Sophie Pendragon, Year One | Half-Vampire At Hogwarts

Chapter Twenty Seven: Love

          I woke up to someone stroking my hand and the familiar scent of home calmed me. Dad was here and he was stroking my hand softly. It was almost dawn and he noticed I was awake. He was worried and disturbed.

          "Sophie, it's ok. I'm not upset with you. You did the right thing to summon me," he said calmly as I sat up.

          I hugged him tightly, "I was so frightened! Dad, I'm so sorry!"

         He held me on his lap like I was a little girl again and rocked me, "I'm here, Starlight. Everything is alright now. I am so proud of you. You were so brave."

          My stomach growled painfully and dad gave me more tablets. I didn't know what happened and tried to explain it to him. He was upset that I kept so many secrets from him, but he understood the sudden impulse of what happened tonight. Unfortunately, he had to return to our home but he surprised me with plans for the summer.

          "This summer, you will be spending it with the Weasley family. I'm afraid things are not safe for you at home. I'm sorry, Starlight. However, there will be a formal event held with officials from the Ministry of Magic. We were asked to attend by Minister Fudge. It won't be until August," he said and brushed my hair.

          I struggled to take it all in, "I-I can't go home? Why the Weasley family? A formal event? Why did the Minister ask for us to attend?"

          He stopped brushing my hair and pulled on a few strands, "Sophie, you used your true form? Your hair turns black when you do that. There's a strand here. You must have been so scared, I'm sorry."

          I ignored him, changing the topic, "Dad, why can't I go home with you?"

          He sighed and braided my hair, "Jenkins's followers have been coming around. The ones left alive are sent to Azkaban. Minister Fudge is holding a celebration in my honor in hopes of peace between vampires and the magic world. Not to mention the success of the blood tablets."

          "Why the Weasley family?" I asked.

          "Well," he said, a mischievous smile creeping on his face, "I received word of a bloodthirsty monster wreaking havoc in London. To my surprise, some wizard had hexed a rubber duck in a toy shop. A ministry official came and assisted me to tame it. His name was Arthur Weasley. As I recall, his youngest son is the one you claimed to have an incident with."

          I sheepishly played with my braid, "So, I'm assuming they don't know either story?"

          He laughed, "Yes. I already paid him in advance for housing you this summer and he will be attending the formal event in August."

          "Thank you, Dad. You better leave soon. The clock tower is painfully loud and it's nearly sunrise," I said as I looked out the window.

          He kissed my forehead, "Thank you, Starlight. I love you."

          "I love you too, Dad," I said and hugged him before he left the infirmary.

          As he was leaving, I saw Harry on an infirmary bed. I got up from my bed and noticed I was in a change of new robes. I sat next to Harry's bed and his glasses were on an empty table beside him. His face had cuts on it and he was in a deep sleep. I held his hand and rested my head on my arm on his bed until I fell asleep again.

          In the later morning, I woke up to Harry squeezing my hand. I sat up and saw him smiling at me. I smiled at him and went to hand him his glasses but now the table was full of gifts and cards for the both of us.

          "How are you?" I asked and gave him his glasses.

          He put them on and was surprised to see our table, "Urm, brilliant. How are you? Why are you here?"

          "I was going to ask you. A ghost passed through me in the troll room. It scared me," I said sheepishly and looked through the cards addressed to me.

          "It wasn't Snape. It was Quirrell. Voldemort was on his head. They were the ones in the Dark Forest. Quirrell was hiding Voldemort on the back of his head with the turban," Harry explained anxiously.

          I held his hand again, "Harry, calm down. We're ok now. You must've been so brave to fight Voldemort."

          He blushed and squeezed my hand, "You, too. In the forest, and during my first Quidditch match. That was Quirrell jinxing the broom."

          Headmaster Dumbledore walked in before I could say anything, "Ah. I thought I heard your voices. These are gifts from your admirers. Naturally, the whole school has already found out."

          "Sir, what happened, exactly?" I asked.

          "You have helped stop Voldemort from returning and the stone was destroyed. Nicolas Flamel has already made enough Elixir to keep his affairs in order. I'm afraid Professor Quirrell was left to die," he said calmly.

          "Sir, how was I able to get the stone?" Harry asked.

          "You looked into the Mirror of Erised and wanted the stone, but not for yourself. Something in your skin is the reason why Professor Quirrell was afraid to touch you. It is love. Given to you by your mother when she sacrificed herself to save you the night you defeated Voldemort," he explained.

            I squeezed Harry's hand, "He's going to try to come back, isn't he?"

          Professor Dumbledore gave me a specific card, "I'm sure that if he does, you will already have the courage to fight him again."

          I looked at the card he gave me and it was from Draco. I turned pink as the headmaster personally talked to Harry. In the card, Draco expressed his concern and that he wants me to get well soon. He also left his address for me to write to him over summer. My stomach felt like it had butterflies in it and I put the card away with the others I had. Afterwards, Harry and I got ready for the end of term feast.