Heart of Stone: HPHM Year 6

All in Black

Dumbledore came to speak to the three of them the next morning. Then, so did McGonagall. Then, Snape. Sarah didn't listen to a word of it. She doubted the others took in much, either. Merula just glowered at everything in sight and chucked pillows across the room at random moments, while Ben reverted to the same catatonic state he had after the buried vault. At times, Sarah heard him whispering, "It's my fault...my fault..." 

Sarah wanted to shut him up with a punch to the face, but she was sure if she moved, she'd shatter. 

She only came out of her own stupor when Hagrid arrived. The gamekeeper sat a basket of rock cakes on the end of her bed, his eyes red. "Hullo, Sarah. How are yeh?"

When she merely shrugged, Hagrid wailed like an erumpent and flung himself on the end of her bed. The whole thing pitched forward, sending the rock cakes skidding across the floor. Sarah had to grab hold of the bars on the bed frame to avoid tumbling after them. 

"Hagrid. Hagrid! It's alright!" She had to yell to be heard over his thunderous sobs.

Hagrid managed to pull himself up and pull out his enormous polka-dotted handkerchief. Sarah's bed banged back to the floor, causing her brains to rattle as Hagrid deafened them all with a blow on his handkerchief. 

"I'm so--sorry," he choked. "But it's just so 'orrible. Little Rowan gone! She was so kind, so brave!"

"Calm down, will you?" hissed Merula. "Blimey, its not like you saw her die, like us."

Hagrid patted Sarah's arm, rattling her once more. "I'm so sorry yeh had to see tha', Sarah. No one should have teh."

"It's...it's okay," she said, because she wasn't sure what else to say. She felt new tears falling down her face. 

"Here, I've brought tea," said Hagrid. He began pulling odds and ends from his coat pockets, including a packet of biscuits, a tin of tea bags, and a chipped tea set. Sarah was glad he was looking away from her while he made the tea, so she could get her tears under control. 

After heating the pot with his pink umbrella, he poured four cups. He offered some to Ben and Merula. Ben took his but didn't drink it, while Merula hissed that she didn't care about bloody tea parties at the moment. 

"Dumbledore gave the news to the school this morning," Hagrid sniffed. He removed a flask from a pocket and poured a bit of amber liquid into his tea. "It's been a hard day. Yer friends wanted teh come and see yeh, but Dumbledore told 'em to let yeh rest for a bit."

 Sarah didn't know what to say, but that turned out to be fine, because Hagrid couldn't seem to stop talking. 

"Great man, Dumbledore. 'Course the ministry and the papers and parents have been at 'im since...since it happened, hardly givin' 'im space to grieve. He's cancelled lessons for the day, yeh know. Wanted folks teh have the time they need, wanted teh be around for 'em if they needed 'im." He trumpeted on his handkerchief once more. "Cancelled the whole rest of the term, in fact. No exams or nothin'. Students'll be headed home tomorrow afternoon for Christmas. After...after the funeral."

The doors to hospital wing opened, and a hoard of blurry-eyed students entered. This was the moment Sarah had dreaded and longed for in equal measure since she'd awoken to the day and the reality of what had happened. Seeing her friends again. They were all there--Barnaby and Penny, of course, but also Talbott, Charlie, Andre, Tulip, Tonks, Chiara, Liz, Jae, even Beatrice and the twins. For a moment, they all stared in stunned silence at the circumstances that brought them together like this, everyone uncertain how to act. 

Sarah let out a little sob as she told them, "I'm sorry." 

In a rush like a tidal wave, her friends ran forward. Penny got there first.