Accio Evans

Chapter 46: Exits

Recap: Professor Bensheath, the defence against the dark arts professor suggests duelling to help build their skills or the NEWT exam which is not too far off. Several duels go off without a hitch, but during a simultaneous duel between Mulciber against Sirius, and Avery against Benjy Fenwick, Benjy is injured by Mulciber with an unknown hex that renders him blind. This is the second attack on the Ravenclaw; he was attacked by Avery, Mulciber and Regulus Black a few days before which left his with a nasty scar across his hairline. Benjy is carted off to 's for treatment due to the severity of his injuries and Sirius is treated for a large slash along his arm. Mulciber is hauled to Professor Dumbledore's office where he is told he needs to leave the school and is suspended, but he decides to leave, citing he has bigger and better things waiting for him, Dumbledore urges him not to follow that path but the 7th year just laughs and leaves. Sirius discharges himself from the hospital wing and wanders the corridors of the school, running into Mulciber as he leaves. They duel and Sirius is hit with a spell that splits his skin and renders him clinging to life. Frank, having been excused from class, finds Sirius in the nick of time and calls for help, but would it come?

"I just can't get them to heal." The Matron informed the Headmaster in hushed tones "as soon as I seal them, they reopen." Her voice tinged with worry. Albus Dumbledore nodded; indeed this was a most alarming and mysterious case – alerted by Frank Longbottom's shouts, the Headmaster himself, along Professors Flitwick and Sprout, found a barely alive Sirius Black lain on the corridor floor soaked in his own blood and barley breathing. With help from Frank himself, the teachers managed to stretcher the unconscious student towards the Hospital Wing for immediate medical attention.

Madame Pomfrey had never seen so much blood in all her years as a school Matron... desperately trying to stem the bleeding, she called for help from the Professors who helped administer pain relief potions and attempt to seal the wounds. She had done the best she could, but the lacerations however, did not seem to heal or knit together, it seemed they were destined to reopen only a few minutes after sealing. And as if to demonstrate her point, blood began to soak through the bandages on the bottom of Sirius' torso before the Headmaster could even form a reply to her comment. Forgetting her conversation with the Headmaster, the Matron set back to work, trying with all her might and magical knowledge to heal Mr Black.

James and Lily were informed of the incident after their last class of the day, Potions, by Professor Flitwick, who cornered them on their way back to Gryffindor tower and ushered the Head Students into his office. Sirius' absence in their afternoon classes however, did not come as a surprise to any of his other classmates, after the disastrous Defence class that morning the other 7th year Gryffindors assumed he had taken himself off to their dormitory to sulk or the suchlike, so when the Headmaster informed them of the attack on Sirius and its seriousness; it came as a much larger shock than was anticipated. Professor McGonagall had taken Hestia aside straight after the Transfiguration class had finished and had been consoling her in her office, where apparently she was hysterical. The other Marauders and seventh year Gryffindors, despite having been informed by the Headmaster after James and Lily, were still somewhat confused by the details, and were left to be fully filled in by an incredibly shaken Frank Longbottom, whom they met outside Professor Dumbledore's office. Still wearing the blood stained shirt that proved the seriousness of the attack on Sirius, Frank seemed to have reverted to a vegetative almost dreamlike state as he was quickly ushered through the Gryffindor common room under James' invisibility cloak, trying to cause as little scene as possible. Shakily and with reassurance from his friends and Alice, Frank had regaled his story as they all piled into his single dormitory, including the part where he had seen Mulciber fleeing from the scene.

James and Lily did not return to the common room that evening, nor did not dine with the rest of the student population that night; Hestia Jones was also notably absent. Rumours began to swirl around Hogwarts, with the disappearance of four prominent seventh years, it was to be expected. The two remaining Marauders, along with Jessica and Alice – Frank had opted to stay in his dorm rather than face the masses – attempted to keep their head down and avoid the majority of the whispering by still joining the rest of the student body for dinner. But eventually the four Gryffindors decided maybe Frank was onto something when he stayed in his room and returned to the common room before dessert, all finding their appetites severely diminished with every hushed whisper or glance thrown in their direction.