#19 Boil & Trouble

Jacob did not go anywhere near the corridor until he absolutely had no other choice. In fact, having spend the rest of the afternoon in Hogsmeade with Lucky, he'd even dared sneak himself some treats in case no one thought to feed him otherwise.

He dragged his feet while entering the Hospital Wing, already annoyed to be there and he'd only just walked through the doors. Misery loved company, though. He was glad to see a fellow inmate was there to keep things from getting too boring. Amy looked upset though, so he quickly improvised a way of lightening the mood.

His specialty.

'Hey, Ames,' Jacob gave her a sympathetic smile. 'So, what are you in for? Did you kill a man?' he joked, winking.

Jumping onto the bed beside her, Jacob kicked off his shoes and reclined on the bed as if it was a poolside garden chair or whatever those things were called. He tucked hands behind his head, and sighed with faked relaxation.

The fact that some parts of him, particularly his forearm, hurt from the exploding potion was something he was perfectly content to just ignore for now. Jacob was far more concerned with missing dinner, and hoped nothing too exciting happened without them.

Damn. He should have asked Lucky to sneak him in some food. Maybe a bit of pudding, at least?

Madam Pomfrey came to check on them a moment later, already informed of everything that happened. She did not look the slightest bit happy about it, but such ire was directed at Professor Snape not the students in question.

She healed Jacob's arm easily enough with a combination of spells, which made him feel cold (which lingered), and cloths soaked in a potion that stung while applied. It was a slow process, and couldn't be healed all at once. It seemed like he'd be there all night as well.

There wasn't much to be done for Amelia, however, as the symptoms of what she'd drank were yet to present themselves. She still felt a bit off, and was given strict instructions for bedrest. Both Gryffindors were also brought a tray of food -- basic dinner options, as well as the same heart-shaped chocolates as present in the Great Hall right now.

Despite the reasons for being there, the atmosphere was rather calm. Pomfrey headed back to her desk, and there were no other patients that needed tending to. The two students could simply hang out on their beds, eating dinner and chatting if they wished to.

Then a cold chill spread through the room, which hade Jacob feel colder for a moment. All the candles and torches snuffed out in one magical swoop.

The room dimmed, and Madam Pomfrey came rushing out of her office with her wand in hand -- lit with the Wand-Lighting charm. She looked alarmed, but firmly gestured for them both to stay put. They only had the space of no more than a minute to notice and react -- before the snuffed lights proved to be a precursor for something far bigger. 

There was a huge explosion on the grounds -- which lit everything up far better than the torches could have achieved. While the castle was untouched or unharmed, the sheer force of of the explosion seemed to make everything shake.

Madam Pomfrey rushed to the window to the side of where the students were, peering out at the grounds. All Amelia and Jacob had to do was turn around in their beds to see. And the sight that met them was beautiful in a way, if not for also being so horrifying to witness.

Sparks, flames, and bright lights engulfed the Quidditch Pitch -- which was ripped apart, crumbling to the ground. There was no sign of anyone, or an apparent cause, but it gradually formed almost a dome of residue magic that continued to ruin the pitch.

'Stay calm,' Pomfrey instructed them. 'Headmaster Rickard, Professor Hathmore... this will be attended to immediately. You're each perfectly safe where you are. Eat your dinner, stayed hydrated, and don't leave your beds. Or, if you must be defiant, at least do not leave this ward. Do you understand?'

She gave them a sharp look, one that was far more intimidating than even her usual stern one. 

'If anyone is injured, they'll be brought here,' Pomfrey added. 'Be sure to stay out of the way. I'll be in my office if you need anything.'

With a flicker, the candles and torches re-lit themselves. The atmosphere remained tense, and the ward was bright from all the windows which faced the pitch. Unlike those in the Great Hall, Amelia and Jacob had a slightly clearer view of things. Not enough to really know what was going on, but enough to see figures rushing from the castle and headed to investigate the pitch.

Sneaking out was impossible, and they had no way of checking in on friends or otherwise. All they could do was wait, take care of themselves, and hope that Madam Pomfrey would at least keep them updated -- she'd gone to her office as promised, and they could hear low voices. 

Despite the continued flaring and tension outside, dinner resumed. 

Busy grumbling about feeling cold, which suddenly got worst, Jacob didn't notice the light change at first. The explosion scared the pants off him though, and he fell onto the floor -- half from shock, half from instinct to protect himself. His knees aching from impact, he ignored them in his rush to stare out the window.

He just stared for a while, barely taking in anything else said or going on around him. It was an incredible sight, though also a rather awful one. He couldn't even imagine the pitch breaking apart the way it was, half convinced his eyes were playing tricks on him. But no, it was real. He could heard it in Madam Pomfrey's voice.

Jacob hoped his friends were okay. He glanced at Amy, relaxing a little as at least he knew she was safe. And at least he wasn't going through this alone. 

Then he remembered she played Quidditch, and the sport meant a lot to her. Him seeing the state of the pitch would be very different compared to how she must be feeling. He had no idea what that was, but she seemed upset and for once... Jacob was at loss of what to do.

Tears fell down her cheeks, and his heart ached. Jacob felt helpless, looking around for something to cheer her up with. Finding nothing, he instead went to her and leaned to Amy in show of support. He draped his hand over her shoulders, though gave her plenty of space to shove him off if wasn't appreciated.

'It's gonna be okay,' he tried to reassure her. 'This place is full of Professors, right? I'm sure they'll get it all fixed up once they figure out what the bloody hell is going on.'

Jacob shrugged, feeling even worse about his efforts, but he needed her to know he was there. She wasn't alone either.