Luck of Nines

49

Day after chapter 48 was published and I'm working on 49. A dangerous game we play now.

      Update- no longer the day after that's for sure- the dangerous game has eaten me alive. I have crawled out of its gaping maw one time now though and I will do it again.   ...this has been overly dramatic, anyway, hope you enjoy the new chapter.
-T.A.L.A.

      It had been at least a minute or so since the medi-witch had started crying and he still wasn't sure what to do. Was he... could he just leave? It was a very tempting possibility, it seemed like here he could blame grief for everything, so if it wasn't allowed he could just use that.

He ended up not getting a chance to decide though as Snape walked into the healing ward, his eyes briefly rested on the curtained off bed before moving through the room and locating Harry and the medi-witch. He sneered, but his eyes darted to one of the many blank walls rather than directing it towards anyone.  He seemed to be simultaneously more confused than before on how he should act around Harry and more decided than before on how to act.

      "Poppy," he said pulling her up and leading her towards the office, "Come on, now is not the time for this caterwauling," Harry was given a piercing look telling him to stay put before the door went slamming shut behind them both.

     He heard from between old muffling charms the floo open with a call for Greenhouse Twelve and three-quarters and Snape asking for Professor Sprout to get the Medi-witch calmed down and give her some of the calming tea he knew she still had lying around. 

       A moment later Snape swept back out, he glared down at Harry only for his eyes to sweep away again a half second later.   "I was informed you suffered hearing loss from the commotion at the feast. I'm assuming Madam Pompfrey has fixed you up?"

      "I think so," Harry paused, "I can hear again now if that's what you mean."

       The potions professor's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he drew his wand, "I will cast a few diagnostic spells to see about that," he explained, "All potions masters have some rudimentary knowledge in these spells so you need not fear any unfortunate... accidents so long as you hold still and behave."

       Harry was pretty sure that was a threat, but there wasn't much he could do besides nod in agreement and hold still. 

Three spells were cast in quick succession, and he glowed a dull color before a parchment appeared out of nowhere, falling into Snape's waiting hand. He stared at the paper, a frown slowly forming on their face as he read over the results. Apparently, whatever it was he was seeing, he didn't like it.

Harry glanced about the infirmary, bored, his eyes once more landing on the drawn curtain with the lifeless body of one of the Gryffindors behind it. Fay Dunbar, he thought the medi-witch had identified the student as, he remembered her, vaguely.

      Her head had been covered in a mess of curly hair and she had large brown eyes that reminded him of his old friend Goldilocks in a small, annoying way, her parents were both magical, or at least used to living in the magical world, but she knew what movies were enough to discuss it with Hermione Granger a few times in the first few days, it didn't happen much after that. He wasn't sure what happened, because it had happened rather suddenly and not in his vicinity, but after those initial days Dunbar spent more time around Seamus Finnigan and Kellah Jones.

      He wondered if Gryffindor would just be given some of the remaining first years for their classes if the four students didn't return soon.  Without Dunbar, and assumably Finnigan, Jones, and Granger, it would just be a house of three. Neville Longbottom, Lavender Brown, and just barely managing to be sorted, Parvati Patil which left them with even less students than Slytherin.