Harry woke up early next morning. He looked around and thought he was dreaming. It was the third floor corridor. The same room in which he saved the Sorcerer's stone. He remembered back to the chess game and the potions puzzle. They all had to work together to reach it. He then remembered Professor Quirrel and how ever since they never had a true Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Then the fact that Voldemort almost lived again that night made him stiff. Then the thought that he was alive and well hit him. He shivered.
He finally pushed himself up and looked around with his glasses on. The Mirror of Erised was still there. Then he saw a lump of robes near the door. He slowly rose to his feet and approached it. The closer he got to the door the more he became tired. The dementors were outside. He knelt down beside the lump, which now looked like a person.
"I finally got him to sleep, so don't wake him," Hermione said, making Harry jump.
"Hermione. What's going on? Why are you here? Why am I here?"
"Ron's here too. Be quiet. He's been upset all night."
"You spent the night down here? Why?" Harry wanted to know why he was here. Wasn't he supposed to be going to Azkaban?
"I said I was going to go anywhere, Harry, and I meant it." Hermione took a deep breath, "Even if it was to Azkaban. I would have gone. Dumbledore is a very persuasive guy. Cornelius is letting you stay here until they go over the evidence."
"Hermione, you are too good for me." Harry leaned in to kiss her as a thank you only to be interrupted by their redheaded friend.
"Come on! Give me a break! Am I going to have to put up with this everyday when we visit?"
"Ron, thanks for being here," Harry said helping him up.
"Why wouldn't I be? My best friend is locked up, blamed for a murder he didn't commit, and you think that I, Ron Weasley, would ignore him and not come? Think about it. Besides, I get out of classes today thanks to you," Ron said with a big smile on is face. Hermione looked at him and elbowed him.
Harry felt something in his stomach. Should he tell them about Hermione and their possible death? Trelawney's predictions aren't usually true but it was a trance like the one he had the year before. Harry didn't know what to do. He didn't want to worry them. But he had too. He told them what Trelawney said and Hermione was amazed.
"I would never end my life like that! And anyway you aren't going to Azkaban, Harry. Don't worry about it. The woman is usually wrong anyway," Hermione said hiding her feelings toward the news. Harry could tell she was. Ron was silent. "Are you sure it would be suicide? I wouldn't do that."
"I know you wouldn't, Hermione," Harry said through a sigh. "You could get killed by someone. Who knows?" They all looked at each other.
"Anyway," Hermione said quickly, to change the subject, "What's that mirror? It's really old. Why is it here?"
"It's the mirror of Erised. It shows a person's deepest desires. I saw my family. And Ron..."
"I saw myself as Head Boy and captain of the Quidditch team, holding the Quidditch Cup."
"It doesn't show the future," Harry pointed out, "Just your deepest desire."
Hermione approached the mirror with her eyes closed. She opened them to see herself several years from then in a long white wedding dress. She smiled. It was pretty. Then she saw a tall male figure beside her in a tuxedo. She opened her mouth in surprise. He was a redheaded man with freckles...Ron.
"Me marrying Ron? Is this what I truly desire? This can't be right," she whispered to herself, "I want Harry. Not Ron... Remember, Hermione, it's not the future."
"What do you see, Hermione?" She jumped at the sound of Harry's voice. She turned and looked him in the eyes. She then turned back to the mirror to see the same thing she saw before.
"Myself in the biggest library in the world. Tons and tons of books and me reading them all cover to cover," she lied and whispered, "Nothing more."
"Wow, Hermione," said Ron be sarcastic and rolling his eyes, "I wish my reflection was the same as yours."
"Oh, quiet." Hermione found herself looking at Ron in a whole new way. She caught herself and stopped. Why him? What about Harry?
"Anyway, the mirror is here because Harry may need it." Ron looked at the mirror, "The dementors want you, Harry. You may need to defend yourself. Well since you need happy thoughts to make a patronus, Dumbledore thought it would make you happy. You know, just in case."
"And another thing," Hermione interrupted," the dementors have changed and have become stronger the past two years. That's why they are having a big effect on you. I think the thick walls will block them from you." The door creaked open. Sirius walked in.
"Come on you two. Breakfast is served. Classes will begin soon," Sirius said smiling and bringing Harry a plate of food.
"Classes? I thought we weren't going." Ron was nervous. He didn't do his homework that night.
"You can thank Remus for that. It was his idea." Sirius shrugged and led the two to the door. "I'll guide you out. The dementors are crazy things." Hermione ran back to Harry, hugged him, and ran out the door behind Sirius. Harry looked at his food and began to eat. His friends were on his side. That was the only thing that mattered to him.
He finally pushed himself up and looked around with his glasses on. The Mirror of Erised was still there. Then he saw a lump of robes near the door. He slowly rose to his feet and approached it. The closer he got to the door the more he became tired. The dementors were outside. He knelt down beside the lump, which now looked like a person.
"I finally got him to sleep, so don't wake him," Hermione said, making Harry jump.
"Hermione. What's going on? Why are you here? Why am I here?"
"Ron's here too. Be quiet. He's been upset all night."
"You spent the night down here? Why?" Harry wanted to know why he was here. Wasn't he supposed to be going to Azkaban?
"I said I was going to go anywhere, Harry, and I meant it." Hermione took a deep breath, "Even if it was to Azkaban. I would have gone. Dumbledore is a very persuasive guy. Cornelius is letting you stay here until they go over the evidence."
"Hermione, you are too good for me." Harry leaned in to kiss her as a thank you only to be interrupted by their redheaded friend.
"Come on! Give me a break! Am I going to have to put up with this everyday when we visit?"
"Ron, thanks for being here," Harry said helping him up.
"Why wouldn't I be? My best friend is locked up, blamed for a murder he didn't commit, and you think that I, Ron Weasley, would ignore him and not come? Think about it. Besides, I get out of classes today thanks to you," Ron said with a big smile on is face. Hermione looked at him and elbowed him.
Harry felt something in his stomach. Should he tell them about Hermione and their possible death? Trelawney's predictions aren't usually true but it was a trance like the one he had the year before. Harry didn't know what to do. He didn't want to worry them. But he had too. He told them what Trelawney said and Hermione was amazed.
"I would never end my life like that! And anyway you aren't going to Azkaban, Harry. Don't worry about it. The woman is usually wrong anyway," Hermione said hiding her feelings toward the news. Harry could tell she was. Ron was silent. "Are you sure it would be suicide? I wouldn't do that."
"I know you wouldn't, Hermione," Harry said through a sigh. "You could get killed by someone. Who knows?" They all looked at each other.
"Anyway," Hermione said quickly, to change the subject, "What's that mirror? It's really old. Why is it here?"
"It's the mirror of Erised. It shows a person's deepest desires. I saw my family. And Ron..."
"I saw myself as Head Boy and captain of the Quidditch team, holding the Quidditch Cup."
"It doesn't show the future," Harry pointed out, "Just your deepest desire."
Hermione approached the mirror with her eyes closed. She opened them to see herself several years from then in a long white wedding dress. She smiled. It was pretty. Then she saw a tall male figure beside her in a tuxedo. She opened her mouth in surprise. He was a redheaded man with freckles...Ron.
"Me marrying Ron? Is this what I truly desire? This can't be right," she whispered to herself, "I want Harry. Not Ron... Remember, Hermione, it's not the future."
"What do you see, Hermione?" She jumped at the sound of Harry's voice. She turned and looked him in the eyes. She then turned back to the mirror to see the same thing she saw before.
"Myself in the biggest library in the world. Tons and tons of books and me reading them all cover to cover," she lied and whispered, "Nothing more."
"Wow, Hermione," said Ron be sarcastic and rolling his eyes, "I wish my reflection was the same as yours."
"Oh, quiet." Hermione found herself looking at Ron in a whole new way. She caught herself and stopped. Why him? What about Harry?
"Anyway, the mirror is here because Harry may need it." Ron looked at the mirror, "The dementors want you, Harry. You may need to defend yourself. Well since you need happy thoughts to make a patronus, Dumbledore thought it would make you happy. You know, just in case."
"And another thing," Hermione interrupted," the dementors have changed and have become stronger the past two years. That's why they are having a big effect on you. I think the thick walls will block them from you." The door creaked open. Sirius walked in.
"Come on you two. Breakfast is served. Classes will begin soon," Sirius said smiling and bringing Harry a plate of food.
"Classes? I thought we weren't going." Ron was nervous. He didn't do his homework that night.
"You can thank Remus for that. It was his idea." Sirius shrugged and led the two to the door. "I'll guide you out. The dementors are crazy things." Hermione ran back to Harry, hugged him, and ran out the door behind Sirius. Harry looked at his food and began to eat. His friends were on his side. That was the only thing that mattered to him.