The next morning, Harry came again to the hospital wing to see the
mysterious girl. Just as he reached the bed, Madam Pomfrey emerged from
behind the curtain and stopped him, hands on hips,
"Good morning Mr. Potter. Just where do you think you are going?"
"Oh, good morning Madam Pomfrey. I just...I wanted to know if I could visit the girl in there," he pointed behind the mediwitch, "I heard she was really hurt, I wanted to just." he shrugged. The truth was, he didn't really know why he kept coming back to the girl. He felt like he just had to see her again. It didn't make sense at all, he knew, but maybe he could help her get better, if she knew someone was waiting her on this side of consciousness. Somehow.
"Mr. Potter?" Madam Pomfrey's voice called him back to the present, "You were saying?" She was looking at him with a curious speculation.
"Oh, yeah. I was wondering if I could visit the girl, Madam Pomfrey?"
"Her name is Rhiannon, Mr. Potter, and you may see her, although," she put up a hand to obviate his thanks, "although it is unlikely that she will wake."
"Thank you Madam Pomfrey!" Harry exclaimed and she moved aside, smiling, to let him past. Harry pulled back the curtain, slipped in, and closed it again, all the time watching Rhiannon for signs of movement. There were none. He sat down on a stool near her bed and watched her for a while, drinking in the way the sunlight from the windows far above them drifted lazily on her face, making her hair seem to glow about her like a halo, and how her too-pale skin looked almost healthy again.
Harry wasn't sure how long he sat there, just staring at the sleeping girl. Finally, he roused himself and stood to leave, then glanced at her one last time. Harry blinked. Surely not! Rhiannon's eyes were open and she was watching him with unveiled curiosity. For a moment, Harry simply let himself gaze into her eyes, marveling at their clear ice-blue color, and then he forced himself to concentrate on coming up with an excuse for intruding upon her space.
"I.I'm sorry for bothering you, Rhiannon. I just.I just." while Harry's mind raced for an explanation, the girl simply stared at him,
"H-how do you know my name?" she inquired. It would have been a demand, but her voice was too quiet that focus of negative emotion. The fear in her face was only too painfully obvious to Harry, and he winced at the realization that he had caused it.
"Um.Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, told me," Harry responded quickly.
"Oh." Rhiannon pondered this for a moment, and some of the fear slowly drained from her face, "Where am I?"
"Y-you don't know?" Harry was surprised, how could anyone not recognize Hogwarts? Rhiannon shook her head and Harry sat again with a sigh, "You're at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,"
Rhiannon's eyes widened in recognition, "So then.everything happens as he foretold." she breathed. Then her eyes refocused on Harry; "Thank you.?" she trailed off, leaving him free to introduce himself.
"Harry. Harry Potter," he answered.
Rhiannon inhaled sharply, then regained her composition, "Thank you Mr. Potter."
"Please, j-just Harry," he begged her, "Mr. Potter is too formal."
She smiled, "I appreciate your familiarity, Harry."
"Good morning Mr. Potter. Just where do you think you are going?"
"Oh, good morning Madam Pomfrey. I just...I wanted to know if I could visit the girl in there," he pointed behind the mediwitch, "I heard she was really hurt, I wanted to just." he shrugged. The truth was, he didn't really know why he kept coming back to the girl. He felt like he just had to see her again. It didn't make sense at all, he knew, but maybe he could help her get better, if she knew someone was waiting her on this side of consciousness. Somehow.
"Mr. Potter?" Madam Pomfrey's voice called him back to the present, "You were saying?" She was looking at him with a curious speculation.
"Oh, yeah. I was wondering if I could visit the girl, Madam Pomfrey?"
"Her name is Rhiannon, Mr. Potter, and you may see her, although," she put up a hand to obviate his thanks, "although it is unlikely that she will wake."
"Thank you Madam Pomfrey!" Harry exclaimed and she moved aside, smiling, to let him past. Harry pulled back the curtain, slipped in, and closed it again, all the time watching Rhiannon for signs of movement. There were none. He sat down on a stool near her bed and watched her for a while, drinking in the way the sunlight from the windows far above them drifted lazily on her face, making her hair seem to glow about her like a halo, and how her too-pale skin looked almost healthy again.
Harry wasn't sure how long he sat there, just staring at the sleeping girl. Finally, he roused himself and stood to leave, then glanced at her one last time. Harry blinked. Surely not! Rhiannon's eyes were open and she was watching him with unveiled curiosity. For a moment, Harry simply let himself gaze into her eyes, marveling at their clear ice-blue color, and then he forced himself to concentrate on coming up with an excuse for intruding upon her space.
"I.I'm sorry for bothering you, Rhiannon. I just.I just." while Harry's mind raced for an explanation, the girl simply stared at him,
"H-how do you know my name?" she inquired. It would have been a demand, but her voice was too quiet that focus of negative emotion. The fear in her face was only too painfully obvious to Harry, and he winced at the realization that he had caused it.
"Um.Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, told me," Harry responded quickly.
"Oh." Rhiannon pondered this for a moment, and some of the fear slowly drained from her face, "Where am I?"
"Y-you don't know?" Harry was surprised, how could anyone not recognize Hogwarts? Rhiannon shook her head and Harry sat again with a sigh, "You're at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,"
Rhiannon's eyes widened in recognition, "So then.everything happens as he foretold." she breathed. Then her eyes refocused on Harry; "Thank you.?" she trailed off, leaving him free to introduce himself.
"Harry. Harry Potter," he answered.
Rhiannon inhaled sharply, then regained her composition, "Thank you Mr. Potter."
"Please, j-just Harry," he begged her, "Mr. Potter is too formal."
She smiled, "I appreciate your familiarity, Harry."