CHAPTER FIVE
A SPOT OF DEJA VU
Ron woke Harry up at noon the next day. "Come on, Harry. It's time to get up for our trip to Hogwarts." He gently shook Harry until he opened his eyes.
"What time is it?" Harry asked in a sleepy voice, stifling a yawn and rolling over into a sitting position.
"It's noon. We thought it best to leave a little later than the Express so that you could get some extra sleep. Besides, portkey travel is instantaneous." Ron grinned.
The thought of getting straight to the school without having to deal with Malfoy brightened Harry's prospects for the day. He cringed while reaching for his shirt.
"Easy, mate. You took a pretty good hit from that wand last night." Ron looked over on the bedside table to where it lay and gasped.
"What is it?" Harry asked turning to see what caught his friend by surprise. The wand and its shards were gone. "I wouldn't worry too much; maybe Professor Dumbledore took them with him when he left."
Ron turned a skeptical eye on his friend. "I don't know, Harry. It was there when I came up last night and sent Ginny to her room. Oh, which reminds me, what happened up here? When I woke her up she got all quiet and almost ran to her room."
Harry looked Ron in the eye then looked to the floor. "I ... um ... I woke up and she had my hand ... I ..." Harry stammered, mentally scrambling for the right words to say. He looked to his friend who stood there grinning from ear to ear. "What?"
"I think it's time I break your neck, isn't it? You and Ginny got together last night, didn't you?" Ron said accusingly.
"But ... I ... we ..." Harry fell over the words.
Ron burst into a fit of laughter. "How could you think I'd be mad at you?"
"Huh?"
"Wasn't I trying to get you two together last year on the trip back? I dropped how many hints?"
"Yes ... well."
"I'm just upset that you didn't have the nerve to tell me about your feelings for my little sister!"
"Well, it happened so quickly. I fell asleep afterwards ..."
"You fell asleep? Isn't Ginny good enough for you?!" Ron bellowed.
The door swung open with such force that Harry and Ron had to rub their necks from the whiplash of snapping their heads around so fast. They found Ginny standing in the doorway with a none-too-pleasant look on her face, her arms crossed, and her foot tapping maniacally on the floor. "Just what do you think you're doing, Ronnykins?" Ginny barked.
The blood drained from the older boy's face and he tried to stammer a response.
"I don't want to hear it. It's none of your business if Harry and I did anything last night at all! How could you put him through this kind of treatment after all he's done for you and his present condition?"
Ron hung his head in shame. "Sorry." He said at last. "I was just having a bit of fun."
Harry glanced at Ginny to catch her wink before she proceeded to shoo Ron out of the room. "Now get out and let Harry get ready to leave. You were supposed to wake him up and get his trunk downstairs!"
Ron grabbed Harry's trunk and dragged it from the room. "I'll see you downstairs, Harry." Ron got off a grin before he was summarily pushed from the room.
"Can you get up ok, Harry?" Ginny asked from the door.
"Yes. I think I can." He slid his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up steadily. "Aside from the ache in my muscles, I think I'm Ok."
Ginny smiled and gave him a quick hug. "I'll see you downstairs then?"
"You bet." He replied with a smile as she gave him a quick kiss before retreating from the room. I can't believe it. I thought I was still dreaming last night. He thought as a wide smile began to spread across his face. The missing wand and his aches and pains soon fled his mind as he began to ponder the implications of this new relationship with Ginny.
He gingerly slipped a T-shirt, jeans, and a pair of sneakers on before he checked the room over for anything he might have forgotten. Seeing nothing, he walked out the door and closed it gently behind him. He didn't see the rustle of the curtain or the small shadow that disappeared under the bed.
Harry padded down the stairs and into the main hall where everyone was milling about making last minute checks on their belongings.
"Harry! I'm so glad that you're up and about!" Hermione walked over and gave him a gentle hug. "How's your chest doing?"
"It's ok. I'm a bit sore, but I think I'll manage." He said with a smile.
With a look of relief in their faces, the urgency to get out of the house and to school stepped up a notch or two.
"Now, here are some sandwiches and a thermos of tea for you when you get to the school. You won't be able to get anything until the feast tonight." Mrs. Weasley said as she went about handing paper bags to the four teens. "Now, Harry, dear. Please be sure to get some more rest when you get to the school. I've also been told that Madam Pomfrey wants to see you when you get there to make sure you're doing ok."
"Thanks." Harry said with a smile as Molly gave him a quick motherly hug. He really did like Ron's mum, it almost felt as if he was one of the family. He packed away his pajamas in his trunk just as Albus Dumbledore entered the hall from the kitchen.
"It's good to see you up and about, Harry." He said with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. "Now everyone take a hold of your belongings and grab onto the portkey. It will take you to the Gryffindor common room. Is everyone ready?" The four teenagers nodded and touched the spaghetti strainer as one. "Three, two, one ..." Harry felt a hook somewhere behind his navel, his feet left the ground and he was caught in a swirl of color and howling wind.
He slammed into one of the red sofas in his house's common room. Ron landed unceremoniously on his behind on the floor with Hermione in his lap. He looked to his left and saw Ginny lying face first in the chair next to him. "I'll never get used to portkey travel." He croaked as he brought himself to a sitting position.
"Well," Ron said, "it's better than the Floo Network, isn't it?" He chuckled as he helped his girlfriend right herself.
"Right you are, Ron." Harry agreed. "But I'm still not quite used to magic travel." He got to his feet and helped his girlfriend into an upright position. "Are you Ok, Gin?"
"Yeah." She breathed with a red face. "I sort of tripped on the landing. I wasn't expecting the rug, you know?"
Harry chuckled as he steadied her in his arms. "I know how you feel." They broke apart when they realized that Ron and Hermione were watching them. "Oh," he chuckled nervously, "I forgot that you two knew about us." Ron just chuckled for a few moments and wrapped a blushing Hermione in a quick embrace.
"How about we meet down here in a few hours? It should still be a bit before the train gets here." Hermione suggested.
"Sounds like a plan. I need to get over to the hospital wing." Harry reminded everyone.
"Go on, why don't you go with him, Ginny? We can take care of the trunks." Ron put in.
"That's fine with me!" Ginny said with a small smile and pink cheeks. Harry had the impression that she was as used to openly displaying her emotions about Harry as he was about her.
After a few minutes, Harry and Ginny had made their way through the castle to the clean, bright rooms that made up the hospital wing of Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey smiled as they entered. "I see my number one patient has decided to visit me again."
Harry smiled weakly. He didn't enjoy visiting the nurse as much as he did, but he was grateful that someone as knowledgeable as Madam Pomfrey was on staff for such occasions.
"The headmaster has already filled me in on what happened, come and sit down on the bed so I can have a look at you. Miss Weasley, would you be so kind as to have a seat in the waiting area?"
"Yes, ma'am." She replied.
"Oh, yes. I thought the portkey would cause your wound to open again." Her brows knit in concentration as she tenderly removed the bandages from Harry's chest. "Now let's see..." She reached over to her tray of prepared potions, took out a goblet, and filled it with an awful smelling concoction. She turned back to Harry and offered him the goblet. "Go ahead, it won't hurt a bit. Just swallow it down and you'll be fine in a few hours."
Harry took the goblet with a shaky hand and brought it up to his lips. Something felt strange. He had the strangest sense of déjà vu and he paused with the goblet just shy of his lips.
"Go on, dear. It won't bite." The nurse said compellingly. Harry's heart began to race and he felt his forehead and hands start to sweat.
This is just like in my dream! What ... what if I'm still dreaming? He looked around in a panic and saw Ginny sitting in the waiting area watching everything that was going on. "Um ..." He stammered. "I-I'm getting the strangest sense of déjà vu."
Ginny got to her feet and was instantly by his side. "What's wrong, Harry? It looks like you've seen a ghost!"
"I-I don't feel so well." He handed the goblet back to Madam Pomfrey. "I just need a few moments to clear my mind. Can I just get a breath of fresh air?"
Poppy looked at him with more than a little concern. "Of course, Harry. You can step out into the recovery garden. The exit is over by my office." She pointed to a set of French doors next to her desk. "Don't spend too long outside you'll need a good five hours of rest before you're back to one hundred percent. You don't want to miss the feast, do you?"
Harry looked at her with blurred vision and shook his head. "I won't be long I just need some air." Ginny helped him to his feet and they slowly walked over to the exit, opened the doors, and then crossed over into the garden. The brisk mountain air helped him come to and he put his arm around Ginny's waist for a little added support.
"Are you ok, Harry? I hadn't seen that look on your face since you woke up after your dream."
"I-I'm fine. I just had a bad flashback to that dream. Madam Pomfrey said the same things just now as she did then and I started to panic. I-I know that I'm not dreaming, but it was just a bit unsettling." He confessed.
Ginny turned to face Harry, put her arms around him carefully and pulled him into a gentle hug. She looked into his eyes and slowly stood on her tip toes until her lips touched his. He welcomed her embrace and deepened the kiss. It was as if lightning was coursing through his skin and all time seemed to stop. He wished that he was dreaming and that he'd never wake up.
They parted after a few moments, which didn't seem long enough yet felt like an eternity, and Ginny put her head on his shoulder. "It's ok, Harry, we're all here now and we're not going to leave you alone. I-I don't think I could stand it if anything like that had happened to you and we couldn't do anything to stop it." Harry felt moisture soak into his shirt and he gently tipped her face back so that he could look her in the eyes.
"Thank you for being who you are, Ginny. I hope you'll never change." He whispered to her as he wiped her tears away. He bent slightly and kissed her fully on the lips then backed off a bit. "I think I'm ok now. Let's get this over with and head back for some sleep."
She smiled her agreement and helped Harry back into the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey was patiently waiting. "Are you feeling better?" She asked with a slight grin on her face.
Harry and Ginny both blushed a bit. "Yes, I'm sorry about that. It was just a bit of nightmare sneaking into my head for a moment. I'm ok now."
The nurse handed Harry the goblet and he drank it down with one gulp then gasped and coughed for air directly afterwards.
"Easy there, Mr. Potter. No need to start a chugging contest." Poppy chuckled and filled the goblet with several different potions that Harry obediently drank.
"Ugh ... I don't think I'll be able to eat anything at the feast after that round." He said as he and his girlfriend walked into the common room. "I think I know where Bernie Botts gets his flavors from."
Ginny laughed at that last comment and helped Harry up to his room. Ron was already snoring like there was no tomorrow. "How can you sleep with him droning along like a stopped up dragon?"
"It isn't easy, but it can be done." Harry replied with a grin.
Ginny helped him into bed and gave him a quick kiss before turning for the door. "I'll come and wake you if Ron hasn't already." She said with a dazzling smile. "Now get some rest and get better, ok?"
"I sure will." Harry promised. He let out a lion-like yawn and pulled the warm duvet up over his shoulders and tucked it under his chin. He watched the woman he was falling in love with leave the room and after dropping into his practiced trance, he drifted into a dreamless slumber. He was so exhausted that he didn't feel the twitching and wriggling sensation in his chest where the wand shard had been removed.
A small lump about the size of an earthworm slithered under his skin and up his chest. It snaked over his shoulders, then up his neck and into the base of his skull. He was sound asleep by this time and didn't feel the tiny, feather-like tendrils creep into his brain and expand down his spine. He didn't feel the changes that were starting to take place in his body that nobody had ever expected.