Blinded

Chapter 2: Fate or Fortune?

Draco awoke with a splitting headache. Clearly, the pain that had inhabited his sinuses the night before had chosen not to relocate. In fact, the pain was almost as blinding as it was when the light first hit him last night.

Finding it hard to focus his eyes this early in the morning, Draco began to feel around, drawing upon his other senses to glean an inkling of where he was. He could feel soft and silky sheets beneath him and immediately knew he was not in the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. He remembered someone trying to help him before he fell unconscious, but did not expect that they would take him all the way up to the Hospital Wing--having just taken in the full smell of the room, he just assumed that was where he was.

Draco stretched his arms above his head, encouraging blood to flow through his tired and aching muscles. Ready to get out of bed and more importantly the Hospital Wing, Draco rubbed his eyes, trying to hasten the "waking-up" process. His eyes, however, still would not focus. He rubbed harder, but a curtain of blackness still kept him in the dark.

"I can't see. I can't see? Merlin, I can't see!" he blurted out in a series of progressive statements that just got louder and louder and louder, until all that could be heard in the Hospital Wing was a resounding cry of panic.

Previously in a deep sleep, Hermione was suddenly drawn from her dreams by the screeching soundtrack of Malfoy's revelation. "Malfoy, what's wrong with you?" she questioned more in a response to her agitation than to her concern.

"Granger, what are you..." Draco began to question, recognizing her voice, but soon stopped himself. In his current situation, he realized it was probably best that she was in the room; even if she was born a mudblood, her heritage did not change the fact that she was the school's most intelligent witch.

"Granger, help me!" Draco demanded, "I can't see and someone tried to help me last night - I heard them say the counter spell - and it didn't work. Obviously, Mme Pomfrey couldn't do anything! I mean, for God's sake, I'm still blind."

"Calm down, Malfoy!" Hermione began with a hint of sincerity. "You have magic on your side don't you! If you were blinded by magic, magic will definitely provide the cure. Just calm down."

At that instant three figures appeared out of thin air, one with half moon spectacles sliding down his nose, another with a tall black pointy hat, and the remaining with greasy black hair.

Hermione let out a grateful sigh. The sight of her three professors entering the Hospital Wing was reassuring, like the burden that is Draco Malfoy was finally lifted off her shoulders for the first time since last night.

Malfoy, unaware that his three professors had appeared by his bedside, began to whimper in spite of Hermione's confidence in magic. His whimpers quickly grew to dramatic moans and he did not stop until Snape suddenly snarled from behind Dumbledore, "Shut up, Draco! You are not dead, now are you! Just suck it up." Malfoy fell silent almost immediately, after he had jumped at the unexpected sound of Snape's voice.

"Now, now, no need for that tone Severus," Dumbledore said nonchalantly, but Snape did not need telling twice. Dumbledore turned his attention to the two students before him. "Draco, I know you must be very worried right now, but there is no need. You will not be blind permanently. If I can recall correctly, you have been affected by what is called--a rebound of fate. See, the ministry of magic is not the only body to govern the magical community. The concept of fate actually holds quite a powerful grip over us wizards. Harry Potter is a perfect example. Time will be your cure, not magic. Once your fate has been fulfilled, your sight will return to you. 20/20 if I'm not mistaken."

"Fate?" Draco blurted out. "Fate? I have to live without the ability to see because of fate. You have to be kidding me. This is ridiculous."

"Calm down, Malfoy!" Hermione said. "It won't be that bad."

"You're right Hermione," the third and final figure said to her student. Those were McGonagall's first words of the entire morning and Hermione was already confused again. "Hermione, you were the one who saved Malfoy if I'm not mistaken?"

"What?" Malfoy gasped in surprise.

"Yes, Malfoy! Not everyone is as cruel as you," Hermione retorted to Malfoy's disbelief.

"Hermione," Dumbledore stepped in, "You too are affected by the rebound of fate. You are his savior and are consequently tied to Malfoy until he regains his ability to see. If you try to go further than seven feet from him, you too will lose your sight."

"WHAT?" Hermione screamed.

"Calm down Hermione. It won't be that bad," Malfoy mocked. Hermione glared at him, but realized that it was of no avail since Malfoy couldn't see her.

"We know this news will come as shock, but we also know that you two will be able to figure this out. You will not be exempt from classes, or examinations. You will just have to figure out a way to help one another. Professor McGonagall has arranged for a new dorm to be made for the both of you. You will stay there as long as this situation remains as is. Good luck and remember you must accept your fate before you can change it," Dumbledore concluded. The two students just sat in silence, not knowing what to say. Neither was calmed nor reassured by the whole rebound of fate idea, but neither had a better explanation.