Torn Apart – Blood and Bone Saga - Part 2
Chapter 7
Days after the fight Ron was sat in the cold of the astronomy tower doing his best to find the constellation of Cassiopeia.
"You should be looking for its 'W' like form", Professor Sinistra said allowed to them all, "We have to go back to the Grecian wizards of old to find her beginning. Her name was birthed from that of Cassiopeia who was mother the fabled beauty of Andromeda. It was Cassiopeia's hubris that provoked the gods and brought Hades' wrath upon them when she foolishly denounced the Olympians and claiming to be gods themselves".
Ron's nostrils flared as the teacher passed him, her blend of citrus and honeydew perfume was thick and enticing. Ron had always had the slightest crush on her. Tonight, she was more of a distraction in her heavy blue and gold dress that clung suggestively to her body, the colours highlighting the darkness of her Mohogany skin.
"After you've mapped Cassiopeia, I'd then like you to locate one of my favourites… "she walked past Ron again as she methodically paced through the class, "Aries, The Ram".
"Quit the dirty talk", Ron thought to himself with a smile as his eyes lingered on her passing rear. He loved the emphasis she laced her words with when she became enthralled in her work.
"Of course, not to be confused with the son of mighty Zues, the powerful and morally devoid god of war Ares. One of the six positive signs of the Zodiac, Aries rescued Phrixus and Helle… ".
Her voice trailed off as his eyes met Hermione.
"What?" he hissed at the look on her face. She was back to wearing that usual look she often had, like an ever knowing and disapproving older sister bearing down on him.
"You know Ronald, she's giving us useful information on the history of each constellation, something to note in your head for our exams. But she does it mostly as pleasant background noise for us. The intention being that you are supposed to be actually working!"
He pulled a face, not sure what on earth she was getting at this time, "err, I am doing". He held up his parchment, she took a good look and hummed to herself. Ron's heart took to an instant beat of pride as she didn't argue. That meant his work was actually flawless in that respect, what a win over her.
"Well, my point still stand's".
"Which is?"
"The stars are on your telescope's lens Ronald, not the back of Madam Sinistra's dress", the quirk of her eyebrow told him she was amused with her quip.
"Well, I've only one thing to say to you Hair-Mo-Ninny", he smirked as she bristled hearing the slight against Krum, Ron was sure from her other side he saw Harry's mouth twitch as he too smirked.
Hermione quickly looked to harry who was busy with his face in his own telescope, "well, what's that then!"
With the most ridiculous voice he could mimic he whispered, "oh Professor Lockhart, please let me help you with that, please Mr Lockhart call me Hermione, oh Gilderoy I'd love to help you with your fan mail… ".
Ron stopped as she broke, her head bobbing with laughter as she tried to hide it. Ron heard a snort from Harry too as he'd been listening in.
"So, how's the week of detention been going", she asked in a way that he was surprised to see, didn't seem to be snooty or condescending.
"It could have been worse, I think I've got off lightly to be fair, very lightly, and there about done, so".
"I agree it could have been worse; I really was frightened you'd be expelled but then I don't know this year. I think McGonagall will use what she can to defy Umbridge, I think she did well to stick it to her".
"Really? You support me getting a slap on the wrist".
"Well", she considered, "I cant condone that kind of violence but Malfoy was stupid enough to get the whole places attention so we were all watching closely. I'd say he deserved a bit of something after the way he grabbed her as he did".
"Bloody Hell, check you out", he scoffed.
"Oh don't get me wrong I'd have seen you serving at least a months detention, perhaps a ban from Hogsmeade and some form of community service, but I'd be devastated to see you forced out".
"Wow thanks Hermione that's really kind, yeah", he did his best to hide the sarcasm as he assumed she meant well.
"So", Hermione let the word hang for a suspiciously long time.
Ron took the bait, "so".
"Have you seen Parkinson since then".
"Here we go", he thought as he realised her intent. "You mean since she kissed me in McGonagall's office?" Another miniature triumph as she recoiled in shock, again he noticed the twitch of amusement on Harry's face.
"I'm not surprised she'd be so crass if I had to be honest", she had her, 'I won't be drawn in' voice on now.
"Well of course", he mocked, "I thought 'tramp' as soon as she did it".
Harry snorted now, but the act of hiding it was useless as she glared at him.
"Oh for crying out loud Ron", she hissed, "are you with her, are the two of you a thing or not?"
Harry's second snort was more audible, and Ron knew now this had been something she'd been griping over for some time to him.
"Well, it's certainly a thing I'll say that", he mocked. She grunted in frustration and went back to work, "oh come on Hermione what do you want from me, I like the girl, a lot" he added the last with the smallest amount of infliction.
"And how do you know they haven't been putting you under some kind of spell, I mean who knows what magic their playing with, if it's true and I still have my doubts".
"Hermione!", Harry finally spoke up, "don't start that crap again".
"It's not crap, I told you I didn't think he looked well, now he's fawning over her at every moment".
"You're not serious are you", Ron's smile was a mirror of his confusion, "what would she possibly stand to gain in bewitching me, it's me for crying out loud".
"That's beside the point, we need some answer as to what it is they get up to", she was wagging her finger now, a sign she truly thought she was right, and they were wrong.
"You need the answers you mean", Harry scoffed, "ever since they mentioned it you've been a dog with a bone about this-… ".
"A dog!"
"Wow now, let's not start doing that!", Ron needed to hide the amusement as he watched Harry backtracking, "you know what I meant".
"I don't know Harry, it's so difficult to understand when your boyfriend is speaking in his very own private language with his pretty new blonde friend".
"Fuck sake not this again", he muttered to himself.
"Yes, this again… ".
Ron tuned her out as Harry turned to him over her shoulder, he put his wand to his head and mimicked blasting it off. Ron barked, gripping his mouth to stop himself laughing aloud.
"Hermione!" Professor Sinistra stopped by Ron's side.
How she wore such low-cut wear when out on the tower was beyond him, the view made him instantly attentive.
"I never once believed I'd have to reprimand you, out of all my students", she shook her head, as Hermione looked pale at the thought of being told off. "My dear Ronald has been a model pupil of late, his attention to detail impeccable, please stop trying to distract him. And Harry, good work, your concentration has been noted".
"Thanks' Professor", both boys said in stereo.
"Pro… Professor no, I'd never, I was just… ", she stammered after her as she continued to walk amongst her class. She turned back to them both with a viciousness in her eye, but they'd both hurriedly turned back to their work.
Ron had to appreciate the moment. Harry still, as of yet, wasn't properly talking to him but again they were closer. They were sharing moments and glances when they were around each other, usually because they were thinking the same thing. But the feeling he had then in the moment was one that felt lost to him of late. Just to feel the enjoyment of a lesson with the two people he still heartily believed were his best friend and best mate.
Five minutes or so went past as he listened with humoured ignorance to Hermione berating them both under her breath as she worked. As he continued to work himself, something caught his eye.
Looking down at the shimmering lake under the night sky he'd been admiring the mirrored effect on its placid surface from the stars above. Where he'd looked, across to the left along the beach and the start of the Forbidden Forest he noticed some eight or nine lights. He'd taken them for stars reflecting as the others did but now he saw they moved.
The lights twinkled in pairs as they moved, flirting the outskirts of the tree line, some were faintly visible under the thinner trees before it became thicker and impossible to breach.
"Harry, Hermione", Ron whispered. Harry looked up but Hermione ignored him, muttering to herself about him not getting in trouble for distracting her. The boys shared another look, rolling their eyes. Once again in stereo they elbowed her from both sides.
Angry and ready to hammer them both she looked up with a growl before turning it off with intrigue as Ron pointed out what he could see. Finally in understanding the three of them watched on as the little lights from wand tips moved on in searching. They knew it to be the area the Slytherin girls had described as being where Farah was injured.
Pansy rolled backwards onto the matt, her head bounced off uncomfortably, but she quickly shrugged off the pain. Righting herself back onto her feet fluidly, she stood poised.
"Expelliarmus!", she cried, arms raised as she'd pirouetted.
The spell caught Tracey in the shoulder, knocking her back to the floor with force as her wand flew out of her hand, caught by Pansy.
"Yes!" Farah shouted, clapping.
"Very nice girls", Liza cried, "Pansy your aim's coming on well".
Pansy was already stood over Tracey, helping her up and passing her back her wand. "Almost, I was aiming for her chest"
"I let you do that you know", the taller girl said, her hand rubbing her rear where she'd landed.
"That's your problem, aim for something bigger than a teacup", Farah laughed.
"Dickhead!" Tracey slapped her across the head, it had no bite though.
"I think were due some refreshments ", Harrier called. They turned to see a circle of pretty, high wingback chairs had all appeared with a coffee table in the middle. "This room is just, everything".
They left the crashmat area and took to a seat. This was their first meeting where they didn't wear their dresses or conform to their usual rules and rituals. There was almost a lostness to the evening, a slight out of place feeling from them all as they missed the homeliness of the Cascade.
A tray with pots of tea and coffees appeared on the table and Liza frowned at Harrier, noticing she hadn't conjured it. "You've been meithering that elf again".
"Well, if you don't want, we could always… ", she brought her hand from behind her back revealing a bottle, a cheeky grin later and she conjured some glasses.
"Oh, not again Harrier", Pansy moaned.
"Oh hush, its Buttermead, its practically non-alcoholic", Harrier threw the comment away and was already pouring.
"That's about as non-alcoholic as Trelawney secret Sherry stash and you know it, still won't put a dent on me", Liza snorted.
"You act as cocky as you like", the blonde pointed a finger at her closest friend, "I will find a spirit eventually that gets you shitfaced and hanging out your arse by dawn".
"That'll be the day".
"Seriously though", Harrier levitated the glasses out to them all and sat back in comfort, "I feel much better after this evening seeing how far we keep coming on. Basic's or no, each of us is becoming more proficient, reactive and instinctive with the basics and it made me feel ready to start moving on from what we already know again".
"I've a question", Tracey continued to rub her rear, "why are we still using each other when that DA lots duel dummies are in the corner.
"That's easy", Farah said, "a dummy won't let you know what it feels like to get your arse kicked".
"I've had my arse kicked", Tracey shot back childishly.
"Precisely why your back to basics", Farah snorted.
Pansy smiled at Tracey, "she's got your number tonight".
"Doesn't she just, feel like sending her back to the hospital wing".
"Well, she's right", Liza spoke up, "were doing it so the shock of landing on your face in a fight isn't so great it takes you out and leaves you ready for an unforgivable".
This silenced the younger girls.
"You don't actually think anyone's going to try and off a group of teenage girls, do you?" again Tracey was the voice of scepticism.
Liza paused and glanced at Harrier, "I don't actually, I think like you do, but she does, and I can't help but be terrified that she's right. And the thing is I held onto my sister's lifeless body just over there in that corner only days ago and I thought I'd lost her. I never want to feel that again".
"Me neither", Pansy couldn't help it spill from her lips.
"Look, I want to be clear here", Tracey sat forward staring at them all in turn, "I take my bonds in this house seriously, every one of you is my sister, beyond blood. And I never want to see that again". Tracey focused hard on the floor and Pansy knew, as she did their first shared night together, that she was organising her thoughts carefully. "My head just doesn't let me accept that this… this thing that's happening, because that's all it is to me, a thing. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named returning, wanting to take over, whatever, its just a thing to me. I was as old as you were last time he was around, but I wasn't really part of this world, mum and dad kept it all pretty straight forward the muggle way. My days are filled with thoughts of hot boys, pretty girls and what tee-shirt I'm going to wear with the new jeans mum sent me come weekend. I can't comprehend that this is going to be, well, war. Or that we'll be part of it".
There was silence for long moments, during which Pansy contemplated her shock at hearing just how honest Tracey was being with them. She knew the Gal's had been closer with her for much longer than she had, but since she'd grown close, she'd never spoken about her tastes and sexuality. Other than the boys she's go on about often and the ribbing the Gal's occasionally gave her, the subject never came up.
"Sweetheart", Harrier said gently, "I don't expect you to fully comprehend this. Like Liza said the other day, were still just kids for the most part. Children on the verge of hitting some age line that decides were adults, but death doesn't have an age restriction. But like you said, there's a very big difference in how we were raised". She turned to Pansy. "Pansy, can you tell Tracey what gift you got for your seventh birthday please".
Pansy stilled, looking at her with concern in her eyes.
"Go on its ok", Harrier reassured her.
Pansy swallowed, "Death's Dagger", she said quietly.
"What's a Death-… ".
"-Can you show them", Harrier interrupted.
Again, Pansy looked nervously at her and then the others. The other Gals sat in quiet confusion, the slightest worry on their faces at Pansy's response.
Harrier stood and offered Pansy her hand, "its ok", she reassured again.
Pansy took her hand and stood in front of the others. With a slow weariness she lowered herself to her knees where Harrier joined her. Leaning forward she bowed to them, lowering her face to the floor. Harrier took her hair and swept it forward over her face revealing her neck, the girls all leaned in squinting.
"What's… what is that!"
Harrier parted Pansy's hair more on her neck, as she did, she revealed a clearer view of the shape on her skin. Then she bent forward as low as Pansy and flipped her hair forward over her neck. With Harrier's white-blonde hair they were able to see more clearly than with Pansy, but they could make out the image all the same. Both girls displayed matching tattoo's, darkly shaded but clearly detailed they both showed the identical image of two daggers.
They both stood and walked away, placing a hand on their necks they bowed their heads and began whispering to themselves. After a minute they came back, sitting down to the stunned faces of the girls.
"What the bloody hell was that", Tracey scoffed, "how do you have matching tattoo's".
"Its tradition", Harrier answered flatly.
"I'm sorry, you said Seven", Liza said with disbelief, "you're telling me she got that when she was a child, that's sick!"
"We both did", Pansy said, she couldn't help the slight anger in her voice, "we shouldn't have done that", she shot to Harrier.
"I'm sorry", Harrier said pleadingly, "they need to understand what we believe in".
"Your both talking batshit", Farah ground out.
"It's not shit", Pansy snapped, "It's protection and its payment. It means when our time comes death will take us quickly and without question before darkness defiles us. It means I carry the burden of my brother's debt in Blood and Bone, and I carry it with honour for him".
Harrier hurried to her, "Pansy I'm sorry I didn't think", she said as she rubbed her back.
The girls sat in stunned silence, unable to get this into their heads they kept staring at each other.
"Look this was my fault for thinking it would help you to understand", Harrier ground out turning to them. "She didn't mean to snap at you Farah".
"Its fine", Farah said with wide eye's, "I'm just more worried for the pair of you".
"Just, explain it to us", Liza said gently.
"Its tradition in every Pureblood family that every first-born girl be branded with Death's Dagger. To be given the dagger means the promise of passage when the time comes before the darkness consumes us. It also means that when the time comes, we can pay what's owed in Blood and Bone for those who couldn't pay themselves".
"Can't pay themselves?" Tracey said softly.
Harrier mouthed silently while inclining her head at Pansy. Pansy stood and walked off to the other side of the room, clearly wanting some privacy as they talked.
"Why only the girls?" Farah asked.
"Because Death is traditionally female in our beliefs, and she will not bargain with men".
"What was with the whispering", Tracey again braved another question.
"Its incredibly bad luck to show the dagger willingly, it brings Death's ire and can quicken her pace to our door. We were praying for her blind eye".
"So, what if you don't have girls?" Liza joined in the curiosities.
"What's owed is passed on, in debt of blood to the next".
Liza leaned forward again, hand to her temple, "so you mean, if this is real, no offence. That Pansy, a child, is responsible for her own baby brothers… his soul? His cost of life? How would that even be fair, how's a Seven-year-old girl meant to understand that. Come on, even you must see this is madness".
Harrier's sharp eyes took a moment to soften. "Even now I'm having to remind myself of our differences not to be offended by that. Look, its our ways, my first daughter will bare the Dagger, for her own protection and my betrothed will expect it for the good of all our children. Pansy too I expect. But the whole point of showing you was to make you see how closely we grew up with ideas of death and darkness. Me and Pansy have these as real daggers, mine is in my bedroom, their like birthing presents".
Pansy marched over and sat down, she picked up her glass and necked the whole drink with a grimace. "Right… so, sorry about that. I wasn't expecting it and it really hit home for a moment". She patted Harrier on the arm and gave the others a smile, "I appreciate the idea but were not doing that again, and I'm sorry I snapped at you all. But she's right, I'm gonna' go out on a limb and say I think she was trying to put across the fact that were raised on ideas of death and loss from a young age. I mean I think most of my fables I read as a child, Death popped up in over half of them. Merlin, were even taught that there's no greater honour than to die for your house".
"And that's the thing, we know how sad death is just like it is for us all, but it's like talking about just another piece of magic at home. And like magic, there's no big difference when its used-on either adults or us".
"So, you're saying that if this starts, then it really doesn't matter what side were on", Liza tried.
"I'm saying when it starts, it doesn't matter if your man, woman or child because we were never taught there was a difference in death. And that's important when the man who took those same ideologies more serious than any of us before, is the same man giving the orders".
"Because you follow those orders or you die!", Tracey now said with wide eyes.
Both Harrier and Pansy nodded.
"Lilliana and her baby", Tracey came back to the idea that Pansy knew she'd been struggling with since she heard the news.
"Just two of eight that needed killing", Harrier said softly.
Tracey stood up and looked at everyone in turn. As she did tears began to well in her eyes and she grabbed Farah's hand and lifted her up into her arms. Harrier being the next closest she pulled her in too. Liza understood and pulled Pansy up as all five threw their arms around each other.
Harrier tried to still the sobs that grew in her, but she couldn't. Her heart gave out as she realised, she'd finally got them to see the danger she'd been fearing for so many weeks. Like a burden of single responsibility, it had sat on her shoulders for the longest time. Finally, the weight lightened.
…..
"What'zes this, why'zes it's on your desks".
"What's, you zees' it too?"
Dark shapes swirled and visions of black feathers on ashen smoke echoed ghostly forms.
"What's you mean zee's it too, of course i zees' it, it right there's. You got's some game going on here's? some secret's you hiding!"
"I not's hide's anything's, that'zes turns up then disapear's. It got's no truth's to it, no form. It trick's my mind's, but you say'zes you see's it now and I think'zes you try trick's me, make's me to think'zes I mad!"
"You's are mad Corvus, we all's know'zes it, you watch'zes yourself around me's. I'm watching you closely's".
The black mass whirled as the dark smoke swirled in echo's of red as Ron felt the anger that seared from beyond the haze. The ghostly form was alone now, indistinguishable by nature but Ron had felt two where now there was one.
"I not's mad, I see'zes now. I will show's you'sez, mark's my word's… but wait's there'zes it again's, it back, but it not alone's now. It's got an Eye's with it now's". The emotions Ron felts became questions, an air of quizzicality.
"If it not'zes real then's it's in my mind's, but it not's in my mind's cos' i can see'zes it and so's can he. And I see'zes it's got's a blood's on it, so it not ghost's. So, if not my mind's and it not ghost's why'zes is Arm and Eye's appears's to me. In my work's load's and space's. I see's the trickster's now and I will find's out what'zes is".
Ron felt the anger melt away into that same haze of questioning and searching and as he did it felt like danger, like someone looking in at him. His body tiny in a jar for a universe, it was coming for him, and he had to get away. Corvus was going to find him.
"Ron… Ron! Come on snap out of it".
"Jeez lad's its one in the bloody morning. Are you contagious or something, if its not you moaning in your sleep about doors its him and his nightmares now".
"Why don't you shut up and help instead of running your mouth Seamus".
"It's one in the bloody-… ".
"-Oh shut up Seamus", Dean said irritated, he came up opposite Harry and shook Ron's other shoulder. "Ron come on mate wake up".
"This is weird, something's wrong, he should be awake by now", Harry muttered with a panic about him.
"Bloody hell!"
"What?"
"It's his arm, it's red hot, like really hot look", Dean made to touch his arm again.
As he did Ron bolted up screaming in panic, "No! no get off me, Corvus, Corvus!".
"Ron stop! It's Harry and Dean, pin him down Dean".
"Seamus get up!"
A weight crashed into Harry who fell to the floor, "shit what was-… ".
"Sorry Harry", Neville cried out.
"Help!" Dean was on the floor being dragged by Ron who stood over him.
A small light barely lit the room as Seamus lit a lamp with his wand. As he did, they were set on with a fear as they watched Dean who was a sizable boy be picked up by Ron. Ron held him by the collar, his feet dangling off the floor. Ron kicked out and his own bed crashed onto its side. Ron screamed and slammed him against the wall.
Seamus got to his feet and jumped off his bed onto Ron's back. He slipped his arms round his neck and pulled but he wouldn't budge.
"No, No No!" again Ron screamed over and over, "Corvus get back, he's coming for me".
"Help, Help!" Seamus bellowed, "someone fucking help us!"
Ron and Neville came sprinting forward, each grabbing one of Ron's arms, as he did Harry recoiled in pain clutching at his hands. The skin on Ron's left arm was white hot.
Dean struggled, grabbing at Ron's face but it did nothing. Ron had him pinned to the wall, gripped by the collar of his shirt but his fists pressed into his neck and windpipe all the same. He flailed out in blind panic hitting Ron in the face, but it was like bouncing his hand off the wall.
Ron twisted, shrugging his shoulders violently, the act sent Seamus flying to the floor, but he bounced off Dean's bed instead. He twisted again, throwing Harry and Neville off and they both fell, crashing into more furniture, the act of Ron's flailing meant that he rag-dolled Dean morbidly.
Like a pack, they all scrambled to their feet and set at him again. Neville wrestling his right arm with Seamus as Harry went for his left, ignoring the pain. Harry had to grip it tight with both hands, he was as he disbelief he put his foot against the wall and pushed off, the leverage not even helping him to move him.
Voices behind Harry told him someone had opened his door, Neville had begun shouting with Seamus, who hadn't stopped. Along with Ron's screams the whole of Gryffindor had woke. Screaming from behind him started then more limbs began grabbing at Ron as Harry saw older students rush to help. Someone grabbed his left arm with Harry and let go, howling in pain.
Harry let go and dived to his bed, rolling off the other side he'd grabbed his wand. "Move!" he screamed at the crowd.
"Potter what's-…", McGonagall entered the doorway.
"Stupefy!".
"Potter!"
Everyone dived and the spell hit Ron square in the back. Incredulity reigned around them as Ron still stood with Dean screaming for help. With his feet flailing and pleads for help, instantly McGonagall shouted everyone clear as she saw the only threat that mattered, raising her wand she fired her own stunner.
Two flashes of red struck Ron who crumpled to the floor with Dean landing on top of him. Harry, his wand still pointing at Ron fell back against the wall and slid down exhausted.
McGonagall was white with shock as Ginny and the Twins fought there way to her side. They took in the room that was half destroyed, its inhabitants sweating and pale, all falling to the floor in exhaustion.
Pansy woke with fright, her hand to her head she sat bolt upright as the pain of that diagonal tear flashed across her vision. This time there was a white-hot pain that seared and a blinding light that wouldn't stop.
She screamed out in shock, the light starting to dim but the pain remaining. Panic gripped her as it didn't relent.
"Pansy what is it", Tracey came running in from her room.
"My eye's, that thing again, the light".
"Ok, your ok, I'm here what do you need?"
The light had faded now to nothing, but the pain still burned behind her eyes. "I don't know", her eyes glistening in pain now, close to tears, "just light the lamps it's too dark".
Tracey paused, Milicent and Daphne had come into Pansy's area to help.
"What does she mean?"
"Pansy, the lights are on", Tracey said confused.
"No! it's pitch black, I can't see a thing".
"Oh Pansy, we need to go to Pomphrey now!".
"Tracey", she cried out, "am I… I'm fucking blind!" Her breathing began to quicken, and her chest tighten, she struggled for breath, but Tracey gripped her tightly.
"Daphne, Snape, Now!"
"Pansy's it's ok, your ok were here, Pomphrey will have you fixed in a heartbeat".
Pansy couldn't speak, her vision black, it began to haze a deep red as she struggled to get any air. Her breathing coming in short sharp breaths now the panic flooded her veins as the feeling of doom returned to rain over her.
Tracey came to sit behind her and wrapped her arms around her she rested her hands on her stomach. "Listen to me, feel my chest at your back, feel me breathe in, breathe in with me. No Pansy with me like this. Feel my hands on your belly and breathe in with me, and hold, and out. And again, and in, and out".
Pansy was crying now as she tried to breathe in time with the girl. As she did Milicent crouched in front of her taking her hands. "Listen to Tracey", she soothed, "that's it, stay in time with her".
"Davis what is it", Snape came hurriedly with Daphne at his heals. His black cloak covering him entirely, as was usual, but now it seemed rushed and thrown on.
Snape listened and then came to meet Pansy's face. He looked closely into her watery amber eyes with concern, carefully he took out his wand. Only inches from her face his wand tip emitted silent flashes of colour. Her pupils remained dilated and unchanging; he frowned in concern.
"Davis her footwear and cloak quick".
Snape and Tracey escorted Pansy to the hospital wing, both holding an arm as they guided her. They grew closer to the large carved doors to the ward when they heard the commotion from the other side. As they neared closer still, they heard shouting and screams of pain and fear. Snape bristled and drew his wand.
"Wait here", he ordered.
He walked off and Pansy felt the white-hot pain anew, it flashed diagonally against her again and as it did it struck her in the stomach. She dropped to her knees painfully.
"Argh", she screamed out with an ear-splitting ring through the corridor.
"Professor!" Tracey shouted as he got to the door, she'd grabbed Pansy but struggled to keep her up, "Please Professor, help me!"
Snape halted, torn between the two unknown dangers confronting him. A hand on the door, he let go and turned back, rushing to Tracey's side.
"Pansy please, what is it", Tracey cried.
"Death!", Pansy screamed out in torment, "blood! Corvus!".
Snape was wide eyed as he looked down at the girl, his heart thundered and, in a moment, he threw his principles out the window. Bending down he scooped her up in his arms, she was soaked with sweat and almost silent as she screamed in such a pitch.
They burst through the doors and found faces of terror inside.
Ron was lay in a bed, his arms and legs bind by magical ropes that tightened and strained against the forces exuded as he fought against them. McGonagall stood, her wand trained on him as she cast the bindings, Madam Pomphrey desperately trying to inspect his face and body.
Stood off to one side Harry had a hand on Hermione's shoulder. She stood wrapped against Ginny, shadowed by Fred and George. On the other side of the room Dean was in a bed with Neville and Seamus stood by him.
"Minerva!", Tracey had never heard such concern in his voice.
"Oh Severus, help me, for the love of Merlin he's possessed".
The pain across Pansy's stomach climaxed as what part of her mind was left and able to think, felt what she imagined it would feel like for her insides to spill out. She screamed and didn't stop, it was curdling and everyone inside froze.
"Poppy!" Snape pleaded, "help her". He brought her to the nearest bed and placed her down. She writhed and thrashed, clutching at her stomach.
Tracey fell to the floor in sobs and Ginny came running to her, clutching the girl tightly as her own tears spilled out. Hermione put her face into Harry's chest, her shoulders shaking as she too cried.
"Death! No don't! Get away from him!", Pansy spilled out
"Corvus!" Ron started screaming again, "Blood, Death".
"Severus, I don't know what to do, I've never seen anything like it", Pomphrey shouted.
Snape's mind whirled as he analysed and assessed, again and again he fought for an answer. "We stun them!"
"He's had three", McGonagall shouted, "more might kill him".
"Corvus!", Pansy cried out again.
"What is that", McGonagall snapped, "what is Corvus? He's been screaming it too",
"I don't know, it's just a genus of bird", Snape shouted back over the noise.
"Professor's their both terribly hot, off the scale. I don't know what this is, but their bodies are feeling real pain. If we don't stop it", Pomphrey was almost as tearful as the girls at this point feeling unable to help.
The doors opened.
"Please god not another", McGonagall cried out.
Dumbledore came storming in with confusion on his face. He viewed the ward in its entirety, his face falling into deep concern.
"Albus! Quick we don't know what it is".
They both went to him, each giving him what simplified details they could fire at him. "Goodness!" He made over to Pansy where he brought his hand over her, hovering above he closed his eyes. It looked to all present like he was reading something within them. He took out his wand and tapped it to her head, bringing it to his ear he closed his eyes again as he listened.
His midnight blue starred robes billowing, he moved from Pansy to Ron where he repeated the action. He spent a short moment longer as he felt the heat from Ron's arm and looked at it in confusion. His hand then trailing up to Ron's face where he again seemed confused.
"Poppy, your strongest vials of dreamless sleep please as quickly as you can. "Severus, we'll need two Draughts of Living Death".
Snape blinked at the request in shock but turned on his heals and sprinted out of the room. As he did Dumbledore allowed himself to stroke Ron's forehead with a pained expression. He then returned to Pansy with a new curiosity as he again ran his hand along the air above her as if feeling an unseen force. He lowered his hand to her stomach and recoiled as if pained himself.
"I see, of course", he muttered.
"What is it Albus?"
He stepped back to stand next to McGonagall, "I haven't a clue Minerva, but whatever force is doing this, it has them both. Oh, Minerva!". He turned to her with a smile.
"What, what is it?"
He pulled out his wand, "you always seem to have just the right question for me, what indeed. And of course… ". With his wand he vanished the bed between Ron and Pansy then took the weight of hers. Waving his wand left, her bed slid across to Ron's where they now rested side by side. "Your brilliant questions and my brilliant answers. Whatever has them, has them both, so we put them together and see what happens".
"Oh, for Merlin's sake Albus that's hardly going to… ".
Both lay on their bed writhing; Pansy's hand came over to Ron's bed where it found his hand under the bindings. With an instancy the screaming stopped, and the ward fell into silence.
"Rats!" Dumbledore muttered, "we should have had a Gallion wagered on that, still live and learn".
He twitched his wand and Ron's bindings vanished.
"Is that wise?"
"I think it's necessary Minerva".
As soon as the bindings were gone Ron's hand made for the parting in their bed's where it met hers. Their pained expressions remained but the noise was gone, and they both seemed troubled but not as close to death as their screams had suggested.
Snape returned from the dungeons sweaty and out of breath, but paused as he entered, finding them as he did. Dumbledore explained the result as a, 'spot of luck', but continued on with urgency.
"If you could Severus, I'd like the Dreamless Sleep and Draught of Living Death blended, I think a double dose for Miss Parkinson and let's say three times the strength for Mr Weasley".
Snape looked at him with incredulity, "you're not serious!"
For the first time Dumbledore's voice dropped out of its light notes to a graver one, full of concern, "Yes Severus, exactly as I've asked, please".
Taken aback by the seriousness in him Snape began the pouring and measuring, making child's play of the task with his skill before setting the two vials down. Pomphrey appeared at his side and together they administered them one at a time to the pair.
As both received the concoction they sighed, shuddering into an exhausted relief as their body's relaxed into a dreamless world where their minds took to healing. All the time their hands remained joined.
Dumbledore looked down at them both with a smile, as he did, he was irked to find a shudder creep menacingly down his spine. The feeling was unwelcome as it brought feelings of pain, diluted in time. It was a force that was there and tangible to the touch and it bothered him so much he feared for them both in that moment.
"Professor?"
"Are yes", he smiled again as he came out of his thoughts, "I think you'll find regular checks on them both throughout the night to be adequate Poppy. But I'd suggest, for now at least we leave them remain as they are, don't separate them". He turned to Snape and McGonagall," I think we have some discussions to be had, I suggest my office, with a bottle or two while we do". Snape and McGonagall shared a look that told each other neither would argue to that. "I'll see you both up there. Oh, but before I go. May I suggest that you might find the use of a bed or two in here to be a better option than trying to argue this lot back into their beds".
…..
McGonagall opened the door, stepping in she puffed her cheeks with exhaustion to the smirk of Snape who chuckled darkly.
Snape put his arm out to her, a glass of whiskey poured ready. "Oh, Merlin yes", she hissed in appreciation sitting in the deep soft chair next to Snape.
She sipped at the golden liquor with a soothing sigh of satisfaction. Dumbledore chuckled to himself from where he sat behind his desk, his own drink bubbling away in pink and yellow hews. His tastes in drinks were as colourful as his choice in sweets.
"That's the boys room righted", she said as she sank her head back into the welcoming softness of the chair. "Thank goodness it's weekend at least, I don't think I've the energy if I had to teach tomorrow".
They all looked up as the door to the office opened and Pomphrey entered. "Argh Poppy, drink?"
She accepted the identical chair he conjured for her and sat, relaxing into the warmth of the room. "Oh go on Albus, just a mulled wine for me please".
"I always did fancy a summer job as a muggle bartender in the Bahamas", Dumbledore beamed as he passed her her request.
"Have you come up with anything for me yet", she asked.
"Afraid not", Snape said cooly, "Minerva's only just joined us as you arrived".
"Whole house wide awake in the Common Room, I don't think there was a single one asleep", she whined.
"Well, your girl Severus, Tracey? She's in a bed along with Ginny Weasley, the twins have gone back to Gryffindor now, I convinced Potter and Granger to head back with them. I offered Thomas a bed for the night but he went back after I checked him over, he's uninjured but very shaken".
"That's a damn sight better than I can usually do managing that lot", McGonagall laughed.
"Minerva", Dumbledore addressed her casually, "do you happen to know what time it was when they woke you?"
"Oh, erm, let's see I think it was quarter past one, no wait, no it couldn't have been more than five minutes past".
"Severus?"
"Actually, around quarter past",
"So, Ronald was effected first", Dumbledore muttered to himself.
"Is that significant?"
"I'm not sure about significant but it's all relevant considering we know so little".
"So, you've never seen this before?"
"Well, what are the precise facts, go over them again", Dumbledore leaned his head on his hands in focus.
"Well, Potter said Ron was tossing and turning a lot, then he started shouting having a nightmare. He said he and Thomas tried to rouse him and he started screaming then attacked Thomas".
"And what did he say?".
"Just ramblings, oh except for that name he kept shouting, this Corvus. Severus?".
"Greengrass woke me saying Parkinson had a nightmare and had gone blind. When I arrived, she was having a panic attack, but she was still coherent but in pain. She certainly seemed unable to see though".
"Potter said Weasley was wild from the get-go. He was so strong though Albus", McGonagall said quietly as if scared by it, "when I got there, he had Thomas raised off the ground by his neck and I watched a stunner from Potter bounce off him as if he were Hagrid! I mean my god he was back awake only minutes after Potter and I both stunned him and then he was nearly breaking free of a full bind curse".
"I still can't believe you got to stun a student twice in a week", Snape said hopefully.
"Severus when did Pansy start becoming", Dumbledore paused, "like Ronald".
"She seemed to be in a lot of pain but managed to walk with us to the hospital wing. It was once we were outside that this, this new pain hit her, and she fell to the floor and began screaming. It was then that she started screaming about this Corvus and death like Weasley".
"No that's not right", McGonagall turned to him, "Weasley was screaming that name, but he never mentioned death until you carried Parkinson in".
"Really?" Dumbledore mused, "that is interesting". He eventually pulled himself out of his thoughts at the sight of their expectant faces. "Apologies, I'm afraid I don't have any answers for you. I've never even known a Corvus, I believed it a genus of bird".
"As I said", Snape nodded.
McGonagall eyed him with a smirk, "you swat".
"I'm currently up to six theories each as ridiculous as the next, and more worrying is the most likely is the worst of the lot".
"What's that?"
Dumbledore shook his head darkly, not wishing to say.
"Another one before bed Mini?" Snape held up the bottle of whiskey.
"I'll not be declining tonight Sev".
A/N
Just to say, I wouldn't want to try to buy comments, attention, favourites and such, I don't like the idea of using the online world for instant gratification and I'd much rather put the effort in and try to work hard in receipt of the effort of taking time out to leave comment, and likewise any constructive criticisms which I welcome.
However with that said I like the idea of dedicating this chapter to Rex-rhodine for the kind words you took the time to leave. The kindness aside, it really spoke volumes to me that someone was getting the story ark in this that I'm trying to put across. It was because of your words that when I sat to write this chapter I probably had some of the most enjoyment I had in a while. It allowed me to enjoy putting Ron in back into a class where he just got to be a teen again and mess with his friends and I an important moment for Harrier as the others finally had a moment where the penny dropped.
These chapters are coming at some rate at the moment but while I have the time, which will change, I've not wanted to stock pile for a slow release as I planned and prefer to get them on once I get through the self-Beta process I have.
I'm loving the journey this story is taking me on and I'm so happy there are those of you joining me.