"Oh man," says Seamus.
"How'd he get down here, anyway?" says Dean, kneeling at Neville's head. "Do you remember how to undo spells?"
"No," said Seamus.
"Who did it?" asks Dean. Neville stays stony and frozen. Seamus pokes Dean in the back of the head.
"He's knocked out."
"I know that," says Dean. He frowns. "Is he?" Neville's eyes follow his finger.
"Okay, so he's awake." Seamus walks around and crouches next to Dean.
"Is there a spell for this?" asks Dean. Seamus pokes Neville tentatively in the cheek.
"He's not like, cold," he says. "So he's not frozen."
"Thanks, Einstein," says Dean. "Maybe we should get a Prefect."
Percy Weasley is disgruntled at being woken, but happy to be needed. He revives Neville and questions him quietly, while Seamus and Dean watch from a distance. Percy finally gives Neville a little push back at them. "I've got to go find McGonagall," he says. "You three go back to bed, okay?"
He leaves before they can answer.
"Thanks," says Neville, without looking at them.
"No big deal," says Seamus, embarrassed somehow. "Who was it?"
"Hermione," said Neville.
"What?" says Dean.
Neville makes an uncomfortable face.
"Hey, Neville," says Ron. "Sorry for knocking you out. And stuff."
It's okay," says Neville.
Ron doesn't look all that much like he needs the Hospital Wing. Seamus and Dean approach after Neville and they cluster around. Harry is asleep, a curtain drawn around his bed.
"Hi, Ron," says Seamus. They all brought candy for him. It's mostly Seamus's candy, from his mam. Seamus hadn't wanted to donate as much as they brought, but Dean talked him into it.
"Hey," says Ron. "Guess you heard about Quirrel?"
"The whole school heard about Quirrel," says Dean.
"I actually didn't hear about Quirrel," says Ron. "I had to hear it from Hermione."
"How long are you stuck in the Hospital?" asks Seamus. Ron pulls a face.
"Just until tonight," he says. He shoots a look at Harry's bed. "I hope he's alright for the game."
"Me too," mutters Neville.
"Cause if we lose the game," says Ron, "we lose the House Cup. We're already way in last place. And Ravenclaw has a good team. Fred says they were hard to beat last year."
Neville wonders whether it'd be wise to point out that Harry's health is more important than the House Cup. He decides against it.
Seamus claps Neville hard on the back, and Dean says in an awed voice "Blimey!"
The rest of Gryffindor seems to react. There's a sudden outpouring of cheering- from the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, too, even- and Neville starts to grin, shaking his head slowly.
Percy Weasley is shaking Neville's hand, Fred and George Weasley are whistling. Dean looks up at Professor McGonagall, who's shaking her head with a proud little smile.
Neville Longbottom, of all the people. And Dean bounces up and down in his seat, suddenly giddy. They won the House Cup!
He doesn't really see the point of the House Cup, but he does like to win. And really there was no better way to win than this, was there?