Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the characters, places, etc in this
fan fiction. *sigh*
Thank you to tearsofanangle, BookSmartBrilliance and Pik for your reviews! I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to write feedback!
If you can, I would really appreciate any review (good or bad). I'm always looking to improve my writing! I won't get mad if you say it stinks and point out why! I can only improve if you point out my mistakes!! Thanks so much!
Here's is Chapter 4:
Harry's mind was reeling. How could Ron possibly be alive?? He had seen Voldemort kill him. He just stood there, as if petrified, staring at Hermione open mouthed.
"Back up a little, Hermione. How do you know Ron's alive?"
"Harry, have you ever heard the muggle story Sleeping Beauty?? It's sometimes called Briar Rose I think?? And there's another one too, Snow White or something"
"Yeah, I've heard of Sleeping Beauty. This girl falls into an enchanted sleep until her true love wakes her up or something. the Durselys have a copy somewhere. so what about it??"
"It's in this journal. Harry, Sleeping Beauty was a true story, it happened to a real person, a muggle, about 20 years after Gryffindor helped to found the school. See, in his journal he explains the whole thing. Apparently he cast as spell on the sword so that it couldn't kill the pure of heart. I read all about it in the journal a while ago, and again today. He tells the whole thing." She was talking a mile a minute.
"Hermione, slow down. Just, start from the beginning, okay?" Harry said, sitting at one of the tables.
Hermione took a deep breath before continuing.
"Okay. Like I said, Godric Gryffindor enchanted his sword to not kill the pure of heart, that way if anyone evil got their hands on it, they couldn't use it properly. And that's exactly what happened. This Muggle managed to get it away from Gryffindor somehow, and he used it against this woman who had refused to marry him. She wanted to marry her true love instead, but her family didn't approve of him. He was poor, and the other muggle was much better off.
"Instead of dying, she fell into an enchanted sleep but it was taken for death. Her family couldn't let her go, so they laid her in an open casket, and kept her in an ancient tower that was rumoured to be magic. It wasn't really, but they thought it was, because the girl . well, she didn't . um. well, to put it delicately, she was perfectly preserved for a long time. They thought it was the tower, but it was actually because of the enchanted sleep."
Harry grinned. Even when muggles thought they knew about magic, they still missed it. Hermione continued with her tale.
"Anyway, the man she was in love with came to visit her body a week after she'd "died". As a goodbye, he kissed her, and this brought her out of the enchanted sleep. The family was overjoyed and told everyone the story. It spread, getting wilder and wilder as it went, and turned into two muggle Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White."
"So you're saying that's what happened to Ron?? That he's not dead, just . asleep?" It was almost too ludicrous to believe. But if there was even the slightest chance.
"That's exactly what I'm saying! Harry, if I'm right, then Ron will just wake up when we get him out! Well, I'd have to-"
Harry interrupted her. "We've gotta tell Dumbledore. c'mon!"
They ran out of the library, passing a bewildered Mrs. Norris at the door. They ran to Dumbledore's office, and Harry spoke the password Dumbledore had given him. They raced up the stairs, prepared to rouse Dumbledore from his sleep. But Dumbledore wasn't there. They searched his office top to bottom, and didn't find a trace of him.
"C'mon Hermione, we've got to find him."
They raced up and down hallways until they found Dumbledore pacing in front of one of the larger windows that looked out over the grounds. He had a very thoughtful expression on his face, and barely noticed them running up.
"Professor! We've been looking everywhere for you-"
"Yes, Harry, I know. I also know that you believe Mister Weasley to be alive. I can tell you, it never even occurred to me that this might be the case."
"Sir, did you know about the first incident with Gryffindor's sword?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Harry I did. I have already read the journal Ms Granger showed you." Dumbledore said. "In fact, I still have the code in my office." He didn't once look away form the window during the entire conversation. "Harry, I must ask you, have you had any strange dreams recently? It seems that every time some awful incident occurs, you have a dream about it before hand."
Harry thought back to his nightmare that night, just before Hermione had dragged him to the library. Ron had been trapped, and needed his help. Harry realized that this could have been reality, not just a dream.
"I thought so," Dumbledore said, still staring out the window. He finally glanced down to Harry.
"I believe we must inform the Weasleys. I don't think they'd mind if you woke them in the middle of the night, do you?" He smiled, and headed for the Owlery. Harry and Hermione followed.
After they'd sent the owl with the letter, Dumbledore told Harry and Hermione to head back to bed. Soon, they were asleep again, and this time, for the first time in a long while, neither was haunted by nightmares.
*
The next morning Harry and Hermione went down to breakfast. They met the Weasleys on the way to the Great Hall. They'd come in response to Dumbledore's letter. Hermione explained her entire theory to them over breakfast.
"But," she said, "It's just a theory. We can't be sure until we get to Ron."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
They didn't even bother to finish breakfast before heading to the cemetery. They used magic to remove Ron's coffin. Once they opened it, they moved Ron out of it, and onto the ground. It was very discomforting to see him in a coffin.
"Okay, now what do we do?" Mrs Weasley asked.
"Well, in the Fairy Tale, the guy she was in love with kissed her. so I guess I have to. um." Hermione said, blushing. Harry smiled.
"Well are you going to, or what?" he said, grinning.
Hermione shot him a look. Then she leaned over, and kissed Ron lightly. She sat back. They all waited staring down at Ron. Nothing happened.
"Try again, Hermione."
She did, and this time, she held on a little longer. Still nothing happened.
"Why isn't it working??" Hermione cried distressed. "It should work!!"
Harry lowered his eyes, and dropped to the ground beside Hermione. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I think we should consider that maybe. maybe Ron's not coming back."
Thank you to tearsofanangle, BookSmartBrilliance and Pik for your reviews! I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to write feedback!
If you can, I would really appreciate any review (good or bad). I'm always looking to improve my writing! I won't get mad if you say it stinks and point out why! I can only improve if you point out my mistakes!! Thanks so much!
Here's is Chapter 4:
Harry's mind was reeling. How could Ron possibly be alive?? He had seen Voldemort kill him. He just stood there, as if petrified, staring at Hermione open mouthed.
"Back up a little, Hermione. How do you know Ron's alive?"
"Harry, have you ever heard the muggle story Sleeping Beauty?? It's sometimes called Briar Rose I think?? And there's another one too, Snow White or something"
"Yeah, I've heard of Sleeping Beauty. This girl falls into an enchanted sleep until her true love wakes her up or something. the Durselys have a copy somewhere. so what about it??"
"It's in this journal. Harry, Sleeping Beauty was a true story, it happened to a real person, a muggle, about 20 years after Gryffindor helped to found the school. See, in his journal he explains the whole thing. Apparently he cast as spell on the sword so that it couldn't kill the pure of heart. I read all about it in the journal a while ago, and again today. He tells the whole thing." She was talking a mile a minute.
"Hermione, slow down. Just, start from the beginning, okay?" Harry said, sitting at one of the tables.
Hermione took a deep breath before continuing.
"Okay. Like I said, Godric Gryffindor enchanted his sword to not kill the pure of heart, that way if anyone evil got their hands on it, they couldn't use it properly. And that's exactly what happened. This Muggle managed to get it away from Gryffindor somehow, and he used it against this woman who had refused to marry him. She wanted to marry her true love instead, but her family didn't approve of him. He was poor, and the other muggle was much better off.
"Instead of dying, she fell into an enchanted sleep but it was taken for death. Her family couldn't let her go, so they laid her in an open casket, and kept her in an ancient tower that was rumoured to be magic. It wasn't really, but they thought it was, because the girl . well, she didn't . um. well, to put it delicately, she was perfectly preserved for a long time. They thought it was the tower, but it was actually because of the enchanted sleep."
Harry grinned. Even when muggles thought they knew about magic, they still missed it. Hermione continued with her tale.
"Anyway, the man she was in love with came to visit her body a week after she'd "died". As a goodbye, he kissed her, and this brought her out of the enchanted sleep. The family was overjoyed and told everyone the story. It spread, getting wilder and wilder as it went, and turned into two muggle Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White."
"So you're saying that's what happened to Ron?? That he's not dead, just . asleep?" It was almost too ludicrous to believe. But if there was even the slightest chance.
"That's exactly what I'm saying! Harry, if I'm right, then Ron will just wake up when we get him out! Well, I'd have to-"
Harry interrupted her. "We've gotta tell Dumbledore. c'mon!"
They ran out of the library, passing a bewildered Mrs. Norris at the door. They ran to Dumbledore's office, and Harry spoke the password Dumbledore had given him. They raced up the stairs, prepared to rouse Dumbledore from his sleep. But Dumbledore wasn't there. They searched his office top to bottom, and didn't find a trace of him.
"C'mon Hermione, we've got to find him."
They raced up and down hallways until they found Dumbledore pacing in front of one of the larger windows that looked out over the grounds. He had a very thoughtful expression on his face, and barely noticed them running up.
"Professor! We've been looking everywhere for you-"
"Yes, Harry, I know. I also know that you believe Mister Weasley to be alive. I can tell you, it never even occurred to me that this might be the case."
"Sir, did you know about the first incident with Gryffindor's sword?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Harry I did. I have already read the journal Ms Granger showed you." Dumbledore said. "In fact, I still have the code in my office." He didn't once look away form the window during the entire conversation. "Harry, I must ask you, have you had any strange dreams recently? It seems that every time some awful incident occurs, you have a dream about it before hand."
Harry thought back to his nightmare that night, just before Hermione had dragged him to the library. Ron had been trapped, and needed his help. Harry realized that this could have been reality, not just a dream.
"I thought so," Dumbledore said, still staring out the window. He finally glanced down to Harry.
"I believe we must inform the Weasleys. I don't think they'd mind if you woke them in the middle of the night, do you?" He smiled, and headed for the Owlery. Harry and Hermione followed.
After they'd sent the owl with the letter, Dumbledore told Harry and Hermione to head back to bed. Soon, they were asleep again, and this time, for the first time in a long while, neither was haunted by nightmares.
*
The next morning Harry and Hermione went down to breakfast. They met the Weasleys on the way to the Great Hall. They'd come in response to Dumbledore's letter. Hermione explained her entire theory to them over breakfast.
"But," she said, "It's just a theory. We can't be sure until we get to Ron."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
They didn't even bother to finish breakfast before heading to the cemetery. They used magic to remove Ron's coffin. Once they opened it, they moved Ron out of it, and onto the ground. It was very discomforting to see him in a coffin.
"Okay, now what do we do?" Mrs Weasley asked.
"Well, in the Fairy Tale, the guy she was in love with kissed her. so I guess I have to. um." Hermione said, blushing. Harry smiled.
"Well are you going to, or what?" he said, grinning.
Hermione shot him a look. Then she leaned over, and kissed Ron lightly. She sat back. They all waited staring down at Ron. Nothing happened.
"Try again, Hermione."
She did, and this time, she held on a little longer. Still nothing happened.
"Why isn't it working??" Hermione cried distressed. "It should work!!"
Harry lowered his eyes, and dropped to the ground beside Hermione. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I think we should consider that maybe. maybe Ron's not coming back."