Written for brainthief who placed in a competition of mine

Written for lezonne's Duct Tape Competition: Orange - write about something energising

Keep Going, Keep Moving Forward, Keep Fighting

There wasn't much that could make Poppy cringe these days, but as Neville Longbottom carried a bloodied girl into the hospital wing, laying her gently on the nearest bed, she knew she was in for a long night.

The girl – Amber Wood, she thought – had a large gash down the side of her arm where it seemed a curse had been inflicted on her. On her head were many other gashes and wounds, and her right foot seemed to be oddly displaced, indicating it was most likely broken.

Not to mention that the poor third year Ravenclaw was knocked unconscious.

She didn't even need to ask Longbottom who had caused such inflictions. There were only a select few teachers and students who would do such a thing.

"Crabbe," Neville told her anyway.

Poppy nodded, immediately tending to the girl. She'd seen Amber once before, back in her first year. She'd been sent to the hospital after a Potions mishap. Back then all she'd needed was something to remove the nasty boils which had formed on her skin and she was sent on her way. Poppy had barely completed her examination to know that this visit would be a lot longer.

"Do your best for her," Neville said grimly, looking at the girl with an expression that resembled grief. "She shouldn't have been where she was."

Poppy nodded once more. She understood. These days, nine out of ten of her patients were attacked for nothing but sport. Most of the time they were the unsuspecting younger students.

Looking the girl over once more, she hurried to her supply cupboard, searching for the ointment to treat her wounds and a potion that would take away the pain when she roused. She was just in the process of bandaging the broken foot when the doors to the hospital wing once more opened.

Upon seeing who had come to visit her, her eyes narrowed until they were nothing but slits and she glared. "I am treating my patients," she said sternly to the headmaster. "I will not be disturbed.

Severus said nothing. He simply marched to the other side of Amber's bed where she still laid unconscious, black robes tailing him. He studied her, probably making sure that that Crabbe boy had done a good job, and then looked up at Poppy.

"Inform me when she wakes," he said coolly.

"I'd rather not," Poppy answered with venom. She would not allow the headmaster to put any more students in danger. Was it not enough for him that she had fourteen of them already occupying the beds? Who knew how many more there were, too scared to come to her to be treated. There were a select few students – Neville Longbottom included – who did their best to help others where possible. But surely even they would not learn of all the attacks.

Feeling no fear of the cowardly headmaster, she straightened herself over the unconscious girl and gave Severus the coldest stare she could as she said, "Once the students are in my care, they will stay in my care until I say they are okay to leave." A vision of herself harbouring as many of the students she could in the hospital wing came to the forefront of her mind. She immediately pushed it aside. There was simply not enough room.

If it were even possible, Severus' thin mouth became even thinner as he drew up to her. "I wish to ask Miss Wood some questions," he said. "Please inform me when she wakes." And then he was gone, striding through the two doors, appearing a man on a mission.

Poppy looked down at the ill girl. "Don't worry," she soothed, "As far as the headmaster will be concerned, you will not have woken the next time he comes knocking."

…

She'd never thought becoming the Healer at Hogwarts would be a job she would stay with. When Albus had offered her the position three years after she'd left the school as a student she had jumped at the chance. Healing was a tricky business to get into. Immensely popular, places such as St. Mungo's only looked for the very best. Someone as young and as new to the task as she, her application had barely been glanced over before being tossed aside.

Albus Dumbledore, always willing to give everyone a chance, had sent her an owl the very next day. He was sorry to hear of her failed application to the hospital, but wanted to take her on as Hogwarts' Healer. The Healer before her had retired, and due to unforseen mishaps students were always getting themselves involved in, Albus thought it best they found a new one as soon as possible.

Only for a few years, she had told herself. Then she would try at St. Mungo's again and become a Head Healer like she had always dreamed of.

That had been forty-two years ago now.

She wasn't sure what had prompted her to stay all this time. Students would come in with many inflictions. They would make up some story as to how they had come to have received it, and she would treat them without asking any questions. It wasn't her job to discipline the students. She was simply there to heal.

What had changed her mind had been a student by the name of Remus Lupin. The poor boy had been inflicted something he could not control. When Albus had come to her, speaking of his misfortune, she was ashamed to admit that she had at first been afraid.

A werewolf. What was a werewolf even doing in the school, let alone being allowed to learn? They were monsters, they couldn't control their nature. Most enjoyed the feeling of killing. In that moment she was just about ready to throw in her wand and leave.

That very boy had almost been the end of her career, but in the end, he had been what had convinced her to stay.

He was a shy boy, very quiet, and unnerved. He seemed very aware of what people would think had they known of his true nature. She soon learnt that if he had the choice he would not attack anybody. He had three very good friends who soon learnt of his… mistfortune, and a headmaster who thought it important he learn.

Poppy complied to Albus' wishes, but soon, every month she walked Remus out to the Whomping Willow it became more obvious to herself that she wasn't doing it for Albus, she was doing it for Remus. She was doing it for herself.

She was able to help someone who couldn't help herself, and that was better – it was more energising – than working in any stupid hospital. Here, she came to know and understand every student who walked through those doors. She saw the relationships that had been formed outside that little room of hers, and she saw the love, the friendship and the devotion young people were able to feel.

She would never have noticed had she taken up the offer that eventually came from St. Mungo's. She learned a lot being at Hogwarts, and it was with that knowledge that prompted her to stay. It was with that knowledge that kept her from packing up her bags and running away when Severus took over the school. In the two months it had been under his control she had seen at least fifty students come to her.

She hated to harbour the thought, but without her, many of those students – ones such as Amber Wood – would be dead.

…

As she expected, Severus came back the very next day, marching through the doors like he was the only thing that mattered. With a wave of her wand, Poppy closed the curtains of Amber's ward.

"Back again, Severus?" she asked calmly.

"Is the girl awake?" he demanded.

"The girl has a name, and no, she is not." Amber had woken late into the previous night, but Poppy had thought ahead and cast silencing charms around her. The headmaster had never taken such an interest in any of the injured students before. What had occurred to make him so determined to speak to her?

Severus eyed the closed curtains as if he didn't believe her. "When will she wake?" he wanted to know.

"You can speak to her when I say she is well enough," Poppy answered him, and Severus glared. "You know, if you did as a headmaster should you would not be in this position in the first place. Allowing teachers and students to attack other students? What has become of you, Severus?"

For a moment – just a brief moment – she saw his steel expression falter. As if he, too, was questioning his actions. But it disappeared so quickly Poppy wondered if she'd imagined it.

"I do what I must," was all he said. He looked to the closed ward again. "Please inform me when she is well enough to speak. I wish to speak to her." And like the day before, he was gone as quickly as he had come.

Poppy sighed.

"I d-don't w-want t-to talk t-to him," Amber said through weak sobs, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"There, there," Poppy soothed, brushing the girl's hair from her face as she returned to her. "You won't have to. Now rest up, dear. I want you well enough so Neville Longbottom can come and collect you again."

Amber nodded. It would be a few days yet before she could go back.

…

The attacks on the students seemed to stop after that. Poppy was letting more leave than she was taking in. The last she had seen of Neville and his group had been when he'd brought in Miss Wood.

Poppy wouldn't let herself relax, though. It would only be a matter of time before those Carrows started hurting students again.

The next lot came six days later.

Miss Lovegood and Miss Weasley came to her carrying bloodied noses.

"We tried to help," Miss Weasley explained.

"Not this time, though," Miss Lovegood added.

Poppy tended to their injuries with a wave of her wand. It was not like them to come to her for such trivial matters. A little bit of blood was something capable students like themselves could fix.

It then occurred to her that it may have been an excuse.

"You wish to see Miss Wood?" she questioned.

The two young women nodded, eyes searching the room for their treasured victim.

"It was my fault she was there," Miss Weasley said in a hushed tone. "She shouldn't have been, but it was my fault."

Poppy only nodded. She was not one to ask questions.

"She is almost well enough to leave," she explained as she drew back the curtains to the ward the third year lay. Most of her wounds had healed (it was only the really deep ones that left some marks). It was more the girl's emotional state that caused Poppy to keep her there. "The headmaster has been in every day wanting to speak to her but I haven't allowed it. Come by tomorrow and take her with you."

Lovegood and Weasley both nodded. Poppy knew she could trust them.

…

The headmaster returned the next day, catching both Poppy and Amber off guard. Miss Wood was sitting up on the bed, awake, and almost completely healed save for a few scratches on her arms and legs.

Upon seeing the headmaster her eyes widened into something that resembled fear, and her hands trembled. Instinctively, Poppy moved to stand in front of the girl, protecting her from Severus.

"She is awake, I see," he almost sneered.

"Almost ready to leave, yes," Poppy responded. "Her friends will be coming for her any moment. I fear you've missed your chance, headmaster."

Severus regarded her for a moment, probably debating whether or not to hex her, and then turned back to Amber. "Who was the one to torture you?" he asked roughly.

"I hardly think that question is appropriate!" Poppy snapped. "She's barely recovered."

Severus ignored her. "Answer me," he demanded of the girl.

"I-I don't know," she stammered. "I don't know his name."

"I was informed it was Mr Crabbe," Poppy said. "If that was all you needed to know, you could have spared yourself all these visits and asked me upfront."

"And who informed you of such things?" Severus insisted.

Poppy didn't answer.

"Ah, our pesky little Army has been doing some jobs around the school, I see." This knowledge seemed to please him. "Very well. Make sure you stay out of harm's way in the future, Miss Wood. It could have been a lot worse."

Amber trembled, appearing as if she wanted to cry.

"Don't fear him," Poppy tried to soothe. "You'll be safe when Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood come for you."

This seemed to bring no comfort to her whatsoever. Not until they truly did come, beaming.

"It's good to know you are well," Lovegood said with her airy smile she usually wore regardless of the situation. She offered a hand to the terrified third year. "Come now," she urged kindly. "We'll take you to a safe place."

Amber reluctantly accepted her offer, and together, the three young ladies left the hospital wing.

Poppy watched from the doors and as they rounded the corner and disappeared from view she realised the smile that had formed on her lips. It was people like them, she realised. It was people like them – those who faced their fears, refused to give in – that kept her going. Even in the doorway of death they refused to accept their fate and continued to fight.

It was in that moment that it dawned on her. It was not she who kept the students strong, it was them who kept her. If it were not for them she would have packed up her bags long ago and left. But their determination, their strength… it was what kept her going and would continue to keep her going.

They needed her. But not as much as she needed them.

I actually truly really did have a lot of fun writing this. It was interesting to explore Poppy's character, to be honest. I hope you all enjoyed reading it, too!