Chapter 5
Harry apparated to the Hogsmeade side of the gate a little later than usual the next morning, he had been busy with James and forgotten the time, so there was an extra rush in his step this morning. When he finally made it up to the castle doors he looked at his watch and checked it against the great clock, by Hogwarts time, which is no doubt the more reliable, he was about to be late.
He hurried in towards the main staircase, but before he passed the hospital wing, madam Pomfrey called out to him. “Professor Potter, do you have a moment?”
“Running the risk of sounding rude, no I do not madam Pomfrey, I can talk between classes at 10:45.” Harry half-shouted, never slowing his pace.
“That will be fine, thank you.” She called after him
Harry walked through the hallways amongst the straggling students and practically skidded into his classroom just as the first period was about to begin. He hadn’t had time to talk to Neville that morning, and he wouldn’t have time until lunch.
Thankfully, Harry caught a break and found Neville in the Hallway on his way to see Madam Pomfrey. “Nev, I mean Professor Longbottom.”
Neville turned with a bit of a smile as some of the students in the hallway laughed at Harry. “What can I do for you Ha- I mean professor Potter?” Neville joked half-heartedly.
“I just wanted to know what time you wanted to have our little service for the mimbletonia?” Harry asked, putting a hand on Neville’s arm when he finally reached him. “I am so sorry for your loss.”
“I don’t know, maybe after classes today? If that works for you.” Neville said, clearly uncomfortable at taking up Harry’s time. “I know you like to get home to Ginny and baby James, but it should only take a few minutes.”
“It’s no problem Nev, I get to hang out with them a lot. I’ll see you after classes. 3:30 ish?”
“Right, by greenhouse six.”
“Perfect, I’ll be there. Gotta go.” Harry said, taking off down the Hall again to the Hospital wing.
He slid through the doorway of the hospital wing and looked around, it seemed empty, which is a bit shocking for this time of day. He strode back to Madam Pomfrey’s office and rapped on the open door. “You wanted to see me Madam Pomfrey? Sorry, I couldn’t talk earlier, I was running late.”
She looked up from her desk and said. “That’s alright Potter, have a seat.” Harry took the only other chair in the room. “I wanted to talk to you about Professor Longbottom.”
“I’m all ears.”
“I’m hoping you’ll be at least half-answers.”
“Okay, I can do that too.”
After they had a short talk about Neville and Harry told her what he knew about his situation, all to better arm her with reasons to ask him to the hospital wing, Harry went back to teaching and was almost late to his next class. He still needed to send a Patronus to Ginny so that she and James could get here, and he needed to ask Minerva to floo them in since James couldn’t handle apparating just yet. Again in between classes, after the students had filed out Harry sent a Patronus to Ginny, telling her the time to get to Hogwarts. Then after a minute of deliberation, he sent one each to Hermione and Ron as well.
Then finally lunch arrived and Harry grabbed two sandwiches off the teacher’s table and headed to the headmistress’s office for a quick chat. She never came down for lunch on Thursdays, She had an extra class on Thursdays and often gave up the lunch hour to do other work for the school. He rode the staircase up to her office door and rapped twice. The door opened and Harry walked in and up to her desk.
“Hey professor, I brought you a sandwich from the lunch table,” Harry said, setting one plate down on her desk.
Minerva looked up at him with surprise and gratitude, “Thank you, Harry, that was quite nice of you.” She lost that first look and grew suspicious, “What do you want?”
Harry had to laugh a little. “You mean besides my wanting you to eat regularly like a normal person?”
She sighed and smiled a little, “Yes, besides that.”
“How about letting my wife and kid floo in around 3:20?”
“Ginny and James, why are they coming?”
“No, professor, my other wife and kid, of course, Gin and James.”
She gave him a look and said “I asked why they were coming, Potter.”
“Oh, it’s for the mimbletonia’s funeral. Neville wants to have it at about 3:30 by greenhouse six.”
“Oh, I’ll mark that down,” Minerva said, a large planner floating towards her off of a nearby shelf as she picked up a quill. It opened in midair and she marked it down, and with a wave of her hand sent it back to the shelf.
“So, you’ll let Gin Floo into your office right?”
“Of course,” Minerva said with a smile. “I haven’t seen little James in weeks. And it’ll be nice to have a bit of attendance for this little funeral.”
“That’s what I thought too, I invited Hermione and Ron too. I’ll have to send a message to Hagrid too.”
“My word, this is set to be the second-largest funeral we’ve ever had at Hogwarts.”
Harry chuckled a bit at his elder professor’s slightly morbid sense of humour.