fell asleep.
Hailey woke up feeling so warm and so sleep, that she didn't open her eyes. She wanted to go back to sleep. She had a feeling that she couldn't have been asleep very long.
"They'll wake her if they don't shut up!"
"What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?"
She opened her eyes blearily. The room was dimly lit and she was sure that it was nighttime.
It looked like Mrs Weasley and Bill were close by. Mrs Weasley was on her feet and she whispered, "That's Fudge's voice. And that's Filius Flitwick, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?"
It sounded like people were shouting and running toward the hospital wing.
"Regrettable, but all the same, Filius—" Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly.
"You shouldn't have brought it inside the castle!" squeaked Professor Filius. "When Dumbledore finds out—"
The hospital doors burst open. Bill pulled back the screens, which went unnoticed by any of the people around Hailey's bed. Hailey sat up.
Fudge came striding up the ward, with Flitwick and Snape at his heels.
"Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded when he reached Mrs Weasely.
"He's not here," replied Mrs Weasley angrily. "This is a hospital wing, Minister, don't you think you'd do better to—"
The door opened and Dumbledore came sweeping up the ward. Sharply, he asked, "What has happened?" He was looking at Fudge to Professor Flitwick, "Why are you disturbing these people? Filius, I'm surprised at you—I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch—"
"I don't have any reason to stand guard over him, now," Flitwick said. "The Ministry made sure of that!" He was shaking with fury.
"When we told Mr Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's evens," started Snape in a low voice, "he seemed to feel that his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch—"
"I told him that you wouldn't agree, Dumbledore. I told him that you wouldn't allow dementors inside the castle—" Flitwick started.
"As Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous—"
"The moment when the dementor entered the room, it swooped down on Crouch and gave him the Dementor's Kiss," Flitwick explained sounding angry.
Hailey felt sickened at what Flitwick said. The dementor sucked Crouch's soul through his mouth, making him worse than dead.
"By all accounts, he is no loss!" blustered Fudge. "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths."
"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," replied Dumbledore, staring hard at Fudge. It looked like he was now seeing Fudge plainly for the first time. "He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."
"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" Fudge continued. "He was a raving lunatic! From what Filius and Severus have told me, he seemed to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"
"Lord Voldemort was giving him instruction, Cornelius," Dumbledore replied. "Those people's deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."
Fudge looked dazed. He was blinking as he stared back at Dumbledore as if he couldn't believe what he had heard. He sputtered, goggling at Dumbledore. "You-Know-Who…returned? Preposterous. Come on, Dumbledore…"
"As Filius and Severus have doubtless told you," replied Dumbledore, "we heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort—learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorking—went to free him from his father and used him to capture Hailey. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."
A slight smile was forming on Fudge's face, "See here, Dumbledore. You—you can't serious believe that You-Know-Who—back? Come now, come now…certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders—but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore…"
"When Hailey touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, she was transported straight to Voldemort," replied Dumbledore steadily. Mandy gasped at that and Michael took Hailey's hand and squeezed it. "She witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if will step up to my office." He flanked around at Hailey and saw that she was awake. He shook his head and said, "I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Hailey tonight."
Fudge's curious smile lingered and glanced at Hailey. He looked back at Dumbledore and said, "You are—er—prepared to take Hailey's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?"
There was silence which was broken by Sirius growling. His hackles were raised and he was baring his teeth at Fudge.
"Certainly, I believe Hailey," replied Dumbledore, his eyes blazing now. "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Hailey's account of what happened after she touched the Triwizard Cup. The two stories make sense, they explained everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer."
Fudge kept that strange smile on and he, once again, glanced at Hailey, before replying, "You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a girl who…well…" He looked at Hailey.
Hailey understood and quietly said, "You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr Fudge." Her friends, Mrs Weasley, and Bill jumped, apparently not realizing that Hailey was awake.
Fudge reddened slightly, but he had a defiant and obstinate look on his face. "And if I have?" He was looking at Dumbledore. "I have discovered that you've been keeping certain faces about the girl very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place—"
"I assume that you are referring to the pains Hailey has been experiencing in her scars?" replied Dumbledore coolly.
"You admit that she has been having these pains, then?" asked Fudge quickly, "Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly—hallucinations?"
"Listen to me, Cornelius," replied Dumbledore, taking a step toward Fudge. He seemed to radiate that indefinable sense of power Hailey had felt after he Stunned Crouch. "Hailey is as sane as you or I. That scar upon her forehead has not addled her brains. I believe it hurts her when Lord Voldemort is close by or feeling particularly murderous."
Fudge had to take a half step back from Dumbledore, still looking stubborn. "You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before…"
Hailey had grown frustrated and shouted, "Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" She tried to get out of bed, but Mrs Weasley forced her back. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy—"
Snape made a movement, but when Hailey looked at him, Sape was staring at Fudge.
"Malfoy was cleared!" replied Fudge, looking affroanted. "A very old family—donations to excellent causes—"
"Macnair!" Hailey continued.
"As if donating stuff means that they're nice?" Mandy whispered.
Fudge said, "Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"
Hailey added, "Avery—Nott—Crabbe—Goyle—"
"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" replied Fudge angrily. "You could have found those names in old reports of the trails! For heaven's sake, Dumbledore—the girl was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too—her tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them—the girl can talk to snakes, Dumbledore, and you still think she's trustworthy?"
"You're a fool," Flitwick said. "Cedric Diggory and Mr Crouch were not the random of a lunatic."
"I see no evidence to the contrary!" shouted Fudge, his face was turning purple. "It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!"
Hailey was stunned at what she was hearing. She always thought of Fudge as a kind figure, a little blustering, a little pompous, but essentially good-natured, maybe even fatherly. However, Fudge was an angry wizard, refusing point-blank, to accept the prospect of his comfortable and ordered word to be disrupted, to even believe that Voldemort could have risen once more. Especially believing a single word of Rita Skeeter? That actually hurt.
"Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore stated once more, "If you accept that fact straightaway, Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors—"
"Preposterous!" shouted Fudge again, "Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"
"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!" countered Dumbledore. "They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!"
Fudge was opening and closing his mouth if he couldn't find the words to express the outrage he was feeling.
Dumbledore pressed on, "The second step you must take—and at once is to send envoys to the giants."
Fudge seemed to find the words, "Envoys to the giants? What madness is this?"
"Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late," replied Dumbledore, "or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!"
Fudge was shaking his head and started stepping away from Dumbledore. He gasped, "You—you cannot be serious! If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants—people hate them, Dumbledore—end of my career—"
"You are blinded by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius!" replied Dumbledore. His voice was rising and the aura of power around was almost touchable. His eyes were blazing once again. "You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementors has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any—and see what the man chose to make of his life! I tell you now—take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act—and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!"
Fudge was still backing away, "Insane," he whispered, "Mad…"
Silence filled the ward. Madam Pomfrey was standing at the foot of Hailey's bed, her hands over her mouth, as if frozen. Mrs Weasley was still beside Hailey, her hand on Hailey's shoulder to prevent him from rising. Hailey's friends and Bill were staring at Fudge.
"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius," Dumbledore stated, "we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I—I shall act as I see fit."
Fudge bristled as if Dumbledore advanced on him with a wand, even though there wasn't any trace of a threat in Dumbledore's voice. Fudge spat, "Now, see here, Dumbledore. I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves or keep Hagrid, or decided what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me—"
"The only one against whom I intend to work is Lord Voldemort," replied Dumbledore. "If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."
It looked like Fudge couldn't find a way to respond to that. He rocked back and forth on his feet for a moment and spun his bowler hat in his hands. There was a hint of a plea in his voice, "He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be…"
Snape walked forward, right past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he walked. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled. "There," he sounded harsh, "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate and Apparate, instantly at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."
Fudge stepped back from Snape too, and he was shaking his head. Frustratingly, he didn't seem to listen to a word that Snape said. He was apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape's arm as he stared at it. He looked at Dumbledore and whispered, "I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry." He walked to the door, but stopped. He turned and went back to Hailey's bed. "Your winnings," he took a large of gold out of his pocket and dropped it onto Hailey's bedside table. "One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances…" He crammed the bowler hat onto his head and walked back to the door.
"Have a pleasant evening, Minister, and please let the door hit you on the ass on your way out!" Mandy called in a sweet voice and the door slammed right behind the Minister. "I hope he heard me."
The moment Fudge left, Dumbledore looked at the ground around Hailey's bed. "There is work to be done. Molly…am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"
"Of course you can," replied Mrs Weasley. She looked white and resolute, "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all those years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."
"Then I need to send a message to Arthur," replied Dumbledore. "All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."
"I'll go to Dad," stated Bill, standing up. "I'll go now."
"Excellent," said Dumbledore. "Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry—"
"Let it to me," said Bill. He clapped a hand on Hailey's shoulder, kissed his mother on the cheek, pulled on his cloak, and strode quickly from the room.
Dumbledore turned to Flitwick, "Filius, I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also – if she will consent to come – Madam Maxime." Professor Flitwick nodded and left without a word.
Dumbledore turned to Madam Pomfrey, "Poppy, would you be very kind and go down to Professor Moody's office, where I think you will find a house-elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us."
"Very—very well," replied Madam Pomfrey, looking startled at being addressed. She too left.
After the door was closed and Madam Pomfrey's footsteps faded away, Dumbledore spoke again, "And now, it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius…if you could resume your usual form."
The black dog looked up at Dumbledore and turned into a man.
Mrs Weasley screamed and leapt back from the bed. She pointed at the man, "Sirius Black!"
"Mum, shut up! It's okay!" Ron yelled.
Snape didn't yell or jump back; he just looked furious and horrified. He then snarled, "Him! What is he doing here?"
"He is here at my invitation," said Dumbledore, looking between the two men, "as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old difference and trust each other."
Hailey thought that Dumbledore was asking for a miracle, because Sirius and Snape were looking at each other with the utmost loathing.
"I will settle, in the short term," started Dumbledore, sounding a little impatient, "for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hope for any of us."
Still glaring at each other as if wishing the other to be ill, Sirius and Snape slowly moved toward each other and shook hands. They let go as if burnt.
"That will do to be going on with," stated Dumbledore, stepping between them once more. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher—the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there."
Hailey started, "But—" she wanted Sirius to stay and she didn't want to say goodbye again so quickly.
"You'll see me very soon, Hailey," said Sirius, turning to her. "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?"
"Yeah," replied Hailey, "Yeah…of course I do."
Sirius grabbed Hailey's hand briefly and nodded to Dumbledore. He transformed into the black dog and ran the length of the ward to the door. He turned the handle with his paw and he was gone.
Dumbledore turned to Snape. "Severus, you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready…if you are prepared…"
"I am," said Snape. He looked slightly paler than usual and his eyes seemed to glitter in a odd way.
"Then good luck," replied Dumbledore, watching with what looked to be a little apprehension, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius.
Several minutes seemed to pass before Dumbledore spoke again. "I must go downstairs. I must see the Diggory's. Hailey—take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later."
Hailey slumped against her pillows as Dumbledore disappeared. Now it was Hermione, Ron, Mandy, Michael, and Mrs Weasley looking at her.
"You've got to take the rest of your potion, Hailey," Mrs Weasley said as last. Her hand nudged the sack of gold on Hailey's beside table as she reached for the bottle and the goblet. "You have a good long sleep. Try and think about something else for a while…think about what you're going to buy with your winnings!"
"I don't want that gold," Hailey stated in a monotonous voice. "You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won it. It should've been Cedric's."
She could feel a burning, prickling feeling at the corners of her eyes. She blinked and stared up at the ceiling.
"It wasn't your fault, Hailey," Mrs Weasley whispered.
"I told him to take the cup with me," replied Hailey. The burning feeling was in her throat too. She wished Ron and Michael would look away. She didn't want them to see her cry, especially not Michael. He would think of her as weak and pathetic.
Mrs Weasley set the potion and goblet back down on the table, bent down, and put her arms around Hailey.
Hailey couldn't remember being hugged like this, as though being hugged by a mother. The people in Diagon Alley when she was eleven didn't count. It seemed like everything crashed down on her as Mrs Weasley held her; her mother's face, her father's voice, the sight of Cedric's dead body all started to spin in her head. She couldn't bear it, she was trying to hold back the howl of misery fighting to get out…
A slam caused the two to break apart. Hermione and Michael were standing by the window. Hermione was holding something in her hand and Michael looked angry.
"Sorry," the two whispered and Michael looked sheepish at disrupting the moment.
"Your potion, Hailey," said Mrs Weasley quickly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.
Hailey drank the potion in one gulp. The effect seemed instant, because she fell back on her pillows and fell asleep.
