Snape couldn't help but be annoyed as he carried the limp form of Hermione Granger to the hospital wing. The stupid girl. How could she have ignored her gift for so long? They had waited, year after year, for her to finally accept her place in the scheme of things. Of course, it had to take a test for her to finally realize her potential. How typical.
None of this would have happened if it hadn't been for Professor Dumbledore. Trelawny had been reluctant (to say to least) to have another seer on the grounds of Hogwarts. Many of the other teachers, Snape included, were reluctant to believe in divination in the first place. Now, here he was. Carrying the greatest seer in many years through the drafty halls of an old castle. All because the silly girl wouldn't believe in her own gift in the first place. Snape didn't know if she had shown sense not to believe or if she was stupid not to trust her gut in the first place. Either way he would rather it wasn't him who did the carrying.
She was mumbling something about a bright light and dragons. Snape knew it would be important later, given the girl's gifts, but he couldn't exactly drop her to grab a piece of parchment and a quill. He filed it away in his memory for later. All the better to tell Albus. It was his fault in the first place. Whoever heard of jogging a seer's talents with a test. The man was either a genius or a lunatic. The jury's still out on that one.
Severus came sweeping into the hospital wing like Dracula on a bad hair day. He screamed for Poppy and was severely annoyed when she took more than ten seconds to appear.
"What happened here? Did something blow up? Did a potion go wrong?" Poppy began spouting off questions at a rate that would leave Nascar to shame. By the fifth question Severus saw fit to interrupt.
"Will you calm down! The girl is just a bit overdrawn from the stress of the NEWTs. Just have her up and running again soon. No harm done." With that he dropped the unconscious brunette on the nearest empty bed and made a quick retreat.
Hermione was pale and drawn. If she had eaten in the past few days it certainly didn't show on her face now. She would have looked dead if it weren't for the sheen of sweat that covered her body. She was almost like plastic. One of those muggle dolls the first years carried around their first year away from home. Yet, she was cold to the touch. Practically an icicle. Poppy hadn't seen anything like this since Trelawny had been to the hospital wing the first time, and that was even before the silly old bat was on staff.
Before she even had time to reflect on that first incident Ms. Granger was awake. She rose up with a start, nearly darting from the hospital wing before Poppy knew what was happening.
"Where's Harry!" she tried to push Madam Pomfrey out of the way but failed. "I need to see Harry! He has to find the light! I could see it! Where is it now?!!" The girl struggled as Poppy tried to hold her down and calm her. Still she kept on screaming about a light. It was there she just couldn't find it. "It's here! He needs it! It's the only way!"
No matter which way Poppy turned the girl seemed to turn and try the opposite way. She squirmed and writhed in a way that would make any fish proud, but Poppy still managed to hold her to the bed. It wasn't until Ron and Harry came bursting in the door that she calmed down a little.
Before Poppy knew they were even in the room Ron was at Hermione's side holding her hand and calming her. "What did that git do? How did you end up in that test in the first place?" While Ron was spouting off about the injustices of the NEWTs and the minitry's joy in testing everyone in everything, Poppy took the opportunity to back off and watch the scene and reflect.
Hermione Granger was worn out beyond all reason. She didn't even know which way to look or even what she was looking for. She looked as though she had just been hit by a truck and there was one best friend pretending for all the world that it was all about a test. And there was the other, looking like she had already been pronounced dead.
None of this would have happened if it hadn't been for Professor Dumbledore. Trelawny had been reluctant (to say to least) to have another seer on the grounds of Hogwarts. Many of the other teachers, Snape included, were reluctant to believe in divination in the first place. Now, here he was. Carrying the greatest seer in many years through the drafty halls of an old castle. All because the silly girl wouldn't believe in her own gift in the first place. Snape didn't know if she had shown sense not to believe or if she was stupid not to trust her gut in the first place. Either way he would rather it wasn't him who did the carrying.
She was mumbling something about a bright light and dragons. Snape knew it would be important later, given the girl's gifts, but he couldn't exactly drop her to grab a piece of parchment and a quill. He filed it away in his memory for later. All the better to tell Albus. It was his fault in the first place. Whoever heard of jogging a seer's talents with a test. The man was either a genius or a lunatic. The jury's still out on that one.
Severus came sweeping into the hospital wing like Dracula on a bad hair day. He screamed for Poppy and was severely annoyed when she took more than ten seconds to appear.
"What happened here? Did something blow up? Did a potion go wrong?" Poppy began spouting off questions at a rate that would leave Nascar to shame. By the fifth question Severus saw fit to interrupt.
"Will you calm down! The girl is just a bit overdrawn from the stress of the NEWTs. Just have her up and running again soon. No harm done." With that he dropped the unconscious brunette on the nearest empty bed and made a quick retreat.
Hermione was pale and drawn. If she had eaten in the past few days it certainly didn't show on her face now. She would have looked dead if it weren't for the sheen of sweat that covered her body. She was almost like plastic. One of those muggle dolls the first years carried around their first year away from home. Yet, she was cold to the touch. Practically an icicle. Poppy hadn't seen anything like this since Trelawny had been to the hospital wing the first time, and that was even before the silly old bat was on staff.
Before she even had time to reflect on that first incident Ms. Granger was awake. She rose up with a start, nearly darting from the hospital wing before Poppy knew what was happening.
"Where's Harry!" she tried to push Madam Pomfrey out of the way but failed. "I need to see Harry! He has to find the light! I could see it! Where is it now?!!" The girl struggled as Poppy tried to hold her down and calm her. Still she kept on screaming about a light. It was there she just couldn't find it. "It's here! He needs it! It's the only way!"
No matter which way Poppy turned the girl seemed to turn and try the opposite way. She squirmed and writhed in a way that would make any fish proud, but Poppy still managed to hold her to the bed. It wasn't until Ron and Harry came bursting in the door that she calmed down a little.
Before Poppy knew they were even in the room Ron was at Hermione's side holding her hand and calming her. "What did that git do? How did you end up in that test in the first place?" While Ron was spouting off about the injustices of the NEWTs and the minitry's joy in testing everyone in everything, Poppy took the opportunity to back off and watch the scene and reflect.
Hermione Granger was worn out beyond all reason. She didn't even know which way to look or even what she was looking for. She looked as though she had just been hit by a truck and there was one best friend pretending for all the world that it was all about a test. And there was the other, looking like she had already been pronounced dead.