Chapter 17 – Not Ready At All
Liz was only in the hospital wing overnight, and that long because McGonagall insisted. When Madame Lesille released her, she stayed to wait until Rachel and Michael were released as well. Since both had been Stunned, it was simple to revive them, but Professor McGonagall had insisted that they stay all day, just to be sure. Liz had them tell her everything that had happened after she had gone upstairs (but she never mentioned why).
"Well," said Michael, a bandage attached firmly to his nose, "almost immediately you were gone, Chris came running in saying that Professor Flitwick had found Professor McGonagall under a heavy curse that could only be cured with a certain potion. Rachel went upstairs and found that you were gone, so we left Chris to try to make the potion so we could go and find you."
"We ran into Professor Pumjy then," said Rachel. "Literally."
"It was bad," Michael commented, nodding.
"He was carrying this huge glass ball, like a chandelier, sort of," Rachel continued. "Michael hit him, and he hit the wall, and the sphere-thing went flying and hit the floor. Then I tripped on it, and it shattered." She showed Liz a cut on her leg. "That's where it got me."
"And then Pumjy went insane. He said he was quitting, that too much weird stuff went on here."
"He's quitting?" Liz asked. "How can he quit? H's only been here for one year!"
"Reminds you of Garb, doesn't it?" said Rachel. "But he went to pack his things right then. At the moment, we couldn't care less, of course; we ran out to the Forest and found you."
At that moment, Chris burst in. "Are you all right?" he asked. Not waiting for an answer, he said, "McGonagall knows about the lessons!"
"How did she find out?" Liz said.
"Don't you remember? I made the potions for her, and then I used the Tripping Charm on the Dragon's broom! You're the only ones who even visit me at Hagrid's! She's down there talking to Hagrid right now!"
"We've got to hide you," said Michael.
"What good will that do?" said Liz. "We'll have to hide, too, and you haven't been released yet."
The doors were flung open again. This time, McGonagall entered, followed by Hagrid, who was the angriest Liz had ever seen him. They were in deep trouble now. Hagrid had specifically forbid them to teach Chris, and now he was about to explode.
McGonagall landed before them, her hat lopsided once again. "Explain yourselves," she ordered, giving each of them a piercing glare.
There was a tense pause, and then all four of them began blurting things out.
"It was Liz's idea!"
"We tried to keep it hidden!"
"They were only trying to help!"
"He isn't a Squib, he can do magic."
The last one came from Liz, which earned her five awkward stares. Six, if Madame Lesille was included. "He can," she repeated, somewhat softer. "He made the potion to wake you up, Professor, and he almost knocked the Dragon off his broom. And last year he stopped Nilworg with a levitating charm. He can't be a Squib! Admit it!"
McGonagall cast one eye at Chris, who became suddenly interested in his feet. "True," she admitted grudgingly. "Hagrid, come here." She pulled Hagrid over to the corner and conversed with him briefly. Liz looked at Chris, who looked petrified with anxiety. Rachel and Michael were both quaking under their covers. Finally, the headmistress and Hagrid came back over to them. Madame Lesille busied herself with cleaning, but it was clear from her constantly darting eyes that she was listening intently from her corner.
"I have decided," said Professor McGonagall, "and Hagrid has granted his consent, that these lessons of yours should continue. I owe my life to his newfound skills. So long as no one else knows, I believe the law came make an exception." Professor McGonagall turned to leave, but then she turned back and addressed Madame Lesille. "A word of this must not leave your lips either." The school nurse looked slightly putout as McGonagall and Hagrid excused themselves.
Michael looked at Liz, Rachel, and Chris his eyes wide. "We're saved," he breathed.
"And we can continue!" Rachel exclaimed.
"That's great," Chris said, smiling. Liz smiled too.
Later that day, Madame Lesille let Rachel and Michael leave with Liz. They were meandering down the corridor when they ran into an extremely jumpy Professor Pumjy. He was carrying an overstuffed suitcase from which all sort of things were spilling out. "Out of my way!" he yelled. "My train leaves in half an hour, and I can't miss it!" Liz, Rachel, and Michael scooted to the side to let him pass. He shot out the doors and fell down the front steps. All his belongings were scattered in the grass.
Liz looked at Rachel and Michael, who shrugged. The three of them continued down the hall.
At the end-of-year feast, people kept looking over at Liz, Rachel, and Michael, who were rumored to have fought the Dragon again. One Ravenclaw second-year was telling anyone who would listen that he had seen Liz summon a thunderbolt to strike down the Dragon. Not many people believed him, as this didn't explain how the Dragon had gotten away.
When McGonagall awarded Gryffindor House three hundred points for the courageous efforts of the three friends, the applause was mingled with a curious buzzing that didn't subside until the feast was over. Gryffindor had won the House Cup, since the new points had overridden the humiliating Quidditch Cup incident.
The train arrived the next morning. Chris came to wish everyone a happy summer. Liz made him promise to write, and Chris made them promise to write back. Many hugs were exchanged before the conductor had to personally come out and escort them inside.
"This was a weird year," said Liz, leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes. "I mean, with my powers going with, and the Dragon, and all."
Michael nodded. "Jessica is going to be torture this summer. She doesn't get her O.W.L. results until July. She'll be even more impossible to live with!"
"Impossible to live with? That's Emma," said Liz. "Having to go home for the summer is more torturous than a Potions exam."
Rachel opened her mouth to say something when the compartment door opened and David Hannigan poked his head in. "Hello," he said. "Just wanted to say have a good summer, Liz." And he was gone.
"That was bizarre," said Liz after a few minutes.
"He likes you! I knew it!" Rachel squealed. "Oh, Liz, this is so exciting!"
Michael sighed and rolled his eyes.
After a while, Carla and Theresa joined them for a loud game of Exploding Snap. This lasted them until the end of the train ride, when the cards toppled over and created a large explosion.
"Dad!" said Michael once they had left the train. Mr. Weasley was waiting for the rest of his family at Platform 9 ¾. "Bye, Liz! Bye, Rachel!" he called back. "Owl me or call me!"
"Carla, Theresa, there's Mum," said Rachel. "Bye, Liz. Have a good summer!"
"I'll try," Liz replied. The two girls embraced like sisters, and then Rachel hurried over to her mum.
"Liz! Over here!" called a deep male voice. It was Mr. Smith, who was waiting with Mrs. Smith and Emma. Emma had grown taller and, by the looks of thins, meaner. She stood proudly at the edge, her nose upturned, surveying the freak show.
"Ready to go home?" said Mr. Smith, making for the barrier.
Liz looked back at the train, at the words HOGWARTS EXPRESS, and at David Hannigan, who was enjoying a reunion with his family at the moment, too. She thought of the mysterious letters, her powers, the prophecy, classes, and her friends.
"Not really," she said softly. "No, not at all."
Liz was only in the hospital wing overnight, and that long because McGonagall insisted. When Madame Lesille released her, she stayed to wait until Rachel and Michael were released as well. Since both had been Stunned, it was simple to revive them, but Professor McGonagall had insisted that they stay all day, just to be sure. Liz had them tell her everything that had happened after she had gone upstairs (but she never mentioned why).
"Well," said Michael, a bandage attached firmly to his nose, "almost immediately you were gone, Chris came running in saying that Professor Flitwick had found Professor McGonagall under a heavy curse that could only be cured with a certain potion. Rachel went upstairs and found that you were gone, so we left Chris to try to make the potion so we could go and find you."
"We ran into Professor Pumjy then," said Rachel. "Literally."
"It was bad," Michael commented, nodding.
"He was carrying this huge glass ball, like a chandelier, sort of," Rachel continued. "Michael hit him, and he hit the wall, and the sphere-thing went flying and hit the floor. Then I tripped on it, and it shattered." She showed Liz a cut on her leg. "That's where it got me."
"And then Pumjy went insane. He said he was quitting, that too much weird stuff went on here."
"He's quitting?" Liz asked. "How can he quit? H's only been here for one year!"
"Reminds you of Garb, doesn't it?" said Rachel. "But he went to pack his things right then. At the moment, we couldn't care less, of course; we ran out to the Forest and found you."
At that moment, Chris burst in. "Are you all right?" he asked. Not waiting for an answer, he said, "McGonagall knows about the lessons!"
"How did she find out?" Liz said.
"Don't you remember? I made the potions for her, and then I used the Tripping Charm on the Dragon's broom! You're the only ones who even visit me at Hagrid's! She's down there talking to Hagrid right now!"
"We've got to hide you," said Michael.
"What good will that do?" said Liz. "We'll have to hide, too, and you haven't been released yet."
The doors were flung open again. This time, McGonagall entered, followed by Hagrid, who was the angriest Liz had ever seen him. They were in deep trouble now. Hagrid had specifically forbid them to teach Chris, and now he was about to explode.
McGonagall landed before them, her hat lopsided once again. "Explain yourselves," she ordered, giving each of them a piercing glare.
There was a tense pause, and then all four of them began blurting things out.
"It was Liz's idea!"
"We tried to keep it hidden!"
"They were only trying to help!"
"He isn't a Squib, he can do magic."
The last one came from Liz, which earned her five awkward stares. Six, if Madame Lesille was included. "He can," she repeated, somewhat softer. "He made the potion to wake you up, Professor, and he almost knocked the Dragon off his broom. And last year he stopped Nilworg with a levitating charm. He can't be a Squib! Admit it!"
McGonagall cast one eye at Chris, who became suddenly interested in his feet. "True," she admitted grudgingly. "Hagrid, come here." She pulled Hagrid over to the corner and conversed with him briefly. Liz looked at Chris, who looked petrified with anxiety. Rachel and Michael were both quaking under their covers. Finally, the headmistress and Hagrid came back over to them. Madame Lesille busied herself with cleaning, but it was clear from her constantly darting eyes that she was listening intently from her corner.
"I have decided," said Professor McGonagall, "and Hagrid has granted his consent, that these lessons of yours should continue. I owe my life to his newfound skills. So long as no one else knows, I believe the law came make an exception." Professor McGonagall turned to leave, but then she turned back and addressed Madame Lesille. "A word of this must not leave your lips either." The school nurse looked slightly putout as McGonagall and Hagrid excused themselves.
Michael looked at Liz, Rachel, and Chris his eyes wide. "We're saved," he breathed.
"And we can continue!" Rachel exclaimed.
"That's great," Chris said, smiling. Liz smiled too.
Later that day, Madame Lesille let Rachel and Michael leave with Liz. They were meandering down the corridor when they ran into an extremely jumpy Professor Pumjy. He was carrying an overstuffed suitcase from which all sort of things were spilling out. "Out of my way!" he yelled. "My train leaves in half an hour, and I can't miss it!" Liz, Rachel, and Michael scooted to the side to let him pass. He shot out the doors and fell down the front steps. All his belongings were scattered in the grass.
Liz looked at Rachel and Michael, who shrugged. The three of them continued down the hall.
At the end-of-year feast, people kept looking over at Liz, Rachel, and Michael, who were rumored to have fought the Dragon again. One Ravenclaw second-year was telling anyone who would listen that he had seen Liz summon a thunderbolt to strike down the Dragon. Not many people believed him, as this didn't explain how the Dragon had gotten away.
When McGonagall awarded Gryffindor House three hundred points for the courageous efforts of the three friends, the applause was mingled with a curious buzzing that didn't subside until the feast was over. Gryffindor had won the House Cup, since the new points had overridden the humiliating Quidditch Cup incident.
The train arrived the next morning. Chris came to wish everyone a happy summer. Liz made him promise to write, and Chris made them promise to write back. Many hugs were exchanged before the conductor had to personally come out and escort them inside.
"This was a weird year," said Liz, leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes. "I mean, with my powers going with, and the Dragon, and all."
Michael nodded. "Jessica is going to be torture this summer. She doesn't get her O.W.L. results until July. She'll be even more impossible to live with!"
"Impossible to live with? That's Emma," said Liz. "Having to go home for the summer is more torturous than a Potions exam."
Rachel opened her mouth to say something when the compartment door opened and David Hannigan poked his head in. "Hello," he said. "Just wanted to say have a good summer, Liz." And he was gone.
"That was bizarre," said Liz after a few minutes.
"He likes you! I knew it!" Rachel squealed. "Oh, Liz, this is so exciting!"
Michael sighed and rolled his eyes.
After a while, Carla and Theresa joined them for a loud game of Exploding Snap. This lasted them until the end of the train ride, when the cards toppled over and created a large explosion.
"Dad!" said Michael once they had left the train. Mr. Weasley was waiting for the rest of his family at Platform 9 ¾. "Bye, Liz! Bye, Rachel!" he called back. "Owl me or call me!"
"Carla, Theresa, there's Mum," said Rachel. "Bye, Liz. Have a good summer!"
"I'll try," Liz replied. The two girls embraced like sisters, and then Rachel hurried over to her mum.
"Liz! Over here!" called a deep male voice. It was Mr. Smith, who was waiting with Mrs. Smith and Emma. Emma had grown taller and, by the looks of thins, meaner. She stood proudly at the edge, her nose upturned, surveying the freak show.
"Ready to go home?" said Mr. Smith, making for the barrier.
Liz looked back at the train, at the words HOGWARTS EXPRESS, and at David Hannigan, who was enjoying a reunion with his family at the moment, too. She thought of the mysterious letters, her powers, the prophecy, classes, and her friends.
"Not really," she said softly. "No, not at all."