chapter22

Chapter 22 - Detention Again

Harry�s head was spinning as he wearily opened his eyes. The light in the room was bright and made swirling patterns before him. He had no idea where he was or how long he had been asleep. He heard muffled voices around him but he couldn�t make out the words. He blinked twice, and the room slowly came into dim focus. He needed his glasses to see more clearly, but he could see the blurry forms of people surrounding him.
�Ron, look he�s waking up!� Harry heard someone say. He thought that it might be Hermione. Someone ran to the bedside and ruffled his hair.
�Finally man, you think you�ve been asleep long enough?� Ron said cheerfully.
�Where are my glasses?� Harry croaked. His voice was scratchy and it hurt his throat to talk.
�Here you are,� said a voice distinctly belonging to Hermione. Harry put the glasses on and looked up at his two friends. He could see the looks of relief on their faces.
�How long exactly have I been asleep?� Harry asked, trying to sit up in bed. He looked around and realized that he was in the hospital wing. Should have figured just as much, he thought to himself.
�Almost three days,� Hermione told him. �I don�t know if you�re ready to be released yet but at least you�ve woken up. You had us really worried.� Harry could hear her voice break a little with the last sentence.
�What happened though? All I remember is I was fighting with Draco. He shot something at me that started to choke me,� Harry asked, trying to remember the events that led to him being where he was at the moment.
�Well he actually shot a really dangerous spell at you� you could have died,� Ron said nervously. �The only person that can break the spell is the one holding the wand.�
�So that means Draco took the spell off me?� Harry wondered aloud.
�Actually no,� Hermione said, �Snape did.�
�Snape?� Harry repeated, not believing what he just heard.
�Yeah� I don�t think Draco was planning on letting you go, Harry,� Ron said quietly. �You should have seen his face, it was really creepy.�
�You�re lucky Snape showed up when he did,� Hermione said.
�What did Snape do?� Harry asked his friends.
�Well, he came in about twenty seconds after you both started fighting. He saw you kind of� well� squirming on the floor with that thing around your neck,� Ron said. A look of nervousness came over Hermione�s face.
�Yeah?� Harry asked, wanting to hear the rest of the story,
�Well he ran over to Malfoy and yelled at him to release you, but it looked as if Malfoy was in a trance or something because he didn�t even respond,� Ron continued. �So then Snape performed the disarming spell on him and once he got Malfoy�s wand, he said the counter curse for Malfoy�s spell. So the rope around your neck just sort of disappeared.�
�Then he told everyone to leave while he summoned Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey. Everyone was really frightened though, you almost looked like you were� dead,� Hermione said quietly.
�Your face was all blue and you weren�t moving,� Ron explained. �No one knew if you were all right or not. Even the Slytherins looked freaked out.�
�What happened to Malfoy, then?� Harry asked. He noticed the look of anger cross both his friends faces.
�Practically nothing,� Ron spat. �He�s just got three detentions.�
�He would have been expelled but you know the type of control Mr. Malfoy has over this school,� Hermione said angrily. �I don�t see why he wasn�t though, he almost killed you.�
�He didn�t get expelled?� Harry�s spirits fell. The one thing good that could have come out of this experience didn�t happen.
�And that�s not the worst part,� Ron said hesitantly.
�What now?� Harry asked uneasily.
�Well, seeing as fighting is against the school rules and everything, and you were fighting with Malfoy before he set the rope on you,� Hermione started.
�What are you saying?� Harry asked.
�Well Harry, the truth is, you have detention as soon as you�re well enough to serve it,� Ron blurted out.
Harry couldn�t believe it. Not only had he almost died at the hands of one of his worst school enemies, not to mention the same enemy who wasn�t even going to be expelled, but now he also had to serve detention. He slowly sunk back into bed, as his two friends looked at him with concerned faces. Madame Pomfrey bustled over to Harry�s bedside and stuck a warm compress on his forehead.
�Good to see you up, Harry. I regret to inform you that you�re scheduled to have detention with Mrs. Figg tomorrow night. But for now I need to treat those bruises on your neck.� Madame Pomfrey began to pour some bright orange liquid into a small cup.
�Mrs. Figg?� Harry groaned. He reached up to feel his neck. It was very sore and painful to the touch. He winced as he felt it and quickly pulled his hand away.
�Here now Harry, drink this,� said Madame Pomfrey. �It�ll make you drowsy for a few hours but your neck should feel better after you drink it. Now, you two, off you go. Time to go back to class.� She shooed off Ron and Hermione.
�Bye, Harry,� Hermione said gloomily.
�See you later,� Ron said with a false tone of cheer.
�Bye�� Harry responded before he took a long sip of the potion. It tasted a bit like peppermint and was very thick. It cooled his throat as it slid down to his stomach. Almost instantly, Harry could feel the sleep coming over him. His eyelids began to droop, and in a few seconds he could no longer keep them open. He drifted off to sleep.
Harry woke up the next day feeling more refreshed than he had before. It was the first time in a while that he had experienced a dreamless sleep. Seeing that it was dark outside, he got out of bed, remembering his detention appointment. He slipped a cloak over his pajamas, not feeling in the mood to change into normal clothes. Then he made his way to Mrs. Figg�s office. He received many odd stares in the hallway as he passed. Students whispered to each other as he passed. But he didn�t care. He continued to Mrs. Figg�s office and knocked on the door when he got there.
�Come in,� Harry heard Mrs. Figg�s voice from inside. He walked in and saw her sitting at her desk. Sirius, in the form of a dog, was lying on the floor.
�Oh good, Harry, right on time,� she said smiling. Sirius got up and trotted out of the room. He cast one quick look back at Harry before he moved out of sight. Harry turned his attention back to Mrs. Figg.
�Have a seat,� Mrs. Figg said cheerfully. Harry silently moved to the chair Mrs. Figg was gesturing at and sat down. They stared at each other for a moment before Mrs. Figg spoke again.
�Would you like to talk about what happened with you and Draco?� Mrs. Figg asked.
�What�s there to talk about?� Harry said emotionless.
�I�d like to know your side of the story,� Mrs. Figg said.
�Why?� Harry asked.
�Well I�ve already spoken to Draco about it, and I�d like to know why you attacked him in class that ��
�I didn�t attack him!� Harry shouted angrily. �He was picking on Hermione and I told him to stop, and then he threatened me!�
�Alright, and then what happened?�
�Well, he wouldn�t stop so� I mean he was being really mean to her and throwing things at her and he kept doing it� so I� so I�� Harry stuttered.
�Go on,� Mrs. Figg stated calmly.
�Ok, so I hit him. I�ll admit it. But he definitely started it.� Harry said.
�So then you two started fist fighting, am I right?� Mrs. Figg asked. Harry felt as though he was at a psychologist�s office, like the ones he had seen on TV.
�Yeah, and then he pushed me off him and shot that thing at my neck.� Harry said bitterly. Figures that Mrs. Figg is taking Malfoy�s side, he thought to himself angrily.
�Listen Harry, I know we all get angry sometimes, but you need to learn how to control that anger. You have the potential to be a very powerful wizard, Harry. I�ve seen it in you,� Mrs. Figg began. Harry pretended not to care but deep down he was interested in what she was saying.
�I�ve seen other wizards like you. They�re quite strong, but they have fiery tempers. Sometimes it gets them into trouble. For instance, I remember your father, although normally extremely calm, but when provoked he could get a bit out of control when he was younger. It took him many years to learn how to control that anger.�
�What do you know about my father?� Harry snapped angrily. �Nothing!�
�Excuse me, Harry, but I did know your father and your mother personally� Mrs. Figg said defensively. �They were both wonderful people. I�m telling you this for your own good Harry. One day you might be pushed to the edge and not know how to handle it! I�ve seen wizards go on angry rampages after a loved one was killed. It�s quite scary, sometimes they had to be restrained by other wizards.�
�Look, Mrs. Figg, I don�t think you have to worry about me going on any angry rampages. I can handle myself. Why don�t any of you trust me?� Harry said, annoyed.
�Well, looks like you couldn�t handle yourself four days ago, now could you?� Mrs. Figg said sarcastically.
�What�s that supposed to mean?� Harry asked angrily.
�If Sev � If Snape hadn�t been there to rescue you, you could have died. All over some stupid boyish argument. What happens if one day you meet up with You-Know-Who? How are you going to control yourself then? This temper of yours could easily get you killed.� Mrs. Figg looked at him with almost a motherly look of concern on her face. �Look Harry, I�m just telling you this for your own good. Nobody wants you to die obviously, and ��
�Oh, is that so?� Harry said sarcastically.
�Yes, it is. So at least take what I�m saying into consideration. Please Harry, for your own sake, just listen to me.� Mrs. Figg said sternly. �The Naid � uh� we all are concerned with your safety. We�re coming into some very dangerous times here, and times like these call for extra caution and safety measures. You just can�t ��
Mrs. Figg was cut off by a loud popping noise from the fireplace. Harry quickly looked over and saw Snape�s head floating in the fireplace.
�Arabella!� he said urgently. �Critical news from the�� He then spotted Harry standing next to Mrs. Figg. He scowled at him, and then continued. �Arabella we need to talk in private.�
�Yes, of course,� she said. �Come now Harry, detention�s over. Back to your room.� She shuffled him out the door and closed it behind him. Harry heard a small latch being turned, meaning the door had obviously been locked.
He knew that the teachers were obviously discussing something that involved the events over the past few months. He pressed his ear to the door, trying to hear what was being said.
��Getting suspicious,� he heard Snape say.
�They can�t find out about our plans!� Mrs. Figg said worriedly.
�We have to change them� late in May is good,� came Snape�s muffled reply.
�But what about�� Mrs. Figg began. After a few moments without speech, Harry pressed his ear up harder to the door. Why have they stopped talking, he wondered.
Suddenly, the door opened inwards and Harry found himself falling to the ground.
�Harry! What are you doing here! I told you to go to bed!� Mrs. Figg cried out angrily. Harry started to get up off the floor, wishing now more than ever that he had his invisibility cloak with him.
�I�m� uh� nothing. I was just leaving,� he stuttered, standing up. He saw Sirius trot into the hallway, give a puzzled look, then walk over to where Harry and Mrs. Figg were standing.
�Good, Sirius, you�re here. See that Harry makes it to bed please? We�ll speak with you in a moment.� Mrs. Figg went back into her office and shut the door.
Sirius began to walk down the hallway, then stopped, giving Harry a �you better come with me� glance. Harry knew better than to go against Sirius�s wishes, so he reluctantly followed. He wanted to know what Snape and Mrs. Figg were talking about. He had to find out, somehow, what they were up to.
When they reached the painting of the Fat Lady, Harry said the password and the door creaked open. He began to step inside, but then turned around to look at Sirius, who was still standing there.
�You can go now,� Harry said bitterly. �I think I know my way from here.� Sirius, obviously not in the best of moods, curled his lip slightly and emitted a low, barely hearable growl from his throat. He then turned around and walked quickly down the hallway. Harry had never heard Sirius growl at him before, and he was a bit surprised. There�s got to be something wrong with him, he thought as he stepped inside the Gryffindor commons, he�s not being himself lately. Harry stopped. Not being himself.
Could it be that this really wasn�t Sirius? It was plausible, because normally Sirius didn�t act this way towards Harry. He was being so secretive and concealing of their plans. Why didn�t they want him to know what was going on? Did they think he�d try to stop them? Harry�s head swirled with ideas.
What if none of the teachers were really themselves? Harry began to get suspicious. It could make sense. Visions of Death Eaters taking polyjuice potions and turning into Mrs. Figg, Snape, and Sirius popped into Harry�s mind. Could that be true? Harry began to worry. What could he do if the teachers were really Death Eaters in disguise? It all made sense to him. I need to get to the bottom of this, he thought, if it�s the last thing I do.

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