A/N: Uh, here's the next part of that semi-cliffhanger. And, there's a name in here that really cracks me up. Maybe you'll get it.
The Scribe's Resurrection
Part One: Chapter Five
Early September, 1974
When Selena stirred, her mother instantly hugged her.
"Oh! My baby! Oh, I thought you'd died!" Mrs. Riviera burst into tears of joy.
"What... happened?"
"The boys in the neighborhood were playing in the woods," she whispered, "and they shot you down with a BB gun."
"Why are you whispering?" Selena asked, looking around. She saw foreign beeping equipment, and became scared. "Where am I? St. Mungo's does not have machinery!"
"Honey, I had to take you to a Muggle hospital..."
"WHAT?!" Selena started to pat her body, searching. "They didn't take anything, did they?"
"What d'you mean?" Her mother wondered.
"Like a leg?" She ripped off her covers and sighed with happiness that she still had both walking appendages. But then, she saw something shiny on her left leg.
"Don't try and get up, be-"
"What is this?" Selena became aware of the fact that dull pain radiated from this point on her leg as she tried to pull the piece of metal out.
"It's a brace, baby-"
"A WHAT? WHAT?" A nurse came in during the screaming, and then a whole team arrived.
"Give her a sedative," someone in a white coat said.
"I DON'T WANT ANY OF YOUR STUFF!" She bellowed. "I WANT TO KNOW WHY I'VE GOT A GIANT PIECE OF METAL BOLTED TO MY LEG."
"Selena, please." Selena's mother was almost at her wits' end.
"Fine, but if they..." Selena, grumbling, sighed and calmed down before the nurse could administer the medication. She glared at the man holding the syringe.
"Miss Riviera, I'm Doctor Cameron," a woman said, coming closer. "You've had a terrible accident." Selena was furious, but she really did want to hear what the Muggles had done to fix her.
"I got that from the fact that I'm in a hospital," she retorted.
"Selena! I'm sorry Doctor, she's really not like this..."
"It's fine. Well, you're lucky, Selena. When you and your friends were playing your game and you accidentally got shot, you fell full force on your left side. It's amazing you didn't really get hurt. You just broke your left leg in three places. Here, here and here." Dr. Cameron pointed to each place. "This brace is drilled into your bone, keeping it straight and it'll heal soon. You're so lucky nothing else happened. You damaged a lot of muscle and bone and nerve. We thought you might paralyzed from it." The doctor seemed awestruck that Selena hadn't died.
"Mmhmm. So what are you going to do?"
"After we get the bones healed, you'll go through therapy. You'll probably need private tutoring, as you will miss several months of school-"
"Uhm... No."
"No, what?"
"No to missing school. I- er- go away for school."
"That'll be fine. You're already missing school. It's September twentieth. You were out of it for an extremely long time. You have a giant bruise on your head." Selena's face fell immensely. "Don't worry, I'm sure you won't miss anything..."
"Right." Images of Hogwarts flooded her mind.
"Selena!" The door opened once more, and the tall figure of Raphael Riviera stepped in.
"Hello, you must be Mr. Riviera. I'm Doctor Cameron."
"Thank you for taking care of my daughter." Mr. Riviera paused to shake her hand.
"You're quite welcome. After you're finished visiting with your daughter, I would like to talk to you about the letter you wrote."
"Of course." The doctor left, and Mr. Riviera went to his daughter's side.
"I'm so sorry," he said, leaning down to kiss her. "We'll get you transferred to St. Mungo's straight away, and-"
"Why does no one have faith in our medicine anymore?!" Ms. Riviera quickly rose from her chair, on the defensive.
"Oh, Komali-"
"Don't 'oh, Komali' me. This one almost had a fit when she realized she was being treated by doctors and not those curers-"
"Healers!" Selena and her father exclaimed.
"They can-" Mr. Riviera took his tone down a notch. He forcefully proclaimed in a low voice, "They can mend bones in the bat of an eye, Komali. If she'd been admitted to them, she'd be in Hogwarts right now!"
"Oh, right, I forgot you wizards had no faith in the regular people!"
"Regular?! What do you mean by that?"
"Never mind." Komali sighed, sensing a lose-lose situation. "Just do what you think is best."
"Good. And I will." Raphael Riviera called Dr. Cameron back in. "I'm ready to talk to you about that transfer, Doctor. When do you think you'll have her ready?"
"Mr. Riviera, I don't think transfer is-"
"I know you don't think it's best. That isn't what I asked you. When will you have her ready?" Raphael Riviera knew exactly how to get what he wanted.
"Mr. Riviera-"
"Doctor, under your care, would my daughter walk again?"
"Not without support." the doctor gave an exasperated sigh.
"Thank you. Now, when will you have her ready?"
"She can leave within the hour," Dr. Cameron said. "Once you get all the out-patient work filled out. I'll send someone down with it."
"Good."
In two hours, Selena was propped up in a nice, cushy bed in St. Mungo's Hospital
for Magical Maladies and Injuries on the ground floor.
"Good news and bad news," Healer Kincaide said, sitting down with the Rivieras. "The good news is that we were able to fix your leg, and you will walk again. Bad news is that you'll have to use a cane because of what the Muggles did. And their methods did nothing for your muscle, and that was the part that needed mending, because of the... Bullets, you said? Well, anyway, I don't know much about Muggle medicine, but we've done the best we can."
"Thank you, Healer," Raphael Riviera said.
"You're welcome. The pain should dissipate after you get on your feet again. She'll be at Hogwarts within the next two days." Selena smiled when she heard this news. "Also, someone will be by to ask you what style of walking stick you'd like to buy. They have some handy ones that carry your wand in the top. But here is a temporary one." Healer Kincaide drew a cane from the air and placed it on the bed.
"Oooh."
"I propose you start walking up and down the halls. It'll be best for you."
"Thank you."
"You're quite welcome." The Healer left.
Selena felt quite peaceful, having been given a calming draught. She wasn't sleepy, but something was still nagging her.
"Daddy, where were you?"
"What d'you mean?"
"Where were you the whole time I was in the hospital?"
"Work, little leprechaun." He smoothed her hair. "Now, you should go to sleep."
"Not tired, Daddy."
"You should be, after all that yelling you did," her mother chided, fiddling with the blankets.
"Sorry."
"It's alright."
Later on that night, Selena began traversing the wards. Her leg hurt like hell, and it took her an hour to get from the ground floor to the second. The new cane she had ordered from the shop had come in some hours earlier, and she wanted to test it. It was wrought from some type of extremely dark wood with a silver, curved handle. It could hold up to three hundred pounds balanced on the top of it, which ensured that it wouldn't snap.
"Ow, ow..." The portraits heard a sharp intake of air. Selena was in pain, which was to be expected because the Muggle doctors had drilled extensively. She finally reached the fifth floor.
"Cuppa spearmint, please?" She asked the teacup. It promptly filled itself. She sat back in an armchair, thrilled that she'd made it that far. She put the cup to her lips, and let the liquid flood in.
Selena returned to Hogwarts the day that everyone was in Hogsmeade. She unhappily walked around the school and eventually, with great difficulty because of all the stairs, found herself in the library.
"Remus?" She tilted her head, going towards the boy. He was facing away from the door. "Remus," she stage-whispered. His head turned.
"Selena? Oh! What happened?" Selena sat at the table with him. She sighed and began to recite current events in her life.
"Wow. We all thought you'd been killed."
"Dumbledore would've told you, wouldn't he?"
"True. But we thought he didn't want to scare any of us." Remus shrugged and went back to reading. Selena remembered something.
"Hey, Remus?"
"Mm?" He glanced her way then back to his text.
"I have a question for you- and don't get mad."
"Why would I get mad? Have you ever seen me mad?"
"No, but you're bound to snap after being around Sirius and James." Remus chuckled, and Selena went on. "I want a totally honest answer, okay?"
"Okay."
"Are you a werewolf?" She whispered. Remus looked up at her in bewilderment. "'Cause you're always gone the morning after a full moon, and you never wear short sleeves, and you've always got cuts and gashes, and you're sitting here because tonight's the full moon..." Remus moved his eyes to his paper.
"Yeah."
"Do Sirius and James and Peter-"
"Know? Yeah."
"Hum. Okay. That's all I wanted to know." Selena leaned over to her friend's book. "What're you reading?"
"But- you're not going to leave?" Remus asked.
"Why would I leave?"
"Because I'm a-"
"Oh, that? I just wanted to know because I was concerned. I mean, you're always hurt." Selena looked at his face. "Remus, you're my friend. I know not to throw them away because of something stupid like that. And, I know that we've all got secrets we don't necessarily tell our friends."
"..."
"Now, seriously, what are you reading? Haven't been to classes in forever."
"An assignment Slughorn gave us- um- the antidotes in general."
"Essay?" Remus nodded.
"Antidotes and what their properties are. Pretty short. Eleven inches total. Due Monday."
"And where are Sirius and James and Peter?"
"Buying dungbombs to throw at the twitchy first-years. Stocking up on sweets and things. Told them to buy me some Chocolate Frogs."
"Ah. How goes the pranking?"
"I don't-"
"Please. You sneak around with the lot of 'em too." She pushed her chair over next to his with the intent of reading over his shoulder.
"How-"
"Because I sneak too. Only, my intentions are good." She shoved him playfully, and Remus couldn't get over how lightly she took his real identity.
---
"Oh, look what time it is!" Selena gasped, tapping Remus and pointing up at the clock. The two packed up Remus' things and went to the common room.
"Where exactly do you go when you transform?" She asked suddenly. The common room was empty, as everyone was eating supper.
"Uh-" Remus hesitated.
"I'm not gonna tell!"
"Well, the Shrieking Shack. There's a little tunnel under the Whomping Willow."
"Hum, excellent place. Well, come on, then." Remus shook his head, and they left the Gryffindor Tower, going downstairs. Each step echoed in Selena's leg.
Selena walked into the Great Hall, and her eyes immediately searched for Darcy. Darcy's eyes flitted to the entrance. Once each girl found what she sought, she gave a small smile. Darcy then turned back to her fellow Slytherins. Selena frowned as she hobbled to her house's table.
She sat down in her usual place, pretending that half the people at the table were not staring at her. She began eating, and after several minutes, the students resumed their activities. Then, a throat cleared.
"What happened to you?" Sirius asked curiously. Selena sighed and began her narrative yet again.
"I was flying my broom, minding my own business when some Muggle boys shot me down from the sky with those stupid little death bombs they call guns."
"And?"
"And my dad wasn't home, so my mom took me to a Muggle hospital."
"No!" James gasped. "What'd they do?"
"Well, apparently, they thought my leg was damaged- whatever that means- and took this thing and drilled holes into it. Then they bolted some metal into my bone."
"Were you conscious?" James asked earnestly, shoving a forkful of steak and kidney pie in his mouth.
"No. They did this thing called anesthesia."
"Wicked." Sirius stared in awe at Selena, as did Peter.
"It was not wicked! It was awful. I have to permanently walk with a cane now. You should've seen my father's face!" Selena started eating her beef casserole.
"I like your cane, though," Peter said. "Nice silver."
"Thank you, Peter. See? Peter's nice about it. He doesn't think that my injury was brilliant, do you Peter?"
"Of course he does," James said. "Anyway, we bought you and Remus things."
"Thanks..." Selena said, taken aback. Her eyes narrowed. "They aren't laced with anything, are they?"
"No! Who do you think we are? Troublemakers?" Sirius looked at her innocently, an invisible halo over his head.
"That's exactly what I think you lot are. Trouble trouble."
"Aw, that's not fair," Sirius said, "We're good boys."
"Right."
Darcy returned to her seat after consulting Professor Slughorn. She chopped up a ruddy-looking root carefully as Selena marked all the lessons she'd missed.
"D'you have a ponytail holder?"
"Yeah, I do," Selena answered, pulling off a band from her wrist. She handed it to her friend, and Darcy pulled back her hair.
Darcy had turned into a swan over the summer. Of course, the young lady had always been pretty, but now she caught the eye of several young men, and not just those in Slytherin.
"Did you get taller?" Selena asked suddenly.
"Yeah, three inches, actually," Darcy murmured. She'd lost her chubby, round face, and now her cheekbones slightly protruded. Her default facial expression was now a pout. "So now I guess I'm five foot eight."
"Oh. You look way different."
"I know, don't I? I looked awful in Venice. My face got all splotchy, like I had dragon pox. Awful." The blonde shuddered, obviously not wanting to go into detail. "You don't look different- except for your cane."
"Yeah."
"Does it hurt?"
"No, only when I don't use the cane. Can't put much weight on it." This was the first time Darcy had acknowledged that Selena now had a walking handicap.
"Hmm. Want my notes from Arithmancy?"
"Sure." Then silence came over her again, and Selena desperately wanted a conversation. "How's Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"A blow-over. New professor, of course. His name's Lake. Only great thing is that he's like thirty-five and a heartthrob. His classes are amazing. We've got double this Thursday."
"What do we do?"
"I don't know. His beauty just radiates. We think his mum's a veela."
"So, you just stare at him and do the homework?"
"Basically." Rolling her eyes, Selena shook her head and looked at the chalkboard. She copied down the words on it, but stopped when she realized someone's head was in the way.
"Severus, can you scoot over to the right a bit? I can't see..."
"No. You can move."
"Hey, she said move, you greasy rat," Darcy snapped. A burst of laughter came from the table across the way.
"You just got told by a girl," James hooted. Sirius laughed too, putting a cloudy liquid into his cauldron.
"Shut up, Potter." Severus Snape gave him an awful hand gesture. James grimaced.
"Severus, can you please move to the right?" Selena sighed.
"No. Just because you're a cripple doesn't mean I have to do your bidding, Mudblood."
"What did you call her?" James and Sirius revealed their wands.
"A Mudblood," Darcy repeated loudly. "Well, we all know she is one. I don't see what the big deal is."
Several Gryffindors held their mouths agape at Darcy, and the Slytherins sniggered. Selena hung her head and sat back down on her stool; she mumbled something incoherent.
"Apologize," Sirius directed to Darcy.
"What for?"
"Being an ass of a friend." He sauntered towards the girls.
"It's fine, Sirius."
"It is not. I'm not afraid to hex a girl, you know."
"There will be no hexing of anyone! Settle down," Professor Slughorn interjected.
"Great, now the oaf gets involved," Darcy remarked.
"You're a right git, you know that?" Sirius uttered under his breath.
"Takes one to know one."
"Class is dismissed."
Darcy quickly left, not waiting for her friend. Selena slowly packed her things away in her patterned shoulder bag, and stood up.
"Need me to help?" Peter asked, rounding the table along with Remus.
"No," the girl answered gruffly. Selena headed out of the classroom quietly, and the four Gryffindor boys followed her.
"How can you call her a friend?" James demanded incredulously. "We would never do anything like that to you!" Sirius glared at him, and James shut his mouth.
"Are you okay?" Peter tapped Selena on the elbow. She looked at him and smiled.
"I'll be fine." She glanced around herself. "Why're you following me? I know you all can walk faster than that."
"Taking the scenic stroll," Remus commented. He yawned widely, winced, and touched the gash stretching from his chin to his forehead.
"You should use Murtlap essence on that, Remus," James said softly. The five of them climbed the stairs.
"You know, I'm trying to figure out a way to climb the stairs normally," Selena mused. Now, both of her feet had to rest on the same step for a moment before she could move on. Usually, one's left foot would touch every other step, while the right balanced on the steps the left skipped.
"I wonder if levitation would work," mumbled Peter, already at the top of the staircase, tilted his head as he watched Selena.
"You're brilliant." James clapped the rosy-cheeked boy's shoulder and pointed his wand at Selena. Selena hadn't heard Peter's comment. James cleared his throat, and Selena looked up.
"Wha-"
"Mobilicorpus!"
"JAMES!" But it was too late- Selena rose up into the air a few inches, and her body gently glided up the stairs. Selena, thoroughly impressed, forgot to make death threats. He set her down a few feet in front of them.
"Wow. That was quick. Thanks." Selena proceeded to walk on, but then she added, "And, don't do it again."
"No problem. Wait- why can't I do it again?"
"Because that would give you permission to charm me, hex me, jinx me, or magic me into doing something."
"I wouldn't-"
"You so would, James- don't lie." James inhaled and thought a bit.
"True. I would."
"Can I?" Sirius asked, giving her a scary, toothy grin.
"Nope."
"Can Peter?"
"No."
"Why not?" Peter frowned. Selena cut her eyes at him, wondering why they were having such a stupid conversation.
"Because you do everything they say. You need to quit doing that."
"Can Remus?"
"Depends on the situation."
"What? Why?" James and Sirius really wanted authorization to put 'harmless' spells on her, and it wasn't fair that Remus could.
"Because he doesn't have a rotten devil streak running through his brain."
Opening the door to the Great Hall, Peter's face soured even more.
"I've got a devil streak?" Selena sniggered at the boy.
"No, Peter, you've just got an uncanny ability to be swayed by them."
"So you're saying that Remus can hex you anytime he wants?" Tailing Selena, Sirius felt this was completely unjust.
"I'm confused," Remus said. "Why are we mentioning me?"
"What are you, dead on your feet?" James asked. "You're allowed to hex and jinx her all you want! Do something!"
"No? Why am I allowed to hex you?" Remus sat at the table.
"I said nothing about magicking me!" Selena set them straight. "As usual, the immature troublemakers twist rules. No one uses any type of curse, hex, jinx, or anything that requires a spell on me."
"... What about potions? Are- are we allowed to use them?" Peter spoke up as he put a large drumstick onto his plate.
"No. Merlin. Just because you can't curse me doesn't mean you can't get someone else." A few moments passed, and Selena took this time to bite into a bun.
Sirius' lips curled into a smile. "Snivellus."
"Excellent." James read his best friend's mind, and they soon began whispering with Remus about their next feat. Peter did his best to listen, but he was on the other side of the table.
"Riviera!" A brawny young man shuffled over, stopping when he reached Selena.
"Oh, hi, Harper. Congratulations on making Captain!" He blushed lightly.
"Thanks. Listen, we've got practice this Saturday. I've got this strategy I think we could pull off this year. I already went over it with Potter and the others, so all that's left is you. I went to the World Cup this year with my granddad, and it just hit me. It's really great, and-"
"Harper, I think you should look for another beater."
"Why? Our reserve's fine- Browley and Jenner are great."
"Then you should put one of them in instead of me. I don't-" Selena hesitated and went on with great difficulty, "don't play Quidditch anymore."
"WHAT?" Harper roared. He caught the attention of several people, much to Selena's dislike.
"Yes. So, you can just-"
"What'd you mean you're not playing? That's like-"
"Not playing?" James halted his plotting and glanced at the two fellow Gryffindors in front of him.
"Yes," Selena hissed. "I'm not playing."
"Why not?" Harper seemed close to tears.
"Because I don't think I'd feel comfortable-"
"Because of your leg? You don't need legs to play Quidditch," James argued.
"I don't want to."
"That reason will not suffice." James tutted, trying to make a joke of something that obviously wasn't humorous.
"Are you lot not listening? I don't want to play! Goodness!" Selena turned back to her plate, feeling unhappier than back in the dungeons.
"But come on, you will come to practice this weekend, right?" Ewan Harper looked quite sad.
"I said no," Selena growled. Those who were listening looked at each other with wide eyes.
"Maybe we should drop it?" James prompted.
"No. I want to know why she can't play for me."
"I can barely get to classes, Harper, how'm I to fly?" Selena asked through bared teeth, stabbing various foods with her fork. "And, I'm already behind in classes. I just can't fly this year, okay?"
"Fine. Maybe next year." Harper walked off, steamed that he now had to choose between the quarrelsome pair of Browley and Jenner.