Sacrifices, Harry Potter Year 5

22. St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

Lilly's POV
I said Ron, "Same to you, Ron." I said to Neville as Harry and Ron was getting ready, "I'll see you soon. I have to go." He nodded, I hugged him pecking his lips and brought Harry and Ron to Professor Dumbledore's office with Professor McGonagall. Harry told Professor Dumbledore how he was the snake attacking Mr. Weasley. I asked Dumbledore, "Do you want me to go get him?" He nodded, I told my other self to go and said, "She's going there now. He's in bad shape, oh Arthur..."
Dumbledore nodded asking, "Minerva, can you wake up the other Weasley children and bring them here?"
She went off and I said, "He should be okay, I'm making sure he's stable while they bring him to St. Mungo's."
He nodded and then he created a Portkey for us. A single feather appeared, which means Umbridge knows we are out of bed.
We were sent to Grimmauld Place. Harry told the story and the Weasley children wanted to go immediately. Sirius said, "No, you're father has already been taken care of! You can't go before his wife even knows because we don't want to attract the fact that Harry is having visions about things happening hundreds of miles away!" Ginny said someone else could have told them and Sirius said, "Like who? Listen you're dad's been hurt whole on duty for the Order and the circumstances are fishy enough without his children knowing seconds after it happened, you could seriously damage the Order's-"
Fred shouted, "We don't care about the dumb Order!"
"It's our dad were taking about!" yelled George.
Sirius yelled angrily, "You're father knew what he was getting into, and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order! This is how it is - this is why you're not in the Order - you don't understand - there are things worth dying for!"
Fred bellowed, "Easy for you to say, stuck here! I don't see you risking your neck!"
I got very angry and yelled, "Enough! Look, I know what it feels like to lose your dad and not know what happens, I know what it feels like to worry, and I know-"
Fred screamed, "No you don't! You don't know how it feels because you never really had a father or a mother!"
Everything went silent. Sirius said, "We have to act as if we don't know anything. We've got to stay put. Can we at least stay put until we hear from your mom?"
They glared at me and Sirius, but agreed. Sirius brought them Butterbeer and they drank it. I hugged my dad whispering, "You do a lot dad, don't listen to them..." I didn't even look at Fred, I noticed Harry kept on feeling bad. I suddenly let go of my dad and my face went slack I was staring at the scene in front of me. Arthur was very, very injured, but alive. I was crying a bit, I felt so bad. Why couldn't it have been me?
Sirius was shaking me and I snapped out of it. He asked, worried, "What did you see?!"
Then, a flame appeared with a single golden feather and a piece of parchment. I gave it to George who read, "Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St. Mungo's now. Stay where you are I will send news as soon as I can. Mum."
He was alive, I said, "Exactly what she wrote is what I saw. He's not dead, but he is going to have to fight a bit." The Weasley children nodded and we waited. I got a fire going and just stared at the flames, I was crying a bit, I have never been so insulted to hear that. I know I never really had a mom and dad, but he didn't have to throw it back in my face...

Mrs. Weasley finally came into the kitchen hours later and she said he was going to be alright. Sirius, Harry, and I got to work making breakfast. She hugged Harry saying, "I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't been for you, Harry. They might not have found Arthur for hours, and then it would have been to late, but thanks to you, he's alive and Dumbledore's been able to think up a good cover story for Arthur being where he was." As I was getting out supplies Mrs. Weasley came to me and hugged me saying, "Thank you for getting him. I really don't know what we would have done if the right people didn't find him."
I nodded smiling solemnly. She continued to thank Sirius for watching her children and he invited them to stay over as long as needed. She said it would have to be over Christmas and Sirius was delighted, Mrs. Weasley smiled and started to put on an apron. I said, "Mrs. Weasley, you shouldn't have to cook, you've had a hard enough night."
She shook her head saying, "It's the least I can do..."
I nodded and Fred came up to me and asked in a worried voice, "Did you retrieve my dad?"
I nodded saying, "As soon as Harry, Ron, and I got to Dumbledore's office and with Dumbledore's permission, I sent another version of me straight to where he was. I was able to keep him stable until more people came. I personally made sure he got to St. Mungo's..."
He started to say, "Lilly, I-"
"Don't, you don't mean it anyway. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go retrieve your trunks from your rooms at Hogwarts, explain to Umbridge why I left the grounds, and try not to be on probation." I pushed past him brushing his shoulder. I walked away and went to Hogwarts. I grabbed, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, and my trunk from their rooms.
I had Ginny, Fred, George, and my trunk floating, following after me, and I saw Neville wake up while I was packing for Harry and Ron. He asked, "What happened?"
I said, "They had to leave Hogwarts early. I just came to get their belongings."
He asked, "Are you okay? You look like you've been crying..."
I nodded saying, "Oh the Weasley children were mad because they weren't allowed to go see their dad when they weren't supposed to know and they got into an argument with Padfoot and I stepped in trying to calm them down only to have it thrown in my face that I never really had a father or mother and don't understand what they are going through..." I was crying by the end and Neville pulled me into a hug and I cried in his chest. I sobbed, "But it's true, I never really had a mum or a dad!"
He grabbed me square on the shoulders, bent to my eye level, and looked me in the eyes saying, "No, Lilly your mom is Elizabeth and your dad is Padfoot. Nothing can change that, you have parents and you know in you're heart that though they didn't raise you, they are in you're heart..."
I kissed him saying, "I'll meet you in a compartment on the official last day. I just have to get past Umbridge first."
He nodded kissing me once more and I brought the trunks to Grimmauld Place. I talked to Umbridge before I left saying I was staying late and I found him there. She trusted me.

I sent a version of me with Neville on the train the next day. I went with him to his gran's house.

Everyone went to St. Mungo's with Moody and Tonks. We saw Arthur and I was meeting with them and Moody said, "The boys seeing things from inside You-Know-Who's snake. Obviously, Potter doesn't realize what that means, but if You-Know-Who's possessing him..." I knew Harry heard that...

Thanks for reading! Vote please! :)
-Lilly :)