Recap: "You three ready for classes. Now. I shall accompany Mr. Potter to the Hospital wing." And with that said, he went out the door with the half conscious boy.
Thankfully it was early enough that no one was in the halls yet, and Snape went the whole distance to the hospital wing without being seen.
By the time he made it there, he felt as if he needed a hospital bed himself, after lugging the boy clear across the castle.
"Severus ", Poppy greeted. "Rather early isn't it?"
"Indeed", he managed to speak in his usual tone despite his heavy breathing.
"And who do we have today?" She asked, walking towards the young lad attached to him. "Harry!" She gasped. "What happened?" She asked, leading Snape to a hospital bed.
"That remains to be seen", Snape answered. "I was nearly attacked by Mr. Longbottom this morning, who led me to Mr. Potter here. I noticed him looking rather ill the other day in my class, before I sent him back to his dorm. Apparently his condition worsened over the night.
"Well here, here, lay him down", she said, pointing to a bed. Severus dragged the half conscious boy to the bed and laid him down. Poppy dragged over a cart of potions and placed a thermometer in Harry's mouth, which he instantly coughed up.
"Oh dear", Poppy remarked, suddenly realizing how sick the boy before her was. She placed the thermometer back in his mouth, this time holding his mouth shut as he once again began to cough and gag. "Severus, help me, would you please?"
"What do you want me to do?" He asked seriously.
"Just help keep him still." Snape placed his hands on Harry's shoulders to keep him in place. "Just a little bit longer Harry", Poppy explained, as he began to thrash his head around as if he were being suffocated. Snape put more pressure on him to keep him still. He was a bit in shock at how quickly this situation had happened and how more serious it had become. How could someone be fine one day and be so sick the next?
"Oh my", Poppy interrupted Snapes' thoughts, as she noticed how hot the thermometer was getting. "He's too hot. Much too hot." She quickly began combining different potions and mixing them together. "Sit him up", she ordered, holding a flask in her hand. As Snape hoisted Harry up, she attempted to pour the liquid down his throat. Unfortunately he couldn't manage to swallow any of it. "Come on Harry, You need to swallow this." But he couldn't get any of it down.
"Huh", she huffed, giving up. We need to bring his body temperature down. She looked around for a moment and got an idea. "Bring him over here", she ordered again. Snape grimaced at being told what to do, but did it anyway. She began preparing a freezing cold bath for Harry in her giant potions cauldron. Then to Snapes surprise, she began to undress Harry while still in Snapes' arms. She practically tore his shirt off, not bothering with the buttons and then pulled off his slacks but was kind enough to leave on his boxers.
"All right. Ease him in", she ordered. Snape then lowered Harry into the freezing cauldron.
"Aww!" Harry gasped as the cold water forced him into consciousness.
"Shh! It's all right Harry", Poppy calmed. Harry's face was still one of shock. Gathering all his energy, he attempted to escape the freezing water.
"No you don't", Snape corrected, forcing him back down.
Harry's attention was brought to his Potions Master. "P…P...Professor", he shivered. Snape looked away, unable to look at the freezing boys tormented and utterly confused face.
"We're trying to help you", he explained. "Deal with it."
"Your temperature's too high my dear", Poppy added, a tad nicer.
"Too hot! I'm Ffffreezing!"
"Qui-et", Snape warned, getting irritated.
"Watch over him, will you Severus? I'll see if I can brew up something to help him."
While she went to work, Snape and Harry were left in unbearable silence. Snape thought he should say something but didn't know quite what to say. Harry on the other hand, couldn't have cared less. Due to the cold, he was unable to think straight.
Snape watched the rigid boys' body shiver every now and then, ready to pounce on him, should he attempt to escape the cauldron.
"All right Severus. That's long enough. You can bring him back over."
'Thank Merlin', Snape thought to himself. "Come on Potter. Up", he ordered. But Harry seemed to be lost in his own little world. "Potter!"
Harry, finally coherent, looked up at Snape with sad, desperate eyes that begged for help. "Come on", Snape sighed, lifting up the sopping wet boy. Seeing how pathetic he looked, Severus unconsciously removed his outer robe and draped it around Harry and led him back over to the bed.
"All right Harry", Poppy explained after Harry sat down. "This should get rid of your headache." Harry mentally rejoiced as he downed the potion quickly. He couldn't take the pounding in his head much longer. "Thank you for your help Severus. I think I can handle him now."
"Very well", Snape responded as he headed out, trying not the make eye contact with Harry.
"Thank you Professor", Harry mumbled, before Snape could leave.
Snape froze for a moment. "You're welcome", he replied, unable to think of anything wise to say.
For the next hour, Poppy spent her time brewing nasty smelling antidotes, which Harry would then have to drink. As she continued with her work, Harry suddenly leaned over his bed and puked up the last potion.
"Oh Harry", Poppy sighed, thinking that she was getting somewhere. As she went to his side, he leaned away and vomited again. Poppy rubbed her head in frustration. She didn't know what else to do for the boy. Whatever she brewed for him didn't work. And she had brewed up just about every potion for nausea, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, migraine, swelling, allergies, coughing and sore throat that she could think of. What else was left? She was getting tired and there were no signs showing that she would be able to sleep at all tonight at the rate things were going.
As she thought to herself and tried to calm down, Harry purged yet again. "Errrr", Poppy grumbled, grabbing Harry's hand and leading him to the infirmary bathroom. Just as they got to the toilet, Harry continued to heave up all the potions that Poppy had painstakingly brewed.
She sighed heavily, rubbing his back. And that's were they remained the whole night. Every once in a while Poppy would ask if he thought he was done or felt comfortable enough to move back to his bed. But she would always get the same answer. A slight, side-to-side nod.
Later that night, Poppy awoke in the bathroom, wondering when she had dozed off. She looked over to see Harry hugging the toilet and sleeping. "Thank Merlin", she spoke aloud, picking him up with surprising ease and putting him to bed.
The next morning, Harry awoke feeling better than ever. "Morning Potter", Poppy greeted. "How are you feeling?" She said, almost afraid to ask.
"Great."
She looked at him, unbelieving. "Great? What do you mean great? I've never seen anyone so sick before."
"I don't know", Harry, responded, not able to explain it. "Whatever you did, I guess it worked."
"But…you threw up all my potions", she explained. "It doesn't make any sense."
Harry shrugged his shoulders.
After Poppy reluctantly allowed Harry to leave, he headed back to his dorm. He was anxious to see Ron and Hermoine and tell them he was all right. As he entered his room he found it to be empty. He wondered what time it was. Hopefully their next class would end soon.
As he walked inside, he noticed something white and fluffy on the floor. His eyes scanned the room. Feathers…. White feathers. Everywhere. He knelt down to the floor, his heart beating rapidly for fear of the well being of his loyal animal friend.
He picked up one of the feathers, which he discovered to be covered in blood. A shivering hand rose quickly to his mouth. He rose to his feet and looked at the floor through watery eyes, staring at the horrific sight. "Fuck!" he sobbed, kicking one of the beds.
Just then, the door creaked open as Ron and Neville entered. "Harry!" Ron beamed. "You're all right. What ha"-. Ron stopped as he noticed the distraught look on his friends face.
"What happened to her?" Harry squeaked.
"Who?" Ron asked with wide eyes.
"Hedwig!" Harry yelled, kicking up the scattered feathers.
"Wh-hat?" Ron chuckled.
Harry stared wide eyed as Ron dared to laugh in his face. "What's so funny!" Harry shouted as he pinned Ron to the floor.
"Ah. Harry! Have you gone mad? Get off of me!" Ron yelled.
"Why would you laugh! You think it's funny!!"
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, convinced that his friend had gone insane. "Those are just feathers from Seamus' pillow. You know how he's always making things explode", he explained.
"Then why is there blood all over them?" Harry continued to yell.
"Blood?" Ron looked confused. "What are you talking about Harry? There's no blood."
Wondering how Ron could be so blindsighted, Harry looked at the feathers again. There was no blood. They didn't even look like Hedwigs' feathers. Harry slowly inched away from Ron. Ron quickly got up and backed away, giving Harry an odd glare. Harry picked up some of the feathers in his hand, just to make sure.
Ron grabbed some books that were on his bed. "Maybe you should go back to Madame Pompfrey."
"I'm fine", Harry stated, though looking slightly disturbed with his messy hair and bulging eyes.
"Y..yeah", Ron pretended to agree. "...All right. ...Well I'll catch you later then."
"K", Harry answered, still clutching tightly at the feathers in his hand.
Ron met Neville at the door, who had seen the whole thing, and didn't move a muscle, or say a word. They left quickly and quietly, leaving Harry to himself.
Just as Harry was going to examine the room again. Hedwig flew in the window, and as though sensing her owners troubles, perched herself on his shoulder.
"Hedwig!" Harry smiled. He took her from his shoulder to his arm and sat with her on his bed. He rubbed her feathers and sighed in relief. He looked back to the feathers on the floor and chuckled. "Maybe I need to get some sleep. Classes can wait." Hedwig cooed, as if agreeing. Harry smiled and kissed her soft fluffy head, then laid down for a long nap.
AN: Sorry! this took forever to post. I never get any privacy. But now I got a LAPTOP:) So I can type whatever, whenever. And Thankyou to all you reviewed. It helps keep me going.:) Next chapter: Halucinations.