What If? Year 2

Chapter 37

tw: kinda graphic at the end and panic attack...

Screaming and shouting wakes me from my sleep. Ara is at my side in seconds and I throw my covers off.
"What was that?" Ginny asks, as I swiftly light our candles with a flick of my wand
"I'm not sure," Ara says, "but we should go check it out." I get out of my bed and quickly tie my robe and pocket my wand.
"Mione?"
"Do you four know what that was?"
"No, we're going to check it out." We all rush down the stairs. Over half of Gryffindor is already down in the common room.
"Fred?" Ginny asks, "what happened?"
"Something in the third year dorm," he replies. Ara rushes over to them.
"What do you mean something in the third year dorm? Did you not check on them? Your bloody brother is in there."
"Little Ronnie can take care of himself," George cuts in.
"That scream says other wise," Hermione snarks. A very pale Ron walks down the stairs with Harry following him.
"What happened?" I ask, but Harry knocks right past me. Ron does the same to Hermione and she gets teary eyed as he hits her.
"What the hell, Harry?"
"I'm not speaking to you."
"You're being childish. Are you alright?"
"Like you care."
"Oh, for the love of Merlin!"
"Harry, knock it off. Are you alright?" Ara cuts in.
"I'm fine, Ara. Ron's a bit worse off." I roll my eyes at him and walk over to Neville.
"Will you tell me what happened?"
"Pettigrew... was in our dorm. He tried to kill Ron."
"Why would he try to kill Ron? I thought he was just after Harry and I."
"Maybe he just got the wrong bed?"
"Perhaps... where did he go?"
"Ron said that he just disappeared."
"So he's just somewhere in the castle? That's just wonderful. Just peachy."
"We sent Dean and Seamus to get Professor McGonagall. Don't worry." I nod and walk over to Hermione.
"What's up Ron's rear end?"
"He thinks Crookshanks killed his rat."
"Why?"
"Because he saw my cat in his room and now he can't find his pet."
"Well, that's ridiculous," I tell her, patting her shoulder, "Boys are sometimes more dramatic than us g-..." Midnight jumps up onto my shoulder, startling me.
"Perhaps it was my cat," I joke, "hi, Midnight. I haven't seen you in a long while." She cuddles and purrs into my neck.
"Did you see Pettigrew, Midnight?" Hermione asks, scratching her ears. Midnight hisses and I grab her from my shoulder.
"Be nice," I hiss back, as she squirms out of my arms. She runs up to the boy's dorms and I sigh. McGonagall runs in and makes a beeline to Ron and Harry. She talks to them quickly and then turns to all of us.
"To the Great Hall, all of you!" Everyone starts pushing and rushing to get out of the portrait hole.
"Miss Potter," McGonagall says, "you and Mr. Potter will come with me." Harry starts to protest, but she cuts him off before he can even start.
"Just because your sister makes better decisions than you do, does not mean that you get to give me attitude." I smack a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. We follow after her, straight to the Headmaster's office. No one is there, but McGonagall sets the two of us down in a pair of chairs.
"Stay here. We're gonna search the castle and once we're done, I'll come get you both. Don't kill each other, don't make a lot of noise, and do not leave." I nod, while Harry scoffs.
"Watch the attitude." With that she leaves in a flurry of robes.
"Look, I'm sorry! But what you were doing was really dangerous."
"Well, I guess you should go running off to Professor Lupin and tell him I was sleeping in my bloody dorm. Cause I guess that's dangerous too."
"You're being ridiculous, Harry. I'm sorry that I got you in trouble. I'm sorry that I worried about you and your well being."
"Oh yeah? Well, I'm sorry that you're the biggest teacher pet, and can't seem to be normal for one minute."
"What did I do to you?" I scream, anger bubbling over.
"You ruined my life!" he screams back, "Why couldn't have you stayed where you bloody belonged? No one likes that you're in my class now. Even Uncle Remus knows you're too young. You tried to brownnose him, but guess what! He's teaching me an advanced spell. Not you! Because you're to young to even being in my class! So, yeah! I know you're sorry. A sorry excuse for a sister." I slam my chair back and storm off to the door.
"You're not allowed to leave, remember? Wouldn't want to loose your title of McGonagall's favorite."
"Well, it sounds like no will care if anything happens anyways. Besides, I can't stay in here with you because we're just gonna scream at each other." I slam the door and the tears that were building during our argument begin to fall.
I guess if I'm such a sorry excuse for a sister, you won't mind if Pettigrew got me right now. Or if I hadn't ever woken up.
I start to walk towards the Great Hall. Tears continue to fall as I walk down the stairs. Someone grabs me as I walk past a passage. A hand swiftly covers my mouth as I try to scream.
"Isn't this just perfect," a scratchy voice whispers in my ear, "A wandering Potter girl... I almost got your brother while he was exploring the passageways." I try to move away from him, but a wand gets shoved into my face.
"I wouldn't do that, Marigold. No amount of squirming will make it any better, or any faster. I can't have people knowing I got you though. I'll make it look like an accident. A nice bloody one, that'll send a message to your father." I whimper against his hand as he mutter something. Warm sticky blood starts to drip from my nose and somewhere else on my face. I gasp as his wand points at my neck.
"I could slit it right now, you know." I gasp again, as I start to panic and feel faint.
"One more... right here." A shooting pain goes across my collar bone and I gasp again trying to gain air.
"Alright, down the stairs you go." He moves out of the passage way and then throws me down the stairs. I whine as the cold marble hits my cut up face. I keep gasping, air still not wanting to fill my aching lungs.
"What was that?" someone asks, footsteps echoing in my head. I take another deep breath as my nose aches in time with my chest.
"Marigold!" I whimper as someone rolls me over. Snape is kneeling over me.
"P-passageway... up." I try to point, but it just hurts.
"Minerva!" He run up the stairs, as McGonagall runs around the corner and get to me.
"Goldie, I told you to stay in the office."
"I know," I whimper, "I'm sorry." She waves her wand and my chest starts to not ache as bad.
"Poppy'll have to look at your nose. You're gonna be okay. Marigold, it's okay." I did not notice that I am still gasping for air. I try to slow it down, but panic seems to be stuck in my bones. Snape comes whipping around from the passage, looking very angry.
"He got away," he sneers, looking from me to McGonagall, "go get Mr. Potter and I'll take Miss Potter to the hosp-..."
"Sorry, Severus, but as Marigold's Head of House, I am going to take her to the hospital wing. It's alright, Goldie. You're alright." I continue to try to calm my breathing and give her a shaky nod.
"Who will get Harry then?"
"You're more than capable, Severus. Or send the Headmaster, for all I care. I need to take her to Poppy."
"Fine." He storms off.
"Goldie, it's alright. Deep breath, darling." She rubs my hand, trying to calm me down.
"I'm gonna lift you up with a spell, alright?" I nod, moving my hand to touch my face.
"It's okay, Goldie. Madam Pomfrey will be able to fix it right up." Blood covers my fingers as I pull it back and my panic breathing comes rushing back with a force. I lightly get lifted up into the air as I stare at my hand.
"It's okay, Goldie. Deep breath. It's gonna be okay." Black starts to cloud my vision make me panic more.
"C-can't see," I cry, "Can't b-breathe." Someone sets a hand on my arm and softly rubs it up and down.
"In...1,2,3, and out... 1,2,3..." I try to follow her, but it starts to make me more upset.
"I c-can't." I cry.
"It's alright. We're almost to the hospital wing. Deep breaths." I find her hand and she squeezes my hand as I hear doors open.
"Merlin!" Madam Pomfrey shouts, "This poor girl can't catch a break!" I feel a bed beneath me. I lay down and throw my hands over my head. McGonagall moves my hair out of my face.
"It's alright, Goldie. Deep breaths."
"This might hurt, Goldie. Just stay as still as possible." I nod and close my eyes. My nose cracks and my face aches, but the smell of blood goes away. I can feel myself shaking as I try to calm my breathing.
"It's all alright," McGonagall says, "Deep breaths, Goldie. You're safe. You're doing good." I slowly start to calm down, but the shaking will not go away. I open my eyes and see McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey looking down at me.
"H-he's here ," I whimper, "he's here. He was trying to make it look like an accident. I shouldn't have left, I'm sorry. Harry-..." Snape barges in and cuts me off mid sentence.
"The boy is besides himself," he states, "I told him that she was attacked, but was going to be fine. He kept going on about how it was his fault." I avoid any eye contact, as the shaking in my hands gets worse.
"Tell him that his sister is perfectly alright," McGonagall replies, "but she's gonna stay in here with Madam Pomfrey and I. He may see her in the morning."
"What shall the rest of us do?"
"Half stay with the kids and half keep searching. If we can't find Pettigrew, the Potters are going to need more supervision."
"Is their father going to be informed?"
"I already have."