" 'Cause I
I've been feeling pretty small
Sometimes
Feel like I'm slipping down walls
And every line
I ever get a hold
It seems to break. "
--CHAPTER THIRTY--
September 2, 1978
Saturday
Hogwarts
It had been a few hours since Arabella had dropped dead in the middle of the centaur colony. When the incident first happened, it felt as if the world had stopped entirely. The centaurs had wasted no time in delivering Arabella to the castle for her to be treated as fast as possible. Once Dumbledore and McGonagall were alerted, they tried their best to keep everything under wraps hoping that the news of the ex-teacher did not pass through the halls of the magical school.
"Who would hurt her?" whispered McGonagall with a panic written all over her face. "She's just a girl, and no one knows her besides her being a teacher here."
Dumbledore shook his head, "Arabella is part of the order, and she has been housing the son of death eaters for the past three months. The target on her back has always been there; we have just been too careless not to pay attention."
"Shall I alert the order?"
"No," Dumbledore answered as he watched Madam Pomfrey run a diagnostic test. "Just tell Benji and the Prewetts. Molly and Arthur included."
"You might want to tell them to meet you at St. Mungos," Madam Pomfrey interrupted. "This is much more serious than we thought. Arabella has severe damage to her legs and feet and damage to some of her organs due to the deep gashes on her lower body. She needs to leave now."
Dumbledore and McGonagall didn't waste any time in picking up Arabella and taking her to the fireplace in the hospital wing. With one last look at the Mediwitch, the next thing they knew, they were all being consumed by the green flames
----
St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
It had been a few hours since both professors had stepped foot into st. Mungo's and they were yet to get information on Arabella Goldstein. Dumbledore had asked that she'd be put into her own room away from prying eyes. They did not want the news to get out about an ex-teacher possibly dying at the hands of death eaters. Healer Michaelson had very much complied with the orders being an ally herself, so she found it better not to question the headmaster. So there they were Dumbledore, McGonagall, Benji, the Prewetts, and the Weasleys, sitting in the lobby hoping for something good to come from their waiting.
"She's going to be just fine," Benji whispered to himself, though everyone had heard him. "She's too strong to die."
No one replied to him; only Gideon had silently answered him by squeezing his boyfriend's hand. That's when the healer walked in.
Healer Michaelson was a short and stout woman with an amiable face. Most of the people in the room had been healed by the woman at one point or another.
"So?" asked Fabian, without giving the healer a chance to talk.
Healer Michaelson only smiled at him, totally unaffected by his forwardness. "Ms. Goldstein is doing just fine. She just came out intensive treatment to replenish the loss of blood and the gashes all over the bottom half of her body."
Molly let out a sigh and rested her head on her husband's shoulder, "So she's completely healed?"
The friendly healer fell silent by this statement, and no one missed how her eyes flashed with sadness. She cleared her throat, "Healed? Yes, of course," she hesitated. "Um, Professor Dumbledore? May I have a word in private?"
Dumbledore looked towards the others before nodding his head and asking if they could talk outside. They both left the room in complete silence, Dumbledore waiting for the healer to speak and the healer trying to word her information that she had in the best way possible. Once they got to the courtyard, that's when the healer spoke up.
"Since Ms. Goldstein had no contacts, I believe it's best if I talked to you," healer Michaelson said only for Dumbledore to nod in approval. "Right, there were some complications with the extent of her injuries. It had seemed that the curse had gotten through to the lower half of her body. Though luckily, it missed her intestines. But unfortunately, the curse did manage to hit the uterus. Because of this, there was a lot of internal bleeding in the lower half of her body. We were able to salvage the organ though we believe that because of the damage caused to it, the organ won't function properly."
"Won't function properly?" asked Dumbledore, confusion evident in his voice.
Healer Michaelson sighed, "We ran some tests after the treatments, and it told us that she would probably never be able to be with child because of the injuries."
Dumbledore let out a sad sigh as he rubbed his forehead. "Why are you telling me first, Healer Michaelson?"
"Arabella is still unconscious. I'm planning on telling her as soon as she wakes up though I didn't think she should go through this alone. And you being her godfather need to know so you can be there for her."
Dumbledore nodded in agreement, "Right. However, I don't know how she will react to this. Arabella has never mentioned wanting children."
At least not to me. He thought.
"It doesn't matter if she wanted children or not. This is hard for every woman to hear. You need to be patient with her."
Dumbledore nodded again, not knowing what to say. He had gone through his fair share of tragedies throughout his life but never something like this. He had grown to love Arabella like his own family. Though he had no idea how to help and he had no way of fixing it.
----
8:00 pm
Arabella woke up to blinding lights that made her think that she had for sure died. She had no recollection of the night's events or how she had gotten to wherever she was. All she remembered were Rodolphus's hands on her and his threats to her life and the people she loved. Finally coming to her senses, Arabella was able to move her fingers and blink away the white lights, making her eyes adjust to the view. She was in an empty hospital room. Arabella hated hospitals; she wanted absolutely nothing to do with them though if she was here, something terrible must have had happened to her.
She tried to lift her body from her laying position, and that's when she felt a slight sting coming from the lower half of her body.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she heard a voice coming from her left. Quickly turning her head, she saw the man she trusted the most in her new life.
"Benji..." she breathed out. Arabella waved him over so she could receive some help on getting up. Benji quickly strode over and placed a few pillows on her back, making her sit upright on her bed. Once she was comfortable, Benji sat back down in the visitor's chair.
"What happened?" was the first thing she asked.
Benji furrowed his eyebrows, "You don't remember?"
"Vaguely," Arabella shook her head, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember the details. "All I remember was being attacked by Lestrange, and then I remember going to the centaur colony when I escaped."
"Rastaban? He's in Azkaban." Benji instantly questioned.
"No, his brother. Rodolphus."
Benji put his head in his hands, "motherfu--"
"Language," Arabella smirked playfully.
Benji waved her off and looked at her curiously, "How are you so calm?"
Arabella shrugged, "Been through worse. At least I'm not in pain or dead, so that's a bonus."
Benji was about to remark how she is too relaxed for whatever happened to her, but that was the moment that Dumbledore and Healer Michaelson walked in.
"Hello, Arabella!" Dumbledore greeted, walking in with his usual enigmatic aura.
"Hey," she greeted back, her eyes moving from his to the lady in lime green robes.
The woman stuck out her hand for Arabella to shake, "I'm Healer Michaelson. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Goldstein."
Arabella gave her a sweet smile, "Arabella, please. I assume you are the one who took take of me," she waited for the healer to nod. "Well, I'd like to say thank you."
Healer Michaelson nodded and smiled at the gratitude she received, though Arabella didn't miss how her eyes betrayed her. "It was no problem, Arabella. However, I do have some news for you. Maybe you would like to talk in private?"
Arabella looked around the room, then she shook her head, "No, it's alright. I'm assuming you already told uncle Al everything and Benji is my big brother. They can stay."
Healer Michaelson hesitantly nodded at the girl's request, wondering how she would react to the news.
"We were able to replenish the blood loss and heal wounds that the curse might have created on the lower half of your body."
"That's great. Is that why I feel a stringing right here?" Arabella questioned, pointing to an area near her hips.
"Um, yes, that's why. Though I must tell you, Arabella," Healer Michaelson said, her voice turning severe and melancholy, making Arabella look up.
"What?"
"Due to the way the curse was aimed at you, it did extensive damage to your reproductive organs."
Arabella looked at her in confusion, "But I'm good, right? I don't feel any pain besides the sting. You were able to fix it."
Healer Michaelson nodded, "Yes, we were able to salvage the organ, though because of the long-lasting damage that the curse caused, there's a high chance that you won't be able to have children."
That's when Arabella stopped listening to the healer explained in detail what had happened. There was a slight ringing in her ears which caused everything around to go unheard and unnoticed. Arabella had never thought about having children. She never knew if she wanted one. However, she did like the option of choosing whether or not she would have one. Though now, she didn't have anything. No choice. Arabella felt numb to the news, and she didn't know how to react. So she plastered the face of understanding and nodded along to whatever the healer was saying. She only truly refocused when Benjii squeezed her hand.
"Are you alright, Bella?" he questioned, concern and sadness flooding his eyes.
Arabella numbly nodded, "Of course." she turned to the healer. "Thank you for telling me, though I rather this information does not leave this room."
"Yes, of course, Arabella," said Dumbledore as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"We have counseling for these types of situations here at the hospital. So you can be able to talk about this with someone. I can give you any information you need," Michaelson continued.
"That won't be necessary. I'm just fine, just a little shocked, that's all. If that's all, I'd like to be left alone, please."
Everyone in the room looked at each other, then looked down at the girl on the hospital bed, who gave them a small smile, though it never reached her eyes.
"Alright, Bella, we will be outside if you need anything," Benji said as he gave her a longing look.
Arabella simply nodded, refusing to say anything more. Once they all reluctantly left the room, Arbella looked out her room window into the night sky. She counted the stars and reciting the names that she had memorized when she was a child, trying to come to terms with the news she had just been given. Arabella held on tightly to her mother's ring, wishing on the bright stars that this was all just an insane nightmare she was yet to wake up from. After an hour of waiting, reality finally hit her, that she was not dreaming and that this was her reality now. The universe works in mysterious ways, though this reality of hers was just cruel. She wondered what she had done to deserve all of this. Once again, Arabella was left with a broken heart and no other choice but to deal with it alone.
----
A/N- :( let me know if this needs a trigger warning
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sense by tom odell