Harry had no idea what exactly the Emerald Eyed Phoenix was, but from Dumbledore's tone and attitude he knew it was important.
"How did it get stolen?" Hermione asked above the noise of the storm.
Dumbledore considered her carefully, and sighed. "I'm not sure. There were so many Enchantments on it. Somehow, I think someone broke into Hogwarts yesterday during the feast. Everyone was so preoccupied, it would have been pretty easy. Aside from breaking through several Enchantments, anyway. He didn't have to worry about stealth."
A clap of thunder shook the castle walls. The firelight flickered, and Harry shivered. The whole class looked uneasy, but whether the tension was more or less than before Dumbledore's news Harry wasn't sure.
"You know there's a reason I'm telling you this," Dumbledore pointed out.
The uneasiness grew; the tension was at a breaking point. Everyone knew the reason, and everyone knew why; but they weren't sure that they could do what would be asked. And Dumbledore spoke what they all feared:
"You must help solve the mystery."
* * *
Anxiety filled the school. The teachers were abrupt, the ghosts were subdued, and even Hagrid tended to snap at anyone that bothered him. The students seemed to sense something was wrong, and though rumors flew around, only the seven taking Enchantments knew the truth.
Dumbledore had explained the that the Emerald Eyed Phoenix was one of the key Enchantments to Hogwarts; like a vaccine, it prevented very powerful and dangerous spells from being preformed within the Hogwarts grounds. While there was still somewhat of a shield protecting Hogwarts, with the Emerald Eyed Phoenix missing it was not nearly as strong.
Everyone was in danger.
* * *
"And to think we could have avoided trouble this year," Hermione muttered.
Despite the situation, Harry managed a grin. "I told you not to get your hopes up."
It was the middle of November, and the two of them were studying in the library. At least, that was what they told Ron. But they were busying discussing all the few details that Dumbledore had explained about the Emerald Eyed Phoenix.
"I wonder what will happen now? Something is bound to happen," Hermione added when Harry started to interrupt.
"I'm not sure," Harry began slowly. "Dumbledore said it prevented dangerous spells from being preformed here. Maybe-" He stopped short. Neither of them dared to say what they were thinking.
An announcement sounded through the halls and every room, breaking their train of thought. It was Professor McGonagall. "Attention, please. Would everyone please return to their common room. Would everyone return to their common room," she repeated.
The last time Harry could recall a similar announcement was when Sirius Black broke into the castle. Hoping something bad hadn't happen, but with a feeling of dread not far behind, he and Hermione quickly gathered their books and went to the Gryffindor common room.
Professor McGonagall was waiting in the hall next to the Fat Lady. "Come," she said.
"But-" Hermione began.
"Bring your books! There is no time to lose," she snapped. But Harry knew she was not mad at them. The feeling that something was going to happen was worse, and he knew it wasn't just a feeling any more. Something had happened. He was as sure as he was of his own name.
Instead of going to McGonagall's office, she led them to Dumbledore's office. Harry was a bit surprised, but his incredible feeling of dread didn't allow him to ponder it. The rest of the Enchantments class was already gathered: Justin Finch-Fletchey, Hannah Abbott, Padma Patil, Cho Chang, and Draco Malfoy.
Professor Dumbledore was beyond grave. No one in the room had ever seen him quite so serious, although Harry might have compared the look to the one he saw the night of the Triwizard Tournament if he hadn't been so anxious.
"Our worst fear has come true. A student has been attacked," he announced more gravely than ever.
Padma and Cho gasped together. "Who?" Hermione managed to choke out through her surprise.
The tension in the room was at a breaking point, ten times worse than when Dumbledore had told them the Emerald Eyed Phoenix was missing. Not wishing to keep the seven in suspense, but also not wanting them to jump to conclusions, he said gently, "He is not dead. Merely... enchanted. The victim is Ron Weasley."
There were more gasps. "What curse? Where is he? Who did it?" Questions rang through the air.
Dumbledore held up his hand for silence. "He is in the Hospital Wing. Come." And motioning for them to follow, he led the way to the Hospital Wing.
* * *
Gathering around Ron's bed, Dumbledore said, "He is under the Somnis Curse, also known as the Curse of the Living Dead. His body processes have slowed down so much, he only breathes about three times a day, and his heart beats eight times."
He paused to allow everyone to absorb the information, and continued. "The first worry for someone under this curse is, if they are not cared for, their body temperature will drop and they will go into a state of hypothermia. His body is so slowed it cannot generate heat, so his body will become room temperature, which is too cold to survive. He will need to be covered with thick blankets until the curse is removed." He paused again.
"The next worry is hydration. Since he is sleeping, he cannot eat or drink. The food issue is not major, because he will not burn enough energy to die. However, water will evaporate from his skin and his breath, though slow, so he will need to kept on an IV."
"What's the counter curse?" Cho asked.
Dumbledore sighed, deeply troubled. "The Somnis Curse is extremely difficult and not well known; the counter curse is ten times harder. It has only been preformed twice in magical history. Fortunately, this curse has not been preformed that often, but in the past when it was the people were buried, as no one thought there was any hope for them. They probably died from hypothermia in the tomb."
There was shocked silence; no one dared to breathe. The only sound was the dripping of a hospital sink. Trying to absorb the information, Hermione spoke tentively: "So there is no hope?" she whispered.
"There is hope," Dumbledore said firmly. "There is always hope. While Ron's future may seem bleak, remember: There is always hope." He pronounced each syllable carefully, looking from one to the next.
* * *
Returning to the Gryffindor tower, Harry and Hermione tried to keep Professor Dumbledore's words in mind, even though it was hard. He would announce to the rest of the school at breakfast the next day what had happened to Ron. Students were recommended to travel in pairs or groups. They would not be allowed outside at all after dark. To Harry and Hermione it brought back memories of their third year, when Sirius was still considered a dangerous escaped murderer.
Everyone was shocked when they found out what had happened to Ron. Dumbledore didn't tell them exactly why or how; as he said several times, he didn't believe in lying, but sometimes it was best not to tell the complete truth. The Emerald Eyed Phoenix was very valuable and without it the castle was vulnerable; it was best no one knew it was missing.
Enchantments lessons became grueling. They needed to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible so they could perform the counter curse and save Ron. While the fact that the seven brightest students were working together with Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall made Ron's future seem a little brighter, the horizon was still dark.
"How did this happen?" Hermione moaned for the twentieth time. It was after midnight and the two of them were sitting near the fire. Eerie shadows danced across Hermione's face, and Harry shivered. He could almost feel Death lurking nearby; he shivered again, trying to shake the odd feeling off. But it was impossible. A log cracked, making Harry jump.
"I don't know," Harry replied helplessly. The whole Emerald Eyed Phoenix/Ron mystery was driving him crazy, draining him of hope. It was like trying to keep a handful of dry sand from slipping through his fingers; hope seemed determined to slip through the cracks. "We have to help him. We're his best friends," he said firmly.
Though Harry spoke confidently, he didn't feel confident at all, and he couldn't fool Hermione; she knew him too well. Despite the warmth of the fire, the two remaining of the trio were cold. They were so, so cold.