Chapter Seven

Margaery was frozen in place as she watched Sansa fall to the ground. Luckily, Jon--who was standing right behind the girl--was able to catch her before her body hit the ground. "Someone get her onto a bed!" Professor Sandor Clegane, their savior and the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, exclaimed. Jon was able to half drag, half carry his sister towards the bed across from Arya. The red-haired Stark was groaning loudly in her state of unconsciousness, Margaery felt another pang of terror at the thought that she had no idea what was happening to Sansa. She looked at Professor Clegane, her eyes filling with tears. The big, burly man quietly knelt to be eye level with the Headmistress's granddaughter. "She'll be okay, Margaery. She just passed out, okay?" Margaery nodded wiping the tears from her face quickly. Professor Clegane smiled, briefly, before he put a hand on her shoulder, leading her over to the bed where Sansa was lying. Margaery watched as he quietly knelt by her head, putting his large fingers over her carotid artery, checking her pulse.

"Her heart is beating way too fast." He stated, standing up. "Which one of you is she the closest to?" The children looked around at each other briefly before pointing at Robb. "Will you please hold her hand and talk to her before she wakes up? I don't want her to wake up and have a panic attack." Robb quickly knelt next to his younger sister, clutching her hand in his. Margaery could see how scared the boy was by the way his fingers trembled when he ran his hands through Sansa’s sweat matted hair.

“What’s going on??” Arya called out from her bed, she started to slowly move to get off her bed. Daenerys, who was still sitting next to Arya, tried to gently push her back onto the bed. Arya struggled to fight against Daenerys’s grip but ultimately gave up, collapsing back down into the mattress. “Arya, it’s okay. Sansa just passed out.” Jon’s trembling voice responded.

“But that thing--”

“That thing was a Dementor and it’s gone now.” Professor Clegane reassuringly. “Now does anyone have chocolate?” The children looked at each other for a long second before Daenerys pulled out a chocolate bar out of her robe and tossed it towards the professor.

Arya gave her an amused look, “A girls gotta eat sometimes, doesn’t she?” Daenerys shrugged.

“Uh guys,” Robb exclaimed, “she’s moving!” Professor Clegane turned his attention towards Sansa who was beginning to wake up. She suddenly sat up, bonking heads with Robb. Robb yelped, holding his head as Sansa sat up tall gasping for air. Jon rushed over to her side and started to whisper to her. She eventually began to calm down, finally noticing where she was and who was around her.

“Wh-what happened?” Sansa panted out. “A Dementor attacked you, Sansa.” Professor Clegane said gently. “Here, eat this chocolate, it’ll make you feel better.” He gave the chocolate bar to Sansa, who shakily took it. She took a tiny bite from it, collapsing back into the bed.

Then, the door slammed open. Margaery jumped, surprised. She turned and saw her grandmother, Professor Tyrion Lannister, Professor Petyr Baelish, and Professor Davos Seaworth parade into the Hospital Wing, Madam Maegyr followed not far behind them. Margaery, still traumatized from watching Sansa get attacked rushed over to her grandmother and tightly latched her arms around the older woman’s waist. She pressed her face into Headmistress Tyrell’s stomach and started to cry.

“It’s okay, dear child.” Her grandmother’s gravelly voice. “You’re safe, I’m here.” Margaery felt hands wrap around her small frame and start to lightly rub her back in small circles. The tense anxiety that had manifested in her back slowly started to slip away. Her body saged forward as she leaned more of her weight on her grandmother. “What the bloody hell happened, Sandor?” Margaery felt the low vibrations of her grandmother speaking as she continued to hide her face in her robes.

“I was walking toward the Great Hall when I heard screaming coming from the Hospital Wing. I rushed in to find a Dementor sucking out Sansa Stark’s soul.” Margaery’s cries increased in intensity as her memory flashed back to the Dementor and Sansa. Her grandmother pulled away from her for a second. Margaery tried to reach out and pull her back but the woman had knelt to be eye level with her grandchild.

“Margaery did you see the Dementor?” Margaery wiped tears from her face as she nodded. Her grandmother sighed. “I’m sorry you had to see that, honey.” Margaery was wrapped into a tight hug. It was times like these that Margaery was glad that Olenna Tyrell was her grandmother. To many, the woman was cold and strict but to Margaery, this couldn’t be further from the truth. After a good thirty seconds of hugging Margaery, the Headmistress pulled away, wiped a tear off Margaery’s face and made her way over to where Sansa was lying. Professor Baelish quickly fell in line behind the Headmistress, not looking at Margaery as he made his way to Sansa. However, Professor Seaworth took Olenna Tyrell’s place on the floor, letting Margaery cry into his shoulder. He was always one of Margaery’s favorite professors.

“Sansa, how are you feeling?” Professor Tyrell asked the red-haired girl resting in bed. Jon and Robb were sitting on either side of the bed, both holding one of Sansa’s hands. Arya had convinced Daenerys to help her over to her twin’s bed and was lying next to her. She had one arm wrapped around Sansa’s stomach, her head resting on her sister’s shoulder. Margaery had never seen the sisters act so nicely towards each other.

“I feel better,” Sansa stated, a slight smile on her face. She quickly glanced over at Arya and her smile grew. “But that was really scary.” Professor Baelish gave Sansa a sympathetic look. Daenerys, who was standing slightly awkwardly at the foot of the bed, shuffled her feet and looked at the ground as the professor scooted her over so he could look at the Stark girl head-on. Professor Lannister, who was oddly silently for once, gave the taller man a strange look from where he was standing next to Robb.

“I’m sorry this has happened to you, Miss Stark.” Professor Baelish said, patting Sansa on the leg. Sansa gave him an uncomfortable smile, moving her leg slightly so he couldn’t touch it again. Arya peeked one of her eyes open to glare at the older man. He backed away from the bed, slightly.

“This should not have happened to you, Sansa.” Professor Tyrell stated, “Dementors are not creatures that should be dwelling on Hogwarts grounds, especially not inside the school. They should only be guarding Azkaban. When you all are better rested tomorrow, I would like you all to come to my office to give your sides of the story. I will be speaking to the Minister of Magic as soon as I can so this can all be resolved. Would you like me to write to your parents to let them know what happened tonight?”

“I wouldn’t want to worry dad,” Sansa muttered. Robb gave her an incredulous look. He turned to Professor Tyrell, “That would be wonderful, thank you.”

“How about you, Dany? Do you want her to write to your parents?” Arya asked. All attention turned to the white-haired girl whose tan face when white at the question.

“Uh…I--”

“There’s no need for me to write to Miss Stormborn’s parents.” Professor Tyrell put simply, her hand resting on the Hufflepuff’s shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. Arya looked confused for a moment but didn’t press the issue. “I will leave you all here with Madam Maegyr.” The matron of Hogwarts suddenly appeared with a tray of different potions, some for Arya and some for Sansa. “Margaery, would you like to come with me to my office?” The younger Tyrell nodded, taking her grandmother’s hand as she made her way to the exit of the Hospital Wing. Before walking out the door, Margaery turned and waved to the Stark children and Daenerys. All of them except Ayra, who was still holding tight onto her sister with her eyes closed, waved back.

Her grandmother’s hand was cold and clammy, but it still gave Margaery the comfort she was craving. Professor Tyrell and Margaery walked in a comfortable silence as they made their way to the Headmistress’s Office. The three professors behind them were talking in hushed whispers, their heads as close together as they could be given Tyrion's short stature.

“Opium Poppy.” The Headmistress stated as they reached the Gargoyle statue that was guarding her office. Margaery watched as the statue stepped aside to reveal a circular stone staircase that moved to make its way up to the office. Margaery continued to clutch her grandmother’s hand as they walked up the staircase. However, once they set foot inside the office, Margaery let go of the hand so she could run ahead twirling around to get a better look at the office. The portraits of the Headmasters and Headmistresses before her grandmother looked down at her, some of them grinning, other’s rolling their eyes. The grand desk in the middle of the circular room was donned with carvings of beautiful flowers. Margaery recognized that many of the flowers were from her family's estate, Highgarden.
“I thought you may like it.” Professor Tyrell’s amused voice rang out from behind her.

“Like it? I love it!” Margaery giggled running over to sit at the Headmistress’s desk. Professor Tyrell chuckled to herself, walking over and pulling up a chair next to the girl. Professores Baelish, Lannister, and Seaworth finally made their way up to the Headmistress’s office.

“Olenna, I just received word that Cersei Lannister is coming to meet with you tonight,” Professor Baelish stated, “are you sure it’s a good idea for Miss Tyrell to be here.”

“Why shouldn’t she? She was there so she can give Cersei her account of what happened.” Professor Tyrell countered. “Well, yes. She could…” A dejected look came over his face.

“The Minister of Magic is coming?” Margaery whispered to her grandmother. The Headmistress nodded smiling as Margaery shivered excitedly. Cersei Lannister was one of her biggest heroes. Her grandmother wasn’t the Minister’s biggest fan, but she’d do anything to make the girl happy.

Suddenly a burst of green flames shot up from the fireplace. Cersei Lannister dressed in elegant red robes sauntered into the room. Her long, golden hair was braided perfectly and she had a bright, red witch’s hat to complement her robes. Tyrion took out a flask and took a swig.

“Good evening, dear sister.” He gave her his fakest smile. “Tyrion,” she acknowledged. “Olenna, what is this I hear about a Dementor on Hogwarts grounds--” Cersei turned to be met with Margaey’s face instead of Professor Tyrell. Surprise spread across her face until she saw the older Tyrell sitting next to her granddaughter in a less fancy chair.

“Sansa Stark was attacked by a Dementor while visiting her sister in the Hospital Wing. Luckily for us, Professor Sandor Clegane was there to perform the Patronus Charm before the Dementor’s kiss was complete.” Professor Tyrell explained bluntly. She looked at the younger woman expectantly.

“Ned Stark’s daughter? He was just promoted to head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement…. Today. We were going to announce it officially tomorrow.” Cersei said the Headmistress’s eyes widened, surprised. The three professors standing behind Cersei shuffled around awkwardly.

“That is very odd, Cersei,” Professor Tyrell began, “who is in charge of the Dementors in Azkaban?”

An awkward silence came over the room as Cersei stared at the Headmistress. Margaery was a bit confused but continued to sit next to her grandmother silently.

“Jaime Lannister is in charge of Azkaban at the moment.” Cersei finally stated. Professor Tyrell and Professor Lannister’s eyes widened at that information.

Olenna Tyrell leaned back in her seat, a hand traveling to her face to rub her temple that had begun to throb, painfully. “Jaime is in charge of Azkaban… He was, also, rumored to get the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement… and Ned Stark, the man who got the job, his daughter was attacked by a Dementor after he won?” Professor Tyrell uttered. Cersei and Tyrion both physically gulped.

“Cersei, I’d advise you to talk to your brother as soon as possible.”