Heart of Yours | Harry Potter

XXII.

Lalia awoke with a start in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts. She had sat up and was clenching her chest while huffing out air through her nose. 

"Ah, hello, Miss Black," said Dumbledore who had been sitting in a chair next to her bedside with his glasses low on his nose. 

The girls closed her eyes tightly, taking a deep breath to settle the nausea before she looked at the Professor once more. 

"Professor Dumbledore! My dad, he's in trouble! I saw Bellatrix curse him! We have to -"

She had already begun swinging her legs out of the bed, when the Professor calmly raised his hand to signal her to stop. 

"Your father is okay. Both, actually. They are together in Grimmauld Place and rather worried about you, I must say."

"But I -"

"You saw a vision, one that will likely come to pass, but not at this exact moment, Miss Black. I will inform Professor Snape about this vision and encourage him to focus on it during your lessons and I will inform your fathers so they can prepare for any attacks."

Lalia frowned at the lack of immediate action, but settled herself back into the bed. 

"Now that we have this settled, we have other matters to address. Professor Umbridge is right outside that door, you see? She is waiting to interrogate you about what happened in the Great Hall for the Ministry, so you must be prepared. I am aware that she knows of your abilites, so you must ease her suspicions that this was connected to a vision."

Lalia nodded at the man. She took a deep breath and sunk deeper into the pillows on her bed. 

"May I let Professor Umbridge enter?"

"Yes, sir," Lalia said softly, making her voice meeker intentionally. 

Dumbledore offered the girl a warm smile before waving his wand to slowly open the doors to the Hospital Wing. Through the doors came Professor Umbridge and Professor McGonagall. Umbridge was ramming the doors with her shoudlers as she tried to open them and reach Lalia's bedside as quickly as possible. 

"Miss Black, so good to see you awake. I hope you are feeling better. You gave us all quite a scare," Umbridge said in an excessively sweet, caring voice.

"I feel a little better, Professor. Thank you for your concern," Lalia responded still in the meek tone she had taken on for Dumbledore earlier. 

Umbridge was right next to her bed, leaning in so the conversation was more private and intimate between the two. 

"What brought on this sickness?" she said in the same tone of voice, but much quieter. 

"I think I ate something that didn't agree with my stomach, Professor. One minute I felt okay and then suddenly my stomach was all tangled up. Even now it's still a little unsettled, like I could have another incident any time." 

With these words, Umbridge took two deliberate steps back from the girl. 

"Hmph, well if you can think of anything else, feel free to come to me. My office is always open to you." She smiled wickedly at Lalia, before relaxing her face and turning away to leave the room. 

"That woman," McGonagall grumbled once Umbridge had been gone for a considerable amount of time. "I'll give her a scare." 

"Now, now, Minerva. Not in front of a student." 

McGonagall straightened up and stared at Lalia almost ashamedly at Dumbledore's words. 

"It's okay, Minnie," Lalia giggled. "I would pay a hundred Galleons to see you give her a good scare."