Neville's Sacrifice

Chapter Five

Ginny gradually came back to consciousness and slowly opened her eyes. At first, the room was a white blur, but after a few seconds, it swam into focus.

She looked around confusedly.

The walls were bare, the only dash of colour in the room coming from the many vases of flowers on the nightstand and windowsills.

She turned her head to the right, and there was Neville, sitting slumped in a hard wooden chair next to the bed. Seeing that she was finally awake, his exhausted face broke out into a tender smile.

He reached over, stroking the soft ember coloured hair away from her face, and said softly, "I'm glad you're awake."

The many weeks of taking the Sedation Potion had left Ginny's mind in the hazy fog of earthbound clouds.

"Awake?" she asked confusedly. "But where am I? Am I at St Mungo's? What's happened to me?"

Neville took her two small hands into his larger ones and began stroking them soothingly.

"You were injured during the battle. The mediwizards brought you here to St Mungo's. Because of the extent of your injury, the Healers thought it would be best to keep you asleep to give your body its best chance to heal. But see, you've got so much better already that they've stopped the potions. That must be a good sign. Maybe it means you'll be home soon."

Ginny looked up at him, and a small dart of fear started wending its way through the dark haze of her mind.

"I must have been very hurt to be given the Sedation Potion. How did I get injured?"

Just then the door to her room opened, and Molly and Arthur entered.

Molly, seeing Ginny awake, ran over to the bed, wrapping her in her warm soft embrace.

Arthur leaned down to kiss his youngest child, tears sparkling in his eyes.

"I'm glad they stopped the Sedation Potion," Molly said, her voice hoarse with tears. "It scared me seeing you lying so still under those covers. But now you're awake and you'll soon be good as new."

Arthur looked sharply at his wife and gave a warning frown. He didn't want her giving Ginny false hope on what was possible and what was not.

He leaned over Ginny's bed. "How are you feeling now that the Sedation Potion's been stopped," he asked, concerned. "Are you in any pain?"

"Some, mainly in my back. But the really funny thing is I can't feel my legs. Hmm... I guess it must be a side effect of the Sedation Potion. I'm sure in a couple of days, when the potion is out of my system, I'll be able to feel them again."

Neville, Molly and Arthur exchanged uneasy glances. They didn't know how to tell her; how to announce her that the non-feeling in her legs might not go away, that it might be with her forever.

To distract Ginny's attention away from her legs, her mother said, "Your brothers are waiting outside to see you. They all wanted to come in, but I thought it was best if you only had a few visitors at a time. Dad and I will go out and let them come in for a while."

Ginny smiled happily, eager to see the rest of her family.