I looked at the card again.

"Dear Hermione, I really really like you, but I don't dare to say it openly.I feel like I'm such a coward. Signed, Your secret admirer."

Who could it be? That handwriting...it's so neat. It definitely can't be Ron's. I expected that. He just sent a card to Lavender Brown, the girl he likes. This couldn't be him at all. Of course it wouldn't be him.

Ron and Harry had just gone out for a walk, giving me time to think things through alone.

The owl had flown in suddenly just now, disrupting my Arithmetic class. That was when Ron was having Divination, so he couldn't have sent it. This was weird. Maybe it was Viktor Krum, the Durmstrang boy I had dated briefly in fourth year. He never told me he liked me before, he only asked me out. Could it be him?

I scratched my head. Oh well, I guess I'll figure it out later. I looked at my book and tried to concentrate on reading it, but I just couldn't stop wondering who the mystery sender might be. Then, the potrait hole opened. Harry and Ron were back from their walk.

"Hey Hermione," Ron said, grinning. "Figured out who sent you that card yet?"

What? It was like he could read my mind!

"I haven't been trying to figure out who sent me that card," I lied.

Wait a minute...how did he know...?

"Hey," I said. "How did you know that the person didn't sign his name on the card?"

"Well, I didn't sign mine the time I sent the card to erm, Purple," he said.

"Purple? Who's Purple?" I asked.

"Lavender found out Ron sent her the card," said Harry. "He doesn't want her to know we're talking about her, so we're codenaming her Purple."

"Oh." For a minute there, I thought Ron had a new crush.

"Have you tried identifying the handwriting yet?" said Ron, changing the subject.

"I have, but it was really neat and cursive and I don't know anyone who has such beautiful handwriting," I replied.

Ron grinned. "Well, you can try matching all the boys' handwriting one by one."

"Don't be stupid, Ron," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm not THAT eager to find out who the person is."

"Really?"

I had lied. I was really curious about who had sent me the card, and why he had refused to sign his name. "Of course."

Oh well, another lie wouldn't hurt.

"All right, you two. Stop arguing..." Harry said. "You won't find out who sent Hermione the card by arguing."

"Well, I'm bored," said Ron. "Can't we do anything at all?"

Then, as if it was an answer to Ron's question, a scream rang out.

"What was that?" I said, shocked.

"I think the question should be 'Who was that?'" Harry replied.

We ran out of the Common Room.

"The scream sounded like it was coming from the Quidditch pitch," Ron said.

We rushed towards the pitch.

Oh. My. God.

A dragon! A dragon was there! And it was moving towards Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown!

"Hey!" It was Ron. "Go away, Scale Tail!"

The dragon turned and looked at Ron. It blew fire in our direction.The boys managed to jump away in time, but I was too slow.

Too slow.

I screamed. It was pain! Agony! I felt the flames on my skin and on my robes. It was so painful!

"HERMIONE!!!" I heard Ron shout.

I fell...fell into the deep darkness.

And I knew no more.