Draco met his uncle in the hallway as they were taking Harry to the hospital wing. Eight hours later, he was still sitting on a bed with Severus on one side and Fred on the other, waiting to hear any news, good or bad, about Harry's condition. After five hours, he didn't really know if such a long wait was good or bad.
The mediwizards had taken Harry into a large room at the back of the hospital wing, and none of them had come out since they had done so. The few times that Poppy had come out to gather some needed potions and supplies, she could only tell them that Harry was still hanging onto life, and that they were still working on him.
Draco glanced around at the others in the room. Sirius and Remus were lying on the bed next to the bed that him, Severus, and Fred were on. Remus's eyes were red and swollen, but he'd finally stopped crying. He didn't really care what anyone thought. Harry was the closest he would have to a son, and he wasn't ready to let him go, if ever. He wanted to go first. Sirius looked like he would gladly stay another twelve years in Azkaban if it meant that Harry would be all right.
Albus looked his age for once, and McGonagall sat by his side, dabbing her eyes once in a while. Hagrid was sitting on a chair next to the Headmaster, sobbing openly. The only words that emerged from his mouth were the occasional "Poor lil' tyke."
Hermione, Ron and Ginny were on another bed, across the room from the others. Draco almost felt some sympathy for Ron. Other than during Quidditch practises, Ron hadn't spoken to Harry since Harry had told him about his relationship with Severus. Now Harry was in danger of dying, and Draco could see that Ron now realised that there was more to life than disagreeing with a friend about his choice in partners.
He couldn't feel all that much sympathy for Ron, however. It was Ron that brought his friendship with Harry to a screeching halt. He just hoped that Ron had finally "seen the light" and would be there for Harry. After all, that is the least that Ron could do; that is, if Harry would let him. It had taken Draco weeks to get over the physical wounds from his attack, and he could tell that Harry's damage was much more severe.
Throughout the hours they spent waiting for news about Harry's condition, the other teachers had been in and out of the hospital wing, asking about Harry. Even Trelawney had come in, wanting to hear about her former student.
Minerva thought about sending a scathing remark or two Trelawney's way, but she thought better of it when she saw the miserable look on her colleague's face. She realised that while Trelawney had predicted Harry's death many times, she hadn't really wanted it to happen…. Knowing Trelawney as Minerva did, she most likely used Harry's impending dooms to excite the students in an otherwise boring class. Trelawney knew well that her class was considered dull by the standards of even the most boring students.
Some students had come in as well. The Prefects and the Head Boy and Girl had all come down, and a few students that were Harry's friends, especially those on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
Albus assured them that as soon as they heard anything about Harry's condition, they would send out word immediately, and the students were sent back to their dormitories.
Finally, nine hours after Harry hit the ground, the mediwizards emerged from the room, carrying Harry on a stretcher behind them. They laid Harry gently on the bed and the mediwitches fussed over him as the mediwizards came towards those that were waiting.
Severus was itching to hex them, since it was taking them so long to tell them what was wrong with his lover.
One of the mediwizards looked up. He was tall and thin, with greying hair. 'Who is Harry's guardian?' he asked.
Sirius stepped up. 'I am,' he said, holding out his hand. 'I'm Sirius Black, Harry's father.'
The mediwizard shook his hand. 'Mr Black, I'm Avery Patterson. I'm sorry it took so long, but Harry's condition was extremely delicate, and we couldn't risk him just to come out here and tell you, well, not much of anything. There was nothing to tell until we did all that we could do. Now, let me tell you what was wrong and what we did.
'As you all know, Harry received trauma to the left temple and to the back of the skull, just above the spinal chord, when the Bludgers hit him. He also received several broken bones and suffered some internal damage to one of his kidneys and his liver, and his left lung was punctured by one of his broken ribs. He also suffered a fracture to the right side of his skull when he hit the ground.
'Madam Pomfrey, my staff, and myself felt it was simply too dangerous to move Harry to St. Mungos, so we had to work here. It was touch and go there for awhile. The damage to Harry's body was extensive, particularly to his head. We've healed the broken bones and repaired the internal bleeding and his internal injuries. We've also healed his head wounds to the best of our capabilities.'
Albus eyed the mediwizard carefully. 'What aren't you saying, Mr Patterson?'
'While we know more than Muggles about how the brain functions and how to fix it, there are things that we simply cannot fix, as you can tell by some of the patients that we keep at St. Mungos.'
'Like my parents,' Neville said. He'd walked in just as the mediwizards were bringing Harry out of the back room. No one had noticed his presence until now.
'Yes, Mr Longbottom. Mr Longbottom's parents are under my care,' he explained to the others. 'We won't know the problems that the damage has caused until Harry wakes up.'
'What are the possibilities?' Severus demanded. 'What could be wrong with him?'
Mr Patterson looked at Severus coolly. 'Oh, yes, I know you. You're Harry's boyfriend, are you not?' he asked, a disapproving note creeping into his voice.
Severus glared, but before he could snarl at the mediwizard, Sirius decided to intervene, defending Severus to the disapproving man. 'Yes, he is, Mr Patterson, and Harry couldn't be in better hands. My son's choice in lovers is none of your concern, however. Could you please answer his question?'
The mediwizard shifted his professional mask back into place and said, 'Of course. The effects of the damage could vary, and there are several possibilities. He could wake up completely unscathed by the incident. He could suffer from varying degrees of brain damage or memory loss. The memory loss could range from minor, such as not recalling the Quidditch match or the last few days, to total memory loss and he'll remember nothing. Of course, he could retain his complete memory.
'He could lose certain motor functions and need to learn how to walk or talk again, or he could suffer from headaches, again ranging from minor to severe. In order to heal his head injuries, certain other non-threatening injuries had to be overlooked until the swelling in his brain was controlled, and he could have difficulty controlling those areas. I could go on, but you get the idea. My advice to you is to hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst case scenario. That way, you'll be ready for anything. But don't dwell on the "what ifs." You'll be sitting here for the next two weeks driving yourselves mad. We simply will not know until Harry wakes up.'
'Why two weeks? Why so long?' Remus asked.
'Harry's in a deep healing coma, and I expect it to last at least two weeks. He won't wake up until he is healed enough for his brain to function as properly as possible. Then we'll see what problems arise, and we'll deal with them accordingly. He's going to be on bed rest for at least a month afterwards, depending on his progress. Mr Stephens and Mr Alexander are going to stay here and assist Madam Pomfrey with Harry's care. If any problems arise, they will contact me immediately.
'I do have a few instructions for you. The machine you see attached to Harry is to constantly monitor his brain activity. Right now it is minimal because he's healing, but activity should start to rise in a few days. Do not bother the machine, and do not take the pads off Harry's head for any reason. If one of them should come loose, let one of the mediwizards know immediately. You may hold his hand, but do not move him otherwise. Do not jostle him. He has a charm on him to keep him immobile, and he will be fed potions through an I.V. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't accidentally get knocked out. One of you should stay with him at all times. The mediwizards and Pomfrey will be taking shifts, and one of them will be available at all times. Are there any other questions?'
Ron spoke timidly. 'Sir, are you sure Harry's going to live? He looks horrible,' he muttered, looking over at the limp body covered in bandages.
'Unless unforeseen complications arise, or unless someone deliberately tries to harm him, he will survive. Now, if there is nothing more, I need to get this equipment back to St. Mungos.' Patterson shook Sirius's hand once again, ignored Severus, and walked toward the door, the mediwitches following behind him, talking amongst themselves. He barked out a few orders to the ones staying, then he left with the rest of his staff.
One of the two remaining mediwizards came up to Sirius and smiled. 'I'm Anthony Stephens. This is my colleague, Gregory Alexander. I know that Patterson seems like a bit of an arse, but he really is one of the best mediwizards in the world.' Mr Stephens looked at Severus and smiled warmly. 'Not everyone feels the way that Mr Patterson does.'
Severus nodded and stalked by him, heading for Harry's bed. He sat in a chair that Pomfrey provided for him and carefully took Harry's hand, as if it were made of the most delicate glass.
The others followed behind, and Mr Stephens stood behind Severus. 'Do as Mr Patterson said. Don't move or jostle him, but you can hold his hand and touch him. Just be careful around his head. And talk to him. I don't care what you talk about. Tell him stories, read to him, tell him your deepest, darkest secrets, but let him know you're there. Don't allow anyone in that can cause a potential problem or fight.'
'Like my parents,' Fred whispered to Draco. Ron heard him and looked down, ashamed. It was he who had told his parents about Severus and Harry, and it nearly got his Potions professor sacked. He smiled at Hermione when she gave his hand a supportive squeeze.
'Other than that,' Mr Stephens continued, 'we simply wait. Now, decide who is going to stay for the night, and I want the rest of you to go eat dinner and get some sleep. That is an order,' he said. The two men and Pomfrey went into her office to discuss their schedules.
'I'll stay,' Severus said, his tone of voice sharp, as if daring someone to argue with him.
Sirius nodded. 'Remus and I will as well.' He turned to the rest of the people waiting. 'You lot go and inform the others, eat, and get some sleep. Someone else can take a shift in the morning.'
Albus nodded, staring down at Harry. 'Fine, then. Come along. I'll have Dobby bring down some food for you three.' Albus rounded up everyone else and escorted them out of the hospital wing, leaving the three men alone with the unconscious boy.
Sirius pulled two chairs around the other side of the bed, and he and Remus sat down opposite of Severus. They took Harry's other hand and sat there quietly, staring at Harry as if he might vanish at any moment.
Ten minutes later, Dobby came in carrying a tray. He put it down on the bed behind Severus and timidly walked up to Harry's bed. 'Harry Potter is hurt?'
'Yes, Dobby,' Sirius said, smiling sadly at the house-elf.
Dobby dared to step closer to Severus and asked, 'Will Harry Potter get better?'
'I hope so,' Remus answered, laying his head on Sirius's shoulder.
Dobby looked at Severus. 'Is Professor Snape sad that Harry Potter is hurt?'
Severus turned to see Dobby eyeing him curiously. He didn't have the heart to scare the house-elf, however. He knew that Harry would be angry if he hurt the elf's feelings, especially at a time like this. The small creature was obviously upset. Instead, he said in a tired voice, 'Yes, Dobby, I'm sad. I don't want Harry to be hurt.'
Dobby nodded. 'Professor Snape loves Harry Potter. Good. I wouldn't like it if Professor Snape hurt Harry Potter's feelings. I brought food like Professor Dumbledore said. Professor Dumbledore told Dobby to tell the professors to eat.'
Sirius nodded. 'Thank you, Dobby. We'll eat in a second. We'll call you if we need anything else.'
Dobby nodded and left the room after looking at Harry again. 'Poor Harry Potter,' they heard him mutter as he vanished.
Remus got up and filled three plates. He handed one to Severus, but when he made to push it aside, Sirius growled, 'Severus, we went through this the last time Harry was in here. He needs you to be healthy, so eat!'
'Yes, Father,' Severus sneered, but he let go of Harry's hand, albeit reluctantly, and took the plate from Remus.
Remus smiled sympathetically. He couldn't imagine what Severus was feeling. Harry was his godson, and he loved him very much, but this was different. Severus would be spending the next two weeks waiting for Harry to wake up, living with the fear that the young man he loved so much might not remember him, or that the Harry that remembered him would be the one that loathed him. Remus's heart went out to his colleague. If Sirius ever forgot him, he'd want to die.
Remus poured them all some pumpkin juice and then sat down to eat. They ate in silence, the only sound an occasional "beep" coming from the machine that was monitoring Harry's brain activity.
Dobby returned to take the dishes back to the kitchen and bring the professors some tea. Before Draco went to bed, he and Fred brought some books and magazines for Severus, Sirius, and Remus to read to Harry.
'Thank you, Draco,' Severus said, wrapping an arm around Draco's waist.
Draco leaned against his uncle. 'No problem. Let me know if I can get you anything else.'
'I will. You played an exceptional game today, Dragon. I was very proud of you.'
Draco smiled sadly. 'Thanks. It was a fun game.' Draco's face took on a troubled look and his bottom lip started trembling. 'Uncle Sev, Crabbe and Goyle meant to kill Harry. They aimed those Bludgers at his head deliberately.'
'I know. I'll take care of them tomorrow. Albus is going to put a guard on them. Don't worry. They won't get away with this.'
'How can you be so calm? They tried to kill Harry!' Draco asked, his voice rising in his anger and loathing. 'I want to kill them.'
Severus stood up and pulled Draco away from bed. 'I'm furious,' he whispered, 'but I'm not going to do anything that could cause harm to Harry. The mediwizards said not to do anything that is upsetting around him, and I refuse to raise my voice around him. I will scream, rant, and hex everyone around me tomorrow. Tonight is about helping Harry. He is my first priority, just as you were when you were hurt.' Severus pulled Draco into a strong hug. 'He's going to be fine. He's Harry Potter. He's always fine.'
Draco pulled back to look at his uncle, his bottom lip still trembling. 'I was right there, Uncle Sev. You didn't hear those Bludgers crack his skull. You didn't hear his bones break when he hit the ground. It was horrible. He almost died.' Tears started to fall down the distraught boy's cheeks.
'I know, Draco.' Severus pulled his nephew to him and motioned for Fred to come over. 'Fred, could you please ask Madam Pomfrey for a Dreamless sleep potion for Draco? I want him to use one tonight.
Fred nodded and walked into Pomfrey's office. He returned a moment later with a phial in his hand.
Severus held Draco out at arm's length. Wiping away his nephew's tears, he said, 'Draco, I want you to take this. I mean it. You need sleep tonight. You can come back in the morning.'
Severus turned to Fred. 'Fred, take care of him. Make sure he takes all of this. Shove it down his throat if you have to.'
'I will. Come on, Draco. Goodnight, Sirius, Remus. Goodnight, Harry.'
Severus sat back down in his chair as soon as Draco and Fred left the hospital wing. He picked up the top book and smiled. It was The Count of Monte Cristo, the book that Harry had been reading. He opened to the page that was marked and started reading aloud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, after running down to the dungeons for a quick shower and a change of clothing, Severus stormed into Albus's office. 'Albus, I want those little bastards' heads on a platter! They hurt Harry deliberately, and I won't have it!' he yelled, slamming his hand down on the Headmaster's desk.
Albus gazed at his Potions professor, his amusement apparent. 'Sherbet lemon?' he asked, unfazed by Severus's outburst. In fact, he had been expecting it.
'Albus, I do not want a sherbet lemon! I want those boys out of here! I want them in Azkaban…. TODAY!' he roared.
Albus sighed and sat back. 'Severus, my boy, sit down and calm down before you pop a vessel.' Severus made no move to sit down. 'I will not discuss this until you do so. The longer that you are obtuse, the longer they will be here, and the longer it will take for you to get back to Harry.'
Severus glared at the Headmaster as he sat down. 'There! Happy now?'
'No, but that has nothing to do with you. Here, have a cup of tea while we talk,' Albus said, pouring a cup for Severus.
Severus took the cup, knowing well that Albus wouldn't let him refuse. He took a small sip and set the cup down. 'Can we talk now?'
'Yes, yes. I've already spoken with the Minister for Magic, and he's coming to investigate-'
'As if I'm going to trust Arthur Weasley after the way he's ostracised Harry!' Severus snapped.
'-And he's bringing along some investigators with him. They will interview all those that saw the incident, particularly Draco. He was the closest to Harry, and he saw what happened clearly. There will be plenty of people to back it up, and when the evidence against them is gathered, they will be taken to the Ministry and charged appropriately. The incident was clearly after the match was over, and was meant with malicious intent. You know what the rulebook for Quidditch says about incidents after the Snitch is caught, and so does Arthur. I assure you, Severus, that Arthur Weasley will not let his personal disapproval, no matter how wrong it may be, to get in the way. He will not let an attempt at murder go unpunished.'
'I guess that will have to do. When is he coming?'
'He's already on his way.'
'Fine. Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to sit with Harry. If Weasley feels the urge to talk to anyone in the hospital wing, have someone let us know. I don't want him anywhere near Harry. He's caused Harry enough trouble as it is.'
'Of course, Severus. Remember though, that the only reason that he did what he did was because he cares about Harry and his welfare.'
Severus scoffed. 'Lot of good that did. He still hurt him in the quest to "save" him from me, the evil, greasy, hideous Potions master.'
Albus chuckled and gazed fondly at his friend. 'Harry's right. You do need to work on your self-description. It's a bit off.'
Severus ignored the Headmaster's remark. 'I'll see you in the hospital wing, no doubt, Albus.'
'I'll be there in a while.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Severus, Arthur would like to see you, Sirius, and Remus in my office. He wants to talk to each of you, alone. I'll stay with Harry while you're gone.' All three opened their mouths to protest but Albus said, 'I will call you if there is the tiniest change.'
The three men nodded and stood. They quickly made their way through the labyrinth that was Hogwarts to the Headmaster's office.
'Severus, you go first,' Remus said. 'That way, you can get back to Harry. I know you don't like being away from him for too long.'
'Thank you,' Severus said. He stood in front of the gargoyle and said the password, "peanut brittle," and as soon as the gargoyle moved aside, he quickly made his way up the steps, silently telling himself that hexing Arthur Weasley would not be of any help to Harry.
As he glided through the door, Arthur Weasley looked up from his paperwork. 'Professor Snape, good morning,' he said, holding out his hand.
Severus looked at the hand with disdain and then at Arthur's face, arching an eyebrow questioningly. Giving the Minister his best and fiercest glare, the one that said, "the Cruciatus curse is too good for you, you impudent moron," he sat down.
Arthur retracted his hand. 'I can understand your animosity, Severus, but I'm here to help Harry.'
'The attack on Harry has nothing to do with your attempt to get me fired, Weasley. Please get on with your questioning. The longer you keep me here, the longer I have to be away from Harry.' Severus smirked when Arthur gripped his papers a little too tightly. 'What's the matter, Weasley? Did you think that I would take my leave now that Harry is injured? I assure you, the sex is much better than that.'
Arthur grimaced, but otherwise ignored Severus's baiting. 'I want you to tell me exactly what you saw at the end of the match, the day that Harry was injured.'
'Of course, Minister. I was in the Slytherin stands, sitting with my house, watching the final match. The match ended when Harry caught the Snitch for the Gryffindor team. He flew a few laps around the pitch and then turned to face my nephew, Draco. He was going to fly toward Draco, and I saw Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle come up to the left and slightly behind him, take their bats and slam the Bludgers directly at Harry's head, and he fell to the ground. I looked up, and both Crabbe and Goyle had satisfied expressions upon their faces. The only thing that kept me from using the Killing curse on them was my concern for Harry.'
'You're sure that the attack came after the game was over?'
'Of course I am! It was at least a minute later that those little fools tried to kill my Harry! Now do something about it!' Severus snarled.
'Don't worry, Professor. I will make sure that the guilty parties are properly punished,' Arthur replied. 'I'm satisfied with your answers. You may go. I'll let you know when I need your testimony.'
Severus got up and stalked toward the door. Before he opened the door, he turned around. 'Make sure they get what they deserve, Weasley. You owe that much to Harry. You hurt him, you and your wife, and your son. He thought of you as family, and you turned on him faster than anything I've ever seen. Not even Sirius did that, and he found out entirely by accident, and it was a rather…unfortunate way to do so. Even he respected Harry's decision, and he and I have had a horrid relationship since we were in school.
'Oh, and I don't want you or your wife coming in and upsetting Harry when he wakes up. He's going to have enough to deal with as it is, and I don't want him upset. If you can't accept that Harry loves me and wants to be with me, I suggest you stay away. I will not tolerate anyone hurting him.' With that, Severus stalked out of the room and quickly made his way back to the hospital wing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next two weeks went along with the most agonising slowness that anyone had ever seen. Severus refused to leave the hospital wing unless absolutely necessary, so Albus took over the Potions classes, following the outline Severus gave him and bringing the essays, class-work, and quizzes to the hospital wing for him to mark.
Severus spent most of his time in the hospital wing talking to Harry, or reading to him. Sirius, Remus, and Draco were all semi-permanent fixtures in the hospital wing as well, taking turns talking to Harry while Severus slept in the bed that was beside Harry's.
Like Mr Patterson told them, Harry's brain activity elevated after a few days. He hadn't had any problems thus far, and when Mr Patterson came to check on Harry, he said that it was encouraging. Harry was healing as scheduled, but as the time for Harry to awaken grew closer, those around him grew more nervous.
The day before the two-week period was over, Mr Patterson came back to stay until Harry woke up. He removed the charm that had been keeping Harry immobile, and he told them that now they would just have to wait.
A few days after the two-week deadline that the mediwizard had given them, Severus was busy marking papers. Those papers went flying across the hospital wing as he heard a small groan coming from the bed next to him.
Severus leaned over Harry, gazing at him for any sign of consciousness. 'Harry, can you hear me?'
Harry moved slightly and groaned again. 'Sev?' he croaked hoarsely.
It was the sweetest sound Severus had ever heard, and he thought he might cry if the room wasn't about to be filled with people. 'I'm here, Harry. I'm right here.'
Draco walked into the hospital wing. 'Uncle Sev, Professor McGonagall wanted to know if-'
Severus didn't let him finish. 'Draco, go find Madam Pomfrey, Sirius, and Remus. Tell them Harry has woken up.'
The smile on Draco's face could have lit up the entire castle. He ran down the hallway where he had previously seen Madam Pomfrey. She and one of the mediwizards were still there, talking to Albus.
'Madame Pomfrey! Professor Dumbledore! Harry's awake!' Draco shouted as he continued running. 'I'm going to find Sirius and Remus!'
Draco ran to the Charms classroom. Sirius wasn't there, so he ran to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and there he found Sirius and Remus quietly talking and putting away the last of Remus's supplies. They were just about to head to the hospital wing.
'Sirius! Remus! Harry's awake! Madam Pomfrey's on her way to the hospital wing now!' Draco didn't wait for them. He ran up to the Owlery and sent an owl to Fred, then dashed back to the hospital wing.
He pushed his way through the crowd of students that were standing in the doorway and stood beside Sirius. The mediwizards were poking and prodding Harry, plying him with questions concerning his memory, which seemed to be intact, except for the actual Quidditch match.
Harry answered their questions as best he could, taking in the water that Madam Pomfrey was giving him. His throat hurt, it was so dry. Finally, the mediwizards pulled back and allowed Severus and Sirius to come near. Severus sat down next to Harry and stroked his hair.
'Severus, help him with his glasses,' Madam Pomfrey said, preparing to give him a little test for blearing or dizziness.
Harry felt Severus put his glasses on and he opened his eyes. 'Now what am I supposed to do?' he asked. His voice was coming back, now that his throat wasn't so dry. He felt a little weak, but otherwise he felt fine.
Madam Pomfrey said, 'I want you to look at this wand and follow it as I move it around,' she said, holding up the wand.
Harry smiled weakly. 'Ha ha, very funny. Now why don't you take off this spell and I'll do what you want?'
Madam Pomfrey looked at him warily, a sick feeling churning in her stomach. 'What do you mean, Harry?'
Harry sighed softly. 'If you don't take off this spell, how am I supposed to see you? Until you do, all I see is black.'
Madam Pomfrey just looked at him. Severus was confused. 'You still have spells on him?'
Madam Pomfrey shook her head and the realisation hit Severus hard.
'Madam Pomfrey, take this spell off, please,' Harry asked a little louder. He was starting to panic. When she didn't answer, he yelled, 'Take this off of me, now!'
'Harry, there is not spell on you,' Severus told him gently.
'What are you talking about? Of course there is! I can't see. Everything is dark. If there weren't a spell, that would mean…no way,' he said. 'There is no bloody fucking way! There has to be a spell! I am not blind!'
Sirius sat down on the other side of Harry and held onto his son. 'I'm so sorry, Harry, I'm so, so sorry,' he murmured softly.
'No, no, it's not true! Dad, I'm not blind! They're lying to me! I know it…. This is some kind of joke! I'm not blind!' Harry sobbed, tears streaking down his face.
Severus could hear the dull roar of the crowd at the door of the hospital wing. 'Poppy, kindly go and shove those brats out of this room before I hex them into the next century,' he snarled.
Pomfrey went to the door and forced the students out of the room. It didn't matter. The word spread throughout the school in a matter of minutes. Harry Potter was blind.