"Where's Hermione?" Harry shouted, wheeling around to look.
"Here," croaked someone to their left.
Harry and Ron spun on their heels. Standing, trying to walk to her bed, was Hermione. The boys rushed to help her.
"Hermione, you're okay!" Ron gasped.
"Sort of," said Hermione. Her voice was quite scratchy.
Harry and Ron helped her get into bed. She coughed a couple of times.
"What're you doing out of bed?" asked Ron.
"Madam Pomfrey wanted to - check me up. See if I'm okay," said Hermione breathlessly. It seemed that the walk had winded her.
"How are you feeling?" asked Harry in concern.
"Not very well," said Hermione. "Only just woke up a minute ago."
"Yeah, they sent some annoying girl to fetch us," said Harry.
Hermione closed her eyes, then opened them again. "Are you two all right?"
Ron and Harry looked at each other. Neither of them was injured, but they were achy and exausted after saving Hermione, battling Death Eaters, and learning that they were in a fighting organisation against the most evil wizard of their time.
"Fine," said Harry. There was no reason to hit Hermione over the head with all this the moment she woke up.
"What happened, Hermione? D'you remember?" asked Ron.
"A Death Eater was charging me," she said, clearing her throat, "and I tried to Stun them. Then, Professor Flitwick told me to look out, and I turned too fast and tripped. I grabbed onto someone standing nearby, and the Death Eater did the-"
She stopped, then looked with wide eyes at Harry and Ron. They looked back at her nervously.
"The Cruciatus Curse on me," she whispered.
Harry shivered. He knew only too well how painful the Cruciatus Curse was. Ron's eyes widened like Hermione's and he stroked her hair a bit. She took a deep breath.
"Whoever it was I grabbed to stop falling, I don't know who, they got rid of the Death Eater who was cursing me, I suppose. The last thing I remember is a lot of wood falling on top of me from the pitch - I heard some screaming and I got knocked out."
They were silent for a moment. Madam Pomfrey swooped over with some medicine for Hermione, then retreated to help a few other people who were injured. The hospital wing was much emptier, which calmed Harry very slightly.
"Hermione," said Harry suddenly. "Did you see who any of the Death Eaters were?"
She narrowed her eyes in concentration and looked at the ceiling for a time. Harry and Ron watched her mutter to herself and stare into space, as though she was solving a difficult math equation.
"Hermione?" said Ron, very quietly.
"There was a voice," she said slowly. "It was really familiar - but who was it? I know I've heard them before."
Harry looked at her. "Malfoy?" he suggested.
She shook her head. "I don't think so."
Ron shrugged. "Could've been anyone, couldn't it? Well, we Stunned a few, so they'll get unmasked."
"Wrong, Weasley.very wrong," said someone right behind them, in an icy voice that was all too familiar and none too welcome.
Professor Snape was standing nearby, looking deadly serious and very angry.
"Here," croaked someone to their left.
Harry and Ron spun on their heels. Standing, trying to walk to her bed, was Hermione. The boys rushed to help her.
"Hermione, you're okay!" Ron gasped.
"Sort of," said Hermione. Her voice was quite scratchy.
Harry and Ron helped her get into bed. She coughed a couple of times.
"What're you doing out of bed?" asked Ron.
"Madam Pomfrey wanted to - check me up. See if I'm okay," said Hermione breathlessly. It seemed that the walk had winded her.
"How are you feeling?" asked Harry in concern.
"Not very well," said Hermione. "Only just woke up a minute ago."
"Yeah, they sent some annoying girl to fetch us," said Harry.
Hermione closed her eyes, then opened them again. "Are you two all right?"
Ron and Harry looked at each other. Neither of them was injured, but they were achy and exausted after saving Hermione, battling Death Eaters, and learning that they were in a fighting organisation against the most evil wizard of their time.
"Fine," said Harry. There was no reason to hit Hermione over the head with all this the moment she woke up.
"What happened, Hermione? D'you remember?" asked Ron.
"A Death Eater was charging me," she said, clearing her throat, "and I tried to Stun them. Then, Professor Flitwick told me to look out, and I turned too fast and tripped. I grabbed onto someone standing nearby, and the Death Eater did the-"
She stopped, then looked with wide eyes at Harry and Ron. They looked back at her nervously.
"The Cruciatus Curse on me," she whispered.
Harry shivered. He knew only too well how painful the Cruciatus Curse was. Ron's eyes widened like Hermione's and he stroked her hair a bit. She took a deep breath.
"Whoever it was I grabbed to stop falling, I don't know who, they got rid of the Death Eater who was cursing me, I suppose. The last thing I remember is a lot of wood falling on top of me from the pitch - I heard some screaming and I got knocked out."
They were silent for a moment. Madam Pomfrey swooped over with some medicine for Hermione, then retreated to help a few other people who were injured. The hospital wing was much emptier, which calmed Harry very slightly.
"Hermione," said Harry suddenly. "Did you see who any of the Death Eaters were?"
She narrowed her eyes in concentration and looked at the ceiling for a time. Harry and Ron watched her mutter to herself and stare into space, as though she was solving a difficult math equation.
"Hermione?" said Ron, very quietly.
"There was a voice," she said slowly. "It was really familiar - but who was it? I know I've heard them before."
Harry looked at her. "Malfoy?" he suggested.
She shook her head. "I don't think so."
Ron shrugged. "Could've been anyone, couldn't it? Well, we Stunned a few, so they'll get unmasked."
"Wrong, Weasley.very wrong," said someone right behind them, in an icy voice that was all too familiar and none too welcome.
Professor Snape was standing nearby, looking deadly serious and very angry.