The Legend of Chime

Chapter thirteen Love thine Enemy

The carriage glided in front of the Manor House and came to a smooth halt then almost immediately the door swung slowly open. Elizabeth sat there motionless for a few minutes, trying to calm her nerves. She felt the same way she had before marching to the front of the Great Hall that first night. Her heart was beating at a very fast rate and her stomach was about to revolt. She took several deep breaths and reminded herself that this was her grandmother after all, not some hooded fiend sent by Voldemort to kidnap her and drain all her blood from her body for an early morning cocktail. The problem with this thought was that for all she knew her grandmother could be. Elizabeth shook her head against the thought. Dumbledore wouldn't have allowed her to come if that were the case. Get a grip, Elizabeth!

She soothed the wrinkles from her skirt as she ducked through the carriage door. The little wizard was still bowing when she turned to face him. "Pardon me, sir? But I don't believe I caught your name," she admitted with a smile.

The little wizard's face registered momentary shock before it returned to a dignified expression. "Wellingsley, Mistress Fairchild," he muttered in a deep voice as he delivered another bow. The thought crossed Elizabeth's mind that he obviously wasn't use to being addressed.

Elizabeth inclined her head slightly. "Thank you, Wellingsley. The ride was lovely and much appreciated," she said smoothly.

Wellingsley's expression remained the same while Elizabeth expressed her gratitude, but an embarrassed flush crept up his neck as he mumbled, "My pleasure, Mistress Fairchild."

Elizabeth glanced at the highly polished entrance doors to the Manor House and swallowed. Come on, Elizabeth! One foot in front of the other. There you go. She slowly moved up the few stairs that led to the front veranda. She hesitated briefly as she reached the top, but then proceeded forward. The doors opened in front of her, a few feet before she reached them.

A pretty, young woman with blonde hair pulled back into a bun and sporting a similar uniform as Wellingsley appeared from behind the door and gracefully curtsied as she muttered, "Welcome, Mistress Fairchild." She quickly took her cloak and muff then directed Elizabeth to the doorway on her left as she shut the door behind her. "Lady Isabella is awaiting your arrival in the drawing room. Please, wait here while I announce you." The woman quickly disappeared through the door.

Elizabeth glanced around curiously as she waited for the woman to return. The foyer was breathtaking, highly polished wooden floors, marble columns, antique tables with pale blue silk runners and graced with fresh floral centerpieces, a crystal chandelier hanging elegantly in the center, exquisite pieces of art hung on the walls, and a grand staircase loomed spectacularly at the opposite end. She noticed several other doors leading off the main foyer as the door to the drawing room opened and the woman reappeared.

"Lady Isabella wishes for you to join her," she said, holding open the door and performing a deep curtsey.

Elizabeth slowly made her way over to the door, the clicking of her shoes against the wooden floors vibrated through her head, sounding extremely loud to her own ears. She attempted to quiet her footsteps as she stepped through the doorway.

The room inside was softly lit by the fireplace and the few sconces hanging on the walls. The decor echoed the style of the foyer but with a slightly cozier atmosphere, probably because it wasn't as large. Elizabeth's eyes fell on Lady Isabella who was sitting in an elegant armchair by the fire, a cup and saucer held gracefully in her hands, the wolfhound at her feet. She was accompanied by a beautiful blonde woman who sat across from her in a similar chair, also with a cup in hand. They were clearly in the middle of morning tea. Elizabeth made her way forward as her grandmother took another sip from her cup.

"You may be seated, Elizabeth. I trust your trip here was uneventful," her grandmother said as Elizabeth stopped in front of the Queen Anne's sofa then lowered her herself stiffly.

Her trip had been highly unusual in Elizabeth's opinion, but she doubted her grandmother was interested in the details so she settled for just the usual polite reply, "Yes, grandmother. Thank you for enquiring."

A smile curved Lady Isabella's lips as she inclined her head ever so slightly. She scrutinized Elizabeth for a moment, her gaze seeming to take in every aspect of her appearance before glancing briefly at her guest. "Allow me to introduce an old family friend and the person who informed me of your existence, Narcissa Malfoy. Her son, Draco, also attends Hogwarts," she said, indicating the blonde woman beside her.

Elizabeth's heart froze as her eyes met those of Narcissa Malfoy and she fought to keep her face neutral as she inclined her head, not trusting her voice. This is not good. So not Good. She glanced back at her grandmother wondering if she knew she was in the company of a Death Eater's wife.

"Narcissa and Draco will be staying here for an extended period of time," her grandmother said matter-of-factly.

"Pardon my ignorance, grandmother. But your husband is Lucius Malfoy?" The words tumbled from Elizabeth's mouth before she could stop them then she realized she didn't want to. A sudden surge of anger filled her as Mrs. Malfoy dropped her gaze, refusing to answer, a clear sign of guilt in Elizabeth's opinion. She coldly said, "I was under the impression that your husband was captured along with several other Death Eaters during the battle at the Ministry of Magic this summer. The same battle in which my father was killed. So why are you here? To spy perhaps?" Her throat burned as she forced her voice to remain calm, but her eyes betrayed her anger. Narcissa appeared stunned by her words and sudden tears glistened in her pale blue eyes.

"Narcissa, will you excuse us for a moment? I would like to speak with my granddaughter alone if I may," her grandmother asked calmly, setting her cup upon the table.

"Of course, Lady Isabella. I understand," Narcissa said softly, a hint of sadness in her voice. She set down her cup and turned toward Elizabeth as she stood to leave. "I apologize if my presence has upset you, Ms. Fairchild. It wasn't my intention to intrude upon your time with Lady Isabella, but it couldn't be helped. I hope you will understand my position and maybe we can gradually become friends."

Fat chance!

Lady Isabella waited until Narcissa had closed the door behind her then gave Elizabeth a cold understanding smile. "It is most unfortunate that you should choose to have this discussion so soon after your arrival. But I recognize the anger you feel is caused by the limited information you have been given so I will excuse your rudeness to our guest. You will soon learn there are two sides to every story, my child. And one mustn't be quick to jump to the wrong conclusions as you just did. It is most embarrassing and highly unpleasant."

Elizabeth bit her cheek to keep from snapping, "I didn't jump . . . "

"You most certainly did," her grandmother interrupted, her tone full of icy reproach. She pulled her wand from her robe pocket and gave it a subtle flick, a newspaper flew into her outstretched hand. "Maybe this will help you learn to curb your tongue." She handed the paper to Elizabeth.

Her jaw dropped as she stared at the bold headline of The Daily Prophet:

AZKABAN BREECHED! DEATH EATERS FREED! WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN!

                               MINISTRY IN CHAOS !

"My god," Elizabeth whispered, as she read the article. "They've all escaped, but what . . ." Her voice trailed off as her eyes suddenly locked on the name 'Malfoy' and she backed up a few lines and read:

Soon after the reported escape, numerous homes of those who testified against the Death Eaters at trial were attacked, the prestigious Malfoy Manor is rumored to be one of them, though the ministry refuses to comment. It is still unknown at this time if there were any fatalities involved in any of these attacks.

"This is . . ." she couldn't find a word to express her horror, she shook her head, grasping the next thought that came into her head, "but I don't understand. Why would Death Eaters attack Malfoy Manor?" Elizabeth asked quietly, staring at the picture of Azkaban prison, a dark fortress standing mostly in ruin, with smoke rising from it.

Her grandmother looked annoyed, but said coolly, "Because Narcissa left her husband, after it was proven he was a Death Eater and not acting through a possible Imperius curse, then she testified against him at trial, my child. She arrived here yesterday with only the clothes on her back and nowhere else to turn. I have known Narcissa since she was a little girl and though I haven't seen her for many years, she is still like a daughter to me. She is a proud woman and she and her son are going through a difficult time and your snap judgement of her and false accusations have caused her even more pain."

Elizabeth stared at the paper for a moment longer, shocked by what she had just heard and read. She slowly looked up at her grandmother and felt the bitter ache of remorse as she remembered the stunned look on Narcissa's beautiful face and realized how much pain her words must have inflicted. "I'm sorry. I didn't know . . ."

"That, my dear, is obvious," her grandmother said with a steel edge to her voice. "I will not tolerate any more accusatory comments or questions from you, do I make myself clear? You are a Fairchild and you will act accordingly. I expect you to apologize to Narcissa at the first opportunity."

"Of course."

"Now, I'll call Olivia and she will show you to her room. I'll expect you to change into something more appropriate before lunch is served." She leaned over and picked up a silver bell from the table. The bell made no sound as she shook it then returned it to the table, but less than a minute later, the young blonde woman wearing the blue uniform entered the drawing room again. "Olivia, show my granddaughter to her room and help her get settled. Her new robes did arrive from Madam Malkins?"

"Yes, just this morning, Lady Isabella."

"Excellent. Carry on."

"Mistress Fairchild, if you would please follow me," Olivia said with a smile as she opened the drawing room and waited for Elizabeth to follow her.

 Elizabeth absently rose from the sofa, still clutching the newspaper, and followed Olivia out into the foyer and up the grand staircase, her mind still trying to digest the implications of the unexpected news. The Death Eaters were freed yesterday. No wonder Moody was on edge. He had expected them to attack as soon as we arrived, but they didn't. It was the perfect opportunity, but they didn't. Why? Was it possible that they didn't know I was leaving this early? But everyone knew I was leaving in the morning, didn't they? It doesn't make sense. Elizabeth rubbed her head as it started to throb. She glanced around and noticed she hadn't been paying attention to where Olivia was taking her. She didn't even know what floor they were on.

After a few minutes, Olivia stopped and turned the brass doorknob to a door on the left then waited for Elizabeth to proceed her. As she entered the room, Elizabeth was immediately struck by the beauty of it. The room was mostly white with accents of lavender. A huge four-post bed stood in the center with a white counterpane and lined with dozens of lavender pillows. A large French armoire dominated one of the walls and to the right a doorway led to a private bath.

Olivia crossed in front of her as she stood motionless, her gaze wandering the room in momentary awe. Olivia reached the armoire and opened the doors, revealing dozens of exquisite robes, off to the side was her school trunk. "These are your new robes, Mistress Fairchild. Would you like me to lay one out for you or do you prefer to choose one for yourself?"

Elizabeth stared at the robes for a moment. Those are all mine? You've got to be joking! She shook her head and winced as the throbbing became worse then said, "To tell you the truth, I wouldn't know where to begin to decide. Whatever you think will be fine. And please call me Elizabeth."

"Oh, I could never do that. Lady Isabella wouldn't approve," Olivia said quickly before turning her attention to the vast assortment of robes. She pulled a beautiful dark blue set of robes from the armoire and laid them gently upon her bed. "This one matches your eyes and is sure to look wonderful on you, not to mention it is Lady Isabella's favorite shade of blue. Seeing it on you will definitely please her," she said with a smile.

"Prefect," Elizabeth said approvingly, walking up to stand next to the bed.

 I definitely need all the help I can get, after sticking my foot in my mouth and swallowing it. Glorious first impression, I made! I can still taste the sole of my shoe.

"Would you like me to draw you a bath?" Olivia enquired. "You have plenty of time before lunch is served."

Elizabeth smiled weakly as her stomach started to churn. "That would be great. I just need to lie down for a moment first, I think."

She slipped off her shoes and Gryffindor robes then slowly eased herself down on her four-post bed and closed her eyes. She lay there, listening to the sound of water as Olivia filled the bath, trying to will her body to relax, hoping the headache would soon lessen. Her mind turned to Harry and she peeked open her eyes and glanced at the clock on the night stand. Half past ten. History of Magic class.

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He couldn't concentrate on a thing Professor Binns was mumbling about. Not that he paid attention normally, but today was even worse. Instead of drifting into an almost comatose state like he usually did in his History of Magic class, his mind was unusually alert as if waiting of something to happen, though he didn't have a clue as to what. Something wasn't right. His instincts were telling him to be on guard, but his mind was a mass of confusion because there was no obvious sign of danger.

 

Maybe it's just a leftover reaction from reading The Daily Prophet this morning. The news of Death Eaters breaking out of Azkaban has put everyone on edge.

He glanced at his watch and his mind returned to Elizabeth. Half past ten. She should be safely at her grandmother's house by now. Harry frowned. Someone would have told me if anything had gone wrong, wouldn't they? He wasn't so sure. He decided to seek Professor Lupin out after class and ask if he had heard anything.

Time ticked by painfully slow and Harry was tempted to slip out before class was dismissed. He looked over at Ron, who was staring into space, propped up on his elbow, and caught his eye.

"What's up, Harry?" Ron muttered under his breath.

"I'm worried about Elizabeth. I'm thinking about slipping out and finding Professor Lupin to see if he has heard anything," whispered Harry.

"Good idea, mate. Only one problem. Lupin teaches the Second years this hour," said Ron quietly.

"Damn, I forgot," growled Harry under his breath. He waited impatiently for another half-hour, checking his watch periodically and strumming his fingers on the desk, until Hermione finally gave him a frustrated scowl.

"Harry, stop making so much noise. I can't hear to take notes properly and you're keeping everyone else awake," she whispered.

Finally, class was dismissed and Harry snatched up his books and headed for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. He got there just as the last student was leaving. "Professor Lupin?" Harry called, as Lupin straightened the pile of essays on his desk.

Lupin looked up with a pleasant smile upon his face. He didn't look surprised to see him there. "Hello, Harry," his eyes glanced subtly around the room before continuing, "Not to worry. She made it there without incident." He motioned for him to follow and they strode into his.

"So Voldemort didn't know she was leaving?" Harry asked as Lupin shut the door behind them.

"It certainly looks that way. There was no sign that Fairchild Manor was even being watched today according to Tonks, but that might not be as strange as it sounds since it seems Death Eaters have been busy with other things recently," Lupin said looking down at his copy of The Daily Prophet.

Harry glanced at the newspaper then asked, "So why was Malfoy Manor attacked?"

"They were searching for Narcissa. It seems she testified against Lucius at the trial," Lupin said with a frown.

"Why would she do that?" Harry asked incredulously.

"She wanted to remove some of the stain from the name Malfoy so Draco wouldn't have to endure the embarrassment of scandal for the rest of his life."

"You don't believe that, do you?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure what to believe. If she wasn't sincere, why would she go through the humiliation of testifying against her husband? It's possible she was unaware he was truly a Death Eater for all of these years, though highly unlikely, I must say. But other people closer to Voldemort have seen the error of their ways and have also done noble things to try to redeem themselves. Being the wife of a Death Eater isn't so horrible in comparison."

They both knew who he was referring to. Snape had been a Death Eater, but something happened and he was now working as a spy for The Order. Harry didn't know what made Snape see the light or why Dumbledore trusted him, but he did. No matter how much Harry hated to admit it, Snape was on the same side as he and had risked his life over and over again for The Order. Maybe finding out her husband was a Death Eater had been the last straw for Mrs. Malfoy.

"Where is Mrs. Malfoy now? Did she get away?" he asked hesitantly.

"No one knows. There was no trace of her when the ministry finally arrived," Lupin said reluctantly.

"Does Malfoy know?" Harry asked, feeling a sudden, unnatural sympathy for Malfoy.

"Yes, Professor Snape notified him this morning while we were in the greenhouse," Lupin said softly, setting the newspaper back down on his desk. His face took on a haunted look as he stared into space and Harry knew he was thinking about Sirius. After a moment, Lupin shook his head and smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. "You should head down to the Great Hall. Lunch is being served now. I'm sure Ron and Hermione will be waiting for you."

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The talk with Professor Lupin hadn't help much, Harry thought as he stared at his shepherd's pie. He still felt uneasy and it interfered with his appetite. He pushed his food around with his fork and he absently clasped his wand inside his pocket. Elizabeth was safe for now. I should feel better knowing that, but I don't. Why?

Harry glanced up and his eyes fell on Malfoy. He watched as Malfoy picked at his food also, not really eating anything that was in front of him. He still detested him but his hate was dampened somewhat by the fact that his mother had done the right thing and was now paying for it. He hadn't really thought of Malfoy as being someone's son before. Not a son in the true sense of the word, anyway. He wondered how Malfoy was dealing with it. Was he afraid for his mother or cheering for his father? Probably the latter.

 

Suddenly, a loud siren blasted his eardrums and Harry sprang to his feet instantly and whipped his wand from his pocket as all the teachers jumped from their seats and raced from the hall, wands drawn. The doors instantly sealing themselves shut in their wake.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" Harry bellowed over the noise of the siren.

Hermione's face turned white as death itself as she shouted her answer, "IT'S THE SECURITY ALARM! HOGWARTS IS UNDER ATTACK!" She jumped from her seat and turned to Ron as the younger students started to panic and run for the doors. "REMEMBER OUR TRAINING! WE HAVE TO GET THE STUDENTS AWAY FROM THE DOORS!" She climbed on top of the table then aimed her wand at the enchanted ceiling and bellowed, "SILENCIO!" The siren immediately ceased which caused the surge of students to lose some of their momentum. "Please! Everyone! Move to the back of the room! We need to get away from the doors!" Hermione shouted above the mass confusion, though very few people moved in the right direction.

"You heard the lady! Move!" Ron grabbed several first years by the scruff of their necks and roughly threw them back away from the doors. Several other prefects took their cue from Ron and started doing the same, including Malfoy. But sadly, they were making very little progress since most of the younger students were still in a state of shock.

Harry jumped on top of the table next to Hermione then pointed his wand at his throat and muttered, "Sonorus!"

"SHE SAID MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE ROOM. THAT MEANS AWAY FROM THE DOORS! NOW!" Harry's voice boomed over the continued chaos and immediately reduced the hall to a stunned silence. Slowly, all of the students made their way to the back of the room behind the head table, a few muffled whimpers could be heard as they made their way past him.

"Good thinking, Harry," Hermione said, giving him a weak smile as she clambered down from the table.

Harry nodded then muttered, "Quietus!" and jumped down from the table.

"So what do we do now?" asked Ernie Macmillan hesitantly as the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff prefects gathered around.

"We position ourselves defensively," said Ron. "If the doors open and the teachers aren't on the other side, the best way to protect ourselves is to make sure the enemy doesn't make it inside the hall or at least as few of them as possible."

"We'll need more than the just the eight of us and Potter to keep those doors secure, Weasley," drawled Malfoy, as he joined the group.

"The ten of us, Malfoy," snapped Ron. "You've forgotten Lisa and Alan!" He indicated the Head boy and girl who were still trying to calm the fears of the students.

"Like they make a difference, Weasley," Malfoy sneered and rolled his eyes.

Hermione stepped in before Ron could deliver a cutting reply. "Look. Malfoy has a point. We should each grab the most competent students in Defense Against the Dark Arts from our houses and enlist their help. But no one who will go to pieces in a crisis, preferably fourth year or older and we've got to hurry. A few of them might make it pass the teachers."

They all agreed and quickly made their way to the back of the hall. In no time at all, they had gathered roughly fifty people and as they were positioning themselves around the hall behind the tables they had turned onto their sides, it happened.

A faint chorus of "Alohomora!" was heard briefly before the doors to the Great Hall blew open. Suddenly, flashes of red severed the air all around Harry, but he couldn't see where they were coming from. The doorway appeared empty. Screams echoed through the hall as several people fell to the floor and he could feel the students frenzied panic as it came back to life. Then he caught a glimpse of them as they moved forward. They were shimmering shadows, barely visible except for the ripple of their cloaks as they moved.

"They're Disillusioned!" Harry shouted then ducked as a curse whizzed by his head. He fired back in rapid secession and noticed one of the benches near the door flip over as if someone had fallen against it. He heard rapid footsteps coming toward them and muffled grunts as the students curses hit their marks.

Then a loud voice growled, "Forget the others! Mulciber! Find the Chime! Above all else!" just as the students surged toward the open doors.

Not far from Harry, a jet of red light hit Ginny in the chest and she crumpled to the ground. Harry noticed several other redheaded Gryffindor girls falling to the ground at the same time as he dodged forward, throwing curses at anything that moved that wasn't a student. Malfoy sprinted out from behind a table as two of the girls were levitated into the air. He slammed his body into one of the shimmering shadows and then just as quickly swung around to stop the girls from hitting the floor, leaving his back vulnerable to attack as he slid backwards across the floor on his backside. Harry bolted into action as the ripple of another Death Eater descended toward Malfoy.

"Percutio!" shouted Harry. With an anguished grunt, the Death Eater was blasted against the wall and knocked unconscious. Malfoy scrambled to his feet and turned toward Harry, surprise registering on his face momentarily before his attention was drawn back into the ensuing battle.

"Vulnificus!" cried Malfoy with an evil glint in his eye and blood splattered the face of a nearby Death Eater attempting to inspect one of the fallen girls as. The Death Eater screamed and looked as if he had just been kicked in his now clearly visible face as he fell to the ground.

Students were screaming hysterically as they ran out into the Entrance hall, but inside the battle raged on. Harry glanced around and noticed Ron cornered behind a suit of armor. Hermione was pressed up against his back, but trying to raise her wand over his shoulder. As he watched, Ron was hit by a jet of red light and Hermione screamed as he fell to the floor, bringing the armor down with him.

"Percutio!" Harry yelled, eliciting a shriek of pain from the Death Eater as he was blasted into the opposite wall. Harry ran over to Hermione and slid to his knees, "It's okay. He was just stunned, I think." He pointed his wand at Ron. "Enervate!" Ron shook his head slightly as he pushed himself to a sitting position and Hermione flung herself into his arms.

"You idiot! I can take care of myself!" she cried then kissed him soundly on the mouth before jumping to her feet again. She threw several stunning spells randomly as she shouted, "How many of them are there?"

"I can't tell! They are too hard to see! They're looking for Elizabeth!" Harry shouted, trying to deflect a spell with the helmet he had just picked up and immediately dropping it as it burned his hand, the spell slashing across his face.

Then a man's screech rent the air, "SHE'S NOT HERE! RETREAT! DUMBLEDORE'S COMING!"

Footsteps pounded the floor of the Great Hall as the shimmering Death Eaters fled through the main doors. Harry took off, sprinting after them, ignoring the blood dripping into his eyes and the coppery taste of his own blood on his lips from his wound. On the opposite side of the room, Malfoy grabbed a hold of a scintillating cloak as it flashed by close to him and jet of green light barely missed Harry as Malfoy jerked the man backward. Suddenly, a streak of purple flame flew across Malfoy's torso and he gasped then let go of the cloak as he fell face forward, motionless. Harry shouted, "Percutio!" in the direction of the issued curse without breaking stride, missing his target and instead blasting a crater into the wall next to the doorway. A moment later, A tall figure of a man appeared.

 

Dumbledore had arrived.

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Elizabeth was ill for the first time in her life. She felt too weak to lift her head, but took several deep breaths and fought to keep from retching all over the bed. Her head throbbed painfully with every beat of her heart and her body shook uncontrollably with an unidentified fear.

Olivia ran to notify her grandmother of her sudden condition and now Elizabeth could hear her grandmother snapping questions at Olivia as she tried to tend her.

"You're sure she didn't drink or eat anything?" her grandmother asked in a shaky voice.

"No, Lady Isabella. She neither ate nor drank anything. She had just finished with her bath and had sat down to allow me to arrange her hair when she grabbed her head and fell forward. I assisted her to the bed and then ran to notify you. That's all that happened," Olivia said frantically.

"Well, something else had to have happened to put her in such a state . . ."

"It's all right. I'll be . . . fine . . . in just a moment. I j-just . . . need . . . to rest for a . . . little while . . . that's all," Elizabeth struggled to say between breaths.

"Nonsense. You are Chime. Nothing minor causes you pain unless . . ." Her grandmother paused then frowned.

"Should I send for a healer, Lady Isabella?" said Olivia nervously.

"No, I'm feeling better," Elizabeth said weakly as she pushed herself up to a sitting position. She still felt extremely shaky and nervous, but the throbbing in her head had decreased some and the nausea was starting to dissipate as well. But fear remained. "There's no need to send for a doctor. It was probably just the stress of the trip."

Her grandmother eyed her warily as if she thought she might burst into flames at any moment. "Doctor is a muggle term, Elizabeth. We use healers here," she said coldly then turned to Olivia. "Yes, send word to Healer Smethwyck. Tell him to come immediately. He knows how to enter the grounds safely." Olivia nodded then quickly left the room to do her bidding.

"Really. There is no need for a healer. There is nothing he'll be able to do for me . . ."

"It will give me peace of mind, Elizabeth. So humor me, won't you?" her grandmother asked calmly, though Elizabeth knew it wasn't really a question. Her face communicated her thoughts clearly. Elizabeth slowly nodded. Her grandmother's lips curved into a stiff smile. "Good girl. Now lie back and rest. I'll have Olivia come back to sit with you, after she has sent for Healer Smethwyck." She glided across the floor and out the door leaving Elizabeth alone with her thoughts.

Elizabeth sunk back into her pillows and closed her eyes. The throbbing in her head had been reduced to a dull ache now and the urge to retch had completely vanished. She really wished her grandmother wouldn't be so paranoid. She took a deep breath trying to relax her mind. Her heart was still beating fast with anxiety fueling the strange fear inside her.

God, I hate doctors. All they do is stick things into you and tell you to say AHHH and ask you how many fingers they are holding up. They are completely unless to me. I can heal myself quite well without someone forcing some foul potion down my throat.

Yes, but you WERE ill, came the still quiet voice from inside her head.

So! I'm fine now!

But you are never ill. You feel tired, yes. But never ill . . . and you were afraid. You are still afraid. Think, Elizabeth! It's not the stress from the trip or the thought of having to see a doctor. You're stronger than that. What could make you so ill with fear? When have you felt something similar?

The hospital wing . . .

She bolted upright in bed.

Harry!

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He still couldn't believe it. It was too much to think about. Malfoy had saved his life. The same Malfoy who had taunted him mercilessly since his first year. The same Malfoy who had thrown numerous curses his way. The same Malfoy who loved to see him and his friends in pain and preferred to be the one who inflicted it. The same Malfoy who had attacked Elizabeth in the library. The same Malfoy who had attempted to seduce Elizabeth with a Succubus charm, according to Hermione, just to torture him. That same Malfoy was now laying motionless three beds down from him in the hospital wing fighting for his life because he had dared to save his. It didn't make sense. Malfoy is a Slytherin to the core. He isn't suppose to do stuff like that. He isn't suppose to be brave, not at the risk of his own neck? So why?

Harry watched as Madam Pomfrey forced several potions down Malfoy's throat and waited with a frightened expression for several minutes. Still, no response.

God dammit, Malfoy! You better not die!

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Something has happened! Elizabeth flew out of bed and searched everywhere she could think of for the looking glass, but couldn't find it. Dammit! Something's wrong! Harry's hurt! She rushed out of her room, not really knowing where she was going, her dark blue robes billowing out around her as she ran down the hall. She concentrated on the image of her grandmother and allowed her feet to take her where she needed to go. She sprinted down the staircase and into a room to the left of the foyer, bursting through the door out of breath.

Her grandmother's eyes widened in surprise. "Elizabeth! What in the world? I told you . . ."

"Something has happened! I need to see Harry! He's been hurt! That's why I was so sick. We are connected. I have to make sure he is all right!" Elizabeth said swiftly, cutting her grandmother's reprimand short, ignoring the stitch in her side.

A moment later, a tall, dark cloaked figure entered the room behind her. Elizabeth pulled her wand from her robes as she swung around to face him.

"Elizabeth, put that away this instant!" snapped her grandmother.

"Who is he?" Elizabeth asked calmly, still pointing her wand at the cloaked wizard's chest.

"Never mind who he is. He works for me. That is all you need to know," said her grandmother curtly.

The wizard pulled back his hood to reveal his face. He was a handsome middle-aged wizard with dark hair and eyes. He gave a half-bow as he addressed her grandmother. "Lady Isabella, I apologize for interrupting your meal, but I have . . ." he glanced briefly at Elizabeth, "urgent news."

"It's quite all right, Evan. You may speak freely in front of my granddaughter and Mrs. Malfoy," her grandmother said smoothly then glanced back at Elizabeth. "I said, put that away, Elizabeth. He's not here to harm you."

Elizabeth slipped her wand back into her pocket as Evan started to speak, "It's Hogwarts, my lady. It's been attacked by a small army of Disillusioned Death Eaters. Several students were injured while defending it."

Elizabeth gasped, feeling suddenly light-headed as Narcissa asked shakily, "Is Draco all right?"

"He was injured while saving the life of another student," Evan said grimly. "The extent of his injuries is unknown to me at this time, Madam." Narcissa lost all the color in her face and looked on the verge of fainting.

"Well, I insist that you go back immediately and find out," her grandmother said sharply. "I want him brought safely here to recover from his injuries if he is well enough to travel. Tell Madame Pomfrey, I have already sent for a healer and he should be here within the next half an hour, if she refuses. Hogwarts has clearly been compromised and I will not allow Draco to be put into further peril by staying there. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, my lady," Evan muttered with another half-bow then turned quickly to leave, but Elizabeth caught him by the arm before he could make it through the door.

"Please, sir. Do you know if Harry Potter has been injured?" she asked hesitantly.

Evan looked down at her hand briefly before answering, "I believe he was injured also, but I don't know anything further, Mistress."

"Please, find out for me," Elizabeth softly pleaded, dropping her hand.

Evan inclined his head. "As you wish, Mistress Fairchild," he said then exited the room.