𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 → harry potter

12: the house cup

IT HAD BEEN A FEW DAYS SINCE WHAT HAD HAPPENED down below the school. Finn was tremendously worried about Harry. He hadn't woken up still. It seemed finally though, that he had when he heard that Harry was asking for him, Ron, and Hermione.

Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict.

  "Just five minutes," Finn heard Harry plead form outside the Hospital Wing doors.

  "Absolutely not. "

  "You let Professor Dumbledore in. . . "

  "Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You need rest. "

  "I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey. . . "

  "Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes only. "

  And she let Finn, Ron, and Hermione in.

  "Harry!"

  Finn went to fling his arms around him, but noticed Harry still looked a little dazed so he stopped himself.

  "Oh, Harry, we were sure you were going to -- Dumbledore was so worried--"

  "The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?"

  It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumors. Harry told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort, and when Harry told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud.

  "So the Stone's gone?" said Finn finally. "Flamel's just going to die ?"

  "That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that -- what was it? -- 'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. '"

  "I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.

  "So what happened to you three?" said Harry.

  "Well, we got back all right," said Hermione. "We brought Ron round -- that took a while -- and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall -- he already knew -- he just said, 'Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?' and hurtled off to the third floor. "

  "D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"

  "Well," Hermione exploded, "if he did -- I mean to say that's terrible -- you could have been killed. "

  "No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could. . . "

  "Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Finn proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course -- you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you -- but the food'll be good. "

  At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.

  "You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT" she said firmly.

Finn, Ron, and Hermione the next night were all sitting in the Great Hall waiting for Harry.

  Then Harry walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. He slipped into a seat between Finn and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him.