Chapter 21
As soon as Harry stepped out into the hall, he noticed a toad just in front of his feet. Picking up the toad, he spoke to the small animal. "Oh, you're a cutie, aren't you? Who do you belong to, and where are you going?" He looked around and saw a boy coming straight towards his door.
"That's my toad," the boy said, trying to catch his breath, "Thanks for picking him up."
Harry handed the boy the toad and said hoarsely, "I like it. Do you think he can communicate with snakes? I have a snake familiar. Ah, sorry, I'm Harry."
"Hello Harry," the other boy smiled. "I'm Neville; I'm a first year Hufflepuff."
"Excuse me, what's your name? I'm sorry, I cannot hear very well, especially as I'm sick at the moment. That's why I couldn't attend your sorting yesterday."
"Neville is my name, and I'm in Hufflepuff," the boy repeated very loud and slowly, so that Harry could understand. "We can meet after lessons and see if they can talk to each other; I'd like that."
"Good idea," Harry replied. "I'm a second year, but I'm not in a house, because Professors McGongall and Snape are my guardians and because of my hearing problems. But here's my room," he pointed at the door behind himself, "and you can come and visit me anytime. I'd like that very much."
"Thanks," the boy replied, giving Harry a hesitant smile, and asked, "Can you tell me where the Potions classroom is? I have Potions first."
Knowing that everyone should still be at breakfast, Harry replied, "All right, I'll show you, but we have to be quick, before anyone notices that I left my room; let me just put robes over my pyjamas."
Neville giggled, and Harry quickly returned to his room to get his robes, before the two boys hurried to the dungeons.
Suddenly, someone spoke to them from behind. "Excuse me; do you know where the library is?"
Harry and Neville turned around and saw a first year girl with bushy brown hair standing right behind them. "Yes, I know where the library is. It's up this staircase and then straight on along the hall. But don't you have a class during the first period?" Harry asked, coughing.
"Are you sick? Maybe you should better go to the hospital wing," the girl replied concerned. "I have Potions first; I just thought..."
"No, you won't manage to go to the library and then to the dungeons on time. Come with us, I'm just showing Neville where the Potions classroom is. I'm Harry, by the way."
"I'm Hermione, Ravenclaw first year. Hello Neville, hello Harry."
"If you come to my room with Neville after classes, I can show you where the library is. Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs have most classes together anyway," Harry promised and led the two first years to the dungeons, before he quickly excused himself and hurried back to his room to crawl into bed.
HP HEALER POMFREY HP
During lunchtime, Julia and Ken showed up in Harry's room. "Oh no, Harry, are you sick again?" Julia exclaimed.
"I'm sorry," Harry replied. "I just hope they'll let me attend classes tomorrow. Did you bring my homework?"
"Yes, but I don't know if we're allowed to give it to you," Julia answered hesitantly. "We have Transfiguration next, and then I'll ask Professor McGonagall, all right? We'll come back after classes anyway."
"All right," Harry grudgingly agreed. "Ah, by the way, I met two really nice first years this morning..."
"How can you meet first years when you're sick in bed?" Julia asked in a completely annoyed voice, while Ken couldn't help chuckling.
Harry sighed. "Well, I used our map and saw someone head here, and when I stepped out I nearly fell over a toad that belongs to a Hufflepuff first year. He wanted to know where the Potions classroom was, and on the way there, we met a Ravenclaw girl. I forgot the name, but I promised to show her to the library if she came here after classes."
Ken laughed, while Julia glared at Harry. "I don't think you'll go anywhere today," she said sternly. "If they really come here, I will take them to the library; plus we have to tell the teachers that Ken and I met them and talked to them, since I don't think you'll want them to know that you ran around the castle this morning."
Harry threw Julia a frustrated glance. "Sorry Julia, that was too fast. I'm really having problems today."
Julia sighed and took a parchment from Harry's desk, writing her earlier statement down, while Ken felt Harry's forehead and gasped. "He's very hot," he said to Julia and stood up. "I'm going to get Pomfrey."
Harry quickly grabbed his arm and croaked. "Where are you going?"
"Call Pomfrey," Ken replied, heading for the door.
"No, wait, she's going to come anyway. It's not urgent, and she has a lot of work. I can wait."
'Sure?' Julia wrote, and Harry gave her a slight nod.
"Tell me what I missed this morning," he begged his friends. "Ah wait." He suddenly grinned. "I have to tell you something first. I asked Poppy if she could tell me more about pranks they did in their Hogwarts time, and she told me several stories. In one of them, Minerva again pranked the Potions professor. They were supposed to write a test, but she didn't have time to study because of Quidditch practise or something. She went to the Potions classroom early in the morning and transfigured the whole floor into a Portkey; of course not into one that moved with everyone, but everyone, who entered the room, was transported out to the grounds. When they went back and tried to enter the room once more, they found themselves outside again. The spell only wore off at lunchtime. However," he interrupted himself, coughing.
"Harry, you shouldn't talk so much," Julia reminded him but was ignored for the moment.
"However, when she prepared the prank, she hadn't noticed that it was raining outside, and in the evening, the whole class had detention in order to brew Pepper-up potion, because they all caught a cold running around in the rain."
Ken snatched the parchment from Julia and wrote, 'That's a brilliant story. I wonder how Professor McGonagall became the strict teacher she's now.'
Harry and Julia laughed, and Harry blurted out, "I'd really like to know about that."
"What would you like to know?" Minerva, who just entered the room and heard what Harry said, asked.
"Professor, Harry can hardly hear anything today. Is Madam Pomfrey going to look after him?" Julia managed to gain her head of house's attention.
"Yes, of course she will. Have the two of you eaten lunch?" Minerva asked sternly, although she knew definitely that neither of them had been in the Great Hall.
"No, not yet. We wanted to see Harry and thought we could get something from the kitchen later," Julia admitted in a small voice, causing Minerva to call a house elf and bring sandwiches for the two students.
When Julia and Ken sat down at Harry's desk to eat their sandwiches, Minerva sat down on the edge of Harry's bed. "How are you feeling, sweetie?" she asked softly, gently pushing an errand strang of hair from his forehead. "You're very warm, aren't you?"
Harry gripped Minerva's hand and croaked, "I don't feel so well, and I can hardly understand anything. Can you give me my potions?"
"I'm going to get Poppy for you," Minerva said and stood up, determined. An instant later, she returned with the healer in tow.
Poppy waved her wand over Harry, whispered, "I'll be back in an instant, Minerva," and left the room only to return a few minutes later with a goblet.
Harry obediently gulped down the liquid and fell asleep immediately. "I gave him a stronger dose of his normal potion, laced with a sleeping draught," she explained and slid a wrist band over his left hand, before she spelled two other potions straight into his stomach. "I don't mind you being here with him, but I don't want anyone to talk to him today. Please use parchments and a quill to communicate with him," she added sternly and left the room.
HP HEALER POMFREY HP
When Julia and Ken returned from their lessons, Harry was still asleep.They sat down at his desk and started with their homework. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door, and when Julia opened the door, Hermione and Neville entered the room. Seeing that Harry was asleep, the four students quietly introduced themselves to each other.
"Too funny," Julia suddenly giggled. "Look, we're one of each house, and Harry belongs to all houses anyway. Good that we have his room here as meeting point."
"I still can't believe that he isn't sorted. In my book 'Hogwarts: A History' it says that all students have to be sorted," Hermione spoke up.
"Maybe he's the heir of one of the founders? But then he'd be in that house," Neville mused aloud. "What's his name by the way?"
"Harry Potter," Ken chuckled. "He hates it; no wonder he didn't tell you."
"No, that can't be true. I know for a fact that he cannot be Harry Potter," Hermione replied resolutely.
I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!
All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.