Health update, part one - screenplay challenge
The involved:
Madam Pomfrey, nurse
Bill Weasley, a young man
Perpetua Phoenixfire, a young woman
Dawn. The rising sun is shining through the tall windows of an infirmary. Large, open room. Stone walls. Seven beds on each side of the room, made up in crisp white linens. Screens stored in far right corner. Storage cupboard with potions etc in far left corner. Entrance door to the right, office door to the left.
The matron comes bustling out from her office, dressed in a classic nurse’s outfit, complete with starched hat. At the same time a tall young man enters through the doors at left, carrying a young woman wrapped in a blanket. He has coppery red hair in a pony tail, dragon fang in his right ear. Shirt haphazardly tucked in pants, boots untied with laces tucked in. She has long, dark hair, bare feet sticking out of the blanket. She is feverish and not cognizant.
-O-O-O-
Madam Pomfrey Mr. Weasley!? What is this - place her in that bed over there… (points to second bed beneath the window)
Bill Yes, Madam Pomfrey. Thank you. (walks over. Lays her down gently while removing blanket. Covers her up. Madam Pomfrey fetches some screens to put around the bed)
Madam Pomfrey Now - who’s this? I don’t think I’ve seen her before? She certainly hasn’t attended Hogwarts, I would’ve remembered… (Trails off, starts waving wand in an intricate pattern while muttering diagnostic spells)
Bill She’s Norwegian. Her name is Perpetua Phoenixfire.
Madam Pomfrey Hmmm… And what is she? She’s not a muggle, nor is she a witch - she does not have a standard magical signature. It’s reminiscent of a Veela, yet very different…
Bill She’s a hulder. A wood nymph, one of the subterranian folks. Can you help her?
Madam Pomfrey Ah, interesting, very interesting. Yes, I think I can help her. I’ll have to confer with some of my books first, as her magic is clearly different. We don’t want to hurt her, do we? (Disappears into her office)
A while later, Madam Pomfrey returns.
Bill You found anything? Her fever is rising.
Madam Pomfrey (waves wand while talking) Yes, yes. Now tell me, Mr Weasley - have you two been intimate?
Bill (sputters, blushes beet red) Erm, yes. Does it matter?
Madam Pomfrey Of course it matters! You don’t think I’d ask if it didn’t, do you? So? How many times?
Bill Erm… One.
Madam Pomfrey When?
Bill Yesterday.
Madam Pomfrey Good, good.
Bill ???
Madam Pomfrey When you had sex, you sealed a bond between the two of you. You’ve been seeing each other a while, am I right?
Bill Yes, about six months.
Madam Pomfrey Marvellous. And you feel strongly about each other?
Bill Yes, of course. (mutters) Doubt I’d managed to wait this long for just anybody.
Madam Pomfrey May I ask why you haven’t had sex before?
Bill She wanted to wait until now if we were going to do more than cuddle. She wanted to be sure I was The One.
Madam Pomfrey Yes? Go on.
Bill She said it would be the most auspicious moment for our life together if we could wait until the Summer Solstice to Become One.
Madam Pomfrey So she’s chosen you. Have you chosen her?
Bill Oh, yes. She’s wonderful. I have no desire to let her go.
Madam Pomfrey Good. You see, through intercourse you sealed an unbreakable bond. You’re as much hers as she is yours now.
Bill And this made her ill?
Madam Pomfrey In a way, yes. Her magic recognized you as a wizard, so she’s now going through The Refiner’s Fire. This will increase her common magic so that she will become what her magic deems as a suitable partner for you. All while she retains her own, original magic.
Bill Oh.
Madam Pomfrey Are you aware just how unique this is?
Bill It is?
Madam Pomfrey Oh, yes. I found only two incidents described in literature, the last was three hundred years ago. You are going to make an amazing couple, Mr.Weasley. Especially as this is not the way hulders normally behave, you know that?
Bill She’s told me about that, not desiring to lure me into to the mountain, but rather bond and live a normal life.
How long will this Refiner’s Fire last?
Madam Pomfrey Hard to say. One lasted two to three days, the other took a week. It’s the same for wizards who go through it, but there hasn’t been recorded any incidents lasting longer than a week.
Now, to make your bond a strong and healthy one, you need to stay with her while she goes through this ordeal.
Bill Oh, that’s fine - erm, if I could just nip over to Gringott’s? I need to tell them I won’t be in the office for a week, and maybe bring some paperwork to keep me occupied while I keep her company.
Madam Pomfrey That’s quite OK, Mr. Weasley. She hasn’t entered the critical stage yet, and probably won’t for a while - but no more than an hour!
Bill Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. I’ll be back as soon as possible.
And I'm off to bed, I'm starting to get dizzy again.
Cheers!
Madam Pomfrey, nurse
Bill Weasley, a young man
Perpetua Phoenixfire, a young woman
Dawn. The rising sun is shining through the tall windows of an infirmary. Large, open room. Stone walls. Seven beds on each side of the room, made up in crisp white linens. Screens stored in far right corner. Storage cupboard with potions etc in far left corner. Entrance door to the right, office door to the left.
The matron comes bustling out from her office, dressed in a classic nurse’s outfit, complete with starched hat. At the same time a tall young man enters through the doors at left, carrying a young woman wrapped in a blanket. He has coppery red hair in a pony tail, dragon fang in his right ear. Shirt haphazardly tucked in pants, boots untied with laces tucked in. She has long, dark hair, bare feet sticking out of the blanket. She is feverish and not cognizant.
-O-O-O-
Madam Pomfrey Mr. Weasley!? What is this - place her in that bed over there… (points to second bed beneath the window)
Bill Yes, Madam Pomfrey. Thank you. (walks over. Lays her down gently while removing blanket. Covers her up. Madam Pomfrey fetches some screens to put around the bed)
Madam Pomfrey Now - who’s this? I don’t think I’ve seen her before? She certainly hasn’t attended Hogwarts, I would’ve remembered… (Trails off, starts waving wand in an intricate pattern while muttering diagnostic spells)
Bill She’s Norwegian. Her name is Perpetua Phoenixfire.
Madam Pomfrey Hmmm… And what is she? She’s not a muggle, nor is she a witch - she does not have a standard magical signature. It’s reminiscent of a Veela, yet very different…
Bill She’s a hulder. A wood nymph, one of the subterranian folks. Can you help her?
Madam Pomfrey Ah, interesting, very interesting. Yes, I think I can help her. I’ll have to confer with some of my books first, as her magic is clearly different. We don’t want to hurt her, do we? (Disappears into her office)
A while later, Madam Pomfrey returns.
Bill You found anything? Her fever is rising.
Madam Pomfrey (waves wand while talking) Yes, yes. Now tell me, Mr Weasley - have you two been intimate?
Bill (sputters, blushes beet red) Erm, yes. Does it matter?
Madam Pomfrey Of course it matters! You don’t think I’d ask if it didn’t, do you? So? How many times?
Bill Erm… One.
Madam Pomfrey When?
Bill Yesterday.
Madam Pomfrey Good, good.
Bill ???
Madam Pomfrey When you had sex, you sealed a bond between the two of you. You’ve been seeing each other a while, am I right?
Bill Yes, about six months.
Madam Pomfrey Marvellous. And you feel strongly about each other?
Bill Yes, of course. (mutters) Doubt I’d managed to wait this long for just anybody.
Madam Pomfrey May I ask why you haven’t had sex before?
Bill She wanted to wait until now if we were going to do more than cuddle. She wanted to be sure I was The One.
Madam Pomfrey Yes? Go on.
Bill She said it would be the most auspicious moment for our life together if we could wait until the Summer Solstice to Become One.
Madam Pomfrey So she’s chosen you. Have you chosen her?
Bill Oh, yes. She’s wonderful. I have no desire to let her go.
Madam Pomfrey Good. You see, through intercourse you sealed an unbreakable bond. You’re as much hers as she is yours now.
Bill And this made her ill?
Madam Pomfrey In a way, yes. Her magic recognized you as a wizard, so she’s now going through The Refiner’s Fire. This will increase her common magic so that she will become what her magic deems as a suitable partner for you. All while she retains her own, original magic.
Bill Oh.
Madam Pomfrey Are you aware just how unique this is?
Bill It is?
Madam Pomfrey Oh, yes. I found only two incidents described in literature, the last was three hundred years ago. You are going to make an amazing couple, Mr.Weasley. Especially as this is not the way hulders normally behave, you know that?
Bill She’s told me about that, not desiring to lure me into to the mountain, but rather bond and live a normal life.
How long will this Refiner’s Fire last?
Madam Pomfrey Hard to say. One lasted two to three days, the other took a week. It’s the same for wizards who go through it, but there hasn’t been recorded any incidents lasting longer than a week.
Now, to make your bond a strong and healthy one, you need to stay with her while she goes through this ordeal.
Bill Oh, that’s fine - erm, if I could just nip over to Gringott’s? I need to tell them I won’t be in the office for a week, and maybe bring some paperwork to keep me occupied while I keep her company.
Madam Pomfrey That’s quite OK, Mr. Weasley. She hasn’t entered the critical stage yet, and probably won’t for a while - but no more than an hour!
Bill Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. I’ll be back as soon as possible.
And I'm off to bed, I'm starting to get dizzy again.
Cheers!