Chapter Two:
"HAROLD JAMES POTTER, WHERE WERE YOU??"
Harry gave a small yelp as he dangled from his precarious position where Ron was holding him, eyeing Hermione like a particularly nasty female dragon. He opened his mouth to argue in his defence, a lie was starting to form in his throat, something on the lines of helping Flitwick remove a classroom of burping tortoises, when he decided against that idea, shutting his mouth animatedly, and decided to shake his head dumbly. This was, a dumb move, for one who had known Hermione for at least six years would have known better than to let Hermione carry on with her ranting. But of course, this is Harry Potter we are talking about, the Boy who Lived to have a Spectrum of Common Sense Smaller Than that of a Brain of a Pickled Flobberworm.
"DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED WE BOTH WERE? We thought you were kidnapped by Voldermort and tortured while we had Care of Magical-bloody- Creatures!! How could you be so thoughtless?? Hagrid was worried sick!! Why didn't you tell anyone where you were going?? How could you be so irresponsible?? What if Voldermort had gotten you and we never even see you again?? All I thought was that the last time I saw you was at breakfast and even that was not a sufficient good-bye, that the last thing I would remember of you was that goddamn disappearing back of yours!!"
Ron was giving Hermione the look he reserved for only one person in the world, the look when Mrs Weasley was angry.
"-And all of a sudden, out of thin air, you appeared on that Firebolt of yours and was trying to save Malfoy!! Did it occur to you that the Tiggorn could have gone after you instead of Malfoy?? And what if it did and then we would have two injured boys instead of one!" Yelled Hermione breathlessly, glaring at the dangling Harry.
"At least I'm still alive." Said Harry meekly. Hermione shot him a dark glare before softening into a smile. Breathing a sigh of relief that no further damage was done, Ron lowered Harry from his awkward position. Harry dusted himself, making his way towards a tree, sitting down under the cool shade. Ron and Hermione followed suit, determined not to let him disappear again. Sitting down beside Harry, Hermione was in deep thought, the recent Care of Magical Creatures fiasco was replaying in her mind. 'Any time now.' Thought Harry, waiting for one of his two best friends to ask the question, Harry sighed, it would be a tedious explanation.
"Harry?"
"What is it Ron?"
"Did you realise what you did just now?"
"Yes." resignation was thick in his voice.
Pregnant pause. Any moment now. Harry pressed his dry lips into a tight line.
"You performed the Wronski Feint on a bloody Tiggorn!!"
Harry blinked. That wasn't what he expected to hear. His face split into a grin, his friends didn't realise what had happened just now, they were too caught up with his disappearance and Malfoy to notice what he had done. What he had expected them to ask was on the lines of -
"Harry, are you a Healer?"
Hermione, always the clever one. The balloon of joy was deflated instantly. Harry grimaced, looks like there was no escaping the issue. Ron stared at him incredulously, his eyes widening completely forgetting the stunt worthy of the Quidditch World Cup that Harry pulled off earlier.
"Well, are you?"
Nod. Hermione made a gesture for Harry to explain everything. Ron sat up from his relaxed position on the grass, listening intently.
"I learnt how to be a Healer over the summer holidays. The Dursleys had banned me from leaving the house so when I wasn't spending time in my room doing homework, sleeping or reading, I was 'helping to decorate the living room', or so the Dursleys thought." Pause. "The truth is; I was visiting Remus by using Floo network that the fireplace is connected to. Remus had a friend who was lodging with him for a while, turns out, she's a mediwitch. So she taught me to become a Healer. She's one hell of a slave driver mediwitch, no food or rest until I master something." Harry explained slowly with a laugh, plucking the grass beneath his fingers, feeling the leaves curl and tickle his palms.
"Harry, why did you learn to become a Healer?"
"Ron, isn't it obvious? With Harry being who he is, he will need the training when ever Voldermort decides to attack." Hermione explained exasperatedly, earning a grateful smile from Harry, saved from the task of explaining. The trio then lapsed back into thoughtful silence.
"Harry, are you a registered Healer?" Hermione asked quietly, starting intently at Harry. Harry nodded, confused with Hermione's seriousness on the subject.
"Are you saying that you learnt all the skills of a Healer and was tested and registered by the Ministry all in the months of June, July, August and September? Harry, that's way past seventh year standard!" Hermione said hoarsely in awe.
"I guess. now that you put it that way. Mrs Winson did say I had talent, but then again, she never really let me have a timeout, absolutely adamant that I must train. No, a drink wouldn't help. No, I couldn't eat until later. No, I couldn't break for a walk or play quidditch. Disgusting. I think Remus was relishing my torture." Harry said, screwing up his face in unhappiness of the memory, tugging at the grass broodingly.
"So that's why you rarely returned our letters." Said Ron triumphantly, snapping his fingers, glee spreading across his face. Harry grinned apologetically, "Not like I had a choice right?" The trio laughed and fell back into the peaceful silence that they shared and enjoyed just by having each others company.
"Is anyone going to tell me what the hell happened at Care of Magical Creatures today?" Harry asked, lying on his stomach, propping up his head with his arms. Hermione looked at Ron and explained the whole fiasco in full detail to Harry.
"Wait, did you say Malfoy VOLUNTEERED himself to go first?" Harry asked goggle-eyed, Ron shrugged, as to say, 'Don't look at me, I'm just as shock as you are.' Hermione tsked impatiently before carrying on her explanation.
"The strange thing is that Tiggorns are naturally docile in nature and only attack when they sense fear or smell blood, but Malfoy was neither of the two, so why was he attacked?" Pondered Hermione as she lay back on the grass, finishing her explanation, knitting her eyebrows together.
"Hermione, you were too worried to notice that Malfoy's left wrist was bleeding slightly when he went up." Ron corrected her, "But why was it bleeding in the first place?" Thoughtful silence took over, except for the rustling of the leaves in the tree.
"Uh, guys?" Harry cleared his throat, breaking the silence, "I think we are late for Transfiguration."
--
Draco opened his eyes, and stared at the high ceiling, sitting up quickly, he realised that he was at the Hospital wing. 'How did I manage to get here? The last thing I remembered was that big ugly tiggorn coming down at me with its horrible red eyes.' Thought Draco as he stared out of the window.
"Good you're up, drink that." Madame Pomfrey ordered, motioning to the cup of Pepper-up that was placed at his table. Grudgingly, Draco gulped down the repulsive medicine, just as Pansy and Blaise came bursting through the hospital doors.
"Thank god you're alive." Pansy said as she hugged Draco. Draco sulked mulishly, refusing to return the hug, and refused to look at Pansy as she drew back. Pansy squirmed in awkwardness of the situation.
"Come off it Draco, don't tell me you're angry with Pansy for that accident." Blaise said frowning at Draco's childishness. Draco crossed his arms and squared his shoulders, staring at Blaise and giving him the, 'So what if I am?' look.
"Well, it's your fault that you want me to act like your clingy girlfriend; I certainly did not ask you to step away from our class to look like you were volunteering yourself." Burst Pansy angrily, whacking Draco on the head with a pillow. Finally, after a few more whacks, Draco surrendered, admitting that there was no way anyone could be blamed for the accident, not even the fat oaf of a professor could be sued, or the monster put down.
"Where's my broom?" Draco asked in apprehension that it wasn't smashed by the stupid Tiggorn like Potter's Nimbus. Blaise laughed and told him it was in his room, cleaned and usable, really all he could worry about was that stupid broom of his.
"So, what happened after I fainted?" Draco asked, rubbing his left wrist. Pansy started to launch into a detailed account of what had happened after Draco had become unconscious, Draco who wasn't really paying attention, was fingering his wrist, noting that the wrist was healed by wandless magic, not the usual style of Madame Pomfrey. Come to think about it, Madame Pomfrey didn't give the usual abundant amount of medicine this time, only Pepper-up. This baffled Draco, for he only knew one person who could do wandless magic and that was h-
"-And then Potter stuck his fingers into your wound and it started to heal- "
"Pansy, did you say Potter healed my wound?" Draco asked incredulously.
"Draco where have you been? Pansy said from the start that Potter had saved you from that bloody Tiggorn, of course he healed your wound."
"Correct me if I'm wrong Blaise, but I thought I just heard you say that Harry-freaking-Potter, the Boy who Bloody Lived, saved me." Draco said with a laugh, as if the whole thing was a joke. Pansy and Blaise exchanged looks before nodding their heads.
"WHAT?" Yelled Draco as he fell backwards in a dead faint.
"HAROLD JAMES POTTER, WHERE WERE YOU??"
Harry gave a small yelp as he dangled from his precarious position where Ron was holding him, eyeing Hermione like a particularly nasty female dragon. He opened his mouth to argue in his defence, a lie was starting to form in his throat, something on the lines of helping Flitwick remove a classroom of burping tortoises, when he decided against that idea, shutting his mouth animatedly, and decided to shake his head dumbly. This was, a dumb move, for one who had known Hermione for at least six years would have known better than to let Hermione carry on with her ranting. But of course, this is Harry Potter we are talking about, the Boy who Lived to have a Spectrum of Common Sense Smaller Than that of a Brain of a Pickled Flobberworm.
"DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED WE BOTH WERE? We thought you were kidnapped by Voldermort and tortured while we had Care of Magical-bloody- Creatures!! How could you be so thoughtless?? Hagrid was worried sick!! Why didn't you tell anyone where you were going?? How could you be so irresponsible?? What if Voldermort had gotten you and we never even see you again?? All I thought was that the last time I saw you was at breakfast and even that was not a sufficient good-bye, that the last thing I would remember of you was that goddamn disappearing back of yours!!"
Ron was giving Hermione the look he reserved for only one person in the world, the look when Mrs Weasley was angry.
"-And all of a sudden, out of thin air, you appeared on that Firebolt of yours and was trying to save Malfoy!! Did it occur to you that the Tiggorn could have gone after you instead of Malfoy?? And what if it did and then we would have two injured boys instead of one!" Yelled Hermione breathlessly, glaring at the dangling Harry.
"At least I'm still alive." Said Harry meekly. Hermione shot him a dark glare before softening into a smile. Breathing a sigh of relief that no further damage was done, Ron lowered Harry from his awkward position. Harry dusted himself, making his way towards a tree, sitting down under the cool shade. Ron and Hermione followed suit, determined not to let him disappear again. Sitting down beside Harry, Hermione was in deep thought, the recent Care of Magical Creatures fiasco was replaying in her mind. 'Any time now.' Thought Harry, waiting for one of his two best friends to ask the question, Harry sighed, it would be a tedious explanation.
"Harry?"
"What is it Ron?"
"Did you realise what you did just now?"
"Yes." resignation was thick in his voice.
Pregnant pause. Any moment now. Harry pressed his dry lips into a tight line.
"You performed the Wronski Feint on a bloody Tiggorn!!"
Harry blinked. That wasn't what he expected to hear. His face split into a grin, his friends didn't realise what had happened just now, they were too caught up with his disappearance and Malfoy to notice what he had done. What he had expected them to ask was on the lines of -
"Harry, are you a Healer?"
Hermione, always the clever one. The balloon of joy was deflated instantly. Harry grimaced, looks like there was no escaping the issue. Ron stared at him incredulously, his eyes widening completely forgetting the stunt worthy of the Quidditch World Cup that Harry pulled off earlier.
"Well, are you?"
Nod. Hermione made a gesture for Harry to explain everything. Ron sat up from his relaxed position on the grass, listening intently.
"I learnt how to be a Healer over the summer holidays. The Dursleys had banned me from leaving the house so when I wasn't spending time in my room doing homework, sleeping or reading, I was 'helping to decorate the living room', or so the Dursleys thought." Pause. "The truth is; I was visiting Remus by using Floo network that the fireplace is connected to. Remus had a friend who was lodging with him for a while, turns out, she's a mediwitch. So she taught me to become a Healer. She's one hell of a slave driver mediwitch, no food or rest until I master something." Harry explained slowly with a laugh, plucking the grass beneath his fingers, feeling the leaves curl and tickle his palms.
"Harry, why did you learn to become a Healer?"
"Ron, isn't it obvious? With Harry being who he is, he will need the training when ever Voldermort decides to attack." Hermione explained exasperatedly, earning a grateful smile from Harry, saved from the task of explaining. The trio then lapsed back into thoughtful silence.
"Harry, are you a registered Healer?" Hermione asked quietly, starting intently at Harry. Harry nodded, confused with Hermione's seriousness on the subject.
"Are you saying that you learnt all the skills of a Healer and was tested and registered by the Ministry all in the months of June, July, August and September? Harry, that's way past seventh year standard!" Hermione said hoarsely in awe.
"I guess. now that you put it that way. Mrs Winson did say I had talent, but then again, she never really let me have a timeout, absolutely adamant that I must train. No, a drink wouldn't help. No, I couldn't eat until later. No, I couldn't break for a walk or play quidditch. Disgusting. I think Remus was relishing my torture." Harry said, screwing up his face in unhappiness of the memory, tugging at the grass broodingly.
"So that's why you rarely returned our letters." Said Ron triumphantly, snapping his fingers, glee spreading across his face. Harry grinned apologetically, "Not like I had a choice right?" The trio laughed and fell back into the peaceful silence that they shared and enjoyed just by having each others company.
"Is anyone going to tell me what the hell happened at Care of Magical Creatures today?" Harry asked, lying on his stomach, propping up his head with his arms. Hermione looked at Ron and explained the whole fiasco in full detail to Harry.
"Wait, did you say Malfoy VOLUNTEERED himself to go first?" Harry asked goggle-eyed, Ron shrugged, as to say, 'Don't look at me, I'm just as shock as you are.' Hermione tsked impatiently before carrying on her explanation.
"The strange thing is that Tiggorns are naturally docile in nature and only attack when they sense fear or smell blood, but Malfoy was neither of the two, so why was he attacked?" Pondered Hermione as she lay back on the grass, finishing her explanation, knitting her eyebrows together.
"Hermione, you were too worried to notice that Malfoy's left wrist was bleeding slightly when he went up." Ron corrected her, "But why was it bleeding in the first place?" Thoughtful silence took over, except for the rustling of the leaves in the tree.
"Uh, guys?" Harry cleared his throat, breaking the silence, "I think we are late for Transfiguration."
--
Draco opened his eyes, and stared at the high ceiling, sitting up quickly, he realised that he was at the Hospital wing. 'How did I manage to get here? The last thing I remembered was that big ugly tiggorn coming down at me with its horrible red eyes.' Thought Draco as he stared out of the window.
"Good you're up, drink that." Madame Pomfrey ordered, motioning to the cup of Pepper-up that was placed at his table. Grudgingly, Draco gulped down the repulsive medicine, just as Pansy and Blaise came bursting through the hospital doors.
"Thank god you're alive." Pansy said as she hugged Draco. Draco sulked mulishly, refusing to return the hug, and refused to look at Pansy as she drew back. Pansy squirmed in awkwardness of the situation.
"Come off it Draco, don't tell me you're angry with Pansy for that accident." Blaise said frowning at Draco's childishness. Draco crossed his arms and squared his shoulders, staring at Blaise and giving him the, 'So what if I am?' look.
"Well, it's your fault that you want me to act like your clingy girlfriend; I certainly did not ask you to step away from our class to look like you were volunteering yourself." Burst Pansy angrily, whacking Draco on the head with a pillow. Finally, after a few more whacks, Draco surrendered, admitting that there was no way anyone could be blamed for the accident, not even the fat oaf of a professor could be sued, or the monster put down.
"Where's my broom?" Draco asked in apprehension that it wasn't smashed by the stupid Tiggorn like Potter's Nimbus. Blaise laughed and told him it was in his room, cleaned and usable, really all he could worry about was that stupid broom of his.
"So, what happened after I fainted?" Draco asked, rubbing his left wrist. Pansy started to launch into a detailed account of what had happened after Draco had become unconscious, Draco who wasn't really paying attention, was fingering his wrist, noting that the wrist was healed by wandless magic, not the usual style of Madame Pomfrey. Come to think about it, Madame Pomfrey didn't give the usual abundant amount of medicine this time, only Pepper-up. This baffled Draco, for he only knew one person who could do wandless magic and that was h-
"-And then Potter stuck his fingers into your wound and it started to heal- "
"Pansy, did you say Potter healed my wound?" Draco asked incredulously.
"Draco where have you been? Pansy said from the start that Potter had saved you from that bloody Tiggorn, of course he healed your wound."
"Correct me if I'm wrong Blaise, but I thought I just heard you say that Harry-freaking-Potter, the Boy who Bloody Lived, saved me." Draco said with a laugh, as if the whole thing was a joke. Pansy and Blaise exchanged looks before nodding their heads.
"WHAT?" Yelled Draco as he fell backwards in a dead faint.