Towers - Fred Weasley

18

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EBONY'S BODY FEELS LIKE IT'S ON FIRE when she finally wakes up from her unconsciousness. Her memory comes flooding back all at once and it generally makes her a bit wary before voices fill the air. 

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS — HAS — SOMETHING — TO — DO — WITH — POTTER!"

"Severus — be reasonable — Harry has been locked up —"

BAM.

The door of the hospital wing burst open. Ebony looks over and sees Hermione and Harry next to Ron's bed. 

Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore come striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looks calm. Indeed, he looks as though he is quite enjoying himself. Fudge appears angry. But Snape is beside himself.

"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellows. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Professor Snape!" shrieks Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"

"See here, Snape, be reasonable," says Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw —"

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howls, pointing at Harry and Hermione. His face was twists; spit was flying from his mouth. "SHE PROBABLY HELPED HER FATHER TOO!"

"Calm down, man!" Fudge barks. "You're talking nonsense!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER AND BLACK!" shrieks Snape. "THEY DID IT, I KNOW THEY DID IT —"

"That will do, Severus," says Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" replies Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!"

"Well, there you have it, Severus," says Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."

Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward.

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after him. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbledore quietly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."

"He's not the only one!" puffed Fudge. "The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now is for the story of that hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well . . . I'd better go and notify the Ministry. . . ."

"And the dementors?" said Dumbledore. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," said Fudge, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy. . . . Completely out of control . . . no, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight. . . . Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance. . . ."

"Hagrid would like that," said Dumbledore with a swift smile at Harry and Hermione. As he and Fudge left the dormitory, Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.