Chapter 4
All I Wanted Was You
Hermione was nearly writhing on the ground, the pain Asethrent was sending into her too much for the teen to bear. Harry could feel it, too, not as strong, but he knew what Hermione was going through. The boy lunged forward, standing between Hermione and the griffin-serpent.
"Leave her alone," Harry commanded, eyes baring into Asethrent's. "Saa-ha-ra-see-heth."
"Parseltongue doesn't work on me, Potter!" the serpent sneered, taking its glare from Hermione to Harry.
Harry heard Hermione gasp, free of pain for the time being. Hermione quivered, eyes blurry, her mind being plagued. She fought the feeling to attack Harry - to attack everyone. It felt like a bubble of pure rage was folding over her brain, diving into her thoughts and drowning her personality. She had to fight it. Hermione shut her eyes, thinking back on everything and everyone that had affected her in the past five years. She tried to focus on the positive things. Everyone said good could conquer evil, and she had to believe it.
Harry balled his hands in fists. "Dumbledore'll know you're here!" Dumbledore. Harry's last line of defense.
Asethrent's purple eyes dwelled in Harry's own. "Dumbledore? Oh, yes, Dumbledore, the 'greatest sorcerer in the world.' Sorry, Potter, Dumbledore may be able to sense many things, but I am much too powerful."
"Then tell me who you are."
"Who I am? Well, Potter, seeing as how you'll be dead in mere minutes, I can enlighten you. I am a crossbred creature called a Ekaniffir - a powerful mixture of griffin and basilisk. I'm not easily killed. I believe you know the power of a basilisk, right, Potter?" Asethrent sent memories sailing into Harry's head.
Harry clenched his jaw. "I killed it. I can kill you."
"Oh, but you see, I'm not like the basilisk. I can think...I can control minds. I plague minds. It's like eating to me. I can do almost anything," Asethrent said, quite smugly.
"Enlighten me...what can't you do?" Harry dared, hoping the creature would reveal some kind of weak spot Harry could use.
Asethrent was silent. "Oh, can't think of a thing."
"Harry...." a voice murmured, horribly weakly.
Harry whipped around, seeing Hermione trying to stand. Harry wanted to rush forward, but he kept his distance. If the Ekaniffir had plagued Hermione's mind, she could kill him. "Hermione, is it you?"
"It can't get me...Ekaniffir - its strength is solitary behaviour. You had to be alone for it to work its spell...it...can't thrive on dual combinations," Hermione breathed. Her face was streaked with sweat, a line across her brow. She was still fighting hard to conquer the poison in her mind.
Harry turned to Asethrent. The creature looked puzzled. "How could she know that?" Asethrent whispered, loud enough for Harry to hear.
"She's Hermione. She knows everything!" Harry yelled, running back to Hermione. He grabbed her hand, which she took strongly.
Asethrent felt a twinge. The snakelike beast charged forth to separate the two. Harry jumped out of the way, practically carrying Hermione with him. The two landed on the hard wood floor, Hermione falling atop Harry.
Asethrent shrieked angrily, a chilling call, and scrambled on the floor to turn around. Its body rammed into a wooden support, and sent it crashing to the ground. Splinters of wood flew in the air. The Ekaniffir hissed with anger, instincts of hunting taking over its thought-bearing mind. Harry and Hermione lay on each other, both too frightened to move, too wrapped in each other's thoughts.
The snake bared its fangs. "Oh, no, I've been bitten too many times, thank you!" Harry rolled out of the way as Asethrent struck. The snake- griffin squealed and lashed for Hermione. Harry pushed himself over her protectively, shadowing her from Asethrent's mighty lunge.
With his back to the beast, Harry had put her life before his. Both fangs sank into Harry's lower right back, below his right shoulder-blade. Asethrent felt a tantalizing peaceful sensation as poison drained its fangs. The creature drew back, knowing it had not only poisoned Harry's body, but his mind as well.
"I told you to warn him Asethrent was back," Asethrent told Hermione, who had crawled out from below Harry and was now crouching over him as he lay painfully on his stomach, not making a sound. "I've done what I wanted. Good-bye, Hermione Granger. Rest in hell, Harry Potter."
Hermione felt tears cloud her eyes as Asethrent vaporized into a wall. Harry's tight black tee was drenched with blood already, and he could barely speak a word.
"I thought we could beat it," Hermione felt two tears streak down her cheeks. There was still a sting in her mind telling her to destroy Harry, but she was trying her best to overcome it. "I swear, Harry, I've read about Ekaniffir's before...sometime a long time ago. I thought -"
"Hermione, no," Harry murmured softly. He rolled onto his left side, one eye closed to clench the pain.
"I'll run...I'll get Dumbledore," Hermione said quickly, moving to stand up.
"Hermione, no." Harry said sternly, breathing in sharply. "I've felt this poison before...it's basilisk poison. I haven't minutes long enough to get Dumbledore." Harry's glasses lay broken on the floor, but he was near- sighted, and could see Hermione well.
Hermione stifled a sob. "No, Harry, you're wrong. I can help, I know I can."
"It's no use fighting...over...Hermione. I'm not going to...make it," Harry mumbled. Hermione was starting to go fuzzy, and Harry's mind was slowly flooding with Asethrent's rage.
"Harry...thank you for being there...every day," Hermione never, ever wanted her parting words to Harry to be when they were fifteen, but if they had to be....
Harry tried to smile at her, his face on fire. He reached out numbly and stroked her cheek. "Hermione, you are the luckiest girl in...the world. You are going so...far and...I want you to know...you mean the world to...me."
Hermione pressed her face into Harry's hand, tears running down his hand and arm. "Harry. No, please."
"It's nothing...I'll be fine," Harry, positive and powerful, until the very end. Harry's insides felt like they were on fire. His back muscles tightened painfully, and he started to see a colourful mirage before his eyes.
Hermione tightened her grip around his arm, leaning far enough in to press her cheek against his. "Harry...I...um, I love you."
Harry could hear waves crashing against a shore, and Hermione's voice standing out like a lighthouse beacon. He was able to move his head back far enough to meet her lips with his own. His kiss was as powerful as he could bear, his life power draining at a horribly fast rate. Hermione stifled another sob as salt tears pierced both their mouths. Harry tried to find Hermione's eyes. "I love you, too, Hermione. I'll never stop, I swear."
Hermione shut her eyes, rivers of tears coursing their way down her face. She buried her face in Harry's neck, gripping him tightly, wishing that would bring him back. Harry had a hand on Hermione's arm...and it went limp.
"Harry?" Hermione whispered, not wanting to pull away. "Harry...please, oh, please answer me."
Harry didn't answer.
***
(A.N: This is not the end! Stay tuned, guys, there are more chapters. I want to say thanks for all positive reviews I've gotten!! ( )
All I Wanted Was You
Hermione was nearly writhing on the ground, the pain Asethrent was sending into her too much for the teen to bear. Harry could feel it, too, not as strong, but he knew what Hermione was going through. The boy lunged forward, standing between Hermione and the griffin-serpent.
"Leave her alone," Harry commanded, eyes baring into Asethrent's. "Saa-ha-ra-see-heth."
"Parseltongue doesn't work on me, Potter!" the serpent sneered, taking its glare from Hermione to Harry.
Harry heard Hermione gasp, free of pain for the time being. Hermione quivered, eyes blurry, her mind being plagued. She fought the feeling to attack Harry - to attack everyone. It felt like a bubble of pure rage was folding over her brain, diving into her thoughts and drowning her personality. She had to fight it. Hermione shut her eyes, thinking back on everything and everyone that had affected her in the past five years. She tried to focus on the positive things. Everyone said good could conquer evil, and she had to believe it.
Harry balled his hands in fists. "Dumbledore'll know you're here!" Dumbledore. Harry's last line of defense.
Asethrent's purple eyes dwelled in Harry's own. "Dumbledore? Oh, yes, Dumbledore, the 'greatest sorcerer in the world.' Sorry, Potter, Dumbledore may be able to sense many things, but I am much too powerful."
"Then tell me who you are."
"Who I am? Well, Potter, seeing as how you'll be dead in mere minutes, I can enlighten you. I am a crossbred creature called a Ekaniffir - a powerful mixture of griffin and basilisk. I'm not easily killed. I believe you know the power of a basilisk, right, Potter?" Asethrent sent memories sailing into Harry's head.
Harry clenched his jaw. "I killed it. I can kill you."
"Oh, but you see, I'm not like the basilisk. I can think...I can control minds. I plague minds. It's like eating to me. I can do almost anything," Asethrent said, quite smugly.
"Enlighten me...what can't you do?" Harry dared, hoping the creature would reveal some kind of weak spot Harry could use.
Asethrent was silent. "Oh, can't think of a thing."
"Harry...." a voice murmured, horribly weakly.
Harry whipped around, seeing Hermione trying to stand. Harry wanted to rush forward, but he kept his distance. If the Ekaniffir had plagued Hermione's mind, she could kill him. "Hermione, is it you?"
"It can't get me...Ekaniffir - its strength is solitary behaviour. You had to be alone for it to work its spell...it...can't thrive on dual combinations," Hermione breathed. Her face was streaked with sweat, a line across her brow. She was still fighting hard to conquer the poison in her mind.
Harry turned to Asethrent. The creature looked puzzled. "How could she know that?" Asethrent whispered, loud enough for Harry to hear.
"She's Hermione. She knows everything!" Harry yelled, running back to Hermione. He grabbed her hand, which she took strongly.
Asethrent felt a twinge. The snakelike beast charged forth to separate the two. Harry jumped out of the way, practically carrying Hermione with him. The two landed on the hard wood floor, Hermione falling atop Harry.
Asethrent shrieked angrily, a chilling call, and scrambled on the floor to turn around. Its body rammed into a wooden support, and sent it crashing to the ground. Splinters of wood flew in the air. The Ekaniffir hissed with anger, instincts of hunting taking over its thought-bearing mind. Harry and Hermione lay on each other, both too frightened to move, too wrapped in each other's thoughts.
The snake bared its fangs. "Oh, no, I've been bitten too many times, thank you!" Harry rolled out of the way as Asethrent struck. The snake- griffin squealed and lashed for Hermione. Harry pushed himself over her protectively, shadowing her from Asethrent's mighty lunge.
With his back to the beast, Harry had put her life before his. Both fangs sank into Harry's lower right back, below his right shoulder-blade. Asethrent felt a tantalizing peaceful sensation as poison drained its fangs. The creature drew back, knowing it had not only poisoned Harry's body, but his mind as well.
"I told you to warn him Asethrent was back," Asethrent told Hermione, who had crawled out from below Harry and was now crouching over him as he lay painfully on his stomach, not making a sound. "I've done what I wanted. Good-bye, Hermione Granger. Rest in hell, Harry Potter."
Hermione felt tears cloud her eyes as Asethrent vaporized into a wall. Harry's tight black tee was drenched with blood already, and he could barely speak a word.
"I thought we could beat it," Hermione felt two tears streak down her cheeks. There was still a sting in her mind telling her to destroy Harry, but she was trying her best to overcome it. "I swear, Harry, I've read about Ekaniffir's before...sometime a long time ago. I thought -"
"Hermione, no," Harry murmured softly. He rolled onto his left side, one eye closed to clench the pain.
"I'll run...I'll get Dumbledore," Hermione said quickly, moving to stand up.
"Hermione, no." Harry said sternly, breathing in sharply. "I've felt this poison before...it's basilisk poison. I haven't minutes long enough to get Dumbledore." Harry's glasses lay broken on the floor, but he was near- sighted, and could see Hermione well.
Hermione stifled a sob. "No, Harry, you're wrong. I can help, I know I can."
"It's no use fighting...over...Hermione. I'm not going to...make it," Harry mumbled. Hermione was starting to go fuzzy, and Harry's mind was slowly flooding with Asethrent's rage.
"Harry...thank you for being there...every day," Hermione never, ever wanted her parting words to Harry to be when they were fifteen, but if they had to be....
Harry tried to smile at her, his face on fire. He reached out numbly and stroked her cheek. "Hermione, you are the luckiest girl in...the world. You are going so...far and...I want you to know...you mean the world to...me."
Hermione pressed her face into Harry's hand, tears running down his hand and arm. "Harry. No, please."
"It's nothing...I'll be fine," Harry, positive and powerful, until the very end. Harry's insides felt like they were on fire. His back muscles tightened painfully, and he started to see a colourful mirage before his eyes.
Hermione tightened her grip around his arm, leaning far enough in to press her cheek against his. "Harry...I...um, I love you."
Harry could hear waves crashing against a shore, and Hermione's voice standing out like a lighthouse beacon. He was able to move his head back far enough to meet her lips with his own. His kiss was as powerful as he could bear, his life power draining at a horribly fast rate. Hermione stifled another sob as salt tears pierced both their mouths. Harry tried to find Hermione's eyes. "I love you, too, Hermione. I'll never stop, I swear."
Hermione shut her eyes, rivers of tears coursing their way down her face. She buried her face in Harry's neck, gripping him tightly, wishing that would bring him back. Harry had a hand on Hermione's arm...and it went limp.
"Harry?" Hermione whispered, not wanting to pull away. "Harry...please, oh, please answer me."
Harry didn't answer.
***
(A.N: This is not the end! Stay tuned, guys, there are more chapters. I want to say thanks for all positive reviews I've gotten!! ( )