The Healer- A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction

Chapter 31

It was a welcome relief from the day to be back in the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey and I were on shelf stocking and unpacking duty in her office, which smelled of rubbing alcohol and medicinal herbs. A Murphy bed was built into the wall; and doubled as Madam Pomfrey's bed and a workstation. I sat marking inventory as Madam Pomfrey magically refilled my cup of chamomile tea. I had no need for elderberry tea anymore now that the pre-coital and post-coital contraception spells were under my belt.

"We'll have to stock up on Pepperup Potion," Madam Pomfrey said, thinking aloud to herself as she stocked the glass-door cabinets in her office. "This time of year, there's always a bug or two spread around the castle..."

"Madam Pomfrey, why doesn't Hogwarts provide a more comprehensive education on contraception?"

Madam Pomfrey nearly knocked over a whole shelf of neatly arranged dittany vials when she heard my question.

"A more comprehensive education on..." Madam Pomfrey echoed my words to herself, slowly turning to look at me with bemusement. "Erica, where ever is this coming from?"

I gave her a hardened, purposeful look and hoped she could connect two and two. "Do you recall when I seemed a bit distracted a few months ago? Well, that distraction has become... a bit more distracting." Madam Pomfrey's eyes widened.

"Erica," Madam Pomfrey said with soft gasps, "Are you... with child?"

"No, no no," I shook my head, looking her earnestly in the eyes. "I've been doing everything in my power to prevent that. And by everything, I mean..." my voice lowered to a murmur and winced, "the post-coital contraception charm."

Madam Pomfrey looked down at me with a mixture of emotions. Her grey eyebrows arched, and her kind, watery eyes caught the reflection of the glittering potion bottles on the shelves. Her unfalteringly steady hands were clamped together in a position I knew all too well as worry. Guilt; and worry.

Madam Pomfrey magically brought a stool over and sat beside me.

"Contraceptive spells are very easy to abuse," she tutted. "It was always the best effort of Hogwarts to keep students from using them. That is why I am permitted to only teach abstinence-only education." She said those words as if they left a bitter taste in her mouth. "The assumption was that if we inform students of the contraceptive charms' existence, students would begin to use them freely and without restraint, causing potentially irreversible long-term injury." Madam Pomfrey's eyes clouded. "There were.... incidents, many years ago. Older students got their hands on the charms and used them multiple times a day. Then, many years later, a number of females found themselves left permanently infertile."

My stomach clenched at the word. Permanently infertile. The reason why the spells were kept a secret was beginning to make more sense to me.

Madam Pomfrey straightened. "I have been advocating for more in-depth, honest sexual education at this school for... I don't know how long. But the incidents of the past loomed over Hogwarts for a long time. The most I'm allowed to recommend is Muggle contraception. I wish I could change things, but ultimately, this is what the parents of students are most comfortable with."

I cupped the warm chamomile tea in my hands, listening to Madam Pomfrey's explanation. "If you could teach what you wanted to teach... what would you say?" I asked hesitantly.

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips, deciding between whether to speak her mind or keep it inside. After a moment of deliberation, she waved her hand and magically shut the door of her office. In a lowered voice, she said to me, "The pre-coital charms are relatively harmless. They can be performed on either the man or woman to be effective, but should not be used more than twice a day, or else it may cause nausea. Ultimately, I have not heard of a single case of long-term detriments caused by the pre-coital charms. However..." her voice grew more serious, "It is the post-coital one that causes such long-lasting damage when abused. It was created to be used as a last resort, as it is very physically taxing. The recipient should be in a reclined position, and the caster should deliver the spell in a gentle voice, barely moving the tip of the wand. This can be done no more than three times a month."