The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

68. Unquelled Anger

Althea watched Harry and Hermione disappear from her position sitting on her bed. For some reason, however, it came as a huge shock to her to suddenly see them enter again from the Hospital Wing doors.

"So?" she said quickly, her eyes wide.

"They're gone, all three of them," Harry said excitedly, smiling widely.

Althea let out an excited cry, jumping to her feet and embracing him.

"Did I hear the Headmaster leaving?" Madam Pomfrey asked sharply. "Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"

She quickly forced Althea back to bed and, after giving Hermione and Harry large quantities of chocolate, she returned to Althea.

"Now," she said. "I should be able to mostly heal that concussion now that you're awake so long as you remain still."

Althea lay as still as she could while Madam Pomfrey worked. She had only just finished, alleviating most of the pain before a sound reached their ears.

"What was that?" she said in alarm.

Angry voices were coming their way, growing louder and louder.

"Really," Madam Pomfrey said in a scolding voice. "They'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

"They must have disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with them," Fudge was saying in a desperate, angry voice. "When this gets out-"

"THEY DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS - HAS - SOMETHING - TO - DO - WITH - POTTER!"

"Severus, be reasonable," Fudge chided, sounding alarmed. "Harry has been locked up."

CRASH

Althea jumped as the doors opened with such a deafening bang she would have thought there was an earthquake. Fudge, Severus, and Dumbledore came striding into the room.

"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" Snape snarled in a booming voice. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Professor Snape!" Madam Pomfrey shrieked. "Control yourself!"

"See here, Snape, be reasonable," Fudge said. "This door's been locked, we just saw-"

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape shouted, pointing at Harry, Hermione, and Althea.

"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID! MY SISTER PUT HIM UP TO-"

"That will do, Severus," Dumbledore said in a cool, quiet voice. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" she cried, bristling. "I would have heard them!"

"Well, there you have it, Severus," Dumbledore said. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry, Hermione, and Thea are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."

Snape stood staring another moment before he, with a look of cold fury, turned on his heel and disappeared.

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," Fudge said. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," Dumbledore assured. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."

"He's not the only one!" Fudge cried. "The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! Not to mention his wife! All it needs now is for the story of the Hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well...I'd better go and notify the Ministry..."

"And the dementors?" Dumbledore said sharply. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," Fudge said with a weary sigh. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy...Completely out of control...no, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight...Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance..."

"Hagrid would like that," Dumbledore said, smiling at the children.

Then, he led Fudge out, allowing Madam Pomfrey to shut the door behind him before retreating into her office.

"What - what happened?" a low voice asked. Ron was awake. "Harry? Why are we in here? Where're Sirius and Amara? Where's Lupin? What's going on?"

"You explain," Harry said to Hermione as he took more chocolate.

Althea and Ron listened intently to all that had happened.

.

As morning dawned, Althea woke to find the other three were fast asleep. She, however, felt wide awake. Stretching, she suddenly realized that her thestral ring was sitting on the bedside table. Picking it up, she slipped it on, watching as the little creature curled up peacefully. She smiled, looking up as she heard the doors open.

"Althea!" a panicked voice cried. "I just heard what- Are you okay? Someone said that Sirius Black-"

Neville came to a panting stop at the foot of her bed. Jumping to her feet, she wrapped her arms around him. Neville hesitated slightly but soon returned the embrace.

"I'm all right," Althea said softly. "Thank you for caring enough to worry about me, Neville."

"Of course," he said, pulling away with a shy smile. "I've always cared, Althea."

She smiled back shyly, averting her gaze from him.

.

Remus' entire body ached as he woke. Branches and sticks were poking into his back and he felt more bruises than he remembered ever having. With a groan, he lifted his head, looking around him. He had somehow ended up in the Forbidden Forest. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to remember, tried to think back to if he had hurt anyone. Then, he did. He saw flashes of his time as a werewolf, including seeing Althea sprawled in front of him, her arm bleeding from his own claws.

"Remus!" a breathless voice cried.

Looking up, he was surprised to see Eliana, looking worried. The moment he saw her, however, he felt his stomach drop. Looking away, he released a long breath.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, crouching by his side as she examined him for any cuts of scrapes. When he still said nothing, Eliana cupped his cheek as she asked, "Remus, what's wrong? This wasn't your fault, surely you-"

"I don't care so much about that," he replied hoarsely, avoiding her eyes. "I hurt her, Ellie. I hurt Althea." He paused so long she thought he wouldn't speak again. Then, he said, "I hurt your...our daughter. I'm too dangerous for-"

"Enough," Eliana snapped, forcing him to look at her. "Remus, do you remember why you hurt her?"

"Does there have to be a reason?" he replied dully.

"Remi," Eliana whispered. "Peter attacked her. You were trying to get him away from her. The only reason you hit her was because you were trying to save her life."

Frowning, Remus sat up as he said, "But werewolves don't...why would I have tried to save her?"

"She's your daughter, Remus," Eliana said softly. "Maybe your werewolf side knows that too."

"That doesn't make sense," Remus countered.

Shrugging, she suggested, "Or it could be that you couldn't fully keep your head without the last dosage of the potion, but the first six were enough for you to break through for a moment. Either way, Remus, you were trying to do the right thing. And if you try to stay away from Althea, I should probably warn you that she won't let you do that. You are more like her than I ever was, Remi. She is so much more her father's daughter than she is like me." When he still said nothing, she pleaded, "Please, Remus. Don't stay away from her. If you do, it will break her. Don't do that to her, please. I can't watch you hurt her."

"I promise," Remus said finally. "I don't think I could stay away from her even if I tried."

"Well, I wouldn't let you," Eliana said with a small smile. "Now, come on. Let's get you up to the castle."