The next day Hermione and Harry had to part ways; Harry to divination, and Hermione to arthimacy. "Have a good time. And tell me what you're going to die of next; I'm ready for a good laugh," Hermione gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. "I will, don't worry. I'll meet you here after class alright?"
"Alright. Pay attention in class all right. You never know if she may do another of her real readings or not. See you after class," she gave him another quick peck on the cheek and headed for her class.
Harry couldn't help but daydream about him and Hermione during the time they were in different classes. During the class, Harry was given another fortune of "A great battle coming. Death is imminent." Harry didn't know how to read it since the pain from his scar began to get worse every time it started to act up. Usually he would brush off the fortunes without another thought, but with everything going on around him, there may have been truth to the reading. During one of the crystal ball readings, Harry felt something strange and his hand instinctively went to his wand. He couldn't figure out why, but something was amiss, or someone was in danger. After five minutes the feeling disappeared and he soon forgot about it.
After class let out he went to the spot where he and Hermione were suppose to meet. Ron followed behind him, "She is so wacko. 'Weasley, you are going to die by falling off a cliff' . . . how stupid is that?" Harry sighed as he kept walking to the spot where he and Hermione agreed to meet, with his rambling friend behind him, "Can you imagine . . . a great wizard like me, falling off a cliff? Yeah right. Harry, what's so funny?" Harry was trying to keep a straight face, 'It would be something to imagine Ron as a great wizard.'
"Oh here's my turn off. See you later Harry," Ron went running off to the hospital wing to see Lavender, she is still petrified since the mandrakes won't be full grown for a couple of days. Harry waited for a while and then thought that Hermione might have slipped out to talk with Hagrid. She had said that she needed help on some of the creature classifications. Harry shrugged his shoulders after waiting for a while, and walked out into the front courtyard.
He walked down to Hagrid's hut, but there was no sign of Hermione. "Ay, Arry." Hagrid came from around the side of his hut. "Hey Hagrid," Harry looked at Hagrid's hands which held three dead rosters. "Having problems with the roosters again, Hagrid?"
"It seems like it, Arry." Harry thought for a minute, and then took his focus from the dead birds, "Have you seen Hermione?"
Hagrid threw the birds into the wooden box next to his door and brought his hand up to his chin, "Hmmm, can' say I 'ave. But 'ere comes Ron, maybe he has some news 'bout 'er." Harry turned his head and found Ron running across the yard at full speed, straight over to him. "Harry," Ron rested on his shoulder, trying to regain his breathing. After he started to breathe regularly he took hold of Harry's shoulders, and looked him in the eyes. "Harry . . . it's Hermione."
Harry sat there for what seemed forever thinking he heard wrong. He pushed the information through his head time after time in only a few seconds. It couldn't be Hermione; not his Hermione. 'Not Hermione. He's wrong, she would know better. She would be more careful then that. She knew that it was in Hogwarts, I shouldn't have left her. I should have been there for her.' Harry's legs didn't seem to work anymore as they started to buckle from beneath him. "Harry!" Harry was on the ground, on his hands and knees. He looked down on the ground and saw the tears falling from his own eyes through blurred vision. "Arry . . ." Harry hit the ground with his fist and all he could say was, "Where?" Ron was surprised at how much hate had radiated from his friend's voice just now. "By the library . . . only a hall down from where you were waiting for her. She walked right into it."
"Is she . . ."
"No, she's petrified. I was in there to see Lavender . . . and I saw her. Harry-" Hagrid put his hand on Harry's shoulder, but Harry brushed it off and took off the running for the hospital wing. "Harry! Wait!"
"Let 'em go Ron."
"But you don't understand, Hagrid. Hermione wasn't just petrified-"
"But ye' just said-"
"I know . . . but I can't tell him that she was bitten too."
***
Harry raced around the corners of the halls, not caring if anyone yelled at him. Not caring if anyone was going to give him detentions for the rest of his days. He passed countless teachers on his way to the hospital wing, which were going to stop him, but couldn't catch him even if they chose to run after him. Filch could even come out and try to stop Harry, of course there was no way he would be successful. He was only focused on one main thing . . . Hermione.
In his mind there were pictures like a movie. One scene showing when he and Hermione first met. She opened the door with Neville behind her, looking around for Trevor, the toad. The scene then cut to a dark dungeon where Hermione was saying good luck to Harry before he went to find the Sorcerer's Stone. 'Me! Books! And cleverness! There are more important things . . .' he remembered her hugging him before that, and him being so surprised he said her name. One of the last scenes that went through his mind had to be when he and Hermione were up late one night, because of the nightmare that started all this. The night they had their first kiss. He had a picture of her in his mind, and then it soon started to fade, just like his hope that she'll still be there when he arrives. Even her yelling at him for not finishing his homework would be bliss to Harry right now.
He rounded that last corner and went to the two large doors, leading into the hospital. Before he could get his hand on the knob the door opened in front of him. "Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall stood before him. "What happened . . ." Harry tried to push past her, but what he saw shocked him. Hermione was on a hospital bed, lying still like she was four years ago, but something was different. There was a wound on her arm and her usual rosy cheeks were a horrible shade of green and brown. "What's the matter with her?" he tried to step to her bedside, but McGonagall stopped him. "You can't see her now, Harry."
"What do you mean I can't see her?" he started to struggle as Dumbledore walked over to the sixteen year old. "Harry, calm down." Harry was now starting to get hysterical. "Please Professor! I have to see her!"
"Harry," Harry took one look in the old wizard's eyes and stopped struggling. "She'd in a very critical condition. The bite from the basilisk is very lethal-"
"Bite! She was bitten?"
"Yes, before she turned toward the mirror, she was bitten. The venom is spreading fast . . . and we can't treat it until the mandrakes are fully-grown. Which is still not for a few days."
"How much time does she have?"
"Not very long," Harry punched the wall next to the doorframe. "Herm . . . why Herm?" He put his back to the wall and slid down to the floor. "This is the second time this year she has been in the hospital wing. What's happening to her professor?" Harry looked up at McGonagall and Dumbledore.
"We don't know, Harry. We-"
"Dumbledore!" Madame Pomfrey came running through the doors. "Miss Granger is slipping! I don't know what's wrong!" Harry turned to the door, ready to rush in, but McGonagall caught him in her arms. Dumbledore ran in and locked the door behind him. "Let me go!" he struggled as tears slipped freely down his face, "Hermione! Please . . . Hermione . . ." Both Harry and McGonagall slipped back down to the floor. She brushed his hair, like a mother would to comfort her child, "Calm down, boy. We can only hope for her now." Harry's face was streaked with tears as Ron came around the corner.
Harry saw Ron and got up off the ground the best he could, "Why didn't you tell me she was bitten!?!" He ran off toward the Owlery. "I'm sorry, Harry." McGonagall got up from the floor and came over to Ron, "Come Weasley. You must wonder about your friend."
"Yeah . . . I wonder about them both."