In the Shadow of Seventh year

Chapter 42: Loss and Loneliness

*Warning: This is a very heavy, emotional chapter about grief, so please make sure you're in the right headspace before continuing on.

Poppy was rolling Ominis' wand in her fingers.
It was late in the evening on Friday night, nearly two weeks after the battle. She had held onto his wand like it was a life line every day while she sat by his bedside. He hadn't woken up once since those few seconds after Garreth revived him.
Although Nurse Blainey told her with semi-confidence that he was stable, the matron didn't have an estimate for how long it would take to wake up.
The nurse had pleaded multiple times with Headmaster Black to send you and Ominis to St. Mungo's as she knew for certain they would be able to do more for the two of you, but he didn't budge at all.

There was currently an investigation going on by the Ministry, looking into Headmaster Black, since the teachers all wrote letters to explain -maybe obscuring some facts to keep you, the others and Ancient Magic out of it- how the poachers had been able to get into Hogwarts and the way they would've endangered the whole school if it weren't for them fighting them.
Since the Aurors that showed up also provided their story -also not saying a word about the students present during the fight per Officer Singer's orders- the Black family's connections could not keep the Ministry from investigating the Headmaster.
Poppy suspected that they were afraid that the Daily Prophet would get wind of it. The newspaper would for sure publish about it if they did, which would lead to a lot of angry parents demanding explanations.
All in all it just proved how corrupted politics were. The fact that the Ministry could be bribed if only you got some good connections was already despicable, but the way they finally began an investigation towards the Headmaster only when their reputation was at stake, disgusted Poppy.

While the investigation was going, which was going so quietly not even the rest of the student body knew about it, Black still performed his 'duties' as Headmaster.
Sadly, that meant that he got his way with not sending you nor Ominis to St. Mungo's.
Nurse Blainey eventually contacted St. Mungo's herself, but even they told her that as long as there were no changes for the worst, it wouldn't do much good to send them there.

Poppy knew that if you or Ominis would have a family -or one that cared- things would've gone differently from the start as the Headmaster would've been forced by them to send the both of you to the Healers.
As it was, you didn't have any legal guardians and Ominis' father didn't want anything to do with him. Not to mention Kaelia Gaunt had been brought to Azkaban where she had received the Dementor's kiss three days ago.
One day later Poppy received the news that her mother had been given the same fate, but that her father would waste the rest of his life away in the heavily guarded prison.

Though the Hufflepuff had deep down still cared for her parents at some point, that had died the night they tortured her.
She didn't feel anything when she read the letter that had been addressed to her, except maybe some relief, because now she was certain they could never harm her or her loved ones again.

If only Gran was still here.

Alyssa Sweeting had been given a proper burial in her favorite woods near Bainburgh. Poppy had made sure she was buried in the place where she'd taken her many times for a picnic, right underneath a big oak tree.
Her Gran had always been drawn to that spot, saying it had 'good energy' and it was a nice place to observe any Beast or animal that would come by.

Never in her life had Poppy cried as much as she did during the funeral. The worst part was that neither you nor Ominis was there.
Honestly, because her Gran had been old (though she should've had many years to come still) Poppy had thought about it before, that one day she had to say goodbye.
Never would she have ever imagined that day would come so soon, let alone that she wouldn't have her best friend by her side, muttering comforting words to her while holding onto her hand.
Never would she have imagined Ominis not being with her, holding her in his arms, stroking her hair lovingly as he would let her cry into his shoulder.