Harry Potter: Don't touch

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***

Harry sat alone on a bench near the entrance to the Hospital Wing and waited patiently for Madam Pomfrey's conclusion. She had promised that as soon as anything was clear, she would let him know immediately. So Potter sat and calmly - though that word could only in the last resort be applied to his condition - waited for news from the school nurse. Harry knew perfectly well that he alone was to blame for what had happened. It had all happened because he had cheated - he had broken the Quidditch rules and used a spell to speed up the bludger. If he hadn't done that, there was no way he could have seriously injured Zhou Chang, and everything would have been fine... Well, fine... She would have caught the snitch, Hufflepuff would have missed out on the win, but compared to the alternative - Zhou getting injured - it was clearly the best possible outcome.

No one had the slightest suspicion that Potter had somehow broken the rules, not even Justin had a clue that Harry hadn't quite made the shot on his own. The Puffenduys were now celebrating in the lounge and were probably admiring his magnificently accurate and powerful kick across the entire Quidditch pitch. When Madam Trick voiced that Harry did not wish to continue the game due to an injury to his arm from such a powerful kick, no one had any questions, on the contrary, it reinforced everyone's belief that Potter had made such a powerful kick on his own. After the game, Harry had even been approached by Oliver Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor team, who had suggested that he join him for some Quidditch team tryouts. In other words, everyone was excited about Potter, and almost no one was interested in Zhou's condition.

Well, no one was a strong word. The Seekers were quite concerned about the injury to their main catcher, but no one had any idea that hitting a third year student across half the court could cause any serious damage. The only other person besides Potter to come to the Hospital Wing was Roger Davis. But upon learning that Zhou's condition was still unknown, he immediately went back out.

Finally, the door to the Hospital Wing opened and Madam Pomfrey came out.

- Well, what's up with Zhou? - Harry stood up from the bench.

- It's not good. Skull disruption, suspected head injury and brain damage. No indentation marks, but that doesn't mean anything.

- Right. But you can treat it, can't you? Can't you? Magic can heal any kind of injury, right?

- It's not that simple. Healing magic can do a lot of things, but the one thing it can't do is heal the brain. Magic cannot cure any external injuries as well as any psychological problems such as depression, stress, phobias or panic attacks. So before I start treatment, I will need to have my brain examined, if there is no damage, then it can be assumed that everything is fine. If there is, it could end very badly. Come back tomorrow, I'll be able to give you the full picture. Right now, I need to talk to Dumbledore about this incident.

- Right, I'll be off then.

On shaky legs, Harry made his way to the Hufflepuff sitting room.

- Mr Potter, it's not your fault," he heard himself say.

Potter looked back, Madam Pomfrey was looking straight into his eyes understandingly.

- It's just a very cruel game, not suitable for children. No matter how many times I tell Dumbledore to ban Quidditch, or at least make the age limit stricter, nothing changes. Accidents happen quite often in a game like this, I should know. During my time as a healer at Hogwarts, I've seen all sorts of Quidditch-related injuries. So you shouldn't worry and blame yourself, it happens.

She thought she understood him, but what she didn't know was that it wasn't Quidditch itself, it was a dangerous spell that couldn't be used.

- All right, Madam Pomfrey, I won't.

As Harry made his way back to the Hufflepuff common room, he met up with his classmates, who began to praise him for his excellent bludger shot, making him even more upset. After brushing off the prying questions and promising himself that from now on he would carry an invisibility cloak in his bag just in case, Harry went into his bedroom.

- Here's the best corraler of the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-four! - Justin greeted him cheerfully. - I hope you're not getting worked up about it.

- Piss off," Harry told him and settled back on the bed.

- Right, so you are," Finch-Fletchley said sullenly. - Ernie, make it two, Harry's not playing tonight.

Potter paid no attention to the upset Macmillan's reply; he lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling, absorbed in his own thoughts. He himself didn't notice how he soon fell asleep....

* * *

- The examination isn't ready yet, when I said come in the morning, I didn't mean at six o'clock in the morning. Go get some breakfast and come back in about three hours," Pomfrey told the mums and went back into the room.

Potter didn't feel like eating, so he decided to sit outside the Hospital Wing for the three hours. To pass the time, he started reading books about animagics and shape-shifting, as Riddle had advised him. It was a boring read, but it did its job, Harry was able to take his mind off of Zhou's condition and immerse himself in the book.

After a four hour wait, Madam Pomfrey finally emerged from the Hospital Wing. As soon as she did, Harry immediately closed the book and stood up, but the healer noticed the title and became interested:

- 'Interesting choice of book...' she stretched out. - And who recommended you to read such a book?

- Just an acquaintance," Harry replied.

'Locked in a diary from just under a century ago.

- Did you know that in order to learn animagic you have to get special permission from the Ministry of Magic?

'Those idiots are always making up their bullshit rules, who cares if you're an animagus or not. If you know the rules are idiotic, so you don't have to follow them either, so you and I aren't going to go to any Ministry," Harry remembered Riddle's words.- 'I know, but I'm only reading this book to broaden my horizons, nothing more,' Potter lied without blinking an eye.

"Lying is also a weapon. If you think it's necessary, lie to everyone at all times, the main thing is not to get caught."

In this, as in so many other things, Riddle was right. Lately, if Harry hadn't been lying to everyone left and right, his affairs would have been in an absolutely deplorable state. He hadn't been telling professors that he knew the truth about Black going after him. Lied to the education system and teachers, passing off information he had learnt from Riddle as his own knowledge. Deceived Dumbledore by promising him that he wasn't going to run outside the Hufflepuff common room at night. Hadn't told anyone the truth about cheating at the Quidditch match and getting Zhou hurt because of it. And even now he was lying to Madam Pomfrey, saying that he was only reading this book to broaden his horizons and had no intention of becoming an animagus. Although the latter seemed to be true.

- I figured as much," the healer relaxed. - Just to be on the safe side. Well, I have good news!

- Is Zhou all right? - Harry's face brightened.

- I've already healed Miss Chang's fractured skull, and there's no brain damage. So we can say that yes, she's fine. She can be visited now, but not now, Potter, she's unconscious. Come back later. Tomorrow will be the recovery process from... Well, it's not that important. The day after tomorrow she'll be completely well and I plan to discharge her, if she's stable, of course.

- That's marvellous! - Harry cheered. - Thank you so much, I'll come over tonight then, can I visit then?

- Of course. I guess I'll see you tonight then. I need to go and see Dumbledore again, to let him know that the Ravenclaw student will be alright.

* * *

Since the evening, according to Harry, began at five o'clock, it was already four o'clock and fifty-nine minutes before he was standing outside the door leading to the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts with the same book under his arm. Actually, the clock Potter used to tell time was three minutes late, so the time was then five hours and two minutes, but who really cared?

- Come in," Madam Pomfrey started him up.

Harry walked into the Hospital Wing and almost immediately spotted Zhou reading on the furthest bed. He walked over to her, opened his mouth... And then he suddenly realised that he had absolutely no idea what he was even supposed to be talking about.

- Um, hi, Zhou," Potter said.

- Oh, Harry, hi," Chang put the book down and stared at Harry.

- I, uh, wanted to apologise. It's my fault you were here, I didn't mean to, it was an accident.

- It's okay, it was just a playful moment," Zhou smiled widely.

That smile could easily melt ice of any degree of density. So that's why there are no icebergs in English waters!

- It was a great game, wasn't it? - she asked. - I almost had the snatch! I thought you were finally off my back, so I could play properly, and then the snitch flew past me a couple of minutes later, just like I'd ordered, and Cedric was on the other side of the field, so I was the first to spot it. But you let me relax on purpose, you were ready for me right away, good for you!

Harry was speechless. Zhou was praising him for sending her to the Hospital Wing? Zhou was looking at him, clearly waiting for some sort of answer or question to continue the conversation. Potter began to panic and went over the options in his head about what to say to him.

"About the weather maybe ask, like is it nice weather today? Shit, that's nonsense! Should I tell him something about Quidditch then? Like what, exactly? Has every other Seeker ever been hit in the head with a bludger? What the hell is there to say? We'll have to ask Riddle, for sure! I wonder how Zhou would react if he pulled out his diary right in front of her and asked him for advice on what to talk to the girl about? And he doesn't have the diary with him, it's hidden under the bed... Here! She was reading something before he came, I must ask her!"

- What are you reading?

- Eating?

- What do you mean? Eating what? - Harry didn't understand.

Harry could directly feel Zhou mentally raising her eyes to the ceiling. Strangely, after he realised that she thought he was acting really weird right now, all his shyness faded into the background.

- I mean, the "eat" ending. I don't read anything now, but I did before. Here," Zhou showed him the book. - Application of Numerology in Transfiguration.

- Sounds interesting! - Potter lied and immediately felt angry with himself. - I read something like that once too...

Harry was confused. He suddenly felt a sudden urge to stop lying and stop trying to get Zhou to like him. He decided to be himself.

- ...And he was horrified beyond belief. I changed my mind, any book that uses the word "Numerology" in one case or another can definitely not be interesting, because numerology is a load of rubbish!

- You know, I totally agree with you," Harry stared at Zhou in surprise. - I'm just reading what Madam Pomfrey had with me, I took numerology in third year, but then I realised it was a weird science, so I changed it to Runes.

- You study Runes?

- Of course I do. Don't you remember? I saw you at Runes class before, you were a little out of it.

- Oh, right.

To be honest, Potter preferred to forget all the events of that horrible day when he had experienced the vigour spell. That's when he suddenly realised exactly what was lurking in Zhou's words.

- Wait, so it turns out that you quietly changed subjects in the third year?

- Yeah, I went to our dean, Professor Flitwick, and re-signed up for Runes. It's quite a popular procedure when a student, having taken an extra subject, realises that it's completely different from what it is.

- I didn't realise it was that simple... I'll do that too then. I'll take Muggle Studies instead of Numerology.....

The conversation stalled again, but this time it was Zhou who took the initiative.

- What are you reading?

Harry pulled a book out of his armpit and turned it so that Zhou could see the title, but then thought that might not be very polite and answered:

- "The book is called The Best Animagic Form.

- That's cool,' Zhou appreciated. - Do you want to become an animagus?

- 'No...' Harry looked round. Madam Pomfrey wasn't there. - Or rather, not now, I used to want to....

- Why don't you want to be an animagus now?

- Well it's because of my animagic form...

- What's your animagic form?

- A fish, kind of like a clownfish, but I'm not really sure, the kind of animagic form is hard to determine.

- So what's wrong with that? I mean, it's fun, I'd swim in the skin... Or rather, scales of a fish.

- Well...

Harry remembered Riddle's reaction.

Congratulations Harry, you can forget about animagi, you've got the most useless animal ever. So becoming an animagus is useless to you now. I can even say that I understand you, my animagic form is a frog, though I've always been attracted to snakes, and I've always considered frogs to be mistakes of nature, not even worthy of my attention. So I, too, abandoned animagic at one time or another.

- You see, I in animagus form will die in any place where there is no water. And why would I spend two or three years of my life studying animagi if I can't even use it properly?

- Sounds logical. Did someone explain it to you? Or did you figure it out on your own?

- Yeah, a guy I know... He helps me with a lot of things. Listen, I've always wondered, what's it like in a department like this? I mean, riddles instead of passwords. I mean, if you don't get it right, you have to wait for someone else to get it right? And if the next person gets it wrong and the next person gets it wrong, then what?

Harry and Zhou talked about all sorts of different topics for another full four hours. When Potter decided not to try to be sly, but to be himself, he found different topics of conversation very easily and had a great time doing it. He hadn't realised that Chang could be as easy to talk to as the same Justin. Harry would have kept talking to her, but at half past ten Potter was chased away by Madam Pomfrey, telling him that visiting hours were long over and she couldn't pretend that he had just walked in.

Harry was forced to say goodbye to Zhou and leave the Hospital Wing. That night he went to bed in a good mood.