The corridor outside the Hospital Wing was mercifully empty.
Tonks had practically dragged Alisa out after she'd gone pale and silent, mumbling something about needing air to Snape, who had looked deeply unimpressed but hadn't stopped them.
Now they stood in a small alcove near a suit of armour, Tonks' hands on Alisa's shoulders, her hair flickering between purple and orange with concern.
"Breathe," Tonks said firmly. "Whatever you saw in there, we'll deal with it. But first, you need to breathe."
Alisa sucked in air. It felt like swallowing broken glass.
"She has it," she managed. "The same curse. The same—" Her voice cracked. "Tonks."
Tonks' grip tightened. "What do you mean, the same curse? The same as yours?"
Alisa nodded jerkily. "I saw it. Under the blanket. She has—" She couldn't say it. Couldn't force the words past the knot in her throat.
But Tonks understood.
Her eyes widened. "Oh. Oh. You mean she has a dick."
"Yes." Alisa's hands were shaking. "Less potent than mine, from what I could sense. The anchoring isn't as deep. But it's there. It's there, Tonks, and she's fourteen years old, and it's because of me—"
"Stop." Tonks' voice was sharp. "This is not your fault."
"The demons are drawn to me—"
"The demons are drawn to Hogwarts because of whoever is summoning them. You're a target, not a cause." Tonks cupped Alisa's face, forcing her to meet her eyes. "Say it back to me."
Alisa's jaw clenched. "Tonks—"
"Say it."
"I'm not the cause," Alisa whispered, even though she didn't believe it.
"Good enough for now." Tonks released her face but kept hold of her shoulders. "Now. Tell me everything. What exactly did you sense?"
Alisa closed her eyes, forcing herself to think clinically. To analyse instead of panic.
"The curse structure is similar to mine. Same infernal signature, same soul-anchoring technique. But weaker—less entrenched. Like a copy that didn't quite take properly."
"Which means?"
"Which means..." Alisa hesitated. "The symptoms might be less severe. The arousal, the constant need for release—it might not be as intense for her. The curse needs to feed, but if it's weaker, it might not demand as much... use."
Tonks processed this. "So she'll still have the dick, but she won't be as desperate to deal with it?"
"Probably. I can't be certain without an actual examination." Alisa's stomach churned. "But Tonks, she's going to wake up and find out that her body has changed. She's going to be terrified. And confused. And she's so young. What if—"
"No. No what ifs. We're going to help her," Tonks said firmly. "But first, we need to handle the professors. They're going to want to examine her properly, which means they're going to see."
Alisa's blood went cold all over again. "We can't let them—if they find out what the curse does—"
"I know." Tonks' expression hardened with determination. "That's why I'm going to go back in there and convince them to let us handle this."
"How?"
"By being me of course," Tonks said and flashed her a smile.
She squeezed her shoulders once more, then stepped back. "Stay here. I'll come get you when it's sorted."
"Tonks, wait—"
But she was already striding back toward the Hospital Wing, her Auror robes billowing behind her.
龴ↀ◡ↀ龴
Alisa waited.
It must have been one of the hardest thing she'd ever done—standing in that alcove, listening to the distant murmur of voices from the Hospital Wing, unable to hear what was being said but imagining the worst.
What if they insist on examining her themselves? What if they pull back the blanket and see—
The thought made her physically ill.
Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen.
Finally, Tonks reappeared at the end of the corridor, her expression unreadable. She beckoned Alisa forward.
"What happened?" Alisa asked as she approached.
"They want to talk to both of us." Tonks' voice was carefully neutral. "McGonagall's in there now, along with Snape and Pomfrey. I've told them that Vance has the same curse you do—same type. I said it's a deeply private matter and asked if she could be entrusted to our care."
"And?"
"And they're... resistant." Tonks' jaw tightened. "Snape especially. He doesn't trust us to handle a student's welfare without proper oversight."
Well… that's fair. How do you fight fair?
They reached the Hospital Wing doors. Tonks paused, her hand on the handle.
"Alisa. Whatever happens in there, let me do the talking. And if they push too hard..." She met Alisa's eyes.
Before Alisa could ask what she meant, Tonks pushed open the doors.