Chapter 109: Keeping Promises
My first day of term began with a training session. When it was done, Susan Bones was waiting for me at the entrance to Hogwarts. I had asked her on the train to meet me here.
"Well then?"
I looked at the girl.
"Er... I'm not entirely sure what you're asking me."
"I'm asking whether you're ready for a visit to our school mediwitch's domain."
"I..."
She was clearly terrified, but she pulled herself together and gave a firm nod.
"Yes."
"Then let's go."
"Thank you."
She said it very quietly, and we walked together toward the hospital wing, where the mediwitch was already bustling about.
"Madam Pomfrey."
After a brief knock and a call granting permission from inside, Susan and I stepped in. I drew the witch's attention.
"A pleasure to see you at the start of this new school year."
"Ah, young Draco... and Miss Bones."
"G-good morning."
Under the witch's scrutiny, the girl flushed and barely squeaked out her greeting, which drew a slight smile from the mediwitch.
"So. You've come again to plead for your protégée?"
"I've only come to ask you to test her."
I shrugged and glanced at Susan.
"You don't turn down qualified help when it's offered. And if Miss Bones has told me the truth, she more than meets your standards."
"Let's see what you can do, then. A third-year student arrives with burns to the hands and face. What do you do?"
"Burns could mean either an exploded cauldron or an unregistered duel. The burns would look different in each case. If there are signs of potion burns, the first thing I do is have the student take a bezoar while calling for you."
"Do you think a bezoar would help?"
"It can't hurt."
Susan lifted one shoulder slightly, already fully engaged.
"An exploded cauldron means some of the potion has already entered the bloodstream through the wounds, and the student has also inhaled the fumes. A bezoar doesn't interfere with healing procedures in any case. We'd need to use a pain-relief spell rather than a potion, but an hour later we could treat with potions again, and by then we'd know whether there was any poisoning to deal with. Or, if they had mixed something severely incompatible, we'd establish that too. Though from what I know, such cases are rare, and severe poisonings of that kind should be sent to St Mungo's."
"Fair enough."
Poppy gave an approving nod, studying the girl closely.
"And if the burns appear to have been caused by a spell?"
"I apply a light analgesic I learned at St Mungo's and call for you. Though in principle, I could manage it myself. Soak the dressings in a specialist potion and wrap the affected areas. Apply compresses to the face. Seal the mouth so the potion doesn't enter the stomach, and keep the nose clear for breathing, using small tubes inserted into the nostrils."
"Good. A student comes in screaming, apparently uninjured. What do you do?"
"Hmm. One option is to use a light analgesic. After that, they should be able to answer questions properly. It carries some minor risks, but in certain cases, the small risk of one spell is less serious than the potential consequences of a delayed diagnosis."
"Good. And if..."
Poppy continued her interrogation. Susan had stopped being flustered entirely and was now engaging in a proper back-and-forth with the mediwitch, who kept adding new scenarios and responding to each answer with a quietly satisfied expression.
"All right."
Pomfrey gave a nod. She looked very pleased.
"Well done. You've studied hard, and your theoretical knowledge is solid enough for you to serve as a junior medical assistant. Now I need to see your practical skills."
"I can serve as a practice subject."
I joined the conversation.
"Hmm."
Poppy looked me over and gave a slow nod.
"Right. Take your shirt off. I want to see her apply dressings and immobilize a limb first."
I nodded, pulled off my shirt, and Susan, entirely unfazed now and fully in professional mode, began applying a dressing precisely where indicated.
"Good."
When Poppy had finished assessing Susan, with about five minutes to go before the first lesson, she delivered her verdict.
"I'll take her on as my assistant and bring her skills up to standard."
"Thank you!"
Susan's voice was warm with gratitude and genuine happiness.
"Madam Pomfrey, Daphne will come to see you after lessons with a bag of potions. I hope they'll prove useful."
"Are you trying to bribe me?"
She raised an eyebrow with a wry look.
"No. I simply want to help. The ability to help the children matters a great deal more than anything else."
"Thank you."
Poppy gave me a nod and looked at Susan.
"Come to me every day after lessons. I imagine you'll spend two to three hours here each day."
"Of course."
She nodded, and then we both went our separate ways. I headed to my classroom, where my first lesson was about to begin, while she went to her first class of the year with McGonagall.
"Right then."
I let the students in, then closed the door behind them.
"Welcome back for a new school year."
I looked over the second-year Ravenclaw and Slytherin students who made up my first class of the year.
"Let's have a little talk."
I perched on my desk, swinging my legs, and looked thoughtfully at the ceiling.
"We have another year ahead of us, and this year you'll be eligible to join the Dueling Club. Happy about that?"
"Yes!"
The students' enthusiasm was my answer.
"Have you been preparing?"
"Yes!"
"Good. But as you may have heard, this year we'll also be offering Combat Magic, and I imagine all of you will want a chance at it. Won't you?"
"Yes!"
"Not everyone will make it in. But please, don't be disheartened. You'll always have the opportunity to show what you can do, to earn a place in Combat Magic or in any of the other classes the Founders will be teaching. Likewise, you can be removed from those classes if you decide that getting in means you've already achieved everything and no longer need to put in any effort."
"We know!"
The children answered in unison.
"Good. Now, a few words about what to expect from my lessons this year. As with last year, I'll leave theory to your own discretion. Our work together will be predominantly practical. There will be a great deal of practice, and a great many combat and semi-combat spells."
I continued laying out what the year would look like, and they listened closely. Most of them already knew what to expect. Only Gabrielle was hearing this for the first time.
I would have to repeat these words several more times before the week was out.
Near the end of the first lesson, I felt space itself give a sudden lurch. Everyone in the room felt it.
"What was that?"
Gabrielle asked, her voice tight with fear.
"I don't know yet."
I shook my head, and then Dumbledore's voice rang out through the entire castle.
"All students, proceed immediately to your common rooms. All teachers, report to the Headmaster's office at once."
"Right."
I clapped twice.
"Quiet, everyone! Pair up now and move directly to your common rooms. Quickly, no discussion. Luna, you're the senior Ravenclaw student. Blaine, you're the senior Slytherin. Now move!"
At that, the students organized themselves and set off under the supervision of their older housemates, while I strode quickly toward the Headmaster's study.
"What's..."
I saw Dumbledore standing by the window. Beyond it, an enormous rift in space was visible.
"...damn."
"Yes. I share your assessment."
Dumbledore gave a slow nod.
"We restored Hogwarts' wards at exactly the right moment. Not to their original strength, but enough. If we hadn't, the Grimm would be flooding the castle grounds right now. As it stands, they cannot reach us, and they won't reach Hogsmeade either."
"And what do we do?"
"Hope that this passes, and that we still have time before the final Convergence."
"That much is obvious. But the Grimm..."
"There is nothing to be done about them. Nothing we can do, simply because there are far too many of them and far too few of us. Even if the hired units stationed in Hogsmeade tried to push through to us, they couldn't do it quickly."
I gave a nod, and at that moment the study door opened to admit Remus and McGonagall.
"Headmaster..."
"We are going to have to revise the timetable. Given what I'm looking at out there, I have no desire to send children into the courtyards."
Dumbledore turned from the window and looked grimly at McGonagall.
"Minerva, any thoughts?"
"Not yet. Not at this moment. We'll need to shift some lessons around."
"What if we approached it differently?"
"Differently?"
"Well."
I shrugged.
"Ordinary people have a variant of football that they play indoors. It's called five-a-side. Perhaps we could hold matches in the Great Hall with smaller teams?"
"What do you have in mind, Mr Black?"
Professor Hooch, who had also made her way to the study, looked at me with interest.
"Well, we could reduce the team sizes. Say three players per side: two Chasers and a Keeper."
"What do we do with the rest of the players, and how do we determine when a match ends?"
"Set a fixed duration. Forty minutes, perhaps. Then hold a second competition for Beaters and Seekers. The Seeker catches the Snitch, and the Beaters try to knock the opposing player off their broom."
"That's an interesting idea."
Hooch gave several thoughtful nods.
"Interesting, but not necessary."
Flitwick shook his head.
"We can apply Extension Charms to the Great Hall, the kind that can be activated and deactivated. We'd only engage them during a match. Draco could do it..."
Flitwick smiled.
"A fine idea."
Rowena rose through the floor with a wry expression.
"Right."
I massaged the bridge of my nose.
"I was hoping to take the easy road. I'll need a month to work out a sequence of enchantments that can be reliably toggled on and off."
"Excellent. In a month's time, submit your calculations to Filius. He'll review them, and then we can proceed to casting. You do remember that your enchantments must not conflict with the Hall's existing permanent charms?"
"I remember."
I sighed.
"Good. Now we need to decide what to tell the students."
"The truth."
I shrugged.
"The truth. That there's been another breach, and leaving Hogwarts is dangerous right now. To keep students and parents from worrying too much, we could hold open houses once a month, inviting parents to visit and spend time with their children."
"A very good idea."
Dumbledore nodded.
"An open house. Minerva, could you organize it?"
"Of course, Headmaster. We might also consider scheduling some kind of student competition to coincide with each open house..."
The discussion of what to do and how to do it continued, while I kept glancing at the rift in space, from which the Grimm kept pouring.
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