Chapter 8 – Best Friends

Chapter 8 – Best Friends

Only fifteen minutes later, his two worried-looking friends stumbled into the hospital wing.

“Harry, what happened?” Ron was already babbling, but stopped abruptly when he saw Professor Dumbledore-Snape stand up from the bed. “Oh. Hello, Professor.”

“Hello to you two as well,” she said cheerfully, smiling warmly at them. “I will give you three a little more privacy and sit down over there at the table, okay?” It was more of a statement than a question, but Harry nevertheless nodded and smiled at her.

Ron looked bewilderedly after his professor when she passed him. He turned back to Harry and asked, “Why is she here?”

“Merlin, Ron, stop bombarding him with questions. He'll tell us when you shut up, right, Harry?” Hermione said and came nearer to the bed.

Ron grimaced behind her and rolled his eyes, but then he also moved closer to the bed.

Harry sighed and looked uncertainly over at his professor. She was reading a magazine and at least seemed not to be interested in anything that the three teenagers were doing. How shall I begin? he thought, while looking uncertainly at his two best friends.

“It’s not so easy to tell you,” Harry said sadly and looked down at his hands.

“Oh, Harry, you know you can tell us everything. We’re your best friends,” Hermione said enthusiastically and sat down beside Harry.

Ron, meanwhile, sat down on the bed at Harry’s feet.

“I know, but it’s still very hard... and embarrassing,” Harry said, still looking at his hands.

Hermione and Ron didn’t say anything and just waited for Harry to go on.

Harry sighed and looked up. “I lied to you in the train and in my letters. My uncle didn’t leave me alone this summer. It was really bad.”

Hermione grabbed his hand, and Ron was looking at him with a sympathetic expression on his face.

“I was wearing a Glamour Charm in your presence. In reality, I looked really bad.”

“You still look really bad, Harry,” Hermione said nonchalantly.

Harry felt his face with his hands, but couldn’t find anything. “I haven’t looked in a mirror since Madam Pomfrey took the spell from me. But James, er Healer Smith, has healed almost all my wounds. I feel much better now.”

“You look pale and sick. And you’ve big bags under your eyes, Harry.”

“Yes, and that’s exactly the reason why he is only allowed a short visit, Ms. Granger.”

Hermione and Ron jumped from the bed in shock. They had been so engrossed in what Harry was telling them that they didn’t notice Madam Pomfrey coming in.

“Of course, Madam Pomfrey,” Hermione said. “We haven’t been here for long.”

Hermione and Ron’s gaze followed the nurse while she approached Harry to cast several diagnostic spells on him.

“Mr. Potter still needs rest. You can visit him later,” Madam Pomfrey said sternly.

Harry began to protest, “But I haven’t told them the most important part, Madam Pomfrey, please, only–”

“No, Harry, you have to eat something, and then you will sleep a while,” Madam Pomfrey said sternly.

“But the Professor said that the Headmaster will come to speak with me. What if I’m asleep then?” Seeing that all this didn’t seem to interest her, he added stubbornly, “And I’m not tired at all.”

“When you start to push out your bottom lip and sulk, I swear I will take a picture of it and show it to you every time you say that you are too old to be fussed over,” Madam Pomfrey said threateningly.

Harry looked for help to his professor, who had come over to the foot of the bed.

“You had better do what she says, Harry. I’m sure you won’t miss the Headmaster when he comes to visit you,” she said calmingly.

He sighed and reluctantly said, “Okay.”

“Come on, you two, I will accompany you to your dormitories,” the professor said and started to push the teenagers in the direction of the door.

Ron ducked under her arm. “I totally forgot. Here, Harry.” He handed the photo of Harry’s parents to Harry, and then he quickly went back to the professor and Hermione.

“I will come and visit you later, Harry,” the professor said over her shoulder while she led the teenagers out of the infirmary.

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Under the watchful eyes of Madam Pomfrey, Harry ate more than he would have without her prodding. He felt so full that it almost hurt. He felt very exhausted and was now glad that he could sleep a while.

“But you will wake me when the Headmaster comes to visit me, Madam Pomfrey, won’t you?” Harry looked pleadingly at the nurse.

“You will be awake when he comes to visit you, Harry. He won’t be back until late afternoon,” Madam Pomfrey explained while tucking the already drowsy teen in the bed.

After Harry gulped down a fever reducer and a Dreamless Sleep potion, he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

“Not tired at all, hmm?” Poppy said, smiling. She brushed the loose wisps of hair out of his face and softly said, “Sleep well, child.”