The first light of dawn

When the door to the Hospital Wing opened, Madam Pomfrey was sorting a stack of medical records.

She looked up to see Gavin, Harry, and Ron coming in—or, more precisely, two of them helping Ron inside.

Dark green slime covered most of Ron's face. Every few steps, he doubled over and retched, and the slug dangling from his mouth left a glistening trail across the floor.

"Merlin's beard—" Madam Pomfrey put down the records and hurried over. "What is this?"

"The Slug-Vomiting Charm," Harry said with weary resignation. "His own wand backfired."

Madam Pomfrey's expression went from shock to exasperation, then from exasperation to "I've seen far too many ridiculous things to ask any more questions."

She told Harry to help Ron onto the nearest bed, then fetched a crystal bottle and a stack of gauze from a storage cupboard.

"Lie down, Mr. Weasley. Don't move, don't talk, and try not to swallow—though I know that will be difficult."

Ron gave a muffled moan and fell back onto the pillow.

Another slug slid out of his nostril and crawled down his cheek onto the pillow.

Without so much as a change in expression, Madam Pomfrey picked it up with gauze and dropped it into an iron bucket.

Harry stood beside the bed, looking worried as he watched Ron suffer.

"When will he get better?"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "The Slug-Vomiting Charm isn't an offensive spell. It's—how shall I put it—a hex meant to harass and humiliate. Normally, when someone is hit by another person's wand, its effects last between ten minutes and half an hour. But Mr. Weasley's case is rather unusual."

She paused.

"He was hit by a backfire. I've never seen a case like this before. It's a first for Hogwarts, too."

Harry swallowed.

"So how long