A Halliwell at Hogwarts: The Prisoner of Azkaban

VII - Harry's Mistake

Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Harry and Persephone in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. They didn't argue or complain, because she was already mad enough at them — when she had found the two asleep on Persephone's bed she had started to freak out, shouting nonsenses about inappropriate behavior and uncooperative patients. However, they wouldn't let her throw away the shattered remnants of their Nimbus Two Thousands. It was Persephone's first broom ever and it was so dear to her that even if she knew that it was beyond repair, she wanted to bring it back with her and keep it in the attic of the Manor.

They had a stream of visitors, all intent on cheering them up. Hagrid sent them a bunch of earwiggy flowers that looked like yellow cabbages. Ginny, blushing slightly, turned up with a get-well card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Harry kept it shut under his bowl of fruit, whereas she gave Persephone a hug that almost choked her and some Chocolate Frogs. The Gryffindor team visited again on Sunday morning. Wood told Harry (in a hollow, dead sort of voice) that he didn't blame him in the slightest. Persephone rolled her eyes, shaking her head at her captain words. Of course he didn't blame him, nobody could blame him! It was not his fault Dementors invaded the Quidditch pitch!

When Oliver tried to pat Persephone's head, she swatted his hand away, giving him the stinky eye. She hadn't forgotten his failed attempt of kiss, nor did their teammates, who at the moment were glaring at him.

"You stay away from her, Oliver, or—"

"Or I'll apply for a restraining order!" concluded Persephone for Angelina. There was a chorus of 'a what?' and a snicker from Harry.

Ron and Hermione left Harry's and Persephone's bedside only at night. The first time Hermione had seen Persephone awake, she had engulfed her in a rib-breaking hug.

"Oh, Sephie!" she had cried.

"You're mental, Sephie! Amazing, but mental..." had said Ron, letting out a relieved sigh.

Persephone had chuckled, patting Hermione's back, "Why, thank you, Ron."

"You could've died! Both of you!"

"Right, but that was exactly what I wanted to prevent when I tried to catch Harry in midair."

"You shouldn't have" had said Harry with a frown.

"Ok, would you, please, stop telling me what I should or shouldn't do?! I decided to do it, I had good intentions and—"

"You would've died if it wasn't for Dumbledore's intervention!" Harry had interrupted her.

"So would've you! Listen, what I did was dangerous, I know it and I'm sorry to have worried you all, but I don't regret it and I'd do it again if that meant to save one of you" Persephone had  concluded with a huff.

"Sephie, please... just don't do it" had said Harry with a final sigh.

He hadn't got any promise back as Persephone knew it would've been a lie.

It was a relief to return to the noise and bustle of the main school on Monday, even if she had to try really hard to endure Draco Malfoy's taunting Harry. Malfoy was almost beside himself with glee at Gryffindor's defeat. He 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, but Persephone didn't care, she cracked up at the sight of her cousin's disgusted face.

"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, Hermione."