Yuletide Blessing in Disguise

In the Serpent's Wake Part 2

"Pomfrey should reserve a bed in here for you!" Ron chortled at Harry. "Seems like you're always in here for something or other."

Hermione glared at Ron and was about to yell at him for being so callous when Neville got a word in edgewise.

"But we're both just glad you're alive, Harry! We were really worried that you might actually die."

"Yeah!" said Ron, nodding and getting more serious. "And Malfoy was gloating about it. I was going to punch him but Neville beat me to it. He socked Malfoy right on the nose. You should've seen him... Neville was bloody brilliant!"

"But then Ron jumped in to help me when Crabbe and Goyle piled on," said Neville, turning pink at Ron's high praises. "We lost a lot of points for Gryffindor though!"

"Who cares!" Ron retorted. "It was bloody worth it! And besides, Malfoy and his lot lost loads more for Slytherin!" Ron grinned again. "Fred and George helped us out - there were like, ten of them and only four of us!"

"So that was why Malfoy was in here with a bloody nose and a black eye a little while ago," said Harry, grinning back at Ron. "I wondered what that was all about."

Hermione frowned, looking a bit torn. "Well, it's all well and good you both sticking up for Harry, but you really shouldn't have been fighting. Someone could have got seriously hurt."

Ron choked out a cough which sounded suspiciously like, "Third year!"

Hermione flushed, remembering how she had slapped Malfoy when he had been mocking Hagrid for crying about Buckbeak being sentenced to death. Harry raised his eyebrows at her and gave her a little smirk.

"Oh, shut up!" said Hermione, swatting him on the shoulder.

"Ooow!" moaned Harry teasingly. "I'm not Malfoy!"

Ron and Neville peered at each other slightly awkwardly. Neville gave Ron a little nudge as if to suggest that it might be time to leave, but Ron let his curiosity get the best of him.

"Er... Is it true Harry? Did you really fight a Sea Serpent?"

"Yeah, I did actually. How did you know?" asked Harry

"Malfoy," said Ron. "That's more or less how it all started. When you were gone so long, Malfoy said you'd got eaten by a Sea Serpent."

"Oh!" said Harry, shooting Hermione a dark look.

"It might be a coincidence, Harry," she said worriedly. "Malfoy could have just made a lucky guess. You shouldn't read too much into it."

"You don't really believe that, do you?"

"I don't know," Hermione admitted with a sigh. "I suppose, if Draco's father really is involved with Bagman or someone else high up at the Ministry, he could have told Draco. He did tell Draco all about the tournament before anyone else was supposed know, after all."

Neville caught Madam Pomfrey's steely gaze and gulped. He gave Ron another little nudge. Ron shot him an annoyed look.

"Erm, maybe we should let Harry get some rest," said Neville. Ron suddenly got the hint and spotted Madam Pomfrey glowering at them.

"Oh, er... Right! I suppose you can tell us the rest of what happened later, Harry."

"Yeah, of course. No problem!"

"Bye Harry," said Neville.

As Neville and Ron departed the hospital wing, Hermione swiveled around to give Madam Pomfrey a hard stare as if daring the school nurse to turf her out, but she was surprised to see Madam Pomfrey smiling shrewdly at them.