Took me a…… very long time. If only an apology would help to make some of you forgive my lapse, but since it probably won't help, here it my next chapter in Might Be
Disclaimer: Yea, I don't own it, but the seventh book comes out SOON!!! And that should be good enough for anybody.
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"Hermione hasn't exactly been herself in quite some time." Neville took one look at Harry and Ginny's confused faces and deliberately avoided looking at them. "Hermione has gone…insane."
Thoughts of Hermione withering under the Crucio Curse filtered through Harry's mind but Ginny asked, "How?"
"Grief," Fred told her, his head bowed low, "between you disappearing and the other deaths she was stretched, close to cracking. When Ron…she just lost it…" Fred said sorrowfully.
"You said last night she was working on something," Harry said.
"Yes," Katie replied, "same thing she's been working on for almost five years, find out what happened to you two." Katie gestured at Harry and Ginny.
"The two years before that she spent vengefully trying to find Lucius Malfoy," George continued, "who killed Ron during the third attack on Hogwarts."
Ginny's head was swimming. She shook it lightly. "Tell us everything," she demanded her voice dropping dangerously low. "Everything…"
Mrs. Weasley set out lunch on a platter and started, in a weary fashion, to eat. No body seemed eager to join.
"You're sure?" Neville stated more than asked. He looked at the others in the room. "Could this at least wait until you've 'reached' Hermione?"
"Reached her?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Molly suspects that Hermione has retreated into her own world. To avoid the deaths of those around her." Neville said sadly, "we have not been able to pull her from the depths of her mind since Ron died."
"She hasn't even cried," George explained, "at first we thought that once Malfoy was killed she'd let her guard down…"
"But when Remus killed him, two years later," Katie recalled, "she didn't even cry. She started babbling to herself. The only understandable thing she has said on the matter is 'it all started with Harry and Ginny – from there we can fix everything' and she locked herself away…"
"I put meals outside the door three times a day," Mrs. Weasley said pushing her plate from herself, "and ever morning I pick up three trays from the door. I have never her seen her as she puts them out."
"We haven't seen her in nearly two years," Fred went on, "we know she's in there working away. We've heard her muttering, throwing things when she is frustrated."
"Often you can listen and tell she is crazy," Colin said, "she talks to you and Ron as though you're there with her. She believes, on some level, that you'd never leave her alone in this world."
"We think you may be able to push aside the insanity," Neville concluded, "if you can convince her it's you."
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Ginny and Harry looked at each other with the feeling that they had dropped, in a sense, through the rabbit hole. As they approached Ginny had a fleeting thought of what Ron would say, about Hermione living in a library, but quickly pushed it from her mind. Harry reached to open the door but received a shock from the doorknob.
"Ouch!" he yelped, shaking his hand up and door in pain.
Ginny took out her wand and pointed it at the door "Alohamora" There was a sharp click from the door and she pushed it open.
The library had little left on it's shelves. All the thousands of books and scrolls were placed haphazardly around the room, or so it appeared to Harry and Ginny. The furniture was still spread around the room a desk, chairs, a side table, a few lamps, and a couch. But there in the little bit of floor left was Hermione her brushy brown hair had been unceremoniously cropped to just above her ears. Her eyes feverishly scanning the page and her mouth moving as a quill ran across a scroll.
The door closed behind them as they stood before the mountains of writings and the shadow of the brilliant girl they once knew. The air hung thick with the smell of paper and ink. Hidden behind books upon the desk was a cauldron of green liquid. Both Harry and Ginny were uncertain of what to do. Hermione, however, seemed more sure.
"You're back," she said without looking up or the quill pausing.
Ginny looked momentarily surprise but answered, "Yes Hermione. We're back."
The silence hung thick in the air. "Well?" Hermione asked at last looking up and setting the book aside.
"Well…"Harry repeated.
"Why are you back?"
"We wanted to tell you that we are back," Ginny said walking further into the room.
"Have you brought me the information I need?"
"No."
"Then why did you come back?" Hermione asked her anger rising as she stood.
"We wanted t – " Ginny started.
"You know how important that information is to us!" Hermione said sweeping across the room so quickly it appeared to Harry that she had simply Apparated to directly in front of Ginny. "Ron has already found the missing link between my information. All I needed was your – "
Ginny saw her vision swim as a tear leaked from her eye. "Oh, Hermione…" she whispered. Hermione's face lost none of its harshness but her voice did. "Come on Ron is on the couch."
Harry and Ginny looked at the couch covered in books. "Everybody is worried about you Hermione," Ginny said.
"Why should they worry?" Hermione asked honestly.
"Because Hermione," Ginny said slowly, "Ron isn't there."
"Of course he is," Hermione said dismissively.
Harry and Ginny looked at each other, looking for a place to start. "Hermione," Ginny said softly, "what are you working on?"
"Well that's a stupid question!" Hermione responded turning to look at them. " I'm looking for a way to fix all of this."
"All of what?" Harry asked.
"This." She replied simply as though it was obvious and needed not to be voiced.
"Ron," She addressed the couch, "what page was it?" A pause as though a response was being given. "Thank you."
"Hermione," Ginny stepped towards her friend, "do something for me…?"
"What?"
"Touch Ron, please just touch his hand," Ginny requested quietly.
Hermione didn't halt, "I don't have time for games."
"Touch Ron. This isn't a game, touch him Hermione." Harry replied. "Just take his hand and hold it."
Hermione's movement ceased. She looked to where 'Ron' was. She reached her hand out than yanked it back, "You're wasting time."
Harry stepped forward past Ginny to be right next to Hermione, looking at the couch. "Then take my hand. That's your choice Hermione take Ron's hand or take mine."
Hermione seemed startled at the idea of touching the hand he presented next to her. "No." She stated simply as she made to move past him.
Harry caught her arm and turned her to face him; at the same moment Hermione let out an ear piercing scream. Then crumpled and fell to the ground, silent. Ginny rushed to Hermione as Neville, Fred, Colin, Dennis, and Katie wands poised.
"What did you do?" Katie accused.
"She tried to move pass me," Harry said still in shock, "I touched her arm and..."
Neville carefully lifted Hermione and carried her to the flight of stairs to the room Hermione and Ginny shared that one summer.
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After Mrs. Weasley had a chance to examine Hermione the entire group sat waiting for an explanation. When Mrs. Weasley entered she managed a weak smile. "She is fine…physically." Dropping into her seat near George she sighed, "I believe that Harry touching her jarred her, mentally."
"Like waking someone who is sleepwalking?" Colin asked.
Mrs. Weasley nodded gravely, "I fear it was much more severe than that however."
"How so?" Harry asked.
Neville sighed taking up the story. "Since Ron's death, she has slowly been slipping into a mental state. For a time after his death it was in the pursuit of vengeance. However Lupin stole that opportunity from her when he killed Lucius. When Hermione locked herself in the library two and a half years ago she built an even larger mental wall."
"Did anybody try and prevent this?" Ginny asked.
"For the most part we didn't see it," Fred rasped, "we were all too caught up in our own grief…"
"We finally took notice the month before she locked herself in the library," George continued, "we're part of the bloody reason she locked herself in there."
"What happened when I touched her though?" Harry asked.
"You said you were trying to get her to touch Ron, so that she would she that he wasn't there," Neville asked.
Harry and Ginny nodded.
"Some part of her mind must have known it was an illusion and to touch 'Ron' would end the illusion." Mrs. Weasley said quietly, "It was safety net, emotionally… both of you," she eyed Ginny and Harry, "are in her mind like Ron is… a safe guard."
"So touching her…?"
"Was a large shock to the part of her mind that won't allow her to completely grasp the mental wall she put up."
"So why didn't one of you try that?" Harry asked.
"Because," Katie stated harshly, "we aren't dead to her."
Mrs. Weasley let out a choked sob and stood quickly. "I must check on Cho," she whispered hoarsely and ran from the room. Silence followed her exit. Ginny looked at her brothers a moment, then at Collin and Dennis, then Katie and Neville. At last she looked at Harry.
She took a breath to steady herself. "Explain it Neville." She said finally, "all of it, from when we last talked to the moment Harry and I walked through that door last night."
Neville looked resigned, "Can we at least go into a more comfortable room?"
At Ginny's nod Neville led into the sitting room. Harry and Ginny sat together on the couch. Katie and George sat together on a chair near the door. Fred resigned himself to a dark corner and a seat on the arm of a chair. Collin and Dennis sat in chairs, Dennis across from Katie and George; Colin across from Harry and Ginny.
Neville was ill-at-ease and took a moment to collect his thoughts. "After the reception ended Gram and I went to say good-bye to the mothers. As we got closer to the Burrow we heard Molly talking in a panic to Arthur. When we rounded the corner enough to hear, Gram decided that it wasn't important. Always was a proper woman, never eavesdropping." Neville sighed a little. "Hermione and Ron caught up with me then, Gabrielle was with them. They explained that you couldn't be found. We searched the property and surrounding area thoroughly well past sun-up.
"By noon, half the Order was searching for you. Molly insisted that the rest of us sleep. When we woke, we were told that there was no sign of either of you, Voldemort, Death Eaters, or any bloody thing really. All they knew was you were there at one point during the reception and gone when clean-up started.
"Hermione's initial thought was that you went to talk out your problems, but when you didn't come back… we didn't know what to think. They let us help through your birthday, Harry. Less than a week, and after that we were sent to Hogwarts to finish our educations. My seventh year, the student body was small, even some of the teachers didn't return. The only Slytherins were first and second years, there were twelve total. Gryffindor had a decent return, but we were barely more than fifty with the first years. More Ravenclaws returned than Hufflepuffs, but together they barely topped sixty students. Myself, Hermione, Ron, Seamus, and Dean took our N.E.W.T.S and graduated without incident…"
"Seamus? Hermione? Dean? Their parents let them return?" Harry asked.
Collin look thunderstruck. "Merlin, no! They were all of age, or returned to Hogwarts by whatever means necessary when they came of age. My Da' almost refused to let either me or Dennis return but I reminded him that the evils that existed wouldn't keep away just because we didn't go back."
"And," Dennis added, "that we would need to know how to fight them with their own weapons."
Neville nodded. "Ron, Hermione, and I returned to Hogwarts the following year. The first years were very few. There were more students that had graduated than there were current students. We started a defensive front. Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, Ron, Hermione, Katie, and I found and recruited as many people as we could trust…
"Trust was such a huge issue that our 'army' barely grew. We needed one that year." Neville sighed deeply. "Hogwarts was attacked…again. The students were hidden away, not allowed to fight. The job was small, only two of Voldemort's most-trusted and a few Slytherin who would have been fifth and sixth years. They didn't believe that there would be any resistance. Most were captured and turned over to the Ministry.
"We continued to collect help over time. Fourteen months after the attack on Hogwarts the Ministry was attacked. Umbridge and Fudge were killed in the attack, didn't take much to bring it down. Most of the Aurors were working for the Order or chasing their tails on leads about Dark Wizards. Just a few Council members were lost. The Wizarding world was thrown into disorganization. So we did what we could, kept things going in the War. Protected the Muggles where we could, lost Kingsley Shaklebolt in the process. We went two years without another attack. We continued to try to find help and you two, and the Order tried to keep itself together and defeat Voldemort."
"You weren't apart of the Order?" Harry asked.
George shook his head, "They wouldn't allow us to 'put ourselves in danger.' They didn't seem to realize that when they failed we would have to take over."
"We didn't notice then either," Dennis admitted quietly, "We hoped they would finish what they started and save us from having to get involved. But we prepared for the inevitable." Neville nodded at Dennis' statement.
Fred's rough voice came from the corner, "We got married during that time…"
Katie smiled and grimaced at the statement sharing a look with George. Ginny smiled, asking "Who did?"
"Us," George said giving Katie a gentle squeeze, then with a look a Fred continued, "And Fred and Alicia."
Harry watched a shamed look pass between the group "What happened?" He asked Neville. Neville looked at Fred than spared a look at Collin.
"In time," Fred responded, "First there was Luna…"
Neville swallowed a haunted look passing over his features. "When attacks started on Muggleborns and their families we scattered to get them to safety. We had quite a few and not nearly enough of us knew how to Apparate. Even though we didn't need a license we needed to be properly taught. Floo powder was out of the question, the network had been compromised. We could use brooms to get to them but after that we'd be stuck using the Knight Bus or a Port Key. And we were young… most of us just twenty…"
"I wasn't even that old!" Dennis piped up.
"One night in November we got a wind of an attack near where Hermione's parents lived. Months before Hermione and Ron had put wards in place to keep them safe. That night Luna volunteered to get them on the Knight Bus and to the Burrow. We don't know exactly what happened. When we didn't hear from her, Alicia, Fred and I went to find out…" His voice choked as the images flashed through his head.
"The house was torn apart," Fred continued his voice slow and rough, "The dark mark over the entire neighborhood. When we climbed through the debris… Alicia and I found the Grangers…both dead. We couldn't find Luna."
"We looked for days," Neville said, "helped with the clean up efforts. There was not a single person left alive on the street. Hermione and Ron buried the Grangers in a small ceremony near the Burrow…but we never saw Luna again…"
Ginny felt a tear fall unobstructed from her chin to the back of her hand for the lost of her friend's parents and Luna. She looked at Harry to find him wrestling with his emotions. He suddenly looked at her and she saw the blame in his eyes, the self accusations. Neville must have caught on.
"You can't blame yourself for anything that's happened," Neville said as he studied his young friend.
"What happened next?" Harry asked his voice tight.
Neville sighed and returned to pacing. "It was nearly three years later… we had built up a decent army, the Order was still failing to keep up with attacks across the country. Our headquarters were Hogwarts… with wasn't much of a school by then. The 'adults' were under the assumption that we were hiding and keeping ourselves out of trouble.
"Then what we were waiting for came…The attack was swift. They came late in the night, Hedwig and Fang were the first to alert us. We mounted a front, the Order arrived just before the first spell was exchanged…"
"It was a long night," Fred said quietly.
"One of the longest," George agreed. "By the end of the night we were sure of few things: Voldemort had not shown; five of the inner circle were dead along with a dozen other Death Eaters; the Order of the Phoenix was ended with the deaths of Mad-Eye Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Charlie; Hogwarts was half in ruins; and Ron was dead."
"Hermione and Ron had been pair together to watch each other's backs. When they got separated dodging a Killing curse Ron was able to get Malfoy to follow him-"
"Malfoy?!" Harry asked his rage surfacing.
Neville however continued on in an even tone, "Yes Lucius Malfoy, we haven't seen Draco since the night of the first attack on Hogwarts."
"First attack?" Ginny asked, "So he came back for his N.E.W.T.s?"
Katie look startled, "Merlin no! You were there for the first attack. The night the Death Eaters came through the cupboard, Snape and Draco Malfoy disappeared and Dumbledore died, that was the first attack on Hogwarts."
Harry looked at Neville, "You said the Order ended that night," Neville nodded, "what about Tonks, Remus, or Bill?"
"They lived, but that wasn't enough to hold the Order together."
Suddenly Mrs. Weasley was standing at the entrance to the sitting room. "That's enough."
"But Mum-" "Mrs. Weasley really-" "Come on-"
"I said enough!" silence followed her statement. "There will be no more talk of the war today, not in front of Ginny anyway."
"Mum," Ginny started.
"No! No, no, no… talk about life." Mrs. Weasley said, "Talk about magic, or family, don't talk about war. Not today. Today you and Harry are still children and for once you will act like it. Children don't know of war, and hatred, and loss. So not another word about it."
Silence followed her words as the group watched tears streak down her face.