CHAPTER 5: FRIENDS AGAIN
Even after their talk on their first day at Hogwarts, Harry still wouldn't talk to Hermione. He wasn't ignoring her anymore and would answer if she asked a question but that was the most that the former friends would interact. Hermione was sad that she and Harry were still not on good terms but understood why it was the case.
Hermione often tried to help Harry whenever she believed he needed it which unknowingly aggravated the situation with Harry. The only reason he had never once protested or snapped at her was because he knew that Hermione was trying her best to prove that she was trustworthy and Harry couldn't exactly tell her off when she had good intentions.
A few Professors had seen soon enough the weird dynamic between Harry and Hermione and it even reminded a few about how Harry's parents would interact in their sixth year, after James had grown up but before Lily had realized so. In Harry and Hermione's case however, the roles were reversed as Harry was the one who wasn't interested in speaking to Hermione.
As things progressed, so did things inside Hogwarts. In their first flying lesson, Harry saved Neville Longbottom's Remembrall and somehow ended up on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Hermione couldn't help but call Harry selfish when she had overheard that he and Ron were planning on duelling Draco Malfoy in the middle of the night and realized that they could lose a lot of points for Gryffindor if they were caught. She had regretted it the moment it came out of her mouth. It didn't help that Harry had scowled at her the same way he had done on the Express and Hermione wondered if she had accidentally reverted all of her progress with that one simple statement.
Harry continued to ignore Hermione for up until Halloween. Hermione had kept trying to prove herself to Harry but she couldn't help but wonder if it was useless or not as Harry didn't once change her attitude toward her.
What Hermione didn't know was that Harry had realized what she was doing and was slowly warming up to her. However, Harry kept fearing that becoming friends with Hermione again would just come back to kick him in the butt later on. Nightmares weren't rare for Harry, who was seeing a lot what he assumed was the death of his mother, but ever since arriving at Hogwarts, a new nightmare had showed up. Harry's nightmares would usually start with him and Hermione being best friends again until something grave would happen to him like, for instance, Voldemort trying to kill him and Hermione suddenly deciding that he wasn't worth it anymore. Those nightmares would usually wake him up in the middle of the night.
Halloween day started as any other day. It was a sour day for Harry as it was both the ten year "anniversary" of his parents' death but also six years since the Grangers had abandoned him in Privet Drive. In Charms class, Hermione tried to help Harry but when he quickly mastered the Levitation Charm, she moved on helping Ron. Ron obviously didn't like her helping him and after the end of the class, he said to Harry "It's a wonder how you were ever friends with her! She's a nightmare, honestly."
Harry hadn't liked how Ron had casually insulted Hermione and was about to say something when someone knocked into him while running away. Harry barely had time to see tears leaking out of Hermione's eyes before she turned around a corner. Suddenly, Harry felt horrible.
"Why did you say that?" he asked to Ron with an ounce of anger.
"Well, she is!" he said. "She's always trying to help us even when we don't need her help. She's annoying."
"That doesn't mean that you can just casually insult her!" he nearly shouted. Harry didn't know why he suddenly felt protective of Hermione... until it clicked. It was true that Harry was angry at Hermione, but he also realized that for the last two months, he had been putting Hermione in the exact same situation as he had been in the months following the Grangers' departure from Privet Drive, even after it had been made obvious to him that she had no idea why she had reacted that way six years ago and that she was clearly feeling bad for it.
"Relax mate... if it makes you feel better, I will apologise to her next class." said Ron. Harry sighed and he and Ron went to their next class.
However, Hermione hadn't shown up in the next class and hadn't been seen since. The Halloween feast had just begun and Hermione wasn't in the Great Hall. Harry was concerned.
"Do you know where Hermione is?" asked Harry to Lavender Brown, one of Hermione's dorm-mates. Lavender raised an eyebrow. While Harry had always been polite with Hermione, he had also been cold toward her ever since school had started, something that was obvious even to herself. She had remembered on their second night at Hogwarts when Hermione had cried herself to sleep after she and Harry had talked privately. However, she saw the guilt in Harry's face and decided to tell him the truth.
"The last time I saw her, she was crying in the First-Floor girls' bathroom and telling us that she wanted to be left alone."
Harry sighed before he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He needed to talk to Hermione again, to at least apologise for how he had been treating her. Harry wiped his mouth with a napkin before throwing it on his plate and he raised up.
"Harry?" asked Ron, confused.
"I don't feel like eating at a feast on the day my parents died." lied Harry convincingly. While he truly felt that way, it wasn't the reason why he was leaving. He was going to find Hermione and apologise to her. Maybe they could start from the beginning and see if they became friends again or not. What he knew however was that he didn't want to stay in conflict with his first ever friend.
Ron realized Harry's true intentions but didn't push him. He simply nodded, telling him that he had gotten the message.
Harry left the Great Hall early to the surprise of some. Only the oldest students and the Professors realized what Halloween meant for Harry and let him be, even if attendance at the Feast was technically mandatory.
Harry walked toward the girl's bathroom, hoping to find Hermione there. He barely noticed Professor Quirrell run toward the Great Hall and arrived at his destination. He hesitated before entering the girl's bathroom. It was, after all, a girl's bathroom but Harry knew that everyone else was at the Feast. Hoping that it wouldn't be a problem, Harry entered and found Hermione standing in front of a sink, her eyes red and puffy.
"Hermione?" said Harry, softly. Hermione shrieked in surprise.
"Harry!? What are you doing here?" she started before she looked sad again. "Are you here to make fun of me?" she asked. Harry flinched, remembering how kids had treated her at school when both were still living at Privet Drive.
"I'm sorry." he suddenly said, looking down.
"S-Sorry?" repeated Hermione in confusion.
"Yes..." he said before sighing for a third time that evening. "I'm sorry about how I treated you since the beginning."
"It's okay... I get why you..." she started but was interrupted by Harry.
"No, it's not okay! It doesn't make it right! Even if I didn't want to be your friend, I should still have been cordial toward you, not give you the cold shoulder every day. It's just not right!" said Harry.
Hermione looked at Harry for a few seconds before she finally gave a week smile and said "Thanks. Why aren't you at the feast?"
Harry shrugged. "My parents died ten years ago... I didn't feel like attending a feast."
Hermione was about to say something when they suddenly felt a vibration on the ground. Then another... and another.
"What's going on?" said Harry, looking at the vibrating floor curiously.
"Do you smell this?" asked Hermione. Harry took a few sniffs before he recoiled in disgust. The air smelled like a mixture of old socks and a badly unclean public toilet.
"What could possibly smell like that?" he asked. Hermione shrugged her head before her eyes suddenly fixed on a point behind him. Her face changed from confusion to horror and she screamed in terror. Harry quickly turned around and met the eyes of a twelve feet tall mountain troll.
"Hermione!" shouted Harry. "It's a troll! Go! Run! I'll hold it off!" he said but he didn't hear Hermione. Once glance behind and he saw that she was petrified in terror, barely standing on her feet. Seeing that the troll was about to swing its club toward them, Harry jumped on the terrified Hermione to bring her down. They barely avoided the club and it crashed into the wall. That had been enough to snap Hermione out of her trance.
"W-What are we going to do!?" she asked.
"Run and I'll distract it!" he repeated, avoiding another swing of the club. The club crashed in a few sinks, breaking a few pipes which started spraying water everywhere.
"Are you crazy? I'm not letting you face this thing alone!" shrieked Hermione.
"Think of something then!" shouted Harry.
"I don't know!" she shouted back; terror still evident in her voice.
Then, a third voice spoke. "Harry? Hermione?" came back from the other side of the bathroom. Ron Weasley had come to help them.
Harry suddenly got an idea. "Ron! Distract it!"
"Oy, pea-brain!" shouted Ron in an attempt to grab its attention. As it didn't work, he took a few debris on the ground and threw them at the troll's head. It was enough to make it turn around and Harry used the opportunity to jump on its back and fastened his arms around its neck. Hermione had followed Ron's example and started distracting the troll as well so that it wouldn't concentrate on Ron or Harry too much. After steadying himself, Harry took his wand and stabbed the troll in the nostril. In retaliation, the troll grabbed Harry off his back and threw him at the wall. Harry heard bones crack when he hit the wall and couldn't help the shout of pain that escaped. His entire body felt like it was on fire.
"HARRY!" shouted both Hermione and Ron in distressed voices. Harry opened his eyes and saw that the troll's cub was over its head and it was slowly bringing it back so that he could take a good swing toward him. What struck to Harry however was the sight of Hermione. She wasn't looking afraid anymore but that was simply because she looked way too horrified to really show any other emotions. Her eyes however conveyed them better. Harry saw the guilt and the feeling of despair in her eyes. He decided to give her a reassuring smile before he closed his eyes. Harry had accepted his situation and that he was about to die. It was weird, in a way. That morning, Harry was still giving Hermione the cold shoulder but now he was alright with the idea of dying to help save her life. Harry heard Hermione shout his name again but he didn't answer as he patiently waited for the troll to hit him...
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
…and the hit of the club never came. Harry opened his eyes again, a process more difficult that he had imagined, and saw that the troll's club was floating over its head. Ron was standing proudly with his wand pointed at the club. The troll looked up in surprise and Ron released the spell. The club hit the troll's head first with a sickening crack, not unsimilar to what Harry heard when he hit the wall. The troll fell on the floor, face first. Since Harry's wand was still in its nostril, it shot further into his head, entering the brain and killing it on the spot.
Hermione and Ron looked at the now-dead troll with wide eyes until a moan of pain from Harry's snapped them back into reality.
"HARRY!" they both shouted, running toward him. Both fell on their knees right in front of Harry. Harry's breath was heavy and shaky. Ron was looking at him horrified while Hermione was crying.
"Harry! Are you alright?" asked Ron quickly.
"What do you think!?" shrieked Hermione. "Where does it hurt?" she asked.
The pain was becoming more and more unbearable. "Every...w-where." he simply said.
"Go get some help! Please!" she shouted to Ron. Ron nodded and ran outside of the bathroom. Hermione could hear his distant shouts.
"I-I'm so s-sorry!" she cried. "I-I failed y-you again!"
"You didn't." said Harry, grimacing at the pain. "You... you didn't fail me. I failed myself... for not dropping back down after... putting my wand in its nose."
"I-It's r-ridiculous. It doesn't m-make s-sense!"
"Neither... does blaming... yourself..." he said with a weak laugh. Harry felt his head starting to spin and added "Hermione, ... I don't feel... so good." faintly.
"Please… Harry…" pleaded Hermione quietly, putting his head on her lap and holding the now shaking bow in her arms. "Don't die!"
Harry's bright green eyes looked straight into Hermione's beautiful chocolate brown ones and said "It... is... worth it... to save... a... friend.".
"Please! Don't die!" she repeated. "You will be just fine!"
Harry looked straight into her eyes for a few moments before they closed. Harry went limp in her arms.
Hermione let out a gasp before she started crying in his chest. Harry Potter, her only friend and one of the most important people in her life has just died in her arms, because he had wanted to protect her. Hermione felt terrible guilt. She had wronged Harry in the past. He had been in danger because of her. He shouldn't have died. She should have been the one to. Hermione cried at the injustice her friend went through his whole life. Harry should have had a happy life. He hadn't deserved this. Hermione cried, feeling guilt deep inside of her.
The sound of her quiet sobs and the running water from the destroyed sinks was all that could be heard for the following minutes. This semi-silence was broken when a few pairs of quick footsteps approached.
"Miss Granger! Mr. Potter!" cried Professor McGonagall when she, Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey entered the destroyed bathroom.
"Harry…" she whispered before she continued sobbing. Hermione hadn't even raised her head to look at them, not even when Madam Pomfrey crouched beside her to cast spells on Harry.
"Miss Granger," said the Matron. "You will have to release Mr. Potter so that we can bring him to the infirmary."
"Harry…" whispered Hermione again.
"Poppy, how is he?" asked Severus.
"He's in bad shape, but he'll live."
Hermione slowly raised her face to look at the Matron and two Professors. "He's alive?" she said, still whispering. "He can still be saved?"
As if realizing what Hermione had been believing, Madam Pomfrey said "Oh, your poor thing! You believed he had died?"
Hermione nodded before her face constricted and she began sobbing again.
"He'll live, Miss Granger." She said. "We just need to bring him to the Hospital Wing, now."
Harry was smiling sadly at Rose. The small girl had long left her bed and sat down on his lap before snuggling on his chest. She had done so when Harry had told her that the troll had entered the bathroom and Harry hadn't had the heart to tell her to go back to bed. Rose wanted to sit on her father's lap and hold him and Harry happily granted her wish.
Harry was surprised that Rose had an unusually mature understanding of the story, not that he should be with Hermione as her mother. He would almost have expected her to think that their story was like all other fairy tales he had told her in the past but Harry had realized early on that Rose actually understood that it was real.
"It's alright." he muttered, rubbing circles on her back. "I'm here and safe." he said.
"It's scary." cried Rose in his chest.
"I'm sorry." said Harry.
"It wasn't your fault, Daddy." she said, lifting her head and looking at him straight in the eyes. "You're always saying 'I'm sorry.'."
"I'm sor..." he started before he snorted. Instead, Harry gave Rose a kiss on the forehead. "I love you, sweetheart." he told her.
"I love you too, Daddy." said Rose before she buried her face again. Harry started rubbing her back again and held her as she calmed down.
Harry eventually looked back at Rose. He was surprised to see that she had fallen asleep in his arms. Smiling, Harry removed her glasses and softly put Rose back in her bed before quietly leaving the room.
That night, Harry was woken up by a trembling Winky.
"Winky?" asked the half-asleep Harry in confusion.
"Master, Mistress Rose is having nightmares! She be crying in her sleep!"
"Shit!" said Harry, quickly leaving his bed. He put on his dressing gown and went to Rose's bedroom. Entering inside, he saw that Rose was trembling and moving in her bed every few seconds. Her cheeks were wet and Harry could hear some faint sobs. He didn't look for any more evidence (not that he needed any) and went straight to Rose's bedside to wake her up.
"Rose... Rose, wake up. It's Daddy, you're having a nightmare." he said softly. Rose's bright green eyes opened. When her wet eyes noticed her father, she threw herself in his arms before she started crying.
Harry held on her tightly, knowing that his daughter needed all the reassurance she could get. He felt ashamed that the idea of Rose getting nightmares out of his story had never crossed his mind. He usually watered down his stories but, in the case of the troll, Harry had been so deep in his memories that he had forgotten to do so. It had resulted in Rose hearing details that no child should have to imagine. No five-year-old should have to imagine their parent die. He sighed to himself as he began to rub Rose's back in a comforting way. He whispered comforting words at the same time.
Eventually, after nearly ten minutes, Rose stopped crying. She was still letting out sniffles but was quiet otherwise. Harry looked down at his daughter.
"Do you think you can fall back to sleep?" he asked. Rose shook her head. "Do you want me to continue the story?" This time, Rose nodded. Smiling to himself, Harry began recounting again.
"I got really hurt while fighting the troll." he started. "Because of that, I was asleep for a long, long time and didn't wake up until much later. The first thing I saw when I woke up..."
Pain was the first thing Harry felt when he woke up. The last thing Harry remembered was saying to Hermione that dying to save her was worth it.
Harry slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a room he had never seen before. Tilting his head slightly allowed him to see further in the room and he realized that he was in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts. The room was dark but Harry could see through the windows that the sky had a small hint of pink. He guessed that it was currently very early in the morning.
The next thing he became aware of was that there was something warm in his right hand. Looking down, he saw that it was a hand, Hermione's hand. While he couldn't see very well because he wasn't wearing his glasses, Harry could recognise Hermione's brown bushy hair. She was sitting on a chair but her head was lying on the bed near his hand. He guessed that she had fallen asleep during the night, though he wondered what she was doing here in the middle of the night.
Smiling to himself, Harry squeezed Hermione's hand. He was slightly surprised when his squeeze woke her up. Hermione slowly lifted her head and looked around in confusion, wondering why she had suddenly woken up. Harry squeezed her hand again. Hermione looked at their joined hands in shock before her eyes travelled toward Harry and found a pair of bright green ones looking back at her.
"Harry?" she whispered.
"Hi, you." he smiled.
"Harry!" she said suddenly and semi-quietly. Hermione grabbed Harry in a bone-crushing hug which made Harry gasp in pain.
"Sorry!" she quickly said, releasing her hold.
"Don't worry." said Harry with a small smirk. "Just be a bit more careful next time."
"I'm so happy you are finally awake!"
"Finally?" he asked, confused. "How long was I out?" Hermione refused to look at his eyes. "Hermione, please..."
"You were out for twenty-four days..."
"Twenty-four... but that's three weeks!"
"And three days... yes..." said Hermione weakly before she burst into tears. Harry slowly drew her toward him in a comforting hug, or as much of a hug an injured person lying on a bed could give.
"Shhhhh..." he whispered in her ear.
"It's my fault!" she said.
Harry snorted quietly. "Hey! Didn't we already agree that it wasn't?"
Hermione gave a wet giggle. "Fine... I'm so happy that you are awake!"
"Me too..." said Harry. "What happened since Halloween then?"
"Nothing much." she said, wiping her cheeks with her thumb. "The school learned what happened to you on Halloween and nearly every student in school visited you once they were able but... it was touch and go for a few days. You were an inch of being transferred to St-Mungo's, the wizarding hospital."
"What about Quidditch? There was a match scheduled a week into November."
Hermione snickered. Boys be boys. "The team wanted to postpone the match but neither Slytherin nor Professor Snape wanted to. Professor McGonagall also said that they weren't sure if you would be able to play again because you broke your spine when you hit the wall. Gryffindor lost the match since the replacement Seeker was horrible, apparently."
Harry palled. "I broke my spine?" he asked before he tried to move all of his limbs. He relaxed when he was able to move his arms, legs, fingers and toes.
"Yeah." confirmed Hermione. "That's the reason why you were in the Hospital Wing for so long."
"Damn." said Harry.
"Ron and I also discovered that Professor Snape tried to go on the Third-Floor corridor that night and got injured to the leg. We think that he is trying to steal whatever is hidden there."
"You and Ron?" said Harry, surprised.
"Yes." said Hermione. "After the professors brought you here, we got kicked out of the Hospital Wing and told to go back to the tower. Ron apologised for insulting me and we became friends."
Harry smiled. "Brilliant." he said.
"Harry..." started Hermione, hesitating. Harry was looking at her curiously. "Did you mean what you said, when you called me a friend?"
Harry squeezed her hand again. "Yes, I did." he said with a smile. Hermione wanted to grab him into a hug but couldn't so instead, she put her arms around him and put her head on his chest. Without realising what he was doing, Harry put his left hand on her head and started passing it through her hair. "When I came to the bathroom to find you, I wanted to apologise, which I did, but I also wanted to start afresh with you. I wanted to... not forget our original friendship but ignore how it ended and start anew. I didn't know if we would be friends again but I wanted to at least have a friendly relationship with you. And then the troll happened. As I laid there on the ground and thinking I was dying, I might have skipped a step and started considering you as a friend right away." he said chuckling. "I'm guessing that there are things you just can't share without ending up being friends, and knocking out a twelve-foot-tall mountain troll must be one of them."
"Thank you." said Hermione, sniffing.
"Now, can you tell me what you are doing here in the middle of the night? Not that I don't appreciate it but I don't feel like the school nurse would like it."
Hermione giggled. "I visited you every day." she said, making Harry's heart feel warm. "The only other time I was there during the night was on Halloween and that was because I had to be given a Dreamless Sleep Potion. Today I felt like I just had to come. Madam Pomfrey doesn't know I'm here. I came after curfew."
Harry gasped. "Hermione Granger breaking rules?"
"Shut-up." she said, blushing slightly.
Harry yawned, followed quickly by Hermione. "I slept for three weeks and I am still tired." he said, chuckling.
"Go back to sleep, Harry." she whispered in his ear before she raised up. "I think it's time I should go back to my dormitory..." started Hermione but she was interrupted by Harry.
"Don't, please." he pleaded. Harry then got a brilliant idea and moved to the left side of his bed, leaving just enough place for someone else. "Come on the bed, it will be more comfortable than a wooden chair."
Hermione blushed. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." said Harry. Hermione nodded and slowly slipped in bed. Harry threw the covers on top of her and Hermione put her head back on Harry's chest.
"You know that Madam Pomfrey will kill us, right?" she asked.
"Don't care..." muttered Harry, already half-asleep.
Hermione sighed in contentment before she fell back asleep. Harry was right, it was a lot more comfortable than sleeping on a chair. It even was more comfortable than her bed at home, for some reason...
"Did Madam Pomfrey kill you then?" asked Rose, giggling in his chest.
Harry was happy to see his daughter looking less sad and more cheerful. He grinned at her. "Well, she did start to rant about how she had never seen someone sleeping with one of her patients in the Hospital Wing. Not that we ever believed her. I know for a fact that your grandparents James and Lily were once caught doing the same in their seventh year, shortly after they had become a couple." he sniggered. "However, Madam Pomfrey forgot about it the moment she realized that I was awake and conscious. Hermione and I were never punished."
"And that's how you became friends again?" asked Rose, looking at him in the eyes.
"That's how we became friends again." he said with a nod. "From what Hermione told me, it's also at that moment that she started feeling more than friendship for me. For me however, it was at the end of the year. My feelings toward your mother started to change when I was about to confront the professor that wanted to steal the Philosopher's Stone, who we believed to be Severus Snape at the time..."
Hermione was looking at the last obstacle in awe. "Brilliant!" she said. "This isn't magic, it's logic! A puzzle! A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever!"
Harry smiled. He was a nervous wreck right now but it warmed his heart to see Hermione amazed at the puzzle. She looked happy that she could be mentally challenged, unlike the other obstacles. Befriending Hermione again had quickly proved to be one of the best decisions he ever took in his life. He really had missed being her friend and with Ron, the new trio worked wonders together.
"It's a good thing you are good at puzzles then, I'm piss poor at them." said Harry.
"Language Harry. And I didn't need the reminder, I remember how you always had problems with those back in muggle school." she said with a smirk. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."
Harry knew better than to interrupt her thinking. He patiently waited as she read the paper several times while talking a look at the seven bottles. Harry would sometimes hear her mutter her thoughts to herself.
"Got it!" she said after a few minutes. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire, toward the Stone."
Harry grabbed the bottle. It barely fitted in his palm. He knew that it meant. "There's only enough for one of us." Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Neither wanted to leave the other behind, nor do they wanted to leave the other alone to face Professor Snape. "Which one will get us back through the purple flames?" he asked. Hermione pointed toward the round bottle at the right end of the table.
"What do we do?" asked Hermione.
Harry looked back at Hermione painfully. He knew it was time to make a difficult decision. "If it's Snape on the other side and if he is trying to get the Stone for Voldemort... I think I should go face him."
"What!?" shrieked Hermione. "Are you crazy? I'm not letting you face Professor Snape alone!"
"Hermione..." he said. "Only one of us can go, and I would prefer if it was me. Because of what happened when Voldemort tried to kill me as a baby, I'm already on his and his supporters' radar. I don't want you to be as well."
Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him. Harry relaxed in her embrace. "Harry, you're a great wizard, you know."
"I'm not as good as you." said Harry, embarrassed as she let go of him.
"Me? Books! And cleverness! There are more important things like friendship and bravery and... and love." she said, giving them both light blushes. "Oh Harry, be careful! I don't want to lose you again!"
"You won't." promised Harry. "Now drink your potion and get back to Ron. Grab some brooms from the third obstacle and go straight to the owlery. Send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. Hopefully, I will be able to hold Snape off."
Hermione took her first ever friend in a bone-crushing hug before she drank the potion. Hermione started walking toward the door but stopped and turned around. It was obvious that she didn't want to leave. Harry didn't want her to leave either but it wasn't their decision, and they were running out of time.
"Quick, go, before it wears off."
"Good luck Harry, take care..."
"GO!" he shouted. Hermione took a deep breath and walked straight through the purple fire before leaving the room. Harry stayed there for a few moments, looking painfully at where Hermione had left. He had liked the first hug she had given him. He didn't know why but it made his heart beat faster. Letting her go back was probably one of the most difficult decisions he ever took.
Harry had felt bad lying to her. If he was honest with himself, he didn't know if he would come back alive. He wanted to but he held no illusions that he was a match to Snape. He had given his word that she wouldn't lose him again and so decided to do his best. Anyway, he wanted to live. Life was a lot better now that he had befriended Ron and gotten his friendship back with Hermione.
Taking a deep breath, Harry swallowed the vile tasting potion and crossed the black flames.
"As I continued forward toward the Philosopher's Stone, ending up confronting Quirinus Quirrell, our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Hermione went back for Ron, as I had ordered her..."
Hermione was walking back toward the Chess Room. She hated herself for leaving Harry alone to face whoever was trying to steal the Stone. Hermione had wanted to come with him but it was impossible. She concentrated on accomplishing the task Harry had given her.
Once she entered the room, she went straight to Ron.
"Ron!" she said, shaking him. Ron moaned in pain.
"H-Hermione?" said Ron.
"Ron, quick! We have to get out of there and send a message to Professor Dumbledore." she said, helping him rise on his feet. Hermione slipped an arm under his arms to help him walk.
"Wait... where... Harry?" said Ron weakly.
Hermione bit her lip. "He went to Snape." she said.
"W-What? Alone?"
"Yes." said Hermione painfully. "We were in a potion room and we had to find the answer to a puzzle which would give us the potion needed to cross a specific type of flames so that we could move forward. There was just enough for one..."
"Let me... guess... he told you... to go back while... he moved... forward?" Hermione nodded. "Noble... git." said Ron.
Hermione led Ron toward the Chess Room and then the one with the Flying Keys. Taking a broom, she helped Ron climb on it. "I'm not a good flyer but I will get us out of there."
"I trust... you, and... Harry trust... you." said Ron. Hermione smiled weakly before she climbed in front of Ron and took off. Hermione slowly flew toward the first room where the Devil Snare was located and then gently flew up toward the trap door. Hermione felt that Ron was barely holding on to her and feared that he would pass out at any moment. She wasn't Harry, she didn't think she would be able to catch him if he fell.
Hermione flew out of the trapdoor and then out of the room with Fluffy. She landed and helped Ron climb the broom down. Hermione let out a breath of relief when she saw Professor Dumbledore run toward them.
Professor Dumbledore barely took a look at them before realising what was happening. "Is he still down here?" he asked right away.
"Yes... you got to help him!" said Hermione.
"I will. Bring Mr. Weasley to the Hospital Wing and wait for Harry and I." he said before he passed them and entered the room they had just left.
Hermione helped Ron walk toward the Hospital Wing. She could see that Ron was barely conscious and so tried to walk as quickly as possible, helping her friend whenever she could.
"Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey!" shouted Hermione, barging in the Hospital Wing. Hermione saw lights suddenly turn on in her office before the school Healer got out of it.
"What is it Miss Granger?" she asked before she noticed Ron. "Help me put him on a bed." she immediately ordered. Madam Pomfrey started casting diagnostic spells the moment Ron had been put on the bed. "Concussion." she simply said before walking toward her Potions store. "With the right potions and a lot of rest, he should be able to leave tomorrow afternoon.
Hermione would have relaxed had she not been stressing about Harry. Unable to contain herself, she started pacing around the Wing while Madam Pomfrey worked on Ron.
Ten minutes after they arrived, the doors opened again and Dumbledore let a levitated and unconscious Harry in.
"HARRY!" she shouted. For a moment, she felt like she was back in the bathroom, looking at the limp form of her best friend. For a moment, she felt like he had just died. Hermione collapsed on her knees and burst out crying. She barely noticed Madam Pomfrey walk toward Dumbledore who had put Harry on a bed. She didn't hear her talk to the Headmaster nor did she notice her walking toward her and leading her to a bed.
"Miss Granger?" she said. When Hermione didn't give any sign of recognition, her eyes still fixed on her best friend, she repeated her question louder. "Miss Granger?" Hermione's eyes snapped back toward the Healer. Madam Pomfrey tended her a small vial of a dark purple potion. "Dreamless Sleep potion. You need to sleep, Miss Granger."
"Harry..." she sobbed, unable to finish.
"Mr. Potter is fine, Miss Granger. He is just magically exhausted. It might take a few days to recuperate but he will be alright."
"He's f-fine?" she squeaked.
"He is." reassured Madam Pomfrey. "Now, Miss Granger, take your potion."
Hermione nodded, letting out a breath of relief. She quickly drank the potion and fell asleep on the bed.
"It took me three days to wake up. I learned that the Philosopher's Stone was saved and the evil man Voldemort had run away. When your mother saw me awake, she threw herself at me." he said with a sad smile. "And that's was the day where my feelings toward Hermione started becoming more than friendship." said Harry. "Actually, I think I have proof that Hermione and I already felt something more than friendship by that point. Wait here." said Harry, depositing her daughter, who had still been holding on to him, on her bed before he left the room.
Rose waited in her bed as patiently as a five-year-old child could. After thirty seconds of waiting, Rose jumped out of her bed and was about to follow her father when she heard him shout "Found it!" from another room. Rose quickly jumped back into bed before her father saw her standing on her feet. Harry came back in Rose's bedroom, holding what looked like two books.
"Photo albums?" asked Rose, putting on her glasses.
"Yep! Hermione, Ron and I's Hogwarts one and the one Hagrid gave me at the end of my first year." smiled Harry, sitting back on his chair. Looking at Rose, he said "At the end of our first year, Ron and us decided to take multiple photos together. One of them is particularly interesting although I didn't realise it until a few years later."
"Which one?" asked Rose. Harry opened the book and showed her a picture that Ron had taken of her parents. On the magical photo, eleven-year-old Harry Potter and twelve-year-old Hermione Granger were slowly dancing together outside of the castle. Harry was grinning while Hermione was smiling and blushing at Harry. He remembered when that photo had been taken. Harry and Hermione had shuffled through a few poses while Ron had taken multiple photos and Harry had just gotten the idea of taking a photo while dancing with Hermione. Hermione had been pleasantly surprised.
"So cute!" said Rose. Harry smiled.
"Look at the eyes." said Harry, pointing at them. "If you look closely, we can see the affection Hermione and I felt toward each other. It isn't love yet, well not romantic love at least, but it's getting there."
"You and Mum look so happy."
"Which brings me to my second evidence." he said. Harry opened the album Hagrid had given him and shuffled to one of the last pages. There, he showed a certain picture of James and Lily Potter to their granddaughter. James and Lily were dancing in their photo just has Harry and Hermione did in theirs. They were nearly at the same location as well. The main differences were that James and Lily were dancing on a late afternoon in autumn while Harry and Hermione were dancing in the late morning in early summer. James and Lily also obviously had more dancing experience than Harry and Hermione.
"That's grandma and grandpa?" asked Rose in awe.
"grandma Lily and grandpa James, yes." smiled Harry. "We unknowingly emulated my parents."
"That's so cool!." she said, looking at both photographs side by side. James and Lily's photo also strengthened Harry's first point. James and Lily looked utterly in love with each other and a hint of the same could be seen with Harry and Hermione. Looking back at it, Harry wouldn't be surprised if his father had surprised his mother by suddenly dancing with her, just like he had done with Hermione. "When did you realized that you fell in love with Mummy?" asked Rose suddenly.
"I realized I was in love with Hermione during the beginning of our fourth year. However, I realized my feelings for Hermione were different in second year. I didn't understand what it meant until fourth year but it began in second year. I still remember it as if it was yesterday." he said with a faraway look.
"What happened?" asked Rose with trepidation.
Harry gave her a sad smile. "It was the day of the Quidditch Finale against... Ravenclaw, I think? Or was it Hufflepuff?" he asked to himself. "No matter. Your mother, Uncle Ron and I were walking down toward the Quidditch Pitch when your mother finally figured out what Slytherin's monster was. I told you about Salazar Slytherin's evil monster, didn't I?" he asked.
Rose nodded. "A big snake." she said.
"Yes. It was a big snake. During that year, I had been hearing weird voices that always coincided with one of the attacks by the monster. I didn't understand why it was the case but, that day, your mother figured it out."
"How?"
"You know how you and I can talk to snakes, right?" Rose nodded. "That's how your mother figured it out. She knew I was the only one able to hear voices and was the only one able to speak to snakes and, that day, she connected both together. As we were walking down the pitch, she put two and two together and took off to the library to confirm her theory. Ron and I continued down. As we were walking down, I suddenly got this very bad feeling and started to fear for Hermione. Against my better judgement, I ran back to the castle toward the library. As I ran toward the library, I turned around the corner facing it and crashed into something solid..."
Harry closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. His voice was wavering a bit. "To my horror, the thing I had crashed into was none other than Hermione, who had been petrified." Rose let out a sound and jumped back in her father's arms. "I felt my heart stop. I had failed Hermione. I had failed her, failed to protect her. She had been petrified." A tear dropped on his cheek. "If only I had stopped her from going to the library, or if I had..."
"Stop." said Rose firmly. Harry looked back down with surprise. While Rose's cheeks were wet, her green eyes were firm, glaring at him. If it wasn't for the green eyes, Harry would have believed that it was Hermione glaring at him. "If Mum was here, she would tell you to shut up. Mum would tell you that it isn't your fault."
Harry couldn't help but laugh as he began hugging her. "You sound so much like your mother. You're right. Hermione would have slapped me in the back of the head."
Rose suddenly pushed Harry back and climbed down his lap. She began walking around him. "Rose?" asked Harry. "What are you... Ow!"
Rose had slapped him at the back of the head.
"Mum isn't here so I should be the one to do it." she said. Harry laughed again. Harry hugged his daughter again as she melted in his embrace.
After a few minutes, Harry asked "Do you think you can fall asleep again?"
Rose nodded. Harry removed her glasses before raising from his chair. He made her bed before letting her slide under the covers. Once she was placed comfortably, he kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight, Rose."
"Goodnight, Daddy." said Rose. Harry gave her a last smile before retiring to his bedroom again.