Blood. Blood Everywhere.

Bertie was rushed into the hospital wing, blood splurting from his mouth and nostrils. The once olive skin tone had evaporated away along with the imagination in his eyes. His robe were stained a maroon shade down the front whilst his eyelids danced in the flickering light. The sound of voices were muffled. Bertie couldn't hear the chatter of panicked students being haulted at the door by Professor Cooper, who was wearing a worried expression; nor could he hear the scratching of a curtain being pulled across the rails aroud him. 

The matron had arrived. Slightly grubby seeing as she hadn't showered yet, although it was only quarter to nine - she never went to breakfast, which was a shame because her healing skills would have been greatly appreciated earlier that morning. At half past eight the first chunk of blood had escaped Bertie's lips, polluting his porridge with reddish tinge of terror. Blood was never a good sign. 

Within two minutes the entire Ravenclaw table had surrounded him, some screaming, some pointing of tips or trying to analysis what was happening to the Ravenclaw table.

Within three minutes the Hufflepuff's had battled their way through, hoping to pass on their love and help out the best they can whilst the Gryffindor's had stood on their table to get a better view of the drama. 

However, in five minutes Professor Cooper had managed marched her way through the crowd, pushing aside the curious Slytherin's that had slithered over to investigate and had conjured a stretcher. Amelia was aware of Bertie's medical history, being his head of house, and although slightly flustered knew he needed medical attention: urgently. With that she had levitated Bertie to the hospital wing whilst casting healing spells to try and control the vomiting. 

It had been no use. Whatever was wrong with Bertie was beyond the ability of the charms mistress, she needed a healer. Someone trained to deal specifically with unknown, dangerous and deadly diseases. Sure she could perform healing charms, better than some trainee healers, but the time for basic charms was gone. Bertie was on the verge of falling from his body altogether and Amelia wouldn't have that. She couldn't have that. Amelia couldn't be the one to explain to Bertie's family what had happened, especially with Hallie's wedding that weekend. She needed to be fresh and focused.

Twenty minutes had passed since Bertie first displayed his symptoms and things hadn't improved. Professor Cooper was now arguing against the matron, insisting that they floo him to St Mungo's - the idea of which the matron was against believing him not to be stable enough to transfer, especially with the amount of ash he'd most likely inhale on the journey.

'Well then I'll go and get a healer myself!' And with that Amelia swept out of the hospital wing, 'Get to class please.' She called to the herd of students, although not paying too much attention to them. In spite of that they soon began to diffuse in different directions whilst Amelia swept down the corridor to find a fireplace in a nearby classroom. The only problem was the floo network wasn't connected to Hogwarts, only the Professor's classrooms and even then you could only partial floo. Still. All she needed was her head to call for a healer and request St Mungo's contact the Ministry to set up an immediate connection for a healer to travel to Hogwarts. 


Ten minutes had passed and the matron had had to magical bind the doors to prevent a couple of students attempting to break in to be by Bertie's side. He wasn't a popular boy but those who knew him couldn't help but love him. He was quirky, smiled and giggled at the most random things. It was impossible to not be cheered up around Bertie, the dimples and the way his eyes lit up at the prospect of imagination or explanation. It was true. He was a cheering charm. But now the cheering charm had been lifted as blood continued to ooze from his mouth. Thankfully in smaller and smaller amounts. It was working. The spells waere working. The Matron's potions were working. Or were they?

Bertie's eyes had stopped fluttering, they'd closed - nothing suspicious about that, all patients fell unconscious if their pain or excessive bleeding didn't stop. Although his skin was ice cold, despite the sweat-drops soaking his robes and sheets, and his lips were blue.  

'Hello!' Amelia called from the other side of the door as she pushed against it to try and gain access. Locked. 'Someone from St Mungo's is going to speak with the Ministry about setting up and emergency floo network then a healer will come, please open the door!' She called through, hoping the matron would hear her. She never. Or if she did the matron was doing a good job ignoring Amelia. 

'Open the door please, it's Professor Cooper!' Amelia called. Again, no answer. Withdrawing her wand Amelia aimed at the doorway. Sure it was enchanted to only be unlocked from the other side but Amelia was the charms professor, she could perform highly complex charms, she could also perform 'EXPULSO MAXIMA!' 

KABOOOM!!! The doors blasted open and Amelia swept into the hospital wing, wrenching open the curtains before she paused. 

Bertie was lay face up, his eyes closed and his chest wasn't elevating. Every inch of pain had evaporated from Bertie's body. The feeling of pain and fear of death that he'd had moments ago had gone. He felt light, as though he was walking on clouds and lost in his imagination forever and a day. Bertie was free from his bug. Death was refreshing.


'No.' Amelia said, staring blankly at her student's limp body - a somewhat smile had formed on his face as he had drifted away. The matron waved her wand and moved the blood stained cloths, wiped around his mouth and grasped the healers tray and wheeled it to her office.

A few students had followed Amelia into the room, along with a healer who'd just arrive. Like Amelia had done the students and the healer paused at the sight of Bertie's body. The magical bug, believed to have been gone thanks to the work of Sophia Granger, had been lay dormant and alas, it had emerged to win the war. Bertie was gone. 

'Everybody out please.' Amelia spoke, no tone other than that of sadness. 'Out!' She commanded in a stronger voice, before turning around and ushering the students out of the hospital wing. 'This is not for you to see.' As the final student left the wing, a blank look on her face, Amelia waved her wand and the fragments of the destroyed door fixed into place and bonded securely to lock the door.

'No.' She whispered once more to herself. 'No.' Bertie couldn't be dead, he just couldn't! It didn't make sense. Sophia Granger was an excellent healer, how could she not have discovered all of the bug. Wait. Was Amelia getting attached? Of course she wasn't, not that she didn't care, but she wasn't attached and she wasn't going to put the blame on Sophia Granger when it wasn't her fault. Amelia needed to remain strong, she'd lost a son before and knew exactly what it felt like, she would be there for Joyce Nogard. She would be strong and inform her of her son's passing then she would cancel her classes. Today wasn't a day for learning. Ravenclaw house would surely want to remain in the common room, lost in thought about small memories they'd shared with Bertie from studying to figuring out the common room door's answer.


It was dark. The curtains had been draw, he could feel his Mother's hand holding him. Or was she holding him? Opening his eyes he tilted his head. Yes. He was alive. His Mother was there, at Hogwarts, caring for him. Even though her eyes were shut and she was sleeping his Mother was there and that is all what mattered to him right now. The bond Bertie had with his Mother was like no other. They understood each other on so many levels, he needed her in his life as much as she needed him. It was symbiotic. She loved to Mother and he loved to be Mothered. Loved....

'Mum.' He muttered, raising himself up, although he didn't raise up. His body didn't leave the bed, it remained fixed, stone cold on the linen sheets. Was he? No. Was he dreaming? That made sense, yes, he was dreaming. Bertie was simply trapped in a nightmare. Raising himself up out of bed he shook her Mother, she woke with a shiver, as though her whole body had been plunged into an ice cold bucket that had been resting on glacial terrain for years gone by.

'Mum!' Bertie exclaimed again. It was no use, her eyes caught sight of the bed before she burst into tears again. Oh god. If Bertie had a stomach it would have churned right about now. That was him. His brown curly hair, chubby cheeks, Ravenclaw robes. The friendship braclet from Vivianna around his wrist.

Bertie leaned forward and lifted his eyelids back. They were his eyes, physically. But all the life, everything that had represented Bertie Nogard had faded. Sunk deep into the grave. Bertie was dead. His body was merely that, an outer shell. Yet, he was still here? Something didn't make sense, was this afterlife? Did people continue to live their lives after death? Would he walk around Hogwarts and have a second life with all who had died. But then surely he'd see people who were dead all the time wouldn't he?

He did. Ghosts.

Rushing to the mirror on the wall Bertie gazed in. A translucent version of himself stared back. But how? That was something Bertie had never thought about. How did people become ghosts? Did everybody become ghosts? How come his Mother couldn't see him then, but he could see ghosts? Was it because she was a squib? Possibly. Then again, squibs could see ghosts couldn't they? It was possible for her, a squib, to by in Hogwarts by his corpse's bedside now, yet she couldn't see him. She felt him. He gushed through her, attempted to embrace her in a hug but she never felt him.

He couldn't be here. He couldn't do that to his Mother. It would be better if he were dead, she couldn't have a ghost as a son, it wasn't true. Perhaps she could see him but was too traumatised to realise? Either way, being a ghost, it wouldn't help. Bertie needed to leave, leave the hospital wing and rest for the night. Then. The next day he would find somebody to help him, maybe one of the Professor's could help explain why he was a ghost, why he hadn't died.

Bertie glided towards the hospital wing door, raised his hand to the handle but he didn't grasp it, his fist simply clenched in the place of the handle. Wow. This was weird! He could go through things, just like he had gone through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 at Kings Cross Station. Shutting his eyes he moved through the door, expecting some sort of pain. None. He was painless. It was, there was no word, freeing! Bertie felt free! He felt light and that he had all the time in the world to get lost in his imagination!

Opening his eyes he found himself the otherside of the hospital wing, a cackle echoing down the hallway. Peeves. He couldn't have Peeves find him, Peeves wasn't the first spirit he wanted to help him. Perhaps he'd find the Grey Lady, yes. She would help. And with that Bertie hurried through the castle and to Ravenclaw Tower, what would have been a tear glistening in his eyes as he left his Mother behind to be with his dead body. It hurt him, but it was for the best. She needed to lay her son to rest.