Chapter 8: The One You Love
Madam Pomfrey rubbed her hand over Harry's forehead,
and clicked her tongue.
Hermione hated it when people did that, because they
knew it was always bad.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, gripping Harry's
lifeless hand.
Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "It's not good, dear.
Not good at all."
Hermione felt tears swelling in her eyes again. "He's
going to be okay, isn't he?"
Madam Pomfrey shook her head again, and sighed. "He's
in a coma. I… I can't do anything for him."
Hermione sobbed, and Madam Pomfrey put a hand on her
shoulder. "I'm very sorry dear, all we can hope is
that he wakes up soon."
"Why can't you help him?" Hermione sobbed. "Why?"
"There are some things even magic cannot cure," Madam
Pomfrey whispered. "And this is one of them."
"Any change?" Ron asked later that night when he
walked into the hospital wing with a plate of food for
her.
"No," Hermione said hoarsely. "We can't leave him
like this Ron, we have to do something!"
"What exactly?"
"We could take him to a Muggle doctor!"
"You know perfectly well we can't! Imagine what
they'd say!" She paused. "This is all my fault,"
"Oh come on Herm,"
She kissed his hand. "No, it is. I should have had a
talk with Ginny long ago. Maybe then she wouldn't
have… Harry wouldn't be like this."
"I love my sister," Ron said quietly. "Crazy stunts
run in our family, but this… crossed the line."
Hermione made a small mew of pain, and then began
sobbing again.
"Hey, hey, hey," Ron whispered, gathering her up in a
hug. "He's going to be okay."
"What if he isn't?" she sobbed, burying her face into
his shoulder. "I can't live without him, Ron, I
can't…"
"No one says you have to. This is Harry we're talking
about! He's gotten through messier situations than
this. He'll pull through." He pulled away from her and
kissed her forehead, "okay?"
Hermione gave a small nod.
"How about you eat something?" Ron asked, gesturing
to the plate of food.
"I can't," Hermione said.
"Herm, you have to eat. You've been sleeping on the
floor, it's not good."
"I don't want to leave him," Hermione vowed. "He's so
alone in here…"
"He's not alone, Madam Pomfrey is right in her
office, he'll be fine. Come on, Harry wouldn't want
this. He wouldn't want you killing yourself for him,
I'm his best friend, I know it, and he wouldn't
forgive me for letting you."
Hermoine looked back at Harry's unmoving frame.
"…Okay. But only for a little while."
Madam Pomfrey was standing over Harry when Hermione
returned to the hospital wing. A lump formed in her
throat. "Any change?"
Madam Pomfrey gave her a sympethetic look, and shook
her head. "just bringing him an extra blanket, dear."
"Oh." Tears threatened to crawl down her cheeks. For
one glorious moment, she had thought everything was
going to be okay again.
"I brought one for you too," she handed Hermione a
blanket, and then busseled off once again.
"it's just me again," Hermione said, thowing the
blanket around her. She gave Harry's hand a squeeze.
"Snape doesn't know how to act without you in our
Potions class," she told him. "he's been acting…
weird. Like he misses you. We all miss you."
"But I'm the only one he loves," a voice said behind
her.
Hermione whipped around, and saw Ginny standing there.
"You're not supposed to be in here!"
"Tell me, Hermione," Ginny said, "do you do anything
besides quote rules?"
Hermione got to her feet, giving Harry's hand a quick
kiss before turning to Ginny, her eyes narrowed to
slits. "Get out of here, Ginny. Before I make you."
"Oh yeah?" Ginny asked, slowly walking toward
Hermione.
"What is going on here?"
The two girls turned around and saw Madam Pomfrey
standing behind them, a bottle in her hand.
"Nothing," Ginny said, walking around Hermione and
taking a seat next to Harry. "What's that?"
Madam Pomfrey looked between the two girls. "Well, the
only family he has are Muggles, and Professor
Dumbledore came with this for me all the way from
Atlantis. It's an experimental drug for Coma
patients."
Hermione's heart leapt up into her throat. "What do
you mean experimental?"
"Well," Madam Pomfrey said, shaking the small bottle
vigoursly. "It hasn't been tested yet on humans,"
Hermione gasped. "And you want to try that on Harry?"
"Now, let me explain before you jump to conclusions,"
Madam Pomfrey said. "We're sure we'll get a reaction,
we're just not sure what type."
"Will it wake him up?" Ginny asked.
Madam Pomfrey nodded. "That we're sure of. The side
effects, however…"
"W-what side effects?" Hermione stammered.
Madam Pomfrey sighed. "There's a chance he's end up in
pain, terrible pain. A good chance. He'll be fully
conscious, but in agony."
Tears leaked from Hermione's eyes. "Why?" she
whispered.
"The shock this drug would do to his system, it's not
made for humans. The people of Atlantis use it to
revive their own."
"But you'd be able to numb his pain, right?" Ginny
asked.
"No," Madam Pomfrey said. "We wouldn't know how."
"Do it," Ginny stated.
Hermione cast a furious glare at her. "You can't be
serious."
"If it'll wake him up…"
"And what if he's in pain? I couldn't bare that!"
Hermione shouted. She grabbed Harry's hand.
"It would make him be conscious!" Ginny yelled.
"And in pain!? No, I'd rather live without him than
see him suffer…" Hermione moaned, a large lump forming
in her throat. "At least… at least he's peaceful now…"
"Well who said it was your choice?" Ginny sneered.
"Professor Dumbledore," Madam Pomfrey cut in.
Ginny looked at her as if she was a giant three-headed
dog.
Hermione looked at Madam Pomfrey as well. "Me?" she
asked.
Madam Pomfrey nodded. "You're the closest he has to
family, you and Mr. Ronald Weasley, who has given
orders that the decision be yours."
"Mine," she whispered, kissing his hand.
"Don't be stupid!" Ginny growled.
Hermione had had it. She lay Harry's hand down softly
on the bed and turned quickly on her heel. "BACK OFF,
GINNY!" she cried.
Ginny sneered at her.
Hermione curled her hands into fists.
"Alright, out!" Madam Pomfrey ordered, pointing to
Ginny.
Hermione watched as Ginny was drug away by Madam
Pomfrey. She turned back to Harry, still silent as a
statue. "You wouldn't want that drug, would you?" she
asked. She smoothed his hair back with her hand. "Oh,
I miss you so much. I'd give anything to hear your
voice again, but not that. I couldn't put you in pain
for me. You'll just have to come back to me on your
own."
There was an obnoxious giggle behind her. Hermione
turned around, thinking Ginny had come back for round
two. But the ghost of girl floated silently behind
her.
"Myrtle," Hermione said. "What're you doing here?"
"Come to pay my respects," Myrtle replied.
Hermione got up, and moved away from Harry, and Myrtle
floated over to him.
Myrtle looked down at him, sadly. "Harry was very nice
to me when the chamber was re-opened," she said. "He
was one of the few people that ever were."
Hermione gave a small smile. "He's a nice person."
Myrtle opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it
again.
"What is it?" Hermione asked.
"When I was in school, still living, there was a boy
that I liked who went into a Coma. Gary Hunting. He
didn't feel the same way about me, of course. But, I
had to be certain. No one speaks of it anymore, but
there is a potion that can make people in coma's wake
up."
"What?" Hermione asked. She had never heard of such a
thing, and she had read at least three hundred books
on the magical arts.
"But only true love can do it," Myrtle continued.
"There's so little of it anymore. I tried it with
Gary, it didn't work of course."
"What do I do?" Hermione asked.
"You drink a potion, and are transported into their
comatose state. You interact with them. If the love
you share is true love, when the potion wears off,
he'll wake up as well."
"What about if it's not?"
"Then Harry will be lost forever."
Hermione stared at Myrtle. I know our love is true
love, she thought. This had to work. "Okay," she said
finally.
Myrtle handed a small bottle to her, and then
whispered a weak good luck. She then floated quickly
away.
"Did she buy it?" Ginny asked, her arms crossed,
leaning against the hospital wing door.
Moaning Myrtle nodded.
Ginny grinned. "So, she's going to drink the poison.
Bye, Hermione."
Harry Potter was in a fog. He had been sleeping so
peacefully, he wondered what had woke him up so
suddenly. A pink haze covered everything as far as he
could so, but he was pretty sure he was on Hogwarts
grounds. He looked down, and nearly cried out. He was
laying… on top of the lake. Am I dreaming? That had to
be it.
And then, someone came slowly walking towards him. He
knew her at once, and the brilliant sight made his
heart ache. Hermione.
"Hey," he said, and smiled at her.
But as she drew nearer, she became more solid, and the
fog started to dissapear. And as she walked towards
him, his senses sharpened. Something wasn't right
here. Wasn't right at all.
Now she was only inches from him, and he had the
strong feeling that he needed to wake up. Now.
Hermione wasn't as solid as he was… she was…
transparent.
"What's going on?" he asked her. He then realized
that she was crying. "Herm?" he asked, reached out to
touch her, but his hand going straight through.
"I'm dying, Harry." She whispered.
"No," a small cry emited from him. "No, please!"
"Ginny's poisoned me. Please save me," she said.
"How!?" he demanded.
"You have to wake up. Right now." She stated.
"I can't!"
"Yes, you can." She said. "I love you, Harry, and you
love me as well. Look deep down inside yourself, and
find it. Don't be fooled by the Love Potion. Don't go
back to sleep."
"But I'm so tired," he whispered. All he wanted to do
was to go back to sleep.
Hermione grabbed his face gently with her hands and
kissed him. "You have to. Or lose me forever." Her
voice carried on the wind as she slowly vanished.
"Alright, alright…" he said worriedly, looking around
for anything that could wake him up. Anything. "Come
on, Harry… we can do this."
And then, he knew what would wake him up. So simple,
he didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before. The
one person he loved with all his heart and soul.
Hermione.
The way he cared about her, the way he wanted to spend
every minute with her.
And suddenly, he was traveling very fast… the dream
world disappearing in a blur of color.
Hermione saw Harry's eyelids flutter, and she gasped.
Without a second warning, he bolted upright in bed,
and knocked the bottle out of her hand.
Madam Pomfrey rubbed her hand over Harry's forehead,
and clicked her tongue.
Hermione hated it when people did that, because they
knew it was always bad.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, gripping Harry's
lifeless hand.
Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "It's not good, dear.
Not good at all."
Hermione felt tears swelling in her eyes again. "He's
going to be okay, isn't he?"
Madam Pomfrey shook her head again, and sighed. "He's
in a coma. I… I can't do anything for him."
Hermione sobbed, and Madam Pomfrey put a hand on her
shoulder. "I'm very sorry dear, all we can hope is
that he wakes up soon."
"Why can't you help him?" Hermione sobbed. "Why?"
"There are some things even magic cannot cure," Madam
Pomfrey whispered. "And this is one of them."
"Any change?" Ron asked later that night when he
walked into the hospital wing with a plate of food for
her.
"No," Hermione said hoarsely. "We can't leave him
like this Ron, we have to do something!"
"What exactly?"
"We could take him to a Muggle doctor!"
"You know perfectly well we can't! Imagine what
they'd say!" She paused. "This is all my fault,"
"Oh come on Herm,"
She kissed his hand. "No, it is. I should have had a
talk with Ginny long ago. Maybe then she wouldn't
have… Harry wouldn't be like this."
"I love my sister," Ron said quietly. "Crazy stunts
run in our family, but this… crossed the line."
Hermione made a small mew of pain, and then began
sobbing again.
"Hey, hey, hey," Ron whispered, gathering her up in a
hug. "He's going to be okay."
"What if he isn't?" she sobbed, burying her face into
his shoulder. "I can't live without him, Ron, I
can't…"
"No one says you have to. This is Harry we're talking
about! He's gotten through messier situations than
this. He'll pull through." He pulled away from her and
kissed her forehead, "okay?"
Hermione gave a small nod.
"How about you eat something?" Ron asked, gesturing
to the plate of food.
"I can't," Hermione said.
"Herm, you have to eat. You've been sleeping on the
floor, it's not good."
"I don't want to leave him," Hermione vowed. "He's so
alone in here…"
"He's not alone, Madam Pomfrey is right in her
office, he'll be fine. Come on, Harry wouldn't want
this. He wouldn't want you killing yourself for him,
I'm his best friend, I know it, and he wouldn't
forgive me for letting you."
Hermoine looked back at Harry's unmoving frame.
"…Okay. But only for a little while."
Madam Pomfrey was standing over Harry when Hermione
returned to the hospital wing. A lump formed in her
throat. "Any change?"
Madam Pomfrey gave her a sympethetic look, and shook
her head. "just bringing him an extra blanket, dear."
"Oh." Tears threatened to crawl down her cheeks. For
one glorious moment, she had thought everything was
going to be okay again.
"I brought one for you too," she handed Hermione a
blanket, and then busseled off once again.
"it's just me again," Hermione said, thowing the
blanket around her. She gave Harry's hand a squeeze.
"Snape doesn't know how to act without you in our
Potions class," she told him. "he's been acting…
weird. Like he misses you. We all miss you."
"But I'm the only one he loves," a voice said behind
her.
Hermione whipped around, and saw Ginny standing there.
"You're not supposed to be in here!"
"Tell me, Hermione," Ginny said, "do you do anything
besides quote rules?"
Hermione got to her feet, giving Harry's hand a quick
kiss before turning to Ginny, her eyes narrowed to
slits. "Get out of here, Ginny. Before I make you."
"Oh yeah?" Ginny asked, slowly walking toward
Hermione.
"What is going on here?"
The two girls turned around and saw Madam Pomfrey
standing behind them, a bottle in her hand.
"Nothing," Ginny said, walking around Hermione and
taking a seat next to Harry. "What's that?"
Madam Pomfrey looked between the two girls. "Well, the
only family he has are Muggles, and Professor
Dumbledore came with this for me all the way from
Atlantis. It's an experimental drug for Coma
patients."
Hermione's heart leapt up into her throat. "What do
you mean experimental?"
"Well," Madam Pomfrey said, shaking the small bottle
vigoursly. "It hasn't been tested yet on humans,"
Hermione gasped. "And you want to try that on Harry?"
"Now, let me explain before you jump to conclusions,"
Madam Pomfrey said. "We're sure we'll get a reaction,
we're just not sure what type."
"Will it wake him up?" Ginny asked.
Madam Pomfrey nodded. "That we're sure of. The side
effects, however…"
"W-what side effects?" Hermione stammered.
Madam Pomfrey sighed. "There's a chance he's end up in
pain, terrible pain. A good chance. He'll be fully
conscious, but in agony."
Tears leaked from Hermione's eyes. "Why?" she
whispered.
"The shock this drug would do to his system, it's not
made for humans. The people of Atlantis use it to
revive their own."
"But you'd be able to numb his pain, right?" Ginny
asked.
"No," Madam Pomfrey said. "We wouldn't know how."
"Do it," Ginny stated.
Hermione cast a furious glare at her. "You can't be
serious."
"If it'll wake him up…"
"And what if he's in pain? I couldn't bare that!"
Hermione shouted. She grabbed Harry's hand.
"It would make him be conscious!" Ginny yelled.
"And in pain!? No, I'd rather live without him than
see him suffer…" Hermione moaned, a large lump forming
in her throat. "At least… at least he's peaceful now…"
"Well who said it was your choice?" Ginny sneered.
"Professor Dumbledore," Madam Pomfrey cut in.
Ginny looked at her as if she was a giant three-headed
dog.
Hermione looked at Madam Pomfrey as well. "Me?" she
asked.
Madam Pomfrey nodded. "You're the closest he has to
family, you and Mr. Ronald Weasley, who has given
orders that the decision be yours."
"Mine," she whispered, kissing his hand.
"Don't be stupid!" Ginny growled.
Hermione had had it. She lay Harry's hand down softly
on the bed and turned quickly on her heel. "BACK OFF,
GINNY!" she cried.
Ginny sneered at her.
Hermione curled her hands into fists.
"Alright, out!" Madam Pomfrey ordered, pointing to
Ginny.
Hermione watched as Ginny was drug away by Madam
Pomfrey. She turned back to Harry, still silent as a
statue. "You wouldn't want that drug, would you?" she
asked. She smoothed his hair back with her hand. "Oh,
I miss you so much. I'd give anything to hear your
voice again, but not that. I couldn't put you in pain
for me. You'll just have to come back to me on your
own."
There was an obnoxious giggle behind her. Hermione
turned around, thinking Ginny had come back for round
two. But the ghost of girl floated silently behind
her.
"Myrtle," Hermione said. "What're you doing here?"
"Come to pay my respects," Myrtle replied.
Hermione got up, and moved away from Harry, and Myrtle
floated over to him.
Myrtle looked down at him, sadly. "Harry was very nice
to me when the chamber was re-opened," she said. "He
was one of the few people that ever were."
Hermione gave a small smile. "He's a nice person."
Myrtle opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it
again.
"What is it?" Hermione asked.
"When I was in school, still living, there was a boy
that I liked who went into a Coma. Gary Hunting. He
didn't feel the same way about me, of course. But, I
had to be certain. No one speaks of it anymore, but
there is a potion that can make people in coma's wake
up."
"What?" Hermione asked. She had never heard of such a
thing, and she had read at least three hundred books
on the magical arts.
"But only true love can do it," Myrtle continued.
"There's so little of it anymore. I tried it with
Gary, it didn't work of course."
"What do I do?" Hermione asked.
"You drink a potion, and are transported into their
comatose state. You interact with them. If the love
you share is true love, when the potion wears off,
he'll wake up as well."
"What about if it's not?"
"Then Harry will be lost forever."
Hermione stared at Myrtle. I know our love is true
love, she thought. This had to work. "Okay," she said
finally.
Myrtle handed a small bottle to her, and then
whispered a weak good luck. She then floated quickly
away.
"Did she buy it?" Ginny asked, her arms crossed,
leaning against the hospital wing door.
Moaning Myrtle nodded.
Ginny grinned. "So, she's going to drink the poison.
Bye, Hermione."
Harry Potter was in a fog. He had been sleeping so
peacefully, he wondered what had woke him up so
suddenly. A pink haze covered everything as far as he
could so, but he was pretty sure he was on Hogwarts
grounds. He looked down, and nearly cried out. He was
laying… on top of the lake. Am I dreaming? That had to
be it.
And then, someone came slowly walking towards him. He
knew her at once, and the brilliant sight made his
heart ache. Hermione.
"Hey," he said, and smiled at her.
But as she drew nearer, she became more solid, and the
fog started to dissapear. And as she walked towards
him, his senses sharpened. Something wasn't right
here. Wasn't right at all.
Now she was only inches from him, and he had the
strong feeling that he needed to wake up. Now.
Hermione wasn't as solid as he was… she was…
transparent.
"What's going on?" he asked her. He then realized
that she was crying. "Herm?" he asked, reached out to
touch her, but his hand going straight through.
"I'm dying, Harry." She whispered.
"No," a small cry emited from him. "No, please!"
"Ginny's poisoned me. Please save me," she said.
"How!?" he demanded.
"You have to wake up. Right now." She stated.
"I can't!"
"Yes, you can." She said. "I love you, Harry, and you
love me as well. Look deep down inside yourself, and
find it. Don't be fooled by the Love Potion. Don't go
back to sleep."
"But I'm so tired," he whispered. All he wanted to do
was to go back to sleep.
Hermione grabbed his face gently with her hands and
kissed him. "You have to. Or lose me forever." Her
voice carried on the wind as she slowly vanished.
"Alright, alright…" he said worriedly, looking around
for anything that could wake him up. Anything. "Come
on, Harry… we can do this."
And then, he knew what would wake him up. So simple,
he didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before. The
one person he loved with all his heart and soul.
Hermione.
The way he cared about her, the way he wanted to spend
every minute with her.
And suddenly, he was traveling very fast… the dream
world disappearing in a blur of color.
Hermione saw Harry's eyelids flutter, and she gasped.
Without a second warning, he bolted upright in bed,
and knocked the bottle out of her hand.