Secrets and Truths

Chapter Two
The New Girl




Someone clearing their throat interrupted Harry from his thoughts. In the compartment doorway stood a girl he was sure he had never seen before. She had slick ebony hair cut into a bob that just brushed her shoulders and thick bangs. She was wearing low-rise black jeans a black turtleneck sweater and what looked like American biker boots. He noticed that her nose was pierced and was wearing a small diamond chip. But what caught his attention most were her eyes, they were a vibrant emerald green set behind dark lashes.


“Hullo” she said “ I hope you don’t mind sharing your compartment with me, everywhere else is pretty crowded.”


“Well, actually my friends…”

“Oh good, I’ll just sit over here then, so glad you don’t mind”


“Err, okay then”


She gave him a vibrant smile as she sat down across from him.


“Well since we’ll be together for a while let me introduce myself. I’m Althia, Althia Panes.”


Harry extended his left hand for a shake and winced as a pain shot up his side. He just gave her a forced smile then opened his mouth to reply only to be cut off again.


“And you must be Harry Potter” she said as she took his offered hand and shook it.


“Umm, yeah” he replied as he reached up and attempted to cover his scar with his bangs.


“Oh, don’t worry about that, it wasn’t your scar. I know quite a bit about Hogwarts and some of its students.”


“How’s that? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you around there before, you are new are you not?”


“Well of course I’m new to Hogwarts. I’ve been studying with private tutors for years. Most recently, at an American school in Florida. I had a couple of really great friends there, Banji and Siria, I’ll miss, but I’m sure we’ll keep in touch. They’re the reason I have this” she said tapping her nose “ And a couple other things as well” she laughed.


“Really, then why, if you had tutors and friends at your American school are you coming to Hogwarts now? And why not just come here in the first place?”


“Have you ever had a private tutor Harry?”


“Actually, no why?”


“Simply put it’s quite boring. No one your age around and father was away a lot at work or on other business. So I was left alone quite a bit. That’s how I ended up in the American school, but it was so far from home, I got homesick. My father always forbade me to go to Hogwarts for which he gave no reason but I decided when I came home for summer hols that I would spend all my free time convincing my father that I would be attending Hogwarts this year no matter what.”


“How hard was that, didn’t your mum have any say?”


“It was quite easy actually, only took me a week. And I don’t have a mum, she died when I was little.”


Harry felt his face go hot. How rude to bring up her dead mother. If he had used his head he would have remembered that she hadn’t mentioned her at all before when talking about being left alone.


“I’m sorry, I didn’t know, hope I didn’t upset you”


“Nope, I’m not upset. You don’t know till you ask, so no hard feelings or anything” she said as she slid down in her seat putting her hands behind her head and propping her feet up on Harry’s seat.


Harry didn’t know what it was about this girl but decided he liked her. She seemed confident but not so much that she was arrogant. From what he had heard so far she knew what she wanted and went for it. And bloody hell she was beautiful. He noticed that she was staring at him strangely so spoke up.


“What?”


“Oh, I was just wondering if you were planning on seeing the schools mediwitch when we arrive.”


Harry looked at her dumbfounded. Why would she ask something like that? Sure he had winced earlier but he didn’t think she had noticed.


“No actually, there’s no reason to see her, I’m…”


“Don’t lie to me Harry, that’s no way to start a new friendship. Now if you’re so fine stretch your arms above your head” she said with a stern look on her face.


“Althia, I…”


“NOW!”


Harry knew he couldn’t do as she asked. He just lowered his head and mumbled his reply.


“I can’t.”


Althia's tone had once again returned back to normal when she spoke again.


“I know you can’t that’s why I asked if you were going to see the mediwitch. Harry I don’t know why you wouldn’t but if you won’t I’ll just have to help you myself”


“How do you plan to do that? You going to go to her yourself and rat me out?”


“I’m not like that Harry, I don’t run off and tell every little secret I know. I know we just met but do you think you can trust me?”


Harry thought for a moment. True he had just met her and really had no reason to trust her. But like before there was just something about her he couldn’t put his finger on. Yes, he could trust her; he just felt it.


“Yes actually, I think I can.”


“Good” she said as she got up and sat down facing him. “Now this won’t hurt but you’ll feel a tingle, pressure and then warmth.”


As she spoke she had moved her hand up his shirt and planted her palm on his ribs. He tensed at the contact and forced himself not to back away. Just like she said he felt first the tingle then slight pressure. It wasn’t painful and the warmth was actually relaxing. Harry hadn’t realized he had closed his eyes until he snapped them open when she spoke again.


“How’s that Harry, nice to breathe without the pain isn’t it?”


He felt his face flush but answered.


“Yes thank you, but you didn’t use your wand, how…”


“Now your wrist is another problem altogether.”


He opened his mouth to protest but stopped when Althia raised her hand to stop him.


“What did I say about lying Harry? I know that it’s an old break and not properly healed. How do you expect to be able to cast if the mobility isn’t there? I can repair it if you wish or you can deal with bad marks in your classes. It’s your choice.”


She was right and he knew it. So he nodded and extended his wrist to her. She gave him a warm smile and took his hand. She looked into his eyes before her face took on a look of seriousness.


“I’ll warn you now, this isn’t going to be as pleasant as your ribs. Those were fairly new and only cracks. This is old and scar tissue in the tendon has formed. You will have to endure some pain before I can repair it. Do you think you’re able to handle it?”


Harry thought for a moment before answering. After all the pain he had experienced this summer, what was a little more. Like before he just nodded.


This time Althia pulled out her wand. She had it hidden up her sleeve. It was unlike any Harry had ever seen. It was ebony and had what looked like a diamond in the tip and three more around the shaft. She placed the tip to his arm approximately four inches above his wrist. He tried to pull his arm free when he heard her whisper Seco Directus, but she held tight. He watched with a sickening feeling in his stomach as she moved the wand toward his wrist leaving in its wake an incision in his skin. He bit his lip as he saw his blood start to run from the opening. She then placed the wand in her lap and he was awed and disgusted at the same time when she inserted her finger into the opening. As she massaged the tendon he could feel the tingle immediately, but unlike before the warmth turned into an almost unbearable heat. He felt his body start to shake lightly and she assured him that this part was almost over. True to her word only moments later the heat subsided and she removed her finger. Once again she picked up her wand and placed it above the old break. She muttered Os Adflicto and he heard the bone break with a snap. Like when it first happened he felt pain shoot up his arm. With the memory of what happened, the pain from the cut and now this, Harry let a muffled sob escape him. He felt tears stinging his eyes but refused to let them fall.


“It’s alright Harry, I’m almost done.”


Once the bone had broken she wrapped her hand around his wrist covering the incision as well. Once again the tingle came, immense pressure and then the high heat. The heat faded to a calming warmth and when she removed her hand he saw that the cut was gone, like it was never there. She cast a Scourgify and looked Harry in the eyes.


“Go on then, move it around, tell me how it feels.”


As he did so a smile spread across his face. It didn’t pain him at all and he could move it completely around.


“Wow, much better, thanks…again.”


“You’re welcome, I’m just sorry you had to go through the pain of a break again and the added ‘pleasure’ of getting cut so I could rid you of the scar tissue in the tendon. I’m sure it got fairly hot but that was the best way to go about things in such a short amount of time.” She said as she got up and sat back in her own seat.


“It’s okay, really. At least it didn’t last long. But why didn’t you use your wand much, better yet, how? Even Madam Pompfrey uses hers or needs a potion for everything she does.”


“That’s because she a mediwitch, I’m a healer.”


“But even the healers at St. Mungos use wands.”


“True. I’m not a schooled,/i> healer I’m a natural healer. There is a difference. I know of the spells and such they use but don’t always need a wand. Like when I broke your wrist I used the wand because I wanted the break to be precise. And like with your ribs I just used my hands. The magic flows from my body to my hands and does what I want it to, no wand needed.”


“That’s brilliant. I never knew such an ability existed.”


“It happens, but it’s very rare. Guess you could call me a freak of nature. Took me a long while to perfect and I’m still learning.”


“Well, freak would be the last thing I would ever want to call you! I think you’ve perfected your ability quite well.” He said as he flexed his fingers again all the while smiling at her.


“But how did you know in the first place, is that part of your ability?”


“Oh that is something entirely different. I can…”

Just then the compartment door opened.


*************************TBC****************************

A/N…Seco Directus…cut open
Os Adflicto…bone break