Harry Potter lay absently on Hermione's bed, Ron beside him, waiting for their friend to emerge from her closet with their Christmas gifts she had promised them. As they waited, Harry fiddled inattentively with a gold necklace that had been lying haphazardly on Hermione's bedside table. He turned the small gold charm in his hand. Then, all of a sudden, the world evaporated before his eyes, leaving him zooming through a glittering vortex, until everything dissolved and he could hear a girl shriek.

- - - -

"JAMES POTTER, WHAT THE HELL!" cried a disgruntled female voice.

Harry blinked through hazy eyes. He felt dizzy, and couldn't see a thing. "Huhghh?" he mumbled incoherently.

"Potter, how did you do it! How did you apparate in Hogwarts!" She gazed hesitantly on his drowsy, moaning form. "Well, that serves you right! I could have been undressing for all you know!"

Harry's eyes were clearing somewhat. In front of him was a woman's figure. She had long, flowing orange-red hair and sparkling eyes. But she looked so angry... Harry felt himself nodding off. He was so tired. And where was Hermione and Ron?

The girl above Harry noticed he was looking very pale. "Oh, shit," she said. "Come on Potter, I guess I'd better get your ass over to the hospital wing." She paused, expecting him to say something like 'What about my ass?' . He didn't, though. He just drooled a bit. With a sigh, she chanted a spell that made Harry significantly lighter, and she sort of carried him down to the hospital wing.

"Madam Pomphrey!" she cried to the new assistant nurse. "Something really odd happened to James, here! I think he tried apparating inside Hogwarts... anyway, he appeared on my bed out of the blue, and he's looking really pale and sleepy, I was wondering if you could take care of him?"

The young nurse looked startled. "Of course dear! Don't you worry about a thing, we'll have your friend better in a jiffy!"

"He's not my frien –" the girl began to protest, but then stopped herself. It didn't matter.

As she left, she could hear James muttering slurred words that sounded like "Ginny" and "weasel". Maybe he had found a new girl to stalk at last?