Poisoned Youth | ✓

36- Family

The Ministry was cold, but I woke up warm and very confused. My back felt as though I sported a large bruise on my back. I tried to wiggle my fingers but winced as I wiggled the ones on my right. Opening my eyes, I saw I was in the Hospital wing at Hogwarts. A gasp flew through my chest as the memories came back to me.

"Where's Harry?" I suddenly blurted.

But looking around, I found myself surrounded by my friends instead: Hermione was asleep and had a large bandage over her chest that, thankfully, moved up and down with her breaths; Ginny was conscious and propped up by pillows, though she had rods strapped to her ankle; Ron was awake and had odd lines all up and down his arms from when he Summoned the brains; Neville held a large ice bag to his face; Luna sat in a chair reading her upside down Quibbler. Looking down at my right hand, I saw my wrist had been tightly bandaged with rods also strapped to it.

"Ah, you're awake, Miss Kemper!" Madam Pomfrey chirped. "Here, take some —"

"Where's Harry?" I asked again.

Her small smile turned into a frown, upset at my outburst. At my question again, Ron and Ginny turned their heads towards me.

"Dumbledore's, apparently," Ron answered croakily.

"I want to go —" I began to pull the blanket off myself and ignored the pain in my back, but Madam Pomfrey quickly came over and scolded me to lay down.

Reluctantly, I listened to the matron and took the nasty Skele-Gro in big gulps. It was painful, to say the least, growing back the bones in my wrist. After a while, Hermione woke up and I began to cry about how I thought she had died. I reached my arm out and grabbed her hand, with my good one; we stayed like that for a while until the double doors of the ward opened to reveal the raven-haired boy I wouldn't stop asking about. He was dirty and had little nicks all over his face, but what stood out was his bloodshot eyes and tearstained face.

"Harry?" I asked softly as Madam Pomfrey allowed him in.

He didn't respond. He looked broken and sad.

"Harry?" I tried again and let go of Hermione's hand in hopes of grabbing his.

He walked up to Ron's bed and sat on the foot of it, next to me. Hermione was on my left and seemed upset Harry hadn't sat on my bed as I was in the middle.

"He's dead," he breathed.

"Voldemort?" I asked stupidly.

"No," he looked up at me, tears in his eyes, and I instantly knew: "Sirius."

"Harry," I whispered.

Ignoring my back pain, I lunged at Harry and embraced him tightly. I tried not to hiss as he wrapped his arms around me as well. Madam Pomfrey quickly came out and scolded the both of us: Me for being out of bed and Harry for hurting my back even more. Once his tears were gone and his face was dry, Harry began to ask questions.

"What happened to you guys?"

"I was just knocked out pretty rough," Hermione said softly. "I woke up a few moments before you came in, Harry."

"And I only broke my ankle, I'll be good as new by tomorrow morning," Ginny smiled.

"I got suction-cupped by some brains," Ron shivered at the memory. "Madam Pomfrey says I had been Confunded badly."

"My wrist was shattered, but she fixed it. Just like Ginny, I'll be good by tomorrow," I nodded. "And you?"

"Few scratches, nothing much," Harry shrugged sadly. He turned his attention to me and furrowed his brows, "how did you curse Dolohov if your wand arm was broken?"