𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅, george weasley

chapter 13 - another year gone

It's been a few days since they came back from the third-floor corridor. Rumors had been flying about the school. Some the utmost absurd. Nonetheless, they were very happy to find that Harry had woken up from his coma.

   Ron, Hermione, and Ileana raced across the Entrance Hall, heading for the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey, the matron, was a nice woman, but very strict. It took her some convincing from Harry to let them in.

   "Harry!" they all yelled.

   Harry was very happy to see them.

   "Oh Harry, we were so worried — Dumbledore was so worried—" said Hermione.

   "The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?"

   Harry spent the next five minutes explaining everything that happened. It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumors. Quirrell; the Mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort. They were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places and, when Harry told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud.

   "So the Stone's gone?" Ileana said finally. "Flamel's just going to die?"

   "That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that 'to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure'."

   "I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed.

   "So what happened to you guys?" said Harry.

   "We got back alright," said Hermione. "Ron came around — and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him at the entrance hall — he already knew — all he said was, 'Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?' and zoomed off to the third floor."

   "Do you think he meant you to do it?" said Ileana. "Sending you your father's Cloak and everything?"

   "Well," Hermione exploded, "if he did — I mean to say — that's terrible — you could've been killed."

   "No it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he taught us enough to help."

   "Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course — you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrolled by Ravenclaw without you — but the food'll be good."

   At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled in.

   "You've nearly had fifteen minutes, now OUT," she said firmly.

*

The Great Hall had been decorated with green and silver banners and colors to celebrate Slytherin's winning of the House Cup for the seventh year in a row. An enormous banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the teacher's table.

   The good news was, Harry came down to join them. There was a sudden hush when he walked in and then everybody started talking loudly at once. He slipped into a seat at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him.

   Fortunately, the babble died when Professor McGonagall clinked her glass, and Dumbledore rose to his feet.

   "Another year gone," said Professor Dumbledore cheerfully. "What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were...you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts...