Chapter Text
It’s March 14th. My birthday is in six days. I should be excited. Happy. Looking forward to it like any other child. But no. Instead…my breath is shaky. Uneven. I'm pretty sure I'm not spinning in circles. So why, do you ask, is the sky spinning? I can answer that.
Yay for fevers.
For as long as I can remember, exactly a week before my birthday, I start to get sick. At first it starts out with mild chills and a slight fever, but by the end of the week it progresses to coughing fits and a fever so high you can fry an egg on my face!
Don't do that, please.
Anyway, I get so sickly that I'm pretty much on my deathbed. According to the doctors, around midnight the morning of my birthday, I stop breathing and become positively corpse-like. Only to jerk 'alive' with a startled breath, like someone coming out of a bad dream. And that is what’s happening now—not the whole coming-back-to-life thing, but the whole fry-an-egg-on-my-face thing.
So now, I’m wandering through a godforsaken forest in the middle of bloody nowhere with no idea where I’m going.
Why? Because my foster, actually ex-foster, parents got scared shiteless the first time this happened and the orphanage didn't want to deal with me anymore.
Hooray!
Back to the forest; I think something’s following me, but I'm not sure. It's too dark to see anything. Whatever it is, I hope they like their steak medium-well since that's what I feel like right now.
Cheese and crawl, what was that?
Alone and not in the best of health, a young girl of almost 11 walked through a dense forest in the middle of the night. Tattered clothing aside, she had no possessions other than a used notebook inside a well-worn bag on her back. She’d been wandering for hours, tripping over exposed roots and startling at the slightest noise. Her head was spinning and breathing was labored. A twig snapped to her left just as a howl started in the distance.
Great, there’s wolves out here.
She spun around to go the other direction when a figure emerged from the brush to tower over her, completely blocking out the little bit of light of the moon. The girl stepped back warily, eyes going wide as the figure moved toward her; the sound of hooves clomping atop the underbrush filling the air. He moved around a tree to stand fully in front of the girl and knelt down. The new angle allowed some light to filter through, revealing a man with the back end of a horse.
And now I’m hallucinating, the feverish girl shook her head slightly, her eyes drawn back to the centaur’s face as he spoke.
“The stars have spoken of a new fire.” His voice was gentle and calm. “You shouldn’t be in the forest yet, especially alone and at night.”
“S-sorry, I got lo-lost.” Black eyes blinked rapidly as the girl stuttered over her words. “They kicked me out-out of the orph-phange again.”
As she spoke the last few words, a wave of dizziness knocked her into a nearby tree. With a groan she pressed a hand to her forehead, wiping the sheen of sweat from it.
“Come, I’ll take you to the castle.” He helped her climb onto his back, making sure she was secure before moving. “The headmaster should be coming out shortly.”
“Thank you.” The girl sighed, brushing aside the dark curls clinging to her face.
“The stars are conflicted. Now is not your time. It has been many times before. Jupiter is bright tonight. Tread carefully and in a better state the next time you enter the woods.”
“I hope I won’t have to.”
The rest of the journey was in silence, save for the natural sounds of the forest at night. As they neared the treeline, an ancient castle seemed to glow in the dim moonlight. Candlelight flickered in almost every window visible from their distance, sending a delicate invitation her way. An elderly man waited patiently at the edge of the forest, greeting the two with a fond smile.
“Good evening, Firenze. It’s not often we meet.” He spoke cheerily, his eyes twinkling behind half moon glasses.
“Jupiter is bright tonight, Albus. This child was brought forth.” Firenze turned, allowing the older man to help slide the girl off his back. “She claims to be lost from an orphanage. I trust you know of the dangers within the woods. She needs help under conflicted stars.”
The man nodded, supporting the girl as Firenze disappeared into the forest. Once she had her balance, they began a slow walk into the castle.
“I am Headmaster Dumbledore and what is your name, my dear?”
“Madeline Ward, sir.” Madeline tried not to lean too heavily into the Headmaster, but she was losing the battle to exhaustion. “I must be really bad off this time.”
“Oh, what makes you say that?”
“I mistook that nice policeman for a centaur. They don’t really exist, after all. Just in stories.”
“Are stories not based off truths, my dear?” Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled as he let out a small chuckle. They began climbing several flights of stairs; Madeline too weary to take in her surroundings. “Now, Ward, that sounds familiar. Ah, yes! You’ll be joining our first years this coming fall. Your name was added to our list for letters.”
They arrived at a set of large double doors, to which Dumbledore knocked and patiently waited. After a few moments, a woman in night clothes poked her head through the doorway. She looked as if she was about to accost whoever was out this late before she caught sight of who it really was.
“Good evening, Madame Pomfrey.”
“Headmaster, what is—oh dear!”
The woman rushed over to Madeline, who had begun to look more and more green. She hurried Madeline into the long room behind where she came from. Beds with white blankets lined each of the walls, but Madeline couldn’t focus on much more than that as she fell onto the closest one. Several minutes passed as the woman, who seemed to be a doctor, kept waving a stick over her making bright lights appear. They would float above her before disappearing, coating the room in darkness again. “Her fever is too high. What happened, Albus?”
“Firenze was kind enough to bring her out of the Forest, Poppy. I think the trip upstairs didn’t help her condition.”
Dumbledore explained what little he knew about the orphanage and Madeline being lost while Madame Pomfrey buzzed around the infirmary gathering what she needed. She placed a bowl of water and some bottles on the bedside table and draped a cool cloth over Madeline’s forehead. Once again, she waved the stick before tisking and grabbing two of the bottles.
“This will help the fever and this will help you sleep. Let’s get you rested before I keep you awake any longer.”
Too much happened too fast for the ill and confused Madeline to process properly. What she did know was she needed to drink the two doses of medicine and get some sleep. The two elders seemed nice enough and they were at a school, so there shouldn’t be any harm in trusting them for now. She made a face at the taste of each medicine but drank them down anyway. As the Headmaster and Healer left, Madeline fell into a dreamless sleep.
Sun filtering through large stained glass windows, birds cheerily singing, and the steady ticking of a clock were what Madeline woke up to the next morning. She yawned, her back popping as she stretched. With more light, she was able to take in the large painting showing a medieval nurse tending to a patient. It must have been a trick of the light or too soon after waking up, though, because she could’ve sworn the nurse moved.
She swung her legs over to the side and hopped off the bed, startling a little at the cold floor on her now bare feet. Wandering over to the windows, she took in the sprawling hillside and an expansive lake in the distance. Just below her, she could see down into a courtyard where students were milling about. Some seemed to be enjoying the outside air while studying, others seemed to be going from one lesson to the next. It was curious though that they were all wearing cloaks when the weather didn’t seem to be that cold out.
The sound of a ceramic against wood drew her attention back to her bed, where Madame Pomfrey was replacing the water.
“Good morning. Drink this. How are you feeling?” The nurse waved her back over to the bed and gestured for Madeline to sit, handing over another bottle of medicine. “Your fever is still very high, you shouldn’t really be up and about yet. How in Merlin’s name did you get this sick?”
After finishing the foul drink, Madeline looked back towards the windows and sighed. “It’ll just get worse from here, so this is the best I’ll feel for another 5 days. It was nice to sleep all the way through the night for once, though.”
A noise came from the nurse, somewhere between a startled hum and a choked laugh. Her brows were raised in cautious concern. “I’m afraid I’m going to need more information than that, dear.”
“It happens every year around this time. My fever and cough will get worse, I’ll have bouts of nausea, and later on I won’t be able to get out of bed.” The girl shrugged, as if she’s explained this a dozen times and expected to do so a dozen more. “It’ll go on for 7 days. It’s been 3 already, and then on the last day everything will just pop off. After my temperature skyrockets, I’ll stop breathing and go deathly cold. That’s what the last doctor said at least. And then I’ll gasp awake, like from a bad dream, as if nothing happened. I won’t have a temperature, my cough will be gone, and my heart rate will be back to normal.
“Every family who has taken me in did their best, but they all just get so scared. I always end up back at the orphanage or transferred to another one if there’s no room. This was the last time, though. Even they didn’t want me back.” She finished her explanation with her eyes downcast at the floor, no longer looking at the grounds outside.
“And it always happens this time of year, you’re certain?”
“Yeah, always a week before my birthday. Makes celebrating it really hard.” Before Madam Promfrey can offer an apology or pity, “Don’t worry about it, birthdays aren’t that big of a deal to me anyway.”
“Well, that is a strange illness to say the least. I think it’ll be worth discussing with Professor Snape and researching any magical illnesses or curses.” She stood up and offered a kind smile to Madeline. “If you feel well enough, I could send a student to fetch him?”
“Oh, sure.” She sat fully on the bed, propping the pillows so she could sit up.
Madame Pomfrey stepped out into the hallway briefly and stopped an older boy in green just as he was about to head down a flight of stairs. “Mr. Higgs, could you fetch Professor Dumbledore…and Professor Snape for me, please. Here’s a note in case you’re stopped.”
“Yes, Madam Pomfrey.” He ducked his head in a bow, before rushing off down the stairs in search of the professors.
A short while later, the large double doors of the Hospital Wing opened to reveal the headmaster.
“Good morning, Poppy. Miss Ward. How are we this fine morning?” The old man’s smile was pleasant underneath the thick beard. His bright blue eyes sparkled as much in the morning light behind his half moon spectacles as they had last night amongst the firelight.
Madeline didn’t answer, though. Her head was starting to ache, so she just smiled politely as Dumbledore took a seat at the end of her bed with Madame Pomfrey. She and Dumbledore started to discuss the information Madeline provided when the doors opened again. A man clad in all black with long, black greasy looking hair, all but glided into the room like an overgrown bat.
“Ah, Severus, thank you for joining us on such short notice. This is Madeline Ward.”
By this point, though, Madeline was starting to doze off and was able to mumble out a soft, “g’morning.”
“Hello…” His voice trailed off as he took in Madeline. It was hard to discern what he was thinking as his brows furrowed together before bringing his gaze up to Professor Dumbledore in silent question.
“We were just about to discuss the circumstances for Miss Ward’s early arrival to Hogwarts. Poppy thought it best to include you with your knowledge of potions and cures.”
“Very well, Headmaster.” His voice was distant, monotone. Almost like he didn’t want to give away what he was feeling.
As Madame Pomfrey jumped back into the explanation of Madeline’s symptoms and readings, the girl stopped paying attention and focused on the clouds floating outside. She was tired and didn’t want to talk about her being sick again. She was certain this wouldn’t be the last conversation they had about it.
She drifted in and out, not truely paying attention and missing the looks she was being given. It wouldn’t have been anything new to her. Pity, concern, worry. However, being stared at like she was a ghost was different. Professor Snape listened to Pomfrey’s medical explanation and what Dumbledore told him of how she was found. All while trying not to stare too long at her face, a sheen of sweat and starkly pale against her dark locks.
“I think I could help come up with something to make the week pass easier for her, but this is indeed…strange.”
They continued to talk about what possible curses she might be under or if this was a new variant of Muggle sickness crossing into the magical world. After some time, Professor Snape actually addressed Madeline.
“Miss…Ward, when is your birthday?”
“Hm? March 20th.” Madeline yawned into her hand, her eyes still closed against the bright morning sun. “In five days.”
“I see.” No one noticed the sadness flash briefly in his gaze. He stood and excused himself to begin his lessons for the day.
“Farewell, Severus, thank you.” Dumbledore cleared his throat to get Madeline’s attention. “Since it’s nearing the end of the school year, and students are preparing for final tests, I would ask that you not be too disruptive while you stay here. You can talk to the students and teachers before, after, and in between classes but please don’t interrupt them unless it’s urgent.
“The library is open for your use during hours and you will be eating meals at the head table along with the staff until you are sorted into your house this coming September. Until we prepare a spare room for you, you’ll continue to sleep in the Hospital Wing. Rest for now, once you’re feeling more up to it we can send for a house elf to bring you something to eat.”
Madeline continued to doze in and out for most of the morning and into the afternoon until a cheery gremlin type creature popped up beside her. Madeline let out a startled squeak as she took in the creature’s large, pointed ears and orb like green eyes. She came to realize it was the house elf named Ellie the nurse had mentioned would bring her breakfast, snacks, and dinner. Madeline was ecstatic when she also stayed to answer any questions about the school and the magical world.
"Once Miss becomes a student, you will eat at one of the house tables and join your housemates in their rooms, Miss will." Ellie went on to explain the houses. “Hufflepuffie badgers are near the kitchens, Slytherie snakes are in the dungeons under the lake, Gryffydor lions are high up in a tower, and Ravyclaw eagles are also in a high tower but near the library.”
“So…the birds are up high while the badger and snake are down below? That’s pretty cool.” Madeline laughed, sipping the tea Ellie had brought. “Although, I guess lions are a miss since I was thinking griffons…but wait, ravenclaws are eagles?”
The house elf laughed, “Mistress Ravenclaw had an eagle for her familiar. Master Gryffindor just liked the lions, they are brave and kingly.”
“You knew them?”
“Oh no, Ellie talks to their paintings.” She smiled.
“They talk?” Madeline practically shouted, before being promptly shushed by the large hospital painting, that was in fact, moving. “Can I get out of this room and talk to the 100 plus year old paintings?”
“They are much olders than 100, Miss. Eliie would be a bad house elf if she let you out of bed. Your fever keeps getting worses and Professor Snape is not finished with his brew.”
“No!” Madam Pomfrey’s voice called out as she made her way over to check on the girl. How she managed to speak across a room while still sounding quiet was a mystery. “Stop pouting, girl. If what you’re saying is true, then you’ll be fine by next Wednesday. Only then may you go galavanting around the paintings.”
“Can I at least check out some library books? I’m going to go mad if I’m stuck here without anything to do.”
“Ellie can get you a few. Hogwarts: A History might be good since you’re starting in the fall term.”
“Perfecto mundo.” Madeline sighed in relief and watched a smiling Ellie disappear.