Richard came to a few hours later.
He knew he was in the Hospital Wing, but it was different.
It was glowing!
Like, a mist was on all the walls.
The mist was a happy golden color.
"Back again, I see." Madam Pomfrey said.
"Why is it glowing?" Richard asked, looking at the wall.
"What is glowing?" Madam Pomfrey asked, waving her wand over Richard.
"The wall. It's golden. Why? It was just a normal wall. Now it's glowing!" Richard yelled.
"Calm down; drink this." Pomfrey handed him a Calming Draught.
Richard drank it quickly, trying not to think about the taste.
"I'm going to get someone. You stay right here." Madame Pomfrey gave him a stern look.
She left and then came back with Headmaster Albus.
"Hello there again, Mr. Grayson!" Albus smiled.
"Hello, sir!" Richard gave a slight smile.
"Now, I heard something about glowing? Can you tell me what that is?" Dumbledore asked him.
"The wall is glowing! It's golden!" Richard said.
Albus' eyes widened a bit.
"Oh, wow. You can see the wards. Tell me, do you see anything on people?" Dumbledore asked.
"No." Richard shook his head.
The Headmaster nodded and stroked his beard.
"Okay. Well, remember how I told you about being magically gifted, Richard? This is another gift. You can see the wards that are around Hogwarts." Albus said.
"Is that why I could feel it?" Richard asked.
"Fell what?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yesterday...or the day before. I'm not really sure. I was in the Medical Ward and I felt something. Like it was calling me. So, I left to find out what it was. Where the Troll smashed into the Girls' Restroom, it was in pain." Richard said.
"You can see and feel the wards." Albus' eyes widened in understanding.
"I don't feel anything right now." Richard said.
"Hummmm..." Dumbledore stroke his beard for a moment.
"Where were you last time you were in here?" Albus asked.
"Over in the corner." Richard pointed to the left corner by the door.
Dumbledore looked over and then looked back a Richard.
"You would certainly feel the wards being that close to the wall. That's probably why you don't feel them now, you're not surrounded by them. We'll do a test later when you're feeling better to see if that's it." Albus said, "For now though, get better."
He patted Richard's head and then left.
Richard was left to ponder what just happened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few days later Richard was feeling much better.
"Now, before you go, the Headmaster is going to test you a bit." Madame Pomfrey said.
Albus smiled as he motioned for Richard to get up.
Richard followed him to a corner of the Medical Ward.
"Put your hand onto the wards." Albus instructed.
Richard held his hand up.
As he touched the wards, he gasped and pulled his hand back.
He shivered suddenly.
"What did you feel?" Dumbledore asked.
"It was in a bit of pain. But, it's getting better. It's healing! But there was something else. It was accepting and protective." Richard said.
Albus nodded, smiling.
"You felt the wards repairing themselves from the Troll attack. However, you also felt the wards accepting the kids into the castle. The wards protect all of the castle and it's inhabitants." Albus said.
Richard's eyes widened in wonder.
"This is a very special gift, Richard. Only the Headmasters and Headmistresses get to feel the wards on such a scale. Imagine feeling the wards all the time, every part of them. You'd feel the happiness, the sadness, the pain they were in. That's what the Headmasters and Headmistresses feel everyday." Dumbledore said.
Richard's eyes widened.
"It's a very special gift. I'm not sure how this gift will manifest within you. I imagine much like how it takes a few years to develop within all the headmasters and headmistresses. It is a beautiful gift. However, it can be quite troublesome." Albus said.
"But it's great! To feel the protectiveness. The warmth. The peace. It's worth the pain that happens. It's worth it." Richard finished.
Albus smiled as Richard understood.
"Richard, I will not deny you access to the wards like this. All I ask is that you do not try to alter them. And that you keep this between you and me." the Headmaster said.
Richard nodded, "Our secret." He held out his pinky finger.
"Our secret." Albus smiled, hooking his pinky finger around Richard's.
