Post by angharad on Aug 31, 2004 18:54:50 GMT -5
“Good heavens, Albus, it’s downright tropical in here!”
It was early September at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. The students had duly arrived, the first years had been sorted, and Professor Snape had muttered his usual imprecations regarding “more dunderheads”. In fact, everything seemed to be quite normal at Hogwarts, inasmuch as “normal” could be applied to that august institution. Thus, when Professor Minerva McGonagall entered the Headmaster’s office, she was not expecting to walk into an equatorial zone.
“Is it?” Professor Dumbledore responded absently. “I rather thought it was still too cold.”
“Too cold?” echoed Professor McGonagall incredulously. “Only for a salamander, perhaps.” She paused to take a close look at her employer, dear friend, and secret love. “You’re as white as a sheet,” she exclaimed in alarm, “and your lips are blue!”
“As I said, it’s cold in here,” he replied between chattering teeth.
“It is not cold in here,” she informed him. “You, however, are freezing, and I’m going to take you to Poppy this minute!” Suiting actions to words she came ‘round the desk, took him by the hand, and hauled him to his feet. She met with little resistance, as Albus had learned many years ago that the woman he secretly loved had a will of iron, especially when it came to his health. Oddly enough, the moment her hand touched his, he began to feel warmer, and by the time they reached the door, he felt almost like himself again. However, once they left his office, and she released his hand, almost instantly he was shivering again. Seeing his discomfort, she put one arm around his shoulders and the other around his waist to steady him. Once again, relief was nearly instantaneous, though not quite as pronounced as before. Still, he managed to savor the feel of her arms about him while she, for her part, was glad for a chance to hold him. Thankfully, they passed no one on their way to the infirmary, though quite a few of the portraits expressed concern.
Madame Pomfrey was quite mystified. She ran test after test, and asked question after question to no avail. Finally she asked, “Have you had any relief at all? Has there been any time when you felt warmer, other than when you raised your office temperature?”
“Yes,” Albus replied. “When Minerva held my hand, I felt much warmer right away,” both he and Minerva blushed at this, “and when she put her arms around me, I felt a little warmer fairly quickly.”
“Hmmm…” Poppy pondered for a minute. “Let’s try something. Minerva, please place your hand on the Headmaster’s shoulder.” Minerva did as instructed, and Albus temperature went up enough to stop the worst of his shivering. “Now, put your hand in his,” Poppy directed. Again, Minerva complied, giving Albus a reassuring squeeze as she did so. Almost immediately, his body temperature returned to normal, eliciting a sigh of relief from the ailing Headmaster.
“Interesting,” was Poppy’s comment. “It would seem that any body contact helps, but that skin contact actually restores normal temperature.”
“Do you know what this is?” Albus asked.
“I have an idea, but I need to look up a few things first,” Poppy replied, writing furiously in her notebook. “Minerva, will you hold onto Albus’ hand until I get him stabilized?” Minerva nodded. “This will only take a moment,” Poppy reassured them both as she proceeded to perform a dizzying array of incantations before giving Albus a sleeping draught.
Minerva was reluctant to let him go, doing so only once he was in a deep sleep. Poppy, meanwhile, was poring over her textbooks, mumbling to herself from time to time. She nearly forgot Minerva was there until she was roused from her research by a crisp “Poppy!”
“Yes, Minerva?”
“Is the Infirmary always this cold, or is it merely the lateness of the hour that makes it seem so?”
Poppy turned fully to look at Minerva, and saw that she, too, was pale and shivering. After quickly writing extremely contagious? in her notebook, she unceremoniously herded Minerva to a bed next to Albus. “Well, it would appear that you’ve caught whatever the Headmaster has,” Poppy informed her. “Now, until I get a handle on whatever this is, I’m placing the both of you under quarantine.”
“That’s absurd!” Minerva chattered. “I have classes to teach!”
“You’ll teach them more effectively if you’re not buried under twelve layers of wool and speaking through chattering teeth,” Poppy countered. “Now, hold his hand while I get you stabilized.” That last was a guess on Poppy’s part, but it paid off, as Minerva’s temperature quickly returned to normal. Once Minerva was sound asleep, Poppy transfigured the two beds into one, and transported it and its occupants to the isolation ward. Then, with a broad smile, she went back to her research, knowing she was on the right track.
It was early September at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. The students had duly arrived, the first years had been sorted, and Professor Snape had muttered his usual imprecations regarding “more dunderheads”. In fact, everything seemed to be quite normal at Hogwarts, inasmuch as “normal” could be applied to that august institution. Thus, when Professor Minerva McGonagall entered the Headmaster’s office, she was not expecting to walk into an equatorial zone.
“Is it?” Professor Dumbledore responded absently. “I rather thought it was still too cold.”
“Too cold?” echoed Professor McGonagall incredulously. “Only for a salamander, perhaps.” She paused to take a close look at her employer, dear friend, and secret love. “You’re as white as a sheet,” she exclaimed in alarm, “and your lips are blue!”
“As I said, it’s cold in here,” he replied between chattering teeth.
“It is not cold in here,” she informed him. “You, however, are freezing, and I’m going to take you to Poppy this minute!” Suiting actions to words she came ‘round the desk, took him by the hand, and hauled him to his feet. She met with little resistance, as Albus had learned many years ago that the woman he secretly loved had a will of iron, especially when it came to his health. Oddly enough, the moment her hand touched his, he began to feel warmer, and by the time they reached the door, he felt almost like himself again. However, once they left his office, and she released his hand, almost instantly he was shivering again. Seeing his discomfort, she put one arm around his shoulders and the other around his waist to steady him. Once again, relief was nearly instantaneous, though not quite as pronounced as before. Still, he managed to savor the feel of her arms about him while she, for her part, was glad for a chance to hold him. Thankfully, they passed no one on their way to the infirmary, though quite a few of the portraits expressed concern.
Madame Pomfrey was quite mystified. She ran test after test, and asked question after question to no avail. Finally she asked, “Have you had any relief at all? Has there been any time when you felt warmer, other than when you raised your office temperature?”
“Yes,” Albus replied. “When Minerva held my hand, I felt much warmer right away,” both he and Minerva blushed at this, “and when she put her arms around me, I felt a little warmer fairly quickly.”
“Hmmm…” Poppy pondered for a minute. “Let’s try something. Minerva, please place your hand on the Headmaster’s shoulder.” Minerva did as instructed, and Albus temperature went up enough to stop the worst of his shivering. “Now, put your hand in his,” Poppy directed. Again, Minerva complied, giving Albus a reassuring squeeze as she did so. Almost immediately, his body temperature returned to normal, eliciting a sigh of relief from the ailing Headmaster.
“Interesting,” was Poppy’s comment. “It would seem that any body contact helps, but that skin contact actually restores normal temperature.”
“Do you know what this is?” Albus asked.
“I have an idea, but I need to look up a few things first,” Poppy replied, writing furiously in her notebook. “Minerva, will you hold onto Albus’ hand until I get him stabilized?” Minerva nodded. “This will only take a moment,” Poppy reassured them both as she proceeded to perform a dizzying array of incantations before giving Albus a sleeping draught.
Minerva was reluctant to let him go, doing so only once he was in a deep sleep. Poppy, meanwhile, was poring over her textbooks, mumbling to herself from time to time. She nearly forgot Minerva was there until she was roused from her research by a crisp “Poppy!”
“Yes, Minerva?”
“Is the Infirmary always this cold, or is it merely the lateness of the hour that makes it seem so?”
Poppy turned fully to look at Minerva, and saw that she, too, was pale and shivering. After quickly writing extremely contagious? in her notebook, she unceremoniously herded Minerva to a bed next to Albus. “Well, it would appear that you’ve caught whatever the Headmaster has,” Poppy informed her. “Now, until I get a handle on whatever this is, I’m placing the both of you under quarantine.”
“That’s absurd!” Minerva chattered. “I have classes to teach!”
“You’ll teach them more effectively if you’re not buried under twelve layers of wool and speaking through chattering teeth,” Poppy countered. “Now, hold his hand while I get you stabilized.” That last was a guess on Poppy’s part, but it paid off, as Minerva’s temperature quickly returned to normal. Once Minerva was sound asleep, Poppy transfigured the two beds into one, and transported it and its occupants to the isolation ward. Then, with a broad smile, she went back to her research, knowing she was on the right track.
. Great challenge response, very original indeed, and ah... how I liked the last line ;D...
You know, you're almost convincing me of the McG/Dumbledore thing.
I loved it!! My favorite part was Poppy checking in on them and concluding that she should listen AND knock. Hehehe! Fabulous response to the challenge!
