I am SO SORRY! I should be FLOGGED! I took really long with this chapter, please forgive me! I have been way too busy than whats good for me. Lol. And school starts in less than a week. Drat. Anyway, here ya go, enjoy! And no, I don't own anything. ~BabeyRachey

Stepping Sideways

Chapter 8: Healing and Potion Brewing

Dumbledore swept into the Hospital Wing, leaving Ginny still standing in the hall, before she came to her senses and followed him. When she entered, Dumbledore, Madame Promfrey, Mrs.Weasley and Ron were all around a bed, talking quietly.

Harry was, Ginny was sure, in the bed. But why weren't they doing anything to help him?

"I have some Blood Replenishing potion, headmaster." Madame Promfrey was saying. "But these two here. . ." She shot Ron and Mrs.Weasley a cold look. "Told me not to administer it, and refused to let me do so!" Dumbledore nodded solemnly.

"Ah, but you see, Poppy. If you had administered the potion, you would not only have replenished his blood, but poisoned it."

Madame Promfrey looked aghast. "I would never, Headmaster! Me? Poison a student?" Dumbledore silenced her with a look. "I'm afraid," He spoke, "that Harry here has developed a rather severe allergy to Fluxweed. As common as it is, It would not have been wise to administer any potion that might contain such a plant."

Madame Promfrey looked horrified, than pitying at the young, pale boy on the bed. "Are you sure?" She whispered. "Yes, I am sure." Dumbledore answered.

"I can heal him, Dumbledore. But I need blood replenishing potion. Without it. . ." She trailed off. "Don't you have any in store made with Pliariweed?" Ron cried, looking desperate. The healer sent him a scathing look. "Pliariweed is very rare, Mr.Weasley. I do not often make potions with it. But I know that Professor Snape always carries some in his store room."

"Could you make some?" Mrs.Weasley asked. "Make some for him. It's the only way!"

"I am not a potions master, must I remind you. I am a healer. I simply use the potions." With that the nurse scurried into her office, looking teary and affronted. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Do not worry, any of you. Harry will be fine." He assured them. "How can you be sure?" Ginny asked, looking stricken. "He's lost a lot of blood! We don't have any potion! Madame Promfrey can't do anything to help him anymore!"

"Ms.Weasley, may I remind you that I do have a very talented potions master here at this school?" Dumbledore said firmly, but caringly. Ginny suddenly realized. "Oh! You're going to. . ."

"You must excuse me for a minute; I believe I have an appointment with a certain professor" With that last word, Dumbledore walked out of the Hospital Wing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus Snape was sitting in his office, going through his supplies, sorting them, discarding anything useless.

"Tenderfoot. . . Treeroot. . . I can toss that." He muttered. "Abertongue. . . I'll need that." He picked up a small flask that was filled with a light yellow powder. "Pliariweed. I don't know why I keep it around. I never use it." He moved to throw it away.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Severus jumped, nearly causing the bottle in his hand to fall. Steadying it, he looked up into Dumbledore's amused, blue eyes.

"Oh, it's you."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Don't sound so happy to see me, Severus." The younger man scowled. "What do you want?" He set the bottle of Pliariweed down on his desk. "As you can see I'm busy." Dumbledore looked at the flask. "Actually, it seems as though I came right on time."

Snape sneered. "Is that so? What do you want?" He asked again. "I need a potion brewed." The older man said shortly, hiding a smile. "Is that so?" "Your vocabulary seems rather limited today, Severus." Snape just sneered.

"What must I make this time?"

"Blood Replenishing potion for Poppy. She is in dire need of it."

"Nonsense!" Snape snarled. "I gave her several bottles a week ago!" "Indeed you did, Severus." said Dumbledore. "But something, I'm afraid, has come up. We have a certain, er, patient who needs medical care. He has a very severe allergy to Fluxweed."

To his disgust, Snape felt a hint of pity. An allergy to Fluxweed made certain aspects in life very difficult.

"All right. I'll do it. It'll be ready in two hours time."

Dumbledore smiled. "Thank you, Severus."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next two hours were very tense. Ginny paced in front of Harry's bed, while Mrs.Weasley and Ron sat beside it, looking ashen faced. They were all lost in their own thoughts.

Those thoughts were rudely interrupted with the Hospital Wing door being slammed open. Snape entered, quickly followed by Professor Dumbledore. Relief swept through everyone.

"Well, well. If it isn't the Weasley's." Snape said, stopping short. "Which one of you messed up this time? Fred? George?"

Ginny just shook her head, trying to ignore the stinging of threatening tears, and stepped aside from the bed, letting Snape see the occupant. If he was surprised, Snape didn't show it. "Mr. Potter. I see." Snape raised an eyebrow. At that moment Madame Promfrey came bustling out of the office.

"Oh, Professor Snape! You're here! Did you finish it already, then?" Snape nodded. "Here you are. Non-Fluxweed Blood Replenishing potion. Good day." He shoved the bottle into the Healer's hands, and without another word, turned around and swept out the door once more.

"Well then." Said Mrs.Weasley, looking startled, stared at the door where the potions master had left. "That was. . .nice." Madame Promfrey moved towards the still boy on the bed, drawing everyone's attention back to Harry. Uncorking the bottle, Madame Promfrey pulled Harry into a sitting position, and poured a little of the potion down his throat.

"There we go." Said Promfrey, looking pleased. "It should start working any second now." Indeed, in a matter of seconds Harry's color started returning, making it look as though he was only sleeping. "Well, he's fine now. All he has to do it wake up."

"Wait!" Ron cried as she turned to leave. "What about his knee?" "His knee?" Madame Promfrey echoed in puzzlement. "He sprained his knee or something, too. He fell over a log he said." Ron told her.

The healer then turned back to the bed and pulled down the covers. She tried to roll up his pant leg, but it was to swollen. Using a severing charm, she ripped off the pant leg right above his knee. Ginny turned away, feeling sick. Everybody gasped.

Harry's kneecap was at a weird angle, his leg twisted. It was colorfully bruised, and very swollen. "Ouch." Ron said, wincing in sympathy. Madame Promfrey said nothing. She muttered a spell, and waved her wand. The swelling went down slightly. Twice more she used the spell, and the swelling went down. She then grasped his leg and gave a pull, making everyone gasp.

Harry's leg was straightened, though still slightly swollen and still bruised. Pulling some salve out of her pocket, Madame Promfrey rubbed it over his knee. "That'll have to do. It will be sore for a while. But he'll be fine. Just no quidditch for the rest of the summer. Got it?" She gave Ron a glare. "His knee must heal properly."

As the healer left, everybody turned back to Harry. The boy stirred, groaned, and opened his eyes. "Hey." He croaked, and then cleared his throat. "Where are we?"

"Hogwarts, dear. In the hospital wing." Mrs.Weasley told him. "You gave us quite a fright." "I'm sorry." Mrs.Weasley gave him a motherly smile. "It's not your fault dear." She patted his shoulder. "And you are all better now."

Harry gazed around at everyone. Dumbledore, who was standing quietly behind the Weasley's, gave him a small smile, and a nod. Harry grinned back. But then Harry's gaze turned to Ginny, who was watching him carefully, and his expression hardened. Turning away from her, he spoke. "So, when can I get out of here?"

"Madame Promfrey wants you to stay the night, just in case." Dumbledore spoke, startling the Weasley's, who hadn't noticed him. Harry just nodded. "Of course, the Weasley family would be welcome to stay, too."

"Of course we will!" Mrs.Weasley said at once. "I don't want to make you feel obligated. . ." Harry started. "Nonsense, Harry" Mrs.Weasley interrupted, "We want to stay." He just shrugged.

Ginny, who was battling tears, said nothing. Normally, she would have loved to stay at Hogwarts for a day or two. But with everything. . . Ginny shook her head. "Something wrong?" Her head snapped up. Harry had been watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"What?" She said, not meeting his eyes. Everyone looked at the two of them. "I asked if anything was wrong." Harry said again, a touch of anger in his voice. "You were shaking your head. Do you not want to stay?"

Ginny hesitated, her mother and brother shooting her threatening looks.

"Of course I do." She said meekly, looking at her shoes. Choosing not to reply he turned to the rest of them. "I'm feeling rather tired. Would you mind if I went to sleep now?" Mrs.Weasley just nodded, and started shoving everyone away from Harry's bedside.

But it was some time after the curtains were closed around his bed that Harry closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As he slept, The three Weasley's decided to run back to their house for a few items they would need. Using Dumbledore's office, they flooed back to the Burrow to see a frantic Bill and Charlie conversing with each other.

"You have no idea where they went?"

"No, neither do Fred and George."

"Do you think. . . Mum!"

Charlie turned as his mother came tumbling out of the fireplace, quickly followed by Ron and Ginny.

"Where were you? Does it have something to do with Harry? Is everything all right?"

Mrs.Weasley dusted herself off. " Hogwarts, yes, and yes."

"Why were you at Hogwarts? What happened?" Charlie asked, pulling out a chair for his mother, who sat down in it with a sigh, and covered her face with her hands. ""It's Harry." Ron finally spoke. "We found him in the woods, he had a messed up knee and was scratched up. On the way back he started looking sick." Ron paused, remembering how pale and weak Harry had looked. "I noticed a cut on his hand, and then he fainted. He lost a lot of blood, so we took him to Hogwarts."

Feeling rather weak himself, Ron sat down. "He's fine now. But he has to stay over night. We're going to stay too."

Relieved, Bill and Charlie both smiled. "Of course we are. When do we leave?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ack. That's all I can do for now. Sorry, I didn't get to use that hint, but I PROMISE it will be in the next one! That's the hint for the next one then. KEEP REVIEWING PLEASE! ~BabeyRachey