ALULA (VOL.1)

31- farewell, for now

farewell, for now

{1994}

The Hospital Wing

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Alula was looking around the hospital wing. Ron was still lying motionless on his bed and Harry and Hermione returned from speaking to Dumbledore. Alula was a new kind of happy. Of course, she had always had things to be happy for, but this was different. Her father was innocent and as soon as it was made public, he would be free. Part of Alula was cautious that the Ministry could go back on their words.

The door opened revealing Harry and Hermione. They crept back to their own beds and Alula noticed Hermione slip something gold into her robes. A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came striding back out of her office.

"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"

She was in a very bad mood. Harry, Hermione and Alula thought it best to accept their chocolate quietly. Madam Pomfrey stood over them, making sure they ate it. As Alula took a fourth piece of chocolate from Madam Pomfrey, she heard a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above them...

"What was that?" said Madam Pomfrey in alarm.

Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door.

"Really -- they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

Alula, along with Harry and Hermione, was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing nearer --

"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out --"

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! I RETURNED MISS BLACK AND WHEN I WENT BACK HE WAS GONE! THIS -- HAS -- SOMETHING -- TO -- DO -- WITH -- POTTER!"

"Severus -- be reasonable -- Harry has been locked up --"

BAM.

The door of the hospital wing burst open.

Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself.

"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"

"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw --"

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry and Hermione. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth.