It wasn't quite morning yet. Harry heard the screaming. Harry felt he was enveloped in a thick swirling white fog. Harry heard muffled voices. Then there was nothing for a long time.

The next thing Harry knew were a familiar pair of voices.
"Albus, what do you think?"
"Poppy, I think the boy was extremely lucky. We were almost too late." His voice was somber.
Harry kept his eyes shut so the other two would think he was still asleep.
"What will we do when Harry wakes up?"
"I shall tell him as much as I dare of what happened. Then, we will let his friends visit him. Mister Weasly and Miss Granger have been most anxious to see him. After all, the boy his been unconscious for two full days. Today is the third."
Harry sat up quickly with the shock. "Three days! What happened to me?"
"Ah, I see you are awake at last, Harry. Yes, you gave us quite a fright."
Madam Pomfrey looked relieved to see him awake and then for a moment a bit annoyed. "Please refrain from speaking too loudly, Mr. Longbottom is in the next bed."
"What's Neville doing here?"
"All in good time, Harry."
"Can I see Hermione and Ron?"
"Not yet, Harry. I would like to speak with you first. Poppy, could you give us a moment?"
"Yes, I'll go check on the other boy."
"Harry do you have any memory of what happened?"
Harry had lied back down because sitting up was making him dizzy. "Not really. Just screaming, and some muffled voices."
"Then I suppose I should start from the beginning. This is what I gathered from the boys in your dormitory. Ron and you had just come in. No sooner it seems had the two of you been asleep than something entered the room. Along with that something a snake had entered. The snake bit Neville."
"Is he okay?"
"It was poisonous. Madam Pomfrey has been treating the bite and Neville is nearly completely healed."
"That's good. So what was it that came in the room?"
"Several Dementors."
"How did they get in the castle?"
"We aren't sure yet. The snake went straight for Neville, who it may have assumed to be you."
"What happened then?"
"You were apparently knocked out. Neville could not move because of the snakebite. Seamus and Dean ran through the Tower screaming and waking everyone up. Ron, fairly managing to keep his head ran to my office. Likewise Hermione ran to Professor McGonagall and Renata ran to her mother's office. We had the Tower evacuated and the Gryffindors along with the rest of the school spent the evening in the Great Hall."
"Why was I out for so long?"
"I'm not exactly sure Harry. When we discover why I will tell you."
"Professor?"
"Yes, Harry."
"Would someone get Ron and Hermione? Renata too."
"Most certainly. I doubt Miss Delano would stand to be left behind even if she wasn't invited."
"What time is it?"
"Quarter to eleven."
"They're in Transfiguration then."
"Thank you. I shall send Dobby to fetch them. In the meantime why don't you talk to Neville? He should be awake." The Professor left the end of the bed where he had been seated and left the room; pointing his wand behind him causing the curtain separating Harry's bed from Neville's to slide back so they could see each other.
"How are you feeling, Neville?"
"Not bad. My shoulder hurts where I was bit. But it's strange. I think the snake got me in three places." Neville indicated three spots on his shoulder.
"Do you remember what it looked like?"
"Sorta. It was orange and black. This part sounds kind of dumb but I think there were three heads."
Harry started to nod but stopped when his head began to ache more. "Have you been awake at all since you got up here?"
"Yeah a few times. You only just woke up today, though. Right?"
"Uh-huh. When did Madam Pomfrey say you could leave Neville?"
"She didn't tell me yet."
"Ron and Hermione are coming up soon. Renata too."
"They came up once or twice before but you were asleep. Besides Madam Pomfrey said you weren't supposed to be disturbed. The Gryffindor team came to visit too. Wanted to know what to do about practice. I think Fred and George were running it."
"Then obviously no one of the team got any work done."
Neville managed a weak smile.
Harry studied him for a few seconds. His shoulder appeared to be wrapped in a bandage. He also seemed pallid. "I think I hear footsteps."
Sure enough soon afterwards Ron, followed by Hermione and Renata, came into the hospital.
"Harry!" Hermione gave Harry a quick hug and blushed. "I'm glad you're okay."
Ron added, "We tried to see you before but no one would let us in."
"I heard. Its great to see you guys."
"Nice to see you awake."
"Are you okay Harry?"
Harry nodded briefly and noticed all three of them had ignored Neville. "Er, I'm not to bad. If I sit up I get a bit dizzy. I just woke up a while ago actually. Neville is okay too; but his shoulder is still a bit messed up from the snake."
Hermione turned to Neville. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm okay I guess."
"Harry, I hope you're back out on the field soon because if the team plays against Slytherin how they were practicing we won't be going to California to play."
"Make sure they work hard until I get out of this bed then." Harry told Renata.
"Sure thing."
Ron said, "Do you know when you'll be able to leave?"
"No I didn't even wake up until today, who knows how long they'll make me stay. Do any of you remember what happened?"
"Didn't Dumbledore say anything to you?"
"Yeah but he was pretty vague. What happened?"
The others looked uneasy for a moment before Ron finally spoke. "Well, we felt cold, how we always feel when there's a Dementor around. But it was worse because there was more than one. Harry I don't think you woke up. You just stayed asleep sort of I guess when the Dementors came. We don't know how they got in we didn't see them until we were awake. I guess the snake came in with them. It went straight for Neville."
"I think the snake was looking for me," Harry said in a subdued voice.
Neville said, "I think it was hissing a lot."
"Probably trying to talk to me. What else happened, Ron?"
"We don't know when the Dementors left or why, or why they were there in the first place. When they were gone we all tried to wake you. We couldn't neither could the teachers or Dumbledore. We ran off to get them once the Dementors were gone. We were all worried. Dumbledore let us follow him up here with you and Neville but then he sent us away. We kept coming back but you were still asleep. That's really it."
"What else with the snake?"
Ron thought a moment, "Well, after it bit Neville I think it realized its mistake cause it headed for you Harry but by then Dumbledore had come. He got there and the snake left. They can't find it. I think Dumbledore had Hagrid searching the grounds but." He shook his head.
"So now what do we do?"
The others looked at Harry, dumbstruck.
"IYou /I are in no condition to do anything, Harry."
"Harry, you can't be serious."
"I am. I don't know about the rest of you but I need to know why. We should get back to the information with Whisp and the Book too. See what we can find. I doubt Madam Pomfrey will let me leave the Hospital Wing yet but it'd help if you guys brought me books so I can research the stuff."
Neville looked across the aisle between beds. "What are you talking about?"
They had forgotten that Neville was in the room with them.