Chapter 21 - Help for Pookah

When they left the pet shop, Severus was very busy telling Pookah how wonderful Hogwarts was. He didn't listen to the adults and just tried to look through the small fence of the transport box to see the weasel.

Charlie and Harry, meanwhile, were planning their travel back to Hogwarts. "Okay, I will wait with Severus at Mr. Hopkins' bookshop for a message from you saying the wards for the Floo system are down in Albus' office," Charlie said.

"Yes, I will apparate and inform Albus. I will warn him about the weasel. Maybe he will give us some cover against the women," Harry said a little nervously.

"Good idea. We will definitely need it," Charlie said while looking worriedly at the transport box with the ill animal. I fear not even Albus can rescue us from the wrath of Poppy and Minerva. And I have to avoid my mother for the next few days as well if she gets wind of this.

"Okay, wish me luck," Harry said, over his shoulder as he headed to the next Apparition place.

Severus finally noticed Harry's absence when Charlie laid a hand on his head and said, "Come on, Sev, let's go to the bookshop."

Severus looked around confused. "Where is Harry?"

"Where have you been the last twenty minutes?" Charlie asked teasingly. Seeing Severus confused expression, he rolled his eyes. "Forget it, kid. Harry is apparating back to Hogwarts to ask Albus to let us in via Floo network. You didn't like apparating, and I fear a Portkey would make you even more ill. And I also don't know how the weasel would take it."

"Pookah don't likes appa...apparating,"Severus said, glad that he didn't have to do it again. He could still remember how bad he had felt after it."Why is Pookah ill, Arlie?"

"I don't know, Sev. I think we will find out soon."

Severus looked curiously up at his big friend. He looks worried. Maybe he is worried about Pookah, but Aunt Poppy will make him all good very quickly. The box became heavy, and Severus stumbled over his feet.

"Let me carry it, Severus, it's too heavy." Charlie took the box out of Severus hand.

"But it's my Pookah. I want to carry him." Severus stamped a foot petulantly. It's unfair that they are all so big and I'm so small.

"Stop sulking!" Charlie said strictly. "The box is too heavy. We will be in enough trouble when we are back at Hogwarts. I don't need another thing for them to be angry about."

Severus didn't want Charlie to be like this. He wanted him to be funny and not strict like all the other adults. "But it's my Pookah." Severus blocked Charlie's passage.

"And it will stay your pet, but we have to go back to Hogwarts so that your Pookah can get help, and we can't do this if you are blocking my way."

"Yes, Aunt Poppy will help Pookah," Severus said happily and started to jump in the direction of the bookshop.

"I wouldn't bet on it," Charlie mumbled so that Severus wouldn't hear it.

Soon they were waiting in front of Mr. Hopkins' fireplace for a sign from Albus. Charlie looked worriedly into the box at the weasel. It didn't move, but it least Charlie could see the animal breathing.

Severus jumped when a small silver bird came flying out of the fireplace. It stopped in front of Charlie's face and chirped something.

"We shall use the Hospital wing fireplace. They are waiting for us there," he explained to Severus as the bird flew back into the fireplace.

"Can you speak birdyish?" Severus asked, awed.

"What?" Charlie was really far away with his thoughts. He was very worried of what will await him at Hogwarts. Harry still has the hero bonus, but they will rip me apart for letting Harry buy Severus an almost dead animal. So his brain wasn't fast enough to understand what Severus meant by his question.

"I didn't understand the bird, but you did. And Aunt Poppy could understand Naggy, but I couldn't. I also want to speak birdyish and otterish," Severus explained. He hoped Charlie would teach him how to do it.

"They don't speak a special language. They are Patroni and only the one for whom they have a message, can understand them. So if someone would send you a Patronus, only you could understand him and I couldn't."

"Can you send me one, Arlie? Please." Severus bounced up and down.

"Maybe later. I thought you wanted help for your pet here." Charlie gestured at the box.

"Yes, let's go to Aunt Poppy," Severus said as he dragged Charlie to the fireplace. He hadn't told Charlie, but he felt a little ill and tired. So he was very grateful that they didn't have to travel like they did to arrive at Diagon Alley.

They were hardly out of the fireplace, when he heard Poppy shout at him. "Charlie Weasley, if this animal has any contagious illnesses, I swear you will regret it. Buying a small child, who is still adjusting with his new life here an animal that is almost dead-"

Severus was quickly grabbed from Minerva, and she lifted the scared child in her arms.

Poppy snatched the box out of Charlie's hands and opened it. The sight that greeted her made her draw in a sharp breath. Albus and Alastor leaned over the box to have a closer look. The expression on Poppy's face was murderous. She turned to Charlie again, raising her wand she had originally pulled out to examine the animal. "I can not even say how-"

Harry jumped in front of Charlie. "It was me who bought the animal, Madam Pomfrey. If you shout at someone it should be me."

"Oh, be assured I won't forget you, Harry James Potter, but first I will have a word with the one I gave the responsibility for this trip," Poppy said dangerously.

Severus started to struggle in Minerva's arms. Why isn't Aunt Poppy helping Pookah? Why is she so angry with Arlie and Harry. They have bought me such a wonderful pet. "You must help Pookah, Aunt Poppy."

Poppy looked at Severus, who was giving Minerva a hard struggle. "Don't let him down and near that animal, Minerva!"

Severus hadn't seen his Aunt like this. She was very angry, and Severus didn't understand why. He started to cry and hug Minerva. "Aunt Poppy shall help Pookah. She shall stop shouting at Arlie and Harry."

Poppy, meanwhile, had turned again to Charlie and Harry, who both were white like a sheet. "If this animal dies you will both see what I'm capable of," she almost hissed at them. They had just managed to get Severus healthy and at a point were he started to feel at least a little safe. He trusted them, and now these two stupid dunderheads were risking a drawback by buying Severus a dying animal. Who knows what illnesses it had. That idea made her turn and cast a hygiene shield over the box and the catatonic animal in it.

Albus went over to the two shocked men and said in a friendly tone, "Why don't you both go and tell Hagrid to come up here?"

It didn't go unnoticed that the headmaster said 'tell him' and not 'bring him', and so they gladly took their chance to escape Poppy.

"Aunt Poppy can make everything better. She shall make Pookah better," Severus said miserably to Minerva.

"Aunt Poppy is a Mediwitch for humans, Severus, not for animals. Hagrid will be here soon, and he will help the..." She looked seeking help from the others.

"It's a weasel. And, thank Merlin, it has no contagious illness," Poppy said after waving her wand over the animal. After performing a cleaning spell, she lifted the hygiene shield and cast an Oxygen Spell in front of the muzzle of the weasel. It was obvious that it had difficulties breathing.

"Aunt Poppy made Pookah good again? I want to look!" Severus said and started again to struggle.

"You will stay were you are, young man," Poppy said sternly. "We will wait until Hagrid comes."

As on cue, the hospital wing door was opened, and Hagrid came in. Severus' eyes almost popped out of his sockets. Hagrid had arrived yesterday, and so Severus hadn't seen him until now. He stopped struggling immediately, because now he didn't wanted down. Minerva's arms were the safer place at the moment.

"Professors," Hagrid greeted them shortly. He threw a quick glance at Severus and then looked at the box. "Oh, poor little fellow. What have they done to you?" He examined the eyes, the muzzle and the body of the weasel. The weasel squeaked in pain.

Severus started to cry again and hid in Minerva's crook of her neck. "He will eat Pookah," he whispered fearfully.

"Of course not, Severus. Hagrid is our professor for Magical Creatures. If someone can help your Pookah than it is him." Minerva tried to calm Severus.

"So Pookah is your name, little one?" Hagrid took the box and turned to the headmaster. "I will take him to my hut."

"No," Severus shouted while big tears where running over his cheeks. "Pookah wants to be with me."

Hagrid turned to Severus. The box still in his hands, he went over to them. Poppy drew another sharp breath and opened her mouth to tell Hagrid not to come near Severus with the animal, when Alastor grabbed her arm. "Let him say goodbye to the animal. Who know for how long it will be," he said in a small voice.

Severus looked with wide-opened eyes at Hagrid. Only the urge to see Pookah made him avert his gaze from Hagrid to the animal. "In my hut I have medicine for your pet, Sev'rus. I will bring him back to you as soon as he is healthy enough. And you can visit him in my hut whenever you want."

"You make him good again?" Severus asked hopefully.

"I will try my best, but he is very much hurt. I don't want to lie to you; I cannot promise you that he will survive. I'm good with animals, and I have fixed up a few that were much worse. Now I have to hurry to make him feel better, okay?"

"'Kay," Severus said sadly. "Bye, Pookah. Haggy will make you better."

Hagrid left the hospital wing, while Poppy waved her wand frantically to sterilize the air and the table on which the box had stood.

Severus felt more and more tired. He also was freezing, and so he snuggled closer to Minerva.

"Poppy, I think you should check Severus. He feels a little warm," Minerva said while feeling Severus' forehead.

Oh, no, please don't, Severus thought annoyed. He looked up at Poppy, who was quickly at his side and started to protest. "I'm fine, Aunt Poppy."

"I would like to see for myself, Severus," Poppy said softly to show Severus that she wasn't angry with him.

All the excitement of the shopping and the stress at the end made Severus lose it when Poppy took him out of Minerva's arms. It was all too much for the little tyke, and he started to sob helplessly.

"Severus, there is nothing to cry about at the moment. I will just place you on the bed and have a look at you." Poppy tried to calm him, but Severus was exhausted and couldn't think clearly any more. He sobbed uncontrollably and clawed at Poppy so that she couldn't place him down. "Severus, please, calm down. I have examined you a few times and was that so bad?"

"I don't want to stay here. I want to sleep with Pookah or Stork." The sobbing didn't stop, and Poppy had problems to understand Severus.

Albus came over and wanted to touch Severus' head. "No calming magic, Albus," Poppy instructed, fully aware what Albus wanted to do. "I don't know what's wrong with him. The less magic we cast on him the best."

"Come on, Severus. Let Aunt Poppy check on you, and then we will know if it's necessary that you will stay here. We cannot know it before she have a look at you."

Severus sobbed even harder. "I'm sick, I know it. You will leave me here alone." Again he bear-hugged her neck.

"Severus, I promise you don't have to sleep here alone, okay? If you are very ill, one of us will stay here with you. If you just need monitoring, you can sleep with Alastor and me. And maybe you will be even fine enough to sleep in your own bed. Let me have a look at you. Pookah wouldn't be happy when he wants to see his new friend, and he is ill because you didn't let me look at you." Oh, she hated to use this, because she didn't know if the weasel will make it, but she couldn't find another way to get Severus to cooperate.

"Come on, let's sit together on the bed, Severus." Albus sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the place beside him. It's best if Severus doesn't have too much body contact with another person while Poppy casts the diagnostic spell. It could alter the result.

Poppy tried again to place Severus on the bed, and with Albus' help she could free herself from Severus' arms. The moment he lost contact with Poppy he snuggled closer to Albus and put his thumb in his mouth. After waving a diagnostic spell over Severus, she sighed and rummaged in the drawer of the night table. She came back to Severus with a thermometer in her hand. "Put your thumb out and open up, Severus." Severus obeyed without making trouble because he was very exhausted. The crying had made him very sleepy, and he hoped they would let him sleep soon. Just not alone here. Soon the thermometer beeped. "38.5 degree. That's a fever." She sighed. "There are no signs of an illness. Maybe it's just the excitement and stress from the day. The Apparation has also drained him. I have to monitor him for this night, just in case it gets worse."

Hearing that made Severus cry again and hug Albus arm forcefully.

"Nothing to cry about, kid," Alastor said as he came over to the bed. "Remember our nap? It was nice wasn't it? This time it will just be a longer nap." He patted Severus hair. "Come on, I will carry you to our bed."

Severus had no objections against sleeping with Aunt Poppy and Uncle Al. It was nicer to sleep with someone than sleeping alone. So he held his arms up for Alastor to pick him up.

"Do you need anything, Poppy? Pyjamas, his moisturiser or anything else?" Minerva asked.

"No, we have everything in our quarters," Poppy said. "Don't worry, Minerva. He will be okay. I'm very sure it is just all the excitement. I will let you know how the night was as soon as we are up."

"Stork?" Severus asked sleepily in Alastor's arms.

"We will send him with Fawkes, Severus," Albus said and stood up. "Good night, my boy." Albus patted Severus' head and then made space for Minerva.

"Sleep well, Sev." She placed a kiss on his forehead and looked worriedly at the almost sleeping child.

"Night Mummy. Night Daddy," Severus mumbled with his thumb in his mouth and his eyes already closed.