The Wandmaker's Granddaughter

The Wandmaker's Granddaughter Isn't Crazy

Smoke filled Amelia's lungs as she collapsed from exhaustion. The pain rushed in as quickly as the adrenaline dissipated from her body. The fire spread rapidly over the dry underbrush of the forest floor towards the spot where she lay.

As the flames grew closer Amelia's eyes closed and the world around her disappeared.

When Amelia regained her senses she was in bed surrounded by fluffy blankets. The pain was the only thing that told her she wasn't dead. The harsh light burned her eyes as she looked around at her new surroundings. The infirmary had never looked so friendly to Amelia.  Mrs. Longbottom approached from the side and sat next to her bed.

"Good morning," she said quietly pouring a glass of water at the bed side table.  "How are you feeling?"

"It hurts," Amelia managed through a groggy, raspy voice.

"I expect it will take a few more days before it stops hurting so much," Mrs. Longbottom helped Amelia sit up and pulled a small green vile from her pocket.  Unstoppering it, she helped pour the contents into Amelia's mouth.  It tasted like rotting black licorice and putrid eggs making Amelia's face scrunch up as she gagged violently.  "You did a number on that leg of yours sweetie.  It might take a month before you stop limping."

Amelia gulped down the water to try and rid her mouth of the taste.  "Do I have to drink that again?"

"I'm afraid so and your going to be staying her for at least a week so I can check that your leg de-petrifies properly," Mrs. Longbottom said replacing the now empty vile into her pocket.

"But what about the dueling championship?  I can't let Nero win," Amelia protested.

"Would you rather have the use of your leg or win a first year dueling competition?" Mrs. Longbottom said.

"Do I get to make that choice?" Amelia asked hopefully.

"No."

Amelia pouted through the pain as she thought of Nero winning.  At least she could still beat him in the end of year exams Amelia thought as the infirmary door opened.  Professor Longbottom and Headmistress McGonagall entered the room briskly and walked towards Amelia followed closely by James and Lucy. 

"I told you two to wait outside," Headmistress McGonagall said noticing James and Lucy who heedlessly made there way past her and ran up to Amelia's bed.  Before they even stood beside her they began smothering her with questions.

"What happened?"

"Are you okay?"

"How did you survive?"

"Did you see any werewolves?"

Mrs. Longbottom covered their mouths with both her hands.

"If you want to stay in this room you better shut your mouths," she whispered fiercely into their ears.  This promptly shut them up for the time being, until they were left alone anyway.

"Now, Ms. Ollivander, how did you end up in the Forbidden Forest?" Headmistress McGonagall asked.

"We told your before Headmistress . . ."

"That's enough Mr. Potter," the headmistress said with a tired sigh.  "I asked Ms. Ollivander."

"We were on our way to Hagrid's hut after the quidditch match when a vine wrapped around my ankle and pulled me in," Amelia said trying to remember the horror of that night.

"And how did you escape the vine?"

"I was so scared, I just started trying any spell I could think of, I don't remember which one worked," she said.

"And how did the fire start?"

"I thought I heard someone in the woods, I just fired the first spell I could think of."

"Did you see who it was?" Professor Longbottom asked.

"It was just a shadow.  But it sounded like a man," Amelia said quietly.

"Like the one from your dreams," Lucy blurted out.  Amelia shot daggers through her eyes at Lucy as soon as the word dream left her mouth.

"Dreams?  What dreams?" Headmistress McGonagall asked getting closer. 

"She's been having nightmares all year," Lucy said.

"Lucy, shut up," Amelia hissed at her best friend.

"All year?" Professor Longbottom asked shock hanging across his face.

"Almost every night," James added despite the glares from Amelia.

"And no body thought to let us in on this little secret?" Headmistress McGonagall questioned.

"Amelia wouldn't let us," Lucy said sheepishly realizing she had inadvertently revealed her best friends deepest secret.

"Why not Amelia?" Mrs. Longbottom asked placing a comforting hand on Amelia's back.

"I didn't want to go to St. Mungo's," Amelia said as she stared at her blankets.

"Why not?"

"It's where crazy wizards go to die, and I'm not ready to die yet," Amelia said meeting their eyes.  Professor Longbottom pressed his lips together into a thin line and looked down at his hands.  Mrs. Longbottom looked up at him with sympathy in her eyes that the kids obliviously ignored. 

"Well I think it's right to say that all three of you are crazy for thinking a group of eleven year olds could handle this alone.  If you do I swear I'll retire right then and there, I'm too old to handle another Potter," Headmistress McGonagall mumbled to herself.  "I promise you that I'll never send you to St. Mungo's as long as you aren't on death's door.  So for God's sake just tell us if you're hearing voices in your dreams."

"Alright, that's enough excitement for today," Mrs. Longbottom said standing and shooing everyone away.  "You to headmistress, Amelia's got a lot of healing to do."

Through protests Mrs. Longbottom herded the others out of the room and shut the door.  Amelia slumped down in the bed and glanced at the bedside table as her eyes began to grow heavy.  Through her sleepy eyes she noticed the smooth black stone from the forest sitting on the table glittering happily in the sunlight.  It was the last thing Amelia saw before falling into a long, peaceful sleep.