A/N:
This does not follow the Half blood Prince timeline
Disclaimer: I do not own the wizarding world of Harry Potter
Dedication: For those who have reviewed:
LeeArt, StarrLightFable926, AllWasWell07, wholocked12, Angel Girl5, and especially Red Phoenix Dragon.
Ready your tissues. If it didn't make you cry, then I can only say that I am a novice writer and still learning. Last Chapter Folks! It's been a great journey.
"...and it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mow grass, and new parchment and, and-... mixture of vanilla and- and..." how Harry smells after their Quidditch training after a quick shower, Hermione continued in her mind. She turned pink, and excused herself by hiding back to the crowd of students.
"Very well! Carefully explained. Take ten points, Miss Hermione Granger." Slughorn said, ignoring her embarrassment. The Potions professor continued discussing, "And now, as you see, the potion has its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen..."
The next of his words were drowned. Desperately, Hermone wished that nobody recognized her unusual behavior. She glanced at Harry, and saw that he was listening attentively to the Professor's discussion, his eyes following him as he opened up another cauldron which contained another potion Hermione was not eager to see.
Surprisingly, Ron nudged her ribs.
Hermione spun around, "What?" she hissed in a soft whisper.
His freckly face looks dangerously worried and troubled. "I need you to talk to me in private. After this class." Ron said neutrally. She tensed, why would he want to talk to her?
After the Potions class ended, Ron hurriedly pulled Hermione's arm and dragged her out. Leaving Harry behind, they walked through a corridor lit by sunlight, a staircase full of portraits, and all the paths heading back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Color draining from her face, Hermione got more nervous when Ron wasn't uttering a single word to her. He looks valiantly nerve wrecked when they stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Hermione." hissed Ron.
She was clammy, "What's your problem, Ronald?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" Hermione asked confusedly.
Ron glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was watching or hearing their conversation. When the coast was clear, he turned back to her, "About Harry."
Hermione paled. This was it, he was going to know about her love for him. Somebody was going to know. Probably Ron would even tell Harry about it, after all, he was closer to Harry than was to Hermione. Worse, this could destroy their friendship. With these two year of their remaining to Hogwarts, Harry will avoid her. Harry will not speak to her. Harry will be disgusted by her.
However, Hermione wasn't going to give her hopes up easily, of course, she would lie, "What about Harry?" she asked, saying it too much innocent more than a truth really is.
"Don't play dumb." Ron gripped her arm more, "I knew you like him."
She gasped at the force of his hand, "No, I do not!"
"Really?" Ron demanded.
She yanked her arm away, "Let go of me!"
"Hermione, you're a bad liar!" Ron tugged the hem of her school bag, not wanting to let her easily go. Annoyed, Hermione pulled his hand away, but Ron pulled harder. They kept doing it until Hermione's bag ripped and the contents- her books, quills and parchments spilled on the marble floor.
"Look what you did!" Hermione bent down to pick up her stuff. On the other hand, she didn't recognized that Ron helped her, and instead of picking more things, he found her diary and snatched it. Her heart paced, her hopes disappeared, and her muscles contracted together, paralyzing her.
"NO!" She reached for his hand. Ron raised the diary before Hermione can touch it.
"A diary? This would do, thanks." he said, smirking slightly in victory.
Ron flipped the page open, and to her horror, scanned the first entry he first saw. Time has slow down as Hermione tiptoed to reach the tall redhead, and Hermione saw how Ron's eyes widened.
Oh no, she thought. Oh no-
Finally, Hermione grabbed hold of her diary. She was flushed and furious when she fixed her bag and continued packing her things. Ron stood there, transfixed. Whatever he saw in the entry was definitely not good.
"You indeed love Harry." said Ron unbelievably.
"So what?" she said. Shakily and color drained. Tears were building up in her eyes now, a few drops into one of her books, "Are you happy now? To know about it? Are you happy?"
"You should have told since the very beginning." Ron told her, his tone neutral.
Hermione looked up, glaring "And what? And what Ronald Weasley?" she stood up, wiping her eyes with a sleeve of her robes, her school bag tucked to her side and the same again, "Would you even care? You even approved of him and Ginny's relationship. She's your sister, of course you would approve. I'm just a friend to you, am I not? Someone who could just help you with your own assignments. No, wait- make your assignments." Hermione corrected. "And almost help you in everything. Oh, that's right- I am even the one who helped you in the Keeper tryouts. For your information, I confunded McLaggen just to make sure you are the first in the trials."
Ron gaped for a second, "You what?"
"Honestly,"Hermione continued, "Now I think I shouldn't have done that. That I should have let McLaggen in, when he's becoming more sensible rather than you."
"Hermione-"
"Bye Ronald." she said acidly, and marched her way to wherever her feet wanted to go. Deep inside, Hermione regretted saying piercing things to him, but partly relieved when finally she felt like she's said everything she wanted to say since he and Harry left her in the midst of everything.
It turns out, her feet lead Hermione to the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts.
The air was damp compare to the wind inside the castle. Fog and trees grew thicker and more shrilly as Hermione went deeper and deeper into the forest. Hermione didn't want to get any further, since nobody else knew she had come here. Ron, surely wouldn't come for her. She halted and sat at the nearest boulder, a round and mossy object, and buried her face in her hands.
It was better like this, she thought. It was better that nobody knows about her love for Harry. They could despise her.
But she hasn't heard what Ron would like to say before she left. Hermione felt slackened. She wished she has stayed more time to find out what his reaction would be. The least and positive thing she thought, that it was better Ron to know and maybe to tell it to Harry rather than she herself would confess her love for him directly.
Hermione bet that Lily would be cheerful if she knows that Hermione has admitted it to another person.
Lily...
Her face went up. Despite the coldness, Hermione opened her bag and took the diary Harry has given her out. It feels like a long time ago, since she's receive it... And ever since, Hermione wrote her feelings and emotions and opinions and thoughts. Her entries now were countless, that the pages left were very few.
After her recent entry, about her seeing Harry and Ginny kissing, Lily has written something that made her heart skip a beat. Hermione hasn't read this before, because she was too furious about the event. Her fingers traced the words written,
Dear Hermione,
I finally remembered who the Half-Blood Prince was. It is Severus Snape.
He nicknamed himself that. I remembered him telling me when we're still close friends. His mother's name was Eileen Prince, a witch, a while his father was a Muggle. Sev was a half-blood.
Hope it helped you
Lily.
PS: Hermione, you see. I'm not being too offensive nor rude, but as I've mentioned to you before, you should've told Harry since the very beginning before all is too late.
She has to tell Harry about this... It's no wonder why the spells written on the pages of the Potions book were deadly and harmful. Because it was written by Severus Snape, a Death Eater.
But telling Harry could wait.
Hermione found her raven feathered quill from the pocket of her robes and wrote:
Dear Lily,
I hope you're pleased and happy. Ron knows about it now. Ron knows that I am madly in love with Harry.
I wish I could say it to Harry directly. But my Gryffindor courage isn't in me right now... Maybe Ginny is the real Gryffindor. Not me.
All this time, Lily. You were a great help. A very good friend. Maybe if you haven't died, you can raise Harry well, you can become a great mother.
I hope Harry would be happy with Ginny. If I love, I would let him go. And I'm letting him go, right now. I've recently accepted the fact that he'll never be mine, and I'll never be his.
Love from Hermione.
Hermione closed the diary shut and examined it, fumbling her fingers through the pages, skimming and scanning through the blurs of inks. She stopped and closed her eyes, knowing what was to come. Not a second later, her back was arching forward, and Hermione was coughing blood. Spilling the mossy ground red.
She expected it to subside, after a hundred coughs, but this time, something sharp struck to the side of her head, even no needle-like weapon was pointing at it. Hermione staggered and fell. She was clutching her chest, as if it could help heal it. The diary was tossed to the boulder also, and plunged into the ground, next to her blood. She was shaking all over, her vision was dim, she was sweaty and unable to breath.
Maybe this was it. Maybe this was her finality-
A cold object with lengthy fingers touched her cheek. The moment it touched her, Hermione's breaths become more calmer. She was feeling better. How could the hand stop the ailment with just a touch? It was just a coincidence, of course, since nothing could hear her.
"Stand up." An emotionless voice, spoke from above her, "Rise, mudblood."
The rude word made her knelt, in anger and resentment. The hooded figure in front of her was too blurry. Even if her eyes were a bit clearer, she couldn't see through the dark.
"What-" she huffed, "What did you just call me?"
She sensed that the figure was smirking, "Of course, the Gryffindor princess would like disagree with that. So brave."
Gryffindor princess, Hermione was taken aback, "Who are you? What are you doing here? You know, I am not allowed to talk to strangers." she said rudely. Not that the figure was scary, but Hermione was exhausted.
"I came to business. I don't want to kill a mudblood right now. Since she was important, since, she can help me take over the whole Wizarding world. And I am talking about you, Hermione Granger." the cold voice drawled.
"And what, in the name of heavens, would you kill somebody?" Hermione asked, and regretted saying it, since she knew who was now currently in front of her. No one could hate mudbloods as the figure did, except for Umbridge. But the figure was obviously a man.
"I am Lord Voldemort, you idiot." then he laughed cruelly.
It was a freakish scene. Being here alone and with the Dark Lord. Being unprotected and unarmed, he could kill her easily with just a swish of his own wand.
Hermione wanted to go for her wand. Maybe if she could use some distractions...
"Why am I important?
Voldemort withdrew his hood, showing his slit pupils and pale, snake-like face, "Have you ever felt something in your life? About having a sickness in particular?" he was circling around her, while saying it.
"Yes, I do have-"
"Then it is not a disease. Yes, it is dangerous, because of the side effects. But the truth is-" Voldemort stopped once again in front of her, but a few feet away, "It makes you stronger. That sickness makes you perform more extraordinary magic than anyone else. And it can only be obtain by somebody who possess traits of three houses."
"But I'm not from Hufflepuff. And the Sorting Hat just considered me in Ravenclaw because I got the brains." Hemione protested. It was too all impossible to her, even if it was a hundred percent truth.
"Everybody belongs to Hufflepuff. There are just incidents that most are more talented that's why they are sent to other houses. Because everybody contains, kindness, loyalty- and all that disgusting things Dumbledore loves." Voldemort mocked, "Except for Slytherin, however." his eyes glinted maliciously, "Since they are more powerful and knows more than to trust people."
"But..." Hermione had a chance to pull out her hand, but she was too consumed with the shock of her having a great power.
"The last person who obtained your power was a Slytherin, and it was ages ago... I didn't expect a Gryffindor to be the next one." the Dark Lord said disappointingly, "And a mudblood."
"I'm not special. I'm just Hermione. I'm the gryffindor princess, just like what you've said. I only belong to Gryffindor." she fought back. The ache in her heart was still there, stifling.
"Join me. Then I promise you that you'll never regret it. You are offered a high rank, among my most loyal Death Eaters. I can revive your parents. I can spare anyone that you love, except for one in particular... For he is my mortal enemy."
"You'll kill Harry! And I won't let you!" Hermione somehow got her wand from her schoolbag and was now pointing it to Voldemort.
"Ah, indeed." Voldemort said in amusement, "The violent things a person could do for love."
Hermione felt exposed with his words. Before the Dark Lord was ready to speak once again, Hermione aimed at him, "Stupefy!" she cried.
He deflected it in the most boring wave, and the spell vanished. It wasn't enough for Hermione to carry her schoolbag and her diary and get out of there- but it didn't matter, since Voldemort didn't follow her.
Instead, the Dark Lord frowned in disappointment and muttered, while eyeing the bushy-haired' retreating back, "You chose your path. And now you watch hopelessly as I kill your headmaster, and suffer in vain." with that, he vanished and went to join his Death Eaters.
The Dark Mark was swaying overhead like a dragon ready to set the place aflame when Hermione returned to the gates of the Hogwarts castle. Terrified, she ran upstairs, to head to the Gryffindor Common Room. She didn't know why, but all she wanted to see was Harry. Her Harry Potter.
Although a fight was brewing everywhere. Death Eaters have entered the guards of the castle, and was now attacking the Professors and the innocent students. She has to find Harry fast, before even Voldemort could find him-
"Hermione! Hermione!" Neville ran to her, holding a small bottle.
"Neville? Have you seen Harry-?"
"No, no" Neville shook his head violently, "Listen he went with Dumbledore- I don't know where. And Hermione, you need to drink some bits of this. Harry gave us this Lucky Potion and said that we should split it to the DA members. Here-" he handed her the little potion.
Hermione shook her head reluctantly, "You need it better than I am."
"But-"
"Neville" she gave him the best, most deadliest glare she could do, "You and the members need it more than I am. Trust me, I can handle myself on my own."
"Thanks." he said breathlessly.
Hermione left Neville and went to the grounds. Harry and Dumbledore could fly in brooms and land on the grounds, then enter the double doors of the castle. It was her guess. She half jogged, half walk to the grounds, stunning one Death Eater while on the way.
So Harry was right. Maybe Draco has given a mission by the Dark Lord, and it was by having the Death Eaters invade the castle. How ridiculous the idea was- it worked. Hermione felt more sympathy to him, she should have been nicer.
Nothing was in the Hogwarts grounds. Only Ron, Luna and Ginny. Their faces were stricken with fear, but otherwise they weren't shaking.
"I was looking for you!" Ron yelled.
"Thank goodness." Ginny heaved in relief. Luna just nodded.
"I need to see Harry." she said shortly, ignoring their statements.
But somewhere, she could hear screams and casts of spells, some banging of explosions. And it was coming from Hagrid's hut.
Ron, Luna and Ginny as Hermione ran there, and saw that Hagrid's hut was on fire. It was surrounded by Death Eaters- Bellatrix, who kept laughing crazily, Draco, who was stricken, and Severus Snape, who was fighting somebody else.
And that somebody else was Harry.
He was thrown backwards when Snape slashed through the air. "How dare you you use my own spells against me!" Snape roared, "Yes, Potter. I am the Half Blood Prince."
"You killed Dumbledore!" Harry shouted in agony. Hermione sunk. No way, the headmaster couldn't die-
Then out of nowhere, there was swish of dark, small tornado in front of them. Hermione froze, a few feet from Harry. Voldemort appeared from those shadows, just in front of Snape.
Snape was stunned, "My lord-"
"I take it from here, Severus." he said to his servant.
Harry got up from his feet. A wild look on his face, "Voldemort."
"Harry!" Hermione bolted forward and helped him up.
"Hermione?" He looks at her, "What are you doing here?" Harry asked her, like she wasn't supposed to be there.
"I- I am here to protect you." she whispered.
"Harry! Hermione!" It was Ron, Luna and Ginny, running to them. When they saw Voldemort, they flinched a bit but remained brave.
"What a nice reunion." Voldemort said with sarcasm. "Very well, I must finish my business. Right here, in front of your friends to see."
"NO!" They all shouted, but Hermione was the loudest. She raised up her arms and blocked Harry from the Dark Lord's view.
Voldemort continued, "I offered you one thing mudblood, and you chose to side with the losing one. How pathetic." he started twirling his wand in his fingers.
"Don't call her that!" Harry shouted back, and said to Hermione, "What was he saying, Hermione? And stop covering me, you'll get yourself killed. Please-"
"No, Harry."
"'Mione!" Harry told his stubborn bestfriend, and pulled her aside, to Ron, Luna and Ginny. She squealed, then Ron caught her. Then he, very gently, walked towards Voldemort, "Want a duel, Riddle? Between you and I? And let's see who will really win. You don't need to sacrifice your Death Eater's lives. You should have gone straight to me instead. So it's just the two of us. No one could get hurt."
"Do you think it's that easy? You dimwitted boy?" Voldemort said. "Do you think you could just bring me down in a duel? I don't think so. Nor can Dumbledore defeat me. And I just remembered, isn't your favorite professor dead? Now, no one can stop me. I shall rule the world."
"Not a chance!" Harry lunged forward, wand in hand, ready to aim his trademark move.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Harry!"
Harry stood, frozen on his spot. The green jet light was soaring towards him... in a murderous flash- Hermione, without thinking, headed straight, not to the killing curse but to stand in front of the Boy Who Lived, and also the only living person left she has love so much-
"Hermione, don't!"
"No!"
The Killing Curse hit her squarely in the body. She stood there for a moment- after the green light was gone, her caramel, brown eyes that he always loved were shining with fresh tears. Then slowly, her knees gave away- Harry watched all this for a split second, and went to catch his bestfriend's limp body before it hits the grassy ground.
The Death Eaters laughed, and Voldemort, looking sulky and squinting, ordered his members to go away, and they did. Voldemort did a half glance in disappointment of the girl's powers before going away.
Ron, Luna and Ginny marched over to see Hermione. Ginny and Luna began to sob at the sight of her Ron was too shock to speak, but was crying, too.
She was looking at the sky, the tears now flowing her cheeks. The Dark Mark has now vanished, replaced by a starry night.
Hermione knew she was stupid for lunging into that green light. But it was the right thing to do- so that Voldemort couldn't ask for her hand and die instead. After all, she has to protect Harry. She was better dead. After her attempts of killing herself, and wishing she was dead, and having the sickness- she has been granted that only in the most unexpected way.
As she look at the sky, she suddenly thought, how would Heaven look like?
Now she can't help wondering. But Hermione has a great hope that she'll meet her parents there...
"Parents... meet my parents..." she muttered repeatedly. Hermione was ready to close her eyes.
"Hermione- you stupid girl." she didn't notice Harry until he spoke. He was crying, too. His fits of sobs shaking his body. Hermione wondered why, when he only care little for her.
She remembered what Lily said, and now seems like the only chance to say it right. Even in front of Ginny, whom was currently dating him...
"I love you, Harry. Not as a brother but more than that." Hermione said, then used her hand to entwine it to his.
Harry opened his eyes.
His green eyes were like emeralds under water when he spoke, "I love you too, Hermione. Ever since- please don't go- stay alive- please don't leave me-"
Hermione frowned, not believing him, but after a while, her face relaxed as if she finally believed that Harry really loves her. Then for a moment, Harry thought she was studying him with those brilliant eyes that were always so clever and amusing- then he noticed how her fingers were pale, cold and... dead.
Finally, Harry pressed her lips on hers in a silent goodbye. Hermione leaving him behind in a conclusion.
I actually cried while writing this, mind you. If you want a proof, I could send you my real tears escaping right now from my eyes. I'd want to kill myself too for writing this.
If you want the scene on why Hermione frowned before she died, or the view of Voldemort on planning to kill Harry on her own point of view, you can private message me, or tell me in the reviews.
AND ITS NOT DONE YET FOLKS! There's still an epilogue. It reveals all the answers about why Harry has been a bastard and maybe how would he and Ron would take this after her death, and who knows... maybe he can meet Hermione again. *hint *hint.
tell me your opinions about this
PS: I always read your reviews. Flames, Goodie or not.