My One and Only

Chapter 30 -- Year 3

MAIA STIRRED AT THE SOUD OF VOICES, though their words were muffled and hard to understand.

"...a Confundus Charm, I suspect..."

"...lucky you were there, Snape..."

"...if it were up to me I'd suspend them all..."

"...certainly did behave recklessly..."

Maia pushed past the fog that was resting on her and opened her eyes. It was dark, but even without her sight she could tell she was in the hospital wing. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness and she turned, finding her brother on the bed next to her. He was squinting, his glasses laying abandoned on the table between them. Across from them, Madam Pomfrey was hunched over Ron, who was still unconscious. Next to him laid Hermione, who also had roused herself and was laying stiff as a board. She locked eyes with Maia, then Harry, and pressed a finger to her lips. She motioned towards the door with her head, and Maia suddenly noticed the stream of light filtering in the room. The door was ajar, allowing them to hear snippets of Snape and Fudge's conversation.

"You're awake!" Madam Pomfrey was suddenly before the twins, placing what had to be the biggest block of chocolate Mia had ever seen on her bedside table. She began to break it apart with a small hammer as Harry pushed himself into a seated position and reached for his glasses.

"Is Ron ok?" he asked, while Hermione and Maia also slowly propped themselves upright.

"He's fine." Madam Pomfrey said, her lips pressed tightly together. "As for you three, you'll stay here where I can monitor you until – Miss Potter what in heavens name are you doing?"

Maia had thrown the thin sheets off of her and was stumbling to her feet, her wand clutched in her left hand.

"I have to speak with the headmaster."

"It's alright, dear." Madam Pomfrey said, easing Maia back onto her bed gently. "Black is locked away upstairs. The dementors will be performing the Kiss any moment now—"

"What?"

All three Gryffindors had jumped out of bed in an instant, their shouts drawing the Minister and Snape into the room.

"What's going on?" Fudge looked between the students, startled and turned to Madam Pomfrey. "Have they had any chocolate yet?"

"Minister, please!" Harry interjected quickly. "Sirius Black is innocent! You can't let the dementors take his soul! Peter Pettigrew is the one who should be locked away up there! He fakes his own death! We saw him tonight!"

To the twins' and Hermione's horror, Fudge smiled, and shook his head.

"Harry, my boy, you're confused. You've been through a very traumatic experience, so it's only to be expected. Now, lie down and let us handle everything."

"But you've got the wrong man!" Maia cried, desperation closing around her chest with a vice like grip.

"Please, Minister, you have to listen." Hermione said. "I saw him too. Peter Pettigrew, I mean. He's an animagus and had been posing as Ron's rat all these years. And—"

"You see, Minister?" Snape interrupted. "It's as I suspected. They've all been Confunded."

"We have not!" Maia cried, her hair a dark red mane as she rounded on Snape. A faint glow surrounded her, lighting up the space where she stood. "You're a rotten liar, and you know it! Letting your hatred over a childhood rivalry control you and get an innocent man killed! Have you no shame?"

"Minister! Professor!" Madam Pomfrey maneuvered her way between the fuming girl and the older men, who were staring wide eyed as the glowing seemed to intensify. Even Madam Pomfrey casted a nervous look over her shoulder at the young girl, before turning back to the men and squaring her shoulders. "You are upsetting my patients, which is something I cannot allow. Please leave, at once."