AN: Bad news. I sprained and fractured my ankle. All these years, I've gone without a single serious injury. This is the first time I've ever even visited the Emergency Room (for myself, that is). I though the whole experience was awesome. I got to ride in a wheelchair, and now I'm on crutches. Yay! The only bad part was that I had to go over five hours without any pain medication. Of course, while I was waiting I got to read all of the lovely reviews you guys left. Thanks to SanninOdokemono, davidwhite1021, Ciel Moony, gaul1, ILoveGeorgeEads, Kairan1979, ptl4ever419, Nebresh, Fibinaci, Majerus, Ari989, ultima-owner, Tellur, Lady Sabine of Macayhill, and Wonderbee31. Sorry if I couldn't get back to you guys.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise.
Madam Pomfrey insisted that Harry stay in the Hospital Wing for the rest of the weekend, and in that time, he received several visitors and well-wishers. However, none of them were quite as memorable as the giant mob of first and second years, most of whom he didn't really know. They crept in, one at time, eyes large and worried.
"Hi Harry," Ginny greeted, getting right up close to his hospital bed.
"Er, hi," He replied, already feeling a little uncomfortable.
"How are you feeling?" Demelza asked. A black-haired boy next to her whipped out a small piece of parchment and a quill and sat down on the bed next to him.
"Um, fine. What's that for?" Harry inquired anxiously.
Demelza waved her hand. "Don't worry, Lukas is just writing down your symptoms to study them later. He wants to go into healing."
"Erm, okay."
"Can you please describe how you felt in detail?" Lukas requested.
"Um…" Harry racked his brain for something that wouldn't make him sound completely insane. "Well, I was really cold, and uh, sad, I guess."
Everyone blinked at him, as if they could tell that wasn't the whole story.
"What happened after I blacked out?" He quickly changed the subject.
"Oh, it was wicked!" Colin exclaimed enthusiastically. "McGonagall shot something silvery out of her wand at the dementors, and Burbage slowed you down in the air, and then some of the other teachers did the silvery thing too, and—look, I got a picture!"
He whipped out a small, blurry picture. Harry leaned in closer to see it. He couldn't make out much, aside from the blinding silver lights dancing all around the shot. He could just barely tell that some shadows at the edge were the teachers' robes.
"I didn't have time to really get a good one," Colin admitted self-consciously.
"It looks alright," Harry lied, trying to cheer him up. "Where's Luna?" She seemed to be the only who treated him as a normal person, even if she was a little odd herself.
Ginny appeared troubled. "We're not sure. We haven't been able to find her lately."
"Maybe you should go look for her," Harry suggested, eager for them to leave.
She smiled happily. "Already on it. I sent Cadwallader and Bradley to scout out the Ravenclaw Common Room. Of course, they can't go up into the girls' dorms, but they can always ask people to go get her."
Harry tried not to look too upset. "Do you know why she's avoiding you?"
"Avoiding us?" Ginny repeated, frowning. "She's not avoiding us. Why would you think she's avoiding us?"
It was perhaps the angriest Ginny had ever been with him since the diary incident. He was slightly worried, but decided there was no turning back now. "It's just that, people don't usually just stop talking to their friends."
Ginny pursed her lips and pulled Demelza and Colin away. The others around Harry went silent for a few moments and resorted to watching him. At least, that's what they did until Romilda Vane managed to bundle up her courage.
"So, Harry, I'm sure your friends have been visiting you a lot while you're stuck here." Something about the tone of her voice made Harry realize that this was not simply a casual conversation.
"Yeah." He wasn't quite sure what to say in response. She didn't seem to think he was being rude.
"Neville seems to be coming to see you every few hours." She studied him carefully.
"Uh, yeah. Neville likes to check that I'm not too bored." Harry didn't really know what the point of this whole thing was.
"That's very nice of him, don't you think?" She asked, stretching languidly.
"Yeah, I s'pose so. That's really just who Neville is."
This seemed to be the exact piece of information Romilda had been hoping for. "So you're saying he would do this for any of his friends?" She gazed at him through hooded eyes, an almost manic hope reflecting back at him.
"Well, yeah. Neville's the type of guy that cares about people." Harry was still unsure if he should be giving her this information. But what could it hurt? Almost everyone knew that Neville cared deeply for his friends. It wasn't as though he was telling her top-secret information. Which, of course, begged the question: Why was she asking him?
She hummed quietly before giving him a grateful smile. "Thank you."
"For what?" Harry wondered.
She leaned in a little more. "For the conversation," She whispered, stepping away just as Ginny, Colin, and Demelza returned.
"Unfortunately, I think we have to go now," Ginny told him, looking a bit frantic. "Sorry we weren't able to stay longer. Maybe we'll visit you again. Goodbye, Harry."
The others echoed her sentiment before hurrying out of the Hospital Wing, all in a careful, single-file line. Oddly enough, each person seemed to have an exact spot in line, as though part of some ranking system. A small space was left between two students, and Harry reasoned that Luna must go there. Bemused, he shook his head before leaning back in bed and considering what he'd just been told.
A silvery light? That was all it took to chase away the dementors? It hadn't been simply sparks; that was clear from the pictures. It had been something almost dream-like in quality. Even in picture form, seeing it had given Harry a small surge of happiness. But what was it? He supposed he could ask Penny and Percy later. They might know.
He had to find out what it was. He had to know how to get rid of the dementors, to prevent them from ever coming after him again. For he was sure that there was something different about him that made the dementors so interested in him, as opposed to all the other students at the match. It was a mystery; one that wouldn't remain so for much longer.
Oliver was ready to hex someone into the next century. He was so unbelievably angry! He considered himself a pretty calm guy—well, maybe that was a lie. He could get incredibly excited and anxious about Quidditch, but he rarely got so angry that he felt he was going to burst. He wanted to scream his rage from the Astronomy tower and then go wrestle with a dragon. With the amount of adrenaline coursing through his veins, the outcome was entirely unpredictable.
Perhaps it was a bad idea, reading both letters back to back the way he did. It was most likely an even worse idea to keep reading them over and over again. The first letter had gotten him both upset and weary. But the second letter, the one from stupid, rotten Joseph Summers, had made him want to tear his hair out. It was rude and condescending and contained possibly the most foul way he'd ever been addressed in his whole life.
What did Summers know anyway? Sure, the guy was an amazing Keeper who had even been on the English national team, and yeah, he had been Oliver's idol for nearly ten years but—Oliver sat down as he realized that Summers did know an awful lot.
It just wasn't fair! He jumped up again. He had tried so hard in that game, knowing that Summers would be there. He had done his best, and his best wasn't good enough. "Try harder," Summers had written. "Dedicate yourself….Focus more….Stop worrying about your other team members." It made Oliver want to punch him right in the face. He was dedicated! He was focused! And how could he not worry when Harry had almost died because of a bunch of dementors?!
He trudged down the stairs, in desperate need of someone to vent to. The Common Room was nearly empty. In one corner sat Olivia McLaggen and her giggling friends, and in front of the fire was Hermione, reading 'Hogwarts: A History' for what had to be the thousandth time. He slumped down next to her.
"Hello, Oliver," She said, not bothering to look up from her reading. "Are you alright?"
"No." He scowled.
She glanced up before shutting her book and laying it to the side. "What's the matter?"
He folded his arms over his chest. "Have you ever felt like…like no matter what you do, or how hard you try, it'll never be enough?"
She smiled sadly. "All the time."
He jolted, surprised. "Really?"
She nodded. "It's not easy, being a muggleborn. It's part of why I'm always studying, always learning. Some people think that muggleborns aren't worthy of having magic. I keep trying to show that I'm worthy, that I can handle it, that I'm good at it. But it's not like it matters to them. They'll always think I'm below them, that I'm not as good. It took me forever to realize that."
He considered this for a moment. "But you still try. I mean, you're still number one in your year."
Hermione pulled her legs up onto the couch. "But that's not because I want to impress them. It's because I want to impress me."
He frowned. "I'm not really sure I get what you're saying."
"This is probably going to sound crazy, but I study so much because I like it. I'm proud when I find out I'm first in my year. I'm happy when I get papers back with good grades. I don't do all that to make them think I deserve magic. I do it to remind myself that I deserve magic. I belong here, and this is my home now." She smiled again before smoothing out her skirt.
"I think that's what you should do. That person will always be judging you, and they'll always believe you don't have what it takes. But as long as you believe you have what it takes, then what they think won't bother you."
He exhaled in relief as he realized that she was right. Summers was trying to get him to back down, but that wasn't going to happen. He jumped up from the couch and raced to the steps, but not before turning back to look at Hermione.
"Hey, Hermione, did anyone ever tell you that you're insanely smart?"
She beamed at him. "It's been mentioned once or twice."
He grinned back at her. "So long as you're aware. By the way, I heard the twins are planning to get back at Snape for you. Try not to yell at them too much." He turned just in time to miss her bug-eyed expression.
Parvati paced back and forth outside the Ravenclaw Common Room. Yes, she could just answer the riddle posed to her, but that felt wrong. The Gryffindor Common Room only allowed Gryffindors inside. It seemed to her that the Ravenclaw Common Room ought to be the same way. All she wanted to do was talk to her sister. Well, she didn't really want to, but refusing Padma would've been a bit rude.
Parvati had gotten word that Padma wanted to chat for a bit. Knowing that she likely meant gossip, and that the gossip was likely to be concerning Harry and the dementors, Parvati had been extremely reluctant to go, until Lavender had pointed out that Parvati could stop the gossip right now before it got too outrageous.
Honestly, Parvati wasn't sure why Padma was thought of as the smarter twin. Just because she was sorted into Ravenclaw didn't mean she was some sort of genius. Padma took everything she read as fact, and she liked to believe that she knew everything that went on in the school. Parvati knew at least one major event she hadn't heard of, and she was planning on keeping it quiet.
Padma had agreed to meet her outside the Ravenclaw Common Room at three. She had refused to go near the Gryffindor Common Room, because "Sirius Black could come back and kill us both." It was now nearly four, and Padma wasn't anywhere in sight. Parvati was ready to scream.
The entrance to the Common Room opened, and out popped Luna Lovegood. The two girls weren't very close, and certainly weren't friends, but Parvati had seen her hanging around often enough to know who she was.
"Luna! Have you seen my sister?"
Luna smiled serenely and opened her mouth, about to respond.
"Of course she hasn't! She only sees things that aren't real!" A familiar voice laughed behind the blond girl.
Luna blinked her large blue eyes, which had dimmed somewhat. "I believe she's right behind me. I would be careful around her, if I were you. The Nargles seem very drawn to her."
"Nargles!" Padma shrieked, as her other friends began to cackle hysterically. "Loony, you do come up with the strangest names for these imaginary creatures of yours, don't you?"
Luna smiled again, still not looking directly at Padma, before skipping away.
Parvati could only sputter in surprise. "I—Padma, what—I don't understand."
Padma hopped out of the entrance. "Oh, don't bother trying to make sense of what she's saying. Really, it's a wonder the Sorting Hat didn't send her straight to St. Mungo's rather than Ravenclaw." She and her friends giggled, as though Padma had just said something incredibly witty.
Parvati tried to control her temper. "I thought it was just going to be the two of us."
"Oh no. These things are always better in groups, Parvati. I know you don't have the greatest company in Gryffindor, but I figured you could hang around with us, if you really want to."
Parvati tried again. "I really think it would be better if it were just us."
Padma's eyes flashed. "Do you have something against my friends?"
"No," Parvati lied.
Padma lifted her chin. "Then they can stay."
Parvati gritted her teeth. "Alright, fine." She took a deep breath. "Why are you being so terrible to Luna?"
Padma scoffed. "Terrible? Honestly Parvati, she doesn't even notice." Her increasingly annoying friends tittered disapprovingly.
Not even bothering to argue with that statement, Parvati resisted the urge to stomp her foot. "Then why are you still doing it?"
Padma sighed dramatically as her friends shook their heads. It might've been funny if Parvati wasn't so upset. "Sister, there are some things that can't be explained to people. They're just sort of known. Everyone in Ravenclaw understands, but most people in other houses are a sort of lost cause."
"Lost cause?" Parvati echoed.
"Yes, Parvati. A lost cause. Here, I'll try to explain, but I have a feeling I'll be wasting my breath. There is a delicate balance in the school. Gryffindors and Slytherins always fight, the Ravenclaws observe, and the Hufflepuffs pop up whenever needed. Ravenclaws are very strictly observational. We don't get involved in the pesky little moments of everyday life. Why would we, when there's such a wealth of knowledge out in the world, just waiting to be learned? Any small tip in that balance could irrevocably change this school forever. A Gryffindor and a Slytherin becoming friends could ruin everything!"
"And that's where Loony comes in. Ravenclaws are supposed to observe, not participate. Yet there she goes, getting herself involved in all these little adventures of hers. It's completely ridiculous. We're all trying to put her on the right path. If she acted normal, then we wouldn't have to do any of this."
Padma's cronies nodded, looking like bobble heads.
"Why?" Parvati wanted to know.
"What?" Padma asked, confused.
"Why does she have to act normal? Why can't she just be who she is without worrying about what's going to happen to the school? Just because she's a Ravenclaw doesn't mean she can't have fun. Your house doesn't define you as a person. Gryffindors are all pretty brave, but that doesn't mean that's all we are. Olivia McLaggen's a total airhead, and Hermione's smart enough that she could've gone into Ravenclaw. They're both still Gryffindors."
Padma was gaping at her twin with her mouth hanging open.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find Luna Lovegood and we're going to go on the greatest adventure ever. Leave her alone—and don't bother talking to me until you've figured out that you're no better than the rest of us." Parvati whirled around, storming off. Maybe now Padma would finally get a clue.
Fred and George were intent on fixing this mess. And they may have finally come up with a plan! They only needed Oliver to agree to it, which meant begging for his forgiveness before laying it all out. Percy was in the library, smooching Penny in a dark corner that Pince rarely checked. Oliver should be in his dorm room, where he'd been for nearly the whole day. He'd hardly moved, except to go to the Common Room for a few minutes.
The pair pounded up the steps, all the way to the top floor. Without bothering to knock, they burst in the seventh year boys' dormitory, only to find it completely deserted. The large window looking out over the grounds was wide open, and Oliver's most prized possession, his broom was missing.
"He must've decided to go out and fly for a bit," George mused.
"Guess we'll have to wait, then," Fred realized.
It should be noted that waiting was not a skill the twins were that good at. In fact, they were horrible at it. After a mere twenty seconds, they started getting impatient. After forty seconds, they began to glance around the room, hoping to find something interesting. After a minute and thirty seconds, they started to actively seek out entertainment by going through Oliver and Percy's stuff. At two minutes, George came across a crumpled letter on the floor.
"Hey, what's this?" He asked, waving it in the air.
Fred snatched it out of his hands. "Oh no."
Dear Oliver,
Although I was unable to make it to your latest match, rest assured, I was informed in painstaking detail by Mr. Deverill. I've never been more worried in my whole life. Do you know how dangerous that was? Do you realize what could've happened to you? Oliver, you should've just forfeited the match. No silly game is worth almost getting killed. I'm afraid for you Oliver. Mr. Deverill says you seemed to have trouble due to the inclement weather conditions. I hope you understand that such a thing is not an option in professional Quidditch.
If you are having trouble now, while still in Hogwarts, then I can't imagine how you'll handle professional Quidditch. Oliver, you are my only child. Furthermore, you are the only family I still have left. I love you with all of my heart, and while I would love to see you happy, what I need is for you to be safe. Quidditch is a dangerous game. I'll admit that I was hesitant to allow you to continue after your father's accident, but I stupidly believed that nothing too bad could happen to you at Hogwarts. I know now that I was wrong.
Oliver, I beg you to stop playing. You may finish out the year here, of course, but please, please do not play for Puddlemere. Stop while you still can. Please, for me.
Love,
Mum