Bella and the Chamber (Book Two)

Chapter Fifty

I had to stay in the Hospital Wing for a few hours because it turned out I had a couple of broken ribs. I didn't notice the pain because the pain in my head overwhelmed me. Turns out, Riddle did quite a number on me and I had to do a few tests, which were both uncomfortable for me and Madam Pomfrey.  Ron came up with Lockhart not long after us saying he had to bring him here to Dumbledore could speak Harry alone. This made me worry about my best friend, why did Dumbledore want to speak to him?

Thankfully, I was discharged from the Hospital Wing with the promise to go back if I felt unwell. I thanked Madam Pomfrey for what she had done before rushing out and heading towards the Great Hall where I knew the feast would be taking place. I rushed in and sat at the Gryffindor table next to Harry, he filled me in what Dumbledore had said and thankfully he wasn't getting expelled and told Harry the reason why the sword of Gryffindor appeared to him. It's because he's a true Gryffindor, but I always knew that.

I had been to several Hogwarts feasts, but never one quite like this. Everybody was in their pyjamas, and the celebrations lasted all night. I didn't know whether the best bit was Hermione running towards Harry screaming, "You solved it! You solved it!" before I tackled her into a hug, or Justin hurrying over from the Hufflepuff table to wring his hand and apologise endlessly for suspecting Harry, or Hagrid turning up at half past three, cuffing Harry and Ron so hard on the shoulders they were knocked into their plates of trifle, or Harry and Ron's four hundred points securing Gryffindor the House Cup for the second year running (yay us), or Professor McGonagall standing up to tell us all that the exams had been cancelled as a school treat. Hermione wasn't happy about that, as expected. My favourite part of the night was when Dumbledore announced that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year, owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back. Quite a few of the teachers joined in the cheering that greeted this news.

"Shame," Ron said, helping himself to a jam doughnut. "He was starting to grow on me,"

I looked at him. "He was starting to grow on me too...grow on my nerves"

Everyone laughed and I leaned my head on Harry's shoulder, happy that this year was almost over and everyone was safe.

*

The rest of the summer term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back to normal and nothing could be better.