Disclaimer: I think soon there will be a new ward at St Mungo's for nutcases like us who go mad every time we have to face the truth – I don't own Harry Potter any more than you do.

Harsh Conditions Formerly "I wish she said what I heard"

Chapter 4 – Hospital Wing?

In the calamity of the moment, Oliver's words whizzed by an unnerved Alicia and Angelina as Katie did not rise from her fall to escape Oliver's clutches. Both girls slid down the transformed staircase, worry etched on their faces as a crowd of Gryffindors swarmed around them, craning their necks to get a better eyeful of the commotion. Leanne scurried around the taller fourth years and gasped when she saw Oliver staring down at Katie, getting slightly panicky. She glared at him, as if it was his entire fault (which, of course, was at least partially true) and told him to put her down.

Oliver transferred his gaze from the unconscious Katie to the quivering Leanne, with her hands on her hips, attempting to display more authority than him. He was holding the girl who had survived horrific Quidditch injuries, fallen half a small house's height from her broomstick, crashed into … well, more or less everything, broken, sprained or twisted almost every part of her body, yet was felled by a staircase.

Alicia seemed to come to her senses first, putting a kindly arm around Leanne's shocked form, "I think Oliver better take Katie to the Hospital Wing, first." She said softly, whilst Angelina tried to shoo away gawking onlookers, "I don't think we should levitate her, just in case we accidentally drop her."

Leanne nodded, still shaken, though kept her steady fierce look upon Oliver as the girls curtly ushered him out the Portrait Hole. Percy Weasley poked his head over the staircase to the boys' dormitory and almost clapped his hands with glee as he peeked at the scene awaiting him. His badge pinned firmly to his robes, he strode confidently down the staircase, "Alright, move along, there's nothing to see here!" He called, gesturing with his hands for the throng to back off. "Let him through, move aside, Longbottom, Thomas. Kindly return to your homework –"

Percy's marshalling faded away, his calls to shepherd the House away from the Portrait hole diminishing as Oliver half ran to the Hospital wing, Leanne, Angelina and Alicia hot on his trail. They skidded down moving staircases, clattering along corridors and Leanne broke free of the chasers' hold to run ahead for Madame Pomfrey.

The generously proportioned Poppy Pomfrey appeared in view as Oliver brought Katie in. She gestured to an empty bed and hurried over to peer around Oliver at Katie,

"You can go now, Oliver." Angelina said coldly. He looked up in shock, surprised to hear such a tone coming from her. Usually she was good natured, though quick witted. He had imagined Katie might have been spinning all sorts of sour tales to the girls. He caught a last look at Katie, not wishing to stay under the angry glowers of his remaining chasers and Leanne. He stalked away, attempting not to appear affronted.

"Ooh dear," Madame Pomfrey clucked in her motherly tone, "A few bumps and bruises, have we? Another Quidditch practise, girls?" She asked as she opened a vial of blue liquid and dipped a piece of cotton wool fleetingly over it.

"No," Alicia replied as Madame Pomfrey began to dab at a rapidly rising bump over Katie's left cheek, "She fell backwards down the stairs. We don't think she was expecting Oliver to try and follow her." She said sharply with an acid bite in her tone. She could guess what had most likely happened before Katie fled the scene.

"I'm sure she'll be all right in the end." Madame Pomfrey soothed after her disapproving tutting at Oliver's lack of thought. She handed the vial and a clean piece of cotton wool to Leanne, who stopped her flitting about and hesitantly mopped up a few more of Katie's nastier scratches. She returned a few seconds later with a small bottle of clear Potion and poured a spoonful into Katie's open mouth and waited until she compulsively swallowed, "This will help her with the sting, dears." They were told as Madame Pomfrey began to check Katie's wrists and ankles for damage.

They all turned around as a shy girl they recognised as Eloise Midgen pushed the doors shut after her. Madame Pomfrey added softly to the cluster around Katie, "Now I think she'll just need some rest, but come and tell me when she wakes up." She began to walk over to Eloise, "Ah, Miss Midgen," she beamed, "How is your skin doing with that new Potion?"

The girls zoned out of the further conversation as Katie writhed slightly with a small moan. Alicia drew up a chair for her and Angelina as Leanne sat on the opposite edge of the bed, clearing up Katie's bruises, "Do you know what happened?" She asked the two chasers in a concerned voice.

Angelina and Alicia grimaced, "We know it's got something to do with Oliver," Alicia imparted, "Katie went to find him to ask about a conversation they'd been having, but we don't know any more." She took Katie's hand and the girl quieted.

"We think it might have something to do with that Ravenclaw he likes." Angelina added as she watched Katie carefully for signs of waking, "But it's stupid that that cow should even be on the scene!" She exclaimed, hissing like an angry cat, "He almost told Katie he liked her yesterday."

"I know," said Leanne darkly, "Katie told me. But I don't see why he couldn't just come out and say it, rather than beating about the bush. Honestly, he can be so idiotic and thick-skinned sometimes. She's liked him from second year. We can't think of any reason why he won't just pluck up the courage to ask her out other than the age gap." She added despairingly.

"That's ridiculous!" Alicia spluttered, "So what – she's a fourth year." She gestured at Leanne, "You're a fourth year too, but we all get on fine together." Leanne nodded and rolled her eyes,

"But you're in sixth year and Oliver's in seventh. This is part of her theory," She told them, reaching for another clean cotton ball, "That Oliver will think she's too young and immature and everything." She sighed, "It's nonsense really – she's one of the most mature in the year, unlike him."

Angelina gave a small laugh, "Yes, he can be a bit childish when it comes to Quidditch – but he is forgiven his obsession. We all have flaws, after all and –" She broke off as Katie let out another moan when Leanne touched a dark bruise already forming on her shoulder. Alicia tightened her grip as Katie's eyes snapped open and she blinked a couple more times, confronting the situation she was in.

"Hospital Wing?" She croaked, struggling to smile at her friends.

"Hospital Wing." They chorused. They had been in this situation plenty of times before; the customary question and respective answer had become a routine that occurred each time. Leanne rose to fetch Madame Pomfrey, who was finishing with her weekly check of poor Eloise Midgen, handing her care of Katie over to Angelina.

"Good to see you're awake so quickly," Madame Pomfrey bustled over to them, "I didn't expect you to surface for a good hour. How are you feeling?" She asked, putting a hand to Katie's forehead to check her temperature. "Hmm," she scrutinised Katie for a few seconds, "I'll give you some Cooling Potion as well – those bruises shouldn't like to stay with that." She smiled, searching for another Potion in the mass on a shelf in the centre of the ward.

Madame Pomfrey poured Katie a glass of icy water and added a few drops of the required Potion before handing it to her, "I'd like you to stay for another half an hour whilst the Potions get themselves settled and then you can go." Katie took the glass from her without complaint. As she gulped it down, she concluded that this would be one her shorter stays in the Hospital Wing.

I'm really sorry this has taken me so long; I hope you haven't all lost interest. Hopefully there will be another chapter for you in two week's time after I come back from abroad. Any reviews will be welcomed greatly xx