𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀, harry potter

ninety

90 || the miracle

The surroundings around Adelaide Black were dark. She was still in the attic, but something was different. She could see the moon and the stars through the fallen down roof. Meaning she was back. Back in the world of consciousness and breathing. The spell had worked. 

But then something struck her, a pain in her abdomen. Apparently, coming back from the dead doesn't heal you, something Dorcas either hadn't mentioned or didn't know. Blood was now seeping out, slower than before, but definitely there. It stained through the fabric of James' jumper, and caused a swell of pain so harsh Adelaide didn't think she could move again.

She didn't have her wand, she didn't have a telephone, there was no way of contacting anyone from the Order. All that she could do was lie on her back, looking up at the stars. Sure, she knew the way from the Potter Manor to home, by car that Marlene drove. Unless she wanted to walk the whole way, which she obviously wouldn't be able to do, there was no options.

"Fuck you, dumb spell," Adelaide muttered, "Could you not have dropped me off at a fucking hospital."

Adelaide then realised; every wizarding house had a floo system. All she needed to do was get downstairs to the fireplace, which she recalled from when she was previously in the Potter manor was down three flights of stairs that were steep and winding.

"Nope, you can do this," Adelaide groaned as she stood up, "Just walk and if I fall, it's okay, because I'll just die again. Already been through it once. Dorcas, you can bring me back again, right?"

The first flight of stairs was narrow and steep, going straight down to the second floor of the house. She could take a break after, sit down and get her breath back. One step. Pause. Two steps. Pause. Adelaide was slowly, like very slowly, but surely, getting down these stairs, "Could we not have done it in the kitchen, Dorcas? Then I wouldn't have to die."

All eyes turned to Dorcas, "Alright, stop staring at me like that. I haven't had fun in years, and the attic is like the most cliché movie setting for a spell to happen in."

Finally, after, no joke, thirty minutes, Adelaide made it down to the ground floor, breathing heavily with blotches of black appearing in her eyesight, she let out an unenthusiastic 'whoo' and came to the fireplace. It seemed most of the furniture was still intact, and James had told her how to find the floo powder, in a drawer next to the sofa. And when she looked inside, there it was. A small wooden box, with powder in it.

"Thank you, Merlin, for making at least one thing go right today," Adelaide said and grabbed a handful, almost stumbling over her own feet as she stepped into the fireplace, "McKinnon Manor." Green flames engulfed her, taking her from the run-down house, to a more pristine one.

Adelaide fell out of the fireplace, falling onto the rug that she ever so loved in this moment, "Reg?" She spluttered, grabbing her stomach in pain, "Sirius?" There was no reply, "Anyone?"

Adelaide let her head hit the floor, "Fuck you, Merlin."

Regulus finally decided to return home, back to where his memories were kept. He didn't know what he was going to do with the Manor, Marlene had left it to Adelaide and Adelaide obviously hadn't left it to anyone. He didn't want to sell it, but Regulus also couldn't stay there.

Sirius had declined the invite, well he didn't actually, the man just never responded to Regulus when asked, he supposed his brother felt guilty. Outliving his daughter, it shouldn't happen to anyone, and yet it did.

When Regulus entered the house, he felt something different, he didn't know what it was, maybe just the loneliness seeping into him. Immediately, the man went to the kitchen, pouring himself a large glass of whiskey and grabbing a slice of ham from the fridge. Health wasn't his top priority at this point.

But when he entered the living room to sit down, he dropped everything in his hands, "Oh my fucking hell," He exclaimed, "Adelaide?" Regulus ran over, bending down and checking for a pulse, there was one thank God, but then he noticed the change, she was bleeding, but she was wearing a completely different outfit than when she had died. The school uniform and hoodie had been thrown in the bin when they arrived at St Mungos, then she was suddenly wearing jeans and a sweatshirt.

Regulus pushed that thought aside, picking her up and going to the floo where he went straight to the hospital, "Help! I need some help, please!"

A healer came running, then stopped, "Is that-"

"Just do something!"

"Alright, bring her through quickly," He said, guiding Regulus through a hallway and into one of the rooms, "I thought she was downstairs."

"I don't know," Regulus muttered, "But she's alive, so do something to stop the bleeding."

More healers came in, one of them escorting Regulus through to the waiting area, "Is there someone you want us to contact?"

He shook his head, "No. I'll be back in ten," Regulus left St Mungos, going directly to Grimmauld Place where Sirius was sat in the same spot, "Sirius. Snap out of your daze and listen. Adelaide is alive, I don't know how but she is. She's at the hospital now receiving treatment, you need to wake up and come with me."

Sirius immediately snapped out of it, "Are you having me on?"

"I wouldn't joke about this," Regulus stated, throwing his brother some shoes, "Now quickly, I'll send a message to the Order." Sirius would have been the hardest to convince, he was in a daze, and he wouldn't respond to a letter or patronus, the rest of the Order was easy to get contact with and by the end of the hour, they were all sat in the waiting room.

"Good evening," A healer announced, "You'll be happy to know that we managed to stop the bleeding," She said, "Although there has been strenuous activity on the tissue and muscles, they have been stretched and torn. Miss Black will be given potions for repair, however, at this time, it is unknown when she will wake up."

Cassiopeia sighed, she still didn't have Lucas back and now she could lose her niece, just after recovering from a coma herself.

"Miss Black is allowed visitors now, but two at a time. From tomorrow, we will enforce visiting times of between five pm and seven pm," The healer left, and Regulus and Sirius were the first to stand up.

It was a better sight than before, they could see the rise and fall of Adelaide's chest rather than the cold, pale skin that they had previously seen.

"Where did you find her?" Sirius asked.

"At Marls' place," Regulus said, "She must have flooed over, but she was unconscious when I got there, I don't know how long it had been."

Sirius looked at the chair, then frowned, "Is that yours?"

Regulus moved his eyes to what Sirius was pointing at, the grey and black sweatshirt that she had come in. One of the healers must have performed a cleaning charm on it, because it was free of blood, "No. She was wearing it when I found her."

"I got that for James, in the Christmas of fifth year," He said, picking it up, "No one touched his things at the manor after he left."

"You don't think?"

"I don't know what to think," Sirius said, "She shouldn't be here, breathing. We already said goodbye, she was dead."

"And thank Salazar she isn't," Regulus snapped, "Look, this past week. You haven't been you, and nor have I. This is a good thing. When Adelaide wakes up, and she will, it may take time to heal, it may be painful, but she will be here. With us."

Sirius nodded, "I know. Okay? I just wish she didn't have to go through this. And losing Theo? I lost my best friend, and it killed me."

"When are we going to tell Harry?"

"We'll wait," Sirius said, "Let him finish the school year, and when it's over he can come and visit. There's no point putting him through pain again if we don't know when Adelaide's going to wake up."