Harry Potter and the Silver Serpent

Chapter 15 - Hogwarts

Harry was lying on something soft and warm when he woke. He was so surprised to be alive but was confused when he opened his eyes. Nothing looked right, everything was bleary till he realised his glasses weren't perched on his nose. He felt around for them on a unit next to him and snatched them up and placed them back on his nose.

He was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts and he could see Madam Pomfrey preparing something at one end of the room, other than her they were alone in the wing. Harry pushed himself up into a seating position catching the matron's attention whom bustled over to his bedside with a clear goblet and pitcher of something brown and gooey.

"Drink." She implored, offering him a goblet filled to the brim.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Chocolate milk."

She fussed over him whilst he drank three full goblets and instantly began to feel better.

"Why am I here?" he asked before she could offer another goblet.

"Well, you can't very well go to St Mungo's after its attack, their still rebuilding. The Minister had you brought here. He trusted no one else to heal you." She said proudly.

"How long have I been out?"

"Less than a day. It's almost dinner time."

"Is the Minister here? My family? I need to talk with them."

"They're all here. Professor McGonagall has offered them rooms in their old dorms whilst you heal."

"They'll all be in Gryffindor tower, then?"

"Yes."

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to go join them."

Madam Pomfrey fussed over him a minute more, making him take at least one more goblet of chocolate milk before finally releasing him from the hospital wing. Harry still remembered the way back to his old dorm. The memories of the castle came flooding back to him while he walked down the familiar old halls and climbed the ever changing stairs. At last he found himself outside the dorm facing the portrait of the fat lady who gave a start of recognition but remained her composure.

"Password?" she asked.

Harry sighed and thought. "Godric?"

The fat lady rolled her eyes but said, "Fair enough." And swung open.

The tower was just as Harry remembered it, not a thing had changed in the couple of years since he was last here. The sound of fire crackling reached him first then the murmur of hushed voices.

Ron and Hermione sat at one of the sofas with their back to him. They're heads were bent over looking at a sheet of parchment laid out on the table between them and the fire. It was the Marauders Map, they must have borrowed it whilst he was unconscious.

They're heads snapped round at the sound of a floorboard creaking behind them. Harry turned to see who else was joining them but all he saw was a flash of long red hair before something struck him across the cheek.

He stumbled backwards, gasping and cradling his sore cheek before propping himself against the sofa where Ron and Hermione sat.

"Ginny!" Ron growled.

"Stay out of this, Ron." She shouted. "This is between me and my husband."

Ginny grabbed Harry by his collar and dragged him out of the room and up the stairs to the boys' dormitories. Harry was not prepared for Ginny's ire, he knew she'd be upset but he'd never predicted this anger.