Title: Eyes of the Chosen
Author: Emcee
Summary: Harry and Ron try to care for Trelawney, Sirius and Machka talk and Draco and Derek serve detention.
Author's Note: Thank-you to my muses, Rae and Fre and my beta and Pablo.
This story is AU to "Order of the Phoenix". It is the sequel to Labyrinth
of Illusion.
Disclaimer: "Harry Potter" and the characters, places and things
related to it do not belong to me. They are from the brilliant mind of JK Rowling.
They belong to her and her publishers. I am not making any profit from this
fan fiction.
CHAPTER TEN
Imperfection
Harry felt like he would be sick. Ron actually was, gripping the tablecloth on one of the circular tables and heaving up what little lunch he had eaten on the floor.
Nodding, Harry moved to Neville. "It's going to be okay, Neville. Go and get Dumbledore. It's going to be okay ."
Neville nodded briefly, standing up on shaky legs. "O-okay."
Harry put two fingers to Trelawney's neck. His stomach was doing backflips. There was some much blood...
"How did the Death Eaters get in here?" Ron asked before becoming violently ill again.
"She's not dead," Harry replied, moving his hand from Trelawney's neck. "She's just in shock." He looked down at Trelawney's hand. A piece of glass was clutched in her white, bony fingers. "And it wasn't the Death Eaters."
Ron moved beside Harry. "What do you mean? The Death Eaters were trying to take her eyes, like they did with Jakhori. I don't know why, considering she's an old fraud."
Harry pried the fragment of glass from Trelawney's grasp. "I think its part of a crystal ball."
"Why would she do this?" Ron asked, shaking his head. "Why would she intentionally hurt herself?"
"I will explain later," Dumbledore said, coming up from behind. "Sybill..." He touched Trelawney's forehead. "We must get her to the Hospital Wing now if we want her to survive."
Pulling out his wand, Dumbledore summoned a stretcher. He delicately placed Trelawney on it. He began to lead it down the ladder. He held an arm out, shaking his head when Harry and Ron started to follow. "Harry, go to the Owlery and tell Sirius what has occurred. Ronald, I want you to intercept the rest of your classmates. They shouldn't be in here."
Feeling helpless, Harry and Ron watched as Dumbledore left. Ron sighed deeply, leaning against Trelawney's desk. Now that the crisis had passed, Harry took the opportunity to throw up.
"Hold on." Ron looked down at Trelawney's desk. "This seal." Ron picked up a parchment. "Do you recognize this seal?"
He thrust the parchment to Harry, showing him the blue wax seal. It was a moon surrounded by stars.
"That's like Sirius and the girl's tattoo...." Harry blinked. "Do you think this has to do with what happened."
Ron slipped the parchment into his book bag. "We'll find out later."
Sirius came out of Derek's room, adjusting the tunic he was wearing. He looked down at the brown pants. "They're a little short on me."
Machka strode out of the kitchen, handing Sirius' a cup of tea. "You look good. They're from before Derek's growth spurt. He's taller than you now. Why don't you transfigure them to be longer for now?"
"No wand," Sirius replied. "Did you say I looked good? That's some progress."
Machka sat down at the table, still covered in books. "Sirius, I have always thought you were attractive. And that is my biggest problem."
Sirius' jaw dropped. "And why is me being attractive a problem?"
"Because past your attractiveness is nothing but a stubborn and small-minded git." Machka raised her left hand. Wooden beads decorated it. She muttered in Romani and the pants lengthened.
Sirius smiled, taking Machka's hand. "Pretty handy thing, that bracelet. Right there, not as easy to lose as a wand."
Machka cocked a brow. "Why do I get the feeling you want one?"
"Because I do. It's not like I can just walk to Ollivander's and get a new wand. Those handcharms aren't hard to use, right?"
"Point and spell," Machka replied. "I'll send one up to Hogwarts."
"Up to Hogwarts? But I'm right here." Sirius sat down next to Machka. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"Yes." Machka stood up, grabbing her cloak. "I need to go to London. I have a friend in Diagon Alley who might have some ideas as to the dark magic Voldemort may be seeking out."
"Well, I can stay here. I know my way around. I did used to live here, you know." Sirius stretched out his legs. "Can I ask you a question?"
Machka turned around. "You never asked permission for that before. Go ahead."
"Why do I have to wear Derek's clothes? What did you do with all my things when I went to Azkaban?"
Putting her hands on her hips, Machka smiled. "Did you think I spent fourteen years crying into your robes? I burnt them."
"You burnt my clothes?" Sirius' jaw slackened. "Wh-- Why?"
"I thought you had committed twelve murders in a day! I was a little pissed off." She laughed. "It's nothing compared to what I did to your bike."
"My bike?" Sirius leapt to his feet. "I gave that to Hagrid!"
"He brought it to me after he dropped off Harry at the Dursleys." Machka had a tiny smile.
Through clenched teeth, Sirius hissed, "What did you do to my bike?"
Machka's smile got wider. "I took a crowbar to it."
" You great bitch ! That was my-- my... Our daughter was conceived very close to that bike!"
"Oh relax, Sirius." Machka waved her hand as if to brush him off. "I got it repaired almost right after. It's at Remus'."
"Good! If you had destroyed my bike I'd have to ki--" Sirius' tirade was cut off when a snowy owl flew through the window. "It's Hedwig!"
"Hedwig?" Machka questioned, moving towards the bird.
"Harry's owl." Sirius took the note from Hedwig's leg and gave her a pat on the head.
"What does Harry say?"
Sirius unrolled the parchment. "Shit..." He crumpled it. "I have to go."
"What? What does it say?"
Sirius didn't answer. He just transformed into a dog and ran out the door.
Machka picked up the parchment from the floor. She uncrumpled it, reading the scrawled handwriting:
Professor Trelawney is blind .
"Of all of the punishments, I had to be stuck with you !" Draco scrubbed the floor in the main corridor, glaring at Derek. "This is... Disgusting!"
"B-B-Believe me... Th-this is not my i-idea of a p-p-picnic!" Derek stammered, sloshing more water onto the floor. "At least you h-have b-both h-hands."
"First of all," Draco sneered, "You sound like a moron when you stammer like that. Second of all, you're a Gypsy. You should be used to menial jobs."
"Not all Romany are servants, Malfoy," Derek snarled back, "Just the ones fool enough to serve you!"
"Maybe I should keep you angry." Draco snorted. "At least I'll be able to understand what you're saying." He scrubbed even harder. "I wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you."
"Wh-what? I woke you up in the d-dungeons all the way up in the Astronomy T-Tower?" Derek scrubbed his own section of floor. "You w-were up after hours t-too."
Draco was about to come up with a scathing reply when a black bear-like dog galloped down the hallway. He was moving so fast, he wasn't able to avoid Draco. He bashed right into him, sending the Slytherin forward. Draco careened headfirst into his bucket of vile-smelling water.
" AGGGGH !" Draco stood up, filthy water dripping down his silver-blond hair. "That disgusting, rotten--"
Draco stopped ranting. The dog was staring at Derek, its pale grey eyes wide.
Derek stared back, his eyes the same shade as the canine's. He fell backwards onto the damp floor. "Wh-why is it st-staring at m-me?"
The dog whined, padding its way over to Derek. It pushed its muzzle against Derek's cheek, its wet nose making him shiver. The dog licked his cheek. It then lowered its head, touching its nose to Derek's bandaged hand. It inclined its head for a moment. He then bounded off, continuing on its journey.
"Th-that was st-strange," Derek wiped saliva off his cheek.
"More like foul." Draco stamped his foot. "I won't do this wearing wet clothes!"
"Th-then get another d-detention for all I-I care M-M-Malfoy!"
Draco strode off, wringing water out of his robes. "What a disgusting thing... We're not allowed to have dogs anyway. Why would that stupid creature be in here?"
As Draco headed towards the Slytherin common room, he passed the Hospital Wing. There were many panicked voices inside. He stopped, listening in.
"Oh Albus... Why would she resort to this?" Pomfrey exclaimed. "Has Sybill been depressed enough to hurt herself?"
Draco felt a chill go through him as Trelawney replied in his place. He voice was high, panicked. "The eyes have to be perfect! He'll only kill those with perfect eyes! He will kill them all!"