Erased and Replaced

Part 13~Saint Mungo's

Regulus ran in when the popping came from the kitchen. Elijah lent against Snape's side as the Weasleys stumbled.

"There you are," Regulus shouted as he brought Elijah into a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm fine," Elijah said, patting Regulus's back.

"We've got to go to St. Mungo's," Ginny whispered with a broken expression.

"No you can't," Regulus ordered, trying to stop Ginny.

"We can go where we please!"

"We can't go yet. It would look too suspicious if you lot showed up fifteen minutes after Arthur arrives because Elijah's been seeing visions of things happening hundreds of miles from Hogwarts."

Goerge shook with a mix of fear and rage as he stalked towards Regulus, glaring at him. "That's our father out there dying!"

"I can't let you leave. I'm sorry." Regulus drew out his hand, holding it loosely at his side, the message echoing out in the room.

"You don't even care! You wouldn't even understand," Fred shouted from beside George.

Regulus stared at the twins. For Slytherins, you would expect them to be a bit more tactful.  "I was part of the first order. I lost my best friends to you-know-who." Regulus looked at Elijah, a pained expression in his eyes. "He's all I have left of them. Believe me, I don't want Arthur to die. But there are some things worth dying for!"

Fred and George cowered away from the haunted look in Regulus's eyes. Snape let Elijah lean on the wall as he went to Regulus's side. George collapsed in the nearby chair, putting his head in his hands. Fred stared at the wall as Ginny wept softly to herself. Ron brought his sister into a hug as Elijah sat far away from any of them by himself.

Fred and Ginny laid against the chairs, dozing halfway to unconsciousness. The rest sat silently, no one willing to speak. George jumped up when the front door swung open. Mrs Weasley ran in as Fred and Ginny jolted up from the noise.

"Mum!" Ginny jumped up as she tackled her mother into a hug.

The others didn't take much longer to cross the distance and hug their mum. Elijah stood up, walking disheartedly into the hall. He stood away, watching the reunion from the shadows. Elijah was forgotten in the background, feeling like an intruder in their grief. It wasn't like he was really close to the Weasleys. He only ever talked to Fred and George and he had never met or bothered with the others.

The family pulled apart as Mrs Weasley looked at all of the,. "Your father's alive. He's going to make it." Relief filled the room, covering their faces as Elijah walked into the kitchen.

Elijah busied himself, setting down several plates before sensing someone looking at him from the doorframe. "Regulus..." Elijah stopped, his grip tightening around the plate.

"It's alright Eli, you can tell me." Regulus walked to Elijah's side as Elijah's eyes darkened.

"When I saw the attack... I was the phoenix."

"What?"

"I felt the claws like they were mine, saw through the bird's eyes like they were mine... I think I might be going mad." Elijah ran a finger through his hair, a horrible silence settling.

Regulus looked uncomfortable, unsure of what to say, to his godson. "Nonsense. You're just tired. You've had a rough night."

"But what if there's a phoenix inside me?"

"You've told Riddle this? And Severus this?" Elijah nodded, he basically told everyone about this. "Then there's nothing to worry about."

Regulus gave a final hug to Elijah before he turned away and left Elijah alone.

Elijah stood in the corridor, letting the Weasleys have their reunion without him. He was glad Arthur was okay but he still had that lingering feeling of guilt in the back of his head.

"All of you, out, if you please," Mrs Weasley ordered, shooing off the children.

"Elijah, stay a moment," Arthur asked as Elijah gulped. The others left as Elijah walked over to the bed, shuffling nervously "I never thanked you properly."

Elijah's eyes widened as he shook his head. "There's no need," he tried to say as Arthur continued.

"But there is, Elijah. If you hadn't had your vision, no one would have found me in time. So... thank you."

Elijah smiled, feeling lighter than he had in a while. He smiled before walking out, closing the door behind him. Ron was listening to a nearby door but Elijah wasn't even going to try listening to what was going on.

Elijah could feel the others staring at him, causing him to straighten. "Is something wrong?" The others swiftly shook their heads but it was clear that something was. They looked scared; scared of him.

Elijah looked away from them when something caught his eye. Or more accurately, someone.

"Hullo," the blond-haired adult greeted causing the others to turn to him.

"Professor Lockhart," Ron exclaimed, making Lockhart look puzzled.

He furrowed his eyebrows as he shook his head. "Professor? Me? Did I really? Well, I expect I was hopeless at it!" Lockhart rubbed his hands together as he spoke. "Now, I'll expect all of you will be wanting my autograph?"

"Ah, there you went, Gilderoy," a healer said as she walked out of the nearby double door. She walked up to Lockhart, gently taking his elbow. "He keeps wandering off, handing out autographs, don't you know? It's a good sign toward recovering his memory, the poor dear."

Elijah looked away. After he and Draco went into the chamber of secrets with Lockhart, Lockhart had never been the same. Draco had erased all Lockhart's memories when Lockhart attempted to attack them. It wasn't really Draco's fault as Lockhart was going to erase their memories but the topic of Lockhart always caused tension in both of them. "Yeah, sorry about that."

Lockhart peered down at Elijah making Elijah shuffle. "Have we met?"

Elijah didn't know how to answer that as the healer took Lockhart back through the doors. Elijah felt the urge to follow as Ron and Ginny walked forward. The healer deposited Lockhart down in a chair as the group looked around the room. The whole place was split into different sections with different wizards and witches wandering around.

"This is our long-term resident ward, for permanent spell damage. Well, I must go," the healer said as she rushed off.

"Come along, Neville."

Elijah bolted up at that, looking around and spotting Neville and Mrs Longbottom walking by. "Hey, Neville!"

Neville blushed, turning beat-red as he looked away. His grandmother looked at the three of them with narrowed eyes. "Friends of yours, Neville? Ah, yes, Elijah Snape. Good to meet you finally. And two Weasleys."

Ron nodded as he looked at his housemate. "Who're you visiting, Neville?"

Mrs Longbottom turned to look at Neville, a shocked expression on her face. "You haven't told them?"

"Told us what," Elijah inquired with a worried expression.

"Neville's dear parents were tortured into insanity by you-know-who before he disappeared. Aurors, you know, very well respected," Mrs Longbottom explained as Alice- Neville's mother- emerged from before the partition.

Alice beckoned Nevile closely. She didn't look like she was actually here. Her eyes were clouded over as Neville approached her. She held out her hand, gently giving him a candy wrapper.

"Another one, Alice? All right, come on, Neville."

Neville stayed staring at his mother, who smiled at him before walking away. When Neville turned around, he locked eyes with Elijah. Elijah wanted to say something, anything but he couldn't find the worlds. As Neville walked away, he slipped the wrapper into his pocket, almost as if it was the most prized possession in the world.

This all felt wrong. Elijah wanted to comfort Neville but he couldn't, as he arrived back in Grimmauld place, he stormed up into his bedroom and shut him off from the rest of the world.