Cassidy dragged herself up off the floor, clutching her side. Blood covered her hands and clothes now, and she knew she'd be in trouble if she didn't get help soon.
Just as she had pulled herself to her feet, some Slytherins came down the hallway. One of them had sleek, blond hair, and Cassidy recognized Randy with the group. They saw her, and walked over, malevolent grins on their faces.
"What'sa matter, little girl?" the blond haired boy jeered, towering over her doubled over body. "Got a little cut there?"
He jabbed her wounded side with his wand, hoping to make her shriek in pain. Cassidy bit her tongue hard, and made no noise. He came after her again, and she stepped weakly aside, feeling outrage as the tension between them built.
Use your anger... the voice eched evily in her mind.
NO... Cassidy insisted. I am stronger than this...I am stronger than you!
The boy strick her again, rapping her hard on her side. She fell to the floor, her fair hair matted on her head with sweat and blood.
"Where are all your friends?" he teased, kicking her. "No good without them, are you?"
Just then, Tim happened to be walking down the hallway. He shooed the Slytherins away with his wand, and ran to Cassidy's side. Sprawled out on the floor, nearly unconcious, she could only look at him with glassy eyes.
"Did they do this to you?!" he half-bellowed, glancing over his shoulder at the Slytherins going down the hallway. "How dare they!"
He scopped her small frame up in his arms, and carried her to the hospital wing. Madam Pomphrey was shocked to see Cassidy, all a blood-stained mess. They lay her on a soft bed, and wrapped up her wound until a potion could be made to heal it. Cassidy had a glass of cold water, feeling it slide down her throat. She leaned back against the pillow miserably. Tim stood at her side.
"You'll be all right, Cass," he assured her. "Those Slytherins won't bother you anymore. I'll make sure of that."
He helped Madam Pomphrey wash the blood off her hands, arms, and face. Cassidy just lay there, feeling weak.
"Out now!" she shooed Tim. "Go fetch Professor Snape!"
"Snape?!" Cassidy choked out, her eyes widening.
Tim was already out the door, heading down to the dungeon.
"Yes, dear," Madam Pomphrey replied, changing her now red bandages. "I'm afraid we've got to discuss something with you. Dumbledore should be here too."
She sent an owl to fetch him, and returned to Cassidy's bedside with another glass of water. Her face was drawn tight with concern. Cassidy did not understand.
In a few moments, Snape and Dumbledore entered the hospital wing, locking the doors behind them. They circled around Cassidy's bed, their faces long and full of deep worry. Even Snape looked concerned.
"What's going on?" she demanded, feelin uneasy at once. Her side pulsed as blood soaked the bandages. Madam Pomphrey went to fetch more.
"You could die tonight," Snape said shortly, his cauldron already out. His potion book was open, much to Cassidy's suprise. He usually knew all his potions by heart. She felt sick to her stomach.
"We took a great risk with you, the night you fell into the lake. You were dead when they brought you to the hospital wing, and there was only one way we could revive you," Dumbledore cut in, trying to comfort Cassidy. He laid a hand on her trembling shoulder. "Professor Snape made a potion to restore your spirit to your body, using ingredients that I will not utter here. We were worried, because we know everything about Karli and Johann, about the prophesies. Since you had that gash in your side from the chymeara, you were infected with Karli's father's spirit. He had put some of his blood on the teeth of the chymeara, and when it scratched you, you were infected. He was waiting for you to die. He planted the monster in the lake, and when you fell in, he was ready to take over your body.
"He never got into it completely, however, because we revived you. Unfortunately, the potion we used has some...some dark magic...involved, magic that cannot be used under any other circumstances, but we had to save you. We had to bring you back to life, or else Karli's father would have a body to do his bidding, a strong, powerful body, because of your strong spirit. He would be able to feed off it, abandoning the body he inhabits now. Needless to say, we were relieved to see you wake.
"Now, though, his power over you is growing. He is opening up the slice in your side to infect you with more of him, hoping to overpower your will. Unfortunately," Dumbledore looked at her sadly. "There is nothing to be done about that. Your will will have to overcome his."
Cassidy felt her mind swimming, burning, with information. She looked down at her side, which had finally stopped bleeding, and looked over at Snape. He was scowling over his cauldron, mixing ingredients rapidly.
"Professor Snape is making a potion to seal your wound," DUmbledore told her. "We can at least stop Karli's father from entering any more of himself into you. I have also scheduled extra defense against the dark arts lessons for you. You will go to them after Astronomy."
Cassidy nodded. The potion bubled, and green smoke rose from the cauldron.
"It's ready," Snape announced, dipping a clean rag into the potion. "Remove her bandages."
Madam Pomphrey peeled the blood-soaked cloth off Cassidy's body. She let out a scream as the cloth was torn from her gash, causig it to bleed once more.
"Lie still!" Snape ordered. He pressed the green rag to her wound, covering it completely.
A hot, searing pain soared through Cassidy's body, causing her to bite her tongue to avoid another scream. Tears streamed down her face, which was now a bright pink. Snape pulled the rag off her body, leaving a flawless, scarless patch of skin in its wake.
Cassidy relaxed her muscles, her head falling back on the pillow as she gasped for air. She looked over at Dumbledore and Snape.
"Am I still going to die?" she asked weakly, and feeling more afraid than ever.
"He will try to kill your spirit, and he is very strong within you now. Fight hi off as best you can, and do not think anything he says is the truth. He will try to take your brother, but I know that you can stop him," Dumbledore told her gently, his hand on her shoulder. "You'll be alright to leave in a few minutes. Be brave, as brave as you have ever been. You can defeat him."
With that, Snape and Dumbledore left. Cassidy closed her eyes to rest.
