Chapter 24

I walk into the Eight Year Common room feeling both guilty and determined, it seems to be my consistent emotion at the moment. I will never forgive myself for Lavender's fate but I am determined to make up for it now.

I knew giving her a detention would seem overly harsh but I'm getting nowhere with attempting to converse with her in our lessons, it's like she doesn't even hear me. Since the outburst last week she has not looked at me but I can see the guilt in her eyes when I look at her.

"Good evening, Professor McGonagall." Hermione Granger looks up from her book and smiles at me.

"Good evening, Hermione. How are you?" It's been a strange transition to start calling the oldest students by their first names but with everything they've all been through it's not like we can start treating them as children again, or even students.

"Excellent, thank you. How are you?"

"Fine, I was looking for Lavender, she has a detention." Hermione looks surprised.

"Oh… she didn't tell me. I haven't seen her since dinner, she's probably having a nap." I will feel even worse about punishing her if she is having a nap, she's not had a good week. Hermione puts her book down and walks towards the bedrooms.

I look around the room, the boys are all involved in a game of Exploding Snap in the far corner of the room. Neville appears to be losing and I fight a smile with difficulty, some things never change.

Hermione returns and looks quite concerned.

"Is she asleep?"

"No, she's not there, I checked the bathroom as well. Dora's not there either."

"She's probably with Dora then, Bill has been watching her, thank you for checking. Enjoy your evening." I cross the Common Room and enter Bill and Fleur's apartment.

They both appear to be in the middle of marking. Fleur looks exhausted and I make a mental note to offer to take a few of her classes, Bill has a sleeping Dora next to him on the sofa and he looks up at me as I enter.

"Minerva, everything okay? I thought Lavender's detention was eight."

"It is, I've come to collect her." They both look up at me with a shocked expression and I feel suddenly ill at ease.

"Zee is not 'ere, Minerva. We have not seen 'er since dinner."

"I've been waiting for her to pick up Dora, is she having a nap?"

"No, she's not…Hermione checked." I can feel the colour drain from my face. Bill stands up quickly and Fleur follows suit before casting charms over the baby.

We all return to the Common Room without discussing it. The game is still going on, Fleur runs to the room to check for herself and I walk over to the boys.

"Where's Lavender?" I ask, without preamble.

"I've not seen her…" Starts Harry but Seamus interjects.

"She was talking to Padma, she's been a while though. I left her at half six."

"You left her where?" Asks Bill, Seamus looks up from the cards and seems to guess that he may be in trouble.

"Umm…fourth floor corridor. Padma was upset so I…I left them alone. I forgot."

"Harry, the map." Says Ron, Harry nods and runs out of the room.

"You left her alone?" Bill asks.

"No, she was with Padma…I'm sorry I didn't think, I'm not good with crying girls!" Finnigan defends. Harry returns and spreads a rather detailed map of Hogwarts across the table, I recognise it from his father's days.

"Where's the Ravenclaw Common Room?" Asks Neville, I search for it and scan the names, Padma Patil is alone in her room.

"Crap!" Mutters Seamus under his breath. Harry makes to turn the map over but I stop him and search for the Transfiguration Corridor.

"There!" Says Hermione, I realise that she has more experience with this map than I do. I follow her finger and my heart freezes.

"Fuck!" Exclaims Bill and I want to mimic him. Lavender Brown, back in that room.

I open my eyes slowly, my head is throbbing but I can't remember why, I try to pull up my hand to see if I have a bump or wound to explain the pain but my hand is bound. That is enough to panic me and I look around and all the air seems to disappear from my lungs.

I'm in the room, the faces are all there. Nothing has changed, I'm in the room and they will come. My breaths are hard to get and I try to sit up but there is a rope over my stomach. I look around but the faces follow me.

McGonagall.

Ginny Weasley.

Parvati.

Hermione is there but I don't understand how, it doesn't look the same as the other ones but it's enough to make me throw up. I turn my head to the side so I don't choke and Fleur's face appears making me gag.

I cough and try to keep breathing but the vomit in my throat is too hard to clear. I try to bend my knees but my ankles are tied down.

They will come any minute and hurt me again, they will touch me and make me do unthinkable things and I will let them because I am weak and they are strong.

My breaths are heavy and unsuccessful and my vision starts to fade, I long for darkness or even death, anything but this room and these faces.

"Relashio!" My limbs are freed and I hear footsteps. I roll over onto my side and try and clear my throat, my head is throbbing like someone struck me with a beater bat.

"Lavender!" Weasley's voice breaks through the room and I feel him next to me, he hits me on the back to help me breath.

"It's okay, Lavender, you're safe now. Anapneo!" I'm not familiar with the spell but I clears my airway instantly and I gulp and try to take deep breaths but I can still see the faces, I close my eyes and the panic makes me feel like I'm drowning.

I feel Weasley lift me up and carry me and I cling onto the front of his shirt just for something to cling onto. The air seems to open up and Weasley lowers me again, I don't let go of his shirt and he puts his arm around me and holds me to reassure me. I hear footsteps but I keep my eyes closed.

"Get Poppy!" Weasley calls, still gripping me tightly.

"Lavender, it's okay now." It's McGonagall but I don't open my eyes and I don't release Weasley. I heave again and I have no idea if I hit anyone with the vomit but I hope I don't.

"Lavender, try to relax." It's Fleur and she sounds scared.

My breathing seems to get shallower and shallower and my grip of Weasley loosens and I feel someone lower me to the floor and rub my back. I can hear them speaking to me but it just sounds like noise.

I vaguely feel a potion slide down my throat and then the darkness I've craved surround me.

My hearing comes back first, probably because Dora is crying. I try to reach out towards the sound but my limbs are heavy and it makes me panic.

"Is she waking up? Lavender?" It sounds like Weasley and I try to respond to him.

"Lavender? Can you open your eyes?" I try to follow Pomfrey's instruction but I feel like me eyes are glued shut.

"Is she waking up?"

"She's struggling to fight the potion, the magic is…." Pomfrey's voice fades.

My eyes open quickly, too quick for my brain to process and the brightness makes me close them again. I'm in the hospital wing and it's so bright. I open them again slowly and my eyes adjust better.

I look around and see Fleur asleep in an armchair next to me. I hear footsteps and then Pomfrey arrives at the foot of my bed and picks up a clipboard to read before glancing at my face and noticing I'm awake. It makes her jump slightly but then she looks relieved.

"Oh, Lavender, how are you feeling?" She asks, putting the notes down and walking up the bed. I don't reply to her but tears spring to my eyes and they seem to answer her question.

"I know, dear." Pomfrey says, sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching down to hold my hand. The tears keep coming and at some point Fleur wakes up and suddenly I'm hugging her although I don't remember sitting up.

When the tears finally subside it's dark outside, perhaps it was hours or perhaps it was only minutes. Pomfrey adjusts my pillows so I'm sat up and Hermione arrives with Dora. It's only when she passes her to me that I realise how much I'm shaking. It wakes Dora up and Fleur takes her off me. Hermione sits next to me and talks to me but I can't hear her over the sounds of my own head, my own thoughts.

I know I can't stay at Hogwarts now.

"Lavender, can you remember what happened?" McGonagall's voice is gentle and I turn to her. It's evening and McGonagall and Weasley are sat with me, Fleur has taken Dora to put her down and Pomfrey is in her office.

"I… I don't want to stay here…" I reply.

"Madam Pomfrey wants to keep you here until Monday…" I look at McGonagall and know that, unlike Weasley, she understood what I meant.

"Please? Please let me leave?" I beg, McGonagall closes her eyes for a moment and then nods.

"I'll speak to Kingsley tonight, we'll find a way."

"Minerva?" Asks Weasley.

"I can't stay at Hogwarts, Professor….I can't get…I can't get better here." I explain, he looks confused but then nods.

"Can you tell us what happened though, Lavender? Can you remember how you got in the room?" McGonagall asks, sitting down next to Weasley and looking old all of a sudden.

"I was talking to Padma and she got upset and ran off. I was just passing the library and…" I reach around and find a large bump of the back of my head. "Something hit me from behind and I fell forwards, I could feel a wand in my back and someone stunned me. I can't remember the voice…I don't think I recognised it. I woke up in the…but there were new faces there…I…I don't understand…Why were the faces there anyway?"

"The Ministry asked us to leave the room untouched, to show the Wizamgamot. I saw the new faces, we should be able to track who created them, the charm was not as realistic as…"

"It was realistic enough." I say, interrupting Weasley who looks apologetic.

"I'm sorry Lavender, I didn't meant it like that. I meant the charm was not as advanced. I'm sure Filius will be able to track the student." I nod and lean back on the pillows, I'm still shaking but I can't seem to stop.

The next time I look up McGonagall is the only one there.

"I'm so sorry, Lavender, I'm so…"

"It's not your fault, it never was Professor. None of it, I shouldn't have shouted at you, I'm sorry."

"I will find you somewhere safe, for you and Dora, I promise." I nod and she leaves to be immediately replaced by Pomfrey who looks distressed.

"Lavender, we have a problem."

"Just one?" I ask, trying to stop my hands shaking. Pomfrey doesn't reply so I look up at her, she looks almost tearful. "What is it?"

"I believe that this event may have impacted your magic, you had an unusual reaction to the calming potion. I'm going to test your magical reserves…"

"Don't bother." I reply, feeling quite certain.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't want to know, Madam Pomfrey. I don't want to discuss it again, what will happen will happen and there's nothing I can do about it."

"But…I can arrange treatment…"

"No, I want to disappear, maybe losing my magic will help with that." Pomfrey argues with me for a good half an hour before I yell at her and she finally agrees to let the matter drop. The offer of treatment will, she insists, always be there but I know I won't use it. Magic is a part of me that I have lost, just another casualty of war.

"Lavender, wake up!" I open my eyes to see McGonagall and Weasley, it's still dark so I'm confused and immediately fear the worst.

"What? Is it Dora?" I ask, groggily.

"No, we're getting you out of here, now."

"Now? What time is it?"

"Three in the morning. Kingsley's got a portkey waiting. Can you walk?" My limbs are unresponsive and I nearly fall out of bed. Weasley helps me and we exit the hospital wing quickly.

"Why are we going now?"

"We'll explain when we get there." Weasley says, helping me to walk. We reach the apartment and Fleur is awake and holding Dora who is dressed and asleep. Mr Weasley and the Minister for Magic are also there.

"Quick, it's leaving in two minutes!" Shacklebolt says, holding a book which must be a portkey.

"I'm coming with you Lavender, just to explain." Says Mr Weasley.

"But, where am I going?" I ask, this is all very fast.

"We can't say but…Lavender you will be safe there, we…" McGonagall stops, looking unsure.

"It's the only way Minerva." Says Shacklebolt.

"I know but…I have to tell them, if not they will feel terrible!" McGonagall snaps.

"I don't understand."

"Lavender, we are going to fake your death." Says Weasley, bluntly.

"One minute."

"What?" I ask, fake my death. I seems drastic but then I realise, they are freeing me.

"It's the only…"

"What about Dora?" I ask, cutting through Shacklebolt.

"Adopted abroad perhaps, we have more time with her. People won't expect to see her."

"You have to tell the other Gryffindors, Seamus will…"

"Thirty seconds."

"We'll be in touch, we've packed all your things, Arthur has them." McGonagall suddenly reaches out and hugs me and I realise I'm still shaking. "I'm sorry, Lavender." She whispers and I nod.

Fleur passes Dora to me with tears in her eyes and then gives me a quick hug.

"Ten seconds, get ready." Shacklebolt passes Mr Weasley the book and he holds it out to me and I take hold of it, still with no clue as to where we are going. I look up at McGonagall and Weasley and Fleur and feel the tears roll down my cheeks, what can I say to them?

The blue light starts from the portkey and I grip Dora tighter and look up at the teachers.

"Thank you." I see McGonagall give a slight smile and a tear rolls down her own face and then the pull around my stomach makes me grip Dora tighter and I close my eyes.

I will be free, even if that means I am no longer Lavender Brown.

A/N So that's then end of The Deal, I will post the sequel within a few weeks. Can anyone guess where she's going?

xXMizz Alec VolturiXx- Thanks!

LUG-14- It's a mystery!

Nightshroud92- Lol.

Allen Pitt- Any idea where she's going?

Bookwormkat1- Thanks, the sequel is much lighter!

witchprincess33- I know, I'm mean!