Chapter 18: The Infirmary

"Is... is he dead?" a girl asked in a terrified whisper.

The Ravenclaws who had witnessed the scene were immediately filled with a great fear of flying lessons, especially Michael, who had been talking non-stop before.

He looked at the figure lying in the bushes with a pale face, his voice trembling, "Is... is it my fault?"

Wade patted his shoulder and reassured him, "It should be okay—he didn't land headfirst."

Michael swallowed hard, unable to speak.

Fortunately, Madam Hooch quickly ran over to check and soon helped Neville up from the grass—thankfully, the boy only seemed to have a minor issue with one of his wrists. 

Madam Hooch supported him as they headed to the infirmary, loudly warning the other students not to move.

"Wade... please," Michael pleaded, "let's go see Neville."

Wade glanced at the other students standing dazedly on the grass, nodded, and the two of them quickly made their way down the corridor toward the infirmary.

"—A flying lesson, right?" Through the door, they heard Madam Pomfrey's voice, unfazed, "Every year at this time, there are always some first-year students who get into accidents. I can't remember a single year without incidents—"

Wade gently pushed open the door, and Michael poked his head in first.

Neville was sitting on a bed in the infirmary, crying, while Madam Pomfrey gently waved her wand over his arm. The wand's tip glowed with feather-like light.

"Well, this student is in your care now," Madam Hooch said urgently, "There are still more than twenty students on the lawn with unattended brooms! If only I had more time, I would have had Mr. Filch watch over them!"

"Alright, I will—" Madam Pomfrey said.

Madam Hooch, clearly impatient, was about to leave after just the brief acknowledgement. The suddenly opened door caused Michael to stumble inside.

Seeing the two students, Madam Hooch's sharp eyes immediately narrowed, as if she was about to scold them. But then she noticed their blue and bronze-striped ties, and her anger subsided.

Since they weren't students who had sneaked out of her own class, Madam Hooch had no time to deal with them and quickly left in a hurry.

"—take good care of this child," Madam Pomfrey's remaining half-sentence seemed more like a self-talk. She gently comforted the crying Neville: "Don't worry, it's just a minor issue. We'll fix it up quickly. I promise you won't miss dinner tonight."

Madam Pomfrey waved her wand, and a potion flew down from the shelf. She had Neville drink it, then pointed her wand at his arm and murmured a spell.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Neville's broken wrist was healed, and judging by his expression, he didn't seem to feel much pain.

Wade watched in awe.

"And you two, children?" Madam Pomfrey turned to the two standing at the door and asked, "Are you injured? Sick? Or just a bit of a stomach upset?"

Michael's lips trembled, but he didn't say anything.

Wade had to speak up, "Madam Pomfrey, we came to see Neville."

"Oh, visiting a friend!" Madam Pomfrey said, a bit pleased. "Mr. Longbottom just needs to rest a bit more, and once the bones are fully healed, he can join you all again."

"Thank you, Madam," Wade said, with Neville also expressing his thanks.

After Madam Pomfrey left, Wade asked, "How are you doing, Neville? Does your wrist still hurt?"

"Not much anymore," Neville shook his head, lifting his robes to show that the scratches on his legs were also healing quickly. "Look, this is almost healed too. Madam Pomfrey's healing magic is really impressive; it's probably as good as St. Mungo's."

"St. Mungo's?"

"The largest magical hospital in Britain, with the best healers," Neville explained.

Michael hesitantly approached and said quietly, "Neville."

The boy looked up at him.

Michael lowered his head in embarrassment, "I'm sorry, I lied. I've never actually ridden a broomstick before—I got the tips I told you from the radio. I—I don't have any real experience—"

Neville blinked.

"I know," he said.

"Eh?" Michael looked at Neville in surprise.

Neville explained, "Hermione said that if you had ridden broomsticks often before, you wouldn't be so excited about the flying lesson."

Michael's face turned crimson—had my flippant boasting been so obvious to everyone?

"But Hermione also said—" Neville continued, "that what you said was right—it's what the books say. But flying isn't just a skill you can master from theory, right?"

For some reason, Michael suddenly felt like he might cry.

Wade watched the scene with a smile.

Originally, he had felt a bit like he was "babysitting" these classmates. But at that moment, Wade thought... Maybe they really could become good friends.

...

Although Madam Pomfrey quickly healed Neville's wrist, it still took some time for the bones to fully heal. 

Because of his guilt, Michael was unwilling to leave Neville alone in the infirmary and insisted on waiting until he was completely recovered before going to dinner together. 

On the way, they encountered some stairs with a change in direction, causing them to take twice the usual distance to return to the Great Hall.

In summary, by the time they got back, the last of the dessert at the long tables had already disappeared.

"Oh, no." Michael said with a troubled face, "I should still have some candy in my dorm—"

"Hey, Michael, Neville, Wade." Theo and Ryan came over. The two had been friends since childhood and were practically inseparable at school.

"We heard Neville had an accident during the flying lesson," Theo said, looking at Neville with concern. "Are you alright?"

"My wrist was broken—" Neville lifted his arm to show them. "But Madam Pomfrey fixed it right away."

"That's great," Theo said, looking pleased as he examined Neville's arm.

"Have you had dinner?" Ryan asked. "We didn't see you earlier."

"No, not yet!" Michael looked at the two with a pleading expression and asked hopefully, "Did you save us a piece of bread or something?"

"No—but it's even better than that!" Theo pulled Michael out of the Great Hall. "Come with us!"

"Where are we going?" Neville asked, confused.

"You'll see soon enough! This is a secret only known to Hufflepuff students! A senior told us the other day," Theo said excitedly.

"I'd bet there's nothing that can be kept from the Weasley twins," Michael said to Wade, who nodded in agreement.

They passed through a door, descended a stone staircase, and arrived at a wide stone corridor. Torches on the walls lit up the corridor brightly. 

The walls, like in other parts of the castle, were adorned with many paintings, but unlike the usual portraits, these featured no people—only various kinds of delicious foods.

Theo stopped in front of a huge painting of fruit, reached out, and gently scratched at a pear in the painting.

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