Chapter Nineteen - Human Feelings
"Hello Hermione...boys."
"Hello sir," the three said together, smile up at Mr. Frank Longbottom. Frank smiled warmly back and opened the door wider for them. They stepped inside and said hello to a knitting Jen Longbottom, who stood and beamed.
"And who what do we owe this pleasure?"
Ron and Harry turned to Hermione, as they had simply chased her after only putting a third of the books on the shelf.
Hermione looked uncomfortable as she spoke slowly. "I would like to ask you two about...St. Mungo's."
Ron was outraged. "Hermione!" he hissed, "You have no right! So sorry, Mr. Longbottom, she is clearly still quite ill...Hermione, let's go, this is ridiculous!"
He grabbed her arm, ready to pull her off, but she was able to shrug him away. "No Ron, I need to know. I understand it's a terribly rude question, asking you about something so personal and terrible, but it's very important...what was it like there?"
Frank sat down next to Genevieve, and they looked at each other, hesitantly. "Hermione," he said carefully, "I know how inquisitive and brilliant you are. Asking questions is always a good thing, but you must understand..."
"And you must understand the seriousness of this question, Mr. Longbottom," Hermione snapped back, disregarding what the authority was trying to say. "Please sir, please trust me. This question must be answered to the fullest extent possible."
Genevieve patted Frank's hand, and took over the answering. "It was...oh Hermione, I can hardly remember. You must realize that we were...very ill during our time here, and didn't even know where we were...it's so hard to explain, Hermione. Yes, this is quite difficult..."
"Was anyone ever freed from St. Mungo's?"
All eyes turned to Harry, his sudden question a surprise. But Hermione nodded in agreement, encouraging the two adults to answer.
Jen and Frank seemed to think for a while before answering. "Not that I know of," Frank answered. "And that includes what I know from before I was put there. We never heard of anyone being released...becoming healthy again. In fact, conditions usually declined."
Hermione shot a glance at Harry. He looked back at her nervously, afraid of what she was thinking.
"Could you name any of the employees at St. Mungo's?"
He'd had enough. Frank stood and in a much louder than normal voice said, "Now listen Miss Granger, I don't know what you're hinting at, but St. Mungo's is a good place that takes care of those who are unable to provide for themselves. Whatever you three may be playing at, it had better end soon. This is ridiculous."
"It's getting late," Jen said quietly, stopping her husband. "Why don't you two head to the Great Hall for lunch."
Right before the three left, the figure outside the door slipped away, before he could be caught.
They knew far too much.
*^*^*
"Well?"
"Everything is going well, sir," Ruby smiled. "I'm sure my protection spells have helped immensely. With the attacks over, and the school year almost finished..."
"You wish to return to your normal state, Ms. Rocale?" Dumbledore smiled.
Ruby hesitated. "I've rather enjoyed this presence, sir. I hoped...but of course not, that would be impossible."
Dumbledore smiled sadly at her. "As amazing as human emotions are, Ms. Rocale, it is sometimes wise to stop while you are ahead, and remember the good times you had. I believe it would be best for you to return to your staff at the end of the school year, and stay with Mister Potter through the summer in your primary form."
Ruby bowed her head. "Of course, sir." She began to take a few steps towards the door, when she suddenly made up her mind. "I think it'd be best if I...if I ended it now, sir, while I still know it's the right thing to do."
"Then may I suggest," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling, "that you go say goodbye to a particular someone first?"
Tears-real, human tears-filled Ruby's eyes as her stomach tightened into a painful knot. Nodding, she heaved a sigh and stepped out of the room, her eyes never leaving the floor.
The further down the escalator stairs she went, the more the remorseful feeling took over her heart. She stepped out of the gargoyle door and immediately started looking for him. Her eyes looked at each passing student, but no blond boy stood out to her. She tried desperately to not cry, but her human feelings forced the tears to fall faster from her eyes.
She couldn't find him.
^*^*^
"She knows."
"Who knows what?"
"Miss Granger. She knows. About everything. How Voldemort worked the dementors...about St. Mungo's...everything."
"What do I care?"
"She's not stupid."
"Your point?"
"She'll figure us out."
"She won't."
"She will."
"What do you suppose we do about it then?"
"Kill her."
"Kill her?"
"Kill her."
"And Potter?"
"Him too. And Weasley."
"Hrm. This could be fun."
"Indeed."
"Hello Hermione...boys."
"Hello sir," the three said together, smile up at Mr. Frank Longbottom. Frank smiled warmly back and opened the door wider for them. They stepped inside and said hello to a knitting Jen Longbottom, who stood and beamed.
"And who what do we owe this pleasure?"
Ron and Harry turned to Hermione, as they had simply chased her after only putting a third of the books on the shelf.
Hermione looked uncomfortable as she spoke slowly. "I would like to ask you two about...St. Mungo's."
Ron was outraged. "Hermione!" he hissed, "You have no right! So sorry, Mr. Longbottom, she is clearly still quite ill...Hermione, let's go, this is ridiculous!"
He grabbed her arm, ready to pull her off, but she was able to shrug him away. "No Ron, I need to know. I understand it's a terribly rude question, asking you about something so personal and terrible, but it's very important...what was it like there?"
Frank sat down next to Genevieve, and they looked at each other, hesitantly. "Hermione," he said carefully, "I know how inquisitive and brilliant you are. Asking questions is always a good thing, but you must understand..."
"And you must understand the seriousness of this question, Mr. Longbottom," Hermione snapped back, disregarding what the authority was trying to say. "Please sir, please trust me. This question must be answered to the fullest extent possible."
Genevieve patted Frank's hand, and took over the answering. "It was...oh Hermione, I can hardly remember. You must realize that we were...very ill during our time here, and didn't even know where we were...it's so hard to explain, Hermione. Yes, this is quite difficult..."
"Was anyone ever freed from St. Mungo's?"
All eyes turned to Harry, his sudden question a surprise. But Hermione nodded in agreement, encouraging the two adults to answer.
Jen and Frank seemed to think for a while before answering. "Not that I know of," Frank answered. "And that includes what I know from before I was put there. We never heard of anyone being released...becoming healthy again. In fact, conditions usually declined."
Hermione shot a glance at Harry. He looked back at her nervously, afraid of what she was thinking.
"Could you name any of the employees at St. Mungo's?"
He'd had enough. Frank stood and in a much louder than normal voice said, "Now listen Miss Granger, I don't know what you're hinting at, but St. Mungo's is a good place that takes care of those who are unable to provide for themselves. Whatever you three may be playing at, it had better end soon. This is ridiculous."
"It's getting late," Jen said quietly, stopping her husband. "Why don't you two head to the Great Hall for lunch."
Right before the three left, the figure outside the door slipped away, before he could be caught.
They knew far too much.
*^*^*
"Well?"
"Everything is going well, sir," Ruby smiled. "I'm sure my protection spells have helped immensely. With the attacks over, and the school year almost finished..."
"You wish to return to your normal state, Ms. Rocale?" Dumbledore smiled.
Ruby hesitated. "I've rather enjoyed this presence, sir. I hoped...but of course not, that would be impossible."
Dumbledore smiled sadly at her. "As amazing as human emotions are, Ms. Rocale, it is sometimes wise to stop while you are ahead, and remember the good times you had. I believe it would be best for you to return to your staff at the end of the school year, and stay with Mister Potter through the summer in your primary form."
Ruby bowed her head. "Of course, sir." She began to take a few steps towards the door, when she suddenly made up her mind. "I think it'd be best if I...if I ended it now, sir, while I still know it's the right thing to do."
"Then may I suggest," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling, "that you go say goodbye to a particular someone first?"
Tears-real, human tears-filled Ruby's eyes as her stomach tightened into a painful knot. Nodding, she heaved a sigh and stepped out of the room, her eyes never leaving the floor.
The further down the escalator stairs she went, the more the remorseful feeling took over her heart. She stepped out of the gargoyle door and immediately started looking for him. Her eyes looked at each passing student, but no blond boy stood out to her. She tried desperately to not cry, but her human feelings forced the tears to fall faster from her eyes.
She couldn't find him.
^*^*^
"She knows."
"Who knows what?"
"Miss Granger. She knows. About everything. How Voldemort worked the dementors...about St. Mungo's...everything."
"What do I care?"
"She's not stupid."
"Your point?"
"She'll figure us out."
"She won't."
"She will."
"What do you suppose we do about it then?"
"Kill her."
"Kill her?"
"Kill her."
"And Potter?"
"Him too. And Weasley."
"Hrm. This could be fun."
"Indeed."