The Chambers doing

Chapter 18 - Discoveries in the Infirmary

"Rennervate!" Ginny heard, as against her will she was pulled into an awake state. Groggily, she opened her eyes to see Madam Pomfrey leaning over her slightly, a small frown on her face. Just like the two times previously, each an hour apart, Ginny managed to force out a "What hap..." before falling into unconsciousness again.

Madam Pomfrey straightened up, her frown deepening. She had no clue what was preventing Ginny from staying awake. There was nothing wrong with her physically speaking, and since the healer had spelled some chocolate directly into her stomach upon arriving in the Hospital Wing from the Quidditch Pitch, it couldn't be put down to after effects of the Dementors, either. Not that they had got anywhere near the young girl anyway.

Sighing, she made another note on the page stuck to Ginny's bed, before heading across to another patient, vowing to return in another hour to try again.

Stepping around the curtains surrounding Ginny's bed, Madam Pomfrey moved to check on Draco. He had woken up naturally, soon after returning from the pitch, and now having eaten the full bar of Honeydukes' Best Chocolate that she had forced into his hands upon waking.

"I see you've finished that chocolate." She said briskly as she arrived at the edge of his bed. "There's no need for you to stay here any longer, so off with you."

Silently, Draco stood from the bed, and made his way out the room. Whilst the door was open Madam Pomfrey caught a glimpse of the crowd waiting outside the Hospital Wing. Upon arriving with her three patients, she had sealed the room to allow her to work in peace. That had been several hours ago now. Most had left for lunch, and then dinner as well, before returning. Only a few of those waiting had remained there the entire time, eating food brought to them by those who had made the trek to the Great Hall.

Before long, the doors were closed again, and Madam Pomfrey turned to the final bed, also surrounded with curtains. Stepping past them, she looked down at Harry. The cuts and bruises from his rough landing were healing steadily, now that she had spread some healing paste onto him, although the bone in his arm would require more Skele-Gro. She felt sorry for the boy – Skele-Gro was bad enough just the once. He would be going through it for the second time in as many years, and strangely it was always worse when you knew what to expect.

Seeing that it would do more harm than good to try and wake the boy now, she returned to her office, leaving a monitoring charm over Ginny's bed to alert her if the girl awoke naturally.

Outside the Hospital Wing, the crowd waiting gained two more. Where before there had been the entire Gryffindor Quidditch Team, Ron, Hermione, Demelza, Professors McGonagall, Dumbledore and Hagrid, and Mr and Mrs Weasley, who had been floo-called upon their daughter falling unconscious for no apparent reason, Neville and Seamus now arrived, with a grim look on their faces.

Hearing their approaching footsteps, the team looked up from their positions on the floor, leaning against the wall on the other side of the corridor to the door. The professors had conjured themselves chairs to use. Fred was the one to voice the question, one word though it was. "Well?" He asked sadly, already knowing the answer from the looks on their faces.

Neville opened the small bag he was carrying to allow the others to see inside. "Completely shattered. We found it at the base of the Whomping Willow."

"That tree didn't much like being hit by a broom, let alone us comin' in to try ta get it." Seamus continued.

The team looked forlornly at the splinters of broom handle. They knew that this turn of events would hurt Harry significantly. It was unlikely he'd be able to replace it before the next match, and they all knew the school brooms would be too much of a hinderance for him to use.