Awakening, and Another Meeting of the Minds
Sunday Morning, June 25, 1995, Hogwarts Hospital Wing
Harry woke up to the feeling of crisp white sheets, and the smells of Medicinal Potions. ”Oh, great! I’m back in my ‘second room’ at ‘home’!” he thought, for he truly considered Hogwarts—not #4 Privet Drive, where he now resided only in the summers—to be his true home…and he seemed to be well on his way to spending as much time here as in his Gryffindor dorm.
”He’s awake,” was the first sound Harry heard. Looking around, he spotted a lot more people than he expected to be allowed in the Hospital Wing. To no one’s surprise, Harry heard the impatient tapping of a foot on the floor…belonging, of course, to Madam Pomfrey.
”OK, Miss Granger, you’ve seen him,” she addressed Harry’s friend, “…now OUT, all of you…and take that scruffy mutt with you!”
It was only now that Harry realized who else had made it past Poppy: Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom (all fellow Gryffindor Fourth-Year students); their Head of House; their Headmaster; and the “scruffy mutt” known publicly as “Snuffles”…that was actually Padfoot (AKA Sirius Black, Harry’s godfather).
On his way out, Dumbledore gave Harry a look that plainly said, ”He won’t be far away, and we’ll be back soon!” Harry fluffed his pillow, in order to keep the nurse from seeing his grin.
~~~~~
Dumbledore’s Office, late Saturday/early Sunday, while Harry slept….
Returning to his office, Albus found a group of old friends awaiting him. Most of the group he’d been with earlier, in support of Harry, had been joined by the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones…she and Kingsley Shacklebolt had, together, seen to the installation of Barry Crouch, Jr. into a special holding cell at the Ministry, then had come to the emergency meeting; Molly and Bill Weasley (who’d both responded promptly to Arthur’s Floo summons); and even Charlie Weasley (he was “listening” via another Floo call, not having been able to get a Portkey, on such short notice, over from Romania, to the UK).
”Alastor is bringing Arabella and one other,” said Dumbledore.
”Here they come now, Sir,” said Hogwarts’s Gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, who’d also joined the group, after returning Harry to the Hospital Wing. He was hoping that the Squib woman could be of better use than her birth status would normally indicate.
The door swung open to reveal Moody, plus Harry’s neighbor, Mrs. Figg…and a newly transformed-from-Padfoot Sirius Black.
Severus Snape was now the one to rise, a furious expression on his face, and a sharp word on his lips, when—at a signal from Dumbledore—Hagrid shoved him firmly back into his seat.
”We have a major catastrophe now brewing…,” began Albus….