Clandestine meeting at the Lake Ⅳ

Accompanying Lorcan are Glenda Chittock and Gilderoy Lockhart. Glenda's blue-green eyes are filled with moisture. Her golden hair is a tangled mess over her shoulders. Her face reveals a dried trail of tears through the grime. The bruises and scratches, she had gained from being tossed across the cobblestones are mostly healed having been tended to.

Gilderoy Lockhart's knees are pulled up to his chest. He rests his head on top of his knees with his arms hugging his knees. His golden, sleek hair is dirty and tangled like a bird's nest. Unlike countless times before, Lockhart does not even notice the grim on his clothing as perfection. His bruised raw skin and bruises and scratches are healed, but the ache in his chest is from it. Jacob (Clayton) is gone. He lets out a particularly loud, wet sniff at the thought and wipes his face on his sleeve.

Madam Pomfrey gently clears her throat. Glenda and Lockhart both glance to see the infirmary matron accompanied by a stern, dark-haired witch with sharp features and cold, gray eyes. "Miss Chittock and Mr. Lockhart, Mrs. Black is here to take Mr. D'Eath to his guardian, Mrs. Potter."

Glenda numbly nods her head and reaches over to pat Lorcan on the back and freezes before she does. She feels dreadfully guilty about not believing Lorcan. And now, Jacob was dead, and it was all her fault.

Glenda snatches her hand as if it was burned. "All, all see you tom-," Glenda chocked remembering the fact that Lorcan no longer lived in the village now that his mum is gone. "I'll write to you," she sniffed loudly before darting away with a soft sob to the Great Hall.

Lockhart's limb pop as he slowly straightens up. Lockhart opens and closes his mouth as for the first time in his life words simply fail him. He simply doesn't know what to say. "I'll-, I-, I take care, Lorcan," Lockhart feebly wished, before scurrying after Glenda.

Seeing that Lorcan is still unresponsive, Madam Poppy pulls the curtains closed and pulls Walburga Black aside. Poppy Pomfrey's hands flutter uncertainly for a moment, before clasping each other tightly with guilt and shame. "I have to apologize to Mr. D'Eath," Poppy remorsefully said. "Mr. D'Eath was brought down by Professor Sprout and others down to the infirmary. I believed it to be an emotional episode and gave Mr. D'Eath, a calming draught, and a sleeping drought."

Poppy's breath catches in her throat for a moment. "I realize now that Mr. D'Eath was not having an emotional episode rather his inheritance was forewarning him of the danger to come."

Walburga's gray eyes widen and darken in cold anger. "That child's abilities are well documented, why was his guardian not immediately summoned?"

"Mrs. Black," Poppy sadly retorted, "this is not the first emotional episode that has transpired this year. Many students, who saw or learned of familial deaths have had such episodes. Furthermore, many like young D'Eath have been convinced they and others are in danger. I am sad to say, but young D'Eath's claim was not unusual, and we had no reason to believe it otherwise."

Walburga's nostrils flare unhappily, but she gives the matron a brisk nod, before turning on her heels. Walburga much more gently pulls the linen curtains and sits down in a chair at the boy's bedside. She is silent uncertain of what to say. Orion was always much better at saying soft words to their children than she ever had.

Walburga had always attributed being soft as a weakness. Her mother, Irma Crabbe, had been a mousy, brown-haired witch. She must have been pretty, once, as their father married their mother. Yet all Walburga recalled was the timid witch, who always kept her head down never meeting her father's gaze. No, Walburga had vowed to herself to never permit herself to be trampled by others. She would never become her mother.

At that moment, Walburga recalls her younger brother, Alphard. Alphard had never permitted his illness or their father's unfairness to make him hard. Alphard had always strived against the wishes of their father to become an oblivator. That foolish, sick brother had even more foolishly and rather abruptly got himself killed in trying to do the right thing to bring down the Dark Lord.

A dry cough pulls Walburga out of her reverie causing her to blink the sudden wave of tears away. Pulling herself together, she feels somewhat uncertain about how to proceed. She furrows her brow on how to approach the boy.

An idea comes to mind, but not one that Walburga likes. She fiddles with her skirt, before clearing her throat. "I-," her voice faltered as she did not feel comfortable speaking about such a personal topic.

Pressing her lips together, Walburga tries again. "I had two younger brothers, Alphard and Cygnus," she quietly said keeping her gray eyes on the boy. "They both left this world before me, both killed."

This finally gains a reaction from Lorcan, who slowly withdraws his soulless, black eyes from the wall. He turns his gaze toward the Black family matriarch. Lorcan knew, who Walburga Black was, she is the mother of Regulus and Sirius. Lorcan got along just fine with all of the Black children (and descendants), but he knew the older generation was not exactly fond of him. Oh, they never spoke their displeasure out loud, but their expressions spoke volumes.

"Where is grand-," Lorcan paused to correct himself, "-my guardian?"

"Aunt Dorea slipped down the stairs in her hurry to come to Hogwarts," Walburga confessed causing Lorcan to immediately sit up.

"Is she hurt?!" Lorcan blurted out with panic and worry.

"Aunt Dorea broke a leg and is resting in bed until the effects of the Skele-Gro potion finish taking effect," Walburga calmly responded. "Now come, I have tarried long enough. We are to go to St. Mungo's."

"St. Mungo's?"

"Sirius has been hurt."

No longer protesting, Lorcan rises and follows after Walburga. "Um, about my things-."

"No need,' Walburga waved her hand. "The house elves are retrieving your personal effects as we speak."

Lorcan falls quiet trailing after Walburga. Perchance feeling a tiny bit of remorse, Walburga slows down and extends her hand to the child. The child's hand is rather cool to the touch. Hand in hand, the two depart from Hogwarts for St. Mungos.