Disclaimer: JKR is the official creator and owner of all things Harry Potter. I bow down to her.
Author's Notes: This takes place in the scene in the fifth book where Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna are sitting around in the Hospital Wing after the Department of Mysteries fiasco. The page and chapter are cited somewhere below. You'll get to it before I start my scene.
Spoilers: 3rd and 5th books
Summary: My take on what Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna talk about after the Department of Mysteries after Harry goes to Hagrid's and leaves them alone in the Hospital Wing. Sirius, Harry, grieving, pain, sharing secrets, friendship and the ties that bond.
Quick note: If there are typed areas where there is a random period that's not really meant to be there, that's supposed to be three consecutive periods but the computer may not pick up on it because this was written as a Word document.
"It's a pity it broke," said Hermione, shaking her head.
"Yeah, it is," said Ron. "Still, at least You-Know-Who never found out what was in it either – where are you going?" he added, looking both surprised and disappointed as Harry stood up.
"Er – Hagrid's," said Harry. "You know, he just got back and I promised I'd go down and see him and tell him how you two are..."
"Oh all right then," said Ron grumpily, looking out of the dormitory window at the patch of bright blue sky beyond. "Wish we could come..."
"Say hello to him for us!" called Hermione as Harry proceeded down the ward. "And ask him what's happening about... about his little friend!"
Harry gave a wave of his hand to show he had heard and understood as he left the dormitory.
(pg 850 Chapter 38: The Second War Begins)
Hermione gazed at the slowly closing infirmary doors as Harry's tired form retreated down the hall.
"I don't think he's going to Hagrid's," she abruptly spoke to the remaining group of five.
"What?" Ron asked, bewildered at her random statement.
Hermione turned back to her peers - no, friends – seated around her.
"I don't think he's going to visit Hagrid," she repeated.
"Harry." Ron spoke again. It was more a statement than a question.
"Of course Harry."
"What makes you say that?" Neville broke in, politely confused.
Hermione gazed intently at the closed doors again.
"Do you think he's not telling us something?" Ginny piped up, also looking at the closed doors as if Harry was still standing at them. Ron's stare shifted from one girl to the other, eyes narrowed. Neville glanced up to watch Ginny's face as she spoke, and he continued to stare at her now. Umbridge mumbled something to herself as she fidgeted in her bed at the other end of the ward. The silence stretched as everyone sought for words to shape their thoughts. Finally, Luna took interest in the lack of conversation, making quite a deal of closing and folding her magazine very neatly before looking around and speaking in a very wise tone.
"Well of course he's not telling us something. We're all not telling each other something, after all."
She looked around sagely, nodding as though expecting the others to follow suit. They all simply stared blankly back at her.
Ron's head drooped as though suddenly burdened with the weight of his dawning comprehension.
"Sirius," he mumbled lowly.
Hermione and Ginny gazed sharply at him. Ginny whispered "Ron!" Ron looked up and peered around the ward. It was empty except for Umbridge on the other end, and Madam Pomfrey was in her office behind closed doors.
"It's not as if anyone is listening! Not anyone who can comprehend normal speech, at least," he whispered just as harshly back at them. "We could probably talk freely. If anyone walked in we'd hear them, seeing as how all the entrances are closed, right?"
The other four nodded in agreement. Ginny spoke.
"So what happened? Is Sirius really... gone?"
"We're not sure," Hermione put in, motioning to herself and Ron. "Madam Pomfrey only relayed to us from Dumbledore that Sirius is actually d-dead." She paused before continuing in a rushed manner. "There were no other... casualties otherwise. Dumbledore's already spoken with Harry about it all, but now he's got to work out all the Ministry business and so he obviously has no spare moments to come and have a chat with us," she finished, speaking to her lap.
There was another short pause.
"Sirius Black. He was... a friend of yours?" Neville questioned in general.
"Sirius was a great guy. He's funny as anyone and a lot like Fred and George in the prank department," came Ron's reply.
"Yes," Hermione said. "He was also an innocent man. Sirius was framed for all those murders. And he was just about as far from a Death Eater as you can get..."
"I'm going to miss him," Ron said.
"Yes, me too," Ginny said somberly. "But I'll bet Harry already does."
"How did you four know him?" Neville asked of Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.
"He's... was Harry's godfather," Ron answered. "You know, there was this whole plot back in third year and we all thought he was insane and out to murder Harry. It turns out he was only trying to protect him. We met up with him towards the end of that year. And her (he pointed towards Hermione) and Harry helped him to escape from a bunch of dementors the same night we met him. I was stuck in here with a busted leg." He scowled at the last part.
"Well actually... I passed out before we could fight them all off. So did Sirius. Harry was really the one who made the Patronus that scared them away," Hermione added, delicately skating around the whole time-travel scheme.
"Where did all this happen? And just how many dementors are we talking about?" Neville inquired, wide-eyed.
"It was all at the lake. Remember all those dementors that were guarding the school? Those were what attacked us. There must have been about a hundred of them." Hermione shivered at the memory as she answered.
"Whoa..." Neville said, at a loss for words. Luna looked on, eyes wider than ever, succeeding in making her look extremely crazed.
"Well I only met him over this past summer," Ginny said. "The only people who knew he was innocent until then was Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Dumbledore. Us four and George, Fred, Mum, and Dad stayed with Sirius over the summer. We also went to his house over Christmas. Dad was in St. Mungo's and our house is much too far from it, so we stayed with Sirius. Remember how happy he was? Singing carols in the halls and everything," Ginny finished, remembering a time of such joy that now seemed so far away.
"Mmm, yes, well he was glad to have some company," Hermione said to Ginny. Then she spoke to Luna and Neville. "For a year after Sirius escaped from Azkaban he lived on the run pretty much everywhere except his parents' old house. It isn't exactly what you would call welcoming. It hadn't been lived in for ten years, but altogether it's just not a very comforting place to live in all alone."
"Professor Lupin knew that he was innocent, too," Ron stated as he looked up abruptly. "I wonder how he's taking this..."
"Oh my. This can't be easy for him, can it?" Hermione said. At Neville's and Luna's questioning looks she continued. "Professor Lupin and Sirius were best friends in school. They were all best friends with Harry's father, James. I can't imagine what this can be like for him..."
"No, none of us could," Luna replied in a dreamy, far-off voice.
The longest silence yet rolled hazily over the five of them as they sat, going over all the information just discussed. After several minutes' passing, Ron spoke again, raising the others out of their stupor.
"But why did it have to be Sirius of all the bloody people? I mean, it should've been one of the Death Eaters; Sirius is always the one stuck with the bad luck. He didn't deserve it." Ron finished his general exclamation, eyes dropping back to focus on his knees.
Another short pause, then –
"Yes! WHY Sirius? I mean... of all the people - you're absolutely right, Ron. Sirius. It could have been Kingsley or Tonks but no it just had to be Sirius." Hermione blurted in sudden frustration.
They all looked at her, dumbfounded.
"I never knew you cared so much for him," Ron said, eyes wide in surprise. Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
"I'm not angry on my behalf," she said impatiently. "I'm angry for Harry!"
They all looked at her, faces still stunned at her forwardness, not taking in the words she had just said. Suddenly, recognition appeared on Ginny's face, and she grimaced in disdain before speaking aloud.
"Oh no. Why Sirius? Why do these things always have to happen to Harry? It's just... it's just not fair!" She cast her hands about wildly. "Why should he have to go through the same things so often? What did he do to deserve it? Any of it?"
The other four looked at her, not at all taken by surprise at her words because she had just voiced all their thoughts. She looked around at them and then dropped her gaze to the bedspread underneath her, mumbling.
"Why does he have to go through all this... alone?"
Ron looked at her in indignation.
"He doesn't have to go through all this alone! And he won't! He's got us, hasn't he? Or were you planning on deserting him next year?"
"Ron, that's not what she meant," Hermione reprimanded wearily. "But she is right. I mean, we can't be there for him all during the summer. And look what he's going home to. The Dursleys. Harry's going to be as alone as he could humanly get. And although he obviously wants to be alone right now, by the time summer break comes he's going to need to talk to someone. And how's he supposed to do that? Send letters about convict Sirius Black and have his knowledge of him in writing? That'd be just about the stupidest thing he could do." Hermione shook her head. "It's no use. He's alone."
"Are these 'Dursleys' not nice people?" Luna asked in a would-be normal manner had she not been swaying from side to side like a strand of seaweed caught in the ocean current.
Ron snorted; not at her swaying, but rather the absurdity of the question she had posed.
"'Not nice people'?" he said disbelievingly, disregarding the fact that she was ignorant of Harry's living situation. "Worst. Muggles. Ever! They hate magic altogether so you can imagine just how they treat Harry."
"Do they hurt him?" Luna asked unabashedly, leaning forward in mingling interest and concern.
"What? Oh, no! No... Oh God I hope they don't... No... we would've known. Harry would've told us," Ron said, nodding his head to further recover himself after the sudden thought of horror for his friend. "Besides, Harry's not someone who would take that. He's a fighter; we all know that... Anyway, his aunt and uncle think he ruined their otherwise 'perfect family life,' even though they're so far from it without Harry's influence it could make your head spin. They think he's dirt and make it quite known to him what they think. His cousin, Dudley, ain't so great either. I saw him once. Fat, spoiled, whale of a -"
"I think it should be Harry's decision whether or not he wants either of us to tell other people what his home life is like," Hermione interrupted swiftly. "If he wants to regale people with tales from his childhood then I am sure he would do so as he pleases. As he is not here to tell his own story, I don't really think that this is my or your place to say anything, Ron." She sighed before continuing. "Besides, it's hard enough to just get him to talk to us about the matter."
"Yeah, well, the topic of 'neglective relatives' doesn't exactly come up in friendly conversation," Ron said darkly. Hermione glared at him, but said nothing more in return as he did not continue his description of the Dursleys.
"Why Sirius?" Hermione whispered again. "Why Harry? How much can one person take before they crack?" She spoke a little louder. "It's like... everyone who grows to love him dies. And you know what? Harry probably already thinks as much."
The other four raised their eyes to watch her with hurt expressions. However, none of them said a word to disagree.
At the silent urgings from her friends to continue her train of thought, Hermione forced herself to dredge up the will to make them understand what she was about to say next. She looked into all of their eyes in turn. They had to understand.
"I think we should all be very prepared for what Harry may do, so I must explain. Harry is going to have a lot of time to himself in the next month or two, and when someone in his situation is given time to brood his thoughts are bound to become winding and complex. If he does anything... stupid, then I doubt any of us could understand the logic behind the action. But I see it as very likely for Harry to think that the deaths of loved ones are his fault. He's going to feel the need to protect who he's got left, and that's his friends – that's us. And, warped as it may be, if he's thinking on this train of thought he's going to try to push us away. We can't let him do that, because whether he likes it or not, he needs us - now more than ever." She looked at Neville and Luna for her next words. "All of us."
Again silence greeted her as the others stared back at her, stunned into submission. Ginny was obviously recovered enough to pose a question, again successfully forming everyone's thoughts into words.
"So you're saying... that Harry's going to ignore us... and even be mean to us... to protect us?"
Ron's face was of the utmost bewilderment after listening to Ginny's summarizing statement.
"OK..." he said. "And if Harry does do... all that you've just said, what are we supposed to do?" He asked, searching Hermione's eyes for the answers.
"Do not give him what he wants," Luna said, once again in another world and yet still conversing in this one.
"Exactly," Hermione said, surprisingly agreeing with Luna. "If Harry - and I'm saying 'if' because it may not even happen – if Harry does approach any of us in such a manner, we've got to keep in mind that he doesn't mean it. It's just as painful for him if not more than for us. Just... make it clear to him that we understand what he's trying to do by pushing us away and... make it clear that we'll never leave him because whatever happens we'll always be there, no matter how hard he tries..." At this she trailed off, lost in thought.
Ginny looked at Luna and Neville before saying her next statement.
"Neville, Luna, although I know you think that Harry wouldn't consider you two, what you did – what we all did – in the Department of Mysteries... well... what we did we did together, and whether any of us like it or not we're friends now. To me, all of you," she looked around her, "I consider to be really close to me. I'm sure Harry feels the same."
They all smiled quietly at this, and Neville and Luna cast their eyes to the floor.
"Kind of like taking on a troll, isn't it?" Ron mumbled. Hermione grinned.
Just then, Madam Pomfrey came bustling out of her office.
"Well, you three get going now. Go on, shoo. My patients need tending to."
Luna, Ginny, and Neville stood, grinning at Ron and Hermione before quietly strolling out of the dormitory doors, together.
As Madam Pomfrey hurried off to gather potions and salves for her two young patients, Ron turned to Hermione.
"You know what? I reckon that we deserve an award. Especially you. We're really good friends."
Hermione understood what he meant and gave a small smile before saying, "Yes. For Harry... and for each other."
She lay back in her pillows before muttering, "And then there were six." Ron grinned.
-End Scene-
A/N: I intend on writing two follow-up oneshots to go with this oneshot, one being Harry's thoughts during the summer and the final where Harry and the friends in this fic interact – drama!! Let me tell you now though, beware, because it will be a happy ending. GASP I wasn't gonna write anymore on this but my dear friend, Sheep, planted the idea of writing two more in my head, and she was so endearing that I could not refuse. Don't get a big head, Sheepy! lmao
Please review!