A/N: Sorry it's taken so long! I've just been so enormously busy in these past two months! Because there are a few of you who just can't WAIT for me to update, here is the first half of chapter two! The rest should be up soon, I promise! :) Nancy D

CHAPTER TWO:

Madam Pomfrey took care of Harry for a few hours, and just as she was about to give him some dinner, someone walked through the door. It was the someone Harry had been so anxious to talk to.

"Hi Harry," said Ron sheepishly. Harry smiled and waved him in, and Madam Pomfrey got up and went into the other room. Ron sat down on the bed. "Hi Harry," he said again. "We were all so worried about you. And school wasn't nearly as exciting without you! Hermione's great, but that friend of hers, Phoebe, is really annoying. I don't really like her tagging along very much. I've been hanging with Dean and Seamus the entire time, though I did start spending more time with Ginny this year, and her boyfriend Colin Creevey." Ron must have seen the look on Harry's face, so he said, "He's not that bad, Harry." But Harry didn't make a face because Ron was friends with Colin. He made a face because Colin and Ginny, *his* Ginny, were an item! He couldn't believe it.

"Right," said Harry. "Madam Pomfrey said that you guys were in to see me a lot. You and Ginny and Colin."

"Yeah," said Ron. "We were in here a lot. Everyone thought you were – " He stopped talking, but Harry knew he was going to say 'dead'. Harry recalled the story Hermione had started to tell him earlier that afternoon.

"Ron," Harry started, slowly. "Hermione said that the night – the night the stuff happened – Professor McGonagall came into the Common Room and said that she and Snape and Dumbledore were still investigating. What did they find? What happened to me?" Ron took a deep breath. Harry could tell it wasn't easy for him to think about this.

"Harry." Ron had reduced his voice to a whisper. "Harry, they still don't know. They've been taking precautions all year, making potions, casting spells and such, but they still don't know how that apparition came, or how it managed to hurt you." He went silent and closed his eyes. He opened them and put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, you don't know how much we've missed you. The Gryffindor Quidditch Team is just awful without you!" Harry smiled. He could tell Ron didn't want to talk about the hard stuff, and also he was just itching to hear about what went on while he was asleep.

"Really," said Harry. "I'm anxious to hear – " He didn't even need to finish his sentence. Ron was off.

~*~*~

I don't know if you remember the first day or not, but Dumbledore introduced Sirius and Professor Lupin to us again; said they were the new Quidditch instructors. Well they are awesome! Professor Lupin referees the matches, and Sirius commentates! He is so funny, too, with all of his side comments, and then Professor McGonagall's side comments, and then his responses! Sometimes I almost abandon my Keeper duties to listen to them talk! It was like having Lee Jordan back! For the last match, Dean made a sign that said "Sirius Black: Play-by-play and Professor McGonagall: Commentary". It made everybody really laugh. But we didn't win the match, because we don't have you. Our new seeker, a fourth year, Aidan McGuinn, isn't that bad. He won one match for us, but that was against Hufflepuff, and their seeker's awful. But he is OK.

~*~*~

Harry was smiling when Ron finished the story. He could recall Lee Jordan's commentary, and Professor McGonagall's side remarks. "Ron," Harry asked. "You said Professor Lupin and Sirius are Quidditch instructors this year. Could you send them to come see me one day?"

"Sure," said Ron. "Er – I'll just go get them now." He smiled uneasily. "I – er – have homework."

"Sure," said Harry, who could see that Ron still wasn't comfortable speaking to him, being that he was asleep for the past three months.

~*~*~

Harry must have drifted off to sleep, because the next thing he knew, he was being roused by a hand with a gentle touch. He looked up to see the gentle, but tired and slightly worn face of his good friend Professor Lupin.

"Hey," Harry said. He looked across the room to see Sirius Black standing in the doorway. "Hey Sirius."

"Hello Harry," Sirius said, making his way over to the bed where Harry lay.