Chapter Summary: Getting injured in the Quidditch match was not enough for Harry, as he again finds himself at a loss of words, not because he's suddenly become mute but because he's frozen by our own Madam Pomfrey. And consider that a favor; as you don't want to see Harry's insides go up in flames do you? I see you shaking head Good! A peck by Ginny does wonders and almost mastering occlumency gives another high, but a woozy Cho in his arms is not a good omen for our, Harry dear.

A/N: Finally another update! So, things are getting a little more dark and mystic... that's what I love writing!

Thanks to Shark, Wind Whisperer, Eloise McGonagall, Omair, Sierra, Ginerva Potter, Jellyfishsl, Honey76, Dirbatua and Trim for taking out the time to review. They make my day! And after a long and tiring day, these are the only things that nudge me to continue with the story.

Shark, Thank you! That particular chapter is one of my favorites!

Wind Whisperer, Thank you for liking the match and actually seeing it. You are an ideal reviewer!

Eloise, Thank you very much. I just love making Malfoy nasty—because he just is! Another thing, do you go by the same name at GH? If yes, then you are a fellow Ravenclaw and Professor too! I'm Nymphadora, if you already didn't know. Thanks for dropping by!

Omair, I can almost predict your reaction to this one but let me just think about the reply now. :coy grin: Hail to action! So, thanks for liking it! Best of Luck for the ensuing exams and don't worry too much about the site. Harry can be very stupid in many ways but well, thank God he had the sense to snap out of it. :winks:

Sierra, Thanks for the wishes and liking the chapter! Beaters are there for some comic relief, which Harry needs—really. And why Harry just went, well it was only for a second when he thought he saw Sirius. So, he's not sure that he really saw him or not and I can't answer that question without revealing too much. :winks: Thanks for taking out the time!

Ginevra, Thank You , Thank You! What more a writer could want really? And about Harry seeing things... well, really that you have to guess, as my lips are sealed. :smiles: Thanks for dropping by.

Jellyfishsl, Thanks You for the wishes and understanding. I hope so too that I could update more often and I try as well, as this one is as close to me as Nocturnal Souls. This is my first ever fic. Thanks for dropping by.

Honey76, Here's another update and I hope you like it. Thanks for the feedback.

Dirbatua, Thanks for the review.

Trim, long time no see amigo! Thanks for dropping by!

And without further ado... here's another update:


- CHAPTER 12 - Expecting the Unexpected (Part I) -

As he came out from the Hospital Wing he saw Ginny waiting for him, which made him gladder than even winning the match.

"How are you feeling, Harry?" Ginny asked, and then blurted out hurriedly, "Everyone was getting worried about you, so they sent me to look for you."

Why she's explaining all this? Or she was the one who was worried sick? he reflected, amused. This thought made him stand a little straighter than usual-tough luck there, as it made him grimace in pain.

"No matter, Ginny, I'm feeling all right," he said, wincing.

"You don't look too good," said Ginny surveying him closely, as Harry was mustering up his courage to do the thing he had been aching to do for quite long... Instead, he doubled over in surprising pain as his insides went up in flame. It was so painful that he couldn't maintain his balance and keeled over on the floor.

Ginny was taken by surprise, still she started screaming for help immediately as she kneeled down beside him and shot a red sparkling spell towards the Hospital Wing. Harry was rolling on his sides in agony, gasping for breath.

"Giiiinnniii," he muttered in pain.

Madam Pomfrey came running and gasped in surprise seeing Harry twisting in agony. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know! He was just talking and- and this-" Ginny motioned towards him with a trembling voice.

Madam Pomfrey checked him and gasped again. "Oh no! How could this be?" She frantically checked him over to make sure.

"Miss Weasley, will you be able to move him towards the Hospital Wing?" asked Madam Pomfrey hurriedly.

"Yes, I can," Ginny answered and enunciated, "Mobilicorpus!"

Harry's writhing body started hovering in the air. Ginny pointed her wand at him and started running towards the Hospital Wing after the Matron as gracefully as she could without bumping his body anywhere.

Madam Pomfrey did a freezing charm on Harry, which froze his floating body in an instant into a white grimacing statue.

"What did you do that for?" asked Ginny in surprise.

"Just wait for a bit Miss Weasley, and don't go calling to your friends... at least not right now." This made Ginny even more bewildered.

Ginny helplessly watched Harry's frozen body. She couldn't understand, but whenever something was about to happen between them, something always went wrong, ruining it. She had gotten over her puppy-love in her third year, but from the time Harry had arrived at Grimmauld Place, he had acted quite differently towards her. She had noticed him watching her and the small hope that had died was suddenly pushing forward to rise from the ashes.

Madam Pomfrey was fretting in her office and Ginny followed her. She was bringing down many old grimy bottles and was dusting their exteriors. She beckoned a book to open, using Accio. She read a page and brought down a very ancient carafe from a shelf and read its label closely. She opened the bottle and sniffed it, when satisfied, she ordered Ginny to go to the Staff Room and bring Professor McGonagall with her.

"Can I bring Ron?" Ginny asked pleadingly but got a very curt, "NO," in response.

Harry was revived to his own self by the time Ginny arrived with Professor McGonagall panting behind with her walking stick.

"What's the matter, Poppy?" she asked worriedly.

"There has been an awful misfortune, Minerva. Someone broke into my office and changed the contents of a healing potion, which I use profusely and in a hurry I didn't check that it was the right potion or not... and look what happened," she finished pointing towards Harry with a dry sob.

Harry was unaware of the whole process because he only remembered being frozen after that excruciating flaming sensation rocked his insides. When he was unfrozen, he didn't feel any pain; however, he soon realized that his lower body was still frozen. Madam Pomfrey made him drink a solution, which was icy blue in color and as he gulped it down, he felt a cold sensation seep through his body-colder than the ice covering half of his body.

After a wait of almost five minutes, Madam Pomfrey unfroze him completely and Harry didn't feel a single pang of pain after that.

"Are you sure, Poppy?" asked Professor McGonagall after looking at Harry skeptically.

"Yes, I am sure! I gave Potter the right quantity of Meroceli Potion for his swelling but it turned out that it was Flammilo Potion instead, and if it hadn't been for Miss Weasley here, Potter would have sustained permanent repercussions," Madam Pomfrey replied, shuddering at the thought.

"Who could have done such a thing?" asked Ginny.

"Flammilo Potion is a very advanced potion, Miss Weasley, and it's not a part of Hospital supplies. Am I right, Poppy?" Professor McGonagall asked the Matron.

"Yes, certainly," Madam Pomfrey answered earnestly.

"This is the work of a very crafty wizard or witch, who not only broke into the Matron's office, but was successfully able to hoodwink her," said McGonagall looking livid.

"Poppy, verify all the draughts and potions in your supply for their credibility. I have to report this to the Headmaster and, Potter, do you know anything about this that I'm not aware of? Because you always seem to know more than you reveal," said Professor McGonagall, looking sternly at him.

Harry looked towards Ginny for support who shrugged in response. He wasn't sure that the note that he received when he was ill had anything to do with this incident or not.

"I don't know, Professor..." he trailed off, looking truthfully nonplussed.

"Very well, Potter, but do tell me if you find anything... that means everything you find. Understood, Potter?" Her voice was firm but her eyes were filled with concern. "There are already many wizards on prowl for you."

"Yes, Professor," Harry said obediently.

"Just have a lie-in for an hour, Potter, so that I can observe the result of the medication," said the Matron.

"Now, can I go and get my brother?" Ginny asked hopefully.

Before Madam Pomfrey could say anything Harry replied, "No, Ginny, don't worry them. I'm feeling fine. You can stall by saying that I'm with Professor Lupin... all right? I don't want to disturb them in their merry making," he finished, thinking about all the Gryffindors partying in the common room.

Ginny gave him an appraising look and smiled. "You gave me a heart attack just then, Harry. I thought you were taken over or something," she said, shaking her head.

"I'm fine now," he said smiling back and thinking what was with his fate? The moment he wanted to start something with Ginny, something unexpected happened...

"All right, Miss Weasley, you can go now, he's feeling better and needs rest after being injured and inflamed in a single day," said Madam Pomfrey quite pointedly.

"Okay... I guess I'll leave you now," said Ginny, kissing Harry on the cheek and went away hurriedly. Harry could guess, even without looking at her that she was blushing.

-x-

The one hour shuteye changed into two hours and when he finally woke up, he was feeling fresh as a punch. He noticed another thing, he was not alone. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were there, sitting beside his bed.

"Feeling all right?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, not bad at all," Harry said stretching, while checking the functionality of his hands and limbs-all seemed to be in order.

"So, how's the party going?" Harry asked for a distraction.

"It will go on the whole day, but don't try to change the subject!" Hermione huffed at him.

"There is someone for sure, who is real hopping mad at you, Harry," said Ron. "We can't ignore this. Whoever it was, had a great plan and if it hadn't been for Ginny..." Ron shook his head at the other consequences.

"Flammilo Potion is lethal, Harry. It was used and still used by many notorious wizards to kill people... If it gets the time to react, it can burn all your insides," Hermione said with a shudder.

"I can tell you this - that it doesn't feel any great. I just experienced the insides of a Dragon's gut," Harry said jokingly, for which he received angry glares.

"I think the letter you received when you were ill has some connection with this incident," proposed Ginny, on a serious note.

"Well... who knows? I can't cower in a corner just because some twisted git is after my skin," Harry said angrily, feeling all revived, getting things out on the open.

-x-

"Legilimens!" Dumbledore shouted.

Harry, for the first time, was successfully able to block out Dumbledore's probing of his thoughts. He achieved this by imagining that, all his thoughts were surrounded by a strong brick wall just like the Hogwarts Castle, and nobody could penetrate through it.

"Very good, Harry! This is your first total block," Dumbledore said smiling at him. "At least now I can rest a little bit easier. And if you continue like this for the next two classes, we will then start Legilimency," he said nodding towards Fawkes, who vanished with a flash of fire.

"I would advise you to be careful and vigilant. I see the brooding calmness around us very engaging, but I don't think that Voldemort is resting in peace. To the contrary, he has started to stir things up a bit," Dumbledore said, half absorbed in some thought.

"Professor, er... do you know what was stolen from the Department of Mysteries?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Some important documents have been stolen, very stealthily, and I'm afraid, that's just about all you can worm it out of me," Dumbledore said smiling knowingly at him.

He checked the time on his twelve handed clock. "Oh, how time flies. Run along now, I have to go to a meeting," he said, his eyes twinkling.

Sure, Harry could guess. "Another Order meeting, I reckon?"

Dumbledore nodded and walked Harry to the Entrance Hall.

"I think I can leave you here safely, but be careful," Dumbledore said, reminding him of the said killer on the prowl for him.

While walking absent mindedly to the main notice board in the Entrance Hall, he thought, who else could it be other than Draco Malfoy? After all, he was the one who vowed in an Alley to finish him off this term.

"Hogsmeade Weekend!" Harry almost jumped on the spot, all the thoughts of being murdered went away from his mind on a dead run. However, he regained his composure instantly. In his mind he saw the announcement winking at him expectantly on the notice board.

I have to be prepared! Harry thought, thinking about asking Ginny out for a date.

-x-

Not too distant from Harry, a person smiled wickedly, seeing him miss a step in front of the notice board.

The Trap is set... Waiting its capture... Oh sweet raptured light... It'll end in a fortnight...

-x.X.x-

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