A Heart of Gold {Sequel to 'The Undiscovered Triplets'}

[Chapter Five-Aria]

Aria

Gabby stumbled into the room, with Harry supporting her.

"Gabby!" I cried. "What happened?!"

Harry gently handed Gabby over to us and wandered off to his friends.

"Went...went to...to..." Gabby mumbled.

"Went where?" we urged.

"Went to...Eracs..." Gabby seemed unaware that we were even around her.

"You went to Professor Eracs' office?" Kelly asked, her face creased with worry.

Gabby nodded absently. Even this simple movement seemed to cause her pain as it flashed across her face, leaving her paler than ever.

"I'm going to take you to the hospital wing," I decided, putting my arm around Gabby's shoulders.

"No," she mumbled. "Don't...don't need..."

"Gabby, you're ill. You're going to the hospital wing whether you like it or not," I said firmly. I gently lead her to the hospital wing, and the whole time she was swaying on her feet.

"What is it?" Madam Pomfrey questioned as soon as we entered the hospital wing.

"She's not feeling very well," I said.

Madam Pomfrey studied Gabby critically. "Does look a bit peaky. Best give her some Get Well medicine," she decided. She bustled about the hospital wing, seeming to be searching for something.

"Here we are," said Madam Pomfrey finally. "Come sit here, Gabby," she instructed. Gabby obediently sat down as Madam Pomfrey forced the potion down her throat. Gabby coughed and spluttered, but somehow the medicine made it down her throat.

"I think you'd better take her back to your common room so she can get some bed rest," said Madam Pomfrey briskly.

I nodded in assent and lead Gabby back to the common room.

As soon as we arrived back, four people stood up and rushed over to us. Those same four people all began talking at once, demanding to know what had happen.

I held up my hands for silence, but every kept talking anyway.

"SHUT UP!" I bellowed. There was silence. "Gabby needs to have some bed rest. I'm going to take her up and ask her what happened," I lowered my voice as Gabby stared absently out the window.

We made it up to the dormitory. I gently put Gabby into bed.

"Listen, Gabby, before you go to sleep, I need to ask you a few questions, okay?" I asked tentatively.

Gabby nodded slowly.

"Where did you go with Harry and what happened and why are you suddenly so ill?" I said all in one breath.

Gabby frowned. "I can't tell you."

"Come on, Gabs. I'm your best friend. I promise I won't tell the others." I insisted.

Gabby sighed. "Okay. Well, you see, when Dean didn't tell me what that note said, I left one of these under the table." She held up a small gadget.

"What is it?"

"It's a thing I invented. You stick it under the table, and put the other piece in your ear. Through that you can hear what everyone around the piece under the table is saying," she explained.

I felt my heart plummet down to my toes. "You heard everything we said?"

Gabby nodded slightly. "I was angry that you would think that I wasn't strong enough to fight him off or something. So I decided to go and visit him."