New Romantics | Hermione Granger Book IV

|90| Chapter Ninety

 N I N E T Y 

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When Saffron woke up, she gathered that she hadn't been asleep for too long. The tears under her eyelids were still fresh and the room wasn't too dark meaning the hospital wasn't closed off for the night. For some reason, she was certain that she had been woken up by the Grey for a reason. She opened her eyes and saw that Sage was still beside her but Amanda was gone. What was present though was Professor McGonagall having a shouting match with a man outside of the hospital wing. Saffron looked up to see Sage pouting furiously at the fact that such a scene was taking place outside of the hospital wing after such a tragic event had taken place. But she remained seated next to Saffron. It would take a lot for her to move away from her.

Saffron could tell Sage didn't sense that she was awake so she shut her eyes again to listen as she knew that the best way to get a clear answer about what had happened to her older sister that led to her untimely death was to listen and not to speak. As speaking was way too hard for her. She wasn't sure she would be able to get one more word out without breaking down completely. But she could listen and remain in a sound state, or so she thought. Regardless, with eyes closed and ears opened and listened as Professor McGonagall burst through into the hospital wing.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded as he made his way into the hospital wing. Saffron had a feeling that the other voice she heard was his.

"I do not know but he is not here," retorted Amanda with a shrill voice. "Now, if you will, I have patients to attend to--"

"What has happened?" The voice of Dumbledore emerged and he had a commanding presence over the wing as Amanda stopped talking immediately. Saffron could hear Sage get up from her seat next to her. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you - I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch -"

"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" McGonagall roared. "The Minister has seen to that!"

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," said the cold voice of Professor Snape. "He seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch -"

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall interjected. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but -"

"My dear woman!" yelled Fudge angrily, "as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous -"

"The moment that - that thing entered the room," McGonagall screamed over him. "it swooped down on Crouch and - and -"

Saffron then realised who they were talking about. What did Barty Crouch have to do with anything? She then panicked. They didn't know. In her panic, she hadn't informed them that Professor Moody was the one controlling her. She hadn't told them that Olly was still under his influence. The last thing she wanted was another death so with all her mite she called out to Sage.

"Sage!" Saffron barked and to her relief the woman heard her and leaned in to listen to her. She didn't say anything as she still didn't have the words to make anything any better. "Professor Moody, he was the one who did this to me. It was him and your... your friend. And it's not just me, it's Olly--"

"Professor Moody is not who you think he is," Sage whispered to Saffron in a kind, soft voice. "He's Barty Crouch Junior, he's been alive this whole time, turns out Shaina isn't the only one to---" She stopped in her tracks as she realised this was not the time or the place. "He used polyjuice potion to pretend to be Moody. As for Olly, we figured after you mentioned that he warned you that he was also under the imperius curse but it's okay. Madam Pomfrey is attending to him at the moment,"