nycdaug Chapter 320 Doubt (2)
Chapter 320 Doubt (2)
When Lamia returned to Hogwarts, the first person she met was Professor McGonagall, who had been staying in her office but found her as soon as Lamia arrived at the school.
"Lamia, can you give this of your bonus to Harry? I still need to do something for Dumbledore." Professor McGonagall returned the bag of gold galleons to Lamia, and at the same time took out another bag of gold galleons from her arms, which was just as much as hers.
"Of course, Professor, I just happened to be going to see Harry." Lamia said. She took the two bags of gold Galleons, asked where Harry was, and rushed over.
Harry was slumped against the pillow, Hermione and Ron were looking at him, no one spoke for a long time.
After a moment, Madam Pomfrey came in. "You must drink the rest of the potion, Harry," she said.
As she reached for the medicine bottle and goblet, she gently nudged Harry, who was lying on the bed, and said, "You need to get some good sleep and think about something else for a while."
"I can't think, ma'am. All I can think about is Voldemort. My head hurts like hell," Harry said weakly.
"Harry! Just think about your bonus. I heard it's a lot of money!" said Ron.
"I don't want the gold," Harry said flatly, his voice devoid of enthusiasm. "You can have it. Anyone can have it."
Lamia listened to the whole thing at the door, and only went in when no one spoke.
"Harry, this is your bonus. Professor McGonagall asked me to give it to you." Lamia said and put the bag of gold galleons on the bedside table next to Harry.
After Harry saw Lamia, all the emotions that he had been trying hard to suppress and control since leaving the maze suddenly came over him, making him unable to control himself. He felt a burning pain in his eyes, and he blinked hard, staring at the ceiling above.
"Lamia, I don't want the gold coins," Harry said. "These should all be yours. You saved me."
Now the burning feeling was back in his throat, and Harry spoke with a sob in his voice.
Lamia didn't know why Harry was sad. Was it because he saw the phantom of his parents?
Madam Pomfrey placed the potion on the bedside table, bent down, and patted Harry's back gently. Harry never remembered anyone comforting him like this, like a mother.
Looking at Madam Pomfrey's kind smile, Harry's eyes grew even redder. His mother's face and his father's voice seemed to begin dancing and spinning in his mind.
Finally he couldn't bear it anymore, and he frowned hard, trying to suppress the painful roar that was trying to break through his throat.
Suddenly, there was a series of knocking sounds and Harry opened his eyes suddenly. It was Hermione standing by the window, holding something tightly in her hand.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Your potion, Harry," Madam Pomfrey said quickly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
Harry drank the potion in one gulp. The effect was immediate. A heavy, overwhelming, dreamless sleep came over him at once, and he fell back onto his pillow, unable to think of anything else.
It's not actually Harry's fault. Even Lamia found it difficult to forget what happened that night. Even when she thought back a month later, only scattered fragments remained of those days, but the memories and emotions they carried were enough to accompany her for a lifetime.
After a few days, Harry was able to get out of bed and his mood calmed down a lot.
"Lamia, we haven't visited Cedric yet. Let's go together." Harry said, grabbing the bag of gold coins on the bedside table. "I have to give this to him. He deserves it."
"Harry, we all have. I went to see Cedric a few days ago. He's fine. He was just scared like you, but not as seriously." Lamia pushed Harry to the bedside, "You should rest for a few more days."
Lamia has been almost always in Harry's room these days. This is a new task assigned to her by Dumbledore. To put it nicely, it is to take care of Harry, but in fact it is to prevent her from discovering what they are doing. Ultimately, it is because Dumbledore no longer trusts Lamia and he is worried that she will become a traitor to Hogwarts.
Lamia didn't think there was anything wrong with Dumbledore thinking this way. If it were her, she would do the same, after all, she was the one who concealed it first.
The next evening, Lamia took Harry back to Gryffindor Tower, and according to Hermione and Ron, Dumbledore spoke a few words to the whole school at breakfast that morning.
He simply asked that no one disturb Harry, Lamia, or Cedric, and that no one ask them questions or pester them about what had happened in the maze that day.
But when Lamia and Harry were in the corridor, most people walked around them, avoiding their gazes, and some covered their mouths with their hands and whispered to each other as Harry walked by.
Lamia didn't care, but Harry cared a lot. He couldn't help but ask Lamia if something had happened recently that he didn't know about.
Lamia thought about it and guessed from the expressions of the passers-by that it was probably because of the newspaper.
"Harry, they just think of you as a hero. That's what all heroes are like." Lamia thought about the contents of the newspaper and decided not to tell Harry. It would be much better for him to see it himself than to hear it from her.
The most important thing is that Lamia had no idea how to tell Harry that Rita Skeeter distorted what happened on the day Voldemort was resurrected into something Harry encountered on the way to elope with her, and even said that the two of them went to such a place specifically.
She guessed that many of them believed Rita Skeeter's article, otherwise why would they look at them like that?
Lamia sighed. Are all the students at Hogwarts a bunch of fools? They would actually believe such a simple rumor.
"Is that really all, Lamia? Why do they look so strangely?" Harry obviously didn't believe it, but Lamia stopped talking, so he could only shut up.