The Durmstrang Potter Twin

Maze

Sirius's POV

Hades looked guilty when I looked at him, and I knew instantly that he had been the one to send her down to the depths of Hell.

"I hope it was worth it," I muttered to him as he passed me.

He looked at me, terrible honesty in his eyes, "You know that she wouldn't have done it if she hadn't thought it to be necessary."

"I-" I sighed. "I know. Are you here to see her?"

Persephone brushed the back of her hand against my cheek, sympathy in her wide eyes, "Go and rest, dear. We will see what we can do for her."

"Shower, at the very least," Hades said when I didn't leave.

I hesitated, but nodded when Persephone took my hand and smiled softly at me, "We will take care of her. Do not worry."

I showered quickly and returned to where Tara laid in bed. James and Lily sat across the bed from Persephone and Hades, watching as the goddess leaned forward, brushing her fingertips across Tara's forehead, eyes shut. Hades watched beside her nervously. I settled at the foot of her bed carefully, choosing not to ask any questions.

It took a few minutes before Persephone opened her eyes slowly, as if waking up from a deep sleep. Her brows furrowed when they opened fully and she rested her chin on dainty fingers, looking down at Tara.

"She is aware," she finally said, quietly.

"Did she..." James tilted his head. "Did she speak to you?"

She pressed the tips of her fingers to her temples, "Only briefly. She's lost."

"Lost?" Lily asked. "What do you mean lost?"

Hades looked down at his hands with concern, "When a person goes through a traumatic situation, they can become lost in their own mind. It can cause them to panic and only get themselves more lost. Any fear that they feel will only drive them farther into the maze. Don't tell me she was panicking?"

Persephone shook her head, "Actually, she seemed rather... excited? She said it was something she needed to do on her own when I offered to help her. She did ask me if it was her spine that had gotten injured in the fight. Was it her spine?"

My brows furrowed, "Apollo didn't say very much. And I was a bit... panicky."

Lily hummed, "Let me see. Tara, I'm going to turn you over. I might be able to tell if there was any healing done recently on her spine."

She didn't respond, and Lily pushed her onto her side and brandished her wand. A few silent spells later, she nodded, "It looks like it was a minor spinal injury, but Apollo healed it."

Persephone grimaced, eyes falling shut again, "She's not all too excited about that. She says she's going to have to talk to Apollo when she wakes up."

"Does she know when she'll wake up?" I tried not to sound too eager.

The goddess's head tilted slightly and her brows furrowed, "Soon. She thinks. Another few days at most."

Lily's brow suddenly furrowed in surprise, "She's studying."

"What?" James looked from his wife to his sister quickly. "What do you mean by that?"

"She's talked about potentially trying to help Alice and Frank. If what Hades says is true and trauma can cause one to become lost in their own mind, then this is the perfect opportunity for Tara to find a way back out into consciousness. That way, later on, she can attempt to access their minds, find them, and lead them out of the maze their stuck in."