The summer was getting very hot and I was checking the final notices for the coming school year, with the help from Albus, in my cool Office.
Suddenly Poppy came rushing through the door and squeaked, 'Victoria is awake, Minerva!'
I quickly put down all I was doing and followed Poppy, running to the Hospital Wing. She was efficient enough to tell Pomona at the same time and we three pushed the big Hospital Wing door.
Victoria had been discovered, lying nearly dead, near the Astronomy Tower at eight thirty that night by Nearly Headless Nick. She wasn't petrified, nor being murdered, attacked or poisoned. I shouldn't have let her go by herself. She was too dangerous — and in danger. She could have killed herself.
Since the students would not be arriving before tomorrow morning, Victoria was apparently the only patient at the Wing.
She was sitting there with a pair of confused blue eyes, a stick-like thin body, her hands on her forehead.
'Sweetheart,' Poppy said fondly, with sympathy, 'would you like to sleep for a little while longer or to get up?'
'Er... er... ' she was clearly needing some rest. Then her shocked eyes saw me and continued, 'I will just talk.'
'Then you will have to drink this —' Poppy took out a bottle of shocking pink medicine — 'it will be a bit painful, but it will help your bones recover.'
'Thank... thank you.' Victoria said in difficulty. She drank the potion obediently and stared at me in confusion and tiredness. 'Hello, granny.'
'Good morning, Victoria.'
'Umm... What is the date today?'
Poor child. 'It's 31 August.'
'Wow, god... Wait — does this mean I had been, er, sleeping for two months. '
I nodded. Her jaw dropped for a while and it was silence.
'Victoria, I have something to discuss with you,' I said. She slowly nodded and I continued, 'firstly, please forgive me that I could only call you Miss Leighton in the school year.' She hesitated and then nodded silently. 'Okay. Secondly, would you like to stay and live in the Headmistress's Office or in the common room of your House?' She nodded, clearly not listening to what I had said.
'Erm... ' she combed her hair carelessly. 'in the common room.'
'Okay. The last thing and you can have some sleep. Do you have anything to tell me.'
Victoria suddenly turned her head to me, her mouth still opened; but she replied nothing. 'It's okay, Victoria. Please tell me. Anything. Have you ever made any connection with anything like serpents?'
She looked at me still in confusion. Finally she said, 'I have never seen a snake-like animal as long as I remember.' I sighed. Then what did she do, letting the Dark power in?
'Sorry,' she coughed hard,' please Professor, can you get the nurse? My neck hurts. Seriously.' Pomona nodded, went immediately and fetch Poppy.
'Please lay down to a comfortable position, dear Victoria. Madame Pomfrey will come in a minute.' Poor child. She moved in pain and finally set in the bed. I had never seen her that tired. Poppy came and told us to leave the Hospital Wing and let Victoria rest.
Pomona asked me in our walk around the castle to our offices, 'do you think Victoria will be alright tomorrow night?'
'I hope so,' I replied. After that accident on Victoria, she must have something in her innermost heart. I couldn't force her to tell her secrets, but... Would the Sorting Hat prove to me if my guess was right? I hoped that my guessing this time was not as accurate as Albus's.
