AN: Fun LU trivia time! Did you know I've had a complete list of all the members and their roles in the HPFC since the club was introduced? It took me ages to come up with it all. Reunions abound in this chapter, so watch out. Also, if you cry easily, as in really, really easily, you might want your tissues for the last bit. Now for the routine thank yous. Thanks to everyone who's read the fic this far. Mucho thanks to the 779 followers and 522 favorites that have made this so popular. Tons of thanks to reviewers serenityselena, ElementKitsune, lyd, mudbloodpotter05, jupimako, phoebe turner, Kairan1979, Blinded in a bolthole, serialkeller, RRW, Tellur, Majerus, Slicerness, MariusDarkwolf, B00kw0rm92, Cassandra30, Narnia and Harry Potter 4 EVER, Lady Sabine of Macayhill, Spring Raine, and Firenze Fox. You're all so supportive.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise.
Penny leaned against the cold wall outside the Hospital Wing, hands trembling. She couldn't stop replaying the last conversation they'd had, over and over again. What she wouldn't give to take it all back…She had been frightened out of her mind, but she'd later discovered that going on an adventure hadn't been so bad. There had been that one moment when she'd thought they were done for, but after that passed, Penelope had gotten a rush of excitement rival to mastering a tricky spell. With the spirited blood pumping through her veins, she thought she might even be able to lift a car if she wanted to.
She had decided that being brave wasn't so bad after all. That didn't mean she was about to go looking for a trouble. She was still a Ravenclaw, and Ravenclaws were nothing if not logical. But if a situation should ever arise where Penny had to help, she wouldn't shy away. Her dilemma lay in figuring out how to tell Percy the events that had transpired while he had been petrified, and how to restore his faith in her.
Oliver had offered to explain things to Percy, but Penny had politely declined. It would most likely work, but Percy would hardly come to trust her as much if he didn't hear the words come from her lips. Oliver was in there right now, along with Ginny, Demelza, Burbage, Flitwick, and Sprout. Penny felt glad she'd made the decision to skip lunch. No doubt she would've lost it by now.
"So, what major detail did you just omit from your story?" Percy asked, wiping his glasses clean.
Oliver cursed under his breath. How was it that the bloke could always tell when he wasn't telling the whole truth? "I dunno what you're talking 'bout."
"Uh-huh." Percy eased himself back in the bed. His bones were still stiff from laying the exact same way for too long, but his eyes felt well enough to engage in a staring contest with Oliver.
"What are they doing?" Colin whispered to Ginny.
"I think it's their way of marking their territory," She guessed. "Or possibly a method of establishing the alpha male in this situation."
"Dammit!" Oliver exclaimed as he blinked.
"Confess," Percy ordered.
"Ugh, fine. Clearwater was there for the whole thing, and we sorta couldn't have done it without her, and I reckon she's not evil." Oliver said this with a deep reluctance. Not only would Percy pester him endlessly for more information, but Penny was gonna kill him!
"Penny?" Percy turned away, hiding his smile. "I told you she'd help."
"Yeah, after your life was in danger," Oliver scoffed.
"That was why she helped?" Percy asked, blushing and fumbling with his glasses again.
"Yeah," Oliver scowled. "I tried to make her go away, but she just stuck around. Anyway, she wants to talk to you next, so I think I'll just go now."
"Wait! She's here?" Percy called after his friend.
Oliver neglected to answer, preferring to exit the double doors and gesture to the girl Percy Weasley had had a crush on for three years.
"So you see, it's kind of like Harry saved you." Demelza had twisted the facts just a bit, but one part remained the same: that only Harry Potter had the funds to buy the Mandrake Drought.
"And the school was almost shut down?" Colin couldn't believe his ears. He wished he'd been there. Maybe he could've gotten a picture of the dramatic show down. "That's so wicked!" He sighed wistfully. Why was it that all the fun stuff happened when he couldn't go? When his friend Josh caught a bug and ate it, Colin had the flu. When Dennis broke his leg, Colin had chicken pox. When his best friends got to see a basilisk die, Colin had been turned to stone.
"Have you called a meeting?" He asked eagerly.
"Just to tell them that you were gonna be okay," Ginny assured him.
"Great! Let's go now," Colin said, struggling to swing his legs over the side of the bed.
"You will not be going anywhere," Madame Pomfrey scolded, swooping down on them.
"Aww!" The three whined.
"You girls may go, but Mr. Creevey must stay one more night." Pomfrey didn't look like she was about to back down.
"Don't worry Colin, we'll just bring the club to you," Demelza told him cheerfully.
"How big is this club?" Pomfrey asked suspiciously.
"Oh you know, just a few," Ginny said off-handishly, backing away slowly.
"We've never really done an official head count," Demelza lied, inching toward the doors.
"Girls." Madame Pomfrey raised her voice.
"Bye Madame Pomfrey!" The two yelled, dashing away.
She sighed. "I swear, children just keep getting faster and faster."
"I was so worried!" Burbage blubbered, sitting on McGonagall's bed.
"Charity!" McGonagall said sharply. "Keep it together!"
"Oh, yes, of course," She said, blowing her nose with a flowery tissue.
"Minerva, if something should ever occur where both you and Aurora are unavailable, who would you want to be in charge?" Sprout asked, shooting Flitwick a dirty look.
"Well, ideally it would be someone who's honest, caring, level-headed, and a good leader." Sprout and Flitwick both leaned forward. "Aurora, who do you think fits that bill?" Minerva turned to her fellow prisoner with a twinkle in her eye.
"Well," Aurora thought, tapping her chin. "I presume that it would have to be someone who's fair."
Sprout straightened up proudly.
"But that someone would have to be intelligent as well," Aurora added.
Flitwick bounced on the balls of his feet.
"Really, I think the person who best embodies all of these qualities would have to be…Miss Burbage over here," Aurora finished happily.
Burbage gasped, astonished.
Sprout and Flitwick wore similar looks of offense.
Flitwick found his voice first. "Thank you for answering that question, Minerva. If you need me, I'll be in my office trying to seal off that blasted passageway."
Sprout recovered quickly too. "I do need to check on my Mandrakes, even if we don't need them for the Draught anymore."
Burbage stayed behind, eyes as wide as saucers. "Minerva, Aurora, I do appreciate it, but I don't think I can handle being Headmistress of a whole school-"
"Oh, dear, don't worry about that," Aurora waved away the younger woman's concerns.
"Charity, I don't plan on anything happening to either of us for a very long time. But if something did occur, you would have the opportunity to pass." Minerva patted her hand gently.
"But then who would get it?" Charity wondered.
"We'd let you choose who you felt was best," Aurora said diplomatically.
"Oh, but I have no idea-"
"Then you could choose from one of our picks," Minerva intervened smoothly. "Whichever one of them gets over this silly feud first." She winked at Charity slyly.
"Hagrid!" Harry exclaimed happily. "You're back."
"Why, o' course I am!" The giant boomed. "Couldn't leave my favorite students alone forever, now could I?"
Harry, Hermione, and Ron had been heading over to Hagrid's hut when the man himself had walked in the gates.
"Thanks ta yeh three and yehr friends, I'm a free man now."
"That's wonderful Hagrid!" Hermione praised.
"That's not all," He said, grinning. His tiny black eyes crinkled at the corners. "I've been cleared o' all charges. An' I can do magic now."
"Cool!" Ron cheered.
"Hagrid," Harry said quietly. "What's Azkaban?"
Hagrid's smile dimmed. "It's a wizard prison. Nasty place, guarded by dementors."
"What are dementors?" Harry wanted to know.
"I've read about them," Hermione spoke up. "They suck out people's soul by giving them the kiss. The ministry managed to get them under control by having them guard Azkaban. If you're just in the presence of dementors, all your happiness can be sucked out of you. I read that people go mad in Azkaban because of the dementors."
Ron shuddered. "Dad told me about them. If you get sentenced to the kiss, you never get your soul back again."
"What if the person is innocent?" Harry asked.
Hagrid gave a huge shrug. "I don' reckon that's ever happened 'fore."
"But say it did?" Harry persisted, hardly knowing why he did so.
"Then the ministry would've made a big mistake," Hermione said bluntly. "There's no way they can fix it either, since you can't get a person's soul back from a dementor."
Hagrid nodded gravely. "They wanted ta give meh the kiss, but it's not given ta wizards that are underage. This time around, I was only put in a holding cell, just in case I was innocent. Yeh can bet Lucius Malfoy wasn't happy 'bout that."
"What was Malfoy doing there anyway?" Ron demanded, ears turning red in his anger. He still hadn't forgotten the incident at the bookshop.
"Probly just wanted ta see meh off," Hagrid said bitterly. "Malfoy's a slimy one like tha'.
He shook himself, causing his coat to rattle. "But enough o' tha'. Why don' yeh tell meh what happened while I was away? I heard a bit, but not the whole story."
Harry, Hermione, and Ron traded glances. "Well…"
Henry Stebbins, Head Chef of the HPFC, drooled at the food left on Colin Creevey's bedside. He was so fascinated that he almost missed the whole point of their venture into the Hospital Wing.
"Want something?" Colin asked him kindly.
Henry could only nod enthusiastically.
"Go ahead."
Henry dove forward, hunting around the novelty candy and aiming for the gourmet.
"Remind me again why we let a guy who loves to eat become Head Chef?" Colin muttered.
"Because we couldn't really find a better role for him?" Ginny suggested.
Colin considered this. "Is it too late to keep looking?"
"Oh, no, no, no. Mr. Creevey needs his rest, and there are far too many of you around for that to happen." Madame Pomfrey was not pleased. There were over ten children crowding around Creevey's bed, all with solemn looks as they turned to spare her a glance.
Ginny whispered something in the ear of a Gryffindor with sandy blonde hair and clear blue eyes. He nodded seriously and drew himself up to speak.
"Madame Pomfrey, my name is Phillip Baker. I'm a Hogwarts Staff Liaison. Is it possible that we could come to a compromise on this?"
She could only gape at the small boy, questions flitting in and out of her head.
"Perhaps we should go to your office and discuss this further?" He wondered.
She blinked in surprise, but led him to the small room off the side.
"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Demelza asked Ginny.
"No, but it's the best I could come up with." She shrugged.
"We all missed you, Vice President Creevey," Ellen Dowling, Lesser Educated People's Diplomat, said.
"It wasn't the same without you, Colin," Bailey said earnestly.
"Raine," Ginny commanded softly to a boy with jet black hair and dark brown eyes. "You're Head Healer; get in there and back him up."
"Um, Madame President? I think it's too late for that. Besides, I'm not a real Healer. You know that, right?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Baker, but I refuse to agree to any deal that does not end in all of you leaving Mr. Creevey alone. Now, your club better be out of here within the next ten minutes." Pomfrey shooed Phillip out of her office.
"It was a good try," Kirsten Dahl comforted him gently.
"I guess," He said glumly. "Still, it was my first assignment and I failed."
"Please," Demelza snorted. "That mission was practically designed to fail. We just didn't have any better ideas."
"I have a better idea!" Luna spoke up hesitantly.
Every head in the room swiveled to look at the petite blonde Ravenclaw.
"What if Phillip was to convince Professor Burbage to let us stay?" Luna proposed. "She would do anything for the Gryffindors, and if she thought that us being here would help Colin, she'd take it to McGonagall, who'd talk it out with Pomfrey."
Everyone stared.
"I thought it was good plan," She said meekly.
"Luna," Colin began gravely. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. You are a genius."
She turned a pretty pink as the club began to heartily compliment her.
"Percy?" Penny carefully drew back the curtain around his bed.
"Penny?" He sputtered, throwing his book into a drawer and sitting up.
"Percy, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. It…there isn't really anything else I can say. I just-I mean I understand if you never trust me again. It's only that…I couldn't do it. I didn't know what to do. I'm not used to just going on gut and instinct like you Gryffindors. I have to think, and not feel. I used to think that meant I wouldn't make any mistakes. But then I realized…some of the biggest mistakes I've made have come from when I think, and don't feel."
"In fact, I came in here with a huge list of reasons why I was so sorry, and what I'd messed up so badly, and all of these logical arguments, but as soon as I got in here, I forgot all of it. This whole thing right here is just instinct. I don't know if I can stop doing it completely. But I know I'm going to try. If you'll let me, I'll help you with every life-threatening situation you ever come across."
She stood with baited breath as he struggled to stand up from the bed. Slowly he made his way across the small curtain, walking with that familiar purpose that had drawn her to him. Carefully, he took her chin and tilted it up, and their lips met.
"Eugh!" Ron's voice sounded out of the curtain. "Is that Percy?"
"Shh!" Ginny hissed.
The pair broke apart and began to laugh.