Chapter 4: The Cure
Ron and Hermione were released from the hospital wing the next day. Hermione, obviously, went directly to the library and looked up Harry's symptoms. " Why is it that the first place you have to go right after you're cooped up in the hospital wing for 3 days, is the library?" Ron asked sarcastically. " Why is it that your ears go red whenever you see Professor Trelawney?" Ron remembered the day that he had cracked a joke about Uranus to Professor Trelawney, saying he wanted to see it, and his ears automatically went a brilliant shade of red. Hermione laughed and went back to The Encyclopedia of Symptoms for Almost Incurable Magical Illnesses. After about a half-hour of reading, (or sitting and playing with a sugar quill for Ron) Hermione let out a squeal. Ron jumped and hit his head on a bookshelf. " Here it is! Ron! Come look!" Ron straggled over to Hermione's chair and read over her shoulder: " Cantibus Sholnious: Being hit with an unforgivable curse causes this illness. For example, Avanda Kadavra. The symptoms for Cantibus Sholnious is frequent torturous headaches, fainting, loss of leg usage, and much more. Seems like the flu at first, but gets gradually worse and worse over a period of about three months. Then it kills you. But, there is a cure, which is practically impossible to access. The Enchanter's Emerald." " What?! That's it? What about the Emerald?" Ron burst when he read the last bit of information. The librarian hushed him and Ron looked at Hermione and quietly spoke. " How are we going to find this."enchanter's emerald?" " Well, we need to find more information on the Emerald, I think I've read this somewhere. Maybe." Hermione trailed off. " Of Course!" Hermione popped up and ran towards the door. She turned around. " RON! COME ON!" " Where are we going?" Ron asked as he ran after her. " To talk to Hagrid!" " Oh. Uh.why?" " COME ON!" Ron followed Hermione out to the large cabin on the Hogwarts grounds. Rubeus Hagrid sat on his front porch with his dog, Fang, playing a little tin flute. Hagrid was half-human, half-giant, which made him quite an enormous being. Hermione casually walked up to him and said, " Hey Hagrid, what do you know about Emeralds?" " Wha' ever happened to 'Good mornin' Hagrid, how are yeh? But anyhoo. What do yeh want ter know 'bout Em'ralds?" " The Enchanter's Emerald. What do you know?" " Eh.come inside and I'll tell yeh what I knows," Hagrid said and gestured Ron and Hermione through the door. Ron sat down on his couch by Fang and Hermione on his oversized "luxury" chair. Hagrid started to put on some tea and put out a tray of treacle fudge. Both Hermione and Ron knew better than to take any. They had had more experience with Hagrid's cooking than they had ever hoped. Ron looked on Hagrid's coffee table and noticed a small, crummy looking book. It smelled of dried leaves and looked as if it had been buried beneath the earth for thousands of years. Hermione was off daydreaming as Ron spoke. " Er, Hagrid? What kind of book is that? Cuz it looks awful, and uninformative as well," Ron babbled. " That, Ron, would be a book of Emeralds. Read the title," Hagrid said as he noticed that the tea water was boiling over. Ron read: The Rare Runes Collection: Volume III: Emeralds. Ron thought for a moment and it finally clicked. At the same time, Hermione came back to reality. " Are you saying that you've also figured out that Harry has Cantibus Sholnious? Cuz that is the only logical explanation that I can think of why you would have a book on Emeralds in your cabin. What have you learned form it? Does it tell you where the emerald is? How can we get it? Why-" Hermione was cut off. " Hermione, Hermione! Slow yerself down! I haven't looked at it yet, but you two can explore it for the moment. Just watch the first page, it likes to bite." Hagrid dashed outside and Hermione assumed that he was getting Sugar Pics and Chocolate Frogs from his garden for the tea. She opened to the first page, ignoring Hagrid's advice. She went to read the Table of Contents when. "Ow! It bit me! The book bit me! My God!" Hermione shouted as she clamped the book shut. Ron sat on the couch, suppressing the giggles that were trying to force their way out. She glared at him and he stopped. She opened to the second page and quickly tossed the book on the ground, in case it was to try and bite her again, but this time, it just sat on the ground motionless. Hagrid walked in with a handful of Sugar Pics and a few caged Chocolate Frogs. He laughed at Hermione's fear and poured the tea, setting the pics and frogs on the table with the fudge. Hermione blushed. Hagrid placed three large cups of tea on the table and sat down in the easy chair she had leapt up from. Hermione sat down next to Ron and flipped a few pages, looking for something that might be relevant to their awkward situation. Ron grabbed the book. "There's got to be something in this book. I mean why would some idiot make an entire book on Emeralds and not even give one hint of information on The Enchanter's emerald. My god," Ron remarked as he looked atop a likely looking page. He frowned and flipped the pages. He flipped until there was nothing left to flip and set the book on Hagrid's coffee table. Hermione snatched it up and, avoiding the first page read the second page word for word, not missing a beat. Then turned to the third, and read. For an hour she read, as Hagrid and Ron discussed the subjects of girls, roses, and head lice. "Here it is!" Hermione suddenly stated, making both Ron and Hagrid (whom had been playing an excellent game of Exploding Snap) jump. Ron ran over and read over Hermione's shoulder: The Enchanter's Emerald: Found in a Parallel Universe, the Enchanter's Emerald can cure most illnesses and can turn any metal into pure silver. The Emerald in current existence is located inside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. in the Parallel Universe mind. No person has come back alive from this universe; but then again, not a soul knows how to get into the universe except for Professors Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. " Oh my.goodness," Hermione said. " How are we, two fourteen year old wizards-in-training, suppose to persuade Professor Dumbledore to tell us? I'm not even gonna try Snape, he'd love to make up any excuse to give me detention for a year. I'd probably get in trouble for just asking him a question, let alone asking him where the Emerald is." " You'd get in trouble? Try ME! If I even get in his classroom, I get screwed," Hermione's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. The card house that Hagrid had been building collapsed and made a loud series of pops. Blushing, Ron restated the previous statement. " Not in that sense, Hermione. I'd probably be totally busted. Huge trouble. Anything!!!" " Okay! Okay! Moving on quickly. So, how are we supposed to find out? Hmmm? Dumbledore wouldn't tell us. At least, I don't think he would. But--- " Something tapped on Hagrid's large front door. He went over and opened it, and a small owl flew in, with a letter in its beak. "Pigwidgeon!" Ron shouted as the minuscule owl crash- landed in Hermione's teacup after dropping the letter on Ron's lap. Ron looked at the envelope. The deep, purple, loopy writing read: "To Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss. Hermione Granger" "It's for us," Ron said curiously to Hermione as he carefully opened the envelope. He read aloud: "Mr. Weasley and Miss. Granger, Your presence is required in Professor Albus Dumbledore's office immediately following the delivery of this letter. Do not tell anyone where you are headed and do not ask questions. Just come. Sincerely, Minerva McGonnagal Professor M. McGonnagal"
Ron and Hermione were released from the hospital wing the next day. Hermione, obviously, went directly to the library and looked up Harry's symptoms. " Why is it that the first place you have to go right after you're cooped up in the hospital wing for 3 days, is the library?" Ron asked sarcastically. " Why is it that your ears go red whenever you see Professor Trelawney?" Ron remembered the day that he had cracked a joke about Uranus to Professor Trelawney, saying he wanted to see it, and his ears automatically went a brilliant shade of red. Hermione laughed and went back to The Encyclopedia of Symptoms for Almost Incurable Magical Illnesses. After about a half-hour of reading, (or sitting and playing with a sugar quill for Ron) Hermione let out a squeal. Ron jumped and hit his head on a bookshelf. " Here it is! Ron! Come look!" Ron straggled over to Hermione's chair and read over her shoulder: " Cantibus Sholnious: Being hit with an unforgivable curse causes this illness. For example, Avanda Kadavra. The symptoms for Cantibus Sholnious is frequent torturous headaches, fainting, loss of leg usage, and much more. Seems like the flu at first, but gets gradually worse and worse over a period of about three months. Then it kills you. But, there is a cure, which is practically impossible to access. The Enchanter's Emerald." " What?! That's it? What about the Emerald?" Ron burst when he read the last bit of information. The librarian hushed him and Ron looked at Hermione and quietly spoke. " How are we going to find this."enchanter's emerald?" " Well, we need to find more information on the Emerald, I think I've read this somewhere. Maybe." Hermione trailed off. " Of Course!" Hermione popped up and ran towards the door. She turned around. " RON! COME ON!" " Where are we going?" Ron asked as he ran after her. " To talk to Hagrid!" " Oh. Uh.why?" " COME ON!" Ron followed Hermione out to the large cabin on the Hogwarts grounds. Rubeus Hagrid sat on his front porch with his dog, Fang, playing a little tin flute. Hagrid was half-human, half-giant, which made him quite an enormous being. Hermione casually walked up to him and said, " Hey Hagrid, what do you know about Emeralds?" " Wha' ever happened to 'Good mornin' Hagrid, how are yeh? But anyhoo. What do yeh want ter know 'bout Em'ralds?" " The Enchanter's Emerald. What do you know?" " Eh.come inside and I'll tell yeh what I knows," Hagrid said and gestured Ron and Hermione through the door. Ron sat down on his couch by Fang and Hermione on his oversized "luxury" chair. Hagrid started to put on some tea and put out a tray of treacle fudge. Both Hermione and Ron knew better than to take any. They had had more experience with Hagrid's cooking than they had ever hoped. Ron looked on Hagrid's coffee table and noticed a small, crummy looking book. It smelled of dried leaves and looked as if it had been buried beneath the earth for thousands of years. Hermione was off daydreaming as Ron spoke. " Er, Hagrid? What kind of book is that? Cuz it looks awful, and uninformative as well," Ron babbled. " That, Ron, would be a book of Emeralds. Read the title," Hagrid said as he noticed that the tea water was boiling over. Ron read: The Rare Runes Collection: Volume III: Emeralds. Ron thought for a moment and it finally clicked. At the same time, Hermione came back to reality. " Are you saying that you've also figured out that Harry has Cantibus Sholnious? Cuz that is the only logical explanation that I can think of why you would have a book on Emeralds in your cabin. What have you learned form it? Does it tell you where the emerald is? How can we get it? Why-" Hermione was cut off. " Hermione, Hermione! Slow yerself down! I haven't looked at it yet, but you two can explore it for the moment. Just watch the first page, it likes to bite." Hagrid dashed outside and Hermione assumed that he was getting Sugar Pics and Chocolate Frogs from his garden for the tea. She opened to the first page, ignoring Hagrid's advice. She went to read the Table of Contents when. "Ow! It bit me! The book bit me! My God!" Hermione shouted as she clamped the book shut. Ron sat on the couch, suppressing the giggles that were trying to force their way out. She glared at him and he stopped. She opened to the second page and quickly tossed the book on the ground, in case it was to try and bite her again, but this time, it just sat on the ground motionless. Hagrid walked in with a handful of Sugar Pics and a few caged Chocolate Frogs. He laughed at Hermione's fear and poured the tea, setting the pics and frogs on the table with the fudge. Hermione blushed. Hagrid placed three large cups of tea on the table and sat down in the easy chair she had leapt up from. Hermione sat down next to Ron and flipped a few pages, looking for something that might be relevant to their awkward situation. Ron grabbed the book. "There's got to be something in this book. I mean why would some idiot make an entire book on Emeralds and not even give one hint of information on The Enchanter's emerald. My god," Ron remarked as he looked atop a likely looking page. He frowned and flipped the pages. He flipped until there was nothing left to flip and set the book on Hagrid's coffee table. Hermione snatched it up and, avoiding the first page read the second page word for word, not missing a beat. Then turned to the third, and read. For an hour she read, as Hagrid and Ron discussed the subjects of girls, roses, and head lice. "Here it is!" Hermione suddenly stated, making both Ron and Hagrid (whom had been playing an excellent game of Exploding Snap) jump. Ron ran over and read over Hermione's shoulder: The Enchanter's Emerald: Found in a Parallel Universe, the Enchanter's Emerald can cure most illnesses and can turn any metal into pure silver. The Emerald in current existence is located inside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. in the Parallel Universe mind. No person has come back alive from this universe; but then again, not a soul knows how to get into the universe except for Professors Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. " Oh my.goodness," Hermione said. " How are we, two fourteen year old wizards-in-training, suppose to persuade Professor Dumbledore to tell us? I'm not even gonna try Snape, he'd love to make up any excuse to give me detention for a year. I'd probably get in trouble for just asking him a question, let alone asking him where the Emerald is." " You'd get in trouble? Try ME! If I even get in his classroom, I get screwed," Hermione's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. The card house that Hagrid had been building collapsed and made a loud series of pops. Blushing, Ron restated the previous statement. " Not in that sense, Hermione. I'd probably be totally busted. Huge trouble. Anything!!!" " Okay! Okay! Moving on quickly. So, how are we supposed to find out? Hmmm? Dumbledore wouldn't tell us. At least, I don't think he would. But--- " Something tapped on Hagrid's large front door. He went over and opened it, and a small owl flew in, with a letter in its beak. "Pigwidgeon!" Ron shouted as the minuscule owl crash- landed in Hermione's teacup after dropping the letter on Ron's lap. Ron looked at the envelope. The deep, purple, loopy writing read: "To Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss. Hermione Granger" "It's for us," Ron said curiously to Hermione as he carefully opened the envelope. He read aloud: "Mr. Weasley and Miss. Granger, Your presence is required in Professor Albus Dumbledore's office immediately following the delivery of this letter. Do not tell anyone where you are headed and do not ask questions. Just come. Sincerely, Minerva McGonnagal Professor M. McGonnagal"