A/N: Here you go. This is the climax of the story. And then soon enough, I'll be saying to the hard work I gave on this. Now I don't know what to do at summer on summer
Chapter 7: Miss Brains save The Night
The most unexpected thing happened suddenly like a fast-forwarded projected show.
A flash of ginger-red met the jet black. I heard a loud smacking sound, a thump on a soft grass and a sickening firm of crunching jaw.
I never understood what was happening until someone paused the scene- Harry was lying, sprawled on the ground and his glasses were askew. He was clutching his face as if it hurts.
You wouldn't believe who was standing in front of us. Ron Weasley has come just to punch Harry in the face.
"Ron!" I shrieked.
"Get your hands off her!" he spat at Harry.
"Ron!" I repeated, trying stop him. I pulled his arm and faced him to me "What's wrong with you?"
"Hermione he- he… he touched you!" Ron reasoned out.
I shook my head inexplicably, "What kind of reason is that?"
Harry had returned to normal and was now standing up. In revenge, he punched Ron too.
"Oh for heaven's sake!" I exclaimed "Stop it!"
"You bastard-" Ron cursed and was about to lunge at him when I pointed my wand and yelled, "Protego!"
A barrier made the two flew aside. They grunted in pain, both holding at their heads.
"What did I told you, you childish boys?" I said at the top of my lungs. Then I glanced at each of them "I can't believe I'm seeing this in you- I mean you are bestfriends! Both of you, say sorry to each other. And Ron, we were just having a simple conversation"
Harry wiped the blood out of his mouth with his sleeve. Ron exercised his jaw. Reluctantly, the two shook hands and muttered sorry. Although I can still see in Ron's blue eyes that he haven't completely forgiven him.
It was the time of our prefect duty. I wasn't at ease while sighting the school with him. What he did to Harry was a bit harsh. Maybe it's in the nature of Ron to get jealous. And if he got jealous, sometimes his feelings burst out uncontrollably.
"Hermione, I'm sorry about what I did to Harry earlier" he said to me. "I was berserk at that time"
"I understand what you feel Ron" I said "But it's not me who you should apologize, it's to Harry. I know he made a mistake of taking it back, too".
Ron gave me a reassuring smile, "Thanks.".
We stop by and lean beside a brick wall, Ron was seeing the sky while I take note of my duty on a piece of parchment paper.
"It's the graduation ball today- Fred and George are graduating already. I can't believe it" Ron let out a deep breath.
"Good for them" is all I can say
"I just remember. Professor Lupin is here, right?"
"Yeah, along with the Order of Phoenix members. They'll congratulate the graduates, why?" I asked him
"It's full moon today. I wonder if he took his potion"
I dropped the paper and the quill "Full moon?"
"Yes, why?"
I paled and looked around- Harry would be transforming a beast tonight. He may cause some trouble especially a lot of students and teachers are awake. I need to find him.
"Harry's in trouble!" I left Ron dumbfounded, and went to find Harry.
In the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry wasn't there. I asked his roommates, Dean and Seamus, if they have seen Harry. They told me he left a while ago, and said that he was muttering something that sounds like 'Clock tower courtyard…'
Oh no, I thought. I'm pretty sure there'll be a lot of people staying there, snogging senselessly…
Harry straightened up his head and stared at me "You'll promise that you'll stay with me until I returned to normal?"
"Always" I nodded, "I always do, Harry"
I made my way to the courtyard. However, as I was going, the Slytherins, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle covered in my way.
Draco sneered "what are you up to, Granger? Why are you running around like a fool? Afraid that Filch might catch you?"
"Actually, I'm a prefect. So Filch wouldn't care if I'm up at midnight." I said as a matter of fact, "If I were you, I'll go back to my dorms now. It's you who Filch would caught, not me. I'll not waste my time talking non sense with you selfish wizards"
"Ooh yes, I'm really scared right now" Malfoy mimicked my voice. Crabbe and Goyle's laugh rang through my ears, which made me angry.
"Just get out of my way, Malfoy!" I pushed him with all my might.
Draco stumbled out and cursed rudely, "You filthy little mudblood!"
Terrified, I watch as Malfoy raised an arm and swatted me hard on my cheek.
Tears built up in my eyes and my cheeks crippled painfully. I almost cried and fell. Crabbe and Goyle seized both of my arms. Draco out his wand up- ready to cast some spell at me.
"Malfoy!"
Draco turned around- the voice was coming from… coming from Harry..!
He was standing a few feet from us, wearing an expression you wouldn't even dare ask for some fight.
"Get your dirty hands off her!" Harry yelled at them.
"You're making me laugh, Potter. Why would I? What are you going to do then? Fight us?" Malfoy sniggered. "You're just alone, Potter. You can't stop us."
The fact that he was protecting me and I'm getting hurt doesn't bother me right now. It hit me hard on why he was still not on his beast form.
"If you hurt her again, I'll shove your throat!"
"Oh yeah? What about this?-"Malfoy swatted me again.
My lips began to bleed and my knees were giving out. I can't do anything but knelt on the floor in such pain.
"How dare-" Harry haven't finished his words. Suddenly, he was writhing. He started making ugly sounds, like growling and scratching. Malfoy and his sidekicks began to tense nervously. When I blinked hard, Harry was in his beast form.
So finally... I thought.
The beast roared at the three, showing its sharp pointy teeth. At once, they let me go. But Malfoy wouldn't let Harry win to the fight by just scaring them. He pointed his wand at the beast, shaking, he casted, "Confringo!"
A fire explosion from the tip of the wand cause the beast were blast away. Harry was strong, even it was an exploding charm he has still manage to get up. He clawed at Draco. The sharp nails cut through Draco's skin. I was thankful that it wasn't deep or I might have fainted.
"My father will hear about this!" Malfoy warned Harry, then he left with his buddies.
I stood up, "H-harry…?"
The beast looked at me in the eye, then whimpered.
"Are you alright?" I checked out his body. He wasn't alright. There were burn marks and at his furry chest, blood was leaking out.
"Oh god, no…" I put my hand over my mouth
Harry, in my great confusion, left me there.
"Harry!" I called him, but he didn't turned back, and was now heading towards the… the Clocktower yard.
I followed him there.
As I stepped into the moonlight, I heard some screams. Harry was leaning beside a wall, oblivious to the students who were once having the time of their lives. The students panicked and some girls, screamed.
"A monster!" a seventh year shouted as he pass beside me, pulling his girlfriend.
More people escaped "Aaah! Run!"
"Call the professor! I'll weaken this!" some seventh years pulled their wands out. And including them, were the Weasley twins
"Stop! Stop!" I entered in the scene.
"Stupefy!"
What happened next, was a proof of my idiocy- I ran over and cut through the spell. Which in return, hit me hard. I dropped to the ground, but gave all of my strength to stand up.
"Stop it!" I covered the beast by spreading out my arms. I don't care if thousands of wands are ready to kill me. All I care about is Harry. "You're hurting him! He's innocent!"
"Him?" Fred said frighteningly "Hermione, that's a deadly creature"
"Y-you…" I gasped for air. I can taste blood in my mouth. "You don't understand… it's a rare thing and you don't know who this truly is!"
"Yes, we do. Stupefy!" a spark of red hit Harry fairly. He fell to the ground and roared.
I was about to cast a binding spell at them but then, Professor Dumbledore and the other professors have stepped in.
"What is happening here?" the headmaster asked all of us. He looked around us, expecting some answer but I think he clearly understand how.
"Miss Granger, will you stand back?"
"What? But Professor!" I exclaimed.
"You heard me."
I moved away from Harry and stood beside Dumbledore. Hundreds of students and a couple of professor watch as Dumbledore knelt to the fallen beast and putted a hand at his neck.
"He's still okay" Professor Dumbledore told me.
"Professor, it's a beast. Why are you checking if he's alive or not-"
"Yeah, professor. That should be dead!"
"Quiet you" the headmaster's deep voice silenced them.
"H-headmaster..?" I cleared my throat. He looked at me in the eye, then quietly, some understanding passed between us.
I nodded my head. Professor Dumbledore stood and went farther.
The cure…
I went beside Harry.
So this is it, I thought.
Not caring, in front of everybody, I put a hand on his cheek and leaned down.
I closed my eyes- and at the very moment my lips found his. I planted a tender kiss on the beast by the eyes of everybody, but for me it's Harry, my caring bestfriend…
