Chapter 4: Convincing Poppy

It was long after Bruce Atnick left the hospital wing that Harry finally started to tire. Even when he took a Sleeping Draught from Madam Pomfrey, his sleep was troubled and restless.

Madam Pomfrey visited many times during the night, but she couldn't answer her question – What is wrong with him?

Just before six in the morning, she decided to not worry and resolved to ask Harry in the morning if there was anything wrong.

- - -

In the morning when the matron voiced her question, Harry replied that he had a lot to think about but he wouldn't tell her anything else.

- - -

Harry was relieved to see Poppy Pomfrey prepare to leave the hospital wing for lunch.

During his past times spent in the hospital beds, he had found that the over-protective matron did indeed have a pattern to her day.

First thing in the morning, she would give him his breakfast, and then check him over while he ate. The morning was spent mainly in her office, but sometimes coming out to check on him. For lunch, Madam Pomfrey would go down to the Great Hall for a proper lunch before checking Harry once more. Supper she would eat by his bed, talking to him in a friendly way. After supper she would go back to her office to let him visit with his visitors. Then, there would be one more check-up before giving him a potion for dreamless sleep.

Today she was staying true to that routine, even though it was summer.

"Now Potter," Madam Pomfrey lectured "I am going down to the Great Hall for lunch. I will be about an hour. Do NOT leave that bed unless you really need to relieve yourself. I am in dreadful need of a social gathering, so I might be a bit longer than that even."

Harry, who had a sudden idea, twisted his face into a confused face.

"But who would you socialize with, Poppy?"

"Potter, it is quite inappropriate for you to call me by my first name! But as for your question, I will talk to the other professors and the rest of the staff, as well as the Headmaster's Gizmos and Gadgets Association."

Instead of grinning at the fact that his plan was working, Harry went even farther. He chewed his lip in a distracted way, with the confused expression still in place.

"But Poppy, the professors shouldn't be at school, and the Gizmos and Gadgets Association told me they were leaving last night!"

The matron sighed. "Yes Harry, they probably did say that. The professors that are here, are here because they either don't have a spouse or children or they brought their families here for the summer for safety issues. As for the Association, they stayed up late last night having a meeting and then they were too tired to leave, so they stayed in the Gryffindor dormitories."

And putting the next step into place, Harry spoke, though this time in a tone of understanding.

"Wow Poppy! There must be a lot of people here now, then. How on earth are you going to get the chance to talk to all of them in an hour?"

Madam Pomfrey chuckled, "Oh I don't plan on talking to everyone, Harry. There are over one hundred people down there!"

Harry's face now changed to puzzled look, which he found quite uncomfortable and hoped he didn't need to keep it like that for long.

"Why not? I mean, there are enough people down there to satisfy the social needs of a person for a month! I would go if I could."

"I would be away from here for too long, Harry. And no-matter what you think or say, you ARE my number one priority"

Seeing that it was time for the last phase of his plan, Harry shifted his face again – but this time to a face of excitement.

"Oh please, Poppy! Can I come with you? And I can have some time to talk to people who I know and I will be in the same room as you, so you can keep an eye on me. And don't bother saying that I am too weak to get out of bed cause I'm not. Oh please Poppy?"

As he spoke, Harry pulled back the sheets of the bed and swung his legs over the edge.

"See? I feel great! Please Poppy?"

He gave her a grin, that grin that Poppy hadn't seen since Harry's father's days at Hogwarts.

- - - FLASHBACK - - -

Poppy opened the door leading from her private chambers to the hospital wing and saw a young man striding towards the last bed on the left.

"Excuse me, please, but will you please tell me what you are doing here?" she commanded in a stern voice.

The wizard gave a start at the sound of her voice, the relaxed and turned around to face her.

"No" he replied smoothly.

The matron grabbed her wand from her pocket and pointed it at the boy's face. Shocked that he didn't flinch or run away, she muttered "Lumos"

When she saw who it was, she sighed and lowered her wand muttering the counter-spell at the same time.

"Come on, James, follow me, and I'll get us some hot cocoa"

He grinned at her, and said "Thanks, Poppy"

But it was not the words that Poppy would remember many years later, it was the grin.

It was happy, mournful, and was amazingly mesmerizing. It was the prefect mix of a flirty smile and a smirk, yet it seemed like neither. It was the only grin in that could persuade professors to do what the wearer wanted, and leave girls with weak knees. It made boys jealous and it was known school-wide, and by any others who happened to stroll across its path, which was many. It was what made the matron give James hot cocoa, not a detention.

- - -END FLASHBACK - - -

At the receiving end of the grin, it was all that Poppy could do to remain standing.

She sunk onto the bed next to Harry, sitting down to wait for her knees to stop shaking.

"So?" inquired Harry "Can I come?" He grinned again, seeing that she was weakening.

I don't think he has used that grin before, thought the matron, He doesn't know that no human or part-human creature on the face of the earth, except for the Dark ones, can say no to that grin.

"Of course you can go, Harry" she spoke out loud, while indicating a pile of clothes "Now hurry up and get dressed in these clothes that Remus Lupin brought over this morning"

Finally, she stood again and made her way to her office to give Harry some privacy.

- - -

Harry climbed out of bed and found he felt in almost perfect condition. When he picked up the clothes Remus had left for him, he saw, to his surprise, that they were muggle clothes.

There was a pair of baggy jeans, that when put on exposed an inch of the boxers that were being worn underneath; a loose-fitting t-shirt that was a deep red, with black graffiti letters on the front that stated 'Punk' on it; a black sweatshirt that was quite large, but looked like it was supposed to, and it had a hood and a big pocket across the bottom part of the front side, and a red lightening bolt on the back.

When Harry first saw the outfit, he laughed at how funny he thought they would look on him, but put them on anyways.

He walked to the full-length mirror on the far wall, and looked at himself.

Harry was shocked to see that the clothes, though a large size, looked good on him. The outfit hid all of the muscles that Harry had earned from Quidditch, but it showed his lower-neck because of the neckline of the shirt. The only thing Harry didn't like about his reflection was his glasses.

Looking around to make sure Madam Pomfrey wasn't in the room, he removed his glasses and cast an eyesight repairing charm by waving his hand over his face.

Only seconds after he placed his glasses on the bedside table, Madam Pomfrey came back into the room, muttering to herself.

"Just one second" he said as he slipped on the loose shoes Remus had left for him. Harry remembered hearing muggles call them 'Skateboard Shoes' or something like that.

The matron huffed, "Now are you ready? Good" and walked out of the room.

But Harry soon caught up to her and grabbed her arm to stop her from going any farther.

"Poppy, why are you mad? Are you mad that I'm coming?"

"No, Harry," she replied as she brushed his hand off of her arm "I'm mad that I'm stuck in the hospital wing over the summer. But not at you directly"

Harry could see that she was upset. "I'm almost better, so I was going to talk to Professor Dumbledore about moving back to my dorm anyways, so then you won't have to stay there"

He grinned at her.

She immediately smiled and admitted, "That is a good idea"

Both of them were feeling better as they walked down to the Great Hall, side by side.