Chapter Fifteen
Odd thoughts and actions

We ended up at the front of the room with the others, the entire crowd pressing in on us as they asked questions. Voices washed over me, but I only heard a loud ringing in my ears as my vision blurred. I gripped Jamie’s hand tightly, expecting to have a vision, but what happened next completely shocked me.

“I’m going to be sick!” I yelled, letting go of Jamie to clamp my hand over my mouth. Several girls ran forwards and surrounded me, leading me towards the bathroom that sat in the corner, the door slamming shut behind us.

“Here…” I turned to find Pavarti holding a wet towel out and nodded thanks, wiping my mouth with a shaky hand.

“Get the others, pleas, I need to talk to them” I whispered and a couple of my entourage vanished.

“Are you okay?” I nodded, giving Pavarti a warm smile.

“Fine… Probably a bug I picked up somewhere” I said absently as the door opened and the others were pushed in. More of the girls left, leaving Pavarti standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. “It’s okay, Pavarti, you can stay if you want”

“No, it’s all right… I’ll just give you some space” She backed out, smiling kindly.

“What is it?” Ron asked, looking slightly nervous.

“I thought I was going to have a vision, but then…” I waved a hand dramatically. “My ears started ringing, vision blurred and I felt like I was going to- ” I made a gagging motion, making Hermione roll her eyes.

“Do you have any idea why?” She asked, ignoring Ron’s squeamish reactions.

“I told the girls it was a bug, but they don’t believe me… They think I’m pregnant, which I’m not” I added quickly, seeing the colour drain out of Jamie’s face. “I think it was a reaction to the vision I didn’t have, which has never actually happened before”

“We really don’t need more stuff to ponder over” Harry said, sighing.

“I know that, but I have nothing to go on… I have a feeling it’s got something to do with the castle, though” I said, scrunching my nose as I thought about it. “Well, let’s go put the masses to rest, shall we? There’ll be more rumours going round otherwise” I heaved myself to my feet and wrapping my arm round Ron’s shoulders. “What’s your view, dearest cousin of mine?”

“You know, you’re not actually married, so we’re not cousins yet” He pointed out, smiling slightly.

“Whatever” I said, frowning and pushing away from him again. “Okay, before you start asking questions, I need you to listen very carefully” I said, addressing the room. “I. Am. Not. Pregnant. Do you really think that we’ve had time for that while we’ve been on the run?”

“Ali” Jamie’s voice was calm, but I heard the warning in my name easily. My lips twitched slightly and I took a step back. “Try focusing on things outside this room, okay?” Translation: ignore them and try to figure out what the hell just happened, oh, and see if it’s safe to actually be here.

“Yes, sir” I said, dropping to the floor by Harry’s feet and saluting him. He ignored me and started to address the crowd, who were asking questions again. “Stupid visions… Why are you changing?” I grumbled quietly, leaning my head into my hands. Behind my closed eyelids, odd flashes and images appeared, as if they were being flashed at me secretly, too fast to make sense and several times so I could slowly piece it together.

A series of stills of people fighting hooded figure on the lawns, people on brooms overhead, giants, Acromantula, Dementors, fires burning slowly on rubble littered round the grounds, arrows flitting through bodies and hitting their targets. Then, as if it was slapped across my face, another image appeared, lasting much longer tha the others. I studied the background first- the Forbidden Forest, that was easy to see. It was one of the small clearings I used to use for star-gazing when I was younger- close enough to the castle so I couldn’t get lost, and far enough in the trees to be completely silent. As I focused on the scene in the clearing, the sick feeling started again, so I jumped up, one hand over my mouth and the other pressed to my stomach. This time, the crowd parted and I stumbled to the bathroom on my own, everyone’s attention on Harry as he argued with Neville over something.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I gasped and spun to find Pavarti with another wet towel, which she held out to me.

“Yeah… It turns out my visions are now linked to my gag reflexes, or something like that” I said, shrugging and slapping the towel over my face.

“You’re throwing up because of what you’re seeing?”

“Yup… It’s happening to me, and even I’m confused” I sighed, pushing away from the counter and glancing at the door. “The thing is, I need to understand what it is I’m seeing, so I know I’ll be in here again” I sighed as we walked out together. “Thanks for following me, by the way”

“When you’ve been living like this for a while, you get used to caring for others” She shrugged and I laughed. “What?”

“I’ve been living with them four and all learnt was I’m the only good cook, Hermione’s the person for helping with injuries and the boys like to argue and sleep in a lot” I said, shaking my head.

“Well… I’ll leave you with your odd visions, then” She said, grinning.

“Hey, just so you know, I’ve really missed you” I said, catching her hand as she turned.

“I missed you too, Alicia” She said quietly, hugging me. “Oh, so have a lot of the boys, but if Jamie finds out, I didn’t tell you” I laughed and pushed her away playfully. She winked and vanished into the crowd. I sighed and tugged on Jamie’s arm, catching his attention.

“Hey, I feel bad for Pavarti having to keep following me to the loo when I’m sick… I know what’s making it happen, but if I tell you, I’m going to…” I trailed off and made gagging motions again. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the bathroom, pausing to talk to Hermione quickly.

“If something happens, let us know” She nodded and we locked ourselves in the small room.

“Normally, I would say something about being locked in here with you, but I know what I’ve got to say next, and it’ll kill the mood” I said, hopping up onto the counter by the sink.

“So the vision’s bad?”

“It’s not actually a vision, to be exact” I said, focusing on the tile directly opposite me instead of looking at him. “It’s more like someone’s taken photos of the future and their showing them to me, really fast”

“But you caught what they were?”

“Obviously” I said, rolling my eyes. I hesitated, wondering just how much to tell him. “There’s a fight… People against masked figures- ”

“Death Eaters” He cut in, beginning to pace.

“Giants wrestling with each other, using ripped up trees as clubs to knock people out their way if they don’t stand on them… Dementors swooping round and giving the Kiss to anyone they can…” I stopped again, making him look at me. “The Acromantula attacking the castle, which is over-run with fighters from both sides… Then- then- sorry” I jumped off my makeshift seat and bent over the toilet, seeing the last scene in my head again. Jamie held my hair away from my face, which I would’ve made a joke about.

“It’s fine… You don’t need to apologise, it’s not your fault, is it?” he said, rubbing my back in soothing circles.

“No, course not” I said, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, which was shaking like mad. “There’s fifty bodies in a line, in the Hall… The fighting’s over and they’re all on our side”

“That’s what’s making you…?” He said, waving a hand awkwardly. I nodded, refusing to tell him the truth.

TaDa!