I can feel my feet touch the ground, and wince as the pain of standing up shoots through me. My eyes are still closed, but I can hear footsteps approaching quickly.
–Thank you for taking care of her, Weasley.†That sounds like Professor Sprout. –We’ll take her from here.â€
I don’t want to let go of Charlie. His wide shoulders and the warmth of his body are comforting, and I just want him to keep holding me, but they pry my arm off his back, and he lets go, and before I can even say a word of protest, they have laid me down on a stretcher.
–I’ll be there, Tonks,†Charlie whispers in my ear just before I’m levitated away. –Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re all right.â€
When Professor Sprout and I get to the hospital wing, I’m not sure whether I’ve passed out on the way or whether I’m just repressing everything because of the pain. I try to sit up on the stretcher, but Professor Sprout gently eases me back down again.
–Don’t,†she says. –We don’t know which bones are broken, and you don’t want to make things worse.â€
At last, Madam Pomfrey opens the door for us. Despite my agony, I can feel myself tensing up as I am being levitated through the double doors. To my great disappointment, though, I’m not taken to one of the regular beds, but rather to Madam Pomfrey’s study, where there is a table, some filing cabinets, a lot of supply closets, and a single hospital bed by the only free wall, on which I am set down. Under different circumstances, I would have relished the opportunity to get a look at Madam Pomfrey’s study. But my entire plan was to see Ed, to find out whether they’ve all got the same symptoms, and I can’t do that if they’re in a different room.
–Take this against the pain,†Madam Pomfrey says as she sets a beaker against my lips. It’s filled with a thick green liquid, and I brace myself against a vile taste. To my surprise, when it touches my mouth, it is pleasantly temperatureless and tastes of woodruff. Propping myself up on my right elbow, I empty the potion, and instantly the stabbing pain down my left side turns into a slightly tingly feeling.
–Don’t move,†Madam Pomfrey warns me as I am about to sit up again. –Just because there is no pain doesn’t mean that you’re not hurt. You’ve probably broken some ribs, and we don’t want them moving around.â€
–You’ll be just fine, Nymphadora,†Professor Sprout assures me.
Tracing patterns with her wand, Madam Pomfrey moves up and down my left arm, and then my ribcage down to my hips. –There is some splintering,†she informs us, –but nothing to worry about. I will need you to lie completely still now, Miss Tonks.â€
I rest my head on the flat surface of the back, and close my eyes. When Madam Pomfrey starts mending my bones one by one, there is some very unpleasant crunching and cracking as everything slides back into place, and I have to bite my lip hard in order not to squirm and wince.
–There will be bruising for the next days,†the matron says, –but I can give you a salve against that when you leave.†I try to get up, but again, I’m being forced back down. –You need to rest for at least half an hour,†Madam Pomfrey says sternly. –You just had a nasty accident, and had near a dozen bones mended. There is absolutely no call for you to be walking around at this moment.â€
Exhaustion overwhelming me, I accept my fate and lie still.
–Thank you, Poppy,†Professor Sprout sighs. –If you don’t need me here now, I’d better tell the rest of her Quidditch team that Nymphadora is all right, before they run in your doors.â€
–Oh, please do,†Madam Pomfrey replies.
–Nymphadora, are you all right on your own?†Professor Sprout pats my arm gently.
–I’m in good hands, right?†I say and attempt a smile.
When Professor Sprout has left, Madam Pomfrey busies herself with some forms at her desk, and I close my eyes and try to breathe. I’ve just started to doze off when I’m jerked wide awake by a set of noises from outside.
–What in Merlin’s name is going on?†the matron asks, throwing her quill down on the desk. The noise only gets louder, though, and now there’s a cackle as well. –I don’t believe this!†Madam Pomfrey pushes her chair back and rushes out the door towards the source of the noise.
Sitting up, I see that she’s left the office door slightly ajar. This is the one shot I’m going to have at this. I wait until I hear Madam Pomfrey’s voice outside, then slip off the bed. My legs are a bit wobbly, and my left hand is numb, but I can move fast enough and without pain now. Before I slip out the door, I peek through to make sure that the coast is clear. Both doors to the corridor are closed, and from the sound of it, Madam Pomfrey and whoever created the commotion are a bit farther away.
Almost all the beds are unoccupied, crisp white sheets gleaming in the weak sunlight. It takes me a few seconds to spot the three beds that are set aside, right beneath the windows at the far end of the room, where they catch most of the daylight. Throwing another hurried glance over my shoulder at the door, I rush towards them.
Up to this point, I have assumed that they would look like they’re just sleeping, seeing how the reason why they were brought here is that they didn’t wake up in the morning. They don’t. None of them look peaceful, or relaxed. All three, Morgan, Alexandra, and Ed, lie on their back, eyes shut too tightly, and a deep frown on their faces. There is a pained expression in each of them, and all three have a fistful of bedsheet in both hands, clutching it so tight that their knuckles are white.
They look like they’re trying hard to wake up from a nightmare.
I gingerly reach out a hand towards Ed’s arm, uncertain whether he is going to be warm or cold, but before I can touch his skin, I hear steps in the corridor outside, and hurry back to the office as fast as I can. Just outside the door, I almost slip on my wobbly legs, and I only just make it back inside. I’m hopping onto the bed the second Madam Pomfrey closes the door behind her.
–This is absolutely impossible,†she says, fuming, as she sits back down at her desk and pulls another form out. –Peeves is strictly forbidden from being anywhere near this part of the castle. There used to be wards up, for Merlin’s sake! I will have to speak to the headmaster about this.â€
When she looks up, she seems almost surprised to see that I’m still there. –How are you feeling now, Miss Tonks?â€
–All right,†I reply. –Definitely better than before.â€
She has me move my arm and fingers around, then feels my mended bones. When she is satisfied, she dismisses me with a salve against the bruising and a set of instructions. I don’t have time to take another look at the three patients, as Madam Pomfrey makes it a point to accompany me outside and usher me through the doors personally.
When I step into the corridor, I find that it is deserted, save for a huge pile of metal bedwarmers near one of the windows. I take great care not to trip over one - I don’t want to set off Madam Pomfrey again. The moment I’ve navigated around them and look up again, my heart takes a small leap when I see that just behind the next corner, Charlie is leaning against a wall, waiting for me.
–Hey there,†he says and walks towards me. –How do you feel?â€
He offers me his arm for support, but I push it away with a snort. –I can walk, you know. I’m much better now. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.†I turn around and look at the pile of bedwarmers. –Was that you?â€
–I wouldn’t say that,†Charlie replies. –I only showed Peeves where they keep these. He really did all of the work.â€
–You got Peeves into trouble, Weasley,†I say, and can’t help but laugh.
We start walking away from the scene of the crime, and Charlie grins at me. –I figured you could use a diversion, seeing how you risked your life to get in there in the first place.†He throws me a look, then adds, –You complete nutter.â€
–Well, thanks to you, it all worked out perfectly,†I explain. –The noise gave me just enough time to have a quick look at them.â€
–And?†Charlie asks, unable to keep the urgency from his voice.
–All three look the same. Like... I don’t know, like they’re trapped in a dream, or something. It’s not really like they’re sleeping, more as if they’re trying really hard to wake up.†I shudder a bit at the memory. –They’ve got them near the windows. Maybe Madam Pomfrey thinks that the light might help them return.â€
We walk in silence for a moment before Charlie speaks again. –So, three people from different houses and with different friends are in the hospital wing. The staff clearly don’t know what is up with them, or at least they don’t have a cure. And no one else is allowed near them. Either they’re keeping them away from the rest of us so that we don’t panic, or it’s … to protect them, maybe.â€
–They do have one thing in common, though,†I remind him. –They’re all in our year, and all taking their NEWTs in the summer.â€
–Yeah... I’m still trying to find out if Alex might have bought something illegal off one of the other students, but I haven’t had time to talk to her friends yet,†Charlie says. –If any of them did take something to help them with the exams, that sort of backfired. It’s not like they can study while they’re asleep in the hospital wing, and if they wake them up before the exams-â€
–Study while they’re asleep!†I exclaim, halting in my tracks. –Charlie, that could be it!â€
–What are you talking about?†he asks.
–The other day in the library, there was that flyer... do you still have it?â€
For a moment, he just squints at me as he thinks, then slams his hand flat against his forehead. –Yes! Yes, I do. It’s in my dormitory. Don’t move, I’ll be right back!†he says, and sprints off.
He must have run like hell, because it doesn’t take him longer than ten minutes to return, parchment clutched in his hand.
Are your nights spent studying?
Are you dreading wrathful Howlers every day?
There’s no need for you to disappoint your parents or miss out on your next Hogsmeade weekend. Get to the top of your year -- in your sleep! Guaranteed success!*
Ask the Dancing Trolls for Andrew.
*no refunds.
–So you think this could be literal?†he asks. –‘In your sleep’?â€
–It’s possible, right?†I take the flyer from him. –The Dancing Trolls... Could that be the tapestry on the seventh floor? You know, they’re all wearing tutus.â€
–You mean the one with Barnabas the Barmy?†Charlie thinks this over. –Yeah, could be.â€
–Let’s go then!†I start towards the staircase.
–Wait, go where?†Charlie asks as he hurries after me. –You want to track down this Andrew guy? Right now?â€
–Why not?†I say as we reach the stairs and head upwards. –Now’s as good a time as any, right? And if this really has something to do with him, and he’s heard about his customers ending up in the hospital wing, we’re less likely to find him the more time passes.â€
–But don’t you think we should talk to someone first?†Charlie skips a trick step and pulls me up with him. –A teacher, maybe, or Madam Pomfrey?â€
–Nah, we can do that afterwards,†I say. Two floors to go. –He might not have anything to do with it at all, and then wouldn’t we feel foolish.â€
–Sure,†Charlie says, and laughs. –I almost believe you. Come on.†He pulls me behind a tapestry. –I know a shortcut.â€
Almost directly behind the tapestry is a very narrow spiralling staircase, and as we run up, I notice that the steps beneath us are moving slowly upwards as well. In almost no time at all, we’re on the seventh floor. It's not until we've stopped that I realise how light-headed I'm feeling, and how hard it is to breathe, but I do my best not to let Charlie notice.
–Right, which way is it?†I whisper, even though there seems to be no one around.
Charlie takes my hand and pulls me around the corner to our left. A few steps further, the tapestry comes into view, and still there’s no one else in sight.
Letting go of me, Charlie steps up to the tapestry and examines it. –Well then,†he says. –What are we supposed to do?â€
–Ask them for Andrew?†I suggest. –It’s what it says on the flyer.â€
–But they don’t look like they’d... hear.â€
Charlie is right. The tapestries around the castle are far less active and animate than the portraits are. I’ve never heard one speak at all, which is why I feel incredibly foolish when I clear my throat and address the trolls in tutus. –We’re looking for Andrew,†I say. –Says here you can show us where he is.â€
There is no indication that they’ve heard me speak at all; one of the trolls twirls over the fabric, hitting two others over the head with his club in the process. Silence surrounds us as we wait and a mute brawl breaks out on the tapestry.
–I’m sure there are other trolls around the castle,†Charlie says finally, while Barnabas the Barmy is getting the worst of it. –It’s probably a painting we’re looking for.â€
–Yeah, I suppose you’re right,†I admit. –Maybe we should talk to someone after all. With all the paintings in this castle, it could take us ages to find the right one.†Taking one last look at the tapestry, I sigh. –I really thought this could be it. Shame.â€
I turn to leave, but suddenly, Charlie puts a hand on my shoulder and a finger to his lips. There are steps coming from behind the tapestry. We’re both more tense as before as we listen to the steps approach, and then hear the sound of stone scraping over stone.
When the tapestry swings aside, I almost topple over in surprise.
Standing behind it in a small gap in the wall is sixth year Ravenclaw Andy Turpin.