The Necromancer - Year 2 (Part 53) (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

When I finished showering and readying myself for my day, it was the middle of Potions class. I quickly gathered my things and hurried downstairs. On the main floor, I nearly ran headlong into a Ravenclaw boy.
"Sorry," I murmured, and I nearly headed on my way when I heard him speak.
"Hey... wait!"
I turned around and looked at him, trying not to seem as annoyed as I was. I didn't recognize him; he clearly wasn't my year, and he didn't look like a first year, so I assumed he was a third or maybe fourth year.
"Are you okay?" he said at last, grinning stupidly. He had shaggy brown hair, down to his chin, and his face looked like a little boy's.
"I'm fine," I said, and I almost turned again before he asked me another question.
"Are you the Necromancer?"
"Yes, I'm a Necromancer, but it's not my NAME, if that's what you were asking," I snapped.
"Of course it's not your name," he grinned. "Taylor's your name."
"Look, I don't even know you," I said (rudely, I'm sure).
"I'm Liam Carberry. I'm a third year."
"Oh. I have Potions now."
I turned and walked quickly away as he shouted, "Bye!" I pretended not to hear him.
As I slinked into the classroom and sat next to Ron, Snape, who had been lecturing the class, said loudly, "Winthrop! You're half-an-hour late."
"I got hurt, sorry, Professor. Madam Pomfrey--"
"No excuses. That's thirty points from Gryffindor, one for every minute you were late."
"Professor, that's not fair!" Hermione said. "She hurt her head and--"
"That's enough, Miss Granger, unless you want to lose even more points for your house."
I sighed deeply and Ron gave me a half-hearted smile.
"Sorry," I hissed. "Not your fault," he responded under his breath.
As class progressed, Snape had us disperse into our normal pairs, and here Ron confronted me about what I had been saying earlier.
"Taylor," he said seriously, "what were you saying about Black being innocent?"
"I know for a fact it wasn't him," I said, "because..."
A strange dizziness came over me and I nearly fainted again. I grabbed Ron's arm to steady myself.
"Sorry," I murmured. "I don't know what came over me."
"What were you saying though?" Ron persisted.
"Sirius Black..." Again, a woozy spell. Ron grabbed my arm just before I collapsed. I shook my head.
"What's wrong with you?" Ron asked me.
I took my arm back quickly and pulled the sleeve down-- it was the one with the Dark Mark. Luckily, Ron hadn't seen it.
"I don't know," I said. "But I was trying to say that last night, I... oh God," I whimpered; my head was buzzing and I almost fell backwards.
"What's up with you? You should go to the Hospital Wing," Ron said.
"No, I think I know what's wrong," I sighed. Somehow, I figured, Black had programmed my mind so that I couldn't reveal what had happened last night to anyone; every time I tried, a wave of dizziness or nausea would stop me.
"What makes you think that Black's innocent though?" Ron asked again, growing agitated.
"Just forget it," I sighed, not in the mood for explaining myself.
~~~~~
Courtney met me outside of the Potions classroom.
"You okay?" she asked me nervously.
"I'm fine," I lied.
"What happened? I saw you lying on the ground with McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, but I didn't see what actually went on," Courtney said earnestly.
"I was talking with Mackenzie and Harry and Ron when I fainted and fell backwards. I cracked my head on the floor, Pomfrey says."
"Oh, ouch," Courtney said anxiously. "Are you going to be okay?"
"I should be fine," I sighed. "I was probably... I was probably dehydrated or something."
"But what about your head? Does it hurt?"
"A little," I confessed. "But nothing too bad. Pomfrey fixed it up for the most part."
"Well, I'm glad you're okay," Courtney said with a nervous smile. "When you weren't in Defense Against the Dark Arts, I was worried."
"I was still being fixed up," I explained with a weak smile. Then, I added, "You know what Snape did when I walked into the Potions classroom? He took away thirty points from Gryffindor!"
"Why?"
"Because I was thirty minutes late!"
"But your head was split open!" Courtney said angrily.
"I know! But that's Snape, right?"
"I guess," Courtney said with a grin. "By the way, your Dark Mark's showing."
"Stupid thing," I muttered, pulling my sleeve down. "It keeps popping out."
"You should really keep that covered up," Courtney advised sternly. "You don't want people thinking you're in leage with You-Know-Who, do you?"
"They probably already do," I said glumly. "Seeya, Court."
"Bye, Taylor."
~~~~~
When classes ended that day, I was approached by Professor McGonagall. "Good afternoon, Miss Winthrop," she said.
"Afternoon, Professor," I replied politely.
"Miss Winthrop, Hermione Granger informed me that, earlier today, you were deducted thirty House Points for showing up late to your Potions class."
"I was, Professor."
"And was this when you returned after having your head injuries repaired?"
"Yes, Professor."
"And did you dawdle?"
"No, Professor," I said, my cheeks burning as I anticipated what would come next.
"Well then," she said primly, hiding a smile, "I will award you forty points for recovering so quickly and seamlessly. Thank you, Miss Winthrop."
"Forty points?" I asked. "But Professor Snape only took away thirty."
"What was that? My apologies, Winthrop, I have a terrible earache," said McGonagall through a smirk as she walked away.