17. Hospital Wing

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Hermione's Point of View

We have been waiting for two and a half hours for Esmerelda to wake up. She took a hard fall off her broom and completely blacked out. Gryffindor still won, though, although three players from Gryffindor got hurt by the end of the game. Harry caught the game-winning Snitch. I'm absolutely positive that Snape was jinxing the brooms earlier. I'm sure of it. 

My entire group rushes to Oliver Wood, who is the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. He just woke up after his broom got hit by a Bludger and he fell off during the game. I still sit on a stool by Esmerelda's bed while the rest of the group talks to Oliver and fills him in on the game.

"Out!" The school nurse, Madam Pomfrey shouts to our group. "It's time for dinner. You can see them later!"

I take one last look at Esmerelda before joining Ron and Harry. 

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Ron's Point of View

Dinner is great. They serve chicken again. It's my favorite. I look across the table. Hermione looks bored. Harry looks gloomy, even though Gryffindor won earlier today. He even caught the Snitch! Esmerelda hasn't woken up for three hours, so I think he's just worried. I am too. 

Harry, Hermione, and I plan to go to Hagrid's hut after dinner. I doubt Esmerelda will feel good enough to go. I do miss her. We really aren't the same without her. It's strange: if you take one person away from our group, it just becomes different. 

Professor Dumbledore shooes us out after dinner is complete.

"Let's go to the Hospital Wing," Hermione suggests. 

"Good idea," I say. We walk down the hall toward the Hospital Wing. 

"Well, well, well! Walking in the corridors late at night!" I flip around and see Malfoy and his two buddies behind us, smirking. Crabbe and Goyle, I think their names are. 

"Whaddya' want Malfoy?" Harry asks with irritability.

"I just asked what you are doing! No need to attack me!" Malfoy says, all innocently. It makes me angry.

"C'mon, guys," I say, walking toward the Hospital Wing, leaving Malfoy in his tracks. I'm sick of Malfoy's attitude. I guess he has something better to do, because he doesn't follow us, although I can hear him snickering all the way down the hall.

Harry starts running once we get inside the Hospital Wing. I can see from afar that Esmerelda is still blacked out, but she is turned in a different position, which is a good sign. 

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Harry's Point of View

The common room is oddly quiet tonight. Everyone else is celebrating over the Quidditch match today everywhere else. We decided on the way back not to go to Hagrid's hut tonight, as Esmerelda still isn't awake. I'm furious at Snape, who cursed both of our brooms during the game. By the time my broom stopped, Professor Dumbledore had already carried Esmerelda off the field. Her scream was awful, gut-wrenching. Tears come to my eyes at the thought.

Ron and Hermione sit on either side of me finishing their homework for next week. I'm in no mood to do homework, so I stare at the fire.

"I am awake and well." The voice comes out as a whisper.

I look around, but both Ron and Hermione are fixated to their books and there is no one else in the common room.

"I am awake and well."

"Do you hear the voice?" I ask Ron and Hermione.

Ron looks confused. "No!" he says.

"I'm going to the Hospital Wing," I say, standing up.

"We're coming with you!" Hermione says, tossing her books on the couch and running after me. 

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Esmerelda's Point of View

I rub my eyes and look around. I don't know where I am. I'm the only one here. My arm hurts a bit when I extend it. 

I can hear multiple footsteps approaching. I think I see Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but my vision is blurred at the moment.

"She's awake!" one of them shouts. I'm suddenly enveloped in a hug.

"Woah! Wait a second! What happened? Did we win? Where am I?"

"I'll tell you," Hermione says before the boys can.

"First of all you fell off your broom," Hermione starts. 

"I did what?" I ask. I couldn't remember falling. In fact, I could barely remember the game. I remember scoring, I remember Wood falling to the ground, but nothing after that. 

"So, your broom started acting strange, like it had been cursed. I know Snape cursed it. He was muttering something the whole time!"

"Rotten Snape," Ron mutters under his breath.

"So I went to the teachers' landing and set Snape's cloak on fire! Harry's broom was being cursed too, but he didn't fall. You did and blacked out immediately. Professor Dumbledore had to carry you all the way to the Hospital Wing. By the time the game was over, there were only four players left! Gryffindor won though. Harry caught the Snitch and won the game!" Hermione finishes.

"Nice job Harry!" I say, giving him a high-five with the arm that doesn't hurt. 

"Well, technically, he swallowed it, but then spit it out-" Hermione adds.

"Cool!" I say.

"What time is it?" I say.

"After dinner already. You were out a long time!" Ron says. He hands me a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, which has become my favorite candy.

"Thanks!" I say. I open the box and pull out a blue-green bean and eat it. It definitely tastes like some sort of vegetable. 

"Spinach," I say. I don't hate spinach, so it tastes fine to me. Harry and Ron cringe.

Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, releases me after she checks on me and makes sure that my vision is okay. All four of us walk back to the common room.

"Wait a second, where's my broom?" I ask, mainly directing it toward Harry.

"Common room," Harry answers.

When we get to the common room, Ron and Hermione go straight to bed. I spot my broom on top of chests in the corner of the room.

"Esmerelda, I heard a voice earlier. Did you hear it too?" Harry asks suddenly.

"No. I didn't," I say. I didn't hear anything, but I guess I was out for at least five hours, so I don't know. That's strange.

"I heard it again!" Harry says. "The voice said 'That's strange.' Do you think someone is talking to me through their mind?" Harry asks.

"That's even weirder. I just thought 'That's strange' in my head. Do you reckon we can communicate through each other's mind?" I ask, suddenly excited. My mind already races, thinking of everything that we could do. 

"Wait, let me try something," I say. I put all my energy into thinking.

"Can you hear me?" I think.

I hear a reply in my head seconds later. "Yes! I really can!"

"So then, it was you! I kept hearing a message saying 'I am awake and well.' but I didn't know what it was!" Harry shouts.

"I kept thinking that to myself, trying to keep myself positive earlier. I didn't know you could hear me too!" I say.

After over an hour of practicing, we can communicate to each other proficiently through our minds, which I'm sure will come in handy at some point later.

Both Harry and I go upstairs to bed, me carrying my broom, that has only a few scratches on it. I finally am able to calm down and fall asleep, although I basically slept for at least five hours earlier.

I'm really starting to like it here, more then ever.

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