GET ME TO 1k ON TIKTOK SO I CAN DO LIVES W YALL (@drowninginparagraphs)
September 1, 1977
3:27 pm
Hospital Wing

As Anneliese woke up after sleeping for another four hours, she found that all of the haze of the previous night was gone. Her body and mind and senses were finally in sharp focus again.

It had felt like a part of her had been stripped bare with the loss of her vision and hearing especially that helped her with being a Seeker, and she was happy to feel protected again.

Her newly returned capabilities weren't the only things making her feel protected, though.

There was a hand holding onto Anneliese's as she had her eyes shut, not too tight but also strong enough of a grip to make her feel safe and secure.

Soft whispers sounded all around her from the other teenagers in her year. She recognized Dorcas, Marlene, Alice, and Frank among them, meaning they must have arrived at Hogwarts early as well.

"It feels weird to be in the castle when it's so empty," Dorcas muttered, the yawn audible in her voice. "I've already had like six portraits scare me because it was so quiet before they spoke."

"I'm just glad to be back," Alice said, voice shaking slightly. "Everything feels so much safer here with Dumbledore and just.. everything."

"I cannot believe that the Ministry came," Lily said, tone furious. "That is just so out of line. Sometimes I think that they're just as power hungry as the Death Eaters."

"Well, that would make sense since Voldemort has half of those workers under the Imperius Curse, as his Death Eaters, or just too scared of him to do anything," Remus said sourly. "So they might as well be."

"When does the train get here again?" Leo asked, anxious to just eat some dinner already since the last food he had was popcorn at the movie theater. "I'm hungry as fuck."

"You're always hungry," Anneliese muttered, opening up her eyes now that there was an opportunity to insult Leo. "It's really just- Jesus Christ- why're yall sittin so damn close?"

All of the seventh years were in fact packed very tightly around her bed, startling Callaway and making them scoot back with slight sheepishness.

"You were asleep before this for hours," James said, running both hands down his face. "Merlin, we were all so bloody scared."

"Well, she's awake now, that's all that matters," Marlene said, pink eyeshadow smudged all over her face that she hadn't bothered to take off yet. "God, it's a miracle you didn't lose all the blood in your body."

"You say that whenever you're on your period," Dorcas pointed out. "Just saying."

"Okay, but like there's a difference when your body creates excess blood to hold a baby," Marlene replied. "My uterus needs to learn that I'm lesbian-"

Lily slapped Mckinnon's forearm, cutting her off. Once Marlene got off topic, you had to cut it off early before it turned into a Shakespeare length monologue.

"We told Pomfrey what we gave you and she was actually impressed," Leo said with a grin. "She also said that those pills probably saved your life, so like call us professional healers or whatever."

A laugh went around them, one full of mild delirium and just relief that all eleven of them were alive and in one room after that attack.

Granted, they were all remarkably sleep deprived from staying up all night and looked like they had intentionally painted dark circles under their eyes for some goth makeup look, but it was better than being apart.

Remus had watched with slight astonishment as Leo gradually turned back into himself based on Anneliese's condition.

It was like there was a string tying their two life forces together, Anneliese tugging him down and then bringing the balance back to his soul the second that her eyes opened, allowing Anderson to actually smile again.

Sirius was the only one of them who hadn't been joining in on their conversation.

His gaze was solely focused on Anneliese. He hadn't moved for hours, denying any hydration or rest like the others had accepted while waiting for Callaway to wake up.

Although her skin was now entirely clean from the alarming amount of blood covering it due to a few very well used spells from Pomfrey, her clothes were still splattered with the dried red that couldn't possibly be comfortable.

It had taken Sirius over thirty minutes in the shower when he first arrived at Hogwarts to get all of her blood off him, turning the water an alarmingly opaque, milky pink swirling around his feet.

He hadn't realized how much had gotten on him until he had to get it off.

The blood was dried under his nails and in between every crease of his hands. It had formed rivers on his arms, only leaving a few areas as the clear banks where he could see his pale skin.

Sirius had washed his own blood off himself more times than he could count, but it felt ten times worse when it wasn't his own but had spilled from the mouth of the girl he so desperately loved, had failed to protect.

Lily had helped him get the blood from his jacket, shirt, and pants with a spell she wouldn't tell him how she knew or what she usually used it for, which was highly suspicious to him.

When Black had asked the other girls for answers, Marlene, Dorcas, and Alice had just given him both disappointed and amused sighs and said that they 'thought that he was supposed to be smart.'

"Earth to Pads," James said, snapping his fingers in front of Sirius's face. "You haven't talked in like hours. This is weird. You're being a little too not annoying."

"My apologies," Sirius muttered sarcastically, averting his gaze from Anneliese once he realized how long he had been staring at her in silence. "How much do you remember?"

"Everything," Anneliese said honestly. "I'm so sorry.. about those pills, I wasn't thinkin straight, I didn't even really know what I was saying-"

"You of all people have no reason to apologize," Remus cut her off. "What did Popp- Pomfrey say was wrong? How much longer are you going to have to be here?"

"I was hoping she told one of you," Anneliese said, looking between all of her friends. "I didn't get to hear anything besides that Ministry lady before I went back to sleep and now."

"She told me," Sirius said quickly, resting his forearms on his thighs. "Besides the cuts and shit all of us had, it was some pretty severe internal bleeding from when you hit your back."

Black paused for a second, apparently having difficulty continuing.

"She said that there was no actual tear in your skin to get rid of the blood just kinda loose in there, and the place that you happened to burst the blood or whatever had a direct path to your mouth, so that's why it all came out there."

Anneliese winced slightly at the description, feeling how accurate it was even without moving.

"Apparently she was able to get rid of most of the internal stuff, and now it's just going to bruise from where the collision was. Thank Merlin, no permanent damage-"

And that was when Callaway tried to move, even slightly for the first time against her bed.

The world turned swarmy and full of flashing light as the movement left her, the bed left her, everything left her.

It was just Anneliese and pain alone in one world together, the burning, shooting feeling the only thing capable of filling up her now sharp senses that she suddenly wished would dull back down again.

Callaway heard Black's muffled voice in the background, but she wasn't sure what he was saying, only that it was rather loud and footsteps shortly followed behind his words.

She tried to sharpen her focus back as her skull pounded, but that slight motion of moving her head sent her reeling with nausea that she barely kept down in her stomach.

Anneliese's throat shook and scratched from the inside as it suddenly filled again with the stinging, metallic liquid that was too thick, choking her as her shoulders shook, trying to get it out-

Then, suddenly, there was a melting sensation in her mouth, and all of the blood was changed. It was now something, thinner, sweeter, almost like it was lemonade running down her throat and back down into her body.

Her world suddenly focused again as the choking and the insane amount of pain coming from her back was gone, if only briefly.

"Now, that is quite enough of that," Pomfrey's voice said, bringing her back fully. "Miss Callaway needs some rest, all of you need to clear out."

Anneliese had just now realized that she was gripping Sirius's hand, and the healer seemed to notice that as well.

These two teenagers, she thought as a bit of resistance to her sternness blossomed. Always playing Uno together on my beds and somehow both in the hospital wing whenever one of them is.

"I was here when she was sleeping before," Sirius pointed out with the most charismatic smile he could muster, which was saying quite a lot for his motivation level. "And nothing bad happened, so technically there wouldn't be any difference."

"I am going to name my first two grey hairs Sirius Black and Anneliese Callaway," she said, fists on her hips. "You two are draining away the very little youth I have left in me."

"Oh, I wouldn't say little," Sirius said, mischief in his eyes sparkling. "You are quite radiant for your age, Poppy."

The disgruntled sigh from Pomfrey didn't hide the tilt of her mouth.

"Fine, Mr. Black," she said finally as Sirius stared at her with his best puppy dog eyes. "You may stay, but the rest of you must leave- how did nine of you even get here-"

The other seventh years all exchanged one giant guilty glance before standing up so quickly that they knocked over nearly all of the stools they had pulled to Anneliese's bed, sprinting out of the hospital wing while Black laughed and Pomfrey shook her head.

Callaway's small smile faded as they shut the door as well as Sirius's. They both turned towards each other, and Black squeezed her hand tighter.

"How're you feeling?" he asked softly, tracing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. "Like besides the obvious choking on blood every three seconds."

"I just want to know how they got to us," Anneliese replied with a small frown. "It's really bothering me. "Because who did we tell besides the people we were staying with for the summer? No one."

"I would understand if I still lived with my parents, but Mia and Monty? Never," Sirius said, eyebrows furrowed. "Yea, everyone in our group has pretty solid parents who uhm.. have parents-"

Smooth, Sirius, Black scolded himself.

"And, uhm, I'm not sure what Leo's deal is, actually-"

"It's just him and his mom," Anneliese said quickly. "But they're not on good terms right now."

"Hence him running away," Sirius said, nodding as he began to understand. "Merlin, I feel like there's one good adult in a thousand these days."

Before Anneliese could say something, Pomfrey rushed back over with about two bottles and a jar of paste in her hands, looking very determined to help the student before her.

"Now, before you rest, we need to do a few things," she said while unscrewing caps. "It would be a rather large shame for you to miss the Welcoming Feast of your last year at Hogwarts, so I have every intention of making sure you can attend."

Anneliese raised both eyebrows in shock while Sirius grinned. Pomfrey had been like this ever since he had come to school in his third year with a bruise on his leg from his parents.

The healer had pulled thirteen year old Sirius, who was rather terrified, over the second he stepped into the castle, so subtlety that not even James noticed the temporary disappearance of his friend.

Pomfrey had given Sirius a licorice wand while she applied a stinging paste to his shin, and it had healed fully by the time she sent him back into the crowd sitting with his friends.

In short, Poppy was many student's favorite staff member for a reason.

"I've already given you a few doses while sleeping, but this is the last one to get rid of all the loose blood once and for all," Pomfrey said, handing Anneliese a small teaspoon full of teal liquid. "And take some Blood Replenishing Potion after, just this much."

Callaway swallowed down both of the liquids, one making her stomach pop and fizz for a few seconds while the other one smoked until she waited half a minute or so.

"This is for the bruising," she continued, now scooping two finger's worth of a light orange, shiny cream that smelled mildly like taffy from a jar. "If I may?"

Anneliese was confused at what she meant for a second before nodding. Sirius helped her sit up all the way, gently pulling up at the hem of her shirt until the entirely of the internal bleeding was exposed.

Now, though, that entirely wasn't much.

Only a patch the size of Sirius's fist was left as opposed to his whole hand, and it was also much closer to her normal skin tone and not that sickening, dark purple.

Anneliese squeezed her eyes tightly shut as Pomfrey applied the freezing cold paste to the spot.

The strangest sensation was going through her, like the kind when you drink ice melt water on an empty stomach, except now it was just on her back.

"Holy shit," Sirius muttered in awe as he watched the last of the mark fade away, going back to completely normal skin before his eyes. "What the hell is in there?"

"My secret creation," Pomfrey replied simply. "Not even Mungo's has it. I only use it on time sensitive patients, seeing that this is my last jar, but this seemed to very much fit the criteria."

Anneliese smiled softly as she pulled the back of her shirt down again, her range of motion suddenly increased as she could feel whatever Pomfrey had made doing its job.

"Now, Anneliese, all you need is a solid few hours of sleep for everything to fully do its job, and you'll be good," Pomfrey said with a smile as she stood back up. "Don't talk for too long, you two."

Anneliese was about to open her mouth to thank her before there was a loud creak of the hospital doors opening back up. All of them turned their heads to see Dumbledore standing there, hands clasped behind his back.

Callaway's smile dropped.

"I hate to interrupt the pleasant conversation you seem to be having, but I would like to speak to Miss Callaway privately," Dumbledore said once he got to her bed. "Right away, if you would please."

"She needs to rest, Albus," Pomfrey said firmly. "Whatever this is about can wait, I assure you. Nothing is more important than letting Miss Callaway get some sleep right now."

"It is more important, believe me," Dumbledore replied. "This shouldn't take too long."

"With all due respect, professor, I've personally watched her go through living hell in the past twenty four hours, so I don't really think you know what you're talking about," Sirius said, barely bothering to suppress his anger. "So let her rest."

"Mr. Black, I would advise you to remove yourself from this situation," Dumbledore said calmly. "It would be a shame for me to take points from Gryffindor before the Sorting Ceremony even begins."

"Because he's agreeing with Madam Pomfrey?" Anneliese cried, the volume hurting her throat so badly that Sirius noticed her wince. "I would rather get some sleep as well."

"Miss Callaway, I know that you're not in the most normal state of mind right now," he soothed in a mildly patronizing tone. "I know that you're feeling a bit unlike yourself-"

"Oh, please don't try to manipulate me like that," Anneliese snapped. "Just say what you're going to say."

Dumbledore looked at Callaway, Black, and Pomfrey all glaring at him.

The healer gave him a very scathing look before slamming the door shut back into her office, muttering things about authority figures overstepping and just wanting to keep her job helping these kids.

Sirius, however, was set on not leaving.

"Mr. Black, please exit the hospital wing," Dumbledore said, still calm. "If not, then I will remove points from your house already."

"I could not care less," Sirius retorted instantly. "Do your worst."

"Well then, Miss Callaway," Dumbledore said, now turning his gaze to her. "Do you really think it would be wise for Mr. Black to know everything that you've been up to this summer?"

Sirius's brow furrowed in confusion.

"I haven't done anything wrong," Anneliese snapped, but her tone was uncertain as she thought of Sirius's warning about 'dark magic.' "There's nothing that you can say in front of me that I wouldn't want him to hear."

Dumbledore paused for a moment, staring so forcefully at Anneliese that it felt like he was looking into her soul.

And that was when Anneliese suddenly felt a very familiar sensation in her mind.

It wasn't particularly painful or unpleasant, just different. The feeling was as if there was a thin, warm feather sliding its way between her thoughts, and the tip of the quill on the other end going in more precisely, trying to find information.

It felt like how she had given up on not feeling around Queenie.

For a split second, the hospital wing vanished around Anneliese. Instead, she was standing in front of the mirror at Ollivander's, looking at the blackened mark on her hip, the result of that wand-

"ARE YOU ACTUALLY TRYING TO READ MY MIND RIGHT NOW?" she shouted, and Sirius's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT THE HELL?"

"Well, it seems that that is something that you would not want Mr. Black to know," Dumbledore said simply. "Would you still like him to stay in here?"

Tears raced down Anneliese's cheeks, her body practically shaking in rage.

"I assure you that my intentions are only the best," Dumbledore said, tone still soft. "I mean no harm to you at all, Miss Callaway-"

"Don't 'Miss Callaway' me right now," Anneliese said, voice choked with a sob as she realized that it was too late, he knew the one thing she wouldn't want Sirius to hear. "Just.. fine. Sirius, you have to go."

"What?" Sirius shouted, standing up furiously as he looked at Dumbledore. "I swear-"

"Sirius," Anneliese repeated more sternly, reaching up to grab his hand. "Go. I'll be fine."

Black's gaze darted between the headmaster and the student, finally letting go of her hand after what felt like minutes, slamming the door as forcefully as possible behind him.

His feet furiously carried him around the corridors, blindly wandering until he finally found James and the others sitting in a clump at a dead end, smoking and talking.

"Woah, what's wrong, Pads? Did Pomfrey kick you out or something?" Peter asked, instantly seeing Sirius's furious expression. "Is A okay-"

"James, give me the cloak right now," Black said, his tone leaving absolutely no room for hesitation and ignoring Pettigrew's questions. "Please."

"Wait, remember what happened last time?" Remus asked as James gave Sirius the cloak. "You heard something you really didn't want to hear."

Black was already gone, no warning in mind.

Meanwhile, Anneliese was too busy wiping the tears from her cheeks to notice the hospital wing door open ever so slightly.

"Let's just start easily," Dumbledore said, folding his hands together patiently as if he hadn't just done what he just did. "Have you been practicing