Over the week following the attack, I avoided Harry at all costs. I took my two days off and returned on Monday. When I wasn't teaching or supervising, I stayed in my office which I only opened for teachers or specific students who had scheduled an appointment. The closest I got to Harry was when I was supervising the Gryffindor practices. Like usual, I dashed off the moment they were off their brooms.
That night, I lay in bed, attempting to sleep. When I was finally able to drift off, my mind was haunted by visions, flashes of moonlight, dark curly hair, fangs, blood, and a figure falling from a tower. I woke with a scream, covered in sweat. I trembled, looking up in the mirror. My face was deadly pale and my new scar along my cheek stuck out starkly against my pale skin. Getting up, I rushed over to my bathroom and collapsed by the toilet, throwing up my insides.
I got back in bed, feeling sickly. I ended up having to call for someone else to stand in as referee for the final match as I stayed in bed, terrified of falling back asleep. Around noon, I did so and saw the same visions and again woke covered in sweat with a scream. I barricaded myself in the castle as much as possible until there was a knock on my office door. I stopped moving and got very quiet, hoping whoever it was would just go away.
"Valerie, I know you're in there!" Katie shouted. I sighed, opening the door. Katie had not come alone. Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Harry had come along with her.
"What are you lot doing here?" I asked, moving away from the door and sitting back down in my chair.
"Why'd you miss the match?" Ginny asked.
"Wasn't feeling well," I said simply, hoping I wasn't looking as sickly as I felt.
"Past tense?" Hermione said.
"Yeah, you look terrible," Ron said.
Hitting his arm, Hermione scolded, "Ron."
"What, we're all thinking it," Ron defended.
"Thank you for your tactless honestly, Ron," I sighed. "So, you all see that I'm alive, is that all?"
"No," Harry said. "You've been avoiding everyone, particularly me." My eyes flashed dangerously above the dark circles under my eyes.
Fixing him with a blazing glare, I said, "Yes, I wonder why I'd be avoiding you." The scar on my cheek prickled.
"Valerie, I'm sorry," Harry said. "I didn't know-"
"We can have this discussion later," I countered. "For now, I have work to do."
"Valerie," Ginny interrupted. "Fred said you haven't gone back home in three weeks. You haven't even told him what's going on."
"Go," I ordered, standing by the door and gesturing for them to leave. After glancing at each other, they left. I sighed, shutting the door. As I tiredly rubbed my eyes, I knew Ginny was right about one thing. I did need to go talk to Fred.
Night had fallen by the time I stepped into their store. "Shop's closed!" George called, rushing to the front. "Valerie, what hap-"
"Hi," I said. "Is Fred around?"
"Yeah, he's upstairs," George replied, looking at me with concern. "Fred!"
"What is it?" Fred called back, coming down the stairs.
"Fred, can I talk to you?" I asked. He nodded and we moved out of earshot of everyone else.
"Valerie, what happened to you?" he demanded in hushed tones.
"Harry used a curse he didn't know on Draco," I explained. "I was collateral damage."
"Val, have you been sleeping? Or eating?" Fred asked.
"I can't," I said. "For the last three weeks, I've been having these...these nightmares. A figure falling off of a tower, moonlight, fangs, curly dark hair, and blood. I'm scared, Fred."
"Valerie, they're just dreams," he said. Wrapping his arms around me, he repeated, "Just dreams."
Pulling away from him, I whispered, "But what if they're not?"
"What do you mean?" Fred asked.
"Someone is trying to kill someone in Hogwarts," I said quietly. "They keep messing up, but soon...I don't think they will. Whoever it is falling off that tower...I think they are the target. Whoever it is, they're going to die soon. I don't know when, but I can feel it."
"And you couldn't see who it was?" Fred clarified. I shook my head.
"Fred, I'm scared," I whispered.
"Look, everyone is rather scared right now," Fred said. "It's probably just starting to get to you."
"No, Fred," I insisted. "Something is wrong here and I need to do something about it."
"Valerie, you haven't slept in weeks," Fred said, cupping my cheeks. "Just go back to Hogwarts, take a sleeping draft, and get some sleep, alright?" I sighed and nodded.