"Defeater of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in battle!"
"Cross him at your peril!"
"A Gryffindor's Gryffindor!" "That's enough!" barked Percy, before they went any further. "The poor boy must be exhausted."
"I am," said Neville quietly. "I'm heading for bed. I want to be up early for when our friends are revived."
"Then we bid you goodnight," said the first.
"Sir Neville of Longbottom," said the second.
Then both bowed deeply with opposite and matching gestures towards the stairs up to the boy's dorms.
Neville gave a little snort of tired amusement before trudging up the stairs.
Both he and Harry were asleep when their respective heads hit their pillows.
Neither of them knew their dorm mates stayed as quiet as they could in their own preparations for bed. Both boys met in the infirmary with Susan and Hannah, and with the adults, early the next morning before breakfast. Both looked as if they needed more sleep.
Cygnus, Isabel and Sirius were joined by Edmund and Petra Davis, Wendell and Monica Granger, Aunt Amelia and two of her aurors. Aunt Amelia and her two aurors were off to one side with Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. She clearly wasn't happy with either of them.
With five petrified patients, plus the cat and the ghost, it would have made for a crowded room if it wasn't so large.
Madam Pomfrey walked in a short time later with Professor Snape, who was carrying a rack of six identical potion phials. They were followed by Caretaker Filch, who was looking a little anxious. "Well, it seems we'll be having a bit of an audience today, Severus," she said, a little surprised by the size of the crowd.
The Potions Master just muttered something under his breath.
"We'll be starting with Mrs Norris," she said in her no-nonsense manner, heading for where the cat was hidden behind a screen in the corner.
It looked like a couple of the parents were about to object, but they decided against it when they were cut off by dual glares from the healer and Potions Master. From experience, they clearly knew the middle-aged witch was not to be trifled with when treating patients.
The screen was removed and Snape set his phial rack down on one of those patient wheeled tables. With her wand drawn and pointing at the throat of the cat, she carefully massaged the muscles around the throat while Snape gently tipped a small amount of the potion down into its mouth.
It took a little while, but the cat began to stir. Soon, it was moving freely. A little while later, Madam Pomfrey picked the cat up and offered it to a hurrying over Argus Filch, who accepted it with grateful sobs and thank yous.
He moved out of the way while cradling the cat in his arms, whispering to it with tears in his eyes.
Medi-witch and Potions Master then moved to young Colin. This time it took a little longer, and the entire potion, before he stirred. But, his skin tone had returned and he was breathing easily by the time the two moved on. Next were Justin, then Hermione, Tracey, and finally Daphne.
By the time Daphne was being administered the Mandrake Draught, Colin was sitting up in bed and looking around.
Suddenly, the boy exclaimed, "It's a ruddy great big snake!"
Madam Pomfrey moved over to him as Snape gave one last general sneer to everyone before sweeping out of the infirmary with robes billowing.
"Hush! Mister Creevey," the medi-witch said to the boy. "We know and it's been dealt with."
"Oh. Good," the boy said, before he suddenly blurted, "What time is it? I'm going to be late for class!"
Harry couldn't help it. He laughed. Others joined in with their own giggles or snickers. It was up to Professor McGonagall to tell the boy just how long he'd been out of it.
Daphne was just starting to stir when young Colin called out, "Seven months?" and then, "I missed Christmas?"
Dumbledore was talking to Finch-Fletchley. "How much schooling did I miss?" the boy asked. "Where are my parents?They must be frantic!"
That's actually a very good question, young man," said Cygnus.
"I'll say!" said the boy.
Dumbledore looked quite abashed. He muttered something to Finch-Fletchley. The boy replied, "I don't bloody care who you think you are! You're not my parents! I want to see my parents!"
"Me too!" said Colin. "Well, Albus?" said Cygnus. "You'd best go get them. You'll notice we brought the Grangers to see their daughter."
Harry looked across and could see Hermione was quietly sobbing in her parents arms. Neville went over to them.
With another of his disappointed grandfather sighs, the old man asked both boys for the address of their respective parents and left the room.
"I've missed so much school!" wailed Hermione.
While he had his hand gently brushing her hair back from her face, Daphne opened her eyes.
"Hey you," he quietly said.
"Hey," she quietly said. "I'm guessing three weeks?" "Yeah," he replied before bending down and kissing her.
She smiled back.
"I'll leave you with your parents for a bit," he said. "I need to go talk to my protectee."
She nodded with a smile.
Harry went around to see Hermione, on the opposite side of the bed from her parents, and said, "Hey you."
She turned to look at him and then spun about to fling her arms around him. "Harry!" she cried. "It's a basilisk, Harry. And a - bloomin' big one!"
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