Chapter Six

Lizzie awoke slowly the following day to find herself safely tucked in the hospital wing. She bolted up in bed.

"You-Know-Who is --!"

"Shh," her mother soothed gently. "Lie back down Lizzie. Everything is fine." She gave her youngest chid the smile of relief. "We all were quite worried when Mr. Potter came in with you early this morning. Now you seem to be fine."

"So Harry's not . . . he's okay?"

"Sure he's fine. You're the one who was almost a goner," a new voice spoke up. Lizzie turned to see two cheerful faces smiling down at her.

"Vicky! Tabby! What are you doing here?" Lizzie asked excitedly.

Tabby ruffled her baby sister's hair. "Looking after you of course. You gave us quite a scare."

Vicky grinned at her sister, eyes shinning. "Lizzie! You saved the world!"

"I did?" Lizzie asked hesitantly. The previous night's events were still so confused in her mind.

"You defeated You-Know-Who," Tabby said.

"But the most important thing is that you're all right now," her mother insisted, giving her baby another hug and kiss.

"She's not well yet. To get well, she'll need plenty of rest, so shoo," Madam Pomfrey directed, gently shooing Professor McGonagall and her daughters Tabby and Vicky.

"I'm not going to just leave her here," her mother protested.

"Yes you are Mom," Tabby said calmly. She grabbed her arm. "Come on. Why don't we go have some tea or something?" She and Vicky led their mother away.

Smiling Lizzie lay back onto the bed. She hadn't realized until that moment just how much she missed her mother and sisters. She closed her eyes to fall back asleep, but she only had a few minutes before she had another visitor.

"Um, can I talk to you?" Lizzie looked up to see Harry Potter standing by her bed. Like her he wore pajamas and had a bandage wrapped around his head. Unruly tufts of black hair stuck up around the bandage.

"Sure," Lizzie said. She motioned for him to sit down, which he did awkwardly.

"It's just, um, I feel weird," Harry finally admitted. "I mean, you saved my life last night, and you defeated Voldemort."

Lizzie nodded. "It's okay Harry," she assured him. "You don't owe me or something."

"But I do," Harry insisted with surprising vehemence. "I should have taken care of you. You -- you begged me to save you, and I failed." He looked down ashamed. "I couldn't take care of you." He looked at her again. "I don't know why it's bothering me so much. It's just, I feel as if there's some sort of connection between us. Like I've known you forever, and I should have protected you, but I couldn't, and I . . . "

Lizzie motioned for him to stop. "I know," she said simply. That's all that needed to be said. They looked at each other, and it was like two old souls meeting.

"It won't be happily ever after," she warned him at last.

"Life never is," Harry said. He took her small hand in his own and squeezed it. "It'll be fine."

Albus Dumbledore entered just then, breaking their private mood. "Hello Lizzie. I hear you're feeling better. Ah, Harry! Excellent. I was looking for you. It seems that the Ministry of Magic is in another crisis. Cornelius Fudge has resigned as Minister, complaining about the hard work. Now they want me to take the job. Oh dear!"

"What did you say Grandpa? Are you leaving Hogwarts?" Lizzie asked.

"What? Leave Hogwarts? Of course not. No," Albus Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I suggested instead another fine candidate for the job who will be graduating soon."

And tangled in the blankets on Lizzie's hospital wing bed, Lizzie tightened her grip on Harry's hand and made a silent promise to never let go.