Hogwarts Legacy: A Continuation of Time

Chapter Seven : Unspeakable

The room was cool, Kitty could feel a breeze on her cheek as her eyes fluttered open. She was conscious of someone beside her, running a hand through her hair. Her throat was tight and dry and she blinked away the sunlight, trying to focus on her surroundings.

Dust particles against the sunlight - it made her shudder. She was suddenly reminded of such a scene, years ago in her dormitory, where the dust seemed to reflect the world around her, disturbed, restless and without direction.

"You're awake."

Kitty blinked again and turned to see Natty, a deep frown knitting her brows together as she examined Kitty's face. Kitty rolled over, opening her mouth to speak but her throat was like sandpaper.

"Here." Instructed Natty, handing her a glass of water. Kitty gulped the cool liquid gratefully, trying to remember when she had gone to bed. She placed the glass down beside her and observed the room, nothing was out of place. Her curtains and windows had been opened to let the sun drench the room in pale light, everything was very tidy. Tidier than she ever kept it.

"What happened?" Kitty murmured, turning back to Natty. The witch let her eyes fall to the bedspread before looking back at Kitty hesitantly.

"You had another episode. Ruby called on us and my mother managed to subdue you and get you into bed. Ruby told us you looked into your crystal ball while smoking mandrake leaves..." Natty scrunched her nose and shook her head. "You were told it was too soon for that, Kitty."

"I'm fine Natty, look at me. I'm awake I'm just groggy is all. I just needed a good night's sleep and-"

"It's been eleven days, Kitty." Natty interrupted her bitterly.

Kitty opened her mouth and closed it again. Eleven days? She'd been asleep for a week and a half and yet she still felt exhausted. She couldn't remember smoking mandrake leaves, or looking into a crystal ball, much less could she remember any vision she may have had.

"We've been taking turns. Your father is beside himself. He's been dragging healers from all over Europe to inspect you. All of them have said the same thing, that you just needed time." Natty murmured, fiddling with a loose thread on her dress.

"Well, they were right. And look, I'm fine." Kitty insisted, although her head was throbbing and her bones felt weak. She reached to touch Natty's hand, but Natty pulled away from her instinctively.

"You need to start listening to other people, Kitty. You don't always know what's best." She said as she turned away from Kitty toward the door. "I'll go fetch someone else. I've not been to sleep for a while." And without another glance in her direction, Natty left.

Kitty stared at the imprint Natty had made in her mattress, how long had she sat with her? Where was Ruby? Why couldn't she remember what she'd seen?

Kitty glanced toward her dressing table. Her perfumes had all been lined in a neat row, in colour order. Her books arranged alphabetically side by side. Lipstick and makeup had all been tidied away into drawers. A strange knot of guilt laid itself heavy in Kitty's chest. Someone had been cleaning up around her, probably looking for some way to occupy themselves while they watched over her. Someone had been cleaning up her mess.

The door opened suddenly and Kitty whipped her head round. Malachi Gaunt stood in her doorway. His hair wasn't slicked back, and his face was just as deranged. His silver eyes were wide, his mouth slightly agape as he took in the scene before him. Time passed slowly as father and daughter stared at each other. Kitty spoke first.