Chapter 25

Back in the Hospital

They stood in silence in the elevator and when it came to the atrium they walked right over to the floo fire placed and went to Ginny's office in Hogwarts.

"So what's up? "

"It's Heather."

"What's that supposed to mean?

"Well we're not really sure what's wrong. McGonagall thought you would be able to talk to her, being who you are."

"Right then shell we go?"

"I have a class going on at the moment by the way."

"Lovely, let's get it over with." He opened the door and walked out of his wife's office and into the classroom. The chatter stopped immediately. Then a hand shot up and Harry was reminded strongly of Hermione when they were in school.

"Yes?"

"Are you here to teach the lesson sir?"

"No I'm here on a personal matter." More hands started to creep into the air.

"I'll be back soon hopefully and I'll answer your questions then."

Ginny knew that they didn't really need her in the hospital wing so she only went with Harry to the door of the classroom. In the hall with the door closed she told her husband.

"Please help her Harry. If you can't I don't think anyone will be able to."

Harry was at a loss as to what he would be able to fix that the teachers at Hogwarts couldn't. But he assured Ginny "I'll do my best." Then he kissed her cheek

"They're in the hospital wing."

"I'll be back soon, I have questions to answer." He gave her a smile. Ginny returned it but it was a feeble smile and it had vanished as she returned to the class.

"Why is Mr. Potter here professor?"

"Are you a faculty member Miss Wallace? I didn't think so. It is none of your business." Ginny snapped at the girl

That was the last her class asked about the situation

Harry was used to walking through Hogwarts with the felling of apprehension. The two almost seemed synonymous now. He had been called to things like this before. But those times Ginny had just sent an owl. It was never this urgent and she had never been this affected by it.

When he entered the hospital wing he saw that there was a curtain around the bed that had been his most of the times he had a stay in the wing. It made him chuckle but when her rounded the corner any mirth he had was displaced. Heather was curled under the covers shivering though it was quite warm. "Madam Pomfrey what's happened?"

"As you can see she is very disturbed. She has been muttering interesting things as well. Have a listen." so he did and he heard

"No like him not like him not riddle not riddle..."

"She's talking about-

"Don't say his name!" Madam Pomfrey said cutting Harry off

"Why not?" he demanded. It had always irked him when people refused to say Voldemort.

"Because it sends her deeper into hysterics and she does not need that."

"Oh." That was a justified reason not to say Voldemort, Harry backed off. "Do we know what happened?"

"No the headmaster was hoping that you would be able to talk to her. I've got the calming draft ready."

"Heather dear. Drink this." It was hard for Harry to watch her so helpless. It brought back memories of being in St. Mungos and seeing Neville's parents. Voldemort had caused so much pain and ruined so many lives. He had though that it was over. The calming draft had taken effect and Heather was sitting in the bed clutching the covers. Harry pulled a chair over to her beside and sat down.

"Could you leave us Poppy?" She consented and went to her office.

"Hi Heather what's not like Tom?"

"I...the hat said...I was like him...said that was why...I like...like power." She whispered this not wanting anyone else to hear. It didn't matter that they were alone.

"The hat told you that you would do well in slithering didn't it?"

"But I don't want-"

"I'm not saying you should have been in Slytherin. But you should know that it told me that same thing. "

"I told it that I didn't want to be in there. That I didn't like dark magic and that I knew what it was, how bad it was." Heather finished weakly. Harry nodded

"I had that doubt that you did in my first year. What the hat right should I have been in Slytherin. I was a parsletongue and that was a trait that Salazar valued for his students. Why did the hat put me in Gryffindor?"

Heather watched him expectantly

"Because I asked it to. I had made my first steps out of the shadow of Tom, who was proud to be a Slytherin."

"But I'm like him the hat said so...it said that I was like him." Heather was getting scared again Harry could tell

"You've heard about Dumbledore. He told me something that I will remember for the rest of my life. He told me this when I was asking the very same questions that you're asking right now. He said 'it is our actions, far more than our abilities that show who we really are'. You know about what Tom became and what he stood for, and despise it. That was your first step away from any connection or similarity you two have."He could see Heather processing this information. Her grip on the covers was loosening. "Now your second step was telling that hat that you didn't like the dark arts, or getting power by those means. And really that hat sat on his head for what a minute. And that was 76 years ago. How can it really remember what his head was like." he said giving her a big smile. She gave the smallest of laughs.

"Thanks Uncle Harry. I'm not like Tom Riddle." Heather said very firmly. She believed it now.

"No, for one thing you're a girl." Making her laugh would help her relax and she did both. She was slowly relaxing.

"Thank you Uncle Harry"

"You're welcome. Would you like me to stay for a while?"

"Nah, they're probably missing you at your work. And I have madam Pomfrey to fuss over me."

"She does that very well." He winked at her. "I'll let you rest then. Fell better." This wasn't a wish, it was a command.

"I'll do my best." And Harry was leaving her with the nurse. She could hear them talking in hushed tones.

"You're sure that she won't relapse?"

"Yes Poppy. She's a strong girl she will be fine with some rest." Hearing Harry talking about her like this gave Heather a boost.

"She didn't seem that strong when she came in here."

"What would you do when the sorting hat tells you, an eleven year old that, you're like Tom Riddle. Then you find out who he became?"

There was a sharp intake of breath. "Oh dear. Poor thing. No wonder she was out of her mind. Well thank you for coming. Don't take this the wrong way but I was hoping that I would never see you in here again." Heather could tell that she was smiling when she said it.

"Well the feeling was mutual. I didn't like being in here anymore than you liked me being here."

Heather didn't hear any more of the conversation but she did hear the hospital doors open and close. And in a blink of an eye the nurse was offering her another glass full of potion. Within seconds of draining it she was drifting off to sleep.