CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Sometimes I find disclaimers annoying and stupid. EVERYONE KNOWS I DON'T OWN. SO WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS?

I know, it's all the copyrights and stuff, but still! Let's get on with the story! *walks off muttering about disclaimers*

Draco not talking to the trio. That, I could definitely handle.

Ron not talking to Hermione. Maybe I could handle that, too.

But what I couldn't handle was Ron AND Harry not talking to Hermione. What I couldn't handle was the odd torn-into-two feeling. Hermione started avoiding the Gryffidor Common Room, and I often saw her angrily flipping an upside-down book in the library corner. Maybe that's why I was so relieved when class started again.

In DADA, Harry and I scheduled the Dementor-defense class on Thursday evening in Binn's room.

"He still looks a bit ill, doesn't he? What's the matter with him?" Ron asked Harry thoughfully in the corrider.

Hermione, who was packing her bags on the floor, let out a very loud tutting sound. When Ron, who seemed intent on making himself angrier, snapped at her, asking her why she was tutting at him.

"All I said is what's wrong with Lupin-" Ron snapped.

I shifted my feet nervously as Hermione barked back, "Well, isn't it obvious?"

Obvious? Did she know? I gulped quietly and tried to look confused. Hermione haughtily marched off, angrily. Ron stared resentfully after her, and I glanced at Harry, who seemed just as upset.

HHHHHHHPPPPPPPPPOOOOOO

Dad didn't argue too harshly when I told him I was going to get help from Lupin for the dementors, but he did thin his lips tightly when I mentioned Harry.

I opened the door, panting. "Sorry I'm late, Pr'fessor, I lost track of time…" Yanking out my wand, I wiped a bead of sweat from my face.

Lupin smiled. "It's alright, Celia. Now, as I was telling Harry, you need to think of a very happy memory and say, clearly now, 'Expecto Patronum!'"

I dug deeper into my brain, thinking, hoping for a happy memory. One stood out, and I blushed. It was the time when I had been in the Hospital Wing, and…I had, er…with Harry…you know.

"Are you alright there, Celia?" Lupin studied me. "You look quiet red." I blushed harder.

"Sorry, Professor. Just thinking about my happy memory, right…Expecto Patronum…Expecto Patronum…"I muttered, focusing on the memory.

From Harry's wand came a gentle wisp of silver, shapeless. Something bigger came out of my wand.

It was a clear image. A wispy, foggy, silver puppy appeared and leaped across the air once, tail wagging excitedly.

"Very good, both of you!" Lupin sounded delighted. Then he focused on me. "Celia, that was some Patronus. That must have been a very happy memory." He smiled and I returned it awkwardly, my face heating up again.

"Now, we need to keep the Boggart focused on Harry; his Boggart is a dementor, but the Patronus Charm will also work from both of you-ready?" Lupin rested a hand on the case.

I tried to focus on my memory, but it seemed harder. Any moment, I would relieve a bad memory, and see the cold, slithery hand streak out under the cloak…I shuddered and gripped my wand.

The tug came unexpected.

A cloaked figure faced Harry, and a shiny, scabby hand reached out, breathing coldly. I felt a rush of chill.

"Expecto Patr-Patronum! Expect-Expecto…Patronu-num…"I stuttered, and weakly held out my wand. The classroom was fading, and so was everything else…

The girl looked up nervously, two braids slinking down her shoulders. The men in the long white coats were back, and they were taking her to see…her.

"She wishes to see you." The first man grabbed her shoulders and steered the unwilling girl towards the door.

No…wake up, you idiot, get up! I tried to open my eyes, but they were glued shut. Not this memory…anything but this memory…

"B-but, I don't want to see her," the girl muttered, shaking. The room smelled of dead rot, and the woman lay on the bed, eyes narrowed and coughing.

Large, calloused hands reached out and grabbed the girl's braid. The girl flinched. "What have you done…you've killed me…FREAK…"the raspy voice shook with hatred.

"No!" The girl yanked her hair back and pressed her palms against her ears. "I-I didn't mean to, you-you just turned grayish, it wasn't me…I couldn't have given you this sickness!"

"You did…" The raspy voice hissed. "You're a freak, an unwanted freak who can do freaky things-your father, just the same-you killed me with that witchcraft of yours….burn you tied to a stake, I said…they wouldn't hear of it…burn…demon…burn…" With a large, guttural choking rasp, the hands searched for a wrist to snap, another hair braid to pull.

The girl backed away, hugging herself. "No! I'm-I'm not a freak, I didn't do that, it wasn't me, it wasn't!" Tears cascaded down her cheeks, and she pressed herself against the wall of the small room; the gray arms reached out-

I gasped and barreled up. "Celia!" Lupin handed me a chunk of chocolate. "Eat this; it'll help." Tom was gasping, too. Was-was that little girl you? Was the lady your mother? His eyes were wild. Lupin held the chocolate out still, and I realized he was still waiting for me to take it.

Shaking, I took the chocolate, which slipped out of my fingers like ice. It fell to the floor, cracking into two pieces.

Lupin helped me up, resting a hand on me to steady my shaking. "The dementor did a number on you. We can rest for now. Here-"He gently placed another chocolate in my palm.

Harry had another go, and I watched, shivering, as he fell to the floor, unconscious. I nibbled my chocolate, and instantly a warm feeling engulfed me. I felt loads better. The chocolate in my hand disappeared down my throat.

Dread filled me as I heard myself say," I'll give it another go," I had to get it right, I couldn't bear to hear…those words…I shuddered and held my wand steady. My mind floated back to the happy memory, Harry and I nodded at each other, as if it would bring each other luck, and the lid opened.

The dementor came out, and instantly, I yelled, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" a wispy puppy leaped out and barked silently at the halting dementor. Lupin's gentle hands guided me back, and I watched Harry's wispy blob drift out and halt the dementor.

"Riddikulus!" Lupin sprang forward and forced the boggart, which became a small silvery orb, back into the case.

Excitement rushed through me, and I grinned. "Did you see that?"

Harry smiled. "Can we have another go, then?" I nodded vigorously, but Lupin firmly denied the request. Instead, he handed us each a large bar of Honeydukes' chocolate, which I gratefully accepted and bit into, since the first dementor incident had shaken me a lot.

I said bye to Harry and Lupin as quickly as I could, because at that time, all I wanted to do was curl up in my bed and stay there. On my way to my room, Tom spoke again.

That was you.

Yeah. Yeah, it was. It was my memory.

But-

I don't want to talk about it. Ever. In my entire life. I closed my eyes and bit into the chocolate bar again when a wave of dizziness hit me.

Tom's voice was quieter now, softer. It wasn't your fault, Celia. It was accidental magic.

Don't-don't lie, Tom. It was me. I didn't mean it, but it was MY accidental magic.

You couldn't control it.

But what if I had tried, Tom? What if I had tried to control my anger? I never liked her, but to have her dead? That's too far. I didn't even wish she would get sick. All I wished was that she would leave me alone for once-and then she died. I was close to tears. Please stop talking about this. Please.

Luckily, he seemed to understand, and the conversation stopped there. Abruptly, he said he had to go, and left. I could tell he was lying, but I was too tired to do anything. When I reached the office, I fake-perked up and beamed. Dad greeted me with my homework bag, which I took as an excuse to look a little glum and escape to my room. Once I was in my room, I tossed my homework(which I had mostly finished in free period) aside and collapsed on my bed, awake but in a daze.

When dinner came, I told Dad that I was really tired and feeling a little sick, so he left with a suspicious glance around and a reminder that Madam Pomfrey was in the Infirmary in case I felt too sick.

The next day I went to Pomfrey and told her I felt sick. She fussed over me and made me lie down on the bed, proclaiming I was cold and clammy, even as I was sweating. I shivered under the warm sheets and remembered my puppy Patronus.

If the Dementors had swooped in right then and there, I doubt I would have been able to produce a speck of silver.

Stupid Dementors. Why couldn't it have been a different memory?

Not a very happy chapter here...:(