HYBRID MAGIC

Chapter Six

Hermione woke up with a mild headache but nothing else which hinted at the incident that had happened between her and Malfoy. She was disoriented to find herself in the hospital wing, having no recollection of how she'd gotten there. Several beds across from her, dozed a girl with some nasty looking warts on her face. Hermione winced when she saw her. As she sat up, Madam Pomfrey came over to her, her scribbling something on a piece of parchment.

"First things first, how are you feeling dear?"

"I'm fine."

Madam Pomfrey grabbed her chin and shone a light into first one eye and then the other. "That was some nasty venom. Snakes around these parts are quite unfriendly and unless you go looking for them in the Forbidden Forest, are extremely out of your way."

She saw the look of confusion that appeared on Hermione's face and narrowed her eyes.

"Permit me to ask you directly, have you been in the forest?"

Hermione swallowed before she spoke. "No. I fell asleep by the Great Lake and woke up after it bit me." She was relieved that she'd come up with an answer so quickly and watched as Madam Pomfrey considered her words.

"You should be more careful," she said, apparently convinced by Hermione's story. "You seem to be fine for now, but to be safe, it's best if you stay the night for observation."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," Hermione began, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, "but I have to get going. I have a lot of work to get done and-"

A beam of yellow light hit her, instantly rendering her entire body numb. She collapsed unto the bed, unable to move a muscle. Madam Pomfrey sighed.

"It was not a request. Whatever you have to do will take care of itself tomorrow."

Hermione struggled to move her body, but the only parts that responded to her were her eyes and her mouth. "Madam Pomfrey, really. I can't stay here-"

"Sleep for now," the matron said, muttering a quiet spell under her breath. Hermione felt her eyes begin to close and although she fought it, she began sinking into darkness once more.

***

From far away, she could hear familiar bickering voices. She struggled to open her eyes and managed to at last, blinking in the soft light of the hospital wing. From the window, she could see that it was late evening, the setting sun casting its pink glow around the room. She looked towards the source of the commotion, noting that the immobilising spell cast on her must have worn off, and saw that Harry and Ron were arguing with Madam Pomfrey who appeared to be in the act of throwing them out.

"Please, Madam Pomfrey? Hermione's our friend. Just let us see her."

"Your friend needs rest. I will not let either of you get in the way of that. Now be gone!"

"Madam Pomfrey, please let me talk to them." Her voice interjected.

The stern woman turned to Hermione, her brow knitted in a determined scowl.

"Five minutes," she said. "Only five minutes."

The boys came over without hesitation and then came the question she was already prepared to hear.

"What happened?" Ron demanded, as he drew up in the chair beside her bed.

She couldn't tell the same story she'd had Madam Pomfrey believe. Unlike her, they knew she'd never been anywhere near the lake.

"I was searching some old books in the library when a snake bit me. It must have gotten inside somehow," she whispered to them.

"A snake?" Harry repeated, a bit incredulous.