CHAPTER THREE: ' The family tree grows larger'
Uncle Vernon speed through the busy streets, driving recklessly, causing Harry to brace himself at every turned as he yelled in pain.
"How'd this happen?" Vernon demanded after an hour of silence.
"I…err…" Harry began to murmur. If I lie I'm in for it…if I tell the truth…I'm dead. Harry heard Vernon's teeth grind together as he waited for an answer.
"I…fell?" Harry said weakly, Vernon's knuckles whitened as he death gripped the steering wheel, it was obvious Vernon didn't believe him in the least.
"When this is over boy…" Vernon growled as he glared at Harry through the rear view mirror. Harry gulped, he was in for it…Vernon pulled up roughly in the front of the hospitals emergency entrance, the car jolted (Harry yelled as white hot pain speared through his leg) as he drove over the curb, finally coming to a stop.
"Out!" Vernon spat at Harry as he got out of the car, which rose a few centimetres without his wait. Harry fumbled with the buckle, trying to make it out through a blurry haze.
"Hurry up boy!" he heard Vernon say in exasperation. Suddenly Harry's door was wrenched open and Vernon roughly undid Harry's seat belt and bundled him into his arms. With every steep Harry winced as Vernon made his way towards the hospital doors and kicked them open.
The kind looking lady behind the reception desk jumped as the door was kicked open. Her brown eyes widened as she saw the thin boy in the rather large mans arms screw up his face in pain. She scanned his form with an expert's eye and saw his leg dangling at a strange angle. She quickly pressed a button on the desk and spoke clearly into the speaker.
"Can I please have a stretcher at the emergency entrance?" That said, and went over to the man and boy.
"A stretcher is coming," she said and the large man turned to her and fixed her with a look of loathing,
"Fine" he grunted.
A stretcher pushed by two men appeared from the corner
"Who needs this Maeve?" The younger of the two asked.
" The boy, broken leg" she said quickly,
"Righty'o" he answered as he and the older man pushed the stretcher forward. The men took the black haired boy from the large mans arms and placed him genially on the stretcher.
"Don't worry kid, you're in good hands," he said with a reassuring smile.
The older man turned to Maeve the receptionist
"Which room?" He asked, Maeve stumbled back behind her desk and fumbled with some papers before saying
"X-Ray room six is free". The two hospital personnel nodded and pushed the boy out of the reception hall. Once they were out of sight she turned back to the large men,
"I'll need you to fill out and accident slip and a few other forms about the boy." She said as she handed him a clipboard and pen. The man scowled at Maeve before turning to a table and beginning the forms. Maeve sat back at her desk. The poor dear… looked like a bad break she thought as she remembered the odd angle the boy's leg had dangled at.
"Allergies? How am I suppose to know that?" she heard the man grunt from his seat. She raised an eyebrow, surely all parents knew what there children were allergic to?
After a few minutes the man got to his feet and handed Maeve the barely completed formes. She looked down at the sheet before she filed it:
Name of patient: Harry PotterName of Guardian / Parent: (Guardian was circled) Vernon Dursley
Health Service number?
Address: 4 Privet Drive Surrey, 75282 London
Known Allergies?
Date of Birth?
Cause of injury / illness: (injury was circled) Fell down the stairs
There were more questions all relating to the boy, Harry Potter and all were unanswered and blank, she looked from the sheet in her hands to the man she now knew as Mr Dursley
"You haven't finished sir-"
"Yes I have," he grunted as he sat back down looking board. Maeve looked incredulously at Mr Dursley
"Sir, you haven't answered a single question referring to the boy besides his NAME!"
"So?"
"Do you know his favourite colour?" she asked, the man shrugged and picked up a magazine from the table in front of him and ignored all of Maeve's remaining questions.
After a while Maeve gave up, she stared at Mr Dursley in a stunned silence as he continued to read his magazine.
Harry lay back on the stretcher inwardly cursing, Why did I ask her to stay at Ron's! Along with a steady stream of rather rude words.
"Alright kid?" the younger of the two men asked. Harry opened his eyes and squinted at the man who had spoken (his broken glasses still on his face). The mans blue eyes were kind and gentile yet filled with a mischievous twinkle. His red hair and freckles reviled Ron's; if Harry didn't know any better he would have sworn the man was a Weasley.
"No" Harry muttered scathingly closing his eyes again. The bright neon lights were still etched in his eyes.
"It's only a broken leg" the man tyred to reason
"I was going to meet someone today" Harry muttered hoping the man would take a hint and shut up.
"A girl?" the man suggested, Harry scowled in answer.
"Not a ladies man?" the man almost teased. Harry didn't like the way the conversation was heading. Before he had a chance to yell the red haired man death the other man spoke warily
"Don' mind him lad" he said in a think Irish ascent,
"He's just a'ven s go at cha', try'en to cheer ye up is all" he added.
"Oh and he's really good at it too" Harry muttered darkly.
"Here we are, X-Ray room six" the Weasley looking man said after a few moments silence.
"Oh joy" was Harry's reply along with another scowl.
"What be ya' name?" the Irish man asked as he steered Harry into the room.
"Harry" he muttered rubbing his head, it was still throbbing painfully.
"I'm Ian Mc Greggor, and that there's Camron Weasley"
Harry's eyes widened and he turned his head sharply towards Camron
"Weasley?" Harry said quietly. But Ron's family is pure blood, how can he be a Weasley?
"How'd your glasses get like that?" Camron asked as he reached forward and took Harry's glasses,
"Hey! I need them!" Harry said as he sat up and tried to snatch back his glasses from Camron's blurry figure.
Camron Tutted
"One lens totally shattered, You're lucky the bits didn't go in your eye" He said as he handed them back to Harry, though the blurry haze Harry saw Camron examine his face, Harry hurriedly pattered down his fringe…Just in case…
"The bits didn't go in your eye, but your cheeks a real mess. A few stiches I suspect" Camron said, but Harry swore that his eyes lingered on his for head…his scar to be precise.
"Morning gentlemen" a brisk female voice interrupted. Harry turned towards the voice and saw a tall, stern looking lady. Her urban Hair was piled tightly on the top of her head, half moon glasses sat at the tip of her nose, her grey eyes showed no emotion and her impeccable white coat fell without a crease, in her arms she carried a clip board which she hugged to her chest.
"Please help the boy" she said as she went over to some panels and started to fiddle with some buttons and switches.
"Yes Ma'am" Ian and Camron said in unison.
"Oh, tough luck kid, you got the witch" Harry's heart lurched at Camron's words…
"Hu?". Ian chuckled at Harry's expression
"No need to worry lad, she just has a heart as cold as her eyes". Ian and Camron lifted Harry gently on to a bench in the middle of the room. Harry looked up at the ominous machine poised above his head,
"Never had an X-Ray before, hu kid?" Camron asked, Harry shook his head,
"No need to worry Harry. Just close your eyes when Dr. Hoffman says so" Harry nodded weakly. Ian went to the back of the room and came back with a whiteboard and two pieces of black foam.
"What are they for?" Harry asked quickly, Ian smile
"Nothing painful lad, nothing painful. There only here so the X-Ray will be clear." He said as he slid the white board beneath Harry's leg. Even the slight movement caused Harry grit his teeth in pain. The two black pieces of foam were placed either side of his leg, holding it securely in place.
"Be right back kid" Camron said as he and Ian left the room.
"Mr Potter, if you would be still for me while the X-Ray is in use I would be much obliged" Dr. Hoffman said from the other end of the room. Harry turned his head to see Dr. Hoffman had entered a sealed room, with a window into Harry's. She gave him a reassuring smile from behind the glass before flipping a switch. The X-Ray room was blunged into Darkness. Oh crap.
Ron Weasley past his room, board out of his wits. His mother had forced him to clean his room… which he did (I worn you not to open the wardrobe) and now he was waiting impatiently for 12 o' clock to arrive.
"If you keep doing that you're going to wear out a hole in your carpet" Ginny Weasley said as she came up the stairs with a piece of toast in hand. Ron smiled ruefully at his sister; Ginny had grown up so much since last year. He couldn't call her his baby sister anymore. She was a young lady and he hated it. He wouldn't be able to protect her from all the boys that would soon through themselves at her feet. Her brown eyes twinkled as she said
" I'd get out of here soon, Fred and Gorge are panning something in their rooms… new prototypes I think…"Ginny said as she side steeped her Brother as he ran out of his room. Ginny smiled to herself, she knew that would do it, he'd been brooding in there for a good half hour, and anyway, she and her brother had had enough experience with their …dear brothers new inventions over the summer holidays. Willing or not.
She followed Ron down to the lounge where she found him slumped in a big comfy chair. Tap, tap, tap Ginny turned to the window to see Harry's owl Hedwig, Before she had a chance to do any thing Ron bounded over to the window and opened it, Hedwig fluttered over and sat on his shoulder; holding out a letter tied to her leg. Ron read the letter quickly and said
"He's aloud to come" Ginny rolled her eyes,
"We were going to pick him up either way" she said
"Pick up who?" Ron and Ginny turned to the new comer. Hermione stood in her pink dressing gown, her bushy brown hair mussed from sleep
"Harry" Ginny answered
"Oh" Hermione said nodding her head. She yawned widey and slumped into a chair in front of Ron's
"What time is it?" she asked
"9:30" Ron said while smiling at Hermione. It's amazing how she can look so great without even trying…
"9:30 am" Dr. Hoffman muttered as she wrote it down, she looked up from her clipboard to the black haired boy in the X-Ray room,
"Okay all done" she called so he could hear. She opened the door to the main room after collecting a sheet of black plastic from a tray.
"Twenty seconds up and…" she said as she pulled the thin layer of plastic from the thinker and placed it on the lighted screen so it could be seen
Harry turned to the lighted screen and tried to figure out blurry shape from blurry shape. Damn needing glasses he thought for not the first time.
"Ummm…Dr? What dose it look like? I can't see to well without my glasses" Harry admitted as he squinted over at the Dr.
"Not too good I'm afraid, a compound fracture, quite a bad one…your lucky the bone didn't brake the skin…" she paused in thought.
Camron Weasley and Ian Mc Greggor returned to the room, both smiling merrily.
"Alright there Harry?" Camron asked as he moved the stretcher next to the bench that Harry lay on. Before Harry had a chance to answer, Doctor Hoffman said
"Take him to a doctor for stiches, room twelve B is unoccupied I believe, I'll arrange for a Dr to met you there" she turned back to the screen and continued to study the X-Ray.
Once again Ian and Camron lifted Harry onto the stretcher and started to push him through the halls.
"Would you happen to know a Ron- er …Ronald Weasley?" Harry asked and Camron smiled broadly,
"He's be my cousin" he said, a twinkle in his blue eyes. Harry's Heart skipped a beat Maybe Camron can contact them… He thought.
"Would you tell-"
"Already taken care of Harry, they'll get the letter soon" Camron interrupted as Ian glanced between the two suspiciously.
Harry lay silently on the stretcher as it was wheeled through the labyrinth of pristine white halls; the smell of detol permeated the air.
"Twelve B" Ian said as they turned into another room. It was empty.
"Hey why don't you go and find a doctor for young Harry here" Camron suggested, Ian hesitated for a moment before he asked
"Why can't you go?"
"Well, Harry here looks like he's about to pee his pants from nerves, someone has to stay here with him"
Harry stared mouth agape in outrage, I'm not. I'm…Camron!…ohhhh… Harry caught on. He nodded ruefully and Ian with a last glance at the two disappeared down the corridors. As soon as Ian's footsteps faded into the distance Camron turned to Harry
" Your Harry Potter right?" he asked immediately, Harry nodded slowly
"I was going to the Burrow today…but…" Harry looked down at his mangled leg, still covered by his pant leg but still obviously broken. Camron smiled sympathetically before saying
"I just sent an owl to Molly-"
"Why do you work here if you're a wizard?" Harry interrupted
"I'm not a wizard, I'm a squib," he said with a shrug.
"Okay, buy the looks of that X-Ray your going to need a operation to get the bones back in order" Camron said. Harry stiffened, he'd seen the TV shows about operations… he'd seen enough of them to know he didn't want one .
"But…I believe that you would rather go to saint Mungos, right?" Camron asked, Harry nodded quickly. Camron Smiled broadly,
"Well, I'll slip the doctor a potion and he'll… forget about the operation and go ahead with the cast. But you'll still have to get some stiches kid. Cause everyone is able to see your cheek, be suspicious if you don't get none".
"Thankyou" Harry said
"You're welcome kid, now that'll be Ian and the Doctor" He said and a moment later the door opened to reveal Ian and a short balding man.
"RON! FOR THE HUNDERTH TIME, NO! Were not expected till 12!" Molly Weasley yelled.
"But mum…" Ron wined "can't we surprise him? I mean, tomorrow's his birthday!" Molly hesitated; it would be rude to come too early…
"11:30, that's my final offer" she said as she returned to her dusting,
"Thanks mum" Ron said before he ran up the stairs to his room.
He opened his bedroom door to find Hermione now dressed in blue jeans and a light blue turtleneck and Ginny in brown cords and a baggy yellow t-shirt sitting on his bed giggling madly. It will be so good to have Harry in the house he thought; I can finally escape the girls.
"Am I interrupting anything?" he asked as he came into the room. The Chudley canons zoomed through the posters around the room, mere blurs of red and yellow against the lush green of the Quiddich pitches. The girls both turned to him guiltily and burst out laughing simultaneously.
"I guess I was the topic of your conversation?…oh god. Hermione you're rubbing off on me!" Hermione put her hands on her hips
"And that's a bad thing?" she asked scathingly,
" You need some brains Ron, don't complain" Ginny muttered while examining her nails. She looked up to see Ron blushing, his freckles almost disappearing
"Oh look! 'Ittle Ron'kins is blushing " Ginny gushed.
"Shut up Ginny, anyway I came to tell you were going to pick Harry up at 11:30 instead of 12"
Molly entered the kitchen and pointed her wand absently at the kettle, which immediately began to spurt steam. She sat heavily at the table. By habit she looked up at the clock above the fireplace. Three of the nine hands pointed to 'home', four to 'work' and two to 'mischief'. Trust Fred and George she thought, shaking her head. As she watched Auther's hand (the longest of them all) moved from 'work' to 'travelling'.
"Oh good, I wondered if he'd make it" she mumbled as she started to make two cups of tea.
"Molly?"
"In the kitchen dear!". Auther entered the kitchen ashened faced
"What's wrong? Bad day?" Molly asked as she gave him one of the chipped, mis-matched cups and saucers. Auther took the offered tea gratefully and sat down at the table
"The Ministry's in a real mess, what after the whole…you-know-who- episode. I was lucky to get the rest of the day off!" Auther said, forgetting his tea completely.
"It's to be expected…everyone's remembering what happened last time…He…was active. Everyone's afraid they'll find the mark above there homes after work… you have to remind me to add Hermione and Harry to the clock, their as close as family…" Molly's voice trailed off in thought, Auther leaned over the table and squeezed Molly's shoulder.
"Nothings going to happen to our family, or Harry and Hermione for that matter. You just more people to worry about" Auther teased, Molly smiled half heartedly
"Harry is my son by heart, and Hermione my daughter. I can't help but worry about them"
Harry winced in pain as the numbing needle was injected into his raw, bloody cheek. The short man, also wearing a white coat was Dr Schmidt. He had short grey balding hair and warm brown eyes.
"There kid, …" He said as he extracted the needle and but it in the bin.
"Now for the glass" Dr Schmidt muttered to himself as he got a pair of tweezers.
Camron gave Harry a 'sorry you have to go through with this' look, which Harry shrugged off. He was sitting up, with a bright light in his face, broken leg stiff and swollen out in front of him. Harry felt the skin on his cheek pull and stretch but no pain, ' ping ' Harry looked with out moving his head to the small kidney dish beside him; now with a large bloody piece of glass in it.
The bowl steadily filled with more, and more glass, Harry lost count around forty.
"All out" Dr. Schmidt sighed after a full half hour,
"How'd you mange to do that?" he asked, Harry shrugged he was thrown down the stairs… what could he say?
After another Half hour the stitches were in place, Camron had left the room a few minutes back and now returned with a steaming cup of tea,
"Dr?" he asked holding out the cup. Schmidt smiled warmly
"Why thankyou, but I'm working right now, …" he said as he took the tray of instruments away.
"Harry won't mind, will you Harry?" Camron asked, eyes twinkling, Ian once again looked between the two and sighed more mischief he thought where dose he get it from?
"FRED! GEORGE!" Molly screamed as wet start fireworks whizzed and banged around the kitchen. Auther ducked a large sparkling, commit like firework as he sipped his now cold tea obliviously; being so used to unexpected things exploding of turning into brightly coloured chickens by now that he was used to dodging his sons experiments and tricks.
"THIS HAS GOT TO STOP! I'M SICK OF CLEANING UP AFTER YOU BOYS!" Molly continued to rant.
Molly reached for her wand to banish the fireworks only to hear a loud 'pop'. She turned to the table scowling, to see yet another pink and yellow spotted chicken.
"NOT ANOTHER FAKE WAND!" she bellowed, Auther rolled his eyes, reached across the table and held up her real wand as he sighed. Molly snatched it from him and stormed out of the room, a murderous look on her face. Auther looked at the chicken and smiled, as it jumped from the table and began to scratch around the floor, leaving behind brightly coloured feathers. They're getting more colourful he thought with a mixture of pride and amusement.
YAY! chapter three up and running! like i said last chap. PLASES REVIEW!
Mali Caren