Hidden Wings - Part I

The petrified wake up

When Jessamine woke up, she felt refreshed and full of energy.
Stretching her arms over her head, she felt some bones crack in her back.

She sighed and slowly sat up.

Professor Dumbledore was sitting on a stool at the foot of her bed.

Jessamine blushed and mumbled: "Hello, sir."

"Good morning, Ms. Lince", said the Headmaster cheerfully.
"Or rather good evening, since it is already five p.m."

Jessamine widened her eyes in surprise and looked around. She was still in the Hospital Wing, the petrified students laying next to her. Through the window the setting sun shone, casting a warm, golden glow on the room.

"What happened afterwards?", Jessamine asked abruptly as she remembered the scene in the staff room.

Professor Dumbledore's beard moved as he chuckled: "Madam Pomfrey will have my head if I upset a patient of hers, headmaster or not, but you might as well know now.
Your friends showed us the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets in the broken bathroom. The other Professors and I went into the chamber and managed to seal the basilisk into a pipe. It is still there, but will never get out."

He nodded at Jessamine's surprised face.

"Ms. Weasley, who had been captured by a fragment of Tom Riddle, was safely brought out of the Chamber."

Who's Tom Riddle?, Jessamine thought confused.

As if he had heard her thoughts, Professor Dumbledore answered: "Before Voldemort became who he is now, he was known as Tom Riddle, a former student in Hogwarts.
A part of him was inside a diary, which was in the possession of Ms. Weasley, and that is how he managed to control her."

Jessamine had to think of the red message on the wall when Mrs. Norris was found. So that had been Ginny.

"We destroyed the diary", Professor Dumbledore continued, "the book is now only what it was before - normal book."

Jessamine's thoughts were racing.

I've missed out on a lot, she thought confused.

"Professor", she asked tentatively, "if - Voldemort put a piece of him into the diary, is that how he survived when his own killing curse at the Potter's house hit him?"

The headmaster's eyes flashed with respect.

"Very good, Ms. Lince", he nodded.
"Yes, by putting a part of his soul into an object, one can survive, as Voldemort has done."

Jessamine noticed Esma sitting next to her, happily eating out of a bowl of nuts.

"Esma is quite a remarkable bird", Professor Dumbledore commented and softly pet the blackbird on the back.
"She was the one who alerted Professor Snape, when you were petrified."

His eyes twinkled amused.

"I must say, I was surprised to see her follow our Potions Master everywhere."

Jessamine had to giggle at that thought.
Esma looked at her innocently, before continuing with her snack.

"Now, Ms. Lince", Professor Dumbledore folded his hands together and looked at her through his half-moon glasses.
"There is a question which has been burning on everyone's tongue: how did you manage to wake up on your own?"

Jessamine played with her blanket, thinking carefully about what she could reveal.
"I'm not really sure", she said slowly.

"I think I somehow - I don't know really, I- I felt my magical core expand, and- I woke up, when my magic was... everywhere".