Tears rolled down her cheeks. She scrubbed her face fiercely with her sleeve, then continued with evident anger:
"Later, as I was placed under the Imperius Curse more frequently, I began to resist occasionally. When the second task came around, he ordered me again to find a way to treat Harry Potter's wounds! But Merlin be praised, Harry still didn't get hurt this time—ha!"
She slammed her fist hard against the bed with considerable force, as if striking the person who had controlled her.
Orli understood immediately. No wonder—although Madam Pomfrey was getting on in years, she was usually methodical and sharp-minded. But after the second task, she'd seemed completely muddled, repeatedly bringing them blankets and potions over and over again. That was something the old Madam Pomfrey would never have done. Thank goodness Orli had stayed behind that time and prevented Harry from facing those Grindylows. Their claws were razor-sharp and deadly.
"What else did he make you do after that?" Dumbledore asked.
"Nothing for the time being. He seemed to be waiting for the third task... He mentioned once that he wanted to act sooner, but could never find the right opportunity... He said if he personally injured Harry Potter, it would be far too obvious, and he'd struggle to explain why he needed Harry's blood..."
Madam Pomfrey shook her head.
"He said the third task might be his final chance. Albus, you must watch Harry closely—don't let him get hurt and bleed!"
"Of course, of course..." Dumbledore nodded, but Orli found this assurance rather hollow. The third task was a massive maze; no one could see what was happening inside from the outside. Unless Dumbledore followed Harry throughout as his personal bodyguard, how could anyone guarantee Harry wouldn't get injured facing all those Blast-Ended Skrewts?
"After that, I kept trying to fight off his Imperius Curse. Sometimes I would begin to struggle... Today, while I was fighting it, I heard Orli calling my name, which made me struggle even more fiercely... Finally, I managed to wake up and saw all of you."
Madam Pomfrey finished at last. She seemed parched and took a large gulp of tea, though it had gone completely cold.
"All right, Poppy, get some proper rest. I'll have Minerva come keep you company. If you'd like, I can arrange for you to recover at St. Mungo's for a while," Dumbledore said comfortingly.
"No! Albus, I'm staying right here—I'm not going anywhere! I'll wait until you catch that bastard!" Madam Pomfrey replied with fierce determination.
"Very well. Then I'll take extra precautions with you—I won't let anyone control you again." Dumbledore patted her arm gently, then led Orli and Snape out of the Hospital Wing.
Perhaps it was the sudden crushing weight of pressure, but that night Orli was tormented by nightmares.
She dreamed of Lupin lying pale and still on the ground, a girl beside him. He tried to reach for her hand, but even in his final moments, he never managed to grasp it. Then Lupin looked at her, asking again and again:
"You could have saved me. You could have saved me. Why didn't you save me? Why?"
She dreamed of Sirius next, who smiled at her before slowly falling backward, vanishing into nothingness. Harry stood beside her, screaming something with raw desperation. Then Sirius's face appeared before her, repeating endlessly:
"You could have saved me. You could have saved me. Why didn't you save me? Why?"
Then came Dumbledore, Fred...
Her face was already streaked with tears, but no matter how desperately she struggled, she couldn't wake up.
Finally, she saw Snape. He lay on the ground, a massive wound in his neck gushing blood in steady streams. She expected him to accuse her like all the others... but he didn't. He simply gazed at her with those deep black eyes, watching her intently until the very last spark of life faded away.
"Orli? Orli! Wake up!"
Through the haze, Orli heard someone calling her name, gently shaking her shoulder. She finally broke free from the nightmare, realizing her pillow was completely soaked—she couldn't tell whether it was tears or cold sweat.
"Orli, what's wrong? You were screaming in your sleep," Hermione said, climbing onto Orli's bed in her nightgown and wrapping her arms around her.
"Hermione, I had a nightmare." Orli buried her face in the soft, thick curls of Hermione's hair, her fists clenched tightly beneath the covers.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/DarkGolds