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Chapter 7

Hermione was shaking with rage and disbelief.
She couldn't believe Harry would do something like this to her!

Why? What had happened?
Yesterday we were in love, today ... ?

Ginny walked Hermione back to her dorm room. They did not see Harry but they heard plenty of whispering and even some laughing from the other students. Hermione's face burned bright red but she managed not to cry as she passed through the halls.

"-finally dumped that cow."

"-knew it wouldn't last."

"-never knew what he SAW in her."

"Hey mudblood! Finally saw what you're really worth, did he?"

Hermione managed to get into her room without breaking down.
Ginny offered to stay but Hermione shook her head. She wanted to be alone.

But alone in her room, all she was reminded of was Harry and what he'd said. A terrible ache was building in her chest until she thought her heart itself was breaking.

She sat on her bed and picked up the picture frame next to her bed. It was a picture of her and Harry but where before Harry had been smiling at her, now he was trying to find a way out of the frame.

"Damn you!" she yelled and threw the frame on the floor. It shattered on the stone floor with a loud crash. A huge sob shook her shoulders. She hugged her pillow and cried, cursing Harry and indeed, all men. She'd believed all the pretty words Harry'd said to her - now she knew them to be lies. All lies.

Despite repeated knocks on her door, she didn't come out for dinner. She sat on the floor surrounded by all of the little knick-knacks she'd accumulated since she and Harry had become a couple. The notes and flowers he'd sent her, even the seating chart for their Charms class that said "Harry Potter and Hermione Grainer."

Talk to him. Go talk to him. Her inner voice urged. It has to be a mistake.

When is was dark, too late for most people to be up, she quietly left her room and snuck down to Harry's room.

"- say that to Hermione!"

Hermione froze, her hand hovering above the door handle. That was Ron's voice. And he was yelling at Harry.

"It's none of your business, Ron."

"How can you say that? We're friends. All of us! You, me and Hermione."

"This doesn't concern you."

"The hell you say! My best friend treats my other friend like dirt in public and it's not my concern? Don't you love her anymore?"

Hermione held her breath during what seemed like the longest wait of her life.
Please! Please! Say you love me. she thought to herself.

"No."

Hermione backed away from the door, a hand over her mouth. Tears quickly stung her eyes and she tried to blink them away. She turned and ran up the stairs, back to her room. She slammed the door, threw herself on her bed and cried even harder than before. She eventually curled into a ball and cried herself to sleep.

Sometime during the night, she woke up. Moonlight shown through her windows but she still lit a table lamp. A fresh wave of sadness swept over her. As the horrible day ran through her head again, she thought she'd never be happy again. As she lay there, feeling hurt and angry, she noticed her Women's Studies book on her nightstand. She opened it and flipped through the pages until she came to the section she wanted. "Depello Cordis"

A chill ran up her spine as she read what the spell would do. Did she really want to do this? This is pretty drastic. Yes, but anything had to be better than the pain and humiliation she was feeling right now, she reasoned.

Hermione studied the potion-spell carefully. She had nearly all of the items she'd need except one. She needed some of her own blood to seal the spell.
Sleep on it. If you still feel the same in the morning, do it then.

Fine. Tomorrow she'd work the spell. And once she finished it, she'd be free of all romantic entanglements forever. She would no longer be susceptible to Harry's charms or sweet words. She'd never be hurt again.

With the book resting on her chest, she fell back to sleep. She did not dream.

(earlier that same evening)

"What the hell is wrong with you?!?" Ron yelled. "Why did you do that to Hermione? Are you crazy?"

Ron was yelling at Harry in the hallway, his voice bouncing off the walls. He'd been waiting for Harry to return to the dorm. Harry did not answer. He entered the Gryffindor dormitory and headed straight to his room. But as soon as they were in their room, Ron turned on Harry again, furious.

"I can't believe you, Harry! I can't believe you'd say that to Hermione!"

Harry frowned.
"It's none of your business, Ron."

"How can you say that? We're friends. All of us! You, me and Hermione."

"This doesn't concern you."

"The hell you say! My best friend treats my other friend like dirt in public and it's not my concern? Don't you love her anymore?"

Harry looked at the floor, unable to meet Ron's angry gaze.

"No."

But Ron was having none of it.
"I don't believe you." He said quietly.

Harry raised his head.
"It's true."

"I know you. I know both of you. You love her and she loves you!"
Harry hung his head and raised a hand to stop Ron.

"You don't understand." He sounded defeated, exhausted.

"You're damn right I don't understand! You just crushed Hermione!"

"I had to. I didn't have a choice."

"Explain yourself! What are you talking about?" Ron was enraged, pacing back and forth.

"I - Dumbledore found out ... Peter Pettigrew found someone to help him. He's gaining power. He thinks if he kills me then Voldemort can come back. Dumbledore's spy told him Pettigrew has released a golem - designed to kidnap ... my girlfriend." It all came out in a rush. Harry sat down, emotionally drained.

"Kidnap?" Ron repeated, confused.

"Kidnap her and force me to come after her. Into a trap."

"Ohhhh. So you thought ... you thought you'd save Hermione by breaking up with her?"

Harry nodded sadly.

"By dumping her in public?! By humiliating her and breaking her heart?!" he yelled.

Harry looked shocked.
"I thought you'd understand. I was trying to protect her."

"You could have told her! You could have told me! Together we could have come up with a plan - like before! But no, you idiot! Now she HATES you!"

Ron pushed Harry aside and slammed the door behind him. He ran up the girls' stairs and pounded on Hermione's door.

"Hermione! It's me, Ron. Open up!"

"Shhh! She doesn't want to talk to you. Or Harry." Ginny said, behind him.

"Can you open the door, Ginny? I have to talk to her. Explain."
Ginny shook her head.

"How could he have done that?" Ginny said scowling.

Ron pounded on the door again.

"Hermione, please! It was all a mistake. A misunderstanding!"

No response.

Ron returned to the dorm room he shared with Harry.

"She won't open the door. She's locked it with a spell. I couldn't talk to her."

"Let her calm down tonight. I'll - I'll explain in the morning." Harry said.

In the morning, however, Hermione did not come to breakfast. Nor did she come to any of their classes. When she didn't show up for dinner, Ron and Harry went to Professor McGonagall. They explained what happened and their concern for Hermione.

"Men!" McGonagall muttered under her breath as she took her wand and went to the girls' dormitory. With Ron and Harry standing behind her, she opened Hermione's door. The door slowly opened to reveal Hermione lying on her bed.

"Hermione, dear?" McGonagall touched Hermione's shoulder. She gently shook her but she didn't open her eyes. "Hermione!"

"Go and get Madam Pomfrey RIGHT NOW!" Ron raced out of the room.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Harry yelled.

"Hermione! Wake up! Wake up!" McGonagall shook Hermione but couldn't rouse her. She was cold to the touch and breathing in very quick shallow breaths. Professor McGonagall noticed the ingredients lying about and picked up the spell book next to Hermione.

"Oh no." she whispered as she read the page. "Child, you didn't!"

"What's this?" Harry asked, picking up a jar about the size of his fist. It was lying next to Hermione on her bed. It was very warm and seemed to be almost ... thudding.

"Be careful with that!"

"What is it?"

"It's - that's her heart."

"What?" Harry looked down at the jar cradled in his hands.

"Her heart. She's ... removed it."