Harry stood up the best he could. He had to clear his head to make a patronus but couldn't. Whenever he thought about him being with Hermione he then thought of the fact he was leaving her and he didn't know when, where, how, and why. There were at least 50 reaching out for him. Then came a familiar voice.
"Expecto Patronum!"
"Lupin! What's going on?" Harry was very confused.
"Hermione, get him out of here! Now!"
Hermione snapped out of her daze and quickly pulled Harry up and ran. She kept running, Harry barely keeping up, but she didn't know where to go. She then ran into Cho.
"Cho..." Hermione was out of breath.
"Come with me. The Gryffindors were directed into the Ravenclaw dorms. You ok, Harry?" He nodded. "Ok. Let's go. Quickly."
They ran down the staircase and Harry regained enough strength to run with them. As they entered the Ravenclaw common room, Ron, Fred, George took Harry to the couch to sit and Lavender and Parvati tried to calm Hermione down. No one knew what was going on but Hermione and Ron. Dumbledore walked is an hour or so later. He had a look Harry never saw before.
"All of you, to bed, now," said Dumbledore sternly, then turned to Harry, "Come with me Harry." Harry slowly got up and walked over.
"Headmaster...please...may I...," Hermione said still crying.
"Yes you may, Miss Granger, yes you may." She then began to walk with them.
"Professor...." Ron began to follow too.
"I said to bed, Mr. Weasley, and I meant it. Goodnight." He watched to make sure every student went upstairs before they went storming out.
They walked at a very fast pace to reach Dumbledore's office. It was a little far. Harry held Hermione close to him as they made their way there. Suddenly they stopped at the entrance.
"Professor, what's going on? I 'm kind of in the dark," Harry said to Dumbledore and Hermione began to cry a little harder. Harry held her closer.
"I'm sorry, my boy, I should have told you. Cornelius Fudge has decided to close this Cedric case. He doesn't believe your story...and well..."
"He didn't do it!" Hermione yelled.
"You have been convicted of the murder of Cedric Diggory," Dumbledore said quietly.
"It's a dream," Hermione said," It's a dream...maybe some kind of a curse...yeah that's it...a curse that makes us have bad dreams..."
"Hermione.... Stop," Harry said to her then turned to Dumbledore, "So that's why you kept calling Hermione down. How long has she known?"
"A while. I shouldn't of put all of this on her shoulders. I'm sorry Harry and Miss Granger. Harry, I will do my best but I'm afraid you may go to Azkaban."
Harry froze. This was unbelievable. He didn't do a thing wrong. He had no reason to go to Azkaban. His story was true right down to the very detail. He thought about how Hermione was feeling and tears formed in his eyes. He didn't want to leave her and he blamed Dumbledore but he then decided it was Cornelius Fudge. He looked to Hermione. He needed her at this moment but she couldn't ask her to stay. She was too emotional at that moment and that was the last thing he had to worry about. He turned to Hermione. Everything was happening so fast. Dumbledore leaned down and whispered in his ear.
"Are you sure you want her to stay with you?"
"I won't let them, Harry! I won't!" Hermione screamed.
"Professor..." Harry had to let her go. Dumbledore slowly nodded and Harry grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her away.
"It's a dream... a bad dream...," Hermione whispered. At that moment Harry hit her. Not hard but enough to make her snap out of her hysterical crying and listen.
"Hermione, I need you right now but I can't ask you to stay. You're a wreck. This is too much for you..."
"I can handle this. I'm not as weak as you think," Hermione said in a shaky trying not to cry again. "I'm going Harry. Anywhere, Harry, anywhere..."
"NO!" Harry yelled at her. Another thing he had never done to her before. He lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, "Go to bed Hermione. I'll see you soon. You think the Great Harry Potter would give up without a fight? Really, Hermione..."
She hugged him tightly. He could feel her slowly dropping to the floor. He went down with her. Harry's were blurry even though he was wearing is glasses. He hugged and cried with her until Dumbledore tapped lightly on his shoulder. They got up and Hermione said something he would never forget.
"Harry Potter, remember who you are and what you have. You are the boy who lived and the greatest wizard ever. And you have me...and all your friends on your side. As long as you know that they will never take you away from us...or me. Remember, Harry."
"I will...go...I'll be alright...they won't have me."
Hermione turned and walked slowly away. She turned back around, nodded, and then ran toward the dorms. Harry looked at the opening of the office. He took a deep breath. This was it. His time was up.
"Expecto Patronum!"
"Lupin! What's going on?" Harry was very confused.
"Hermione, get him out of here! Now!"
Hermione snapped out of her daze and quickly pulled Harry up and ran. She kept running, Harry barely keeping up, but she didn't know where to go. She then ran into Cho.
"Cho..." Hermione was out of breath.
"Come with me. The Gryffindors were directed into the Ravenclaw dorms. You ok, Harry?" He nodded. "Ok. Let's go. Quickly."
They ran down the staircase and Harry regained enough strength to run with them. As they entered the Ravenclaw common room, Ron, Fred, George took Harry to the couch to sit and Lavender and Parvati tried to calm Hermione down. No one knew what was going on but Hermione and Ron. Dumbledore walked is an hour or so later. He had a look Harry never saw before.
"All of you, to bed, now," said Dumbledore sternly, then turned to Harry, "Come with me Harry." Harry slowly got up and walked over.
"Headmaster...please...may I...," Hermione said still crying.
"Yes you may, Miss Granger, yes you may." She then began to walk with them.
"Professor...." Ron began to follow too.
"I said to bed, Mr. Weasley, and I meant it. Goodnight." He watched to make sure every student went upstairs before they went storming out.
They walked at a very fast pace to reach Dumbledore's office. It was a little far. Harry held Hermione close to him as they made their way there. Suddenly they stopped at the entrance.
"Professor, what's going on? I 'm kind of in the dark," Harry said to Dumbledore and Hermione began to cry a little harder. Harry held her closer.
"I'm sorry, my boy, I should have told you. Cornelius Fudge has decided to close this Cedric case. He doesn't believe your story...and well..."
"He didn't do it!" Hermione yelled.
"You have been convicted of the murder of Cedric Diggory," Dumbledore said quietly.
"It's a dream," Hermione said," It's a dream...maybe some kind of a curse...yeah that's it...a curse that makes us have bad dreams..."
"Hermione.... Stop," Harry said to her then turned to Dumbledore, "So that's why you kept calling Hermione down. How long has she known?"
"A while. I shouldn't of put all of this on her shoulders. I'm sorry Harry and Miss Granger. Harry, I will do my best but I'm afraid you may go to Azkaban."
Harry froze. This was unbelievable. He didn't do a thing wrong. He had no reason to go to Azkaban. His story was true right down to the very detail. He thought about how Hermione was feeling and tears formed in his eyes. He didn't want to leave her and he blamed Dumbledore but he then decided it was Cornelius Fudge. He looked to Hermione. He needed her at this moment but she couldn't ask her to stay. She was too emotional at that moment and that was the last thing he had to worry about. He turned to Hermione. Everything was happening so fast. Dumbledore leaned down and whispered in his ear.
"Are you sure you want her to stay with you?"
"I won't let them, Harry! I won't!" Hermione screamed.
"Professor..." Harry had to let her go. Dumbledore slowly nodded and Harry grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her away.
"It's a dream... a bad dream...," Hermione whispered. At that moment Harry hit her. Not hard but enough to make her snap out of her hysterical crying and listen.
"Hermione, I need you right now but I can't ask you to stay. You're a wreck. This is too much for you..."
"I can handle this. I'm not as weak as you think," Hermione said in a shaky trying not to cry again. "I'm going Harry. Anywhere, Harry, anywhere..."
"NO!" Harry yelled at her. Another thing he had never done to her before. He lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, "Go to bed Hermione. I'll see you soon. You think the Great Harry Potter would give up without a fight? Really, Hermione..."
She hugged him tightly. He could feel her slowly dropping to the floor. He went down with her. Harry's were blurry even though he was wearing is glasses. He hugged and cried with her until Dumbledore tapped lightly on his shoulder. They got up and Hermione said something he would never forget.
"Harry Potter, remember who you are and what you have. You are the boy who lived and the greatest wizard ever. And you have me...and all your friends on your side. As long as you know that they will never take you away from us...or me. Remember, Harry."
"I will...go...I'll be alright...they won't have me."
Hermione turned and walked slowly away. She turned back around, nodded, and then ran toward the dorms. Harry looked at the opening of the office. He took a deep breath. This was it. His time was up.