A/N: Thanks to all of those who have kept with me. Tell your friends
about this fiction! Recommend it to them! Force them to read and review!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and related entities are the property of Joanne Kathleen Rowling and whatever associates involved in the complicated copyright system. JK Rowling is the goddess of all that is good in Wiz- fic. God Bless JK, and please hurry with OOP!
Chapter Eleven: The Scotch-Drinking Miracle Woman
Northern Scotland was experiencing one of its fiercer storms that afternoon. It was black like the night at two in the afternoon. Violent winds rocked the towers and even the resident ghosts felt the chill of the weather.
As soon as Ron walked Hermione back to the Tower, she sped for her dormitory, as Ron did his, both determined to see about Harry. In record time, they made it back down to the Common Room as the portrait hole swung open. Professor McGonagall stepped in with a sobering look.
"Ah, and where might you tow be headed?" She knew the obvious answer.
"Professor, we were going to see about Harry." Ron answered quickly. He was quite anxious to get past the Fat Lady.
"You'll do nothing of the sort." She received wary looks from the two Gryffindors. "Now, I know you're worried about Potter, but there's nothing you can do except distract Madam Pomfrey. I'll have a house-elf come for you when you may see him." Noticing the look on Hermione's face, she added: "Don't worry, Miss Granger, he'll live."
With that, she headed towards the portrait hole. As she was stepping out, she turned again. "Don't go distracting that woman. She has a lot to be precise about. Please just wait for when she calls for you." McGonagall stepped out, leaving Ron and Hermione less satisfied than before she entered.
"Well, bugger that," said Ron as he slumped into an armchair.
~*^*~
Madam Pomfrey was beside herself with the task at hand. How, in God's name, was she going to perform this miracle? First, she hung a "Do Not Disturb Unless Mortal Emergency" sign on the door of the wing. Next, she crossed herself mumbling a prayer for accuracy and swiftness; time was of the essence. Then, less than ten minutes after Harry had hit the final step, she got to work, trying to repair the gruesome damage.
Still floating in mid-air, she started to peel away Harry's blood- soaked, mud-matted Quidditch robes, mindful of the bones protruding his skin. His skin was clammy and cold to the touch, his lips were light blue. Madam Pomfrey performed a slight heating charm around his naked body, and started to clean the blood and mud off him, surveying the damage.
"Right ankle crushed, right femur broken and protruding the skin." She muttered his ailments to herself as she kept the heating charm in check. She checked his air passageways and charmed those to keep them clear, and she examined a bit further. "Right femur dislocated from pelvis. Thank God he's unconscious. I wouldn't want to be feeling this." She moved on. "Ribs, three broken, right lung punctured." She listened at his chest. "Heartbeat: strong. Doesn't give up, this one. Collarbone, broken. Nose, broken. Bruised eye." Harry's right eye had swollen shut with great unattractiveness.
Madam Pomfrey rotated Harry to his side, repeated the procedure and found similar injuries. She rotated him facedown and almost passed out herself. Harry was bleeding unreservedly right above his kidney. His back was almost completely black and blue, from buttocks to shoulder blades. She felt for protrusions along his spine and felt none. "Thank goodness for small favors. I am not a miracle woman."
Neither was Harry's skull cracked. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it wasn't a cakewalk either. She injected Spot Skele-Grow to his broken bones, setting them as she did so. It took a long time to rebuild his ankle, a short time to reset his femoral-pelvic joint. She kept a monitor on him all through this and was astounded at how steady he was overall. 'What ARE they making kids out of these days,' she thought to herself.
With most skeletal reconstruction finished, she called for a house- elf. A sad excuse for one named Winky appeared instantly. "Winky here for your service, mistress."
"Fine, Winky. I need you to deliver a message to Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger in Gryffindor Tower. Tell them they may come see Harry."
"Yes, mistress, right away." Winky disappeared as quickly as she had come.
Madam Pomfrey spread ointment on Harry's eye, over the lower right side of his back and placed him face down on a hospital bed. She turned his head toward the door and pulled the sheets up over his rear. Then she promptly put her feet up in front of the fireplace and poured herself a drink.
~*^*~
In the Gryffindor Common Room, the Head Girl and her best friend were nervous wreaks. Hermione hadn't lost her composure, yet, but spent the last half hour jumping at every sound made in the room and tearing a sheet of parchment to shreds.
Ron, on the other hand, had stationed himself at the portrait hole and nearly attacked every person who came through it.
At long last, the Fat Lady swung herself open and a little head poked through.
"Will sir help me?" Winky asked pitifully.
"Are you here for Ron Weasley or Hermione Granger?"
"Yes, Winky has a message."
"What is it?" Hermione was at Ron's side at Winky's first squeak.
"You, sir and miss, can see Mr. Harry Potter now." She hiccoughed from the excitement.
"Excuse us, thank you, Winky," Hermione said breathlessly. They were past the Fat Lady and the whole ordeal took less than ten seconds.
~*^*~
"Ennervate." Madam Pomfrey had finished the last swallow of her Scotch and brought Harry back to consciousness. "Mr. Potter."
Harry opened his good eye and it nearly startled the old nurse to see that vibrant green amid the bruises on his face.
"Where?" Harry asked groggily.
"You're in the hospital wing. You took a nasty fall, Mr. Potter. There were a lot of broken bones, and you still have bruises, as well as bruised organs. Now, I suspect your friends will be here momentarily. They are to stay calm and keep you calm. If they get out of line, they go. Understood?"
Harry propped himself up and took a deep breath. Pain shot through his side and he noticed where the ribs had poked out of their respective places.
"I'd like to keep you here through the week for observation, so don't get any funny ideas. Now, I need you to rest. Lie back down."
Harry looked crestfallen. There was a light impatient knock at the door.
"That will be them. Excuse me, they'll be in shortly." With that, Madam Pomfrey left the room.
~*^*~
At the same time, Hermione and Ron were racing out of the Tower down the many staircases.
"Ron, wait up!" Hermione called to Ron, who was quite far ahead of her.
"Come on!"
"I'm hurrying." She caught up with him again and as they hit the Great Hall, they broke into a full run. It only took a few seconds for Ron to be ahead of her again.
"Ron, wait!"
"Hermione, will you bloody hurry up?"
"Harry would wait for me."
That was all it took for Ron to come to his senses. He walked back to her to close the gap between them, and they hurried to the hospital wing together.
They reached the door of Madam Pomfrey's office and Ron gave it a light knock. Within a few moments, she was there at the door. Ron peered over her shoulder to get a look at Harry, but she ushered them into the hall after she removed the sign from her door. "In a moment, Mr. Weasley, in a moment." Pomfrey sighed. "There are a few things I'd like to tell you before you see him. First, do NOT get him excited. His body's had enough excitement for the day. Second. He looks terrible; don't discourage him. Its nothing I can't fix, but it takes time. Remember to keep him calm. If you or any other student needs me, I'll be in the Headmistress' office." The miracle woman left them to Harry's bed and departed.
A/N: You read it, now review, you fanfic lovin' nut!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and related entities are the property of Joanne Kathleen Rowling and whatever associates involved in the complicated copyright system. JK Rowling is the goddess of all that is good in Wiz- fic. God Bless JK, and please hurry with OOP!
Chapter Eleven: The Scotch-Drinking Miracle Woman
Northern Scotland was experiencing one of its fiercer storms that afternoon. It was black like the night at two in the afternoon. Violent winds rocked the towers and even the resident ghosts felt the chill of the weather.
As soon as Ron walked Hermione back to the Tower, she sped for her dormitory, as Ron did his, both determined to see about Harry. In record time, they made it back down to the Common Room as the portrait hole swung open. Professor McGonagall stepped in with a sobering look.
"Ah, and where might you tow be headed?" She knew the obvious answer.
"Professor, we were going to see about Harry." Ron answered quickly. He was quite anxious to get past the Fat Lady.
"You'll do nothing of the sort." She received wary looks from the two Gryffindors. "Now, I know you're worried about Potter, but there's nothing you can do except distract Madam Pomfrey. I'll have a house-elf come for you when you may see him." Noticing the look on Hermione's face, she added: "Don't worry, Miss Granger, he'll live."
With that, she headed towards the portrait hole. As she was stepping out, she turned again. "Don't go distracting that woman. She has a lot to be precise about. Please just wait for when she calls for you." McGonagall stepped out, leaving Ron and Hermione less satisfied than before she entered.
"Well, bugger that," said Ron as he slumped into an armchair.
~*^*~
Madam Pomfrey was beside herself with the task at hand. How, in God's name, was she going to perform this miracle? First, she hung a "Do Not Disturb Unless Mortal Emergency" sign on the door of the wing. Next, she crossed herself mumbling a prayer for accuracy and swiftness; time was of the essence. Then, less than ten minutes after Harry had hit the final step, she got to work, trying to repair the gruesome damage.
Still floating in mid-air, she started to peel away Harry's blood- soaked, mud-matted Quidditch robes, mindful of the bones protruding his skin. His skin was clammy and cold to the touch, his lips were light blue. Madam Pomfrey performed a slight heating charm around his naked body, and started to clean the blood and mud off him, surveying the damage.
"Right ankle crushed, right femur broken and protruding the skin." She muttered his ailments to herself as she kept the heating charm in check. She checked his air passageways and charmed those to keep them clear, and she examined a bit further. "Right femur dislocated from pelvis. Thank God he's unconscious. I wouldn't want to be feeling this." She moved on. "Ribs, three broken, right lung punctured." She listened at his chest. "Heartbeat: strong. Doesn't give up, this one. Collarbone, broken. Nose, broken. Bruised eye." Harry's right eye had swollen shut with great unattractiveness.
Madam Pomfrey rotated Harry to his side, repeated the procedure and found similar injuries. She rotated him facedown and almost passed out herself. Harry was bleeding unreservedly right above his kidney. His back was almost completely black and blue, from buttocks to shoulder blades. She felt for protrusions along his spine and felt none. "Thank goodness for small favors. I am not a miracle woman."
Neither was Harry's skull cracked. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it wasn't a cakewalk either. She injected Spot Skele-Grow to his broken bones, setting them as she did so. It took a long time to rebuild his ankle, a short time to reset his femoral-pelvic joint. She kept a monitor on him all through this and was astounded at how steady he was overall. 'What ARE they making kids out of these days,' she thought to herself.
With most skeletal reconstruction finished, she called for a house- elf. A sad excuse for one named Winky appeared instantly. "Winky here for your service, mistress."
"Fine, Winky. I need you to deliver a message to Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger in Gryffindor Tower. Tell them they may come see Harry."
"Yes, mistress, right away." Winky disappeared as quickly as she had come.
Madam Pomfrey spread ointment on Harry's eye, over the lower right side of his back and placed him face down on a hospital bed. She turned his head toward the door and pulled the sheets up over his rear. Then she promptly put her feet up in front of the fireplace and poured herself a drink.
~*^*~
In the Gryffindor Common Room, the Head Girl and her best friend were nervous wreaks. Hermione hadn't lost her composure, yet, but spent the last half hour jumping at every sound made in the room and tearing a sheet of parchment to shreds.
Ron, on the other hand, had stationed himself at the portrait hole and nearly attacked every person who came through it.
At long last, the Fat Lady swung herself open and a little head poked through.
"Will sir help me?" Winky asked pitifully.
"Are you here for Ron Weasley or Hermione Granger?"
"Yes, Winky has a message."
"What is it?" Hermione was at Ron's side at Winky's first squeak.
"You, sir and miss, can see Mr. Harry Potter now." She hiccoughed from the excitement.
"Excuse us, thank you, Winky," Hermione said breathlessly. They were past the Fat Lady and the whole ordeal took less than ten seconds.
~*^*~
"Ennervate." Madam Pomfrey had finished the last swallow of her Scotch and brought Harry back to consciousness. "Mr. Potter."
Harry opened his good eye and it nearly startled the old nurse to see that vibrant green amid the bruises on his face.
"Where?" Harry asked groggily.
"You're in the hospital wing. You took a nasty fall, Mr. Potter. There were a lot of broken bones, and you still have bruises, as well as bruised organs. Now, I suspect your friends will be here momentarily. They are to stay calm and keep you calm. If they get out of line, they go. Understood?"
Harry propped himself up and took a deep breath. Pain shot through his side and he noticed where the ribs had poked out of their respective places.
"I'd like to keep you here through the week for observation, so don't get any funny ideas. Now, I need you to rest. Lie back down."
Harry looked crestfallen. There was a light impatient knock at the door.
"That will be them. Excuse me, they'll be in shortly." With that, Madam Pomfrey left the room.
~*^*~
At the same time, Hermione and Ron were racing out of the Tower down the many staircases.
"Ron, wait up!" Hermione called to Ron, who was quite far ahead of her.
"Come on!"
"I'm hurrying." She caught up with him again and as they hit the Great Hall, they broke into a full run. It only took a few seconds for Ron to be ahead of her again.
"Ron, wait!"
"Hermione, will you bloody hurry up?"
"Harry would wait for me."
That was all it took for Ron to come to his senses. He walked back to her to close the gap between them, and they hurried to the hospital wing together.
They reached the door of Madam Pomfrey's office and Ron gave it a light knock. Within a few moments, she was there at the door. Ron peered over her shoulder to get a look at Harry, but she ushered them into the hall after she removed the sign from her door. "In a moment, Mr. Weasley, in a moment." Pomfrey sighed. "There are a few things I'd like to tell you before you see him. First, do NOT get him excited. His body's had enough excitement for the day. Second. He looks terrible; don't discourage him. Its nothing I can't fix, but it takes time. Remember to keep him calm. If you or any other student needs me, I'll be in the Headmistress' office." The miracle woman left them to Harry's bed and departed.
A/N: You read it, now review, you fanfic lovin' nut!