The Weasley Twin (Harry Potter Love Story)

[28] End of Year Feast

Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict. And I mean very.

"Just five minutes," Harry pleaded.

"Absolutely not," she said.

"You let Professor Dumbledore in..." I reminded her.

"Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You two need rest," Madame Pomfrey said matter of factly.

"We are resting, look, lying down and everything," Harry gestured over us in proof.

"Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey..." I begged.

"Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes only."

And she let Ron and Hermione in.

"Harry! Rory!"

Hermione looked ready to fling her arms around both of us again, but I was glad she held herself in as both of our heads were still very sore.

"Oh, Harry, Rory, we were sure you were going to -- Dumbledore was so worried --" Hermione said.

"The whole school's talking about it," Ron said. "What really happened?"

It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumors. Harry and I told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort. Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Harry told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud. Now my eardrums have to heal as well as my head.

"So the Stone's gone?" Ron said finally. "Flamel's just going to die?"

"That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that -- what was it?" Harry glanced over at me.

"'To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure'," I recited back to them.

"I always said he was off his rocker," Ron said, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.

"So what happened to you two?" Harry asked.

"Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round --that took a while -- and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall -- he already knew -- he just said, 'Harry and Rory's gone after him, haven't they?' and hurtled off to the third floor."

"D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"

"Well, " Hermione exploded, "if he did -- I mean to say that's terrible -- you both could have been killed."

"No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance."

I nodded in agreement. "I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help."

"I don't think it was an accident he let Rory and me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could...." Harry said.

"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," Ron stated proudly.

"Listen, you both have got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course -- you two missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you guys -- but the food'll be good."

At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.

"You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT!" she said firmly.