𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐏𝐎𝐀 𝟕

Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Emily in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. She didn't argue or complain, all Emily could think about was what had happened with Harry the other day.

She had a stream of visitors, all intent on cheering her up. Hagrid sent her a bunch of earwiggy flowers that looked like yellow cabbages, and Ginny Weasley, turned up with a get well card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Emily kept it shut under her bowl of fruit.

The Gryffindor team visited again on Sunday morning, this time accompanied by Wood, who told Emily (in a hollow, dead sort of voice) that he didn't blame her in the slightest. Harry, Ron and Hermione left Emily's bedside only at night and only Ethan, Draco and Remus were aloud to sleep by her side. Draco had told her that he didn't want to say and the teachers insisted but Ethan told her he caught Draco begging the teachers to let him stay with her.

All she could think about was what she heard when falling from the sky, her dad shouting and crying at the same time and a baby crying. She had no intention on bringing it up with her dad, fully knowing it was probably going to surface some long forgotten memory's.

It was a relief to return to the noise and bustle of the main school on Monday, where she was forced to think about other things, even if she had to endure Pansy Parkinson's taunting.

Parkinson was almost beside herself with glee at Gryffindor's defeat. Malfoy had finally taken off his bandages, and celebrated having the full use of both arms again by doing spirited imitations of Harry falling off his broom.

Malfoy spent much of their next Potions class doing Dementor imitations across the dungeon; Ron finally cracked and flung a large, slippery crocodile heart at Malfoy, which hit him in the face and caused Snape to take fifty points from Gryffindor.

"If Snape's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts again, I'm skiving off," said Ron as they headed toward Lupin's classroom after lunch. "Check who's in there, Emily."

Emily peered around the classroom door.

"Dad!"

Professor Lupin was back at work. It certainly looked as though he had been ill.

His old robes were hanging more loosely on him and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes; nevertheless, he smiled at the class as they took their seats, and they burst at once into an explosion of complaints about Snape's behavior while Lupin had been ill.

"It's not fair, he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?"

"We don't know anything about werewolves-"

"two rolls of parchment!"

"Did you tell Professor Snape we haven't covered them yet?" Lupin asked, frowning slightly. The babble broke out again.

"Yes, but he said we were really behind-"

"he wouldn't listen"
"two rolls of parchment!"

Professor Lupin smiled at the look of indignation on every face.

"Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay."

"Oh no," said Emily, looking very disappointed. "Me and Hermione have already finished it!"

They had a very enjoyable lesson. Professor Lupin had brought along a glass box containing a Hinkypunk, a little one-legged creature who looked as though he were made of wisps of smoke, rather frail and harmless looking.

"Lures travelers into bogs," said Professor Lupin as they took notes. "You notice the lantern dangling from his hand? Hops ahead, people follow the light, then-"