Chapter Eleven - All Hope is Lost
Day Five:
Harry blinked several times, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness.
"Where am I?" he said, reaching blindly for his glasses. This isn't my dormitory, Harry remarked as he peered through the lenses. This place looks oddly familiar. Before Harry could make out where he was, Madame Pomfrey's round face blocked his view.
"Hello Harry, I hope you are feeling better." Madame Pomfrey said, touching Harry's forehead with deep concern.
"I'm alright, Madame." "Really" Harry ensured the school nurse.
"Oh, alright. Now, you rest for a while more. I'll just call Dobby to fetch you some breakfast." She said and swept out of the room.
"Where am I?" Harry asked himself again. "This place is huge!" There was only one bed in the room which was occupied by him, but other than that, the room was, well, empty. No windows or desks, only a chandelier which was the only source of light.
"Do you remember this place, Harry?" a voice behind him asked. A sudden memory of the threatening voice last night reappeared.
"It's ok Harry." The voice said sensing the insecureness. "It's only your headmaster."
Harry signed in relief and sure enough the friendly old man smiled at him. But soon it turned into a serious frown.
"Tell me what happened." He asked gently.
"I don't know, professor. I don't remember much, only that everything was pitch black and then it turned white." Harry said in a low voice, trying so hard to recall yesterday's events. He shut his eyes and immediately an image of something round appeared. The circle became clearer and clearer. It had a ring shape.
"The RING!" Harry shouted. "The ring!" he repeated, grabbing Dumbledore's arm. "Where's HERMIONE? DANIELLA?" he asked. Harry was shaking all over.
"Harry, you can not see th."
"I NEED TO!" Harry begged. "It's important." He mouthed.
*
"I don't think you should see them." Dumbledore said, seizing Harry's shoulder before he unlocked the door. But seeing Harry's determine attitude, he helplessly pushed the door open. Harry's eyes were immediately drawn to four white beds at the end of the room. Without any hesitation, he ran towards them.
"Hermione?" Harry whispered as he stopped at the foot of the first bed. "Dumbledore, w-what h-happened to them?"
"Harry, really! Come back here." Dumbledore urged.
Harry shook his head and continued towards the beds. "What happened to them, Professor?" he repeated. His hands were trembling uncontrollably. "Professor?"
"What happened to them weren't pleasant." He finally offered.
"Tell me! Are they alive?" Harry whispered as he slowly lifted the bedspread.
"Harry. We should leave"
The bed spread dropped onto the floor. Harry fell backwards terrified.
"Hermione?" Harry finally spoke. "Something happened to them, I know it." Dumbledore shook his head helplessly. "Then why is she stone hard?"
He walked towards the other beds and yanked the covers away hastily one by one revealing stone statues of horrid faces.
"Malfoy?" he said in shock and surprise.
"Yes, I'm afraid. We found him in the hospital wing along with your friend Ronald Weasley fighting."
"Ron? Where is he?" Harry asked. Dumbledore gave a side glance at the fourth bed. Harry stepped back horrified.
"No. No. No. NO!" Harry screamed. He could feel his blood temperature began to rise. The headmaster hurried to him and pulled him away. Tears gathered at the brim of Harry's eyes. He looked down at his hand.
"Why? Why them? Why not me?" he murmured as a trickle of tear splattered onto his robe.
"I don't know. We can't always control evil."
*
That night, Harry could not sleep well.
*
FLÅ?H ßÄ?K »»»»»» Day Four. yesterday »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»
I'm sorry, Hermione. I should've came earlier. I am sorry. I don't care about what happened in the past. I've put that behind me and I'm making the most of what I've got now. Please forgive me.
Wait a minute, isn't that Malfoy? He's inside? On a day like this? No, it can't be right. He's up to something. Look at him, all nervous and everything. I have a bad feeling about this. I'm going after him!
It's so chilly here. Where's the hospital wing? Ow! Stupid foot!
He's definitely up to something, looking around like that.
What was that? A shadow?
Huh? He's heading towards the hospital wing? What might that mean? Hospital wing.hospital wing.?
Finally! Come on, stupid door. OPEN! Oh yeah! My wand!
What the hell is he doing? Looks like he's casting a spell or something.
"What on EARTH are you doing?" Ron Weasley screamed as he made his way towards Draco Malfoy.
"YOU'VE been FOLLOWING me!?" the blond boy shouted back pointing his wand at Ron.
"Y-yes, I HAVE!" Ron said, a little embarrassed. "But that's beside the point. What on EARTH were you doing!?"
"That's none of your business, I'm afraid." Malfoy shot back, extending his wand further. "Now, would you please get out of my sight! Seeing your ugly red face makes me want to puke!" he added, sticking his finger in his throat and making a gurgling sound.
"You'll regret what you said, you dirty scum bag!" Ron spat, taking his wand out.
"You wanna fight? Huh? Never thought th." Malfoy's eyes widened. Before Ron could argue back, a sudden beam of light flashed across the corridor and went right through Draco's body.
"OWWW!" the blond screamed, clutching his chest in agony.
"What the?" Ron whispered as he ran towards Malfoy but he never made it there as another beam of light stabbed right through his head. The pain did not seize but continued until they both gave up and dropped helplessly onto the shining tiles.
Clang. Something dropped right beside Draco's hand like lead, as if there were magnets underneath the tiles. It was a silver ring with weird black carvings on the border. The carvings were written in some kind of ancient calligraphy.
*
Ooohh. if you're a bit confused. that flash back happened before Harry saw the ring.
Harry blinked several times, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness.
"Where am I?" he said, reaching blindly for his glasses. This isn't my dormitory, Harry remarked as he peered through the lenses. This place looks oddly familiar. Before Harry could make out where he was, Madame Pomfrey's round face blocked his view.
"Hello Harry, I hope you are feeling better." Madame Pomfrey said, touching Harry's forehead with deep concern.
"I'm alright, Madame." "Really" Harry ensured the school nurse.
"Oh, alright. Now, you rest for a while more. I'll just call Dobby to fetch you some breakfast." She said and swept out of the room.
"Where am I?" Harry asked himself again. "This place is huge!" There was only one bed in the room which was occupied by him, but other than that, the room was, well, empty. No windows or desks, only a chandelier which was the only source of light.
"Do you remember this place, Harry?" a voice behind him asked. A sudden memory of the threatening voice last night reappeared.
"It's ok Harry." The voice said sensing the insecureness. "It's only your headmaster."
Harry signed in relief and sure enough the friendly old man smiled at him. But soon it turned into a serious frown.
"Tell me what happened." He asked gently.
"I don't know, professor. I don't remember much, only that everything was pitch black and then it turned white." Harry said in a low voice, trying so hard to recall yesterday's events. He shut his eyes and immediately an image of something round appeared. The circle became clearer and clearer. It had a ring shape.
"The RING!" Harry shouted. "The ring!" he repeated, grabbing Dumbledore's arm. "Where's HERMIONE? DANIELLA?" he asked. Harry was shaking all over.
"Harry, you can not see th."
"I NEED TO!" Harry begged. "It's important." He mouthed.
*
"I don't think you should see them." Dumbledore said, seizing Harry's shoulder before he unlocked the door. But seeing Harry's determine attitude, he helplessly pushed the door open. Harry's eyes were immediately drawn to four white beds at the end of the room. Without any hesitation, he ran towards them.
"Hermione?" Harry whispered as he stopped at the foot of the first bed. "Dumbledore, w-what h-happened to them?"
"Harry, really! Come back here." Dumbledore urged.
Harry shook his head and continued towards the beds. "What happened to them, Professor?" he repeated. His hands were trembling uncontrollably. "Professor?"
"What happened to them weren't pleasant." He finally offered.
"Tell me! Are they alive?" Harry whispered as he slowly lifted the bedspread.
"Harry. We should leave"
The bed spread dropped onto the floor. Harry fell backwards terrified.
"Hermione?" Harry finally spoke. "Something happened to them, I know it." Dumbledore shook his head helplessly. "Then why is she stone hard?"
He walked towards the other beds and yanked the covers away hastily one by one revealing stone statues of horrid faces.
"Malfoy?" he said in shock and surprise.
"Yes, I'm afraid. We found him in the hospital wing along with your friend Ronald Weasley fighting."
"Ron? Where is he?" Harry asked. Dumbledore gave a side glance at the fourth bed. Harry stepped back horrified.
"No. No. No. NO!" Harry screamed. He could feel his blood temperature began to rise. The headmaster hurried to him and pulled him away. Tears gathered at the brim of Harry's eyes. He looked down at his hand.
"Why? Why them? Why not me?" he murmured as a trickle of tear splattered onto his robe.
"I don't know. We can't always control evil."
*
That night, Harry could not sleep well.
*
FLÅ?H ßÄ?K »»»»»» Day Four. yesterday »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»
I'm sorry, Hermione. I should've came earlier. I am sorry. I don't care about what happened in the past. I've put that behind me and I'm making the most of what I've got now. Please forgive me.
Wait a minute, isn't that Malfoy? He's inside? On a day like this? No, it can't be right. He's up to something. Look at him, all nervous and everything. I have a bad feeling about this. I'm going after him!
It's so chilly here. Where's the hospital wing? Ow! Stupid foot!
He's definitely up to something, looking around like that.
What was that? A shadow?
Huh? He's heading towards the hospital wing? What might that mean? Hospital wing.hospital wing.?
Finally! Come on, stupid door. OPEN! Oh yeah! My wand!
What the hell is he doing? Looks like he's casting a spell or something.
"What on EARTH are you doing?" Ron Weasley screamed as he made his way towards Draco Malfoy.
"YOU'VE been FOLLOWING me!?" the blond boy shouted back pointing his wand at Ron.
"Y-yes, I HAVE!" Ron said, a little embarrassed. "But that's beside the point. What on EARTH were you doing!?"
"That's none of your business, I'm afraid." Malfoy shot back, extending his wand further. "Now, would you please get out of my sight! Seeing your ugly red face makes me want to puke!" he added, sticking his finger in his throat and making a gurgling sound.
"You'll regret what you said, you dirty scum bag!" Ron spat, taking his wand out.
"You wanna fight? Huh? Never thought th." Malfoy's eyes widened. Before Ron could argue back, a sudden beam of light flashed across the corridor and went right through Draco's body.
"OWWW!" the blond screamed, clutching his chest in agony.
"What the?" Ron whispered as he ran towards Malfoy but he never made it there as another beam of light stabbed right through his head. The pain did not seize but continued until they both gave up and dropped helplessly onto the shining tiles.
Clang. Something dropped right beside Draco's hand like lead, as if there were magnets underneath the tiles. It was a silver ring with weird black carvings on the border. The carvings were written in some kind of ancient calligraphy.
*
Ooohh. if you're a bit confused. that flash back happened before Harry saw the ring.