No One Important
Once I was in the hospital wing it was a fairly quick recovery, Pomfrey used my anti-flaring balm to soothe the wound and strangely the wound began to seal up. We were both as surprised as each other and I wondered why that had happened and why I suddenly felt like I was okay. I should have been in agony, I should have been bed bound for days, but somehow I was already healing and the pain was lessening. It wasn’t completely gone and likely it wouldn’t for some time, but it was nothing a pain relief couldn’t take away.
‘How is he?’ I asked while Pomfrey soaked a few bandages in a cool liquid form of the balm. Her eyes snapped up to mine and I knew it wasn’t good news.
‘He’s looked worse.’ Is all she said and I couldn’t bear it.
‘When can I leave?’
I knew she wasn’t happy about letting me go so soon, but I made the point that my father would be able to take care of anything concerning my wound. I was miserable and she could see it, I was just eager to get away from Hogwarts and away from Remus, to go home and get some sleep and try to forget about everything, as impossible as it may have seemed.
Pomfrey finished up putting fresh bandages on while I repaired what I could of my coat, the stains weren’t coming out any time soon, but I could always just get a new one. I just didn’t fancy going home to my parents with a great big blood stain over my white vest.
Finally, I could leave. It was still a little early, but with the help of an energy booster, I would be gone in no time at all. Pomfrey helped to put my coat on around my sling and opened the curtain to reveal Ron Weasley in a bed with Harry and Hermione panting next to him. Pomfrey didn’t think anything about the scene was strange, but I could feel something that seemed very out of place.
I quickly glanced around the rest of the hospital wing, no one else was paying any attention and I suddenly realised what it was that felt out of place.
‘Well that explains how you could be in two places at once.’ I said to Hermione and Harry. Hermione quickly put her hand to her neck, the time turner was safely hidden, much to her confusion. ‘I did wonder if it what I saw was real or not. I hope your being responsible with your time, thought I suppose Dumbledore wouldn’t have given that to you had he thought you couldn’t be trusted.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Hermione quickly said.
‘No, I’m sure you don’t.’ I half smiled.
‘Thank you,’ Harry suddenly said. ‘For luring Professor Lupin away.’
I shook my head, suddenly feeling a lump in my throat.
‘I’m sorry he did that to you.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ I echoed Hermione’s response. ‘There are all sorts of creatures in the Forbidden Forest and most don’t like to be startled. I’ll be fine.’
Not a single person surrounding me believed that and to a large extent, I didn’t either. I was sure I was going to die and I now even surer that my life was over.
‘How did you know to come and find us?’ Hermione suddenly asked.
‘I didn’t.’ I confessed. ‘But I think we can safely say, it’s a good thing I did and no one important got hurt.’ It slipped out, I hadn’t wanted it to slip out, but it did and all three of them heard it. ‘Good luck with your exams. I hope you all pass with flying colours.’ I tried for a smile, but they weren’t convinced, so I simply left, praying my father hadn’t left for work yet when I ran into Dumbledore.
‘Professor Dumbledore.’ I nodded, there was no need for us to talk about the events of the previous night and anything he had to say, I didn’t want to hear.
‘Angie.’ How could he make me stop? I was walking away, I was going home, but somehow he made me stop. ‘You came her for a reason last night.’ I frowned at my old teacher. ‘Remus believed it to be safer in my care.’
The prophecy. Dumbledore didn’t wait for me to say anything, he didn’t need to, I followed him up to his office willingly.
‘I hope you realise how grateful I am to you Angie.’ Dumbledore stood in the middle of his grand office and watched me curiously. ‘You saved Harry’s life last night at great cost to your own, not everyone possesses the courage that you have, and I pray that those around you do not take advantage of it.’ I wasn’t sure what to say. ‘Though if I may be so bold as to encourage you to take advantage for yourself.’ I was used to Dumbledore speaking in riddles and some days I would entertain it, but this wasn’t one of those days.
‘What did Remus do with the prophecy?’ I asked, getting to the point. I could see he didn’t appreciate it, but I didn’t care.
Dumbledore gestured towards what looked to be a pensieve, how had I not noticed that before? Maybe I wasn’t supposed to. A small section of compartments protruded from the cabinet below and one made itself clear to me. I bent down, feeling my body flare with aches and went to open the compartment, but it was locked.
‘Remus sealed it with a password.’ Dumbledore explained.
‘Well, what’s the password?’ I was getting more and more aggravated the less help Dumbledore was being.
‘I have no idea. I encouraged him to choose something meaningful to the both of you. I’m sure if you ask him, he would gladly tell you.’ Dumbledore left his office and I felt a deep anger for him. Why wouldn’t he just speak any sense to me? He could see I was in pain and not of sound mind, why would he toy with that?
I sighed and went through a list of words it could be, including Tibet, oracles, wolfsbane, Lockwood’s Wolfsbane, family, I love you, future, werewolf, first, happy, Hogwarts, Gryffindor, brother, soul, Puffapod, boggart, possession, chocolate, Ruben, animagus, wolf. None of the them worked, I tried everything down to our names, but nothing would get the compartment to open. I would either need to force it open, potentially breaking the pensieve in the process, or ask Remus for password. I couldn't bear the second option and the first didn’t seem too wise.
I sat back against a cupboard and tried to think of what else it could be, when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. The sorting hat. The hat observed everything, saw anything that happened in this office even when it was empty, maybe I wouldn’t have to ask Remus.
‘Do you know what the password is for this?’ I asked, not really finding the energy to stand up again.
‘Yes.’ The hat answered. ‘I know every secret revealed in this room. I see and hear everything.’
‘So you’ve just watched me spend the better part of an hour trying to figure out a password and you knew all along?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, can you tell me what it is then?’ Why didn’t I think of this in the beginning?
‘No.’
‘No? What do you mean no?’
‘I cannot reveal the secrets passed to me in confidence.’
‘Did Remus tell you directly what the password is?’
‘No.’
‘Then it wasn’t passed to you in confidence,’ I couldn’t believe this was all coming down to my reasoning with a hat. ‘You overheard something and so the information is free for anyone to ask for.’
It seemed to take a moment to think. ‘You were particularly difficult to place Angie Lockwood. A power resides in you, a power the world has never seen.’
‘Yeah, well, that’s why I need the prophecy,’ I stood up, feeling completely exasperated with the conversation already. ‘So I can get that power out of me and live a normal life?’
‘Normal? What is normal?’
‘Right, I don’t have the time to be-‘
‘Time was never on your side, it never will be. Choices have been made, actions that cannot be undone, events have unfolded that cannot be reversed. You and your brother will end your bloodline through pain and suffering, bloodshed and fire. None who stand in your way will survive and if the darkness from the past chooses to rise again, the end will come to us all.’
I felt a sharp lump forming in my throat. ‘You don’t know that. Darren and I will live, long happy lives. We have to, after everything we’ve been through, we cannot give up so easily.’
‘Slytherin would have been a good fit for you, those who are ambitious and cunning reside there,’ the hat began to muse and it only furthered my frustration. ‘Though I feared a divide may have formed between you and your brother given the rivalry of the two houses. Ravenclaw would have put confidence in your intelligence, taught you wit and made you into the greatest thinker of all time, but it was not what you needed. Hufflepuff, home to the loyal and kind, perhaps would have taught you humility and sharpened your skills in recognising the way others feel, but those traits would only have served you best in trivial matters. I placed you in Gryffindor because what you needed more than anything was to become courageous and brave, to know fear as well as it knows you, to do the things that no others can hope to do, to make the hard choices and bear the weight of them so that others may not know those burdens. You may live a long life Angie Lockwood, but for Lockwoods happiness is a misguided dream.’
I left. I had to. I couldn’t stand there and listen to the hat any longer, I couldn’t think about my future any longer, I couldn’t breathe in that office any longer. I stood outside and let the tears stream down my face in silence, I’d done enough screaming that night, my throat was sore.
I wasn’t sure how long I stood there for, but I couldn’t stay any longer. I needed that prophecy and there was now only one way I was going to get it.
The students were really only just getting out of bed for the day and yet it felt as though it had been days since I left my house with the intention to make peace with Remus. I stood outside the classroom door and went to open it, but something kept me from knocking, I just couldn’t do it. Every time I thought about him, the pain in my shoulder flared so violently, I thought I would break.
‘Are you alright?’ Harry. I took a deep breath and turned to see he was already in his school robes, most likely never having gone to bed.
‘Harry, what are you doing here?’ I smiled a very unconvincing smile.
‘I’m to see Professor Lupin, everybody found out he’s a werewolf and he’s resigned.’
‘Oh, I see.’ I nodded. ‘I suppose it’s for the best.’ I could see it from Remus’s perspective, if the whole school had found out about his condition, it wouldn’t be long until the Daily Prophet got a hold of the story.
‘How can you say that? He’s the best teacher we’ve ever had, he shouldn’t be forced out because of what he is.’ Harry implored.
I took a shorter breath and thought how best to explain. ‘Harry, Professor Lupin, unfortunately, is very used to people looking at him in a certain light, while he doesn’t normally let that affect him or his teaching… you need to understand that what happened last night was the best possible outcome. Had I not been there to distract him, Remus may have killed you and he would have lost everything. At least he still has you and your parents… and now Sirius if what you said was true.’
‘But Pettigrew escaped and no one will take our word on really happened.’
I couldn’t help but frown, I wasn’t exactly sure who Pettigrew was, but it seemed to really be bothering Harry. I placed my hand on his shoulder, trying to provide some comfort.
‘In my experience, the truth never stays hidden for long. It will come out eventually and the evidence to the contrary will disappear. Until then, have patience and know that you did everything you could. No one can ever ask more of you than that.’ I echoed the words Tenzin had given me the last time I spoke with him before he died, it seemed like an appropriate thing to say, but Harry still looked miserable.
‘Thanks.’ Harry nodded anyway. ‘I can come back later to see Professor Lupin.’
‘No, no, don’t be silly, it’s fine.’ All the frustration that had led me to Remus’s door drained away and exhaustion was taking over. ‘Just… will you pass on a message for me?’
‘Sure.’
‘Tell him he can give my things to David to return to me. I won’t be coming back for them.’
Harry frowned, but nodded anyway. I took one last look at the door to the Dark Arts classroom and finally walked away.