Chapter 2 - Alone

"Would you be willing to give me them, for your life, Potter?" hissed the bald, snake like man.

"Don't you dare hurt them! Stay away! You want me, you've got me, but don't you dare touch them!" screamed the raven haired boy, with an interesting scar on his head.

"Oh," the snake like man walked forward, "I think I will. How about that Mudblood of yours? I'll send her a picture right now!" the evil man clapped his skinny, white hands together and turned to a tall, blonde and masked man. "Lucius. Send a picture… of Harry here, dead. Oh and me standing over him! Hahaha. Wonderful!"

"Yes my Lord!" the snake man turned to Harry, and smiled.

"That will shake them up quite a bit. Oh! Maybe him calling her name?!"

"I'll kill you!" Harry ran toward him, but the snake man pointed a… wooden stick, at the boy, and a red light shot out and hit him. He crumpled on the floor and wriggled in pain.

"Stupid Harry Potter. You will lose!" the boy looked up at the man, before he was hit with another flash of light.

...

As the train neared the castle, Hermione went to the restrooms to change, but the line was huge, so she turned back and went to her compartment.

"That was fast – Why aren't you dressed?"

"Can you stand outside real quick? The lines are way too long!"

"Sure 'Mione." Ron left and stood outside. She was in the middle of getting changed, when she saw Harry again. This time, alive and in pain. She tried to push it out of her mind, but was blinded by the nonstop images of Harry screaming and squirming and… slowly dying. She screamed for it to stop, and held her head, shaking it back and forth, trying to make it go away. She felt cool hands grab her, and screamed even louder, thinking it was Voldemort coming for her.

"Hermione!"

"No!!!"

"Hermione! It's me! Calm down!!!"

She slowly looked up at his dark blue eyes.

"Ron…" She fell to the floor, unaware that she was in nothing but her underwear. "He has him! He's killing him!"

"Shhh. It's OK Hermione! Come on… uh… Get dressed." Her cheeks grew bright red, and pushed him out and hurriedly finished getting dressed. She curled up into a ball on the seat, and fell asleep.

...

My head hurt. Bad. It felt like someone had hit me in the head with a hammer, over and over. I opened my eyes and started to sit up, but froze.

"Oh,"

Ron was getting dressed. In the same stage he found me.

I looked away, and blushed. "Sorry!"

"It's OK."

I was kinda shocked. I always thought that Ron would be slightly more muscular, being tall and all, but he was pretty scrawny.

"Kay." I still didn't look at him as I sat up. "Sorry."

"Don't be."

"I didn't think you'd be awake yet."

"Oh," was all I could say. It was a quiet ride the rest of the way. And all the way to the Great Hall.

I couldn't wait to see my other friends. Not that I had many. Just my dorm girls, but they could always make me feel better. It was a strange friendship. We were all so different! Kind of like a muggle series called Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Portia, the Pretty Blonde; Ophelia, the Quiet-yet-tough-girl; Brooklyn, the Pretty Triplet that has to be tough; Ruby, the silent and fierce girl; and me, the shy, unattractive, bookworm. Brooklyn was always coming up with ways to make all our lives difficult, or in her words, 'exciting!'

I sat down next to Portia. "Hi Portia."

"Hey!" She hugged me so tight I could barley breath. For a sissy, she was pretty tough.

"Can't breathe, girl!"

She let go of me slowly. "Sorry! I've missed you! We all did!" Ophelia, Brook and Ruby all nodded and leaned in.

"So," said Brook, "What happened on the train? Ron wouldn't let anyone near you!" they all laughed.

"Oh." This was awkward. "Well, it's nothing really-"

"Screaming and fainting isn't nothing!"

"Portia, you are way too loud!"

"Don't change the subject! What happened?"

"I- I."

"What?" they all said together.

I leaned in closer, and they followed. "I saw – I-" I looked down. "I saw Harry."

"That's all?"

"No, Portia, it's not. He was- dead." I didn't know if they heard the last part, but they obviously did.

"Do you think it's true?"

"I don't know."

I left it at that. The first years were gushing through, and I couldn't help but feel a little better. It reminded me of my first year. With Ron... And Harry.

The newcomers were being sorted, and only 3 kids made it into Gryffindor so far. 13 in Slytherin, 5 in Hufflepuff, and 8 in Ravenclaw.

After all the sorting was done, Gryffindor had about 23 new comers. I hope that's more than the Slytherins.

Dumbledore was at the stand and cleared his throat as usual. Then he said the original to the new comers, but then he started talking about Harry.

"Harry Potter is missing. If any of you know anything about his whereabouts, we ask you to talk to any of your teachers. There is a search party looking for him. If you-" I saw another image of Harry. And more and more and more! They wouldn't stop! I pleaded for them to stop! I screamed for Him to stop hurting him! I felt like I was going to through up. As if I was being tortured with Harry. I pleaded and screamed but it wouldn't stop. I saw a flash of green. Harry dropped to the floor. I screamed as loud as I could at Him. Voldemort. I would kill him! Then he pointed his wand at me. I was scared. He wasn't going to kill me. He was going to torture me. I saw a flash of red and felt as if needles were shoved into my skin. I wanted it to stop! Please! Make it stop!!! Stop! Stop!! STOP!!!

...

Dumbledore was cut off by screaming. It was Hermione. She was screaming and squirming. She was begging for it to stop. Who to stop what? I looked over at her, she was sweating. Her friends were frantic, and it looked as if someone was casting the Cruciatus curse on her. I wanted it to stop too. She looked so hurt. I felt the urge to Stupefy whoever was hurting her! Wait, why should I care? She's a Mudblood. And I'm Draco Malfoy. We could never be friends. Ever.

...

"Hermione!"

"'Mimes!"

"What's wrong?"

"Make it stop! Make it stop! It hurts it hurts, it hurts!" Professor McGonagall had rushed from her seat, and was now at Hermione's side. I've never seen anything like it before. It was like she wasn't here. Her body was here, but her mind… she was seeing something… something far away.

"Ow! Ow, ow! Stop!"

"Hermione, dear what's wrong?" Hermione was gripping onto the table so hard her knuckles were white. "Ms. Granger?" McGonagall didn't even know what was going on.

"Harry! Don't kill him, please!"

"Hermione," I was scared. She wasn't my best friend, but I cared for her. "Where are you?"

"Don't kill him! Take me instead! Let him go! Please!"

"HERMIONE!"

It looked as if someone threw ice water on her. She was breathing heavy and looked scared.

"Ms. Granger, what on earth happened?"

"Harry! We have to find Harry! He's got him! I know it! We have to save him!"

"Who has him?"

"Voldemort."

...

I was stunned. I didn't think Hermione would have the guts to say his name. But then again, she was so much stronger than all of us.

McGonagall took Mimes to the Hospital Wing. I looked around. Everyone was staring at her. I wanted to smack them. She was going through so much. Well, I think. She's obviously seeing disturbing images. After a while, I got up and Ophelia, Ruby and Portia followed. We weren't really close to Mimes, but we cared for her. Especially Ophelia, she was like the mother of the group, always worried and concerned. We usually raced to the common room, but today, we all ran to the Hospital Wing. Mimes was laying down in one of the cots farther down. She looked fragile. I was never one for being affectionate, and neither was Ruby, so we let Ophelia and Portia sit on either side of her and hold her hands. We just stood at the end of the bed, looking at our friend. What happened? It's as if someone's trying to make her go crazy.

...

Ron was frozen to his seat. He was confused. What was happening to his best friend? And where was his other? He felt alone. He felt useless, and so out of control. He wanted to help 'Mione, but how can you help someone who's seeing things you can't?

...

Portia and Ophelia were on either of my sides, holding my hands. I really didn't need all of this attention, but it felt nice to be cared for. I didn't know what was going on. Why was I seeing Harry? Was it a trick? Was it Harry calling out for help? Or was it Voldemort messing with my mind? I was always so rational with these things… when I wasn't the one being messed with. I looked at the clock above Madame Pomfrey's Office. It was close to the time she usually threw the visitors out. She had made me take pills and potions. Nothing made me feel better. Pomfrey came over and shooed my room-mates out. She told me that someone was coming to help me. It seemed like forever until they came, but when they did, I wished I had savored the moment.

...

A tall, black-haired man walked through the big, oak doors. Madame Pomfrey hurried to hi, and whispered to him. He nodded and walked over to the girl.

"Granger."

"Snape."

The man pointed his wand at the girl. "Close your eyes." She was hesitant, but did so.

"Portago." Snape saw everything Hermione had in the last few hours. "Interesting."

"What?"

"It seems that someone is messing with your mind."

"Who?"

"I can't tell. But you can't let it get to you. These images you see, are not real."

"How can you be sure?"

"This is my specialty. The images you have seen are not true, but that does not mean that something else isn't happening."

"We have to find him!" Hermione got out of the cot and ran toward the door, but Snape caught her by the wrist.

"Where do plan on looking?"

"Anywhere! Everywhere! I need to find him!"

"Has it accrued to you that this may be a trick?"

"Yes. It has. But I know Voldemort has Harry!"

Snape leaned down and whispered, "The Order is looking for him. I will give them the information I've gathered from your visions." The greasy haired man let go of her and walked away. "Stay on the grounds Miss Granger, for all our sake."