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Chapter 29 – Beyond Dreams
"So what do you think?"
Ginny stood up from Harry's bed.
The two of them have been talking for the last hour about whether they should tell Hermione about what was going on.
"Do you think she'll freak out?" Harry questioned.
Ginny turned round and stared at her boyfriend.
"Wouldn't you be?"
"Yeah, but if it was me I'd think you were crazy," Harry replied.
"It's not everyday that you find out that you are in fact a greek-godess or should I say ancient witch? Anyway, the point is that being Hermione, she's not going to believe what we tell her."
"But imagine what will happen if we don't tell her?"
Harry shared a concerned look with Ginny.
"It'll be dangerous," Harry said softly.
"For us or her?"
"Both."
Ginny returned to her seat beside Harry.
"But it should be fine as long as she wears that charm right?" Ginny began slowly, "I still can't believe that my brother would do that for her."
"Are you really that surprised, it's not exactly news that Ron's been in love with Hermione for years," Harry replied.
"Of course I knew that, its just-" here Ginny paused, she looked torn for a moment before looking intently at Harry.
"How much did Dumbeldore tell you?"
"Only that apparently Ron and Hermione are actually Eros and Psyche and that they'll both be targets for Voldermort."
"And what about the charm?" Ginny questioned.
"That Ron gave it to Hermione and that it should protect her from well pretty much anything."
Ginny looked at Harry in surprise.
"Harry, it's a – the reason that Hermione is pretty much invulnerable is because Ron is protecting her. Every time she gets hurt he feels the pain of it."
Harry took a moment to take everything in. He remembered Ron saying that nothing would happen to Hermione but Harry didn't think Ron would go so far as to give up his life for her. It didn't come as a surprise but still it's an incredibly dangerous thing to be doing.
"Do you think that's why he's been sick?" Harry asked, "I remember him having sudden coughing fits and collapsing in class."
"I wouldn't be surprised. Look, Harry, the thing is I don't even know how he managed to do it, it's very advanced magic and not to mention the fact that…"
Harry looked at Ginny in concern.
"Not to mention? What?"
"Well I don't know if Ron realised this when he did it but…that charm is a very old method of marriage proposal."
Harry gaped at Ginny's blushing face.
"W-what!" Harry managed to sputter.
"Calm down. It's more likely that Ron didn't realise it. The point I'm trying to make is why would Ron go to all that trouble just to keep Hermione safe. I mean sure she's in danger but then so are you and pretty much everyone who goes to Hogwarts."
"Do you mean to say that perhaps there's a specific reason why Ron is so intent on protecting Hermione. Something to do with his dreams perhaps."
"Exactly," Ginny nodded her head in agreement, "Tell me what Ron saw in his dream again."
"He didn't have any specifics but he just told me that he knew that a big battle is coming and that in the process almost everyone will be killed – including…"
"Hermione?"
"That's just it, Ron never said it was her specifically he just said that anyone who was on Dumbelodore's side would probably lose their lives."
"So okay, nothing specific to Hermione but still I find it odd that he hasn't told anyone else about this. Can't we change the future or something?"
"That's why Ron and I were planning on starting up the DA again," Harry explained.
Ginny looked uncertainly at Harry.
"We might be able to get Neville and Luna but I don't know about the others."
"Ron said that we could also maybe form a more recognised club, for the all students who want to practice DADA, at the same time as maintaining the DA meetings."
"Okay, so we create an open club for all students to learn how to better defend themselves and keep practicing in private with DA members?"
"I think Ron wants us to use the DA to strategise and plan how to protect the school as well as," here Harry took a deep breathe, "…as well as an attack plan."
Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment before responding.
"And what else did Ron want us to do?"
"Well, he said to help Hermione with her research, though I don't know why. She already found out how to help Ron, I don't know why she would need to any more research."
"Let's t just trust Ron, he is the 'true-seer' after all," Ginny said before checking her watch.
"Come on, Hermione should be discharged from the hospital soon. Let's go meet her."
Jessica awoke groggily, slowly focusing her eyes she realised that she wasn't in her own room. She yawned and took a deep breathe, the distinct smell of potions and the musty smell of old parchment filled her nostrils. She knew instantly where she was, stretching she sat up in the bed and looked around the room for Severus.
"Sensei?"
Silence greeted her, Jessica's face fell and she made to move out of the bed but the sight in front of her froze her movements. There beside her bed was Severus Snape, sleeping in a small bed that he must have conjured. A smile crept onto her face as the image of her sleeping teacher in the conjured-bed brought back memories from her school days.
It seemed that though she was now an adult her teacher was still reluctant to sleep in the same bed as her.
Slowly and quietly she moved towards his sleeping form, knelling down beside him she pushed some of his hair out of his face.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I can't help what I'm going to do."
Jessica leaned forward and lightly kissed him on the lips, Snape shifted slightly but soon returned to normal. Jessica smiled and stood up. Collecting her things she walked towards the door to leave.
"Just remember, I never stopped loving you."
With those words Jessica left the room.
Snape opened his eyes and stared at the door where Jessica had just left.
"You always were a fool."
"I'm sorry, you two but Miss Granger has already left," Madame Pomfrey explained.
"But – when?" Harry asked, "She wasn't supposed to leave till this afternoon.
"She was quite adamant about leaving, and considering that she had a perfect bill of health I released her a few hours early."
Madame Pomfrey turned to leave and Harry was about to stop her when Ginny pulled on his arm.
Harry looked over at Ginny and noticed that she was silently creeping towards the private room that Hermione had occupied.
After silently closing the door behind them, Harry turned to his girlfriend. He noticed that she was on her hands and knees searching for something on the floor.
Harry made his way over to her.
"What exactly are you looking for?"
Ginny didn't answer him but simply ducked under the bed and continued her search.
Harry knelt down beside her to see what she was doing and that's when Ginny reappeared from under the bed.
"Just as I thought," Ginny stated triumphantly.
"Take a look at this," Ginny handed over one of the white feathers that she had found under the bed.
"A feather, gee Ginny should we inform Dumbeldore?" Harry said sarcastically.
"Give it here," Ginny said impatiently, she pulled out a similar feather from her pocket, "Look it's the same as the ones I saw in Hermione's room. And not only that, check this out."
Ginny placed one of the feathers on the ground before hexing the feather. The spell hit the feather before shimmering and disappearing.
"It looked like the feather absorbed the spell," Harry said in amazement, "Why do you suppose that is?"
"More importantly who do you suppose the feathers belong to?"
Harry and Ginny looked at each other before saying in unison.
"Ron."
"RON!"
Ron turned around to see some centaurs walking towards him. They looked older than Chiron but were definitely were not elders. Ron looked warily towards his tent and wondered if he could make a run for it. He didn't have much contact with the other Centaurs apart from Chiron and Mopsus and what contact he did have wasn't exactly pleasant.
"I've been wondering for some time now."
The voice of one of the centaurs brought Ron back to reality.
"I've been wondering what a human is doing wandering round our camp and without even a single word said about it."
Remembering Jessica's words Ron squared his shoulders and looked at the black centaur talking to him.
"I'm here to train."
Some of the centaurs snorted and laughed at his response.
"A human who thinks he's as good as a centaur," A pale brown centaur with several scars on his upper body laughed.
"I don't think I'm better than you," Ron replied attempting to keep his voice calm and free of fear, "I'm just here to learn how to become a better 'True-Seer."
"Seer?" a third centaur scoffed taking a step towards Ron, "Pathetic humans who can't think for themselves but only speak the words of ancient witches or wizards."
Ron took a step back from the group, for he at least knew not to turn his back on them. He eyes shifted to his tent quickly but one of the centaurs followed his eyes and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"What's wrong? Can't even stand talking to us? Not good enough for you?"
Ron gulped down nervously as the piercing grey eyes of the centaur stared down into his.
'This is it then,' Ron thought to himself, 'I might as well book a room at St. Mungo's now.'
"Oh, Eros, here you are!"
Ron looked behind him where Chiron was standing. Ron could almost kiss his friend who was now standing beside him.
"Mopsus wants a word with you."
Ron felt the centaur release him and take a step back. He looked at the group of centaurs, a few looked uncertainly at each other.
"Did you just say Eros?" one of them asked Chiron.
But Chiron didn't have a change to answer because the leader of the group gave Ron and Chiron one final glare before turning and leaving.
"Let's go."
With those words the other Centaurs followed their leader towards the forest.
Ron breathed a sigh of relief and looked gratefully over at Chiron.
"Thanks thought I was dead for sure."
"Probably would have been," Chiron agreed, "but don't mention it…what's that old human saying…ah that's right – 'That's what friends are for."
"What would I do without you," Ron laughed.
"Cry yourself to sleep every night, no doubt," Chiron said seriously before laughing as well.
"Not in the library either," Ginny groaned just as she and Harry stepped out of the library.
"Where could she be?" Harry wondered aloud before a thought struck him, "Of course."
Harry quickly pulled out the Maruaders Map and checked for Hermione's location.
"Don't know why I didn't think to use this earlier. But look, there she is, in the Room of Requirement."
Harry pointed at the little dot labelled Hermione. Returning the map to his pocket he grabbed Ginny's hand and led her to the corridor where the room was hidden.
Once they had finally gained access to the room what else did they see but a room filled with books.
"Hermione?" Ginny called walking further into the room.
"I think I hear something," Harry said before walking around the shelves of books.
They soon found Hermione, she was leaning against a window staring out into the distance. She held a piece of parchment in her hands and was twirling a quill between her fingers.
As Harry and Ginny moved closer they heard Hermione muttering something under her breath.
"It doesn't make sense-" Hermione sighed in frustration.
"What doesn't?" Ginny asked walking over to stand beside Hermione.
"OH!" Hermione turned around quickly, "Where did you two come from?"
"We've been looking for you. Are you alright?" Ginny asked in concern, her eyes quickly glancing at the quill in Hermione's hands.
Ginny looked up at Harry and made a slight movement with her head, Harry followed her eyes and noticed that it hadn't been a quill that Hermione had been twirling in her hands but a white feather similar to those in the hospital room.
"What are you doing here?" Harry questioned as he and Ginny followed Hermione to a desk filled with papers and books.
"Research. I'm absolutely certain that I heard something yesterday before I collapsed."
"What? What did you hear?" Ginny asked conjuring two seats for her and Harry.
Once they were all seated around the table Hermione explained herself.
"I wasn't sure at the time but I knew that the language sounded familiar. So as soon as I left the hospital I came here to check."
"Why not go the school library?" Harry asked curiously pulling some of the papers towards him. They were covered with words that he couldn't read.
"What language was it?" Ginny prodded encouraging Hermione to continue.
"I wasn't going to find anything useful in the school library because the language was ancient Greek – but it still doesn't make sense."
"Hermione please," Harry pleaded, "Try to make more sense."
"Sorry," Hermione apologised when she realised that she had drifted off into a tangent.
"Here, these are the words I heard that day," Hermione handed them a piece of parchment with several words scrawled across it.
"Apoluo and Epitithemi," Hermione repeated the words on the pages aloud.
'Apoluo' is the ancient Greek word for 'to be set free' or 'freedom'. And 'Epitithemi' is the word for 'attack'."
Hermione shook her head, "It doesn't make any sense. Why would I hear those words in my head?"
Ginny and Harry looked at each other in a panic.
"Um, well Hermione," Harry began delicately, "We may know why."
Hermione sat up instantly in her chair.
"Don't freak out on us, but we think that perhaps you may be 'Psyche' the ancient Greek witch who married 'Eros'."
Harry and Ginny waited for Hermione sceptical laugh but instead she blinked at them blankly before her face fell.
"Oh," she replied calmly sitting back in her chair.
"We're serious!"
Hermione looked up at Harry.
"Yes I know."
Harry stared at Hermione in shocked confusion.
"You knew and you didn't tell us?"
"It's not that big a deal," Hermione argued.
"No Hermione," Ginny interrupted the two, "It's a very big deal, because it means that the reason you're hearing words like 'Release me' and 'Freedom' is because 'Psyche' doesn't want to remain dormant inside you anymore, she wants to take over."
"That's ridiculous," Hermione laughed, "We're the same person, she can't just 'take-over' my body."
"How do you know?"
"B-because – Ron would have said something."
"Ron knows!" Harry stood from his seat.
"Yes, he knows. What's the big deal?" Hermione frowned at Harry's outburst.
"Harry," Ginny pulled on Harry's arm and pulled back to his seat.
"Have you seen Ron lately?" Ginny questioned calmly her eyes once again flicking to the feather in Hermione's fingers.
"Yes," Hermione answered slowly.
"You haven't been using the book have you?" Harry said in an accusatory tone, "You've been secretly meeting him."
"Don't take that tone with me Harry Potter," Hermione huffed, "I have every right to see my – my…"
Hermione stopped and held her head in her hands.
Harry looked at his friend guiltily.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just we miss him too you know."
"I know, you're right…" Hermione sighed looking at them sadly.
"Do you think you could arrange it so we could talk to him?" Ginny looked at Hermione hopefully.
"I guess, but do you mean to say – just the two of you?"
"Well, yeah," Harry answered, "You can see him some other time but there are just things that we want to talk about with him."
Ginny noticed Hermione's forehead furrow in confusion.
"It's just he's my brother and he's Harry's best-friend – we just some things we want to talk about with him."
"I guess that would be okay," Hermione said uncertainly.
"Could you arrange it to be tonight?"
"Tonight?" Hermione looked at Harry in surprise, "Well it's just that I don't have control over when he comes, he kinda just shows up in my room, but alright I'll see what I can do."
Ginny's eyes widened in surprise and she quickly made a mental note to discuss that little fact with Harry later.
"Tonight it is than," Harry repeated, "I guess on the Astronomy tower?"
"Okay," Hermione agreed.
