Okay, okay. This chapter may be short, but there's another one comin' riiiiight after it. And, after that one, another, but, not as soon, maybe in like a day or so...too, many, commas… Well, there's no fun in not makin' you wait, now is there? Wait…too many negatives in that sentence, so who knows what I just said. Anyhoo, Forty-Nine Reviews, Woo-hoo! Annnnnd: Enjoy the story ~8]

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Disclaimers: coughiownnothingofthesweethappygoodnessthatistheharrypotterfranchisecough

Chapter 14: Sweet Release

Hermione woke up groggily at eight the next morning. She was usually an early riser, but she and Ron had stayed up until nearly two o'clock in the morning plotting a route on the Map. Outside the sun was shining much too brightly for her, and she considered rolling over and pulling the covers up over her head when she remembered why she was getting up in the first place.

Harry was due to be released at nine, and she didn't want for him to have to spend another minute longer in there than he already had. Yawning widely she rose stiffly from her bed, collecting her shower necessities before she shuffled off to the Bathroom. Once inside she shielded her eyes from the light, groaning at the dark bags that had appeared underneath them as she glanced in the mirror.

Malfoy had better appreciate this…

As she stepped into the only-slightly-above-freezing water of the shower spray, Hermione gasped loudly in shock and then commenced to curse Draco for all he was worth.

* * * * * *

An hour later a more pleasant Hermione entered the Infirmary, Ron beside her with a fresh change of clothes for Harry draped over his arm. They were surprised to find Dumbledore at Harry's bedside as their friend finished off his breakfast.

The elderly wizard smiled broadly as they approached. "Good Morning Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley. Come to see Harry off, have you?"

They bobbed their heads excitedly. "You bet we are, Sir," Ron responded, "Merlin knows he's probably seen the inside of this place more than his own bedroom in the past year."

He then sat beside Hermione on the next bed, oblivious to the cringing of Madame Pomfrey as they mussed up a perfectly straightened set of sheets. Harry beamed, setting his tray aside as Ron handed him the clothes.

"Thanks, Ron. I was hoping I wasn't going to have to prance around the school wearing my pajamas." Ron laughed, and then handed a letter to Harry. "It was dropped off this morning. It's from Hagrid."

Harry excitedly tore open the seal on the back of the parchment, unfurling it to read Hagrid's words. Harry's friend and professor had taken a session's sabbatical to go to Romania, where he was currently studying Dragons and Dragonlore under the tutelage of Charlie Weasley. Charlie had deemed it an 'internship' of sorts.

Hello Harry,

Hope this finds you well, and all. I'm really starting to miss you guys, but with all the Dragons here, I'm finding more than enough to keep me busy. I'll write more later when I can, because it's sort of hard to write when your hand's bandaged up to the elbow (don't ask). Take care for now, and I'll make sure to see you guys the second I get back.

Hagrid

Harry smiled, then wished more than anything Hagrid was there at the moment. He'd know what to do about all this, without having to call upon the attention of Dumbledore. Like Sirius, Harry guessed that Dumbledore had also notified Hagrid of the situation at hand, but didn't tell Harry lest he become preoccupied that they'd be overly worried. Setting the note aside on his bedstand, he moved to get up, though not before turning to the Headmaster. "Professor, could you please explain to Hermione and Ron what you just told me while I'm getting changed? I'm afraid I'll leave something out."

Dumbledore smiled and shook his head gently. "Not a problem, lad." As Pomfrey helped Harry towards the curtain area, Dumbledore turned to his students. "I was just explaining to Harry that I've reinforced the magickal barrier around the school with a 'heavy duty' protection spell, as you might call it. Earlier this week I conducted a thorough examination of it, and it seemed that a few tears had occurred here and there since last being repaired. But, they're all 'plugged up' now, if you will. It's nigh impossible for whoever attacked to return again. No one will be able to breach the barrier now."

"Well, might some thing?" Ron questioned hesitantly.

Dumbledore looked inquisitively over the top rim of his glasses. "Why do you ask, Ron? Is there something in particular you had in mind?"

Before Hermione could answer, Ron responded nervously. "What? Oh, well, no, Sir. Not off the top of my head, I don't. Don't have anything in my mind, that is. I mean, on my mind, Sir, I don't mean to say that I've lost my mind--" Just before Hermione succumbed to the urge to smack Ron upside the head, Dumbledore clapped the boy's shoulder with a smile.

"No need to go any further, son. I understand perfectly." His expression then turned to one of grave seriousness, his gaze passing between his students. "You'll promise me, however, that if anything out of the ordinary comes up in regards to Harry, or seems even the least bit unusual, that you'll let me know at once. We can't afford to have whoever attacked him returning now or ever again. Do you understand?"

Both Ron and Hermione nodded, hating that they were lying directly to the kindly Headmaster's face. No sooner had he turned his head to watch Harry approach did they quickly exchange nervous glances. Harry was carrying his pajamas in one hand, and a bag full of chocolate bars in the other. From her pocket Hermione conjured a small bag, into which she began to stuff the pile of "Get Well" candy Harry had received and Hagrid's letter.

Dumbledore said his good-byes to the trio before exiting, and they also filed out behind him moments later, though not before Harry grabbed Sirius' wand from underneath his pillow. Just as Harry got to the door, Madame Pomfrey called, "And make sure to eat at least three bars a day, Harry, or you'll be back in here before you know it!"

"Don't worry, I will!" he called back, the door closing behind him an instant later.

Once outside, Harry took a deep breath. "You know, as musty as this old place is, I'd rather suck in centuries worth of mold spores any day than take one more sniff of that 'antiseptic sickbed' smell."

"Oh, to be in your shoes, Harry," Ron quipped. They both then turned to Hermione, whose good mood had become rather clouded.

"Is there something wrong, Hermione?" Harry asked in all sincerity, having seen that look fall upon her not too long ago. She shrugged her eyebrows and sighed, then checked to make sure no one was around. "Dumbledore asked whether or not we had seen anything out of the ordinary, and we said no. Harry," she finished worriedly, "we just outright lied to the Headmaster."

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Harry smiled sadly. "If it's any consolation, in all honesty you never saw anything. I did, so I'm the one that's been lying to him, not you." This failed to reassure his friend, who in response cast her eyes downward.

Harry continued. "Look, I know I'm asking you guys to do a lot for me, and I'm sorry, but not so much as I am grateful. We're so close in figuring out what this thing is, and once we've done that, we can also find out how to get rid of it. Like I said before, if Dumbledore or anyone else finds out about this, I'm sure to be under a lock and key for the rest of my years here at Hogwarts. It might insure my constant safety, but if I have to live a life without freedom and in perpetual fear, then I'd rather not live at all."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest but then stopped, and slowly began to nod her head. "I'm not sure if I completely agree with you, Harry, but I see where you're coming from. It's a shame Hagrid isn't here, or Sirius. They'd know what to do." Harry looked to Ron, and then her as he replied. "You're right, they aren't here, but you two are, and right now, you're all I've got. I'll be damned if that thing is going to best the three of us. We're smarter than it could ever be." Hermione smiled brightly, and turned to gently pull Harry into a hug.

Pulling back a few moments later, she cast her eyes downward nervously. "Thanks, Harry."

Ron moved to clap his two best friends on their shoulders. "That was touching, Harry, it really was. But, if we're through waxing poetic or whatever for the day, then can we please go get some breakfast? I'm starving."

The freckled wizard quickly stepped back as both Harry and Hermione moved in to lightly thwack him with the bags each possessed. He half-walked, half-ran backwards down the hallway, laughing rambunctiously as they followed him, bags menacingly clutched in their hands.

Soon they were walking alongside each other once again, on their way to the Dining Hall. "You know, Ron, in case they aren't serving up breakfast when we get there, then I'll gladly give you one of Pomfrey's chocolate bars--"

"Sure, I'll take one--"

"Harry! Now you eat those or you're never going to get better--"

"I was, I was! Good Goddess…"

The trio was so caught up in their conversations that they failed to notice the dark figure following them from some distance away.

* * * * * *

Lying on his back, Draco opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. Or, at least what he assumed to be the ceiling.

It was still pitch black, and by now he had completely lost track of how many days he had spent in…wherever he was. At first he had tried to keep a tally by scratching a fingernail deep across his arm whenever he thought a day had ended, but who was a blind man to be a clockwatcher?

Now Draco simply lied there, closing his eyes once more to fall back into a deep sleep.

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AHH! No time for notes! Must move to next chapter quickly! AHH!

But, real quick (meaning you must say them in one breath, no more, no less): "The Bold and the Beautiful!"

Rolllllll Calllllll: Lady Foxfire! Raven! Allocin! Loopy! Lily Malfoy! Taracollowen! Iris Iolani! Zahrah Thomson-Radcliffe! Guess! Beccy! The Female Vampire Lestat! Amerkat! Mouse! Lili! Lady of Arundel! ArchArtist/Writer! Breea! Lassy D! Kim! AAAANNNNNDDDDD Urania!! That's TWENTY!! Yay!! ~8]