DUSK; Cedric Diggory

Chapter 32

The next time Ophelia opened her eyes, she was in an unfamiliar room, and the pounding in her head would not stop. As she shifted to rub her sore eyes, she heard voices in a hushed whisper, so she shut her eyes tight again.

"Shocking business...shocking...miracle none of them dead...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 and Rae, Minister..." Hearing her name, Ophelia became more alert, listening in on the conversation.

"No!"

"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent—they weren't responsible for their actions..." Ophelia now made the voice out to be Professor's Snape's.

"Ah, well, Snape...Harry Potter, you know...we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he' concerned."

"And yet—is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try to treat him like any other student. And any other student would be suspended—for leading his friends into such danger, especially Miss Rae, who had just transferred to Hogwarts a few month ago..."

"Well, well... we shall see, Snape, we shall see... The boy had undoubtedly been foolish..." Ophelia still didn't know who was speaking to Snape, but he did sound quite important, and she was in too much of a groggy slate to bother to put effort in finding out.

"What amazes me most is the behavior 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 the two girls—"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."

Having mustered up enough energy to push herself up against the wall, Ophelia lifted her sore arms, groaning softly as she stretched. From the bed next to her, she saw Harry shifting his head on his pillow, and to his right, Hermione. When she met both Harry and Hermione's eyes, she pointed to the door, and Hermione pressed a finger to her lips to tell Harry to not make a sound.

"Ah, good, you're all awake!" Madam Pomfrey said, with three chocolate bars in her hand. She placed each one next to their bedside tables.

"How's Ron?" Harry and Hermione said together.

"He'll live," Madam Promfrey said grimly. "As for you three, you'll be staying here until I'm satsifed—"

"Harry, what are you doing?" Ophelia asked, furrowing her eyebrows as Harry sat up, put his glasses back on and picked up his wand.

"I need to see the headmaster," was all he said.

"Potter," said Madam Pomfrey soothingly, "it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The Dementors will be performing the kiss any moment now—"

"WHAT?" Ophelia, Harry and Hermione all yelled together, jumping out of bed.

At that moment, The Minister of Magic—Cornelius Fudge, she thought his name was— and Snape had entered the Hospital Wing. "Harry, Harry, what's this?" Fudge said anxiously. "You should be in bed—had he had any choclate?"