Chapter 10
Neville was the first person to wake up in the morning.
Although he had had the least to drink he was the person who had had least experience with alcohol and we woke with a splitting headache and a spinning stomach.
He lay, wondering if Snape had made him drink his own potion and thus poisoned him before remembering the events of the previous day.
He groaned and tried to stretch, accidentally kicking Dean in the head as he did.
Dean sat up with a jolt, then collapsed in a heap, moaning and trying not to heave up all over Draco who was snoring, half on top of him.
Ginny stirred in the corner, and stifled a whimper before running out of the room, her hand over her mouth, paying no heed to Draco as she kicked him on her way out.
'Give ya three guesses as to where she has gone,' grinned Fred before his grin disappeared and he put his head in his hands groaning.
'Ahhhhh, I might be joining her soon as well.' groaned Draco as he carefully slid himself off Dean.
He kicked George, who tentatively stood, somewhat unsteadily and made a half attempt at a cheeky grin.
'Look at these two.'
Seamus looked, and laughed before his head fell back down with a thump.
Dean looked up from the curled up position he had assumed on the floor, 'did anyone hear singing last night?'
'Yeah,' said Ginny 'returning to the room looking a whitish green. 'he was singing that Queensryche song. I heard it as I was falling asleep. Dunno why though.'
'Oi, you two wake up!'
'Draco,' whinged the rest of the people n the room.
'Keep your frigging voice down, typical selfish Slytherin thing to do.' came Hermione's voice as she struggled to remove herself from Ron's grasp, before succumbing to the dizziness and laying down.
They all lay in silence for half an hour, each of them trying to make their stomach settle and their head quit pounding so they could try and find a hangover potion.
Suddenly their was a sharp knock on the door and everyone groaned or whimpered as Dean muttered a half hearted 'come in.'
'But quietly,' Seamus added before retching and covering his face with a pillow.
'Um, Ron?' Colin Creevy stepped in, 'd'you know where Ginny is? Marilyn said she didn't go down to dinner and didn't sleep in the dorm last night, oh, I say!' his voice rose to a high pitch as he took in their green tinged faces and he stumbled backwards when he saw Draco.
'What's wrong with you all, you look like crap, are you sick? Why is a Slytherin in here? Do you know what this special meetings about today? You had better hurry if you gonna get there in time. I say, you do look awful.'
Draco raised himself off the floor and looked like he would have jumped on Colin if he wasn't about to faint, 'Colin,' he said in a would be dangerous voice, 'get out, do not come back in here. Tell everyone you meet that this room is out of bounds until we say so. Got that?'
Colin nodded nervously and ran out, slamming the door behind him.
'Fucking hell,' moaned Ron. 'Stupid fuckwit.'
The door opened again and Neville whimpered as Fred yelled.
'I don't care if you are Dumbledore, himself get the hell out of here and don't fucking come back.'
Lupin laughed and said, 'Well if you don't want this hangover cure potion, I'll just go.'
Dean raised his head off the floor as Seamus leapt over him, and collapsed at Lupins feet, overcome by a wave of dizzy nausea.
Lupin took a couple of steps back as Professor McGonagall came in.
'Now Mr Finnigan, is it nice to empty the entire contents of your stomach over the feet of the kind teacher who brought you a cure for your present affliction?'
'Well, I 'spose it's better than emptying your stomach over the Headmaster of the Hogwarts who was bringing you the same thing.'
McGonagall blushed and Ron looked at her in amazement, until his amazed expression made his head pound even harder.
'I was walking up to the common room to make sure that everyone was going to the Headmasters meeting when I heard the elder Mr Creevy relating to a group of Gryffindor's in the corridor, that all of the remaining Weasley family, the 5th year boys and one fifth year girl and a Slytherin had all been taken unaccountably ill in the same dorm, and that he had been told to tell everyone not to go in there. He was very worried that they would miss Professor Dumbledore's assembly. I felt it my duty to come and see how you were.'
Her eyes twinkled evilly.
'Oh bugger off,' Ron muttered into his pillow.
'If you weren't currently so indisposed I am afraid you would have lost many, many house points for that remark, Mr Weasley.'
'Come on Minerva, they have suffered enough, don't tease them. Here is the potion, make sure you share it. There should be enough for all of you.'
Muttered thanks came from different parts of the room.
'Oh, and Professor Dumbledore asked me to tell you.'
'In the middle of cleaning his shoes,' interrupted Remus.
'.that you still have to attend the meeting. He wants you to act like you didn't know anything about it before hand, and he wants you to hear how the Chudley Cannons beat Liverpool yesterday.'
Everyone stopped and stared at her as some giggling second years passed the room.
She sighed and continued, 'actually he wants you to hear his final version of the story so that you don't slip up before he has a chance to reapply this most infuriating spell.
Now hurry and get up, you have an hour and a half until the assembly, I think that when your feeling better you may want some food, so I have sent a message to the house elves to send up some food, since you slept through breakfast. Mr Malfoy should return to his Tower as soon as possible after you all have eaten. And Professor Dumbledore told me to inform you that you are excused from today's lessons.'
McGonagall looked as if she had just uttered a blasphemy.
'Also I don't want you to think that we condone this sort of behaviour but as it is an extenuating circumstance it has been allowed.'
'Yeah, and because you did exactly the same thing and Dumbledore won't allow hypocritical punishments.'
McGonagall glared in surprise at Neville but when remembering how awful she had felt earlier she made no comment.
She turned and left the room followed by Lupin, who winked at Ron, who still had his arms around Hermione.
As he left the door slammed and Draco was promptly sick all over Dean.
'Typical fucking Slytherin,' cursed Dean as the others tried to stop laughing as it jolted their heads.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
After they had taken the potions, eaten breakfast and Draco had left, the Gryffindor's sat around the fire.
They didn't talk, just sat staring into the flames until Ginny broke the silence, asking the question that had been on the forefront of everyone's mind.
'Do you think Harry will ever get better?'
The others looked at each other, trying to find an answer that would satisfy her.
She shouldn't be wrapped up in all this, George found himself thinking, as he looked at the others helplessly. she is too young. We should have kept it from her. Damn Harry for being the cause of it. She still has a crush on him and it's killing her.
All gazes eventually rested on Hermione and she glared at them, trying to find something reassuring to say to the pale, trembling red head sitting at her feet. She eventually gave up and just told her the truth.
'We don't know.'
Ginny nodded slowly and stared back into the flames.
'There came a knocking on the portrait and Ron opened it to see Draco glaring at the fat lady. 'She wouldn't let me in. I came to tell you that we should go down now.' Ron nodded and yelled over his shoulder.
'Oi, you lot, it's time to witness history in the making.'
They all got up and slowly trudged to the portrait hole.
'Where will you be sitting, Draco?' asked Dean.
Draco looked uncomfortable. 'I dunno, I'm not really welcome at my table, because I hang round you guys, and I would ask to sit with you, but all the Gryffindor's blame me for Harry's suicide, since I was the person that made the comment to set him off.'
He looked miserably at the ground and Ginny gave him a sympathetic hug.
'Sit with us anyway, the boys'll bash anyone who is unkind to you. We know it wasn't your fault.'
By this time they had reached the great hall where everyone else was seating themselves with a confused air about them. The tension could be felt by the group standing outside the room.
'Well,' said Ron. 'Here we go,'
He stepped up to the doors and turned back to the people behind him before opening them. 'And try not to laugh, remember, we don't know this either.'
With that he unconsciously took Hermione's hand and pushed open the doors.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
As the group of nine entered the Great Hall their faces changed from excitement and anticipation to despair and desolation.
Dumbledore was the first to see them enter and he nudged McGonagall, who was sitting to his left, and nodded to the melancholy expressions taking form on each students face. She tried not to giggle and whispered to him, 'they could be on the muggle stage, if they wanted too.'
Snape, who was on Dumbledore's right, leaned over and muttered, 'Miss Granger seems to excel at everything she tries, but don't tell her that I said that.
Her face nearly looks as bad as it did when she was waiting for you to bring news about Harry's condition. Mr Longbottom and Miss Weasley on the other hand look like they might start giggling at any moment.'
Lupin, who was sitting on McGonagall's other side whispered in her ear and she resumed trying not to giggle as he leaned across herself and Dumbledore to say to Snape, 'I know what can be done to prevent Neville from laughing,'
'What?' Snape asked curiously.
'Look straight at him Severus.'
'Yes? And?'
'Is he looking at you?'
'No, oh wait, yes, hang on. yes, yes he is.'
'So, Severus, do you remember my Boggart experiment last year? My first DADA class with Harry and his friends.
The one where Neville made his Boggart image of you wear his grandmother's dress, handbag and hat - topped with a stuffed vulture.'
Lupins facial expression turned dreamy as he continued, 'I remember how long the school was talking about it.
Do you Severus?
Do you remember not being able to walk into a class without them bursting into laughter or calling you 'Granny Longbottom,' do you.'
He broke off as Snape made an unintelligible sound and across the room Neville squeaked and fell off his chair.
He sat trembling for the remainder of the assembly.
As Dumbledore stood up, the quiet buzzing ceased and the whole room turned to look at him.
'I assume that you are all wondering why you are here. I have called this assembly to inform you of some extremely startling and incredible news concerning the recent demise of Harry Potter.'
Here he paused and waited for the apprehensive whisperings to cease.
'When Harry killed himself, he was under the influence of the guilt inflicting curse 'Culpabamorse' but although his mind was cursed, his soul was not.
Owing to an unexplainable transfer of powers from Voldemort to Harry, which is the reason that Harry can speak Parseltongue, Harry didn't completely die.'
There was a collective gasp and Ron put his arm around Hermione, as if to comfort her, while mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore.
'His soul remained in the void between life and death, preventing absolution. Whilst in the void, Harry's soul had two choices. It could either give up easily and render Harry completely dead, or it could fight for the life that he deserved.
Harry showed last year, by fighting and completely throwing off the Imperious curse, that he has a strong subconscious will. Harry fought for a month and yesterday he won the battle.
Harry Potter - The Boy Who Lived, has returned from the dead.'
At this astounding remark there came a deafening silence. Every person, ghost or being of any kind, just stared in astonishment, dumfounded by the extraordinary statement.
Then Hermione rose shaking from her chair, took three unsteady steps towards the Head Table, clutched at a chair in support, before whispering, 'Harry's alive?'
She then collapsed into an apparent faint and Ron and Draco ran over to her, trying not to laugh. Ron found himself wondering how she managed to get her face so pale.
The room literally exploded around them as people started crying and screaming and shouting.
Dumbledore's wand let off a noise like a fog horn and silence reigned supreme.
'Harry is still extremely weak and is unconscious. I ask that no one goes searching for him, and anyone found in the restricted section of the infirmary will be on detentions for a month.
Now will the Weasley family, Hermione Granger, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy please remain behind. The rest of you are dismissed. Lessons will not resume until after lunch. Please either be in your respective Towers or out in the grounds. I do not want any student simply wandering the castle.'
Dumbledore sat down with a crooked grin on his face as he watched the bewildered faces of his students. His smile widened as he observed Ron and Draco trying to wake Hermione from her 'fainting spell'.
McGonagall stood and dismissed the school. She turned to Dumbledore 'I don't know that I like this Albus, it seems too hasty, an over reaction to something that the students are going to have to deal with anyway.'
Dumbledore opened his mouth but she continued before he could defend his actions.
'However, it would be quite refreshing to have morning off from classes, so I suppose that them being cancelled just this once won't hurt the students much. I can always give them catch up work.'
Snape snorted and stood, 'I think I will go see how Potter is, Lupin would you accompany me part way there? Please,' he added as an afterthought.
Lupin looked mildly shocked, but masked his confusion and followed him out of the room.
Neville was the first person to wake up in the morning.
Although he had had the least to drink he was the person who had had least experience with alcohol and we woke with a splitting headache and a spinning stomach.
He lay, wondering if Snape had made him drink his own potion and thus poisoned him before remembering the events of the previous day.
He groaned and tried to stretch, accidentally kicking Dean in the head as he did.
Dean sat up with a jolt, then collapsed in a heap, moaning and trying not to heave up all over Draco who was snoring, half on top of him.
Ginny stirred in the corner, and stifled a whimper before running out of the room, her hand over her mouth, paying no heed to Draco as she kicked him on her way out.
'Give ya three guesses as to where she has gone,' grinned Fred before his grin disappeared and he put his head in his hands groaning.
'Ahhhhh, I might be joining her soon as well.' groaned Draco as he carefully slid himself off Dean.
He kicked George, who tentatively stood, somewhat unsteadily and made a half attempt at a cheeky grin.
'Look at these two.'
Seamus looked, and laughed before his head fell back down with a thump.
Dean looked up from the curled up position he had assumed on the floor, 'did anyone hear singing last night?'
'Yeah,' said Ginny 'returning to the room looking a whitish green. 'he was singing that Queensryche song. I heard it as I was falling asleep. Dunno why though.'
'Oi, you two wake up!'
'Draco,' whinged the rest of the people n the room.
'Keep your frigging voice down, typical selfish Slytherin thing to do.' came Hermione's voice as she struggled to remove herself from Ron's grasp, before succumbing to the dizziness and laying down.
They all lay in silence for half an hour, each of them trying to make their stomach settle and their head quit pounding so they could try and find a hangover potion.
Suddenly their was a sharp knock on the door and everyone groaned or whimpered as Dean muttered a half hearted 'come in.'
'But quietly,' Seamus added before retching and covering his face with a pillow.
'Um, Ron?' Colin Creevy stepped in, 'd'you know where Ginny is? Marilyn said she didn't go down to dinner and didn't sleep in the dorm last night, oh, I say!' his voice rose to a high pitch as he took in their green tinged faces and he stumbled backwards when he saw Draco.
'What's wrong with you all, you look like crap, are you sick? Why is a Slytherin in here? Do you know what this special meetings about today? You had better hurry if you gonna get there in time. I say, you do look awful.'
Draco raised himself off the floor and looked like he would have jumped on Colin if he wasn't about to faint, 'Colin,' he said in a would be dangerous voice, 'get out, do not come back in here. Tell everyone you meet that this room is out of bounds until we say so. Got that?'
Colin nodded nervously and ran out, slamming the door behind him.
'Fucking hell,' moaned Ron. 'Stupid fuckwit.'
The door opened again and Neville whimpered as Fred yelled.
'I don't care if you are Dumbledore, himself get the hell out of here and don't fucking come back.'
Lupin laughed and said, 'Well if you don't want this hangover cure potion, I'll just go.'
Dean raised his head off the floor as Seamus leapt over him, and collapsed at Lupins feet, overcome by a wave of dizzy nausea.
Lupin took a couple of steps back as Professor McGonagall came in.
'Now Mr Finnigan, is it nice to empty the entire contents of your stomach over the feet of the kind teacher who brought you a cure for your present affliction?'
'Well, I 'spose it's better than emptying your stomach over the Headmaster of the Hogwarts who was bringing you the same thing.'
McGonagall blushed and Ron looked at her in amazement, until his amazed expression made his head pound even harder.
'I was walking up to the common room to make sure that everyone was going to the Headmasters meeting when I heard the elder Mr Creevy relating to a group of Gryffindor's in the corridor, that all of the remaining Weasley family, the 5th year boys and one fifth year girl and a Slytherin had all been taken unaccountably ill in the same dorm, and that he had been told to tell everyone not to go in there. He was very worried that they would miss Professor Dumbledore's assembly. I felt it my duty to come and see how you were.'
Her eyes twinkled evilly.
'Oh bugger off,' Ron muttered into his pillow.
'If you weren't currently so indisposed I am afraid you would have lost many, many house points for that remark, Mr Weasley.'
'Come on Minerva, they have suffered enough, don't tease them. Here is the potion, make sure you share it. There should be enough for all of you.'
Muttered thanks came from different parts of the room.
'Oh, and Professor Dumbledore asked me to tell you.'
'In the middle of cleaning his shoes,' interrupted Remus.
'.that you still have to attend the meeting. He wants you to act like you didn't know anything about it before hand, and he wants you to hear how the Chudley Cannons beat Liverpool yesterday.'
Everyone stopped and stared at her as some giggling second years passed the room.
She sighed and continued, 'actually he wants you to hear his final version of the story so that you don't slip up before he has a chance to reapply this most infuriating spell.
Now hurry and get up, you have an hour and a half until the assembly, I think that when your feeling better you may want some food, so I have sent a message to the house elves to send up some food, since you slept through breakfast. Mr Malfoy should return to his Tower as soon as possible after you all have eaten. And Professor Dumbledore told me to inform you that you are excused from today's lessons.'
McGonagall looked as if she had just uttered a blasphemy.
'Also I don't want you to think that we condone this sort of behaviour but as it is an extenuating circumstance it has been allowed.'
'Yeah, and because you did exactly the same thing and Dumbledore won't allow hypocritical punishments.'
McGonagall glared in surprise at Neville but when remembering how awful she had felt earlier she made no comment.
She turned and left the room followed by Lupin, who winked at Ron, who still had his arms around Hermione.
As he left the door slammed and Draco was promptly sick all over Dean.
'Typical fucking Slytherin,' cursed Dean as the others tried to stop laughing as it jolted their heads.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
After they had taken the potions, eaten breakfast and Draco had left, the Gryffindor's sat around the fire.
They didn't talk, just sat staring into the flames until Ginny broke the silence, asking the question that had been on the forefront of everyone's mind.
'Do you think Harry will ever get better?'
The others looked at each other, trying to find an answer that would satisfy her.
She shouldn't be wrapped up in all this, George found himself thinking, as he looked at the others helplessly. she is too young. We should have kept it from her. Damn Harry for being the cause of it. She still has a crush on him and it's killing her.
All gazes eventually rested on Hermione and she glared at them, trying to find something reassuring to say to the pale, trembling red head sitting at her feet. She eventually gave up and just told her the truth.
'We don't know.'
Ginny nodded slowly and stared back into the flames.
'There came a knocking on the portrait and Ron opened it to see Draco glaring at the fat lady. 'She wouldn't let me in. I came to tell you that we should go down now.' Ron nodded and yelled over his shoulder.
'Oi, you lot, it's time to witness history in the making.'
They all got up and slowly trudged to the portrait hole.
'Where will you be sitting, Draco?' asked Dean.
Draco looked uncomfortable. 'I dunno, I'm not really welcome at my table, because I hang round you guys, and I would ask to sit with you, but all the Gryffindor's blame me for Harry's suicide, since I was the person that made the comment to set him off.'
He looked miserably at the ground and Ginny gave him a sympathetic hug.
'Sit with us anyway, the boys'll bash anyone who is unkind to you. We know it wasn't your fault.'
By this time they had reached the great hall where everyone else was seating themselves with a confused air about them. The tension could be felt by the group standing outside the room.
'Well,' said Ron. 'Here we go,'
He stepped up to the doors and turned back to the people behind him before opening them. 'And try not to laugh, remember, we don't know this either.'
With that he unconsciously took Hermione's hand and pushed open the doors.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
As the group of nine entered the Great Hall their faces changed from excitement and anticipation to despair and desolation.
Dumbledore was the first to see them enter and he nudged McGonagall, who was sitting to his left, and nodded to the melancholy expressions taking form on each students face. She tried not to giggle and whispered to him, 'they could be on the muggle stage, if they wanted too.'
Snape, who was on Dumbledore's right, leaned over and muttered, 'Miss Granger seems to excel at everything she tries, but don't tell her that I said that.
Her face nearly looks as bad as it did when she was waiting for you to bring news about Harry's condition. Mr Longbottom and Miss Weasley on the other hand look like they might start giggling at any moment.'
Lupin, who was sitting on McGonagall's other side whispered in her ear and she resumed trying not to giggle as he leaned across herself and Dumbledore to say to Snape, 'I know what can be done to prevent Neville from laughing,'
'What?' Snape asked curiously.
'Look straight at him Severus.'
'Yes? And?'
'Is he looking at you?'
'No, oh wait, yes, hang on. yes, yes he is.'
'So, Severus, do you remember my Boggart experiment last year? My first DADA class with Harry and his friends.
The one where Neville made his Boggart image of you wear his grandmother's dress, handbag and hat - topped with a stuffed vulture.'
Lupins facial expression turned dreamy as he continued, 'I remember how long the school was talking about it.
Do you Severus?
Do you remember not being able to walk into a class without them bursting into laughter or calling you 'Granny Longbottom,' do you.'
He broke off as Snape made an unintelligible sound and across the room Neville squeaked and fell off his chair.
He sat trembling for the remainder of the assembly.
As Dumbledore stood up, the quiet buzzing ceased and the whole room turned to look at him.
'I assume that you are all wondering why you are here. I have called this assembly to inform you of some extremely startling and incredible news concerning the recent demise of Harry Potter.'
Here he paused and waited for the apprehensive whisperings to cease.
'When Harry killed himself, he was under the influence of the guilt inflicting curse 'Culpabamorse' but although his mind was cursed, his soul was not.
Owing to an unexplainable transfer of powers from Voldemort to Harry, which is the reason that Harry can speak Parseltongue, Harry didn't completely die.'
There was a collective gasp and Ron put his arm around Hermione, as if to comfort her, while mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore.
'His soul remained in the void between life and death, preventing absolution. Whilst in the void, Harry's soul had two choices. It could either give up easily and render Harry completely dead, or it could fight for the life that he deserved.
Harry showed last year, by fighting and completely throwing off the Imperious curse, that he has a strong subconscious will. Harry fought for a month and yesterday he won the battle.
Harry Potter - The Boy Who Lived, has returned from the dead.'
At this astounding remark there came a deafening silence. Every person, ghost or being of any kind, just stared in astonishment, dumfounded by the extraordinary statement.
Then Hermione rose shaking from her chair, took three unsteady steps towards the Head Table, clutched at a chair in support, before whispering, 'Harry's alive?'
She then collapsed into an apparent faint and Ron and Draco ran over to her, trying not to laugh. Ron found himself wondering how she managed to get her face so pale.
The room literally exploded around them as people started crying and screaming and shouting.
Dumbledore's wand let off a noise like a fog horn and silence reigned supreme.
'Harry is still extremely weak and is unconscious. I ask that no one goes searching for him, and anyone found in the restricted section of the infirmary will be on detentions for a month.
Now will the Weasley family, Hermione Granger, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy please remain behind. The rest of you are dismissed. Lessons will not resume until after lunch. Please either be in your respective Towers or out in the grounds. I do not want any student simply wandering the castle.'
Dumbledore sat down with a crooked grin on his face as he watched the bewildered faces of his students. His smile widened as he observed Ron and Draco trying to wake Hermione from her 'fainting spell'.
McGonagall stood and dismissed the school. She turned to Dumbledore 'I don't know that I like this Albus, it seems too hasty, an over reaction to something that the students are going to have to deal with anyway.'
Dumbledore opened his mouth but she continued before he could defend his actions.
'However, it would be quite refreshing to have morning off from classes, so I suppose that them being cancelled just this once won't hurt the students much. I can always give them catch up work.'
Snape snorted and stood, 'I think I will go see how Potter is, Lupin would you accompany me part way there? Please,' he added as an afterthought.
Lupin looked mildly shocked, but masked his confusion and followed him out of the room.