Moving On

Chapter - 7

St. Mungo's - Janus Thickey Ward

Chaos. Was the only word that could be have been used to describe the situation in the ward. Patients were everywhere and the healers were completely outnumbered. Healers were completely baffled at how vile people can be. From children to old people were admitted in the ward. It was as if a lunatic was given a wand and a free reign - After all, it was that what exactly happened. Everyone was running on pepperup potions. Cures were out of their minds for the moment, all they could do was to try and put people out of their misery for the time being. Sleeping potions and calming draughts were used extensively.

Poppy could not help but wonder how people got so creative at harming others. There were cases of people turned inside out, skinned and alive, removed of bones, and so on. Nightmares were assured for anyone entering the ward at the moment. She was putting further contemplation out of her mind and was trying to find out what on earth happened to the tongue of the young man in front of her. It was then a silver stag walked in through a wall. Her face developed a small smile at the sudden, strong flow of positive thoughts. The stag came near her and said in a panicky voice of one Harry James Potter "Madam Pomfrey! Severus Snape and another woman were in an accident, they are covered in some type of potions and covered in shrapnel. Please come soon." and the stag disappeared into the air. It took some time for her muddled mind to comprehend the information. She cried "Miriam!" to no one in particular and in seconds a motherly looking healer hurried towards her. Even though unwilling to leave the patient in her care to the once-suspended-healer, she had to. She said "There's an emergency in Hogwarts. I have to hurry, can you take care of him?" and without waiting for a reply or without giving even as much as a backward glance she hurried towards the floo in the corner of the room.

Third Floor Corridor - Hogwarts

The two were moving as fast as they could with Severus and Wilda in tow respectively. What they both did not notice was the blood slowly starting to seep out of the wound that once held the shrapnel. The metallic taste of blood started to fill the air, inviting more than just the midges native to the place.

As they started to climb the dark staircase, Harry could not explain the sensation in his stomach, it strangely reminded him of the days at the Dursley's, where he could smell the food but not being to eat it. His mouth started to water. As Hermione called "Harry!", he suddenly snapped out of it started to climb the stairs, and was feeling unusually tired.

Hermione was pushing herself to get the woman to Infirmary as she climbed the staircase, it was then she realized that she could not hear him behind her, she quickly turned to see him standing and staring blankly at front of him, panting with the Potions Master being levitated by his wand. There was a look in his eyes that she has never seen in his before. It was of tiredness, of lacking something. A moan from the woman caught her attention, but still did not affect Harry, who was usually aware of his surrounding more than her. Brushing it off as fatigue, she called out "Harry!". As she saw him come out of his thoughts and look at her, too tired to verbalize, she motioned him to come and started to climb.

The Infirmary

As Poppy stepped into The Infirmary, there was no one in the room, but the door was thrown open. Hoping that the message she received was not a bait, she walked out through the door, with a wand in hand, ready for an attack. As she moved out, she saw two figures in distance with something being levitated in front of them, as they neared, she could see Harry and Hermione, levitating two people, one of which she identified as Severus, but she could not remember who the woman was. When the two reached the infirmary, clearly tired, she overtook Severus from a tired Harry as she spoke "Leave him, . I'll take it now. , please move the Lady to one of the beds."

As she moved in, Harry slumped on one of the bed, panting. Hermione was no better, but she could place the woman in the bed next to that of her Professor before imitating her friend on the next bed.

Harry spoke first "Madam Pomfrey, we heard a blast sound and with the help of the portraits, reached the Potion Master's Personal Lab, we saw them lying on top of other, covered in shrapnel. Hermione removed them, but decided to leave the wounds unhealed due to the unknown potion covering them." As he paused, she took over without a break, "We, as you see, managed to levitate them, but the wounds started to ooze blood and we could not do anything. So we hurried and brought them here. We did not use any other healing spell or potions."

Mentally thanking the gods for the teens not trying any healing spells and further complicating, she thanked them verbally "Thank you, , . I too don't know what kind of potion it is, Thankfully, you did not use any healing spells or potions. , thanks for the quick message. Please, you two, help yourself to the pepperup potion or the calming draught from the second cabinet, though I would recommend the calming draught with a good sleep. I'll take care of them." before starting to cast spells on the two fallen.

A Dark Alley

A cloaked figure appeared with a loud crack in a dark alley, sweeping the dust from the cloak, it started to move towards a red phone booth.

Ron Weasley was one angry wizard, just after being cheated on by a girl he loved, his family going against him, he now had to enter the ministry like a common man! He risked his life for the people and is this what he gets? People should have worshiped him and called him their savior, Harry Potter gets all the glory and he's not even acknowledged. With these thoughts, he pulled the door open with a force that would have broke, if not for magic. Grumbling about unfair people, he dialed.

The cool female voice sounded, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Ronald Weasley, here for an interview for Auror Corps."

"Thank You. Visitor, please take the badge and attach it to your front of the robes."

Picking up the silver badge, and started pinning it to the robes as the voice instructed to submit for wand registration as the floor started moving down. Not waiting for the floor to stop moving, he ducked his head and stepped off, crashing into a dark-haired man. "Watch ya step!" he shouted at Ron, who by now nearly started running to the end of the Atrium to the sign that read "Security".

"In a hurry?" asked the man, standing near the sign. Seeing the sneer on the redhead's face, he returned it with one of his own before coldly asking to come near. "Wand," he asked, wondering who the git was, he snatched the wand and put it on the brass instrument. Taking the parchment from it, he thrust the wand back. Further angered at the wizard for making him late for the interview, he started to walk towards the lifts.

"You haven't taken NEWT's yet? Is it correct?" asked the man behind the desk.

"No, but -" tried Ron.

"Then, I can't take you into the Training Program." said the man, dismissively.

"But, I, with Harry Potter, helped to take down You-Know-Who! I was with him the entire time," he said with a smug look...

The man sighed, "You are the youngest son of Arthur, aren't you?"

"Yes"

"Understand this, I can't take you into the Program with just your words. Just for today, ten people said the same thing you said." he waited before continuing with another sigh, "but, as we ARE in a need for people and your FATHER was a good man, I'll give you a chance. But note this. Until you take NEWT's with at least five Exceeds Expectations. You'll be doing only desk-job and patrols, even IF you are the best in the training. Clear?" Seeing a nod, he signed the form in front of him and said "Your training starts from tomorrow. I am doing this as a favor for your father, he helped me out of a tough place once. Keep that in mind and Get OUT!"

Ron Weasley walked away with a smug look on his face, satisfied with what he got, now all he had to do was manage to pass the training, easy enough, he thought.

The Infirmary

Harry was sleeping peacefully, for a change it was the brown-haired witch in the bed next to him who could not. Her mind was pondering on lots of things. Lots of questions were asked to herself. The source of her most worries were the two, whether her parents would forgive her? Where would she stay now? Honestly, she did not know the answer to the first one. She slightly chuckled at the thought of Harry's reaction to that she could not find an answer to a question. Now confused about why she thought of his reaction, she pushed it to the back of her mind for future introspection. Now, her mind had taken a completely different track, she had always fancied Harry, but did not want to risk her friendship due to it, she was always worried about him not returning her feelings. She now realized, that's why she started loving Ron - self-correction, thought she loved Ron - she was sure that he would make her feel loved, but it ended up the opposite. Little did she know, that the same sentiments were reflected by someone very near her.

Sighing, she put that for later, there was much time for that, but many things required her attention at the specific time. Where would she stay? Her parent's house was out of choices, they would have sold it. Weasley's - No Way! She decided that she's not going to be anywhere near that shit, if she had her choice, not in a 100-mile radius, Sadly as it was not possible, she decided to settle for not seeing that face. Grimmauld Place was OK, but technically it was Harry's, and death eaters knew that location and can get into it. She decided on the last resort option of taking a room at Leaky, but that too had its issues. Deciding to discuss before taking decisions, she too joined the land of nod.

As the sun rose, so did a Harry Potter too, thinking that he overslept, he put on his glasses and looked around, confused from the long sleep, he cast a Tempus, seeing as it was just five, he contemplated ongoing for another short nap. When he turned to his side, he saw a bushy-haired witch sleeping peacefully, he sighed to himself as he thought of all those time he could have expressed his love to her, deciding to see what the future brings, he slowly tried to wake her.

"' Mione... Wake up!" he slowly said, knowing how grumpy she can be in the morning. As he saw her slightly open her eyes, he said "Good Morning! We should get going, there's a lot to catch up!" with a smile. Astonished that let alone Harry managed to wake up before her, but was waking her up without being moody as usual, she asked "Good morning. Hey! Aren't you usually grumpy in the morning?" With a smirk, he said, "Unlike someone I know, nope." Thinking about it loud, he said "I think it was the Horcrux.", Quickly deciding to avoid heavy and sad topics in the morning, giving time for her to sit upright, both asked simultaneously "So, What's the plan today?" and blushed. Both sat looking at each other, Hermione noticed that Harry still looked a bit pale, one thing she could not explain was the way her magic recently started reacting near him, it was like... pulsing was the right word. She could not explain the feeling, but one thing she knew was that she liked it. She thought, maybe it was his magic unbound due to the Horcrux removed. Deciding to enjoy the feel rather than keep on questioning it, she looked at his green eyes, which appeared more bright, like calling her to him, looking deeply into them, she felt losing herself in them.

Harry saw her smile at him, looking into his eyes. He stared back into the cute brown orbs, getting mesmerized. As green eyes bore into the brown. The two teens remained the same, enjoying the moment, feeling the pureness of it, as happiness seemed to radiate everywhere. After all the cold and struggling days full of troubles, after moving on from their past, both felt at home. Time was not cared about. Lost in the other's eyes, they did not see one Poppy Pomfrey approach them with a smile that would not look out of place on a Cheshire cat.

" , ?" she called out to them, trying to hide her smile.

The two teens snapped out of the moment with a near-visible jerk, both blushing mad and not able to control the smile. They looked at Poppy.

"You both are now good to go. I would recommend that you both rest, but as I know asking to rest is too much, I'll just ask you both to stay safe and don't end up here too soon." She smiled at them briefly before shooing them away. She smiled at the sight of the two laughing and running away before shouting a "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey!".

As the two ran through the door, they bumped into one very amused Minerva McGonagall. What amused and embarrassed the teens was the comment from their stern professor " , , Did not expect to see you both running off this soon!" Blushing madly, the two stood fumbling for a reply. Happy that her comment had the intended effect, she asked "So, Can we expect you two to return to complete your education?"

Harry replied for both, "Yes Professor, we have some plans currently, but I think and hope we can join for the next year, Hermione?" he ended with a questioning glance at his friend, with some whether the term applied anymore or changed into something better.

With a glance at her friend, thinking something on similar lines, she looked at the elderly professor, "Yes Professor, you can surely expect us." she said with a hopeful emphasis on the us.

The professor in question gave a generous smile, before sidestepping the teens saying, "I'll surely expect you two. Now off you go, as you two seem to have some planning to do" which made both of them smile, again.

"So, what do we do now?" he asked.

"How does 'some planning over breakfast' sound?" she asked back.

As his stomach growled, she giggled, while he replied with an "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot." with a smile on his face.