Put Your Curse In Reverse [Part 2]

Chapter 5 - Kaleidoscope

"I want my mum," Albus wept, "please, I want my dad and mum. Please."

"Shh now, Potter, don't speak, don't get upset—"

"I want to tell them— I want to see them!" Albus insisted. And it occurred to Harry that Albus thought he was dying. His legs grew weak and threatened to buckle from underneath him. He was at Albus's bedside in an instant, his hands quick to settle on his son's face.

"I'm here, Al, it's okay," Harry comforted. He used the sleeve of his cloak to wipe at the blood streaming from his son's nose. Albus seemed horribly disoriented.

"Dad," he said, "Dad, it hurts, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, I didn't!"

"What? No. No, Al, don't apologize, there's nothing to apologize for," Harry said. His cloak sleeve was already drenched in blood, but the blood was still pouring out. Harry was gasping for breaths. He turned to look at Pomfrey. "Fix this, fix it!"

"I have to send him to St. Mungo's. I don't know what else to do. Neville says this is what—..."

Madam Pomfrey broke off. Harry paused the pointless staunching of Albus's nose and glared at her.

"What? What?!"

"Harry." Neville crossed over to Albus's bed. He was teary-eyed. "I think the Carrows used this during the Battle of Hogwarts. We found the bodies at the end. We didn't know what...they were just drained of all their blood...but their skin looked like this."

Harry stared at Neville until Neville was a blurry mass. He couldn't understand what Neville was saying. It didn't make any sense. That couldn't be true. Because this was Albus. This was Harry's son. He couldn't.

His horrified disbelief was ruptured by the sudden, panicked sound of Albus choking. Harry spun back around and Madam Pomfrey rushed forward. Albus's lips were parted; dark ruby blood was bubbling up his throat, spilling frothy and thick from his lips. His green eyes were widened in panic, his nails clawing at his throat, a horrible, retching sound tearing from him as he struggled to inhale.

"Harry! Harry, what's going on?! My mum said McGonagall said—"

There was the sound of something falling. A horrified cry. Harry couldn't even get himself to move long enough to glance back at his wife.

"Roll him over!" Pomfrey shrieked at Harry, tearing through his frozen state. He quickly shoved Albus over onto his side. Ginny reached the bedside right as Pomfrey began siphoning blood from their son's throat.

"What happened?! Harry, what happened?!"

"Longbottom! Neville, get the gurney, get the Floo powder, tell them all you know, tell them we're coming, tell them it's critical—"

Neville tripped in his haste to obey. Albus began choking again in the brief second Pomfrey had stopped her siphoning. Ginny's hands were on Albus's purple chest, shaking and searching, as if there were a way to help him that she hadn't yet found. Albus was peering up at her, an odd expression in his eyes. Harry realized, with a sickening lurch to his heart, that it was hope. Like she might be able to fix this. Like he was five years ago again, running to mummy with a skinned knee; like a kiss and a quick healing charm could mend it all.

"Mum," he said, "I'm—" he coughed hard; blood spurted all over Ginny's face, all over Pomfrey's arm. He began seizing violently right afterwards. His eyes rolled back into his head, his jaw locked, barring Pomfrey from being able to siphon anymore. Blood trickled at an alarming rate from his ear canal; his eyes grew distant. Pomfrey panicked.

"Now! Longbottom, tell them we're coming now—I don't care how long the wait is!"

"No," Ginny gasped, as Pomfrey levitated Albus onto the gurney and rushed towards the fireplace in what seemed like an impossible amount of time. Ginny darted after them. "Not without me! Not without me! Don't you dare!"