Thank you for the person who pointed out that FFN buggered out my eighth chapter. Without further ado…

Chapter 9: There Goes Quirrell

ooo...Kaz...ooo

Kurama and I followed Percy around to the other side of the Charms corridor, away from the exit door. Percy paused at an unknown statue and tapped it on the left eye with his wand. An old, spider-swarming passageway opened up on the other side. Ron held back behind us but Harry pushed him through. As soon as Lavender and Parvati passed, the passageway closed. Ahead, Percy muttered an inaudible word, and a light shimmered to life at the tip of his wand.

"Quickly," he said tersely. He paused to one side of the hidden path and counted heads while we passed. At the end of the low tunnel was a stone door. Percy went back to the head and tapped his wand three times of the door, which ground over to the side to let us pass. We came out on a stair landing, and with a start I realized we were standing not on the third floor, but on the first. The landing was the marble staircase that led down to the ground level.

"Quickly," Percy repeated, pointing down the stairs. "Into the Great Hall, don't stop."

All eleven of us all but ran down the marble steps, the insistent level of Percy's tone not to be trifled with. Neville was the last to come through the door as Percy appeared there.

Professors McGonagall and Snape were waiting for us. The tables were set up, and almost every student was sitting at their respective places, sitting with their normal classmates, even, instead of just their normal circles. Students that usually wouldn't sit together were huddled together in fear.

Professor McGonagall glanced outside the door and shut it again, her wand in her hand and ready. A moment later, she opened the door and in ran the first year Hufflepuffs, the last of the students. McGonagall set several spells on the door, most of them sounding rather serious as even Hermione and Sarah didn't know them. In spite of the fiery look in her eyes, our soon-to-be Transfiguration professor was ashen in the face. She looked as if the devil himself was about to come through the Great Hall doors. With another flick of her wrists, she swiftly covered the windows that owls usually came in through, and she said more complicated spells on each one.

When she next glanced up, she sighed. Apparently we were as safe as we were going to get with all the spells she'd just cast. The next two words she said weren't spells as far as I could tell. "Oddment, Tweak," she called. A few moments later and some steaming stew and loafs of fresh-baked bread and butter appeared on the tables, along with goblets of ice water and pumpkin juice.

A few people picked at the food. I grabbed a bowl of the stew and some bread and butter, and slowly ate it to pass the time. Percy and the female Prefect stood around the table, and so did each of the other houses' Prefects. The Head Boy and Girl stood at the head of the hall by Professor McGonagall and Snape.

It was almost an hour later that we got any information as to why we were sitting in the Great Hall, and why some of the older students were missing their fourth class today. Up until then, most people had been talking in low tones to each other. Most people were scared—even me a little. Hermione and Sarah passed the time writing their essays and swapping information from various books they'd read. I guess I probably should have been at least writing my essays due tomorrow, but I was too worried.

Anyway, after an agonizing amount of time, the other professors showed up outside the door. I heard various passwords go around between the deputy headmistress and the door before it finally squealed open at her hand. Dumbledore stood on the other side first, and in filed every prof in the place, some of whom I'd never seen before this.

With the exception of a single professor, they were all here. They talked quietly in hushed tones. Even Kurama couldn't hear them.

McGonagall sighed, but she didn't put her spells back on the door.

"Students," Dumbledore said, letting his voice carry. "I am afraid I must present a piece of bad news. Our beloved Professor Quirrell has died. He was killed by the Killing Curse."

Several of the other students gasped aloud, but the significance of the Killing Curse was lost on me. It wasn't for long.

"We have reason to believe that the castle had been invaded by a user of the Dark Arts. We are also certain that this person, whomever they may be, has left. Let me assure you that you are safe in this school—this person had entered the school by Professor Quirrell's hand. I have already contacted and plan to hire a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—if he accepts, he will be here on Wednesday morning. The remainder of your classes for today are canceled. You may go to your dormitories if you wish. I have also lifted the ban on the third floor corridor."

Harry and Ron exchanged looks. Kurama looked thoughtful as everyone seemed to follow Dumbledore's suggestion and headed for their dorms. Sarah and Hermione headed up the group as everyone climbed the stairs.

I overheard Harry and Ron talking. "…whatever it was that Hagrid got out, I bet it's in the hands of whoever that Dark wizard is."

"What thing Hagrid got out of where?" I asked. Sarah and Hermione turned around at my question.

Harry looked around at the other Griffindors, but it seemed that only us four had heard. "I'll explain in a minute."

The others had already passed us on the stairs as the six of us made our way up into the Griffindor dorms. Since we were alone, Harry started talking.

"When Hagrid took me to Gringotts, he took something out of a high-security vault, saying it'd be safer here. Same day, someone tried to break into a vault, but it had been emptied that day," Harry explained.

"So whatever it was that was Hagrid brought here wasn't really safe anywhere," I said, nodding.

"And whatever it was is obviously in a Dark wizard's hands now," Sarah said. "He probably stole it and Quirrell got killed trying to keep him from leaving."

"Quirrell wasn't exactly brave," Harry said, wincing. "He probably just got in the way."

"I hope that Dumbledore's contact accepts the DADA job," Hermione said. "We're going to need that class if there's a Dark wizard around now capable of using the Killing Curse."

We agreed and all headed upstairs to get to work. Sarah, Hermione, and Kurama agreed to read over our essays for us and when dinner came around, we all had all three essays from the classes today written.

ooo...Snape...ooo

Little in this world surprised me anymore, but the simple, irrefutable fact that Dumbledore was pacing did. Of course, the other professors all knew what had happened. Flitwick was horrified, McGonagall even now muttering about how we would keep the students safe. I sat back in the room, trying not to appear as though I were worried. I was, of course. If it was who we thought it was…

Madam Pomfrey strode into the room, her hands covered in the boy's blood. She took a deep, steadying breath. "Mr. Finch-Fletchley is sleeping now. He's lost a lot of blood…but he will live, sir."

Flitwick strode over to her, and cast a cleansing spell on the woman's hands. The blood vanished, but I'm sure she wouldn't soon forget it.

"We don't have much time," I murmured. "If it is him…he will be alive and well soon enough."

Sprout sucked in a breath, trying to appear brave. The tears sliding down her cheeks were all too opposite.

"I've contacted whom I believe we can trust," Dumbledore said, taking a steady breath. I could have sworn he was looking at something on his desk. "Via the old Order method. I've called it back into action."

"You really think…Oh, Albus!" McGonagall looked, for all the courage in her eyes, paler than the Bloody Baron.

Trelawney, the old hag, spoke up in trembling shivers of words. "This is not as it should be, Headmaster. Troubling in the waters. Meddles."

"I know, and I realize its source," Dumbledore said, a shadow of the twinkle in his eye. "I would add more, but I don't wish to cause an outrage. Lord Koenma would have my head upon a platter."

"Koenma? What does that little brat have to do with anything?" I snarled.

"Why…only a little. Quirrell would have died soon enough, anyhow, and Mr. Finch-Fletchley will be fine," Dumbledore said lightly. "It will be a time before we are sure what Voldemort has in store, however. I believe that he will begin gathering his followers first, and we will be ready for him again."

"But sir! What about the other thing that we hid in there?" Came Sprout's voice. "Surely, if You-Know-Who recognized it…"

"And that is why we can thank Koenma's interjection, however unwanted prior to this. For now, we stay silent. I have asked a certain someone to come in and train our students for defense against the approaching dark times." His blue eyes twinkled in my direction. "You may recall him, Severus. He'll be needing your help again."

I growled under my breath. "All right. I'll start on it now."

With that, I swept from the room. Moments later, a burning sensation swept up my arm, straight from the Dark Mark I had long ago thought would never burn again. Turns out I was wrong.

ooo...Hermione...ooo

I wasn't entirely certain how to conduct myself in the Griffindor Common Room. The other five had settled into fluffy armchairs around the main fire, myself between Sarah and Ron on a couch. I was reading the Defense book with a small, tingling hope that whomever would soon be teaching the course would change it. This book certainly was no help.

"I wonder what it was that they were hiding in that room," Harry said quietly. "Hagrid looked like he was crying."
"Crying is an understatement," Sarah added gently. "He was hysterical. Like he'd lost something very precious. I wonder if that's how he felt about Professor Quirrell?"

The others shrugged. Kaz glanced up at the others. "I didn't see Hagrid anywhere…"

"Oh, he ran by the door, you were facing away from it," I said. "Kurama and Ron were, too." I glanced at the other two redheads. One had brilliant scarlet, while the other was a more subtle but nonetheless flaming red. Kaz's was more decidedly orange.

"I did hear him, though," Kurama said. "He was saying 'Fluffy' as he ran by."

"Maybe they killed one of Hagrid's pets, too," Harry said, musing. "He loves animals. I bet he's got loads around here."

I nodded, and glanced around. "Well, everyone, I don't think we're going to figure out much more…let's get some sleep. We still do have classes tomorrow."

Sarah and Kurama nodded, getting to their feet. Harry, Ron, and Kaz stayed seated as the boys began to discuss other things. Before Sarah and I had made our way up into the girl's side of the tower, I noticed that Neville had joined them. Well, good. Boys will be boys without my help.

"You know…I wouldn't be near as good a student if it weren't for you, Hermione," Sarah said as we both entered the bathroom. She had sleep clothes under her arm and snitched a towel from the stack of ever-warm, fluffy white ones. I followed her example to get a shower.

"How so?" I asked.

"I'm normally a good student, but I'm not really a great one unless I have someone to bounce ideas off who actually has a brain in her head," Sarah said, grinning. "And you meet that qualification far more than even you probably realize."

I blushed. "Oh, stop, you're embarrassing me!"

Sarah shrugged. "Just telling it like it is."

I stepped into the shower and listened to Sarah hum nonsensically in the one beside me. The smell of her shampoo lifted to my nose, strong and intoxicating scent of green apples and lavender. It was actually really soothing. I considered asking her where she got it from as I opened my own bottle of cheap, unscented shampoo. I was just shutting off my showerhead and stepping out when Sarah stopped humming to herself.

I had just finished pulling on my pajamas when a loud CRACK came from Sarah's shower, filling the bathroom with the noise.

"Sarah?" I said loudly. "Sarah, you okay?"

No answer.

I knocked on her door.

Still no answer.

I cast an Unlocking Charm on the door. To my satisfaction, it opened with a slow creak. What I saw on the other side, however, made my breath catch in my throat. Sarah's arm was hanging out from under the curtain, limply against the floor. I pushed aside the curtain, ignoring my chagrin at looking at her naked.

Her body had mangled itself against one side. A stream of bright red swirled in the jets of water from the showerhead, and I stepped back in utter horror.

I bolted down the stairs and out through the Common Room, and out through the portrait hole as fast as my legs could carry me. The Fat Lady protested that it was after hours, but I didn't hear her more than that. My legs carried me straight to Professor McGonagall's office, all the way down on the first floor.

"Professor!" I shouted at the door. I banged on it as loud as I could, hysteria taking over for a few minutes. "Professor, hurry, it's an emergency!"

Professor McGonagall answered after a few seconds of me pounding, wearing an old-looking robe and a nightcap on her head. She looked upset.

"Miss Granger, whatever is the matter?"

"It's Sarah, she – she's collapsed!" I said.

Professor McGonagall immediately shut the door. "Lead the way, Miss Granger, and quickly."

I walked quickly, and then started to run down the halls. Professor McGonagall stopped short enough to cast a spell with some kind of white light – I swore I saw a cat come from it, but that didn't matter. She took long strides after me, and surprised me by keeping up with me. For such a frail-looking woman, she was fast.

Up six flights of stairs, through the portrait of the Fat Lady still in a huff. Still running past the boys who were still awake. Up and up the winding spiral stairs to the very top, where Lavender and Parvati were waiting. So they'd discovered Sarah, too.

"Professor, is she going to be okay?" Lavender asked.

She passed through the two other girls. "We will see, Miss Brown, Miss Patil."

Sarah lay still in the shower, bleeding profusely into the jets of water. Professor McGonagall whipped out her wand and shut off the water. There was worry in her eyes, and I knew then that I'd done the right thing. She carefully held the towel up to Sarah's limp form, and pulled her from the shower and onto a bench. Another wave of her wand and Sarah was dried.

For several long moments, the Professor waved her wand, and gently poked and prodded at the girl who had already become my friend. Sarah was still out, and it had now been at least ten minutes since I heard the sound.

"Do you know how this happened?" the Professor finally asked.

"She was fine when she got in the shower," I said. "She was humming to herself…it stopped and I thought she was just going to get out or something. And then I heard a loud noise and came to check on her and I found her like that. I panicked, I'm sorry I went out after hours to – "

"You've acted admirably, Miss Granger, don't worry. You were coming to get me when your friend was in life-threatening danger." She sighed. "I'll have to take her to the Hospital Wing. I can only do so much."

Professor McGonagall flicked her wand again and Sarah's nightclothes pulled themselves on her. "You may accompany me, I think Madam Pomfrey can fix her up. She'll need your help returning to the Tower."

"Yes, ma'am," I said. Professor McGonagall cast another spell, and Sarah's body slowly lifted from the ground and carefully into the adjoining dorm. Lavender and Parvati watched as we walked past. "She'll be fine by morning, girls, go on back to sleep."

I hardly even took notice of where the Hospital Wing was when we walked through the double doors. Professor Dumbledore and a squat little witch with deep brown hair and a deeper frown on her face.

"Poppy, I hope you can give us some answers here," Professor McGonagall said.

Madam Poppy Pomfrey smiled sweetly and led Sarah over onto one of the many white-sheeted beds lining the walls. She clicked her teeth together over the back of Sarah's head – where most of the blood had come from.

"Just a nasty cut here, maybe a concussion…we'll see once she's awake." She began to cast spells that I hadn't yet read of, but soon afterwards, Sarah groaned loudly. Poppy sat some pillows behind her and placed a potion in her hands.

"Wha…"

"Just drink the potion, dear, it'll clear up that headache in a jiff." Sarah obeyed, her nose curling delicately at the taste. She drank it down in one swift gulp. Her eyes cleared up, and the frown that had etched her head in pain was considerably loosened.

"What…happened?" she asked.

"We'd like to know that ourselves, dear," Madam Pomfrey said.

"I was taking a shower…" she blushed, looking at Professor Dumbledore. "And then I felt really weird. Like someone had just hit me, right here." She pointed at her left rib, twitching her lips. "And then, here." The middle of her stomach. "And then, there was a really bad pain right after, right here." Directly over her heart.

Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged a look. "It couldn't be, could it, Albus?"

"What?" Sarah and I asked in unison. We glanced at each other, then back at the two professors.

"It is something that is rare," Professor Dumbledore said. "It is possible that you are an Empathe, Miss Galis."

Sarah blinked, quietly thinking to herself. "Empathe…like empathy? Like, feeling sorry for others because I went through the same thing?"

"Not quite, although I'm sure you are a very empathic young girl," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling softly. "An Empathe is a type of witch that feels the literal feelings of others, in particular strong emotions. An even more rare Empathe, if I am to believe this correctly, is one called a Dexterous Empathe, which is to say, you feel the strong physical touches that another receives if they are in close proximity. Usually, this happens after the fact, a retrocognitive dream, if you will, of someone else's touches."

Sarah blinked again slowly. "But why do you think that I have this…Dexterous Empathe thing, what if it's something else?"

Dumbledore gestured silently to the bed to her right, which only now did I see. Justin Finch-Fletchley, I recalled, from our Herbology class that morning. He had bandages over his chest and lower torso. Spots of blood blotted his stomach, his left rib, and the space directly over his heart.

I looked from him, to Sarah, and then back again. Exactly the same places that he had been struck at. Except on the head, where Sarah's only really injury was.

"Mr. Finch-Fletchley was thrown bodily from his aggressor," Dumbledore said. "Had he been near any walls, he would have had a rather nasty gash in the back of his head, too."

Sarah looked, if anything, more brave at this. "How do I…fend off these attacks that I can't even fight back myself?"

"We suppress your Empathe abilities with a potion until you are magically strong enough to belay the injuries yourself," Dumbledore said. "I will ask Professor Snape to brew it, and he will bring it to you tomorrow. Luckily, though, you can go back to your dorm. Mr. Finch-Fletchley is, I'm afraid, regrowing his rib cage."

Sarah clutched her left rib, a sick look crossing her face. "That…was the feeling of…bones being removed?"
"I am afraid so," Dumbledore said. "Come, girls. I will escort you back so that Mr. Filch doesn't get the wrong idea."

He steadied Sarah to her feet, and the Headmaster himself walked with us back to Griffindor Tower. Sarah shook her head and said she'd explain later to the questioning looks she received from the three boys still in the Common Room, and the two girls waiting for us in the dorms.

We both collapsed in our beds. I could hear Sarah's light, wheezing snores, and they pulled me into the sleep that I desperately needed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

I probably will have the next chapter up here in a bit. I'm rather flying on things, considering I have no homework and I'm on Fall Break. I wish to point out that Empathes and Dream Energy, plus the potion Restrictive Cognance are my own making. I'd also like to say that I share the particular feeling of collapsing in the shower with Sarah, which is why it's so funny to think of my Empathes like that. :)