Chapter 10 - The Hospital Wing

"Hi Myrtle, it's me Hannah. Don't know if you remember me from four years ago, I…..?"

Too late. Myrtle began screaming. Hannah heard few coherent words as she sprinted towards the door but she could have sworn she was being accused of avoiding Myrtle since first year. She was so desperate to get away, she cut her hand on the door handle. Her hair was all in her face, which was probably the reason she couldn't see her Head of House approaching her.

"Miss Abbot!" she heard a scandalised voice say. "Why are you running in the corridors?"

She brushed her hair out of her face, preparing to give her best apologetic look - the one she knew always worked on Professor Sprout but before she knew what was happening, Professor Sprout was ushering her to the Hospital Wing. She caught sight of her face as they passed a freshly polished suit of armour and couldn't think why she would have red lines all over it.

Poppy Pomfrey had been having a relaxing day. There had been no plots or conspiracies to kill any of her students, no dangerous rescue missions to be undertaken, and no duels with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. All that had to be cured was stopping a couple of side-affects for a light-fingered first year in Ravenclaw and a simple spell that shrank a few Slytherin tongues had to be performed at random times during the day but all in all, her day had been peaceful.

She was surprised to see Hannah, who was usually quite sensible and managed to stay out of trouble, even more so as she was being escorted by a teacher. Pomona took her aside to explain that she had meant Miss Abbot like this and that the girl was refusing point blank to explain why her face was covered in blood. Poppy was astonished - she had got to know Hannah quite well during her O.W.L.'s as she had regularly needed a Calming Draught and had to be monitored for a half-hour after drinking it. She had never faced any rudeness or difficulty with her.

She waited until Pomona had left until she asked her what had happened.

"Well.." began Hannah, and then she burst into tears. She stayed in the Hospital Wing for an hour, during which the whole story of what had happened between her and Neville was told in minute detail.

"But why did you say no?"