Hogwarts' Shinobi

Chapter 31

The whole Weasley & Weasley fiasco was almost entirely cleared up by the end of the third week, and Sakura was more than happy to accept the beckoning call of much-needed sleep. The girl's aching muscles crying out in joy as she relaxed in her bed; the prospect of having the ability to sleep until fully rested exciting her. Of course, it was entirely possible that this was just a pause in the sickness, but a girl could dream.

The following morning was the first time the pink-haired girl had left the medical quarters in just short of a month. The large corridors bustling with chattering students and adults alike as they made their way to the Great Hall for lunch. Sakura quickly allowing herself to be drawn in by the steady stream of students.

As she walked, she heard stories of what had been going on during her lockdown in the hospital. Stories of Professor McGonagall standing up to Professor Umbridge and giving her a piece of both her own and the students' minds. She'd also heard rumours of Umbridge gaining power from the minister of magic himself.

The thought of that awful woman gaining power irking the girl. She'd already treated a couple of students with sentences carved into their hands, and she could only shudder in horror at the prospect of not only more students but severer wounds as well.

But the wounds were not the only things that bothered her about Umbridge's promotion. It was the fact that the pink-loving woman turned to those in power to boost her own reputation. That prospect causing Sakura to dislike the woman even more.

This dislike probably spurring her into action upon entering the Great Hall. Of course, the girl could be surprisingly mature for her age. But every now and then, she could let her hair down surely?

That was why she, upon entering the great hall, brushed past the woman, not even daring to acknowledge her presence as she walked. The notion of pretending the woman was invisible seemed almost childish to her, but she almost couldn't help it; the temptation to annoy her to great.

The young girl strode between the Ravenclaw and Slytherin table, waving to Draco amiably as she passed him, but otherwise, she walked emotionlessly towards the High table. Not even stopping to nod towards the Golden trio.

The moment she arrived at the foot of the dais on which the staff table stood proudly, she skipped up the stairs, beelining to the empty chair beside Professor Snape. The greasy-haired man nodding towards the girl as she settled in the seat next to him.

"Good to see you back, Sakura." the man spoke, his voice firm and almost entirely emotionless, his eyes, however, were a different story, the man's black eyes betraying a slightly more positive emotion within them. The happiness and relief, whilst almost unnoticeable to most, were clear for Sakura's trained eyes.

"Good to be back." the girl beamed at the man, all traces of exhaustion disappearing at the sight of her companion's good health. Turning to direct her eyes on the feast before her, she couldn't help but grin in excitement.

During her shifts at the hospital, the meals were bland and greatly paling in comparison to the ones served to the rest of the school. The prospect of being able to eat as much as she wanted almost dream-like to the thrilled female. Of course, she'd have to pace herself, her body having begun to adapt to the smaller quantities of food it had been given in the hospital. But she'd be back to normal in no time.

Shaking off thoughts medical thoughts and the prospect of going over hundreds of accident forms which loomed over her like a shadow, the girl allowed herself to relax. Digging into the feast that had been so generously prepared for her by the army of House-elves that resided in the kitchens below them.

-

Sakura rubbed the sides of her larger-than-average forehead in irritation. The ache of an on-coming headache causing her to feel incredibly agitated, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for whoever was brave enough to disturb her.

During the whole, a fake-sickness-turned-real epidemic that had spread through most of the school, they had gotten the students to write a brief report of their illness. Time had been of the essence and the forms were a legal requirement.

That was why Sakura found herself currently swamped in a sea of parchment, some blank and others awaiting approval. The temptation to summon a clone was overwhelming, but she restrained herself. They needed a lot of chakra, and she might need that power should there be an emergency.

Green eyes scanning over what felt like the 100th -and probably was- a piece of parchment. Quickly approving the document as genuine, she pushed it to the side. Head slamming on the desk in frustration as she let out a groan of annoyance. The task was incredibly time-consuming and dull, those two details only confirming the importance of the job she'd been assigned.

All they needed was a name, date and what the problem was. The extra details being just that, extra information. Whilst it was sort of useful, it wasn't an emergency to have the additional information and so ones which lacked in it were approved as well.

But she brushed off the boredom, turning to reach for one of the remaining slips of parchment. The exhaustion creeping up on her due to the tedious task and heat that -despite the multiple cooling charms in the room and the fact all the windows were open- was so sweltering, she could barely remain conscious.

Running a hand through her pink hair, she pushed the last form towards the approved pile before rising to her feet. Wobbling slightly at the sudden use of her muscles, she tottered over to Madame Pomphrey's desk. Ditching the papers on the wooden table, but not before placing a frog-shaped paperweight on them, she turned to leave.