Catharsis [Tom Riddle]

Chapter Forty-Eight

 Tom burst through the doors of the Hospital Wing.

"HELP!" he shouted, immediately catching Madam Bardot's attention.

The Healer ran over, her eyes widening when she saw Tom, covered in Avalon's blood as he cradled her limp body in his arms. "Dear Heavens..." she said under her breath. "Put her on the bed, now!"

Tom scrambled toward the nearest bed, carefully laying Avalon's pallid body down as Madam Bardot hastily pulled out her wand and began trying to heal the bleeding cuts. But, just like when Tom had tried, they resisted her healing.

"What happened?!" the Healer asked, turning to Tom with a look of urgency.

"A boggart," he blurted out, his hands trembling. "She was attacked by a boggart and it... it cut her with a cursed blade. I... I couldn't fix it and... I..." his words came out in a jumbled mess, his mind racing far too quickly for him to focus. "Can you save her?!"

Bardot turned to her assistant. "Go get Professor Dumbledore. Quickly!"

The younger Healer nodded, unable to pry her eyes off of Avalon's near lifeless body for a moment before turning around and sprinting out the Hospital Wing.

"Why him?" Tom asked, his eyes frantic.

She ignored his question again, scanning her wand up and down Avalon's wand, quickly casting a diagnostic spell as she assessed the injuries. "Merlin..." she breathed out.

"Why do you need him?!" Tom repeated, growing more impatient as the seconds ticked on.

"On top of the wounds, the poor girl has a severe concussion, several broken ribs, and a punctured lung," she answered calmly as she kept casting spell after spell on Avalon. "Her injuries are deeply poisoned with Dark Magic. I will need Professor Dumbledore's help if we hope to save her."

"If you hope to save her?!" he shouted, shaking his head in disbelief. "What do you mean if-"

"Mr. Riddle, I need you to go and wait outside."

"I'm not leaving her."

"If you wish for her to live, you must go and let me do my job!" she sharply instructed, pointing to the exit. He just stood there for a moment, reluctant to leave Avalon's side, but Bardot shouted, "She is dying and needs my attention. You must leave!"

He felt his head spinning as he took one last look at Avalon before warily heading to the door. As he walked out, Bardot's assistant sprinted back, Dumbledore at her side as the two of them raced into the Hospital Wing, making a bee-line for Avalon.

Tom watched as the three of them hunched over Avalon's colorless body, erupting in hushed and frantic whispers. He began gravitating back inside, desperate to stay close to her, but Bardot flicked her wand at the door, shutting it in his face.

He tried to push the door open, letting out an angry shout as he pounded his fist against the charmed door, realizing Bardot had barred anyone from entering the room. When he slammed his hand against the wood, he felt his heart sink into his stomach at the sight of his own hands.

They were stained red with Avalon's blood.

He looked down at his body, a feeling of nausea overtaking him as he saw that he was drenched in crimson from head to toe.

'If we hope to save her.'

Tom felt as though he were going to throw up. He could not lose her. No, he couldn't. He couldn't even think about it. As he paced back and forth, trying to quell his nerves, all he could do was think about her lifeless body.