Chapter 18: The Infirmary
Chapter 18: The Infirmary
"Is he... is he dead?" a girl whispered in terror.
The Ravenclaws who had witnessed the scene now looked at Flying Class with extreme fear, especially Michael, who had been talking non-stop earlier.
His face turned ashen as he stared at the figure lying in the grass, his voice shaking as he asked, "I... is it my fault?"
Patil patted him on the shoulder and comforted him. "It should be fine. He didn't land on his head."
Michael's throat rolled, but no words came out.
Fortunately, Madam Hooch immediately ran over to check on Neville, and soon helped him up from the grass. Thankfully, aside from his wrist looking a bit strange, she escorted him to the infirmary, admonishing the other students not to move.
"Vi... Vidal..." Michael pleaded, "Let's go see Neville."
Vidal nodded, glancing at the other students standing frozen on the grass, and the two rushed through the corridor towards the infirmary.
"...Flying Class, I presume?" Through the door, they heard Madam Pomfrey's indifferent voice. "Every year around this time, there are always first-year students who get into some sort of accident. I can't remember a single year that's been peaceful."
Vidal gently pushed open the door, and Michael poked his head in first.
Neville was sitting on the infirmary bed, sobbing, as Madam Pomfrey gently shook his arm while examining it with her wand, the tip emitting a feathery glow.
"Then I'll leave this student to you," said Madam Hooch urgently. "There are still over twenty students out on the lawn with unattended brooms! If only I had more time, I would have asked Mr. Filch to watch them!"
"Yes, I will—" Madam Pomfrey replied.
Madam Hooch was obviously impatient, and as she turned to leave after hearing "yes," the suddenly opening door caused Michael to stumble in.
Seeing the two students, Madam Hooch's eagle-like eyes narrowed, as if she was about to reprimand them. But when she noticed their blue and bronze ties, her anger subsided.
Since they weren't students who had sneaked out of her class, Madam Hooch didn't have time to deal with them and left in a hurry.
"...take care of this child," finished Madam Pomfrey, her last words sounding more like she was talking to herself. Gently comforting the sniffling Neville, she said, "Don't worry, it's just a minor problem. We'll fix it in no time. I promise you won't miss dinner today."
Madam Pomfrey waved her wand, and a bottle of potion flew down from the shelf. She had Neville drink it and then pointed her wand at his arm, murmuring a spell.
In the blink of an eye, the boy's broken wrist was healed, and from his expression, Neville didn't even feel much pain.
Vidal was amazed.
"And you two, what's the matter?" Madam Pomfrey turned to the pair at the door and asked, "Are you injured, ill, or suffering from an upset stomach?"
Michael's lips quivered, but he didn't speak.
"Madam Pomfrey, we came to see Neville," Vidal explained.
"Oh, to visit your friend?" Madam Pomfrey was pleased to hear this. "Mr. Longbottom just needs a little more rest. Once the bones are fully healed, he can leave with you."
"Thank you, ma'am," said Vidal, and Neville also expressed his gratitude.
After Madam Pomfrey left, Vidal asked, "How are you feeling now, Neville? Does your wrist still hurt?"
"Not much," Neville shook his head. Lifting his robe, he showed them the graze on his leg, which was also healing quickly. "Look, this one is almost healed too."
Madame Pomfrey's healing skills are truly remarkable; St. Mungo's is probably the best it can be."
"St. Mungo's?"
"The largest magic hospital in Britain, with the best healers," Neville explained.
Michael hesitated for a moment before walking over and whispering, "Neville."
The boy looked up at him.
Michael lowered his head shamefully. "I'm sorry, I lied. I've never actually ridden a broomstick before—the tips I gave you, I heard them on the wireless. I—I don't actually have any experience myself—""
Neville blinked. "I know!" he said.
"Huh?" Michael exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Hermione told me that if you had ridden brooms often, you wouldn't be so excited about Flying Class," Neville explained.
Michael's face turned red—had his casual lies been seen through so easily?
"But Hermione also said—" Neville continued, "—that what you told me was correct. It's all written in the books. But flying is a skill that can't be mastered just by knowing the theory, right?"
For some reason, Michael suddenly felt like crying.
Vidal smiled warmly, watching this exchange.
Initially, he had felt a sense of 'babysitting' these younger students. But at this moment, Vidal felt that perhaps they could truly become good friends.
...
Although Madame Pomfrey had easily healed Neville's wrist, they still had to wait for the bones to fully heal. Out of guilt, Michael insisted on staying with Neville in the infirmary until he was completely recovered before going to eat together. Along the way, they encountered the changing staircase, which led them to take twice the usual time to get back to the Great Hall.
By the time they returned, the last of the desserts on the long tables had disappeared.
"Ah, darn it." Michael grimaced. "I think I have some candy left in my dorm—"
"Hey, Michael, Neville, Vidal," Theo and Ryan approached them. The two had been friends since childhood and were now inseparable at school.
"We heard Neville had an accident during Flying Class," Theo said concernedly, looking at Neville. "Are you okay?"
"I broke my wrist—" Neville held up his arm to show them. "But Madame Pomfrey fixed it right away."
"That's great," Theo said happily, grabbing his arm to examine it.
"Have you had dinner yet?" Ryan asked. "We didn't see you guys earlier."
"No!" Michael looked at them pitifully, his eyes full of expectation. "Do you two have any bread left for us or something?"
"No—but we have something even better!" Theo said, leading Michael out of the Great Hall. "Come with us!"
"Where are we going?" Neville asked, confused.
"You'll see soon enough! This is a secret that only Hufflepuff students know! An older student told us about it the other day," Theo explained excitedly.
"I bet there's nothing that can stay hidden from the Weasley twins," Michael said to Vidal, who nodded in agreement.
They passed through a door, descended a set of stone steps, and arrived at a spacious stone corridor. The torches on the walls illuminated the corridor brightly, and like the rest of the castle, the walls were adorned with numerous paintings, but these depicted food instead of people.
Theo stopped in front of a massive painting of fruit and reached out to gently scratch the pear in the picture.
(End of Chapter)
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