The next afternoon, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the half-drawn curtains, dappling the white sheets of the hospital wing. Umbridge slowly opened her eyes, feeling a dull, persistent ache in her head, as if millions of tiny needles were gently pricking at her skull. She struggled to sit up, but her movements were clumsy and weak, forcing her to rely on the strength of her arms just to prop up her upper body.
Looking around, Umbridge realized she was in the Hogwarts hospital wing. The air was filled with a faint scent of herbs and a trace of an elusive magical resonance. She frowned, trying to recall what had happened the previous night, but her memory was a blank fog; no matter how hard she tried, she could not capture a single clear fragment.
"Where... where am I?" Umbridge muttered, her voice hoarse and weak. Her fingers brushed lightly against her forehead, touching a wound tightly wrapped in bandages. The pain sent a flicker of panic and confusion through her gaze.
Chapter 224