Disclaimer: I do not own Hp or associated.

Chapter 7 - Diagnosis and Impossible Cures

Harry found out exactly why he hated the dungeon corridor the following Monday. Ron let out a breath when Harry asked what their schedule was for the day. "The worst of all days," Ron said, "at least for you. Double Potions, lunch, then Charms, and Transfiguration, all are N. E. W. T. level classes."

"You don't have Potions," Harry said to Ron then turned to Hermione, "but you are in all of my classes."

"Right," Hermione only looked up for a moment but just to look down the table at Ginny then back at Harry and then her parchment. Ron looked at Hermione for a moment but choose to say nothing. After finishing breakfast Harry and Hermione left Ron for Potions. Harry asked Hermione while they waited, "How bad is this class... really?"

Hermione gave him a measuring look before responding, "The class itself is easy even for you," she sighed deeply, "more or less it's the teacher. He is good, but he only treats his own house fairly. It just so happens that house is Slytherin where your arch enemy, Malfoy; your mortal enemy, Voldemort, and most of his Death Eaters came out of, along with Snape. And one of them is the reason you don't remember anything."

"He was a Death Eater?" Harry stated more than questioned. Images started to flash through his head, ::A cemetery, head stones as far as the eye can see, the view is at ground level, there is a dead body; a man clutching his missing hand; same man gets a silver hand; a circle of people in hooded cloaks wearing masks, and a snake looking guy looking at each of them and commenting::

"You okay?" Hermione asked, Harry nodded slowly. Snape walked up to the small group of Gryffindor and Slytherin 6th year N. E. W. T. level Potions students, and opened the door, "In!" the class obeyed. Harry stayed close to Hermione and sat by her in the front of the dark classroom.

"Today you will continue the basic Polyjuice Potion for the third week." Snape glared around the dungeon, "today's instructions are on the board. Follow them exactly. And remember to bring in a hair. And it MUST be human." Snape sat down. ::Hermione in bathroom stall with a cat face and a tail.::

Harry looked at Hermione. Then smiled slyly as his potion appeared, "I guess you have already learned that lesson."

Hermione flushed then turned pink, "that was four years ago."

Harry had another flash; ::Hermione telling off Ron again and again; "emotional range of a teaspoon" she shouted; "You do have a saving people thing,"; Hermione shouting while hiding under the sink to hide from a troll; Ron being pulled under a tree by a huge bear-dog; Hermione 'frozen' in Hospital Wing.::

Harry shook it off and gave Hermione a measuring look. "What?" she asked after a moment.

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor, Ms Granger, Mr. Potter for talking," Snape said icily.

Harry wrote it down, "I think we all need to sit down and talk. These memories are a little confusing, even though they are mine."

Hermione read it and wrote back, "Fine, I'll get everyone you want together. Just say when and where. And if you think your memories are bad for you, your lucky compared to Ginny." Harry read it and felt very bad he hadn't properly sat down to talk to Ginny since this had happened, but something told him it had been a lot longer than that.
Hermione's parchment had grown to over two feet long and she had gone through many different books. She spent most of her time in the library ignoring her friends unless she could fire questions at them, and even then it was mostly directed at Ginny and occasionally Harry. Ron tried to talk to her but it was no use she was absorbed during classes with the lesson and in between with books and a single roll of parchment.

After the Madam Pomfrey incident and Ginny suddenly being able to not only get the general gist of Harry's memories but also the scenery details. Things that you would only notice using a Pensive to reflect on a memory Ginny noticed. She was not only an observer, as was the case in a Pensive, but she could also be 'within' Harry.
Ginny confided in Hermione well out of earshot of everyone else. "I swear it's tearing me apart," she sobbed, she didn't know where the tears came from. But for the first time in the three weeks she shared Harry's memories. She let it out feeling completely helpless; "watching him and being him within each memory and some are so painful. I blank out for seconds, weather it is a long or short memory, even when he is trying to remember something that a professor says, and normally that just triggers something else. Hermione, I swear I may pull my hair out. That boy has nightmares from the depths of Hades." She stopped and looked at Hermione," But I know that they aren't mere dreams, they are memories of his life."

"I have found the answer," Hermione said after a time. Ginny sat straight up and gave Hermione her attention.

"When?"

"Three days ago."

"Why didn't you say something?"

"Because it may just be false hope."

"Hope is hope," Ginny stood grabbed Hermione's hand and ran for the door, "we must tell Harry."

Hermione screeched to a halt, "we must do no such thing!"

"Why?" Ginny asked, "It's an answer-"

"But I don't think anyone could handle the weight of what sharing these memories means," Hermione sighed deeply, "I can't show you the answer when the two of you haven't established it exists."

Ginny stared at Hermione then told her something that she hadn't told anyone yet, "I can go through his memories," she said quietly. Hermione looked at her and she continued, "I can think of the Chamber of Secrets and walk through that entire year at my leisure or pick out certain people or what sticks out about that year for him. There is like a filing system, most are intertwined," she closed her eyes, "People, places, events, dreams. Friends, enemies, and he has a long list of people who died because of Voldemort. But he blames himself."

Hermione looked at Ginny, "Do you have a 'file' in his thoughts?"

Ginny's eyes popped open and she looked at Hermione, "It's mixed into the 'Weasley file' along with mum and dad and all my brothers except for Ron. His is more mixed with yours. The best friend thing I'm sure." She raised an eyebrow suggestively. Hermione scowled. "I swear," Ginny continued, "I may look like Harry's mother but you are as stubborn as she was to James," she closed her eyes, "And we know the result of that!"

"The story is never the same," said a voice that seemed to come out of nowhere, "the characters are always changing and the rules are altered and we know what the end result will be but the story is never the same." Dumbledore strolled to the ladies.

"Sir," both girls responded.

"Ms Weasley you seem to be looking for answers," Dumbledore looked at them, "but I'm afraid that though Ms Granger has the general answer she cannot interfere. She cannot tease a bond as sensitive as this."

"Oh and girls I'd get to the Common Room quickly," Dumbledore said continuing down the hall, "because I know of two boys that would come looking for you and probably only end up in trouble. And Gryffindor has lost enough points for a week." He disappeared around a corner.

"True and it's only Monday," Hermione said following Ginny towards the Common Room.
"If they don't get back soon we're going out after them," Ron said staring at the portrait hole.

"They're fine," Harry said looking at his homework for Transfiguration and giving up, "Stop worrying so much about Hermione," Ron gave him a look, "And Ginny." He added hastily.

"Why are you so confident?"

"Because my friend. This is Hogwarts, and someone is still going through my memories," Ron spun around, "It's not Voldemort, my scar is fine. I think it's Ginny, but she won't say anything about it."

"Then why don't you?" Ron said, "why does she have to make the first move?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Said a voice from the entrance. Ron looked and saw Ginny was laughing as Hermione blushed furiously. Unsurprisingly Ron was red to his hair and throwing dirty glances at Ginny.

"Where have you two been?" Harry asked trying to ignore the tension in the room. He looked pass Ron, "and what were you doing in my memories?" He looked at Ginny who looked scandalized.

"We were talking between each other and then with Dumbledore," Ginny answered sweetly, "as far as your memory, I have no clue what you are talking about."

"My foot," Harry retorted.

"Calling me a liar Mr. Potter?" Ginny asked.

"If the shoe fits," he scowled. Ginny advanced on him. "I've seen the Weasley temper but you have Gred and Forge look in your eye." He smiled sweetly as she sat on the couch he was on and Hermione sat on a chair close to Ron.

"Fair enough," she said, "but it's not my fault I have a range of things to look at to be able to understand your craziness."

"There is a difference between looking because there is no way around it and looking just because you have a key." Harry said jokingly wagging a finger in her face as she looked innocent. Hermione looked intrigued and Ron looked suspicious.

"You knew she was in there?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded. "How could you tell?"

"A feeling and since it sometimes triggers me to remember," Harry explained leaning back and closing his eyes, "Now it kinda goes both way, except nothing that I see is from her memory. Hermione, do you have any ideas as to what are going on?"

Hermione held her tongue and changed the subject, "Harry when do you want to meet and with whom?"

"Well I think here and you guys are it," Harry said leaning forward and looking at them.

"What is this about?" Ron asked.

"The memories or the pieces of them that I had during Potions brought up some questions." Harry said unevenly.

"Which one the Voldemort, the cat-Hermione," she looked at Hermione, "that was an interesting event all together. Or the Hermione/Ron ones?"

Harry looked at her. "The last for right now. What is with you two?" Ron and Hermione looked at one another, "you act like friends but you are so mean to each other-"

"We are not," Hermione said quickly.

"'Emotional range of a teaspoon'," Ginny quoted. Both Hermione and Ron cringed.

"That happens to be the tamest of things," Harry continued.

"And what is with this saying that Harry has a saving people thing?" Ginny asked standing up, "He has saved your life on more than one occasion. And if it wasn't for him I'd have died years ago. And I know that was all Harry I see it every time." Hermione was about to object but Ginny just raised a hand to silence her, "your first year, he was going to stop, the now back to life, Voldemort from immortality. second year, Lockhart wasn't going to do anything to save me. third year, he thought Ron was being dragged to his death, and then," she looked at Harry, "there are just those years when you can't do things completely inline." The trio stared at her, she did know how to put all of them in their places. Smart, courageous, or adventurous, she out did them all. She walked to her dorm Harry followed suit, careful not to wake his year mates.

Ron and Hermione were in a little bit of shock. Ron spoke first, "What is going on with those two?"

Hermione sighed and pulled out her scroll, "they share a bond unlike any other. When Harry was unconscious his mind sought out," she faltered.

"Sought out what? Hermione spit it out," Ron shook her slightly.

Her next words were a whisper in Ron's ear and slowed his world, "his mind sought out his soul mate. He found her and she shares what he cannot fully understand until two things happen. One Harry remembers and two they admit how they feel and the connection will disappear."

Ron was in shock as he stood and said out loud without realizing it, "well if they take as long as us." He stopped because the look Hermione was giving him.

"What about us?" she asked.

"Us? What? I said that my sister is too young to have a soul mate. I should give them a piece of my mind."

Hermione stood, "you can't Dumbledore, through cryptic, warned me to let it run its course."

"Dumbledore knows?" Ron asked yelling. Then Hermione's hand flew over his mouth. "Shhhh!"

"Not a word to them or I'll get you," Hermione warned and repeated what Dumbledore had said.. Ron nodded and she removed her hand.

Ron headed to the stairs and Hermione did the same, "But your right," Hermione paused at the bottom of the stairs and Ron stopped to listen to her, "they are in trouble if they take as long as we have," and she continued up the stairs.