010. I don't quite understand
Word Count: 950
James headed up to the Hospital Wing, wondering all the while why he was going up there. His question was probably not in any of Madame Pomfrey's areas of expertise, but it was most likely the fact that she was under a Healer's Oath to keep the status of any of her patients confidential - unless their status offered a threat to the student or to others.
He walked into the Wing and was inexplicably relieved to find that it was completely empty. He walked over to the door of Madame Pomfrey's office and hesitated to knock, but did so after a short moment. Upon being bade to enter the room, he suddenly felt a recurrence of his utter nervousness.
Madame Pomfrey was sitting behind a large desk, setting aside a large medical book. She smiled at James. "Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Potter?" she asked.
"I have a question," he said.
"It must be quite the important question if I find you coming here during your free period. Have a seat."
"This needs to be kept completely confidential," James said as he did as she had requested of him, and without a word Madame Pomfrey established a number of complex privacy wards around the room and warded the door impenetrable.
"Alright, Mr. Potter. Ask your question."
James sighed. "Is it possible for a Pureblood to catch a sexual disease from sleeping around?" he asked.
Madame Pomfrey looked confused for a moment before she caught on to where this question might lead. "It is quite impossible for a Pureblood to catch a sexual disease, regardless of whether they sleep around with a number of people or only a few people. I do believe the only way for a Pureblooded Wizard to receive such a disease is for someone to deliberately cast a spell that infects them with it," she said.
"Is it possible to check for the presence of such diseases?"
"There is one test that I could perform for you," she said. "Though I would need a vial of your blood and about a week."
James nodded. "Could you do that one for me?"
Madame Pomfrey nodded and summoned a vial. "Make a vertical incision with your wand on the palm-side of your thumb and drain the blood into the vial," she said gently, handing him the vial. "You do realize that, if this test comes up positive for anything, you will have to be put on the Ministry of Magic's Registry."
"They have a registry for Wizards with sexual diseases?" James asked incredulously.
Madame Pomfrey nodded. "It is supposedly kept confidential, though there have been accusations that the Minister has been using the list to blackmail upstanding Witches and Wizards," she said.
James groaned as he watched the blood drip into the vial.
After the vial had been returned to Madame Pomfrey and the cut on James' thumb healed, Madame Pomfrey leaned forward and looked at James. "Why are you here to get a test for sexual diseases?" she asked.
"Surely you have heard by now of my reputation," James said, crossing his arms and looking away from the Healer. "I simply wish to know that I am not infected with anything."
"I don't quite understand, Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey said quietly. "Why did you chose to come to me to take the test now?"
"I am graduating Hogwarts this year and I want to make sure that I have a life ahead of me that's free of anything that could impede me," James said.
Madame Pomfrey leaned back and smiled. "Have you perhaps found someone who has affected you enough to make you wish to relinquish your current reputation?" she asked and James shrugged. "Remember that everything we say in this room remains completely confidential. Not even the Headmaster, nor the Minister of Magic, can compel me to speak about anything that was said without themselves being cursed for doing so."
James nodded, Madame Pomfrey's statement seeming to placate him enough to talk. "I met someone, yes, but I do not want to mention them at all in this matter, unless the test results prove that I have somehow put their life in danger. I am risking too much by staying with them at all," he muttered.
"Care to elaborate on that, Mr. Potter, or would you prefer to simply leave and allow me to perform the test?" Madame Pomfrey asked gently. She could push certain matters when James returned to receive the results of his test. For now, though, it was very much like walking on a razor blade - step down too hard or push an issue too far and James would cut her off, leaving her only with unanswered questions and likely a wounded ego. Such behavior was common among the Pureblood teenagers, though she was not sure why.
"When will the results be ready?" James asked.
"At the end of next week," Madame Pomfrey said as she watched James stand to leave. "Mister Potter, I would like you to know that you can approach me at any time and since the confidentiality has been established, it will forever be in place," she said.
James nodded. "Thank you," he said with a smile before leaving the room.