A big thank you to everyone that reviewed. You all bring smiles to my face. :) I'd also like to throw a special thank you to Alorkin. I really had never thought about the summer solstice in that manner, although I had wondered why Voldemort always attacked in June. Thank you very much for enlightening me!
See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.
"Miss Granger?!!"
Madame Pomfrey looked again at the two teens in disbelief, and then shook her head and swept into the room. She flew to the bed, shoving Harry and his chair aside to look at Hermione.
"It can't be," she muttered. She took Hermione's pulse and placed a hand on the girl's forehead. Shaking her head again, as if trying to shake an understanding into her head, she dashed to the fire again.
"Headmaster!!!!"
Dumbledore appeared in the fire for a second time that day, with a glint of happiness in his eyes.
"Yes, Poppy?"
"Headmaster. She's... she's conscious! And she's talking!"
Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered to Harry. "No small feat. I'm talking. What, did that black curse get rid of my ability to speak?"
Madame Pomfrey let out a small shriek. She turned away from the fire to look at Hermione. "You... you... you just said black curse. You remember?!?!"
Hermione nodded. Madame Pomfrey still looked slightly clueless, so Hermione began on a sarcastic rant. "My name is Hermione Granger. This is Harry Potter. I go to the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and I'm a Gryffindor. I am in the hospital wing. I have another friend named Ron Weasley. He has five brothers- Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George, and a sister named Ginny. My parents are dentists--"
"Uh, Hermione, I think you can stop now." Harry nudged her. Madame Pomfrey seemed to have partially gotten over her shock, and now her face showed a mix of disbelief and annoyance. "I think she gets the idea."
Neither had a chance to say anything more, because a tall figure had just entered the room and was making his way toward the bed.
"Miss Granger." Professor Dumbledore's tone was that of kindness and admiration. "I'm glad to see that you are awake. How are you feeling?"
"Well, actually, Headmaster, my head hurts a little, but otherwise I'm fine. I'm obviously a lot better than Madame Pomfrey thinks I should be." She threw a sideways glance at the Healer, who still stood next to her.
Dumbledore looked humored. "Yes, I guess that is how it appears. I'm afraid that Madame Pomfrey had little faith in a recovery like this one. You gave all of us quite a scare, you know. The curses were very powerful, and as it seems, you are the youngest and the only female victim ever to survive them. I had faith that you would recover, but only time would tell how much you would know. We are all extremely happy that you are in the condition that you are. Speaking of conditions, it is obvious how you are externally, but I would like to know how you are internally, how the curses really affected you, so that we can help you in your recovery. Poppy-" Madame Pomfrey jumped at the recognition, and then resumed her normal busy air. "Since you are the only mediwitch in the room at present, would you please do the honors of running a complete analysis on Miss Granger here?"
Madame Pomfrey nodded, and bustled over to a cabinet to take out a Knut-sized purple device.
"Hermione," the Headmaster addressed her again. "This analysis will in no way compromise your modesty, but if you would prefer that Harry and I leave the room for the duration, we will respect your wishes. Madame Pomfrey can inform me of the results later. Would you like for us to leave?"
Hermione looked over at Harry, who's chair was now a few feet from her bed, and Professor Dumbledore. Harry had several emotions in his eyes. He looked fearful, because she knew that he didn't want to compromise her privacy, but his eyes also read concern, and a desire to stay. She knew how analyses were conducted- she'd read about it. "No, Headmaster, you and Harry can stay."
Dumbledore nodded. "We will stay, but if at any time you want us to leave, we will."
Madame Pomfrey was utterly upset at this. She couldn't even conduct a simple analysis in peace- but this was the headmaster, there was no arguing with him. She approached the bed, purple device in hand. "The Headmaster wants a complete reading, so this must go directly over your heart," she said, partly to Hermione but mostly to Dumbledore. The Headmaster turned around, facing away from the bed. Madame Pomfrey turned her attention to Hermione, and turned down the bedsheets and began to unbutton the top few buttons of Hermione's nightgown. With a gleam in his eye, Dumbledore flicked his wand toward Harry's chair. The chair turned around to face the wall, and moved away from the bed a few more feet. The Headmaster chuckled. "Now, Harry, where is your sense of decency?"
Harry blushed and sat facing the wall.
"All right now, the reader is placed, you can turn back around now," said an impatient Madame Pomfrey. Dumbledore turned around, but Harry sat still for a second, too embarrassed to turn. Eventually, he slowly turned to face Hermione, who was now lying in the bed. Madame Pomfrey took her wand and gently tapped the sensor with her wand. "Diagnosa," she muttered. She then held her wand upright. Several sparks came forth from the end of the wand, and then the wand started to talk.
"Victim: Hermione Granger. Age 17." It spoke in a monotone, as if disinterested.
"Temperature: normal. Pulse: normal. Breathing rate: normal. Blood count: normal. Magic power count: low end of normal."
Madame Pomfrey looked at Hermione, who seemed disturbed by the last phrase. "It's normal, after being cursed, for the power count to be low. I expected yours to be much lower than it is, actually." The wand continued its monologue.
"Mental capacity: normal. Memories: normal. Physical analysis: bruised ribs, head, lacerations on legs and arms. Emotion range: full. Curses used on victim: undisclosed Unspeakables. Other: height 5'6", normal. Weight normal. Next menstrua--"
"Ooook." Hermione interrupted the voice. That was one thing that nobody needed to know. "I think we've heard everything we need to hear," she added, with unease. Dumbledore, thankfully, acted as if he hadn't heard, but Harry had turned a very amusing shade of red. Madame Pomfrey shook her wand. "I'm terribly sorry, dear. I didn't mean for it to say that." She placed her wand on the sensor again, and held it upright.
"Patient was unconscious when brought into the hospital wing. Patient has been conscious for six hours."
"Six hours? I was sure that you were unconscious a few hours ago. I must get this diagnostic equipment replaced..." Madame Pomfrey clicked, while Dumbledore looked at his pocketwatch.
"Patient remained conscious but asleep for two hours. Patient has been awake for... four hours."
Dumbledore did the math in his head, and inwardly smiled. Suddenly, Harry looked at his own watch. Four hours... it had been exactly four hours and two minutes since he had entered the room.
"Madame Pomfrey? You really do need to get that equipment checked. Hermione hasn't been awake for four hours. I came in here four hours and a few minutes ago, and she didn't wake up until thirty minutes ago. She was unconscious," Harry volunteered.
Hermione squirmed slightly. "Hold still, I'm trying to remove the sensor," Madame Pomfrey instructed. "Maybe I'll check that. I have another way to tell how long she's been conscious, and that way never fails to be correct, down to the second." She placed a small wormlike creature in Hermione's ear, and waited. In a few minutes, the worm emerged from her ear.
"Mental activity determines that this patient has been conscious for exactly six hours, nine minutes, and forty-four seconds."
"Hmm," said Madame Pomfrey. Hermione began to squirm uneasily again.
"Hermione, what are you squirming about? The worm isn't in your ear anymore," Harry said.
"Shh!" Madame Pomfrey scolded. The worm spoke again.
"This patient awoke exactly four hours, one minute, and fifty-eight seconds ago. As of that time, the patient was fully awake and conscious, with all mental capacities normal and all thought processes normal, including listening, speech, and comprehension." Hermione shrugged further down under the sheets.
"Thank you, Poppy. I should now tell the students that Miss Granger is alive, as the fact that she was dead was a complete secret last night. The whole school knew within five minutes. I would like to meet with you later, to discuss the results of the analysis," the Headmaster smiled. Glancing at the rapidly disappearing Hermione and the somewhat confused Harry, he turned and left the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey also turned on her heel, to go clean the mess her dropped medical tray had made.
Harry, however, stayed put. He looked at the worm, at his watch, and back at Hermione. 'Four hours, one minute, fifty-eight seconds. I was here when she really awoke.'
That was when it hit him.
Her listening and comprehension had been normal. She had heard and understood every word he had said when he thought she was unconscious.
She shrank further down into the bed.
He turned even redder than before.