Book Two: Snape's Memories

Chapter Thirty-One

Good news. Thank Merlin, and anyone else who might be listening, it was good news

Harry sat wheezing, in the chair Molly had conjured. He was giddy with relief and shortness of breath. Ginny ran up the stairs to come to stand by him, "I told you to stay in bed." she said, reprovingly. She didn't seem that upset, just exasperated.

"Mum?" Lily called. "We were in the drawing room. Dad's been lying down all afternoon, honest."

Molly must have cancelled the silence charm on the door.

"So why...didn't you...tell me..?" Harry gasped between each couple of words.

Ginny made an impatient noise in her throat, "Because you spent most of last week unconscious, if you remember. They filed the request on Wednesday. You didn't wake up properly until Friday morning."

"But.." Harry had to stop for a breath. His breathing got harder as he became more agitated. He suddenly saw the point of the calming potions. His lung was too new and too tender to withstand emotional shocks that made his heart race. "What" gasp, "happened?" another gasp.

"Only when you're lying down." Ron said, firmly, "C'mon, one of you." Ron pulled one of Harry's arms around him, Dudley grabbed the other side and they lifted Harry up easily, depositing him on the drawing room settee.

Ginny fussed with covering him up, calling "Kreacher! Bring whatever potions Harry was supposed to take."

Irritably, Harry wanted to tell her to leave him alone. Unfortunately he had no breath to tell her to leave him alone. Kreacher appeared with a pop.

"Oh, don't worry about it." Harry heard Lily whisper to Tim, "He's always like this when he gets hurt. Mum can hardly ever get him to look after himself." She said it in the exact same tone of exasperation that Ginny used.

Harry internally threw up his hands and just took the potions Ginny handed to him. His breathing grew easier and the alarming wheeze stopped. The false calm of the potion settled around him.

"You skipped your evening dose, didn't you?" Ginny said accusingly, as she looked at the empty vials.

Sheepishly, Harry nodded. "Don't like feeling stupid." he mumbled.

"We'll talk about it, later." Ginny promised, darkly, "Now if you'll stay still, we'll tell you what happened." she turned to Phillip, "I must say, I don't think I would have made it through this week without you and Dudley."

There was a sentence Harry never expected to be spoken in his house. Ever.

Dudley and Phillip had taken seats together on the short love seat. Hermione sat at the end of the widened setee, Ron pulled up one of the chairs and Molly the other one. Ginny was sat down next to Harry. Lily and Tim seemed content on the floor.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Ginny." said Phillip, modestly, "It's what I do."

"Well, I say you were bloody brilliant." Ron said enthusiastically, "I've never heard anyone talk in front of the Wizengamot like that. And bringing in what Tim said to Roz...There wasn't a dry eye in the house."

Phillip shrugged, "I thought his own words would be most effective. I'm just glad it was recorded. The rest of it; that was just the truth."

The children were looking curiously at the adults. Tim slipped his hand into Lily's, "So...what happened?" he asked. He seemed to be bracing himself for something.

Ginny pulled a sheaf of parchment out of her bag, "Well, good news is that the Smiths withdrew their petition without needing a judgment, so they can't appeal. The really good news is that we finished the guardianship paperwork." she smiled at him, "That means we've been named your undisputed, permanent guardians."