Chapter 18
A few weeks later, three days from Halloween, to be precise, Rose, Kailey, Charlotte and I were sitting in Charms class learning about the Incendio charm.
"Remember, exercise extreme caution when using this charm!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. Kailey tried unsuccessfully to hide a yawn behind her hands, gave up, and started braiding a piece of Charlotte's hair. Charlotte was busy filling the margins of her notes with inky swirls and curlicues that suspiciously resembled W's and L's. Both of the girls had already learned the charm at their respective schools.
"You may try the charm on your own now," announced Flitwick. "Remember, you may only burn the piece of specially reinforced parchment that I will give to you. Yell if something else catches fire." At a flick of his wand, a dozen pieces of parchment zoomed toward the students, one landing in front of each set of partners. Rose and I spent the rest of class trying to set the parchment on fire, but like most of our class excepting the foreign students, we failed miserably. The best Rose got were a few tiny curls of smoke, which frustrated her to no end seeing as she caught on quickly in Charms.
"I hate this charm!" she shrilled at the end of class, shoving her books into her satchel fiercely. By this point, her face was set in a deep scowl, Charlotte's parchment margins were completely filled with her doodles, and Kailey had put about a dozen braids into Charlotte's hair.
"Welcome to my life," I muttered, holding back a chuckle.
Rose either didn't hear or pretended not to. "Allie, will you come with me to ask Flitwick if we can borrow a piece of that parchment to practice on?"
I groaned. "Why not Charlotte or Kailey?"
"'Cause they can actually do the charm, oh brilliant one," she replied drily.
I stuck my tongue out at her. "Fine." Grabbing our bags and telling the other two that we'd see them at lunch, we approached Flitwick. He agreed easily; I suspected he would agree to anything from his star pupil Rose. In fact, he even told us the location of an empty classroom that we could use. After thanking him and taking the parchment, we left to meet Charlotte and Kailey at lunch.
That afternoon after classes found us in Flitwick's suggested empty classroom, practicing the charm in turns.
"Incendio!" I cried. The paper didn't do anything. I sighed. "Your turn."
"Incendio!" A corner began to smolder, smoke curling up from it, but it died down quickly.
"You almost got it!" I exclaimed, half excited, half jealous.
"Yeah," said Rose, staring at the paper as if she could make it catch fire through sheer will.
"Incendio!" Still nothing.
"Incendio!" The paper smoked again.
"Incendio!" I managed a little smoke.
"Nice!" said Rose, flashing me a smile.
"Thanks." I grinned back.
"Incendio- Whoa!" Kailey had come barreling into the room and run right into Rose, knocking her aim aside. I screamed and dropped my wand as my robes caught fire.
"Oh my God!" screeched Rose, running to try to put it out by slapping it with a book, which only fanned the flames and made the book catch fire. She cursed loudly, dropped the book, and tried to use her hands to beat the fire out. My panicked mind couldn't think of the charm that I had glimpsed somewhere that would produce water… I cried out as the flames actually began to burn me, and Kailey screamed, "Stop, drop, and roll!"
"What?" yelled Rose, still trying to beat out the flames. Her eyes were watering, too, and I knew it had to be burning her hands. The fire was spreading quickly; my entire upper arm was terrifyingly alight.
Instead of answering, Kailey knocked us both over and bellowed, "ROLL!" The pain in my arm was unbearable. I obeyed her words on instinct, bumping painfully over Rose and only stopping when my head banged into a desk, making my vision go dark for a moment. My arm still burned terribly, but the fire was out. I began to cry softly.
"Allie!" cried Rose, picking herself up and crawling to me. "Allie, are you okay?"
I shook my head. "My arm," I gasped, tears streaming down my cheeks. She reached out and gently pulled my charred robes off, Kailey joining her. I stifled a scream as they peeled the fabric off of my arm. I had never felt pain so excruciating before.
"G-go get Madam Pomfrey," said Rose to Kailey, paling as she saw my arm. Kailey nodded and sprinted out the door.
I couldn't stop crying, but I managed to get out, "Rose, your hands." They were red and blistering angrily, and I wondered how bad my arm must look if just her hands were that bad.
I made to turn my head to see, but Rose said, "Don't. It-it's not going to make you feel any b-better." I obeyed, closing my eyes and trying to block out the pain that was making every nerve in my arm scream for mercy.
A few agonizing minutes later, Kailey and Madam Pomfrey came running in. The Matron took one look at me and whisked out her wand, conjuring up a stretcher. They lifted me onto it carefully and levitated it.
"Here, child," said Madam Pomfrey, holding out a small vial of cloudy white liquid. "This will relieve the pain." I nodded gratefully and allowed her to tip it into my mouth. My eyes began to droop, my mind going fuzzy, and I realized that it was a sleeping potion, but I didn't care, because it meant the pain would go away…
Kailey's POV
As Madam Pomfrey brought Allie into the Hospital Wing, guilt gnawed mercilessly at my insides. I had managed to injure two of my friends in the space of ten minutes: Allie was lying unconscious on a stretcher and Rose was holding back tears because of her hands. Way to go, me.
Madam Pomfrey instructed me, "Go to that cupboard and get the blue bottle on the second shelf." I obeyed, returning with it. "Help your friend put that on her hands." I sat down on the edge of Rose's bed. She sat up obligingly and allowed me to apply the sticky balm to her hands. She hissed in pain as I tried to rub it in, and I winced.
"Sorry!"
"No, it's fine," she said, blinking away tears. "I, er, think it's supposed to do that." After a few minutes, sure enough, she stopped cringing and sighed in relief. "Much better."
"That's enough," said Madam Pomfrey from behind me. "Now I'm going to wrap her hands; you watch your friend for me." She whipped out a roll of gauze from her pocket (how did it even fit in there?) and quickly set to bandaging Rose's hands. I turned to watch over Allie.
Her arm had been wrapped thickly with the same gauze that was being used on Rose, and with the burns covered, she didn't look so bad. But her face was still blackened from the smoke and tear tracks ran down her cheeks. I felt the awful guilt coming back and had to look away. I instead watched as the roll of gauze wound around and around Rose's hands, getting smaller with each rotation until Rose looked as if she had been mummified from the wrists down. Satisfied, Madam Pomfrey warned her not to upset the wrapping and moved back to Allie, magically cleansing her face of soot and tears.
Just when I thought I might go insane from the silence, Allie's brother Will burst through the door, tailed closely by Charlotte, James, Hugo, and Dimitri.
"What's happened?" Will demanded. "McGonagall told me Allie's in here…" He caught sight of his sister. "Oh, Merlin…"
"Ah ah ah!" said Madam Pomfrey, hurrying to block the crowd. "Five visitors at a time, and Miss Hoskin counts as the first!" They all looked around at each other, some heated whispers went around sounding like "She's my sister!" and "Only cousins!" and "My girlfriend!", and finally James left, scowling at Madam Pomfrey, who either didn't notice or didn't care. The rest of them crowded around Allie and Rose's neighboring beds.
"Rosie, are you okay?" asked Hugo, his round, freckled face creased with worry.
Rose smiled. "I'm fine. My hands got a bit burned, but Kailey and Madam Pomfrey fixed them right up." She held up her bandaged hands. "She says I'll be completely healed by tomorrow or the day after." Actually, I'd heard Madam Pomfrey tell her it should take less than a week.
"Okay," said Hugo, obviously relieved. "Uncle Harry said he's sent a letter to Mum and Dad… you know them; they're probably going nuts right now, calling up every contact they've got at St. Mungo's..."
Rose groaned, chuckling. "Would you do me a favor and write them and tell them I'm fine? Tell them I can't write it myself because my hands are bandaged, but… y'know, make it sound like it's not a big deal."
Hugo nodded. "Be back in a bit." He gave Rose a gentle hug and left. The door had barely closed behind him before James hurried in, nearly slamming his face into the door in his haste.
"Are you okay, Rose?"
She grinned ruefully at his antics. "Your concern is touching. Yeah, I'm fine. Allie's the one who actually got hurt."
"How is she?" His face was pinched with worry, and although I didn't see much other resemblance between the two, James's expression reminded me of Hugo's not five minutes ago.
Madam Pomfrey turned around from where she had been tending to Allie. "Really, now, this is a Hospital Wing! I am trying to heal your friend here, and if you can't keep quiet, then you can keep out!" Rose and James, looking rather sheepish, shut up quickly. "Thank you!" She returned to Allie.
"So what exactly 'appened?" asked Charlotte, keeping her voice down to barely more than a whisper.
"Well, Allie and I were practicing the Incendio charm in an empty classroom- Flitwick said we could use it, of course-" she began.
"And I came charging in like an idiot and knocked Rose's arm to the side and Allie caught fire," I finished, staring at my lap. "It was all my fault."
Rose nudged me hard with her knee. "It was nobody's fault. It was an accident, and no one blames you." I didn't answer, just kept studying the worn spots on my skirt so that no one would see the tears starting to form in my eyes.
Charlotte, seeming to sense that I didn't want any more attention, said, "Rose, 'ow bad are your hands?"
"Oh, they're really not that bad. I only-" Just then, Allie started mumbling softly, and her eyes slowly opened. Will, who had been watching her silently, moved to her bedside so fast it looked like he had Apparated, nearly barreling into Madam Pomfrey.
"Allie, how are you feeling?" he asked her, his voice sounding extremely concerned.
"Fine," she said, smiling weakly, but she was clearly in pain.
"Don't give me that crap," he said, giving her a pointed look.
"Really! I'm alright." He glared. "Okay, it still hurts a little, but it's not that bad." Seeing that that was the most he was going to get out of her, he allowed Madam Pomfrey to fuss over her for a few minutes, looking thoroughly relieved when she gave her a Pain-Relieving Potion.
"Will, really, I'm fine," she protested when he tried to coerce Pomfrey into giving her more potion. "Not that I don't appreciate all your concern and all, but if I die from overdosing on Pain-Relieving Potion, you're to blame." That shut him up, and he resigned to kneeling at her bedside.
Allie looked around, able to see beyond Will's body for the first time since she'd woken up. I shrank back so that I was behind Charlotte, rather a feat seeing how Charlotte was nearly half a foot shorter than me, but Allie didn't see me. Instead, her eyes stopped on Dimitri. She blushed a little and smiled. "Hey."
"Hello," he said, smiling back. I swear I'd never seen him smile before he and Allie started dating. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah," she said, breaking off as the clock tower chimed half past five. "Good Merlin, I've been out for an hour?"
"Just about," said Will, clenching his fists in a way Allie couldn't see them. His gaze kept sporadically flicking to Dimitri, and the aforementioned boyfriend was clearly getting a bit nervous, shifting his feet uncomfortably. I would have been nervous too, in his place. We'd all learned by this point that not to cross Will once he's in protective mode.
Allie continued looking around the room, oblivious to the battle of wills (no pun intended) occurring between her brother and her boyfriend. She seemed to notice Rose in the bed next to her for the first time.
"Rose! Are you alright?" She tried to push herself onto her side so she could see Rose properly, but Will held her down easily. She finally gave up, glaring at her brother.
Rose barked out a laugh. "You're one to talk! Am I alright…" She muttered the last bit to herself, giving a signature eye roll.
Allie managed a reproachful grin. "Oh, shut up. I'm only trying to extend friendly concern, and here you are shoving it back in my face. What a great friend."
Snickering, Rose replied, "Why yes, I am a wonderful friend. Ask anyone. Right, Kailey?"
I smiled halfheartedly and tried to hide more behind Charlotte. "Course." It didn't work, of course. Allie's gaze immediately snapped to me.
"Oh Kailey, thank Merlin you're alright," she said, sounding relieved. "You are alright, aren't you?"
I struggled to keep my face normal. Why was she worried about me when she was the one wrapped up like a burrito in a hospital bed? I was an awful friend…"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Good," she said contentedly. "Will, help me sit up a bit, would you?" Her brother rushed to help her, his big hands lifting her up so gently that she didn't even flinch. A tiny surge of jealousy came over me. I wished I had a brother like that. "Thanks."
"You haven't said anything to me," announced James, mock-pouting. Allie rolled her eyes, clearly deciding to pretend that the incident a few weeks ago had never occurred.
"Oh, of course, James. How could I ever possibly forget you?" Her voice dripped sarcasm.
"Gee, I don't know," replied James brightly, smirking. "I'm just so…unforgettable!"
"I'll say," muttered Rose to Charlotte, who giggled.
"Oi!" complained James, turning on them.
"What?" said Rose innocently, her eyes wide. "I was only agreeing with your illustrious statement."
That stumped James. "Ill-what?"
"Oh, never mind," grumbled Rose. I couldn't help but smile at this. She had long ago explained to me that arguing with James is like fighting with a brick wall- the only thing you get out of it is a headache.
"Anyway," he said, turning back to Allie, "you'd better be all healed up before the first Quidditch match of the season. I'd be absolutely heartbroken if you couldn't come." He struck a dramatic pose, clutching at his chest.
"First of all, James, your heart's on the other side," Allie informed him, holding back laughter. James looked down and quickly slid his hand to the left side of his chest. "Second, when's the match, anyway? I don't remember tryouts taking place yet."
"Erm, actually, they're tomorrow," said James sheepishly.
"But you're so bloody cocky that you're certain that you've made the team; after all, how could they not let James Potter on?" finished Rose, snorting at the last bit.
"Why, Rosie, you've stolen the words right out of my mouth," said James, feigning shock and then laughing. "I mean, I've been on the team for the past two years; I don't reckon Short's going to replace me after we won House Cup last year-"
"What position do you play again?" interrupted Allie.
"Keeper," he replied promptly with a proud grin. Allie's eyebrows went up.
"I would've thought you more the Chaser type; y'know, in the middle of the action and all."
Bad move, Allie. We were all treated to a fervent explanation of the fortes of playing Keeper that was so mind-numbing that I even forgot to feel guilty. Finally, Pomfrey put us out of our misery.
"Visiting hours are over," she announced, shooing us towards the exit. "Miss Lancaster and Miss Weasley need their rest.
"But Madam Pomfrey, I'm her sister!" protested Will. The nurse fixed him with a look that could have made ice flinch.
"No exceptions. Your sister will still be here tomorrow."
"I will?" said Allie from her bed.
"Yes," said Pomfrey firmly, and Allie glowered behind her back. I knew Allie hated the Hospital Wing.
"What about the feast?" called Will, halfway out the door. "Will she be out in time for the Halloween feast?"
"We'll see," said Madam Pomfrey, still ushering us out the door, "Depending on whether you will let her rest!" And with that, she slammed the door in our faces.
"Well that was rude," muttered Will.
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