Hogwarts: The Enchanted Chalice - BOOK 4 (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

5: Cure for Lycanthropy?

The next morning, at breakfast, everyone was talking about Harry. As soon as he entered, I stood up to talk to him. Before I could I move, however, a letter was dropped in front of me. It had the Ministry of Magic seal on it. Why would the Ministry be writing to me just now? I hadn't attacked anyone and I had another year until I had to fill out any more forms.

I opened it slowly and read it.

Dear Miss Black,
We are writing to inform you that your mother has been found. She is in a critical condition and is at St Mungo's.
You have been given permission to leave school today and go to St Mungo's to see you mother. You will ask at the desk for Mrs Black and a Healer will show you where she is. You have today to see her as we suspect she doesn't have long left.
Hoping you are well,
Cornelius Fudge
Minister of Magic

I jumped up out of my seat and ran to the common room. I changed from my school clothes and pulled on a green jumper with a wolf's head knitted onto it (a gift from Mrs Weasley), a pair of jeans and my black converse hi-tops.

I rolled up my sleeves and ran to Dumbledore's office. I literally shouted the password and jogged on the spot until I could get up the staircase. I ran into the room and Dumbledore was already waiting for me.

'You know what to do,' he said and passed me Floo Powder, 'Good luck!'

I chucked the Floo Powder down in the fireplace then said, 'St Mungo's!'

I arrived in St Mungo's and ran to the front desk. It was surprisingly deserted.

'Mrs Black!' I said, out of breath.

'And you're Molly Black?' asked the lady at the desk.

I nodded and she called a male Healer over. He took me up the stairs and into a room which only had one lady in it. She was pale and had long black hair. Her eyes were a bluey grey colour and she looked frail. It was my mum.

'Maia! You have a visitor. It's your daughter!' said the Healer and my mum, who had been staring at the ceiling, turned to look at me. She beckoned me over.

I slowly walked over to her and the Healer left. I didn't say anything, I merely stared at her, a small frown forming between my eyes. I was unsure of how to react - she'd never cared for me, she'd abandoned me. What do you say to a mother who was never there to support you?

'You look so much like your father,' she said in a hoarse voice, 'Apart from the scars. What happened to you, Molly?'

She was speaking as if she had known me my whole life, not as if she had abandoned me on day one. Rage filled me as I realised. If she hadn't abandoned me, maybe none of the stuff with the Malfoys would have happened. Maybe I wouldn't have moved backwards. Maybe I wouldn't flinch anytime someone reached for me, anytime they raised their voice.

'Nothing,' I said quietly. I wasn't about to tell her what I was. Not after everything she had done to me, all the hurt she had caused me. I wouldn't be weak, I wouldn't give in. I wouldn't crumble at the first second.

'Very well,' she said, 'And, just so you know, I only left because I wasn't ready for a child. I could hardly look after myself.'

She certainly looked as though she couldn't look after herself. Her skin looked fragile, paper thin, and she certainly looked as though she could die any second. I nodded slowly, biting my lip to contain my rage.

'How is school? What house are you?' she asked.

'Gryffindor, and I'm getting on fine,' I replied stiffly.

'What about your godfather? I heard he was at Hogwarts, I trust he is looking out for you as I trusted him to?' she asked and I frowned slightly.

'You mean Remus?' I questioned.

'Lupin?' she gave a short laugh, one filled with malice, 'I'd have chosen anybody else over that half-breed. Your father, unfortunately, insisted. In return, he allowed me to choose your other godfather. Someone I trust much more than that animal.'

'I have another godfather? Who?' I forced myself to ignore the comments about Remus. I didn't care what she thought of him, her opinion meant nothing when I knew how brilliant Remus truly was.

She was about to say something else but then her eyes widened. She began to choke and splutter. She was going purple as she couldn't breathe, I stared in shock before finally reacting. Before realising what was going on.

'HELP! SOMEONE HELP!' I yelled and some Healers burst into the room.

I was pushed out of the room and the Healers began to crowd her bed. The same male Healer sat next to me outside of the room.

'I'm Koda,' he said softly.

'Molly,' I replied, staring at the door.

'I know it's hard. I lost someone to the same thing, but it may not end the same way!' said Koda.

'I hope so,' I said quietly and then another Healer walked out the room.

The Healer shook her head and I froze. That meant that my mum was dead. Koda pulled me into a hug and, even though I had only known him for five minutes, I hugged him back and cried into his shoulder.

'You're Molly Black?' said a gruff voice. I turned to where the voice was coming from and saw three Healers, all tall and very strong, standing in front of me.

I nodded slowly and then one of them took my arm. I flinched, trying to move away, my chest constricting. What did they want with me? Couldn't they leave me alone for one second, I'd just lost my mum. I didn't want to speak to anyone, I just wanted to go home as soon as I could.

'We have found a cure for lycanthropy and decided the youngest should be treated first!' he said but I shook my head.

'No. I know that there will never be a cure and I don't exactly want to be poisoned!' I said and sat back in the chair. Not a chance, I wasn't ready to die.

'Too bad! We have been given permission to test it on whatever werewolf we like and we choose you!' said one of them before he nodded at the others.

The one who had grabbed my arm hauled me up and dragged me away. Koda stood up to help but one of the Healers stopped him, shaking her head and saying something. Koda still seemed to want to come after me but didn't.

I was taken into a room, kicking and screaming, and pinned down to a bed. One of the Healers took out a gigantic needle and advanced on me. My screams grew louder, more frantic. I wasn't able to move so I couldn't stop him. He drove the needle into my arm and everything went black. I couldn't breathe and my heart seemingly stopped beating, or it was at least so faint that it was undetectable, but I could still hear them.

'Dead,' one of them said.

'We're dead if this gets out! What'll Dumbledore do if we have killed one of his students?' another said.

I heard the door bang open and a crack as someone's nose clearly broke.

'No!' yelled a voice. It was Koda.

'We'll contact whoever she lived with,' said a female voice and the door closed again.

'You killed her! You ended an innocent life!' yelled Koda.

'No, we didn't mean to! It was meant to cure lycanthropy!' said one of the men.

'Yeah, well it did!' said Koda, 'BY ENDING HER LIFE!'

'Remus Lupin is on his way here. He is Flooing,' said the female voice again and I heard the men gasp.

'We'll leave!' said one of them and I heard footsteps quickly leaving the room.

Someone, most likely Koda, sat next to the bed I was on. He placed his hand on mine and it felt warm compared to mine. The door burst open again and I heard a cry of anguish, unmistakably Remus'. Koda's hand left mine and Remus yelled, 'WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?'

'Nothing!' said Koda.

I never heard what happened next as my hearing went. Everything went dead. There was no sound whatsoever. It must have happened. I must have died.