Brave Knights

Part 2

The wind blows up my hair in every direction, and I stir. My entire body is in pain. I wish I knew what they did to me...

"Marine ? Don't move, or we'll fall." ... What ? " I can't keep the balance if you move."

I open my eyes, and scream with terror. We are flying on a broom, VERY high ! I completely panick, and clutch Draco. "Go down ! Go down ! Shit !"

He groans and focuses on staying up in the air, which seems to be a problem since I am on the verge of hyperventilation, and hisses : "Calm down, I can't." I moan in pain after my violent gesture, and make myself breathe in, breathe out... A dark countryside landscape glides under us, field after fied, it looks damp, with cows here and there, and a lake on the left, soon replaced by a wheat field. We are definitely not in the South of France anymore.

"Where are we ?" He stares into space, the night has fallen and I am cold. And my voice sounds so weak... I hate it.

"England. We'll soon be in Hogwarts - there we'll be safe." Oh, damn that pain ! The clouds around the moon clear for a moment, enough for me to scream again. As soon as there was some light, I was able to see just what hurt me so much, just what she had hit me with : my skin was covered with blood ! I think that had I not seen that, I would have been able to stay king of oblivious to the pain for a little while longer, but this horrifying vision of my skin burnt and bloody could make me faint - or throw up. It takes all I have not to do either of these.

"What did she do with me !?" He shakes his head slowly, a kind or sadness in his eyes.

"She burnt you. I healed most of it, but you'll still have scars here and there. I'm sorry." There is a long silence, I try to imagine how I look now without the blood and with the scars, but the pain obstructs my brain. Plus, I have a splitting headache. Draco obviously doesn't think along the same lines, since he adds, I don't really know why :"You'll notice we all have scars, some hidden, some not. Hogwarts is the center of the resistance, the fighting grounds, and the only safe place in the entire world."

Isn't that a little bit contradictory ? When I am about to say that, he directs the broom down on an open fall, and I bite my tongue, trying very hard not to scream, or throw up. My stomac crawls up in my chest, I grind my teeth. Under our feet is a castle, with lights on, a creepy gothic athmosphere, but it seems paradoxically full of joy. We keep going down, and down, until he stops, right before the floor. I stumble on the floor, and cry in pain. He catches me, and picks me up, with more strength that I would have accredited him for.

He leaves his broom on the ground, and carries me in the castle, in the dark corridors. A icy voice drawls : "May I remind you that no students is allowed to wander at -"

"It's the Muggle, Professor Snape. She go hit by the Incendio curse. I need to get her to Madam Pomfrey." The man is in his fourties, tall, cold, pale, and dark. Not a very becoming person, to say the least.

"And you never thought to cast Wingardium Leviosa on her ?"

"Professor, I have no more strength left. I cast a Shielding Chant on us.." The Professor's gasp is clearly audible.

"A Shielding Chant ! Dear Gods, Draco, have you no sense at all ? It is fifth level Dark Magic !" At this point, Draco is very much exasperated, which causes him to shift, and I moan in pain again. The Professor sighs, and casts the spell on me, and I find myself floating in the air.

Both men walk me to one wing of the castle, the Hospital Wing. There, Madam Pomfrey gives me a potion to drink, and I fall blessedly asleep.

*

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*

When I open my eyes, the place is very bright with the rays of the sun coming through the windows. Nobody is here, and I feel much better. I am not one of these people who need time every morning to remember where they are, so I don't get scared, I know I am in the hospital wing, and Draco's words pierce my soul once again.

Scars.

I raise and stand up, and look at my arms, only to see them covered in bandages, from the wrist up to the shoulder. I throw the covers away, and my legs are covered the same. I am wearing some kind of hospital nightie, and I pull it up only to confirm that I have indeed become the living mummy.

Someone has tied my hair, I stand up and walk to a mirror : I consider myself lucky that my face was spared - well, most of it. On my temple, there is a scar but it is easily hideable.

"Ah, Miss, you are awake. Feeling better ?" I start and turn around, and remember the lady from my shaken memories of the previous day as Madam Pomfrey, the one who spared me conciousness during the healing, for which I am grateful.

"Yes." My voice is all raspy. "Is it horrible ? Under the bandages, I mean."

She looks sad, I understand that it must not be pretty. "What Mister Malfoy Healed, well, he did a very good job ; but he knew there was not much time, so he focused on your face, your hands, your neck and your feet - that is, the visible parts - is left almost intact. But we can't do anything about the rest of the marks. These bandages have been charmed to provide you with an anaestesia and slow healing, and it will help the marks fade a little bit, but that's all we can do. I am sorry."

I shrug. "Better accept it if I can't change it. How long will I keep the bandages ?" I honestly feel that way, incredible but true.

"A month." She takes few steps towards me. "Now, would you feel up to a little bit of washing..." I realise what she just said.

"Do you mean I will go through the month without a bath or a shower ?" She hides a giggle under her hand.

"No, you will come here whenever you wish, and I will help you with a soothing bath. No more than once a day, though." Relief changes my features, I feel it.

We go in a little bathroom, where a scenting bath is already waiting for me, she helps me to get out of the nightie and the bandages, I close my eyes because I don't want to see the scars, and my body aches without the protection of the bandages, and I get into a wonderfully soothing bath.

Once I am back in the bandages, she helps me into a pair of perfectly fitting jeans, t-shirt and sweater. I put on the same shoes I was wearing when I came here. Like that, I could hide the bandages without so much trouble..

Then, she gives me a paper. "This is a map of Hogwarts. Go in the Great Hall, and get something to eat, would you ?"

And then, with a smile, she throws me out of the Hospital Wing.

The map in my hand, I follow the way to the Great Hall, meeting students who throw me weird looks, ignore me or wisper in my back, until one stops me dead in my tracks.

It is a girl, he hair is blonde and she looks mean. "Look at the little Mudblood, looking for her way !" He friends start laughing. Har, har. "Poor little girl, did you get burnt ?"

I know I have a carnal smile on my face. "Oh don't worry, I took some with me. Are you looking for a demonstration ?"

She snarls, and we are going to have a catfight, when her and her friends suddenly look angrier. Next to me, a boy stares at them. "Let her be, Pansy."

"Potter ! Ever the rescuer, aren't you ?" I roll my eyes. They're all crazy. Potter rolls his eyes too, and smiles at me.

"Come, Marine, they're not worth it." I decide that he is absolutely right, and I follow him in the Great Hall. "I am Harry, Harry Potter, a friend of Hermione's, you have met her yesterday."

It is astonishing, the ceiling is like a piece of sky inside the castle, the chatter of the students is loud, just like in a normal school, and the Hall is beau-ti-ful. "Yes. Nice to meet you, Harry."

"Likewise. Madam Pomfrey sent you, right ?" I nod. "Well, I am sure you are hungry." I nod again, this time with passion, which makes him laugh. He gestures me to follow him, which I do, until we are both sitting down at one of the four gigantic tables. He shows me the different foods, all yummy, and tells me about life in a school where students are trained to survive.

Hermione is suddenly sitting in front of us, and she gives me a colgate smile. "Hey, Marine. I'm glad Malfoy didn't get you killed."

"Oh, no, I can do that myself, I never needed his help." Her eyes widen.

"You mean to get yourself killed ?" I nod and bite in a very green apple.. She and Harry laugh. Next to Hermione, a red-haired boy sits, and flashes me a nice smile too.

"So, here's Hogwarts' Muggle. I am Ron Weasley, welcome." I smile in thanks. "How did you survive the Ferret ?" I raise an eyebrow. "Malfoy, I mean.." I laugh.

"Is there is anybody who likes him here ?"

Harry notes : "You met his ex-girlfriend just a moment ago. Pansy."

Ever the logical one, I notice : "She didn't like you, and she hated me with passion. She's a jealous one or what ? I didn't touch him !" They all laugh. Weasley seem to entertain the mental image of me going out with Draco for a moment with an air of total amusement on his face. I wasn't trying to be that funny. I turn to Hermione, she must be the one in charge, and I ask the thing I have been wondering about for a moment now. "I can't go back home, can I ?"

That stops their laughter. She shakes her head. "No. They know where you live, who you are, and you burnt several powerful cold-blooded killers who are going to try to get revenge. And we still need you, and they still want you too."

I sigh and take my head in my hands. Shit. "I'm toast." And then I burst out laughing. "Quite litterally." They don't really know how to react, but my reaction is genuine, I really think this is funny, and I don't really have a problem with the burns.

And then, Ron Weasley bursts out laughing. We both laugh together, almost to the tears, and then he shakes his head and wipes a tear in the corner of his still smiling eye. "You, girl, are cool." It makes me laugh some more, he said that in such a pompous tone !

And then, we all eat our dessert in relative silence. I feel quite relaxed among them.

While Hermione and Ron are busy talking about the effects of some potion, Harry leans next to me and murmurs : "Dumbledore said that the DA is in charge of you. Stick with me at the end of dinner and we'll go to a DA meeting."

I frown and murmur back : "What is the DA ?"

"A group of students preparing for the fight to come, and loyal to Dumbledore. I'll tell you more later." I nod and go back to my yummy dessert.

*

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*

Harry smiles at me in the dark, and a door opens. The Room of Requirements, as they call it, is wide, and divided into corners - a library corner, a potion lab corner, and a wand practise corner. Many students are here, I'd say over thirty. As we enter the Room, all the eyes stare at me. I have a feeling that they know better than me what I am supposed to do here. Not such a nice feeling.

All of them seem to be waiting for something. A red haired girl, Weasley would I venture, smiles warmly at me, and then jumps on Harry. "So, she is here. Welcome Marine. Now, who is going to train her and do we keep doing the same stuff for the others ?"

Harry scratches the back of his head. He is their Leader, that much is obvious, though they don't look really tame. "Well, I haven't given much thought - Dumbledore only told me yesterday, and then I was... Busy." That sounds lame and I smile.

"I wasn't told I was to be trained. Would somebody care to explain or do I have to throw a tantrum ?" Some laughters welcome my reply. The door behind Harry and me opens, and Draco Malfoy comes in. As soon as the door closes, a tall boy glares.

"You're late, Malfoy."

He doesn't even aknowledge the boy except by throwing at the assembly : "I was busy." He doesn't look at me, and that is unnerving. I want so much to thank him... He saved my face, my hands and my feet, and for that I am eternally grateful.

"Whatever. Marine, you have been chosen because you possess a unique ability, that supposedly nobody alive possesses." Oh Great. Luck again. And yes, I am being sarcastic. "You are a Reader. Hermione, can you please explain ?"

I notice Hermione Granger coming closer, and she says - as if reading aloud, but she doesn't have a book : "The first ability of a Reader is perception of people's magic, a little bit like an Aura. You can Read it, that is declare the Wizard's magic powerful or weak, well used or not. You can serve as a channel, that is you can enhance the power of a spell through your own body. And if you are really powerful, but we do not know the extend of your abilities, you could even Heal it." There is no sound.

That is, until I cough. "Erm, are you really sure I can do that ?" And instantly, five people nod. "And if there is no one alive who can do it, how the hell are you going to train me to do something that I consider impossible ?"

"Potter and me will do it."

Potter turns to Draco. "What was that ?"

Hermione glares. "What was that ?"

I laugh and imitate them : "What was that ?" But half the room glares at Draco the way Hermione does. And the other half mutters. Draco breathes in, and calmly explains.

"The last Reader to be ever known was a Malfoy, and therefore one of my ancestors. So I have Reading in my blood - and in my family books. I probably am the only one to know about the way to practise a Reading. Then, there is the Porphecy. Marine and Potter will have to work together on that one, so she'd better learn to work with his magic from the beginning. And last but not least, she needs to train with two wizards of very close power - and I think everybody can at least agree on the fact that the only real match for Harry and I is the other." How pedant !

The Weasley girl smirks. "He is pretentious and a git, but he is right." Draco chooses not to hear the insult. Potter, next to me, thinks long and hard, and nods quite reluctantly.

"But not tonight. We'll start tomorrow : when we're done with this vera sella curse." This seems to be a sign : everybody either reach for their wand, their books, or their cauldrons. I am surprised to see Draco reaching for a cauldron. I am about to go and thank him, when Hermione calls for me, from her book.

"Look, this is about Readers, you should read it." Har, har. She doesn't even notice her pun, and goes back to taking notes furiously, from a huge book. Sighing, I begin my readings.