A Potter Secret

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Isabella's eyes flutter open to the dark hall of the hospital wing. Looking around, she notes Cedric sleeping in a bed nearby with his parents on either side of him. On her other side, Severus sits with his head resting on the bed. "Papa?" Isabella whispers. She squeezes his hand and calls out again, this time a little louder. "Papa?"

Severus jolts slightly and looks up. There are bags under his eyes. "Isabella!" he smiles. He sits up and moves the hair from her face. "Isabella, you're awake. How do you feel?"

"My head hurts, Papa," Isabella mumbles, reaching up and running her hand over the bandage.

"You were hit with a Bludger," Severus reminds. "Remember?"

Isabella nods. "Ced, is he-"

"He's fine," Severus assures. "You've been out for two days. He's been worried about you so he's stayed here. I'll go get Madam Pomfrey." Severus kisses her forehead before stepping towards the office. Isabella peers around again before trying to find her wand. Severus walks in a moment later. "Isabella, what are you doing?"

"Where's my wand?" Isabella asks. "I- I thought I had my wand."

Severus helps her lie back down. "Isabella, you were on the pitch. You asked me to hold your wand for you while you went out to play like always." He pulls the wand out of his pocket and wraps her fingers around it. "I've kept it with me."

Isabella thinks for a moment before nodding. "Right, I remember now."

Madam Pomfrey sits beside Isabella and runs a few scans over her. "It's alright to feel confused or forgetful, Isabella. You took a nasty hit to your head." Poppy looks through the results and nods. "You'll have a headache for a few days but I don't want to use anymore spells because too much magic used on you while your still so young could damage your magical core. If you need, you can use a pain-reducing potion but I ask you come to me or Severus before so that we can supervise your reaction."

Isabella nods, yawning. "Thank you Madam Pomfrey."

"Don't be surprised if you find you're more tired right now," Madam Pomfrey explains. "It's an effect of the concussion you have. I'm assigning you bed rest for the rest of the week at least. If you need to get up, call for your Papa."

Isabella nods. Severus tucks the blankets around her. "Sleep, Isabella. It'll help you feel better."

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The next morning, Isabella wakes up to find Cedric sitting beside her, holding her hand. "Good morning," Isabella yawns.

Cedric jumps and smiles when he sees Isabella looking up at him. "Isabella, you're okay!" He leans down and pulls Isabella into a hug. "I was scared you weren't gonna wake up. You were asleep for so long!"

Isabella chuckles. "I'm gonna be fine. Don't worry. My concussion will clear up soon."

"When Madam Pomfrey said she wouldn't use anymore magic on you, I was scared that your core was shutting down," Cedric whispers. "I didn't know what to think."

Isabella hugs him tightly, resting her head against his shoulder. "I'm okay. They were just worried about my magical core because of my age. They didn't want to risk it." Cedric looks her over and she smiles. "I promise, I'll be fine in a couple days. How about you? You were almost hit with the Bludger too."

"I'm perfectly fine," Cedric assures. "Your barrel roll kept me from being hit."

Severus steps in and smiles. "Isabella, you're awake!" Severus notes. He sets some food on the table and wheel it over her lap. "You're going to need your strength so you can get better. I've got some of your favorites."

Isabella smiles and looks it over. "It looks great."

"Don't feel you need to eat every last bite. Nausea is a symptom of a concussion. Eat what you can, alright?" Severus checks. Isabella nods and digs in, sharing with Cedric as she goes.

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"Papa!" Isabella calls. "Can we go visit Uncle Sirius soon?"

Severus looks towards Isabella. She's sitting by the fire under a blanket. "Why do you wish to see him?" Severus inquires.

"I miss him. It's been a while since we saw him. He must be so lonely," Isabella mumbles.

"Perhaps," Severus relents. "I'll try to get us there later this week. But I can't make any promises. Especially while you still have a concussion."

Isabella nods. "I understand, Papa."

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After discussing with Albus, it was decided that Dumbledore would take Isabella to Azkaban to visit. Leaving her wand with Severus, they leave for the prison.

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"One hour," the guard reminds. "Just a tip, stay away from the bars. He's gone a little loopy."

Dumbledore nods and walks through, leading Isabella as Severus into the room. As the doors close, Isabella changes into her kitten form and rushes through the bars. Once she's through, she turns back and goes to Sirius. "Uncle Sirius!" Isabella cheers. "Uncle Sirius!" Sirius barely moves as Isabella throws herself at him and hugs him tightly. "Uncle Sirius, are you alright?" Again, he barely moves. Isabella sits up and looks him over, noticing how thin he looks and how tired he appears. On the other side of the cell is a cup, bone dry. She grabs the cup and tray, bringing them over. "Aguamenti," Isabella casts into the cup. It slowly fills with water. Gently pressing it to Sirius' lips, she drips some into his open mouth. After a few moments, Sirius turns his head away. "Uncle Sirius, are you alright?"

She gently helps him sit up against the wall. "I- Isabella?" Sirius breaths. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"We came to visit," Isabella replies. "Are you alright?"

Sirius nods. "Better. I guess I just needed some water," Sirius rasps. "It's been a while."

"I know," Isabella replies. "I wanted to see you and catch up. Harry's gonna be starting at Hogwarts this year."

"Don't tell him about me," Sirius insists. "He'll have enough on his plate, he doesn't need me adding to it. When he's older, perhaps."

Isabella nods. "I met Remus," Isabella smiles. "He's really nice. I haven't seen him since Christmas but we owl a lot." Sirius smiles and pulls Isabella into his side. "I passed all my N.E.W.T.'s, too. I got a perfect score on all of them!'

"That's amazing, Isabella," Sirius smiles. "I'm so proud of you. You're going to have such an amazing life; you have so many options open. So, what do you plan to do until you're able to get a job?"

"I'm working on becoming a master of all areas. I'm already a potion's master. I was about to take my flying test to earn a masters' there," Isabella explains. "I figured I would try to get as many mastery's as I can so when I'm able to find a job, I'll be well qualified."

"Good plan," Sirius notes. "Especially with your circumstances. You could be the youngest and most qualified person to every apply for anything."

Isabella laughs and hugs Sirius tighter. They spend the hour talking and hugging, trying to bring Sirius into her life. His smile grew as they spoke. Alas, all good things must come to an end and Dumbledore and Isabella were sent home.

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