There was a faint buzz suddenly going around the room as people whispered quietly to their neighbors. Then McGonagall held up a hand. Everyone was silent at once.
"He--Well, wait a moment," she beckoned for Ron and Hermione, and after a pause, for Ginny, Fred, and George. Quietly she whispered, "It's Harry. He's--hurt. Alive, yes. But hurt. Very badly. Dumbledore says he was there when the attack started, and tried to hold his own, telling everyone to run. Luckily, they did....but You-Know-Who-I mean, Voldemort...he got someone. That tiny Gryffindor, Dennis Creevey." Tears filled her eyes. "I-I'm sorry. You all have my permission to visit H-Harry...Mrs. Weasley has been called, and there is a big black dog in the Inrirmary. G-g-go...Go ahead. I'll explain to everyone else."
They ran along a passage that led to the Infirmary, no one saying a word. When they finally reached the Infirmary, they burst through the doors, and looked around at the quiet atmosphere. Professor Dumbledore was sitting in a chair quietly, looking somber.
"Professor, how is he?" asked Hermione, rushing forward.
"He will live, but for now he's sleeping, and has had quite a severe shock, for he went one-on-one with the most powerful wizard in the world. I am amazed as ever that he came out alive, this time with a small scar on his chest, for some reason in the shape of a star. He also seems to have twisted his ankle," the Professor explained, looking grave.
"So he'll be fine...once he awakes?" Ron asked, also stepping up.
"Other than extremely tired, and drained, yes. I advise you not to bother him about it much...he may get adgitated."
"Do you have an estimation as to when he might awake?" asked Ginny, also stepping forward.
"It could be any time now..perhaps in the morning. No one really knows. We'll just wait here. If any one of you needs to sleep, you can feel free to use any of the beds here. And there are some old textbooks in the corner, if anyone wants to study," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling for the first time all day. "Also some Quidditch magazines, and some other such interesting things."
The Professor then went back to sitting there quietly, watching over Harry. Suddenly, as though he had forgotten, he said, "And Dennis is watching us all from above."
The evening passed slowly. Waiting was quite monotonous, but not a one of them would leave that room for anything in the world at that moment.
Ron and Hermione sat side-by-side, each reading their own type of material. Ginny sat off in a corner, and Fred and George sat together, not even making their usual kind of jokes.
In the middle of the night, when it seemed everyone had dozed off, Dumbledore was still sitting there, watching Harry, when his eyelids flickered open.
"P-Professor? What happened? I thought he killed me..."
"No, Harry. He nearly did, but you're alive. Now that you're awake, I do hope you won't mind if I repair your ankle?" Dumbledore stood up.
"Of course not. What'd I do to it?"
"You merely twisted it. Reparo."
"Oh. All right then. Actually, that does feel a bit better, thanks."
The Professor looked pointedly at Ron and Hermione, and they started shaking Ginny, who'd fallen asleep.
"I trust you will want to be left alone with your friends. If you need anything, Madam Pomfrey is right in the next room," the Professor said, standing up and walking out.
"Oh, Harry!" Hermione cried, running up to hug him as soon as the Professor was gone.
Harry looked quite scared, and then relieved when she let go.
"You all right, mate?" Ron said, walking up.
"As well as I can be, I suppose," Harry said, smiling faintly.
Next was Ginny. "I-er-oh..Harry..." she said, lost for words, then hugged him as Hermione had, going red and teary.
"It's all right.." Harry patted her awkwardly on the back, going red too. "I'm okay now."
Fred and George came up together, both looking white. "You survived," Fred said slowly.
"Yeah. You weren't hoping I wouldn't, now were you?"
"Don't be stupid," George said.
"Really, Harry, don't you know that we need someone to test our tricks on? You're a perfect target, you are," Fred said, smiling.
Just then, there came a banging throughout the hospital wing. The doors flew wide open, and there stood Mrs. Weasley. "Harry!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "You're all right, you survived!" She ran up to him and gave him a hug.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Not dead yet, anyway," Harry said, a ghost of a smile floating across his face fleetingly.
Next came Sirius, in Animajus form. The dog padded up to the bed, and put his paw on Harry's arm. Harry patted him, then flopped back onto his pillows. He really was tired. He would just shut his eyes for a moment...but then..zzzz, he was out like a light.
"He--Well, wait a moment," she beckoned for Ron and Hermione, and after a pause, for Ginny, Fred, and George. Quietly she whispered, "It's Harry. He's--hurt. Alive, yes. But hurt. Very badly. Dumbledore says he was there when the attack started, and tried to hold his own, telling everyone to run. Luckily, they did....but You-Know-Who-I mean, Voldemort...he got someone. That tiny Gryffindor, Dennis Creevey." Tears filled her eyes. "I-I'm sorry. You all have my permission to visit H-Harry...Mrs. Weasley has been called, and there is a big black dog in the Inrirmary. G-g-go...Go ahead. I'll explain to everyone else."
They ran along a passage that led to the Infirmary, no one saying a word. When they finally reached the Infirmary, they burst through the doors, and looked around at the quiet atmosphere. Professor Dumbledore was sitting in a chair quietly, looking somber.
"Professor, how is he?" asked Hermione, rushing forward.
"He will live, but for now he's sleeping, and has had quite a severe shock, for he went one-on-one with the most powerful wizard in the world. I am amazed as ever that he came out alive, this time with a small scar on his chest, for some reason in the shape of a star. He also seems to have twisted his ankle," the Professor explained, looking grave.
"So he'll be fine...once he awakes?" Ron asked, also stepping up.
"Other than extremely tired, and drained, yes. I advise you not to bother him about it much...he may get adgitated."
"Do you have an estimation as to when he might awake?" asked Ginny, also stepping forward.
"It could be any time now..perhaps in the morning. No one really knows. We'll just wait here. If any one of you needs to sleep, you can feel free to use any of the beds here. And there are some old textbooks in the corner, if anyone wants to study," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling for the first time all day. "Also some Quidditch magazines, and some other such interesting things."
The Professor then went back to sitting there quietly, watching over Harry. Suddenly, as though he had forgotten, he said, "And Dennis is watching us all from above."
The evening passed slowly. Waiting was quite monotonous, but not a one of them would leave that room for anything in the world at that moment.
Ron and Hermione sat side-by-side, each reading their own type of material. Ginny sat off in a corner, and Fred and George sat together, not even making their usual kind of jokes.
In the middle of the night, when it seemed everyone had dozed off, Dumbledore was still sitting there, watching Harry, when his eyelids flickered open.
"P-Professor? What happened? I thought he killed me..."
"No, Harry. He nearly did, but you're alive. Now that you're awake, I do hope you won't mind if I repair your ankle?" Dumbledore stood up.
"Of course not. What'd I do to it?"
"You merely twisted it. Reparo."
"Oh. All right then. Actually, that does feel a bit better, thanks."
The Professor looked pointedly at Ron and Hermione, and they started shaking Ginny, who'd fallen asleep.
"I trust you will want to be left alone with your friends. If you need anything, Madam Pomfrey is right in the next room," the Professor said, standing up and walking out.
"Oh, Harry!" Hermione cried, running up to hug him as soon as the Professor was gone.
Harry looked quite scared, and then relieved when she let go.
"You all right, mate?" Ron said, walking up.
"As well as I can be, I suppose," Harry said, smiling faintly.
Next was Ginny. "I-er-oh..Harry..." she said, lost for words, then hugged him as Hermione had, going red and teary.
"It's all right.." Harry patted her awkwardly on the back, going red too. "I'm okay now."
Fred and George came up together, both looking white. "You survived," Fred said slowly.
"Yeah. You weren't hoping I wouldn't, now were you?"
"Don't be stupid," George said.
"Really, Harry, don't you know that we need someone to test our tricks on? You're a perfect target, you are," Fred said, smiling.
Just then, there came a banging throughout the hospital wing. The doors flew wide open, and there stood Mrs. Weasley. "Harry!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "You're all right, you survived!" She ran up to him and gave him a hug.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Not dead yet, anyway," Harry said, a ghost of a smile floating across his face fleetingly.
Next came Sirius, in Animajus form. The dog padded up to the bed, and put his paw on Harry's arm. Harry patted him, then flopped back onto his pillows. He really was tired. He would just shut his eyes for a moment...but then..zzzz, he was out like a light.