Breakfast the next morning came all too quickly. Hermione hadn't been able to find out anything about Malfoy's spell, but that came as no surprise. No matter how intelligent the girl was, Malfoy was a sly snake who didn't let himself get caught doing something against the rules.

Harry sighed, melancholy coming back over him as he saw how Ginny fed a small piece of pancake to Dean. There were so many couples in Hogwarts; even Snape had someone to hold hands with under the table. Over the excitement about the spell, Harry had almost forgotten how lonely he was, 'almost' being the operative word. He wanted someone to feed pancakes to, as well. Malfoy - Draco, he thought giddily - would fit perfectly in his lap. He could ask him to open his mouth and then proceed to feed him piece by piece, licking stray syrup from his lips...

Not that it would ever happen. The spell the Slytherin had cast on him did tell him that much. This knowledge didn't prevent Harry from fantasizing, though, thus leading to the next incident.

Harry had just been touching the goblet to his lips, eyes glazed over dreamily, when suddenly-

Harry choked on his pumpkin juice, his goblet refilling itself much more quickly than he was able to drink it. He tried to pull it from his mouth, but it was like stuck on his lips. However, before Harry could seriously drown in his own goblet, he fell over backwards, splashing himself with juice and passing out.

Ten minutes later he came to again; this time in the hospital wing. He could hear Lupin, Snape and Pomfrey talking about his emotional state of distress, as if he weren't there at all.

"This is a distinct cry for help," Pomfrey said seriously, clucking her tongue. "We have to help the poor boy."

Snape said something derisive about the help Harry really needed, thus earning him a smack from Lupin. Harry grinned.

"That's not funny, Severus!" Lupin said emphatically. "Harry tried to drown himself with his pumpkin juice. That requires professional help."

Harry cleared his throat, causing to catch the attention of the other three people. "I did not try to drown myself. It was the goblet. It got stuck on my mouth."

"Realization is the first step towards recovery," Pomfrey said briskly. "You've got a long way to go, dear."

"But I didn't-"

"Now, don't stress yourself," the matron interrupted, hushing Harry's protest and tucking the blanket back around him. If the boy didn't know better, he'd think she wanted to kill him herself, the blanket was so tightly pulled around him. "Get some more rest and you'll be able to go to the afternoon classes."

Harry had no intention to go to the afternoon classes, though. He already had a suspicion about what kind of spell Malfoy cast, but he needed some more time to think about it. And what better place to do so than the Room of Requirement?

Follow to the Room of Requirement