Chapter 6
All I Wanted Was You
Hermione took Harry straight to the hospital wing. Enough of trying to solve mysteries by themselves; Hermione told Dumbledore about it right away. The headmaster didn't seem skeptical or unbelieving - he took Hermione seriously and noted the problem was definitely a serious one.
"Well, then what do I do, Professor?" Hermione asked as she stood in his majestic office. Feet away, Fawkes, the brilliant phoenix, sat on its perch, watching their conversation intently.
Dumbledore sighed. "Harry will be disappointed with my decision. He has such perseverance, I believe that signing him a personal watcher will only anger him."
"A...watcher? Like a guard?" Hermione asked. Dumbledore was right. Harry wouldn't be happy with having a personal guard.
"Yes. I know how independent he likes to be, but seeing as how this Asethrent creature entered the school without my knowledge, I am very disturbed. I'm not quite sure exactly what Asethrent's powers are, and even though there may be books on the creature, I am not taking any chances. Harry will be accompanied by a Watcher at all hours."
"I'll tell him, Professor." Hermione looked into Dumbledore's clear eyes, and he smiled at her.
"You do just that, young Hermione," Dumbledore said. Hermione smiled back, and left the office. As she ran for the hospital wing, she was met by Ron.
The boy was red in the face, a look of both bewilderment and betrayal plastered on him like a painting. "You and...Harry?"
"Ron, let me explain. Harry died up there in the tower. How much do you know?" Hermione asked quickly. She hadn't thought about Ron, how he would react.
"Died? He's gone?!" Ron's eyes widened with fear.
"No, no! He's alive...he was brought back to life. But Ron, there's a magical creature trying to control Harry. It's trying to turn him to Voldemort's side. He's in danger. Big danger," Hermione explained hurriedly.
"That's why you went to the library so quickly?" Ron said, looking doubtful.
"We went because I thought of something about the creature, Asethrent. But when we went, we went to the astronomy tower and horrible things happened. I have to go see Harry," Hermione muttered under her breath. "You should come, too. He's probably worried about us."
Ron and Hermione made their way to the hospital wing. Harry was lying in one of the beds, eyes open, slamming Madame Pomfrey with questions. When he saw Hermione, he sat straight up.
"Mr. Potter! I must stress you lie back down!" Madame Pomfrey put her hands on Harry's shoulders and pushed him back down.
"Hermione!" Harry squirmed out of the nurse's grip.
"How is he, Madame?" Hermione asked quickly.
"Just fine. Which surprises me greatly. After dying, and being bitten and injected with some of the most powerful poison I've ever seen, he's doing wonderfully. There's something about you, Mr. Potter, and it really troubles me," Madame Pomfrey suppressed a smile and moved away so Hermione and Ron could greet him.
"Harry, Hermione's told me what happened," Ron said.
Harry's eyes darted to Hermione. "I told him about Asethrent, and that you died." Hermione informed.
"Ron, it's so good to see you," Harry grinned, putting out his right hand. Ron shook it, and then pulled each other into a quick hug.
"I didn't believe Hermione! When she said you died...I thought you really had, and, gosh, Harry, the most horrible feeling came over me," Ron shook his head.
Harry tried to smile. "Well, I'm not dead...not yet, anyway."
"I spoke with Dumbledore. He says he's assigning you a Watcher. I know a bit about them. They're usually used in guarding important vaults. They're extremely reliable and trustworthy. Dumbledore knows you won't be happy with it," Hermione added tentatively.
Harry was silent. "If he thinks that's best...."
"He does. I, um, just don't know what else is going to happen," Hermione added, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. She didn't know why, and she looked away from Ron to make sure he didn't see.
Harry noticed, though. "Ron?"
"Yeah, Harry?"
"Would you mind going to my dorm and bringing some of my things? Madame Pomfrey's declined me access to leave. I'm bed-stuck."
Ron felt a pang of something. He sighed. "No, no problem. I'll be back in a bit," Ron forced a smile and left the wing.
As soon as Ron was out of sight, Hermione flung her arms around Harry and held him tight. "I'm so glad you're alright!" Hermione gushed, shutting her eyes and burying her head in Harry's neck.
He pulled her back and planted a kiss on her mouth. "I'm glad you are alright! I couldn't wait to put my arms around you. I missed you."
"You missed me? I had to hold you when you were dead! Do you have any idea how scared I was? I thought I'd lost you forever," Hermione felt a tear go down the side of her face. She hugged Harry again, the two oblivious to the fact that Ron hadn't left....
He was looking around the corner, crestfallen.
All I Wanted Was You
Hermione took Harry straight to the hospital wing. Enough of trying to solve mysteries by themselves; Hermione told Dumbledore about it right away. The headmaster didn't seem skeptical or unbelieving - he took Hermione seriously and noted the problem was definitely a serious one.
"Well, then what do I do, Professor?" Hermione asked as she stood in his majestic office. Feet away, Fawkes, the brilliant phoenix, sat on its perch, watching their conversation intently.
Dumbledore sighed. "Harry will be disappointed with my decision. He has such perseverance, I believe that signing him a personal watcher will only anger him."
"A...watcher? Like a guard?" Hermione asked. Dumbledore was right. Harry wouldn't be happy with having a personal guard.
"Yes. I know how independent he likes to be, but seeing as how this Asethrent creature entered the school without my knowledge, I am very disturbed. I'm not quite sure exactly what Asethrent's powers are, and even though there may be books on the creature, I am not taking any chances. Harry will be accompanied by a Watcher at all hours."
"I'll tell him, Professor." Hermione looked into Dumbledore's clear eyes, and he smiled at her.
"You do just that, young Hermione," Dumbledore said. Hermione smiled back, and left the office. As she ran for the hospital wing, she was met by Ron.
The boy was red in the face, a look of both bewilderment and betrayal plastered on him like a painting. "You and...Harry?"
"Ron, let me explain. Harry died up there in the tower. How much do you know?" Hermione asked quickly. She hadn't thought about Ron, how he would react.
"Died? He's gone?!" Ron's eyes widened with fear.
"No, no! He's alive...he was brought back to life. But Ron, there's a magical creature trying to control Harry. It's trying to turn him to Voldemort's side. He's in danger. Big danger," Hermione explained hurriedly.
"That's why you went to the library so quickly?" Ron said, looking doubtful.
"We went because I thought of something about the creature, Asethrent. But when we went, we went to the astronomy tower and horrible things happened. I have to go see Harry," Hermione muttered under her breath. "You should come, too. He's probably worried about us."
Ron and Hermione made their way to the hospital wing. Harry was lying in one of the beds, eyes open, slamming Madame Pomfrey with questions. When he saw Hermione, he sat straight up.
"Mr. Potter! I must stress you lie back down!" Madame Pomfrey put her hands on Harry's shoulders and pushed him back down.
"Hermione!" Harry squirmed out of the nurse's grip.
"How is he, Madame?" Hermione asked quickly.
"Just fine. Which surprises me greatly. After dying, and being bitten and injected with some of the most powerful poison I've ever seen, he's doing wonderfully. There's something about you, Mr. Potter, and it really troubles me," Madame Pomfrey suppressed a smile and moved away so Hermione and Ron could greet him.
"Harry, Hermione's told me what happened," Ron said.
Harry's eyes darted to Hermione. "I told him about Asethrent, and that you died." Hermione informed.
"Ron, it's so good to see you," Harry grinned, putting out his right hand. Ron shook it, and then pulled each other into a quick hug.
"I didn't believe Hermione! When she said you died...I thought you really had, and, gosh, Harry, the most horrible feeling came over me," Ron shook his head.
Harry tried to smile. "Well, I'm not dead...not yet, anyway."
"I spoke with Dumbledore. He says he's assigning you a Watcher. I know a bit about them. They're usually used in guarding important vaults. They're extremely reliable and trustworthy. Dumbledore knows you won't be happy with it," Hermione added tentatively.
Harry was silent. "If he thinks that's best...."
"He does. I, um, just don't know what else is going to happen," Hermione added, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. She didn't know why, and she looked away from Ron to make sure he didn't see.
Harry noticed, though. "Ron?"
"Yeah, Harry?"
"Would you mind going to my dorm and bringing some of my things? Madame Pomfrey's declined me access to leave. I'm bed-stuck."
Ron felt a pang of something. He sighed. "No, no problem. I'll be back in a bit," Ron forced a smile and left the wing.
As soon as Ron was out of sight, Hermione flung her arms around Harry and held him tight. "I'm so glad you're alright!" Hermione gushed, shutting her eyes and burying her head in Harry's neck.
He pulled her back and planted a kiss on her mouth. "I'm glad you are alright! I couldn't wait to put my arms around you. I missed you."
"You missed me? I had to hold you when you were dead! Do you have any idea how scared I was? I thought I'd lost you forever," Hermione felt a tear go down the side of her face. She hugged Harry again, the two oblivious to the fact that Ron hadn't left....
He was looking around the corner, crestfallen.