Hermione watched Dumbledore enter the office and was surprised to see he
was alone.
"Where's Severus?" she asked worriedly.
Dumbledore sighed. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley you may go. I need to talk to Miss Granger in private."
Without looking at each other, the two boys rose from their seats and left the office.
Dumbledore walked to his desk and sat down. He looked at Hermione with a grim look on his face.
"Like with Severus, Miss Granger, I don't know where to begin. It is grim news what I have to tell you and after telling him, I don't want to cause anyone else pain, but if I d don't tell you then it will be even more painful for you."
"Why don't you start where you started with Severus?" she suggested.
"Yes, I suppose that would be best," he answered. There was a pause and then he told her the effects of the youth potion.
Hermione was in shock. She couldn't believe it. Then when she got over her shock, she looked at her hands in her lap and began to cry softly.
"I'm sorry," Dumbledore said again.
Hermione just nodded. She couldn't say anything. She felt cold and tried to clench her hand to make them stop shaking.
When she found her voice, all she could whisper was, "May I go, Professor?"
"Yes, Miss Granger. Do you think you can make it to your common room?" he asked kindly.
She nodded and rose from her chair. When she exited the office she was surprised to see Harry standing outside of the door. He smiled at her at first, but when he saw her crying, his smile faded.
"Hermione, what is it?" he asked worriedly.
She looked up at him. "S-Severus is-is dying," she choked out.
Harry looked horror-struck. "What?! How?" he gasped.
Hermione cried harder, "The youth potion. In a week he is going to go back to his older age and then a few days after he will go ill and then a day after that, he'll die."
"Just like that?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded. "Except that before he dies, he will go back to this age and get his memory back of everything that has happened, because as he is older, he won't remember a thing."
Harry didn't know what to say. So, he pulled her into his arms and let her cry on his shoulder. Then they broke apart and Harry led her down the stairs and to their dormitory with his arm around her shoulder.
When they got inside they looked around and saw that it was empty except for Ron who was sitting in front of the fire.
"Where is everyone," Harry asked.
Ron looked up at him coldly and was about to say something nasty, but it got lost in his throat when he saw Hermione in tears. He turned away and looked back into the fire.
"They're all at class. It is a Monday after all," he said without any emotion.
"Oh, yeah," Harry said back, "why aren't you there?"
Ron turned to him, "Because I wanted to see if you guys were all right. I may be pissed off at you, but that doesn't mean I don't care." With that he rose up and was about to leave, when he turned around. "Oh and potions is cancelled today." He then left.
Hermione and Harry sat down on the couch. "Do you feel up to going to class today?" he asked her timidly.
To his surprise she shook her head no.
"Who would have thought it? Hermione Granger not wanting to go to class!"
Hermione gave a weak smile. "Thank you Harry."
"For what?" he asked.
"Just for being here for me," she gave him a hug.
"I'll always be there for you," he said quietly.
"Where's Severus?" she asked worriedly.
Dumbledore sighed. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley you may go. I need to talk to Miss Granger in private."
Without looking at each other, the two boys rose from their seats and left the office.
Dumbledore walked to his desk and sat down. He looked at Hermione with a grim look on his face.
"Like with Severus, Miss Granger, I don't know where to begin. It is grim news what I have to tell you and after telling him, I don't want to cause anyone else pain, but if I d don't tell you then it will be even more painful for you."
"Why don't you start where you started with Severus?" she suggested.
"Yes, I suppose that would be best," he answered. There was a pause and then he told her the effects of the youth potion.
Hermione was in shock. She couldn't believe it. Then when she got over her shock, she looked at her hands in her lap and began to cry softly.
"I'm sorry," Dumbledore said again.
Hermione just nodded. She couldn't say anything. She felt cold and tried to clench her hand to make them stop shaking.
When she found her voice, all she could whisper was, "May I go, Professor?"
"Yes, Miss Granger. Do you think you can make it to your common room?" he asked kindly.
She nodded and rose from her chair. When she exited the office she was surprised to see Harry standing outside of the door. He smiled at her at first, but when he saw her crying, his smile faded.
"Hermione, what is it?" he asked worriedly.
She looked up at him. "S-Severus is-is dying," she choked out.
Harry looked horror-struck. "What?! How?" he gasped.
Hermione cried harder, "The youth potion. In a week he is going to go back to his older age and then a few days after he will go ill and then a day after that, he'll die."
"Just like that?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded. "Except that before he dies, he will go back to this age and get his memory back of everything that has happened, because as he is older, he won't remember a thing."
Harry didn't know what to say. So, he pulled her into his arms and let her cry on his shoulder. Then they broke apart and Harry led her down the stairs and to their dormitory with his arm around her shoulder.
When they got inside they looked around and saw that it was empty except for Ron who was sitting in front of the fire.
"Where is everyone," Harry asked.
Ron looked up at him coldly and was about to say something nasty, but it got lost in his throat when he saw Hermione in tears. He turned away and looked back into the fire.
"They're all at class. It is a Monday after all," he said without any emotion.
"Oh, yeah," Harry said back, "why aren't you there?"
Ron turned to him, "Because I wanted to see if you guys were all right. I may be pissed off at you, but that doesn't mean I don't care." With that he rose up and was about to leave, when he turned around. "Oh and potions is cancelled today." He then left.
Hermione and Harry sat down on the couch. "Do you feel up to going to class today?" he asked her timidly.
To his surprise she shook her head no.
"Who would have thought it? Hermione Granger not wanting to go to class!"
Hermione gave a weak smile. "Thank you Harry."
"For what?" he asked.
"Just for being here for me," she gave him a hug.
"I'll always be there for you," he said quietly.