Chapter 3
The next morning in the Great Hall, students were enjoying a wonderful breakfast, and Harry was back from the Hospital. Hermione was reading something, as usual, and Ron was spending time talking to his best mate. Hermione suddenly looked up from her copy of Hogwarts A History, and looked over at Ron. "Ron, we have D.A.D.A first, right?" she asked, looking worried. Ron nodded, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "I thought you had your schedule memorized." Harry said. He and Ron exploded with laughter. "I did, but I'm just a little tired. And being tired is what knocks me off track." Hermione said, taking a bite into a piece of toast. "I told you not to stay up too late. But you obviously didn't want my advice, did you?" Ron said. Hermione gave him an I'm-sorry-I'll-listen-next-time look, and he smiled to it. Harry looked to make sure no one was listening, and leaned towards Ron and Hermione. "I've gotta tell you something in Defense Against the Dark Arts, okay?" Ron and Hermione nodded, as Harry sat back up. "So, has Professor Lupin given a lot of difficult work for the past few days in class? Anything I should be warned about?" Harry asked, giving them sarcastic-scared look. Hermione sniggered at this. "Not really, except for the essay he assigned yesterday." Ron said. "But we told him you were in Hospital, so he said he'd give you today to make it up, and could give it to him when you're finished." Hermione said. "Do you think he'd let me do it during class? That way I could give it to him right afterwards and not forget about it, like I usually do with other things." Harry said. Ron shrugged. "C'mon. We wanna get a good seat in Lupin's classroom." he said. The trio went off towards Professor Lupin's room. When they reached the classroom, they took a table in the back of the room, so they could talk in low whispers. As everyone else came into the classroom, Professor Lupin was drawing pictures of Hinky Punks on the blackboard. Ron and Harry put their bags on top of their table, so they couldn't be seen. "So, what is it that you wanted to tell us?" Hermione asked. "When I was in the Hospital Wing last night, I saw a figure." Harry said, giving Ron a worried look. Ron looked startled by this. "Ginny was hurt yesterday. I guess you guys didn't notice yesterday when you were visiting, but Madame Pomfrey was tending to her. Malfoy hexed her, because he thought that she had told Professor McGonnagal that he hexed me. So that's what he did to her as payback." Harry said. Both Ron and Hermione had scared looks on their faces. "I'm going to meet with Professor McGonnagal this afternoon. You guys can come, if you want." Harry said. The three suddenly decided to turn their attention to Professor Lupin, who had begun class.
After the rest of their morning classes, Harry, Ron and Hermione went off to Professor McGonnagal's office. "Come in, please." they heard her call when Harry knocked on the door. Harry, Ron and Hermione walked into Professor McGonnagal's office, each taking a seat in front of her desk. "Now, I take it that you three are here to discuss the whereabouts of Miss Weasley, am I correct?" The trio nodded. "Well, I checked up on her this afternon, and she's fine. Her memory's still a little jogged, so she's going to be kept for just a few more days. I can take you to see her if you like." she said, seeing the worried looks in their eyes. They followed Professor McGonnagal out to the Hospital Wing, and in through it's doors. Ginny was lying in bed, confused as to where she was and trying to punch an assisant, while screaming, "Ron! Where's RON! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ron rushed over to her bedside and knelt down on his knees, putting his hands on her cheeks and rubbing them. "Ginny. Ginny, it's me, Ron. Just calm down." he said, rubbing her cheeks. Ginny put her hands on his wrists. "Oh Ron, how I've missed you." she said, putting him into a hug. Ron kissed his younger sister's cheek, as both Hermione and Harry came over and sat down on the opposite side of her bed. Harry gave Ginny a small peck on the cheek once she and Ron had broke apart, and Hermione gave her a small wave. "We were really scared something bad had happened to you, Gin." Hermione said. "Yeah. But now we know that you're okay." Harry said, rubbing her leg. Ginny's long, flowing, flaming red hair was matted on her sweaty face. She had been struggling with the nurse for the last half hour, and was apparently very tired from it all. Ron stood up, and pulled Ginny's hair back into a pony-tail, making it so that her face wouldn't get any hotter (temperature-wise, to be exact). "Thanks, Ron." she said, as he knelt back down beside her. Madame Pomfrey came over. "Just so you all know, Miss Weasley will be here for about another two or three days, depending on how she's feeling." Madame Pomfrey said, feeling Ginny's forhead. "Still a little warm." she said, looking at Ginny. "Where are you?" "In my dormitory." Ginny said. The trio looked bewildered. "Yes, her memory's still a little jogged, which is why she will be kept longer." Madame Pomfrey said, going off towards her office.
Harry had gone off to dinner, but Ron and Hermione had gone back to the Gryffindor Common Room. They snuggled up together on the couch, Hermione putting her head on Ron's chest. "Ron, what if Ginny doesn't get better?" she asked. "How could you say that, Hermione!" he exclaimed. Hermione's eyes welled up with tears as she sat up and looked at Ron. Ron's face suddenly became calm and sympathetic. "Aw, I'm sorry. Did I scare you?" he asked. Hermione nodded and put her forhead on his shoulder as he rubbed it. "I'm sorry, Mione. I just hate it when peopple talk bad about Gin, that's all." Hermione suddenly sat up. "I'm not people, Ron! I'm me! But you obviously don't feel that way, do you? No!" She stormed up to her dormitory just as Harry was coming in from dinner, along with everyone else. "I thought you were with Hermione." he said, sitting down next to him. "Was. Until now. She got mad at me because I identified her as 'people', and stormed upstairs. Why do I always have to be such a jerk when I'm scared inside?" Ron pulled his knees to his chest. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" came a sudden scream from the girls dormitories. Ron and Harry ran upstairs, to find Malfoy standing over Hermione. "You!" Harry bellowed. Ron knelt down beside Hermione, tears rolling down his face. Malfoy had just hexed Hermione. "You... you little... you little BITCH!" Ron exclaimed, looking up at Malfoy with a tear stained face. "Awwwww! Did I just hex Weasle's girlfriend, (gasp) oops!" Malfoy cackled with laughter and ran down to the Common Room, to find a very angry Professor McGonnagal. "Draco Malfoy, come with me this instant!" she exclaimed, taking Malfoy by the ear and dragging him out've the Common Room. All eyes were now on the staircase. Ron came back downstairs carrying Hermione in his arms, tears still streaming down his face. Seamus ran and opened the portrait hole, as he, Dean and Harry followed him to the Hospital Wing.
"Mr. Malfoy, I am very dissapointed in you, not to mention upset! Hexing a student, no, excuse me, make that three students!" Professor McGonnagal was saying, as she flipped through a large book. "Aha! 'Hexing a student inside the school will result in a 200 point withdrawle from student's house, and a detention of Deputy Headmistress/Headmaster's choice of teacher and punishment.' Let me see now, this is only what is nessecary if you hex one student, but you hexed three, so therefore you will recieve three punishments and three detentions. Hmmmm, for detentions, you will have them each with Mr. Filch, but I'll let him decide the --." There was a sudden knock at the door, and Professors Dumbledore and Snape and Mr. Filch came in. "Ah, Mr. Filch, Headmaster, Professor Snape, I was just informing young Draco, here, on his punishments." She turned back to Draco. "As I was saying, Mr. Filch will decide your duties for your three detentions," Mr. Filch smirked at this. ", and I will decide what your three regular punishments will be. Hmmmm, no more Quidditch for the rest of the season; extra assignments in my classes; and no more Hogsmeade visits this year!" Professor McGonnagal said. "If I might, Professor, I would just like to say that all detentions held with myself can only be given during the evenings." Mr. Filch said. Professor McGonnagal nodded. "Professor Snape, would you be so kind as to escorting your student back to your house common room; Mr. Filch, please go and discard 200 points from the Slytherin hour glass; and Professor McGonnagal, there is something you need to oversee in the Hospital Wing. That it is all." Professor Dumbledore said, and left the office. Professor Snape pulled Draco up by his collar, and dragged him out of Professor McGonnagal's office, cursing under his breath. Mr. Filch went off towards the Great Hall to deal with the house points; and Professor McGonnagal and Professor Dumbledore went off towards the Hospital Wing.
Ron was sitting by Hermione in her bed, with his hand on her cheek. He was still crying, and Harry, Dean, Seamus, Fred, George, Percy, Colin and Dennis Creevey and Oliver Wood were at his side. Ron was rubbing Hermione's cheeks, like he'd done to Ginny earlier that day. Now, his girlfriend and his sister were both in the Hospital, his best mate had just returned from the Hospital, what was next, him? Ron took one of Hermione's hands, put his free one on her heart, and put his forhead on her stomach, crying. Harry patted his back. "It's alright, mate. She's gonna be fine, really." Harry said. Professors McGonnagal and Dumbledore came rushing in, McGonnagal coming over by them, and Dumbledore going to speak with Madame Pomfrey. "Minerva just took care of Mr. Malfoy's punishments, so I believe he's learned his lesson." Dumbledore said in a whisper to Madame Pomfrey. "But what happens if he is to do it again, Headmaster?" she asked. "Expulsion, maybe. Three hexes is enough, and if he's going to be hexing every student in my school, expulsion will definetly be nesecary!" he said, and left the wing. Professor McGonnagal was going to do her best to straighten Ron out. "Mr. Weasley, I've just come from my office. I was punishing Mr. Malfoy." she said with a weak smile. She knew this would make Ron happy because he was so mad at Malfoy and wanted him to be miserable. Ron didn't come up from Hermione's chest, but kicked Harry's ankle, who nodded. Madame Pomfrey came over to the big bunch of kids to speak with them , Harry and Ron especially. "Miss Granger will have to stay here until she's fully recovered, as in from memory loss and loss of limb use. You all, preferably meaning Ron and Harry, will be allowed to visit her after all of your classes each evening, and with the potion I'm about to give her, she'll have her concious back by tomorrow morning." Madame Pomfrey said. She opened Hermione's mouth and poured a blue liquid down her throat.