Hermione's eyes fluttered open. She rolled over, thinking to herself "Just
five more minutes."
But then certain memories flooded back into her mind's eye, and she sat bolt upright in the bed. She could remember being on the floor in a room she didn't recognise, being tortured by Voldemort and his Dementors, she could remember Professor Snape being there, it was beginning to get blurry. She could vaguely remember casting a spell, and then everything had gone black.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember anything else, when she heard a door behind her open. Looking around her she marvelled at the fact that she hadn't even noticed that she was in the Hogwarts hospital wing.
In through the open door came two familiar faces. Both smiled kindly down at her.
"Good morning Miss Granger, how are you feeling?" Professor Dumbledore asked benignly.
"Fine, thank you Professor." Hermione's mind was so full of questions she didn't know where to start.
Just as she was about to pick one of them at random, the second person spoke. "I have no doubt that you have an awful lot of questions Miss Granger, and for that I would like you leave you and Professor Dumbledore alone. However, it is important that I inform you that it is the 14th of June, and the O.W.L. examinations will be commencing in a week's time. As this is too little time for you to study sufficiently for them, it is possible that you can be excluded from them."
Hermione's eyes widened with horror. There was no way that she was going to miss the one thing that she had been practicing for since the moment that she had sat down to her first lesson in Hogwarts.
"P-Professor McGonagall," Hermione managed to steady herself, "There will be no need to do that. I have been studying all year for the O.W.L.s and there should be no reason for my exemption from them."
Professor McGonagall shot a slightly doubtful glance at Professor Dumbledore, who smiled and nodded slightly.
Professor McGonagall turned again to Hermione, smiling even more broadly than before. "Then I shall see I the Transfiguration classroom at his time next week Miss Granger. I hope that your study hitherto does you justice."
Professor McGonagall turned and left the room quietly. As soon as she had done so Professor Dumbledore walked to the side of Hermione's bed. "Could I be so bold as to sit on your bed Miss Granger?"
"Of course Professor!" Hermione assured him, smiling.
Dumbledore smiled gratefully and sat down. "My, my Miss Granger, it seems that you will have no happiness this year."
Hermione nodded grimly, but didn't allow herself to think about it for long. She had much more pressing matters to attend to.
"Professor, what happened? How did I get out of that house? I can remember casting some sort of spell, and that's it. What happened to You-Know-Who? Oh, and is Professor Snape all right? How did-"
Dumbledore held up his hands and Hermione fell silent.
Smiling he said, "I can only answer one question at a time Miss Granger. But luckily I have rather a lot of time on my hands at this particular moment, so all of your questions will be answered in due course."
Hermione nodded and sat up in the bed patiently.
"Well, I believe that I should begin at the beginning. Before you were abducted, I was sent to a false sighting of Voldemort's supporters. A diversion. However, due to his own devices, Professor Snape was able to perceive the presence of a Death Eater in Gryffindor Tower. Upon finding out that you had been abducted he took it upon himself to help you."
Hermione made a mental note to be nice to Snape the next time she saw him. She might have to practice it, for the action would go against every instinct she had.
"Fortunately" Dumbledore went on, "your close friends Harry Potter and Ron and Ginny Weasley, overheard Professor Snape's plan and followed him."
"Breaking about fifty school rules in the process I'll bet." Hermione muttered under her breath.
"Sadly Upon finding you, Professor Snape was almost subjected to the Dementor's Kiss. Had it not been for you and your brave friends, it would have been successful."
"How did we fend them off Professor?" Hermione had been positively dying to know which spell she had used to help in her rescue.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Each of you performed the same spell. You each summoned a Patronus. The collected power of four of them was enough to defeat both the Dark Lord and his Dementors. You should be very proud of yourself Miss Granger. There have been very few fifteen year old witches that I have ever known that could perform that standard of magic."
Hermione blushed with pride. Then something occurred to her. "Professor, that happened the week after Christmas, didn't it?"
Professor Dumbledore nodded.
Hermione cocked her head to one side in her puzzlement. "But then, how can it be the 14th of June? I only just woke up! I couldn't have been asleep for that-"
Hermione noticed the saddened sort of look in Dumbledore's eyes. "Such is the power of the Dementors Hermione. The effect of so many of them on a girl so young as yourself was catastrophic. You were immediately admitted to St. Mungo's, where they put you in an enchanted sleep. It was the only way for you to recover completely. You must understand, if we had not, you would now only be a tired shell of your former self." Dumbledore looked out of the window to the climbing sun. "But my, it did take a toll on those close to you. Harry and Ginny were so very upset, but they had each other to turn to for comfort. The whole experience has made them very close."
Hermione allowed herself a small smile. Dumbledore continued. "But Ron Weasley. It seemed that every spare minute he had he was up here with you. He brought his books most of the time. He said that you would have wanted him to." Dumbledore gave Hermione a particularly piercing stare. "He cares for you a great deal Hermione. I do sincerely hope that such strong affections are returned."
Hermione returned Dumbledore's gaze, her eyes shining with tears. "They are returned tenfold Professor."
Dumbledore rose and smiled down at Hermione one last time. "Then let me waste no time in telling him that you are waiting."
But then certain memories flooded back into her mind's eye, and she sat bolt upright in the bed. She could remember being on the floor in a room she didn't recognise, being tortured by Voldemort and his Dementors, she could remember Professor Snape being there, it was beginning to get blurry. She could vaguely remember casting a spell, and then everything had gone black.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember anything else, when she heard a door behind her open. Looking around her she marvelled at the fact that she hadn't even noticed that she was in the Hogwarts hospital wing.
In through the open door came two familiar faces. Both smiled kindly down at her.
"Good morning Miss Granger, how are you feeling?" Professor Dumbledore asked benignly.
"Fine, thank you Professor." Hermione's mind was so full of questions she didn't know where to start.
Just as she was about to pick one of them at random, the second person spoke. "I have no doubt that you have an awful lot of questions Miss Granger, and for that I would like you leave you and Professor Dumbledore alone. However, it is important that I inform you that it is the 14th of June, and the O.W.L. examinations will be commencing in a week's time. As this is too little time for you to study sufficiently for them, it is possible that you can be excluded from them."
Hermione's eyes widened with horror. There was no way that she was going to miss the one thing that she had been practicing for since the moment that she had sat down to her first lesson in Hogwarts.
"P-Professor McGonagall," Hermione managed to steady herself, "There will be no need to do that. I have been studying all year for the O.W.L.s and there should be no reason for my exemption from them."
Professor McGonagall shot a slightly doubtful glance at Professor Dumbledore, who smiled and nodded slightly.
Professor McGonagall turned again to Hermione, smiling even more broadly than before. "Then I shall see I the Transfiguration classroom at his time next week Miss Granger. I hope that your study hitherto does you justice."
Professor McGonagall turned and left the room quietly. As soon as she had done so Professor Dumbledore walked to the side of Hermione's bed. "Could I be so bold as to sit on your bed Miss Granger?"
"Of course Professor!" Hermione assured him, smiling.
Dumbledore smiled gratefully and sat down. "My, my Miss Granger, it seems that you will have no happiness this year."
Hermione nodded grimly, but didn't allow herself to think about it for long. She had much more pressing matters to attend to.
"Professor, what happened? How did I get out of that house? I can remember casting some sort of spell, and that's it. What happened to You-Know-Who? Oh, and is Professor Snape all right? How did-"
Dumbledore held up his hands and Hermione fell silent.
Smiling he said, "I can only answer one question at a time Miss Granger. But luckily I have rather a lot of time on my hands at this particular moment, so all of your questions will be answered in due course."
Hermione nodded and sat up in the bed patiently.
"Well, I believe that I should begin at the beginning. Before you were abducted, I was sent to a false sighting of Voldemort's supporters. A diversion. However, due to his own devices, Professor Snape was able to perceive the presence of a Death Eater in Gryffindor Tower. Upon finding out that you had been abducted he took it upon himself to help you."
Hermione made a mental note to be nice to Snape the next time she saw him. She might have to practice it, for the action would go against every instinct she had.
"Fortunately" Dumbledore went on, "your close friends Harry Potter and Ron and Ginny Weasley, overheard Professor Snape's plan and followed him."
"Breaking about fifty school rules in the process I'll bet." Hermione muttered under her breath.
"Sadly Upon finding you, Professor Snape was almost subjected to the Dementor's Kiss. Had it not been for you and your brave friends, it would have been successful."
"How did we fend them off Professor?" Hermione had been positively dying to know which spell she had used to help in her rescue.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Each of you performed the same spell. You each summoned a Patronus. The collected power of four of them was enough to defeat both the Dark Lord and his Dementors. You should be very proud of yourself Miss Granger. There have been very few fifteen year old witches that I have ever known that could perform that standard of magic."
Hermione blushed with pride. Then something occurred to her. "Professor, that happened the week after Christmas, didn't it?"
Professor Dumbledore nodded.
Hermione cocked her head to one side in her puzzlement. "But then, how can it be the 14th of June? I only just woke up! I couldn't have been asleep for that-"
Hermione noticed the saddened sort of look in Dumbledore's eyes. "Such is the power of the Dementors Hermione. The effect of so many of them on a girl so young as yourself was catastrophic. You were immediately admitted to St. Mungo's, where they put you in an enchanted sleep. It was the only way for you to recover completely. You must understand, if we had not, you would now only be a tired shell of your former self." Dumbledore looked out of the window to the climbing sun. "But my, it did take a toll on those close to you. Harry and Ginny were so very upset, but they had each other to turn to for comfort. The whole experience has made them very close."
Hermione allowed herself a small smile. Dumbledore continued. "But Ron Weasley. It seemed that every spare minute he had he was up here with you. He brought his books most of the time. He said that you would have wanted him to." Dumbledore gave Hermione a particularly piercing stare. "He cares for you a great deal Hermione. I do sincerely hope that such strong affections are returned."
Hermione returned Dumbledore's gaze, her eyes shining with tears. "They are returned tenfold Professor."
Dumbledore rose and smiled down at Hermione one last time. "Then let me waste no time in telling him that you are waiting."