The Power of Pain

Chapter 1

"She's wasting away." There was a sternness and sharp accusation in her tone.

The healer sadly bowed his head, "It's progressed rather quickly these past few months Professor McGonagall. We've tried everything we could think of." His tone dipped, pleading almost desperately, "There have been other minor things as well."

He rubbed the side of his face, scratching the stubble that had slowly grown during his shift. He bit the corner of his lip a bit before moving to an ornate box on the side table. It was nestled carefully between numerous potions all designed to keep one healthy and nourished.

"Every time we've tried to administer her potions we've been unable to relax her body long enough to get the potions inside, we've been using a nasal cathater but...recently every time we've tried her body would resist." He opened the box on the side table, shifting to allow the professor to have a look.

Professor McGonagall slowly moved to the head of the bed, watching the girls eyes move under her closed eyelids. A deep frown had taken ita place upon her aged face and her sharp eyes watched the girl whom she had watched grow. So many lost that day, she refused, in her heart, to let another perish.

"It was a challenge before, but there were always lapses of time where it would seem her body would relax...like whatever she was experiencing ended. " He explained softly as he pulled a rather unusual device from the box, "We didn't want to try this without your permission. Given who the creator was...Though we did do a small test...on another..." He turned and showed the Professor the unusual device.

It had a slim brass band, with two jewels wrapped around at the ends, almost like the band of a crown. The stones were a clear white that seemed to shift in the light. "Mr. Malfoy had designed it for his mother, who you know has fallen gravely ill." His voice grew softer as he brought it closer for McGonagall's personal inspection, "He claims that it is designed to see inside the mind of someone who is unable to speak." He rested the thin brass into the professor's hands. "However, they've been conscious and aware of the connection." He watched with pensive eyes as McGonagall ran her wand gingerly over the brass.

"What were the initial results?" McGonagall handed back the device. The healer couldn't help but take a small breath with pursed lips.

"We tested it on a willing colleague, the results were interesting...It didn't cause any pain, rather it was like looking into a distorted pensive. Though Mr. Malfoy did warn us that a fully active mind may be impossible to understand." He chewed his bottom lip just a bit before slowly moving towards Hermione. "With your permission, I do believe this will do her no harm." He waited for her to give her nod of approval before gingerly placed the brass band on Hermione's forehead, making sure to rest the two stones over her temples.

The stones flared to life instantly, a bright white light shining, "The stones on the sides change colors..." He explained softly, glancing at McGonagall, "White means she's in pain..." He whispered with the saddest expression before turning and taping one stone with the tip of his wand.

A small light came from the stone like a pulled memory for a pensive, however, instead of dropping the memory into the pensive he pulled it over the band. It exploded silently into a cloud with a chaotic image in the center. The sound that assaulted the room next was deafening by contrast and McGonagall couldn't suppress a wince as she watched the image start to take shape.

"It's the battle..." She said with astonishment.

Explosions and screams perforated the room as the scene shifted and molded, however, unlike a pensive memory where one could stand outside of the holder, this one seemed to be in the perspective of its holder. McGonagall was fascinated as she watched what her pupil had experienced that day. So brave, so skilled; how could she have been one of the fallen?