Rescuing Dragons

Chit

 Raven rushed to her precious bird.

"What's wrong?" Dilly said, waking up from the commotion.

"Chit!" Raven carefully cradled the bird in her hands and listened. She could barely hear her breathing. After lightly touching Chit's head to hers she heard, bad water. Laying her gently on the bed, she rushed to Chit's water bowl and murmured a spell. The water began to glow a pale purple color — Aconite! Repressing the urge to panic, she went to her small chest of emergency potion ingredients. There it is! Activated charcoal. Some powder in the jar was quickly combined with water she conjured from her wand.

Holding Chit in her left hand, tilting her head up with her finger, she used an eye dropper to carefully drop the liquid into her beak. The bird was still breathing but just barely. What should she do? Charlie's an animal healer! After sending a Patronus to him, she made a nest out of one of her softest scarves and lay Chit inside. Then she held her up to her face whispering words of comfort.

"What can I do?" Dilly cried, wringing her hands.

"Go ask the house-elves if they know something that helps a bird that's been poisoned!" Dilly ran out of the room.

Raven quickly threw on a robe and went next door to her office to wait for Charlie. As she sat, hunched over her tiny bird, she listened closely to Chit's breathing. Should she contact Madam Pomfrey? Professor McGonagall's words came back to her, "I would bet a barrel of Every Flavour Beans she's been cursed by this music box." No, it was too big a risk. Whoever poisoned Chit was probably controlling Madame Pomfrey.

Charlie rushed into her office. He looked grave as he examined Chit. "Have you given her anything?"

"I gave her some activated charcoal."

He nodded, grabbed his medical kit and began to look for something. "Here it is." He took out a small bottle of pure white liquid.

"What is it?" Raven said.

"Magnesium sulfate. Helps restore a natural heart rhythm." He put a few drops into Chit's beak while Raven held her head back.

Dilly rushed back into the room. "Dedee says steam with crushed ajwain helps breathing." The elf was carrying a small copper cauldron that had copious amounts of steam billowing out of it that smelled a little like thyme. The cauldron was the latest invention of Gaspard Shingleton. He put a charm on it that kept continual heat inside. Raven held Chit near the steam, hoping everything they'd done would be enough.

After a couple minutes, Raven gently touched Chit to her head and thought, any better? She could barely hear Chit's reply, fading. She handed her to Dilly. "There's one more thing we can try." She ran to her top shelf where she kept the potions she was experimenting with then froze in her tracks, Is this sensible? Could it make her worse?

Dilly spoke up softly, "Her breathing is less and less."

Raven had to try. She grabbed a small bottle and put one drop of the potion down Chit's throat. The effect was immediate. Steam began coming out of Chit's ears and even her beak. A few seconds later, she lifted her head and struggled to stand up but was too weak. Tears ran down Raven's cheeks as she watched her tiny bird seem to come back to life. "How do you feel, Chit?" Raven placed the bird's head next to her own. Her thoughts were much stronger, better... thirsty.

After conjuring more water into a cup, Raven held it up to her, but the tiny crow was still too weak to drink it by herself. Raven used the eye dropper until Chit let her know it was enough by closing her beak. Raven touched her head to Chit's and heard her think, sleep now. She tried to tuck her head under her wing but it was too much effort and simply put her head down and closed her eyes. They all watched Chit sleep for a few minutes. Her breathing was steady.