Chapter 3
Malady
"RON! HERMIONE!"
They stared at each other, alarmed, then ran back in the direction of Ginny's voice.
"RON! HERMIONE!"
They spotted Harry and Ginny by one of the lakeside trees. Ginny was gripping him by the shoulders, desperately asking what was the matter. Harry was holding his head, obviously suffering.
"What happened?" Ron demanded.
"I don't know!" Ginny cried. "We were just talking! I thought he looked sick, and then he just fell!"
"Easy, Harry," Hermione said, carefully easing him back to lie on the grass. "Ginny, run back and get Hagrid right now!" She felt Harry's forehead as the other girl leapt to her feet and dashed off. "Ron, he's burning up!"
"I'll be right back!" he said, jumping up and running down to the water.
"Harry, what is it?" Hermione asked urgently. "What's wrong?"
Harry struggled not to cry out, though the pain was almost overwhelming him. "My scar…" he forced out raggedly. "I think…Voldemort…" He fought back a yell as another spasm rocked him. A tugging at his throat told him Hermione was loosening his uniform tie and collar.
Ron hurried back and held a wet handkerchief out to Hermione. Harry felt hands on his.
"Harry, you have to let go." Gentle fingers moved his hands away from his face, and Hermione pressed the wet cloth to his forehead, placing his hand over it and holding it there with her own.
"Here, Harry, hold on." Ron's voice. He gripped his friend's other hand, and Harry held on as though his life depended on it.
***
A few minutes later Ginny ran back over to them, Hagrid thundering behind her.
"Outta the way, you two," he said tersely. He scooped the young wizard up in his arms and turned to start running to the castle, Ginny, Ron and Hermione alongside him.
"Wha' happened?" Hagrid asked them as they ran.
"Don't know," Ron answered breathlessly. "He's had this headache all day, but we didn't think it was anything serious.
"He started to look ill while we were talking by the lake," Ginny gasped. "And then he just collapsed!"
He said it was his scar," wheezed Hermione, "and something about Voldemort."
Students stared as they ran past. Harry's friends could see him fighting to keep quiet, but gasps of pain and small cries still escaped him as they dashed through the castle doors and ran for the Hospital Wing.
"MADAM POMFREY!" Hagrid bellowed when they arrived.
The witch hurried out of her office. "Honestly Hagrid, all this shouting-" she broke off when she saw Harry. "Follow me at once!"
She led them to the nearest empty bed where Hagrid carefully put Harry down.
"I'm goin' for Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid. "I wan' one o' you ta go an' fetch Professor McGonagall right now. The rest should stay here with Harry."
"I'll go," Hermione said. "She should be in her office."
Madam Pomfrey began closing a curtain around the bed.
"You four, out!" she ordered. "You can wait outside my office."
As they started out, Harry reached over and caught Ron by the arm.
"Ron, owl your parents," he whispered. "Tell them to check on Charlie."
"Don't worry about it now, Harry-"
"Just do it, Ron, please!"
The urgency in Harry's green eyes brooked no argument. "All right," Ron said reassuringly. "I'll do it now and come right back."
"Out!" Madam Pomfrey snapped.
Harry let go of Ron's arm and they bustled out of the bed area.
"Ginny, I want you to stay here," Ron said. "I'm going to owl Mum and Dad. Keep an eye on him until we get back."
"Okay," she nodded, going to the waiting area.
The rest of them hurried out.
***
"I can't explain it, Headmaster," Madam Pomfrey said worriedly.
It was fifteen minutes later. Harry's friends sat anxiously in the waiting area, listening to Madam Pomfrey talking to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, the head of their House.
"I examined the boy and found nothing that could possibly have done this," continued the nurse. "He's running a very high fever, and his pain is so bad that he couldn't stand when I had to move him to another bed."
"Could he have caught something from another student?" asked Professor McGonagall.
"I don't think so. Potter is usually a very healthy boy. Anyone who caught a bug that could knock him down like this would be in here with him. I've given him a fever reduction potion with a pain reliever mixed in, but I'm not sure how much good it will do. If it doesn't work, I'm sending an owl to St. Mungo's, because I really don't know what else I can do."
"Has Harry any idea what it is, an allergy, perhaps?"
"I checked for allergies, and he hasn't got any as far as I can tell. He's asked for you, Dumbledore."
"Will it be all right if I speak to him now, Poppy?" asked the headmaster.
"I'll allow it if you keep it short," she replied. "I don't think he'll let himself rest until he's seen you, but I don't want him exerting himself. The fever is high enough to be dangerous if we can't lower it soon. I'm surprised the child isn't delirious."
"Very well," Dumbledore said.
Madam Pomfrey turned to Professor McGonagall as Dumbledore strode away down the ward.
"Whatever Potter has, Professor, it isn't contagious, so you needn't worry about anyone else in your House catching it. But I'm only going to admit the Weasleys and Miss Granger should anyone desire to visit him. He can't bear many people right now."
Professor McGonagall nodded. "Keep me informed of his condition, and I will see to his housemates' questions."
"And no practical jokes from Fred and George Weasley," Madam Pomfrey added. "I've no doubt they'll want to try and cheer him up, but loud noises and too much light aren't good for him in this state. I had to shutter all the windows on that side of the ward when I moved him."
"Right."
Professor McGonagall came over to the waiting area, where Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were fidgeting nervously and Hagrid was squirming in his seat.
"I will speak to the rest of Gryffindor after dinner tonight, but I should like to ask you if there is anyone besides Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Black who you think should be informed of Harry's condition."
"Who's Mr. Black?" asked Ginny.
"I think Professor Lupin," Hermione put in quickly, knowing that Ginny didn't know about Harry's godfather. "He was a close friend of Harry's parents, and I know that they write each other sometimes."
"Thank you, Miss Granger. I imagine you'll all want to stay here with him, so I'll have the kitchens send up some supper for you."
"Thanks, Professor."
Dumbledore came back a few minutes later, disturbed lines creasing his face, and stopped to talk to them.
"Have you owled your parents about Charlie, Ron?" he asked.
"Yes sir."
"Good lad. Please inform me of their answer when it arrives. I'll be in my office."
"Okay."
Dumbledore left the Hospital Wing, leaving the four of them to a long wait.
***
It was very late that night when Ron, Hermione, and Ginny returned to Gryffindor Tower, but the rest of the students of their year along with the Quidditch team were still in the common room, hoping for some news.
"How's he doing, Ron?" Fred asked, uncharacteristically sombre.
Ron shrugged gloomily. "We don't really know. We couldn't see him. Madam Pomfrey had to send an owl to St. Mungo's, though."
"We've been waiting, but Mum and Dad haven't got back to us yet," George put in. "What happened, anyway?"
They explained about Harry's headache and subsequent collapse after school.
"I hope Mum sends her answer back with Hermes," Ginny said when they were done. "I love Pig, but Hermes is faster than he is."
"You three had better get up to bed," Angelina Johnson said. "You look done in."
***
There was little sleep to be had that night.
Ginny Weasley lay on her side in bed, staring at her nightstand where she had placed all of her birthday gifts. On the corner closest to the bed lay the rose earrings and ring, nestled carefully into the jewelry box her parents had sent her. They were the sweetest gifts she had received today. That made the thought of the giver suffering hurt all the more.
In the next girl's dormitory, Hermione racked her brain to figure out what to research the next day in hopes of helping her friend while the image of his face as he lay on the ground by the lake flashed before her mind's eye.
Ron tried, but he couldn't keep his eyes from straying past the patch of moonlight to the left of his bed to the empty four-poster that normally held Harry. They would be trading ideas about how to spend the weekend right about now, whispering ideas back and forth, laughing. It felt wrong not to have him there.
