After the Ministry

Chapter 3

I do not own Harry Potter.

When Harry woke up the next morning it was to see the white ceiling of his room at St Mungo's hospital. He could hear various rustling and cracking from the over occupants and footsteps in the hallway. Wanting to look about him he threw the quilt of and tiptoed two steps over the floor to carefully peel back he curtain. Blinking owlishly a the sudden bright light Harry scrambled back into bed and pulled the comfy white cover back up as he settled down into a sitting position. He grabbed his glasses of his bed side table and put them on his nose. 

"Good morning Harry." said Hermione cheerfully from the bed next to him. Her brown hair was tied in a pony tail for sleeping and she had her copy of Word Wide Medicine: History and the current standing  open on the bed. 

Everyone else was awake to. Ginny was sitting in the bed next to Hermionie and Neville was opposite her with Ron next to him and Luna on the end. Luna was reading the quibbler with a dreamy expression. Ron and Neville were talking and Ginny was fiddling with the edge of her quilt.  

"Are you feeling okay Harry?" asked Hermione worriedly. Her warm brown eyes met his bright green ones for a moment before Harry felt the wave of sadness wash over him again. I felt like a cold blanket covering his very soul. He felt tears prick behind his eyeballs and he could taste salt in his mouth. Hermione reached out a hand and he allowed her to take his. She gently caressed his knuckles as his struggled to swallow his tears. 

Healer Amber walked into the room levitating six trays of food. "Good morning guys!" she said smiling. "Now I think all but Harry and Hermione can go home today!" 

"Home? Arn't we returning to Hogwarts, Healer Amber?" asked Ginny her face screwed up. 

"The ministry decided that it would be in your best interests not to return to Dumbledore's care again this year." she explained as she levitated a plate to each of them. 

"Why not?" asked Ron hotly.

"Because they think that he should have been watching you properly." she told him picking up the tea pot and walking over to Luna's bed. She walked round filling up the tea cups in each tray. 

As soon as she filled Harry's cup he reached out to take it unknowingly showing the healer his Umbridge inflicted scars. 

"What are these Mister Potter?" she asked indicating to the back of his left hand. Harry was impressed at how much she looked and sounded like Professor McGonagall. 

"Umm its nothing. It was an um a-a-an err accident with umm a err bike when I was err six, yeah err I erm fell off my err uh bike?" It sounded like a question even to Harry. 

"Mr Potter I have been a healer since I was twenty years old I know old scar when I see them and that," she gestured to Harry's now hidden hand. "Is not an old scar. In fact it looks quite recent."

Harry quelled under the woman's stern glare. "It was that Umbridge woman! She made me write with a pen that wrote in your blood for detention." 

"Alright." the Healer said her lips pursed. "And what were you given detention for?"

"Umm, telling the truth about Voldemort's return."

"Was this blood quill authorised Auror Nest?" she asked the man who was standing unnoticed at the fire place. 

"No. Ma'am it is not."

"Do me a favour and go send an owl would you."

"Of course." 

After Auror Nest left the room everyone began eating again. 

"Don't you think it's silly, mate, them not letting us back to Hogwarts!" said Ron as he gobbled up his scrambled eggs. "I mean accusing Dumbledore of not looking after us." (for the sake of the story he was still headmaster).

"I dunno." Harry shrugged. "But I am not going back to the Dursley's ever again."

"But, wasn't it warded?" asked Ginny. "Didn't Dumbledore say it was he power of love that kept them running?" 

"That, wouldn't work." said Hermione. "I was just reading about Hector Dagworth-Granger and he has a Mastery in warding as well as potions. And you're given a quick over view of what warding is. Wards can be powered by rune stones or the natural magic of an area but not love." She rolled her eyes. "And anyway I don't think they're was ever any love in that house hold."       

They sat in silence considering her words as they finished easting. Healer Amber came back into the room and took their plates out again. 

"Your families have come to visit you." she explained. "Ron, Ginny,Luna and Nevile your families will be taking you home with them when you go. Oh, and Ron you'll have to take someone potions to get rid of the nasty scars left behind by those brains."  

About ten minutes later Healer Amber walked back into the ward followed by quite a lot of adults. There was Mr and Mrs Weasley, Augusta Longbottom, Emily and Milo Granger, Xenophiles Lovegood and to Harrys immense surprise Remus Lupin. 

Mr and Mrs Wesley rushed tight to the chars between Ron and Ginny and started toto talk hurriedly to them. Mr Lovegood tor used over to his daughter and Harry could her part of their convasation about narwals from his bed. Augusta Longbottom could be herd repeatedly telling Neville how proud she was again and again and again and Mr and Mrs Granger were both hugging Hermione. 

"How are you Harry?" asked Remus quietly. 

Harry just shook his head. 

All of his dreams of freedom and happiness away from the Dursley's where all shattered when Sirius fell through the arch and nothing could ever bring him back.