Professor Neville Longbottom (A Harry Potter FanFic)

Chapter Twelve - The Infirmary

MOST OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK ARE THE WORK OF J.K.ROWLING, NOT MY OWN.

Chapter Twelve - The Infirmary

Neville awoke with a splitting headache. It felt as if his skull was about to burst. He tried to lift his head but it was like it was made of lead. He screamed in agony as his head fell back heavily and hit the pillow. The pain shattered through his body and he continued screaming.

He heard running footsteps and looked up to see Madame Pomfrey hovering over him.

"I know love." She cooed "It hurts a lot. There is nothing I can do about that, you are already highly dosed on painkillers."

She bustled away and her footsteps seemed too loud to bear. The slapping of shoes against stone echoed through Nevilles head and drilled into his brain. He felt light headed and his vision began to waver, he couldn't focus properly and his head was spinning. He groaned as Madam Pomfrey waddled back over to him with a cup of cool, clear liquid.

"Drink this darling." she  said as she gently lifted Nevilles head from the pillow and tilted it forwards. Neville opened his mouth and allowed the liquid to be poured down his thoat. He expected it to be foul tasting or for it to burn the back of his throat, but it did nothing.

Madame Pomfrey noticed his confusion and whispered "It's only water Love, what did you expect?" She slowly lowered his head back onto the soft pillow and scurried out of view. Neville groaned as he tried to move his arms to feel the extent of the damage on his body. His arms ached terribly but he was slowly able to move them up to his face. He had a large bandage on his cheek and one on his neck. The bandage that was wrapped around his head was sticky and warm, and Neville realised that he was still bleeding.

There was no serious damage on his arms, they were just battered and bruised. His left leg had a large gash running down one side which had been laced with more bandages. His right leg was coated with small cuts but other than that he was fine. On the other side of the curtain partition, Snape lay unconcious on his bed,  His black cloak draped off the side and onto the floor. He had hit his head when he was stunned and blacked out. His head was heavily bandaged, but no other parts of his body seemed to have been hurt at all.

Outside of the cubicles Rosalind was being consoled by Professor McGonagall. The professor held her while she cried, stroking her hair and wiping her tears with a sodden tissue. The Professor had been called when a class had witnessed the battle in the courtyard. She had rushed to the window in time to see Snape being thrown to the ground and Neville through the wall. Madame Pomfrey finally approached Rosalind, telling her that Neville was conscious and she could come and see him. Rosalind pulled herself away from Professor McGonagall and wiped her tear stained face. She pulled back the curtain and gasped.

Neville heard a gasp and looked up. Pain ricochet throughout his body as he slowly lifted his head and looked at his visitor. His strength left him and he collapsed back on the bed, his breathing heavy and shallow. Rosalind rushed over and sat beside him. She grabbed his hand and held it in hers as she gazed at his injured body in dismay. A stray tear rolled down her cheek and Neville raised his arm, with much difficulty, and wiped it away. He smiled, but it was a feeble attempt. Rosalind smiled back at him, her eyes clouded with tears.

"What happened?" Neville croaked. His throat was raw from screaming.

"Do you not remember?" Whispered Rosalind "You and Father used Stupify on eachother. You smashed through a wall! A lump of rock hit you on the head and you fell unconscious. I held you until they came to take you to the Infirmary."

It took a while for the information to sink in, but there was one fact that circled around Nevilles mind. Rosalind said Father. Why did she say father?

In his ill state Neville couldn't think straight, he couldn't work out that Snape was Rosalinds Father, even though all the evidence was there, staring him in the face.

"Why did you say father? I fought Snape." Neville asked, his face screwed up in concentration.

"Snape is my Father." Sighed Rosalind angrily. She was furious about how her father had acted.

In the next cubicle Snape awoke. His head was throbbing and his eyes felt heavy, the effects of hitting his head on the gravel. His hand flew to his face as he felt the bandage it had been wrapped in. Snapes senses weren't impaired and his acute hearing picked up the sound of his daughters voice coming from next door.

"Rosalind." He tried to call his daughter but his voice came out as a horse whisper.

"Rosalind!" His voice was stronger this time, and louder.

He heard the scurrying of footsteps and saw the curtains being wrenched open. Standing before him was his daughter. Her face glistened with tears and her mouth was in a disappointed frown.

"Why did you have to do that Father?" She asked him, her eyes full of hurt. Snape looked away, clearly feeling guilty under his daughters gaze.

"He was taking advantage of you." He whispered. Why didn't she see that he had been helping her. Longbottom was going over the line and he had stopped him, thought Snape.

"No Father, He wasn't! You could have killed him!" She screeched, tears pouring violently from her eyes. She sank into the chair next to him and sighed angrily.

"He threatened me!" Snape tried to yell, but it came out as an angry whisper.

"You threatened him first!" She hissed, her brow furrowed. Snape tried to grab his daughters hand but she snatched it away angrily. Snape was hurt.

Obviously the hurt showed on his face as the next moment Rosalind was hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry I yelled." She sighed before sitting back in the chair. "You were a fool! why do you have to be overprotective?"

"Because I love you." Snape cried "I need to protect you! Can't you see?"

"No, I can't." She snapped. "I'm sorry I was so angry but you deserve it." and with that Rosalind stormed from the cubicle and ran to Madame Pomfrey.

"When can Neville be discharged?" She asked

"He has suffered Mild concussion, and a bit of bruising. That leg will take time to heal, but so will his head." The Matron took a while to consider what to do which made Rosalind Nervous. Finally Madame Pomfrey made up her mind 

"He can leave tonight." She said. Rosalind was thrilled with the answer she was given and ran to tell Neville.

"Does this mean that I can take you to Hogsmead tonight then?" He whispered. Rosalind smiled. At least his humour was still intact.

"Sure." She whispered before kissing him softly on the forehead. "I'll come and get you later." Rosalind hurried from the room and was already wondering what to wear later.