Madam Pomfrey is a lovely lady, with a sweet and caring aura, but when it comes to what she thinks is best for the students, well, she's very strict, and sometimes even Dumbledore's say can be outshone within her infirmary, and so that leaves Harry arguing with her about letting Hermione and Ron join us for a proper talk, which I know they're dying for, especially seeing as I've been terrible with giving them the information they've been seeking.

"Just five minutes," he pleads with the older woman, her herself huffing and folding her arms in front of her.

"Absolutely not," she responds tightly. I groan from my claimed chair.

"You let Professor Dumbledore in... and Y/N," Harry tries.

"Well, of course, that was the Headmaster, quite different. And I'm told it might be better we let her remain with you, for reasons I'm under strict instruction to keep to myself, but no matter that, it's still different. You need to rest."

"I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey," he pleads again, and her resolve shifts and finally crumbles to the ground, as well as her stern look that I was sure just moments ago we weren't getting past.

"Oh, very well," she tuts. "But five minutes only."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," I chirp as well as I can with my throat still aching. She gives me a little smile and a slight eye roll before finally allowing Hermione and Ron to come in and join us.

"Harry!" Hermione immediately calls as soon as she's in the room. She runs over and flings herself onto the boy giving him a hug similar to the one she left us with in the chambers below the school. I notice the poor boy flinch as she lands against him though, and so I motion for the girl to calm down, to which she complies. "Oh, Harry, we were sure you were going to – Dumbledore was so worried – and Y/N wouldn't tell us anything-"

"The whole school's talking about it," says Ron. "What really happened?"

Indeed they are, which is another reason I preferred being in here rather than out there. I couldn't bare having to listen to it all so soon after experiencing it first handed with Harry. Hearing all the stories, mostly truths, a few exaggerations here and there, too, was a little too much so soon after. Of course, there was no one telling stories that ever got it completely right, and truthfully, I think personally that even the stories, the rumours that came to life, weren't quite as vibrant, daring, terrifying, nor exciting as the real thing.

I stay out of repeating the events from down below, one, because of my voice, and two, because I hadn't done a whole lot, no matter what Dumbledore thinks, and so it coming from Harry is the right way to have it revealed to Ron and Mione.

"So the Stone's gone?" reiterates Ron after Harry's finished recalling our time down there. "Flamel's just going to die?"

"That's what I said," says Harry "but Dumbledore thinks that – what was it?"

"To a well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure," I remind him quietly.

"I always said he was off his rocker," says Ron, though I can't deny he looks more than impressed by the words of said man.

"So what happened to you two?" Harry asks the duo.

"Well, I got back all right. I brought Ron round – that took a while – and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the Entrance Hall. He already knew – he said, 'Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?', and then we mentioned you, too, Y/N, and he hurtles off to the third floor," Mione tells us.

"D'you think he meant you to do it?" Ron asks suggestive to Dumbledore wanting for Harry to face Voldemort down there. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"

"Well," Hermione pipes quite loudly, and I flinch at her taken tone, "if he did – I mean to say – that's terrible – you could have been killed. Both of you could have."

"No, it isn't," Harry replies to her outburst. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let us find out how the Mirror of Erised worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could..."

"And we're okay, Mione," I calm her with a smile.

"Yeah, Dumbledore's barking, all right," Ron confirms with himself. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course – you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrolled by Ravenclaw without you – but the food'll be good."

Suddenly, Madam Pomfrey comes bustling back into the room looking quite surprised to see all four of us still in here.

"You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT," she commands.

After saying their goodbyes, Hermione and Ron leave the infirmary and Harry and I are left alone again. It's getting late by now, and I'll still have to pack my things as we'll be leaving not tomorrow but the next day, and I'm sure I'll be spending tomorrow in here as well.

"Harry, I'll have to leave you earlier than usual tonight, but I'll be back in the morning. I've got to pack up my things, you see. We'll be leaving for home again soon," I tell him, and he gives me a nod.

"What do you mean 'earlier than usual'? How long where you spending in here?" he asks me.

I break out into an embarrassed blush and play with the fabric on the side of Harry's bed. I try not too meet his eyes as I answer him.

"There's something wrong with me, Harry... and I don't know what. I couldn't leave you alone in here when I thought you might not wake up – I'd just sit in here, you know? Waiting, I suppose. Dumbledore's been indirectly suggesting its something to do with who I am – an Amethyst I mean – and I don't really have all the answers yet – nor do I know why I'm telling you all this, you didn't ask about that – uh, but usually I won't leave until Madam Pomfrey kicks me out around nine," I finally finish, and Harry is smiling broadly.

"Don't be embarrassed about it or anything, It's nice having someone actually caring about me. I've lived with the Dursleys all my life, after all, it's different, but a good different I think, so don't worry. Next year we're going to try and find out more for you, all right?"

I smile and nod gratefully before bending down and giving him a cautious hug as to not hurt him or myself.

"Don't go dying in between now and tomorrow, all right?" I chuckle as I move to leave the room.

"You either," he replies with a laugh, and so I leave.

I'm halfway to the Common Room when I'm suddenly swept off of my feet my two pairs of arms, though they're gentle about it knowing I'm injured. It's the Weasley twins, my favourite set of twins.

"Boys?" I croak at them gently. "How are we this evening?"

"How are we, she says," George speaks.

"How is she, we says," Fred follows up.

"I'm fine, for the last time, I'm alive, stop it," I laugh, and both laugh along with me before putting me down.

"But what would mum have done?" says George. "She likes you more than us and she hasn't even met you."

"It's true," Fred confirms. "Last letter she sent us she was asking about how you were, not us, that woman's itching to meet you."

"Well I can't wait to meet her, either. I still want to thank her for the Christmas gift in person."

"Oh, and how she went on and on about the letter you sent her."

"She wouldn't stop talking about 'the lovely Amethyst girl with the great manners that we should ask for pointers on," they both back and forth.

The boys both drag me along with them to Gryffindor Tower, and once were inside, they let me go to do what I've got to do. I move from the Common Room, up the stairs, and into my dorm where Mione's sat and reorganising her trunk, readying it for travel.

"I'm going to miss this place over the summer holidays," I whisper out, and she jumps a little with my sudden appearance.

"Oh! Y/N, I didn't hear you come in! Scared the life out of me!" she huffs and I chuckle. "Are you back early to pack?"

"Yeah, I thought it best if I got it out of the way early. After tomorrow's end-of-year dinner, we'll all be wanting to just call it a night for an early rise, I'm sure."

"That's what I suggested to Ron, but do you think he's packing?"

"Of course he isn't," I answer her and we both laugh.

The two of us spend a good while reorganising out belongings to all fit in our trunks properly, and after a long enough while, I'm laying back on my bed with the book that I haven't had a chance to read. So far it's pleasantly enchanting, and I'm very much liking the characters. It's called Jack and the Beanstalk, an old Muggle fairy tale. It's with a long, low yawn that makes no noise due, once again, to my throat, that I finally put it back down and call it a night, Hermione already asleep on her bed across from me.

~~~{...Ӂ...}~~~

In the morning, Hermione convinced me, seeing as Harry's awake now, to wait to see him and instead join her in the castle's court yards in the sun, and as I've been missing talking to her, and as my throat is feeling much better this morning, I'm now sat in said court yard with the bushy-haired best friend of mine enjoying the warmth and distant chatter from other students who've chosen to do the same.

"So," she begins after we're both settled on the lip of the fountain, "I've been wanting to ask you something."

"What is it?" I reply whilst furrowing my brow. She looks quite nervous to bring is up.

"How did you get your injuries... We've heard Harry's side of the story, but not yours. You wouldn't tell us," she says genuinely worried. "I mean, what happened to your arm? You're neck?"

"Well it was in the Devil's Snare chamber that I had my wrist fractured. It's only a small break, though, and Madam Pomfrey says it's fine and repaired but to keep it in this sling as to not agitate it," I tell before looking downward when approaching the topic of my neck. "As for, well, this, when Harry was fighting off Quirrell, Quirrell was holding me down with a set of charmed ropes, I think he was trying to kill me with them, and... Oh, Mione I couldn't do anything!" I sigh sadly before lowering my face into my good hands. "I didn't know what to do."

"You mean you got injured right at the start but didn't tell anyone?"

"How could I? There were more important things at hand," I shrug lightly.

Hermione gives me a hug and suggests we go and find Ron and so we do, in fact, we spend the rest of the day as a three waiting for the end-of-year feast, and our quickly-approaching departure from Hogwarts, our holidays being the common topic of conversation.

~~~{...Ӂ...}~~~

I'm sitting next to Hermione in the Great Hall along with all of the rest of Hogwarts' students. Ron's sitting across from us with a space saved just in case Harry's going to be allowed out to join us.

The entire room is bustling with chatter from the Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, Gryffindors, and the teachers at the front. The ghosts are billowing around as well chatting with different people about what they're to be doing over their holidays.

It'd be a lovely atmosphere... if not for the green and silver décor scattered about the Hall.

Slytherin have won the House Cup, and they've been pleased to remind us every spare second about it whenever we've passed any in the corridors or on the grounds. It's been a nightmare. Malfoy's been looking particularly pleased with himself especially, as well as his posse of goons whom are always following him about the castle.

"Do you think they'll let Harry out?" Ron asks from across the table.

"I expect so. I think Dumbledore asked her to allow it," I answer him.

Suddenly the Hall falls into a hush, and every set of eyes stares towards the entrance where the doors have just been opened and Harry has just entered. I let a huge smile encase my face and wave to him happily. He looks rather put off by the way everyone stopped to stare just to go back to their business as if they hadn't.

Harry makes his way over to us and sits beside Ron in the seat we saved him. He looks embarrassed by the fact students are standing and looking over one another to get a good lock at him, and I smile apologetically. Before anyone can bring anything up, though, Dumbledore thankfully stands at his podium to recite his end-of-year speech.

"Another year gone!" he bellows happily across the entirety of the Hall, silencing everyone immediately. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts...

"Now, as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding and the points stand thus: in fourth place, Gryffindor, with two hundred and sixty-two points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw have four hundred and twenty-six, and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."

The Great Hall bursts into cheers, hollers, and applause from the Slytherin table. I turn my head slightly to see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet unceremoniously against the long, packed table and I groan at the smugness he shows.

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," Dumbledore congratulates. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

This causes the entire Hall to fall completely silent again, everyone's eyes filled with confusion, and others filled with anger or despair. No one dares make a sound as Dumbledore begins speaking again, his words causing all of us on the Gryffindor table to fill with amazement.

"Ahem," he begins. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes...

"First – to Mr Ronald Weasley... for one of the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has ever seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Everyone on our table breaks out into cheers and shouts of glee. I beam proudly at Ron, the boy sitting across from Mione and I with a fresh coat of red colouring his cheeks. Harry claps him on the shoulder, as do a few others, and Percy is calling aloud about Ron being his brother to all the other prefects.

"My brother you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's chess set!" he calls.

After the cheers calm, Dumbledore continues.

"Second – to Miss Hermione Granger... for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Our table bursts aloud again, and I take Hermione, who's looking rather red and shy, into a side hug with my good am.

"Well done, Mione," I tell her, and she nods thankfully.

Third – to Miss Y/N Amethyst... for finding strength and bravery enough to lend strength to another, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

The table is beside itself at this stage, as we're now a hundred and fifty points up from our recent standing at the beginning, and everyone looks beside themselves with happiness. I hear Hermione, Ron, and Harry congratulate me, but what stands out most is the booming Weasley twins shouting loudly.

"Weasley junior's done it!" they shout out, and I laugh and shake my head as both perform a funny-looking dance. Dumbledore laughs at their antics as well, and then everyone is silent again and awaiting his continuation.

"Fourth – to Mr Harry Potter..." This catches the rooms attention like never before as they're all waiting patiently to see just what Harry will get awarded for partaking in the stories they've heard. "... For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

That's done it. We're neck in neck with Slytherin, tied for first place, and everyone in the Hall seems to have done the math as well 'cause they're ecstatic! There's cheers from every table, except the Slytherins, of course, as not even Hufflepuff nor Ravenclaw wanted to see Slytherin take the House Cup for the seventh year in a row, and now there's a chance that they will fall short of doing exactly that.

"You deserve it, Harry," I smile to the beaming boy, and he gives me a huge smile as thanks in return.

Dumbledore raises his hand to silence the Hall once again, and everyone obeys almost instantaneously.

"There are all kinds of courage," he goes on to say, smiling brilliantly through the gleam of mischief. I suppose he's loving having Slytherin lose this year, no matter how he's supposed to be unbiased toward us all. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom."

At this stage I feel as though everyone here, besides the Slytherins, will have just as hard a time speaking as me come tomorrow with the amount of screaming and cheering they're doing. Though it's all for a good cause. This means we've won! Gryffindor have won the House Cup! And not only that, but we've swiped it right out from underneath Slytherin right when they were planning a place to keep it on their mantel!

I jump up and give the stunned Neville a quick hug from behind, congratulating him as much as I can bare, and then I jump away just as a pile of others fly over to throw themselves on him. I sit back down by Hermione and laugh gently, the others doing so as well.

"Which means," Dumbledore calls over tha racket, "we need a little change of decoration."

Professor Dumbledore claps his hands and immediately all of the banners and signs and congratulations for Slytherin turn crimson and gold, they turn to that of us, of Gryffindor. I can't stop smiling so hard, and it's making my cheeks hurt. Where there was a huge serpent, a lion takes its place, and the atmosphere is much more a welcoming one than what it was.

Tonight has and will continue to be a most extraordinary night here at Hogwarts.

~~~{...Ӂ...}~~~

When our exam results came in, it was to no one's surprise that Hermione made top of the year, and I was so proud of her for it. She deserves it so very much with all the hard work she puts in. She's the cleverest witch I know and will probably ever know, and she deserves to have exactly that written to her in writing. I, as an honest surprise to myself, did very well as well, despite all of this years happenings, I managed to score higher than even a fair few of the Ravenclaw students, placing around the top ten mark which is unbelievable!

Harry and Ron passed as well, much to their amazement, though I had faith they would be fine, especially with Mione and I doing all we could to help them. Neville passed as well, which he was overjoyed about, and he gave me a hug thanking me for tutoring him in charms.

To all of our dismay, however, Malfoy, Crabbe, and even Goyle managed to scrape by, which put a dampener on it all, but not enough to completely derail out high spirits.