Chapter 12 – Condition: Degenerative

Everyone turned to see the source of a terrible shriek. Argus Filch, who was standing near the door, rushed to Katia's side. At the same time, Severus Snape left the teacher's table to do the same.

"Who's screaming?" Asked Ginny, who was too short to see around the other students.

"Someone from Slytherin," said Fred.

"Bulgarian girl," said George in the same moment.

Snape was confused. Who would dare to use an Unforgivable Curse in front of everyone. He trained his wand on Ivanov, who continued to scream and convulse on the floor.

"Finite incantaem!" He said, but nothing happened.

"Silence!" Said Dumbledore and everyone fell silent except of Katia.

The girl was now surrounded by crowd who waited anxiously for what would happen next.

"Move!" Said Snape and reached to pick up the girl. Suddenly, her right hand clenched around his wrist in an iron grip and he felt like he was burned by liquid fire. He gasped and closed his eyes for a moment as a sensation spread through his body. It wasn't as intense as the first time of contact, but he felt it anyway. It came as a sort of numb pain that originated where her hand made contact with his wrist. When he opened his eyes, Dumbledore was towering over him.

"Mr. Filch, help professor Snape here and take her to the infirmary."

Severus lifted her upper body. It felt like if she weighed a ton. It wasn't unusual, because a human who is resisting seems heavier. Concentrating on not being hit, he missed a sudden intake of breath which came from Filch as he took Katia's legs.

Of course, Snape could have levitate her, but with her limbs flying in all directions she could get hurt.

Madam Pomfrey heard Katia long before she saw her. As soon as the girl was carried in, Poppy began running tests, using her wand.

She silenced the air where the girl was lying, unable to work with those horrible shrieks.

"I have no idea," she said defeated, have run through all the usual test she could think of and even a few unusual. "I can see that the brain activity is minimal, similar to a catatonic state, but the body is reacting violently to something- some kind of stimulant."

Dumbledore, who came seconds after the group, furrowed his brow. "Is she in pain?"

"I think it's quite obvious," snarled Snape under his breath. His thoughts were complicated. The girl's presence affected him greatly in an unpleasant way, but something restrained him from leaving her.

"There is a possibility that she suffers from an unknown disease, or even a curse or was poisoned," said Madam Pomfrey, worried.

She was a good healer, she knew her profession and she could handle almost everything. And yet there is this girl, who can't stop screaming and needed to be restrained, and nothing would work on her.

"Do you suspect another attack, sir?" Asked Filch, looking at Dumbledore.

"It's different from the previous ones, but we can't exclude the possibility."

"But Miss Ivanov is a pure blood," said Snape "And with all due respect, the previous targets of the attacks were muggleborns or half-bloods."

Ginny Weasley wasn't the last to leave the Great Hall. People talked and whispered about the Bulgarian girl and wondered if it was the next attack of The Heir.

Her thoughts weren't the same. As a matter of fact Ginny felt as though someone had awakened her from a long dream. The strange, magical diary that had been in her possession since the beginning of the school year was a bad thing and now she was fully aware of that fact.

She quickened her pace, heading towards the flooded bathroom on the second floor. She was determined to dispose of the evil, little book.

As she entered the bathroom, the annoying ghost that haunted the place was crying in one of the toilets. Ginny ignored it and threw the diary into said toilet, feeling as if she had thrown away some heavy burden.

She felt free now. She could breathe again.

Draco Malfoy felt somehow torn. He was a Slytherin and Blaise was his friend, but when Dumbledore announced that Katia's condition was getting worse, he had second thoughts.

Nevertheless, he decided to wait yet. He was curious as hell: what had Blaise slipped into this pumpkin juice? But he never asked. It would be obvious that he had seen.

He dismissed the thought that her condition might be life-threatening. It was easier that way.

He felt an unpleasant shiver run down his spine. The very moment her lips touched the glass, their eyes met. She knew that he knew.

Ron Weasley had seen the whole incident and he knew very well who was responsible for it. However, he wasn't in any hurry to go and tell what he saw. It was not his business what snakes did to themselves. Besides, he felt no sympathy towards Ivanov; quite the opposite in fact.

His internal battle lasted for a good hour after dinner.

Pacing back and forth in front of the dungeon door, Ron finally raised his had to knock.

"Enter," said Snape, not even trying to rein in the fury in his voice, for he had good reasons to be angry as hell.

He was almost sure that the old Squib knew something, but he kept it to himself. He felt something when that blasted girl caught his wrist. The old drunk must have felt something too when he lifted her legs.

Filch smiled when Severus asked Dumbledore if Ivanov's condition could have an affect on anyone else. He was sure he had seen the smirk on the Squib's face.

He made a fool of himself asking the question, had no idea what to do with the girl and already suffered from a pounding headache that was growing with each passing moment.

Severus lifted his head to see who was disturbing his peace.

Weasley. What could this brat possibly want from him?

"Yes?" Asked Severus, expressing all of his irritation in this short question.

"I-uh came here-"

Snape arched an elegant eyebrow. "That's quite obvious. Tell me something I don't know."

"I think that I-I may possibly know why-Ivanov-may-be-in-this-predicament," he said in one breath.

Snape stood up slowly, giving the impression of a hungry coyote stalking his prey. The redhead took a careful step backwards, regretting that he had made the choice to go there in the first place. He should leave the snakes to themselves!

"And why may that be, Mr. Weasley?"

Ron mustered his Gryffindor courage. He wasn't a coward; he straightened his back daring to look his professor in the eye.

"I saw Zabini switch her glass with his. It could be a poison."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "You dare to suggest that I wouldn't know if she was poisoned? That I wouldn't try a bezoar or anything else which may have helped her?"

"That's not what I said, sir. I just wanted to be fair and I'm not lying. I think I'll go now."

He made a careful step towards the door. Snape grabbed his arm, his face twisted into an ugly sneer.

"Are you absolutely sure of what you saw?"

Ron only nodded, wishing that he could just disappear and no longer be in this greasy git's presence. He felt Snape's probing glare, sliding over his face. The grip on him arm loosened and the professor stepped back.

And said something that was so unlike him that it almost seemed unreal.

"Mr. Weasley, you probably saved her life by telling me this. And that's a noble thing."

Ron was in deep shock as he went after the professor leaving the unwelcoming office. They went through damp dungeon corridors in silence and just when their paths lead in opposite directions, he heard Snape's silken voice again.

"Ten points for Gryffindor."

When Severus arrived in Dumbledore's office, followed by a very terrified Zabini, the Headmaster was seated comfortably in his usual chair, looking very troubled.

Poppy Pomfrey had just left less than five minutes after proclaiming that she can't do anything for Katia and the girl was dying no doubt.

Albus turned his attention to the Potions Master and Blaise Zabini.

"Mr. Zabini," he began, "Could you tell us please, what had you slipped into Miss Ivanov's drink?"

But Blaise was too scared to compose a comprehendible reply, muttering something under his breath instead.

The Potions Master stood waiting and fuming. He turned to Blaise then.

"What. Have. You. Done?" He spat every word, every syllable.

"We-we just wanted to prank her, so-"

"Mr. Zabini, we have no time to stand here all day listen to your mindless blabbering. Answer the question," said Snape, "What was in that drink?"

"Love Potion, I swear we did not intend to-"

"You think that I'm a fool and believe that it was a love potion?"

Snape obviously wanted to say more, but the headmaster stopped him. "Now, Severus. The boy might be telling the truth. Are you, Mr. Zabini?"

"Yes, sir," Blaise managed to say without stuttering. "But it wasn't only me!"

"We'll deal with that later," said Dumbledore, the tone of his voice suggesting that the discussion was over for now.

Somewhere in Bulgaria, in a wealthy manor, the locator clock hand marked "Katia Ivanov" moved to "Danger" then "Mortal Danger" before finally coming to rest on "Death". It hadn't settled itself in the "Death" position just yet, but it was very close.

Wulfrick happened to be passing by it and noticing the locator clock hand, he froze.

Almost at the same time, the fireplace near him roared with green flames and Albus Dumbledore's head appeared in there.

"I'm coming," said Wulfrick before the Headmaster had a chance to speak.

Albus wasn't about to delay their conversation, for the matter was gravely urgent.

"Someone slipped a love potion into Katia's drink," he said. "But it's hard for me to believe that she reacted so badly to a love potion, since she was given all anti poison treatment we could provide."

Wulfrick's face darkened. "It's because she's a cursed one, and the potion may have multiplied the need for release of the curse."

"Which would be receiving a certain amount of physical pain," deduced Dumbledore.

"Exactly."

They wasted no time in heading to the infirmary.

After ushering out Madam Pomfrey and the caretaker, who had remained there since they had first brought the girl in, Dumbledore took out his wand.

Katia ceased shouting as she was barely breathing, her rasping gasps the only indication that she still lived.

"Are you sure, Wulf?" asked Dumbledore to be certain.

"I am," was the curt reply.

Dumbledore pointed his wand at Katia

"Crucio," he whispered.

For a while she laid as motionless as before, but slowly the rigor returned. Her breaths became deeper and more frequent.

"Do you think it's enough?" asked Albus, his brows furrowed.

"It seems to have worked. Now we can only wait," replied Wulfrick, hoping against hope that he was right and the spell wasn't lifted to early or too late.

Albus lowered his wand.

Katia looked as if her tormented body was finally in a state of peaceful sleep. Her breaths became regular and her body seemed relaxed.

Wulfrick sat on the chair which stood near the bed and took Katia's cold hand in his. He didn't turn to see who came in, however after a while the white robes of Poppy Pomfrey came into his vision.

She checked Katia's life signs and her concerned face relaxed a little.

"Whatever you did, it worked," she stated. "If you want to stay with her all night, I will put a screen behind you," she said to Wulfrick. "I'll tell Severus to prepare some potions for her sore, dry throat."

"Thank you madam," he replied, his eyes never leaving Katia.

Dumbledore sat on the chair next to him and they watched girl's sleeping form in silence.

"Does she know?"

"No, Albus. I am not ready to tell her just yet."

He felt warm fingers, curling around his free hand. So long ago they held hands in such a way, still his heart remembered as if it was yesterday. Feelings, which he restrained for many years, resurfaced with impossible strength and he squeezed Albus's hand gently.

It felt as if nothing had changed, but the world had passed through many seasons since their hands clasped in such a manner.

Poppy came to check on Katia not long after midnight to see an unusual sight.

The headmaster was sitting with his head leaned back and mouth open, snoring like a wild bear. His hand was held by Katia's father whose head was on Dumbledore's shoulder. He was also in deep sleep, whistling soundly through his nose.

"Nox," she whispered and closed the door, smiling to herself. Who would have thought?

A/N: Thanks for reading.

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Thanks for beta reading, Cat Paws!