Fear of a Name

Chapter Seventy-Two: In the Hospital Wing

"Shocking business... shocking... miracle none of them died... never heard the like... by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape..."
"Thank you, Minister."
"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!"
"Thank you very much indeed, Minister."
"Nasty cut you've got there... Black's work, I suppose?"
"As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Weasley, and Granger, Minister..."
"No!"

"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behaviour. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape... they obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now... I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves... and of course, Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster—"
"Ah, well, Snape... Harry Potter, you know... we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned."

"And yet — is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student. And any other student would be suspended — at the very least — for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister — against all school rules — after all the precautions put in place for his protection — out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf, a murderer, and the daughter of the Dark Lord — and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally too—"
"Well, well... we shall see, Snape, we shall see... the boy has undoubtedly been foolish..."

I lay listening with my eyes tight shut. I felt very groggy. The words I was hearing seemed to be traveling very slowly from my ears to my brain, so that it was difficult to understand... my limbs felt like lead; my eyelids too heavy to lift... I wanted to lie here, on this comfortable bed, forever...
"What amazes me most is the behaviour of the Dementors... you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"
"No, Minister... by the time I had come 'round, they were heading back to their positions at the entrances..."
"Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and Riddle, and the other girl—"
"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black and Riddle, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."

There was a pause. My brain seemed to be moving a little faster, and as it did, a gnawing sensation grew in the pit of my stomach.
I opened my eyes.
I was lying in the dark hospital wing, my bed surrounded by some kind of shield charm, or something like that. It was a bright, shimmering purple, and as I tried to move closer to it, it sent a shock of power through my body. I whimpered quietly.
Well this is just brilliant.

I slowly moved so I could take a look around. At the very end of the ward, I could make out Madam Pomfrey standing with her back to me, bending over a bed. I squinted. Ron's red hair was visible beneath Madam Pomfrey's arm. I moved my head over on the pillow. In the bed to my right lay Harry, and then to the right again was Hermione. Moonlight was falling across the latter's bed. Harry had his back to me, but I could tell that he was awake. I looked over at Hermione, and I could see that her eyes were open too. She looked petrified, and when she saw that Harry and I were both awake, pressed a finger to her lips, then pointed to the hospital wing door. It was ajar, and the voices of Cornelius Fudge and Snape were coming through it from the corridor outside.

Madam Pomfrey now came walking briskly up the dark ward to Harry's bed, carrying the largest block of chocolate I had ever seen in my life. It looked like a small boulder. Harry turned to look at her.
"Ah, you're awake!" she said briskly. She placed the chocolate on Harry's bedside table, and began breaking it apart with a small hammer.
"How's Ron?" said Harry and Hermione together. I kept quiet, not liking the situation I was in right now.
"He'll live," said Madam Pomfrey grimly. "As for you two, you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're — Potter, what do you think you're doing?"

Harry was sitting up, putting his glasses on, and picking up his wand.
"I need to see the headmaster," he said.
"Potter," said Madam Pomfrey soothingly, "it's alright. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The Dementors will be performing the kiss any moment now—"
"WHAT?"
Harry jumped up out of bed; Hermione had done the same. But Harry's shout had been heard in the corridor outside; next second, Cornelius Fudge and Snape had entered the ward.

"Harry, Harry, what's this?" said Fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed — has he had any chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.
"Minister, listen!" Harry said. "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the Dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's—"
But Fudge was shaking his head, with a small smile on his face.
"Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control..."
"YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"

"Minister, listen, please," Hermione said; she had hurried to Harry's side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge's face. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and—"
"You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, both of them... Black's done a very good job on them..."
"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.

"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient, and he should not be distressed!"
"I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened!" Harry said furiously. "If they'd just listen—"
But Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into Harry's mouth; he choked, and she seized the opportunity to force him back onto the bed.
"Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave."

The door opened again. It was Dumbledore. Harry swallowed his mouthful of chocolate and got up again.
"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black-"
"For heaven's sake!" said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist—"
"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr Potter and Miss Granger," said Dumbledore calmly. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black—"
"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" spat Snape. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive—"
"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" snarled Snape. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."
"That was because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Hermione earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear."
"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"
"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances—"

"I would like to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy — please leave us."
"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest—"
"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her.

Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.
"The Dementors should have arrived by now," he said. "I'll take Riddle up to Black, and then I'll go and meet them."
He started to walk towards me, wand drawn, but Dumbledore stopped him.
"I shall bring her up when I am done here," he said calmly.
Fudge hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded.
"Very well," he said. "I'll see you upstairs."