Chapter 6: Dead Man Walking

The horrible dizziness disappeared almost instantly after Artemis' second day of classes. However, the irrational fear that he hadn't felt in over a year was back, and it had him nearly petrified.

He waited three days before calling Holly, on the hope that it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He was not so lucky.

It was a Saturday, and rather than using it to plan his lessons for the next week, he spent as much of it as possible in bed.

Before he could work up the courage to call Holly, he used to fairy communicator to call Butler.

There was still a spare communicator left at Fowl Manor from Holly's kidnapping, which was nearly eight years before.

Artemis frowned at this thought. To him, it felt like it had been only about four years.

Butler answered almost immediately. Knowing him, he had probably been carrying it on him since Artemis had left, just in case.

"Artemis." He said. "Are you all right?"

He didn't speak for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "I am not entirely sure."

"What happened?" He asked.

Artemis told him the truth about his random pains, and the dizziness, and finally the reemergence of the symptoms of his Atlantis Complex.

"Have you started counting your words again?" Butler asked.

"Yes." Artemis said.

"Come home." Butler said. "Come home right now, Artemis."

"I can't." Artemis said. "I'm too busy."

"Busy doing what, Artemis?" He could almost hear Butler scowl. "You're on a retreat. Your health is more important."

He was silent for a moment.

"Artemis?" Butler's tone changed. "Where are you?"

"I need to go, Butler."

"Artemis?"

He hung up, feeling a little guilty. He went outside for a breath of air and called Holly.

…

Hermione had spent her first Saturday watching Ginny run the Gryffindor Quidditch team try-outs. She attempted to do her homework, but that was impossible with all the shouting.

After watching for the majority of the try-outs, she decided she wanted to be alone for a bit, and left the stadium.

She started heading back to the castle, but she noticed Professor Fowl walking towards the forest, with his hand to his ear, like he was talking on a phone.

She started walking in the direction of Hagrid's, so she could follow him a little longer.

"No, Holly." He said, with a sigh. "No, I don't want to talk to- Hello, Commander."

Hermione frowned. Phones shouldn't work on school grounds. No muggle technology did. And why was Professor Fowl talking to a commander?

"I'll handle it. I don't need to see another one of you rambling psychiatrists, Commander. All the last one did was show me ink blots and write a book about me." He paused, like listening to a reply. "No, I am not joking. When do I ever joke? Would you put Captain Short back on the line?"

Fowl reached the forest and stopped walking, like he was afraid of it.

"Holly, just promise me you won't tell Butler." He said, scowling.

Hermione walked closer towards Hagrid's, in the hope that he wouldn't see her.

"Yes, I know I'm awful at promises. I-" He sighed. "Holly, it was one time, I- Holly. I know. But you also know Butler. He never trusted me to keep myself safe, which is reasonable, of course, and if he finds out, he will come to Scotland and drag me home. I can't leave now, Holly. I've hardly started." He waited for a reply. "Yes, I'm counting my words." He paused again. "Thank you, Holly."

He moved the object in his hand, and put it in his pocket. He leaned against a tree, and then slipped and fell.

At first, she thought it was just clumsiness, but then he didn't get up.

She ran to Hagrid's.

…

Artemis opened his eyes in the hospital wing with no memory of how he'd gotten there.

He went to sit up, but was immediately pushed back into bed.

"No getting up for you." The nurse, a woman whose name he couldn't remember, said. "You collapsed."

Artemis sat up again, and the woman scowled.

"I'm fine." Artemis glared. "I have a medical condition."

"And why is it that I don't know about it?"

"Because it's a personal problem." He said. "And I don't need help."

The nurse pushed him back down, and he complied.

"What condition is this?" The nurse asked.

He winced. "I have better trained doctors than you working for me. I don't need your help."

"I've dealt with worse spoiled rich boys than you, so I don't need your attitude." She replied.

"How did I get here?" He asked.

"Miss Granger found you. Hermione Granger."

He frowned. "How am I not surprised?"

"You shouldn't be." She said. "She's friends with Harry Potter. That boy, now, he was here all the time."

"Why is that?" Artemis asked.

"He was always getting himself into trouble." She said. "I can't disclose further, but you can't really be surprised."

"May I leave?"

"No, you may not."

He winced.

…

Saturday night, she and Ginny spoke to Ron for the first time in days.

Apparently, Ginny had gotten a letter from him the day before, asking them to come talk to him.

"Hey Ron." Ginny said, when he appeared in the fire.

"Hi." He said. "I finally went and did that research, Hermione."

"You did?" She asked. "Did you find anything?"

"Way too much." Ron said.

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I went to a muggle library like you suggested, asked the librarian at the desk, and she laughed at me."

"Why?"

"Apparently Fowl's a famous name."

"Famous for what?" Ginny asked.

"Being rich. Also, he's apparently a genius, and dead."

"What?" Hermione frowned.

"About nine months ago, his family buried him, in Ireland. I found a news story about it. There was a body and everything. Then, about two months ago, rumors started that he wasn't dead, because five years ago, he disappeared and wasn't heard from for three years."

"How'd did you find all this?" Ginny asked.

"Research." Ron laughed. "I actually did research. It wasn't hard either. I've found hundreds of news stories on him."

"Is he a wizard?" Hermione asked.

"Not that I can tell, although I suppose he could be one who lives in the muggle world."

"My theory is that he's a squib." Ginny said. "We haven't actually seen him do magic."

"He does seem to avoid it." Hermione nodded. Then she sighed. "Why do we even care? It's not like he's doing anything."

"What's Hogwarts without some sort of mystery?" Ron asked. "We've never had a year without one."

"He's a dead man walking, Hermione." Ginny said. "Doesn't that interest you at all?"

She shrugged. "Maybe it's time to go without a mystery."