Harry’s Support System
Hospital Wing, 7:30 AM, Sunday, June 25
”Headmaster…he’s waking up,” Harry, through the sea of fog that was often the result of the Dreamless Sleep that Madam Pomfrey had dosed him with the night before, heard the nurse saying.
At the same time, Harry heard what sounded like a thousand fingernails grating on a slate blackboard—something he hadn’t heard since Primary School—and he reflexively covered his ears. He then opened his eyes, and realized the source of the sound was actually the scraping of multiple chairs, as occupants arose. Given the faces of a couple of those occupants, he decided he’d prefer the fingernails on slate.
”Good morning, Harry,” greeted his Headmaster and his Head of House simultaneously, before Dumbledore took over.
”Harry, I know you recognize most of these people,” began Albus, “however, I believe it’s time for you to understand their significance.
”I understand you may only know Mrs. Figg—Arabella—as the neighborhood ‘cat lady’; however, she’s also a Squib, and…,” Here, Albus stopped, at the look in the teen’s eyes. As a Master of Legilimency, he could tell that Harry was about to explode in anger at the woman who could’ve done so much to protect him from the wrath of the Dursleys.
Seeing the woman bow her head in shame, much of Harry’s anger abated, so he settled for an emotion-filled, ”All these years…? How could you let them do those things to me? HOW??”
”I’m sorry, Harry. I never knew how badly….” Mrs. Figg had tears rolling down her face. “Never again!” she vowed, straightening back up. “I may not be able to do anything Magically, but….”
”…I’d still give a king’s ransom to see their faces, if they ever even found out you come from Magical parents!” Harry now gasped out, anger forgotten, and shoulders shaking in laughter. “Just the thought that YOU might be Magical, too, would make them crazy!”
Harry looked around in time to see that the other adults in the Hospital Wing had latched on to this bit of irony. Soon, there were very few dry eyes in the ward, as tears of mirth temporarily replaced tears of sadness at the murder of Cedric Diggory.
~~~~~
A few minutes later, Albus said, “Before Madam Pomfrey—who has cared for our group for these many years—chases us out, let me and Arthur introduce those you didn’t get to meet last night….”
~~~~~
On his way out a little while later, Albus Dumbledore whispered conspiratorially to Harry Potter, ”I’ll be back soon, although I suspect some of your classmates may beat me here. Your godfather will be with me…as will a couple of others…if they don’t kill each other first!”