Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 96: Pensieve

Harry was surprised that Tony hadn't yet made an appearance, even during dinner. He knocked on Healer Jordan's office door.

"Oh, hello Harry. You've arrived early. Is everything okay?" Healer Jordan asked as she opened the door and invited him in.

"Hi. Yeah. I just was wondering how Tony's doing," Harry said.

"He's still recovering, but he's doing better. I think he'll spend another night here, though. Do you want to talk to him? Professor McGonagall and I aren't quite ready to meet with you yet, so you have a little bit of time," she said.

"I'd like that, thanks," he said and she led him back to the room where he had recovered from his face plant... it seemed like ages ago, but it had been less than a week.

"I'll come and get you when we're ready, okay?"

"Sure, thanks," Harry said and then swept his staff in front of him as he entered the room, "Hey, Tony?"

"Oh. Hi, Harry," Tony said from a corner of the room. Harry walked closer, his staff's tip tinging against something metal in his path. He tapped his staff twice to get a description of what was in front of him—a rolly stool.

"Oh, sorry, I left that stool in the middle of the room," Tony said. "You could bring it over here, and then you'd have something to sit on."

Harry bent over and rolled the stool in front of him a bit awkwardly as he was also trying to use his staff to find his way.

"That's a good spot," Tony said shifting a bit on the camp bed and Harry sat down and collapsed his staff.

"How's it going?" Harry asked.

It was quiet for a bit. Harry wondered if Tony had shrugged. There was something familiar about all of this. Harry speculated that Tony was feeling weighed as he had earlier.

"Er. I've been better," Tony said.

"Yeah, I bet," Harry commiserated.

"Thanks for last night. Healer Jordan said that you and Mei helped me. I don't remember any of it."

"It sounded like you were in a lot of pain... so I guess it is good that you don't remember it."

"Well, I remember the pain. It's better now. So that's good. I haven't been able to wear my arms today, though," Tony said. "Healer Jordan gave me some potion to help with the pain, but it makes it really hard for me to use my magical arms... I guess they are connected—the use of my magical arms and the phantom pain. They told me I had to manage it carefully... but I didn't think it would be so bad."

"Mei told me about the potion," Harry said.

"Yeah, Arig was going on about how brilliant it is. Figures he would think so," Tony grumped. "I mean... it's different for him, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, his leg's got to work differently than my arms," Tony said.

"How would it be different?" Harry asked.

Tony was quiet as if he were deliberating. Finally, he said, "Well, you know, since werewolf bites don't ever really heal. He can't just have a magic leg that connects to his nerves like my magical arms. That's why he doesn't have one yet, even though he's been missing his leg for longer than I lost my arms."

"Oh, I didn't know that," Harry said.

"Yeah, well, he told me, didn't he?" Tony said. "I was a prat... drinking firewhiskey this weekend. I guess I should have stayed here. It would have been easier than going home. Less temptation. I just... " Tony trailed off.