The Snow Fox

Hospital Beds and House Cups

The next day, Crystal appeared at her window with a half-crumpled note in her talons. Venus opened it and gasped, quickly grabbing her school bag and running out of the Ravenclaw dorms. She ran to the infirmary where her friends now lay, resting after their adventure. She quietly threw open the door and saw Willow and Ethan sitting beside Harry who was laying in a cot. Candy, sweets and parcels surrounded the mattress, drowning the boy in the gifts. Hermione and Ron sat on the other side of Harry, probably telling the story of what happened to Willow and Ethan.

"Venus!" Harry cried, spotting her first. "There you are!"

"Harry! Hermione, Ron, you're covered in scratches and dust! What happened?!" She cried, grabbing a towel from below the cot and wetting it in a nearby water pan. She pressed the damp edge of the cloth against a scratch on Hermione's cheek. Madam Pomfrey smiled at her young protégé from afar, as she talked with her friends and tended to their minor wounds. The first year girl would often visit on weekends and take note of all of the injuries that had occured throughout the week and how to treat them, even being able to treat some herself.

"So that's why you needed to solve the riddle. And you're sure it was You-Know-Who Harry?"

"Positive." The boy replied, sitting up.

"He's back."

Later that afternoon, the End of Year Feast was held in the Great Hall, where the House Cup winner would be declared. Venus stared up at the headmaster's podium as he gave a final year speech and awarded the House Cup to Slytherin. She watched Draco cheer from afar and clapped under the table. Just as they had celebrated however, the headmaster raised a hand. He continued his speech and awarded more points to Gryffindor on behalf of Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville. She clapped as the tapestries changed to signify that Gryffindor had now won the House Cup instead. The headmaster raised his hand once more and once again continued.

"And, as I have now been informed, a last minute recognition must also be made. To Ms. Venus Snow, for loyalty and wisdom in the face of an emergency, I award Ravenclaw 50 points."

The room clapped and she heard her friends cheer from all over the Hall. While that was not enough to win them the Cup, probably because most Ravenclaws were caught in the library after-hours constantly, they were now in second place. Willow cheered from the Hufflepuff table and could be heard over the crowd with Ethan.