Chapter 4: Hospital Wing
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. IT BELONGS TO JK ROWLING.
A/N: Read, enjoy, and remember not to take either life or my writing too seriously.
It was a peaceful evening inside the hospital wing.
For once, Madam Pomfrey had not been overwhelmed with injured students. Only one patient had appeared during the past several hours, and their problem had been minor enough to fix in seconds.
At the moment, the school nurse was enjoying a rare moment of quiet.
She sat comfortably inside her office reading the newest edition of the Magical Medical Journal. A cup of Ceylon orange tea sat beside her, still steaming gently. A thin slice of lemon floated near the surface.
Just as she lifted the cup for another sip, the protective wards on the hospital wing doors triggered.
Someone had entered.
Pomfrey sighed quietly, placed a warming charm on the teacup so it would not grow cold, and stepped out of her office.
A moment later she saw who had arrived.
Harry Potter stood near the entrance with his arm hanging awkwardly at his side.
Behind him stood Hermione Granger, looking slightly nervous.
Madam Pomfrey let out a long sigh.
"Good evening, Mister Potter," she said with weary familiarity. "May I ask what happened this time?"
Hermione spoke quickly before Harry could respond.
"It was my fault, Madam Pomfrey," she admitted. "We were practicing banishing charms to help Harry prepare for the tournament. I accidentally launched a book at him and broke his arm."
Pomfrey gave Hermione a measured look before nodding.
"Very well. Sit down on that bed," she instructed Harry, gesturing toward the bed he seemed to occupy more often than any other student. "I will have it fixed in no time."
Harry hesitated.
"Uh… Madam Pomfrey," he began carefully.
Then he repeated the line Hermione had made him memorize earlier.
"According to the annex in the Hogwarts medical charter regarding students not raised with magic, I request that my injury be treated using non-magical methods."
Madam Pomfrey blinked.
She had been a Ravenclaw in her school days and had graduated at the top of her medical training. She was no fool.
Harry Potter had required magical bone repairs more times than the rest of the student body combined.
This request was unusual
.
However, it took her only a moment to understand what was happening.
"Very well, Mister Potter," she replied calmly. "May I at least perform a magical diagnostic scan to assess the damage?"
Harry looked toward Hermione.
She paused to think it over for a moment, ensuring it wouldn't cause any complications. After a brief moment she gave him a small nod.
"That should be fine," Harry said.
Madam Pomfrey passed her wand carefully over his injured arm. She then tapped the wand tip against a sheet of parchment.
Words appeared instantly across the page.
After reading the results she nodded.
"A clean fracture," she said. "You must be in considerable pain. Would you prefer a pain potion or a non-magical pain remedy?"
Harry glanced toward Hermione again.
She shook her head slightly.
"Non-magical, please," Harry answered.
Pomfrey nodded thoughtfully.
"Give me a few minutes to prepare your treatment. Since this request is rather unusual, I will need to gather some supplies."
With that, she returned to her office.
However, she had not been entirely honest.
The non-magical supplies were already available.
Instead, she wanted to check something first.
Pomfrey opened the small door that led to her private library.
Anyone who examined Madam Pomfrey's personal collection would probably assume she was the darkest witch in Britain. The shelves were filled with books describing horrific curses and hexes capable of causing unimaginable suffering.
Of course, Pomfrey did not study such spells out of fascination.
She studied them because she needed to understand them in order to treat their victims.
Tonight, however, she was searching for something less sinister.
After a few minutes she located the volume she needed.
Flipping through its pages, she quickly found the spell she had been thinking about.
She examined the description carefully, including the potential side effects and the required treatments when the spell was miscast.
After confirming the details, she nodded to herself.
Yes… that should work perfectly.
Carrying the book along with the necessary non-magical medical supplies, she returned to her two patients.
Twenty minutes later the treatment was complete.
Harry had been given non-magical pain medication.
His broken arm had been properly aligned and secured inside a cast.
Pomfrey stepped back to examine her work.
"There we are," she said.
Then she looked thoughtfully at the two teenagers.
"Now that everything is finished, may I suggest an alternative explanation for this situation?"
Hermione blinked.
"Wh—what do you mean by alternative explanation?"
Pomfrey smiled knowingly.
"You don't honestly believe I failed to notice what the two of you are doing, do you?"
Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance.
"Personally," Pomfrey continued, "I completely approve of the idea. There is absolutely no reason Mister Potter should be competing in that tournament."
Hermione exhaled slowly.
"So… you're not going to report this to Professor Dumbledore?"
"Oh, if the Headmaster asks, I am required to provide the details of any medical treatment," Pomfrey replied calmly. "Which is precisely why I'm proposing a different explanation."
She opened the book she had brought from her office and pointed to a particular page.
"This spell," she explained, "is one Miss Granger could easily have discovered during her… enthusiastic academic pursuits."
Hermione leaned forward to read the page.
"And no one would find it surprising if Mister Potter attempted it on her recommendation," Pomfrey added.
Hermione studied the text carefully.
The explanation was perfect.
"Madam Pomfrey… were you a Slytherin by any chance?" Hermione asked.
Pomfrey laughed softly.
"Oh heavens, no. I was a Ravenclaw."
Then she added with a mischievous glint in her eyes,
"Although I may have dated a Slytherin once or twice."
It took several minutes for them to organize their explanation.
Since Harry was terrible at lying and knew nothing about the spell in question, it was decided that he would simply state the injury occurred due to "complications while preparing for the tournament."
If anyone asked for details, Hermione would provide the explanation.
Pomfrey informed them she would notify the Headmaster the following morning and that Harry should expect to be summoned to his office.
Before they left, Pomfrey asked one more question.
"Have you decided who your replacement champion will be?"
Harry nodded.
"I'm planning to offer it to Ron."
Pomfrey froze.
"Ron Weasley?"
When Harry confirmed it, her expression turned slightly pale.
"In that case," she said slowly, "I should probably check my medical supplies."
As she walked away they heard her muttering to herself.
"Better double the burn ointment… and I'll definitely need extra reverse-drowning potion…"
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