Defend

You'll Wish You Were Still Lying Unconscious In Umbridge's Office

Heaven sure does have some soft sheets. I pull them to my chin.

And then realisation hits me like the Knight Bus.

Sirius.

The prophecy.

Ginny.

Voldemort.

Harry.

I shoot up in bed. "Harry! Ginny! Luna! Hermione! Neville! Ron! Where is everybody?!"

"Yes?"

"Eliza, I'm fine."

"Hello Eliza."

"We're here."

"Yeah?"

"What?"

"You lot are here!"

I spin around in my bed, realising where I am.

I'm in the hospital wing. I haven't been here since seeing Ginny in first year.

"You were the last to wake up," Ginny says, sitting up in the bed beside me. Ron is in the bed on the other side of me, and Harry, Neville, Hermione, and Luna are sitting in chairs around us.

"Why? I never got hit."

"Yes you did. Bellatrix hit you with Cruico and then later with Stupefy."

"Well, that explains why I'm sore. Doesn't explain why my wrist hurts though."

"You're lucky to be alive. A Death Eater tried to hit your body with the killing curse but Harry disarmed them. The desk they threw Luna at collapsed on top of you with the blast. I tried to move it but Bellatrix came after me," Neville says.

"Blimey. Thank you, Neville."

"Least I can do since you stopped Bellatrix from using Cruico on me."

I smooth the bed sheet over my lap. "Well. Yeah. I'll stand around while I get hurt but I'm not going to allow people to attack my friends." My words sink into the room like a towel absorbs water.

"Um," I swallow. I have a bad feeling about this. "Sirius?"

"He fell through the curtain."

Harry's words hit me like a brick and my body stiffens. Oh no. He died. I can't believe it, after all we went through.

"I'm so sorry." I whisper.

"It's not your fault," Harry replies.

I curl my knees up and hug them. I feel so bad. Harry had no family. Sirius was his one last real family. I can't imagine how I'd feel if my parents died. My brother was bad enough.

I guess you never realise how much you love something until it's gone.

I slide out of the bed and stand up on unsteady legs. Luna grabs my arm for support.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asks, concern etched onto her face.

"I'm going to deal with Draco. I love him, but I'm not staying with someone who stabs my back."

Ginny smiles and smooths her sheet.

I shoot her a look. "What?"

"I just can't wait for Draco to get served. You fight hard. I'm not going to say I told you, because I didn't, I mean you do you. But I will say he doesn't deserve you."

I let go of Luna's arm, finally ready to stand without support. "Sure."

"Hurry. Madame Pomfrey will be back soon, and she'll kill us if you're not here." Neville says.