The Morning After

Harry looked at his classmates and friends. They looked back. Various expressions lingered on their faces, but he wasn't able to read them properly. There was fear, though. He knew that one all too well. As well as disgust and anger, but thankfully neither of those emotions were on display.

"So… crazy night, huh?" Dean said weakly, trying to break the silence. Hermione shot him a scathing look, causing the red-head to flinch back.

"Not the time," Seamus whispered to him, Sally-Anne nodding her head in agreement.

"Are you guys doing alright?" Harry asked softly, looking at the group in concern. "Neville, you didn't get too badly hurt when he threw you into the wall?"

"Just a cracked rib or two. But Nurse Pomfrey already gave me some Skelegrow. I'll be right as rain by morning," Neville assured him, unable to hide the grimace as the portly boy recalled the foul taste of the bone restoring potion.

Harry nodded, relieved, but noticed that Hermione's eyes were watering and her lip was quivering.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" he inquired softly.

"I'm so sorry, Harry!" Hermione suddenly blubbered, lunging forward to crush him in a hug all while crying into his shoulder. Harry blinked in confusion at the display of emotions.

"Um, why?" he asked slowly.

"What? Mate, we, we froze up," Ron replied. "When Quirrell… when Volde- He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, attacked you, we should have helped! But Neville was the only one who managed to do anything!"

"That's not your fault, he caught us all by surprise," Harry said.

"We didn't even have our wands with us!" Lavender exclaimed tearfully.

"And those of us who did, we didn't even think to try and use them," Dean added somberly, earning a nod from Sally-Anne.

"But that's not your fault, either! You were scared!" Harry protested.

"But we should have done something to help!" Seamus stated. "And that's why we're all upset."

"We're Gryffindors. We're supposed to be prepared for stuff like this," Kellah said morosely.

"We won't let it happen again," Padma declared firmly, earning nods from everyone else.

"Well, okay, then," Harry said, feeling warm and fuzzy inside at so many people showing concern for him. But not only that, they also wanted to improve for his sake. To do something about their weakness instead of uttering platitudes.

"Alright now, children, settle down, settle down," Madam Pomfrey requested, walking over to the group. "I have potions for sleepless dreams for all of you, if you wish."

"I could use one," Dean admitted, Lavender nodding in agreement.

"Very well. Once you've drunk them, you will. Except you two, Mr. Potter and Longbottom. You will be staying here overnight."

"But, we're fine," Harry protested, only to have the nurse place a hand on his head. He winced at the coolness of her palm against his scar, and she tutted.

"You're rather feverish, Mr. Potter. That much magical energy coursing through your body, and the fact it was caused by an unknown magical reaction… well, better to be safe than sorry. And Mr. Longbottom will be staying here so I can make sure his ribs heal up properly." She then swept her gaze over the rest of the First Years. "Understood?"

"We'll come back tomorrow morning," Hermione assured them. Harry and Neville both nodded

"Harry! Neville!" Susan shouted as she rushed into the infirmary the next morning, Hannah hot on her heels.

"Sue?" Harry mumbled sleepily, stirring a bit as her voice pierce the fuzzy peacefulness of sleep and woke him up.

"Why didn't you come get us?" she demanded when she got to his bed, Hannah nodding in agreement. Nearby, Neville groaned a bit as he started to wake up. Harry sleepily grabbed his glasses and put them on, blinking slowly as he looked at his visitor.

There were tears in Susan's eyes as she stood at his bedside, and Harry felt a twinge of guilt upon seeing that.

"Sorry," he apologized with a wince. "We would have gone to get you two, but Professor McGonagall told us to return to the dorms. Voldemort caught us by surprise."

"Dummy," the Hufflepuff grumbled, shivering at his mention of the Dark Lord.

"What in Helga's name happened last night?" Hannah asked. "We all heard McGonagall's announcement, but after that, nothing. And also: Beg pardon?! You're saying You-Know-Who was in the castle?!"

"It started off with a bad feeling in my gut. And a sharp pain in my skull. Well, I told the others, but the rest of the First Years overheard us, and so we had to tell them what happened. Then, we went down to Professor McGonagall's office to tell her what'd happened. It was Professor Quirrell. He'd gotten past Fluffy, but the announcement spooked him and he ran out of there. He had this magical mirror with him…" Harry began, but was cut off.

"You could tell it was magical?" Susan interrupted, surprised.

"Um, yes? I mean, why else would he have been carting it around? It was obviously important, and since the only magic mirror I know of is that Mirror of Erised you found, I just put one and two together," Harry replied. "Anyways, he had it, and I smacked him with it after he ran into us. Worked better than I thought."

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