Awareness started to return to Harry. There was some pain, but not as much as he'd expected (assuming he lived). He forced his eyes open only to see an upside-down Luna staring down at him.
"Are you feeling better, Furry Potter?" Harry tried to answer but settled on simply nodding instead. He also noticed he'd returned to human form.
"The phoenix was still healing you when I woke up. He seemed very sad. He cried all over you. You need to be careful. Nargles are attracted to phoenix tears."
"You okay?" Harry managed to get out.
Luna nodded vigorously sending her hair flying about. "It was jolly painful but I am fine now. I don't think Tom liked it in my head. I don't know why. I have a lovely time in here."
Harry started to laugh but it hurt too much. He was sure that inside Luna's head was… an interesting place. He forced himself to sit up. He realized now he'd been using Luna's lap as a pillow.
As he sat up his eyes fell on the remains of the diary lying nearby. He particularly noticed the black, tar-like substance that had oozed out of it. It was just like the stuff that had come out of his scar after he'd been bitten. Coincidence or could the magic of the diary be related to what happened to him?
A trill of sound pulled Harry's attention away from the diary. He saw Fawkes perched high up on the statue's prominent nose. The statue's mouth was closed again with no sign of the basilisk in sight. Fawkes let out another trill of song that seemed to be encouragement.
"I think he wants to leave," Luna commented absently as she looked curiously around the chamber. "I doubt a creature of Fire and Air likes being stuck in Earth." Fawkes's answering trill sounded like laughter. Luna helped Harry to his feet. Harry could feel his wounds healing. The poison seemed to be gone. Luna left Harry and went over to pick up his discarded robes. She handed them to Harry.
"Thank you for coming for me, Harry Potter." Harry tried to smile through his weakness; the fight and the poison had taken a lot out of him.
"I'm just glad I could help. Ron's sister came and told me you'd been taken. She was very worried for you." Harry frowned as another thought came to him. "Also, Hermione and Padma were petrified tonight. I don't like people attacking my friends."
Luna smiled softly. "Ginevra is remarkably free of scrabbling dilwillys. I am sure your friends will be fine. Padma has always been polite to me." Harry felt there was something unsaid in Luna's words but didn't have the strength to pursue it right now.
The pair of students made their way slowly towards the entrance to the Chamber but Fawkes had other ideas. The phoenix landed on Harry's shoulder with a trill. Fire suddenly seemed to consume the students but an instant later it cleared and they were in the Hospital Wing.
"Oh my, that was nice," Luna giggled happily. Harry's response was cut off by Madam Pomfrey.
"What is going on here? Miss Lovegood? I thought you were missing?"
Luna focused her grey eyes on the school Healer. "I've been with me the whole time. I wasn't always in control of me but I was always with me so how could I be missing?"
Madam Pomfrey looked confused by that answer but threw it off a moment later. "Are either of you hurt?"
"Harry was," Luna answered. "A big snake took a half a bite out of him but Fawkes dripped phoenix-juice all over him and he seems better."
Harry couldn't help commenting, "A half a bite?"
Luna turned her guileless eyes on him. "Well, Furry, it was only one fang so it wouldn't be right to call it a whole bite."
Harry snorted, "Fair enough."
Madam Pomfrey ignored their byplay to cast a diagnostic charm on Harry. The response confused her.
"I see the signs of the wound and the poison damage. While some poison remains it seems to have been neutralized by the tears. It must have been only a small amount of poison for the tears to have cleared it so fast. Odd. The wound to your shoulder seems to have healed nicely as well. A small scar will be all that is left. Next time, come in sooner and I can heal it so there is no scar left."
"Don't plan on trying it again," Harry retorted in a tired voice.
Pomfrey continued, ignoring Harry's response. "The tiredness is from the depletion of your magical core. Have you been casting spells above your year, Mr Potter? I warn you that doing so before your core has stabilized can have long-term negative consequences to your magical abilities. You only get one core, Mr Potter. Do not abuse it."
"Yes, madam," Harry answered. Harry hadn't really cast many spells down in the Chamber or felt tired after changing into the Beast. He guessed it was from the fight or fighting the effects of the poison but how was he to explain that without revealing his secret?
Madam Pomfrey made a doubtful noise before handing Harry a small potion vial. "This is Pepper-Up. It will hurry the restoration of your core and remove the tired feeling you have right now." Harry quickly downed the smelly potion and instantly felt his energy levels returning to normal.
"The potion only masks the symptoms, Mr Potter," the Healer warned. "You need a good night's rest to allow your core to recover naturally. Then you are to refrain from all spell casting outside of class for the next week. I shall send a note to your Head of House about your casting above year spells.
'Great,' Harry thought. 'Now McGonagall is going to be watching me or have the Prefects do it for her. Note to self: if you are going to act the idiot hero, don't get caught doing it.'
Madam Pomfrey cast a similar diagnostic charm on Luna and grimaced at the results. "Ms Lovegood, what have you been doing? Your core seems like it was almost… removed but is re-establishing itself rapidly. I don't know of any normal way for this to happen. I've never even seen a case even remotely like this since I was in the healer academy and that was a Dark sacrifice that the Aurors stopped." The Healer seemed to be in some shock.
"I think Professor Dumbldore needs to be aware of this. Mr Potter, please take Ms Lovegood to the Headmaster's office. I shall Floo ahead and let him know you are on your way. Neither of you should Floo in your current condition. I believe he already notified Ms Lovegood's father of her disappearance and should be there with him."
Anxious to get away, Harry readily agreed.
...
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