A/N: Well! So sorry it took so long to update.well, I suppose my only
defense is my busy schedule! But I'll be updating soon.fear not. ;-)
Please R/R!
CHAPTER 2, "Bizarre Twists of Emotion"
Back in the hospital wing, Lavender Brown breathed a sigh of relief. She had completed the difficult, complicated task of Ghost-Healing Hermione. As of right now, everything seemed to be going smoothly. She leaned back in her chair, resting her exhausted mind for a moment.
This was a mistake.
As Lavender dozed off, Hermione was not showing signs of getting well. In fact, she seemed to be doing the opposite. Instead of starting to breathe and open her eyes, she seemed to be shrinking. Like the smoke that had been pouring out of Harry and Cho's scars earlier, thin strands of fog began twisting themselves out of her face. Combined with her now red face, it made her look as if her head were on fire. Lavender, sensing that something was wrong, jerked herself awake. She screamed in horror when she saw Hermione. Panicking, she looked around for Madam Pomfrey. But the nurse was nowhere in sight. She looked for Parvati. Her friend was a much better healer than she was. But Parvati was gone. She started really panicking now. What was she to do? Hermione had only a few minutes. By instinct, Lavender knew that she had to undo the Ghost-Healing. Moving as quickly as possible, she took out her wand. She summoned up all the rest of her concentration and whispered the words under her breath. A Patronus- looking shadow whooshed out of her wand and covered Hermione. Good. Lavender knew she had the undoing process mastered.
Soon enough, Hermione was looking just as unconscious as she was before. Now Lavender had to just figure out how to get her conscious again so she could work with Harry. She knew she would need some of the library's books. She remembered one extremely useful title. "The Expert's Guide to Healing". She summoned it towards her. i"Accio!"/i she cried. Within minutes, the hospital wing door had burst open and the book came soaring toward her. Lavender caught it and began feverishly turning the pages.
It was near the back of the book that Lavender found what she needed.
iOne who has been placed under a powerful Dark curse will remain unconscious forever if left to his or her own devices. Healers have a slim chance of bring them back to life. If you wish to do so, I wish you luck in your quest, but warn you it may not succeed. Ghost-Healing would have been the first option, but if that has failed, try this:
1) Perform the Belitian Charm. This will cleanse the victim of stray Dark curses. It is merely used as a precaution to the Healer.
2) Repeat the incantation for Ghost-Healing with the same wand movements as the Levitation Charm. If done correctly, your patient should start breathing.
3) Reverse Spell Effect comes next. When done correctly, the victim will function in a normal way for a couple of hours./i
Lavender took a couple deep breaths before starting. She'd never seen such a complicated Healing procedure. iAlright, here I go/i, she thought. She followed the directions in the book exactly and at the end, felt true relief wash over her. Hermione was now sitting up and asking Lavender questions.
"Where's Harry? Where's Ron?"
"I-I really don't know. You'll have to ask Dumbledore," the weary Lavender replied.
*~*~*~
Meanwhile, Ron was having an internal struggle. How had Ginny come to be a Death Eater? Had she just been hoodwinked by a Dark object like she had in her first year? OR was she here of her own free will? Ron was torn between wanting to curse Ginny and wanting to talk to her. She was his sister, after all. Then again, she was also a Death Eater. Ron was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't realized the meaning of what Ginny had said a few seconds before. But a flash of green light and a rushing sound jerked him our of his cogitation. He looked, horrified, at Parvati, and sure enough, she was flat on her back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead, just like the spider in fourth year. Ron's thoughts of talking to his sister and reasoning with her vanished. All he wanted to do now was to curse her, hurt her as badly as he could. She had killed another person. Just before Ginny raised her wand for the Curse again, Ron yelled, i"Stupefy!" /iGinny was now Stunned. Ron darted toward Voldemort, shooting random Stunners over his shoulder. Dodging curses, he faced Voldemort. This was his moment. Voldemort raised his wand. Ron was ready. i "Finite Incancatem!"/i he roared, before he even knew what he was doing.
Voldemort had not expected this to happen. His red eyes widened in shock. The red light of Ron's spell was sucking up the green of Voldemort's. i "Reducto!" /iRon cried, on another impulse. He hadn't expected the Reductor Curse to get rid of Voldemort's shield completely, but it did enough. It gave Ron a path. i"Stupefy!"/i he shouted, fog blurring his eyes, hearing the soft ipop! /iof the disappearing Death Eaters, disappearing because their Lord was lifeless for the moment.
*~*~*~
Hermione stared sadly at Harry's motionless form. She loved him so much! She sat down in the empty chair by Harry's bed. She barely heard Lavender say she was going to try to find Madam Pomfrey. She reached out and held one of Harry's hands in both of hers. Stroked his face sorrowfully. Lying in front of her was the person she lived for. She loved Harry as she had never loved anyone else before, even Viktor Krum. She felt her eyes filling with tears for the second time this night. When they spilled out, she didn't even make an effort to stem the flow. She threw her arms around Harry's neck and sobbed uncontrollably into his shoulder as she had so many hours before when all this had begun. "I love you, Harry, " she whispered, her voice straining from tears, fingers combing his silken hair. Then something miraculous happened.
Harry pulled his arms around her and held her in an embrace both strong and frail. "And I'll always love you, 'Mione," he said. His voice was croaky too, but it was music to Hermione's ears.
She shrieked with delight as she pulled away from him to study his face, her face breaking into the biggest grin she had ever known. Harry grinned back. There was no need to speak anymore. They each knew that they were both feeling the same things. Love, joy, and even a slight twinge of sorrow that sweetened their joy to the highest degree. Suddenly, they heard the sound of laughter. Not the scornful laugh they had heard too often that night, but a happy, resonant sound. Professor Dumbledore was standing in the doorway, with Madam Pomfrey and Lavender close behind. "The spell has been broken," he said simply. But Madam Pomfrey had other worries.
"Where are Mr. Weasley and Miss Patil? Surely you two don't know?" Madam Pomfrey asked Hermione. The grins faded from faces all around the room.
Harry and Hermione looked at Dumbledore in confusion. For nearly a quarter of an hour, only Dumbledore's voice rang out in the silent hospital wing as he explained.
"Your friends Parvati and Ron apparently left this very wing to fight Voldemort. Their departure was unnoticed for a while. Only just now when Madam Pomfrey discovered that they were missing did she realize what had happened...and what we know must be done."
Dumbledore's gaze shifted from Harry to Hermione and back again.
"I dunno..." Harry murmured, already worried. He glanced at Hermione, who shook her head, frowning.
"Then it is invaluable that we find them." Dumbledore's eyes were no longer twinkling and no smile rested on his grave face. "Do either of you have any idea where they might be?"
Harry and Hermione shook their heads. But then a thought struck Harry. "I may have something...that might help." He looked over at Dumbledore, who nodded encouragingly. "It's a map of Hogwarts. It shows everyone on the Grounds, even if they're invisible." He summoned up all his remaining strength and said in a loud clear voice,i "Accio maurader's Map!"/i Once again, the hospital wing door burst open and a piece of parchment flew into the room. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good, " he muttered, tapping the map with his wand. As always, the map showed everyone and everything. Harry searched for Ron and Parvati. Then he saw them, at the very bottom corner of the map, deep within the Forbidden Forest.
*~*~*~
Harry pressed his eye closer to the Map in disbelief. How could Wormtail, Voldemort, and--wait. What was Ginny doing there? He knew she couldn't be fighting with Ron and Parvati, because she would have been with them to start with: she had no way of knowing exactly where they would be...unless...unless...
A horrible comprehension dawned on him and he sat bolt upright. Just a glance at Hermione told him that she had also come to that same conclusion. "What?!" she shrieked suddenly, apparently to herself. "Impossible!" she whispered, as if she knew in her heart that it was true. Hadn't Ginny always been very conscientious about showing her lower arms? Hermione cringed. The idea was ludicrous,i Ginny Weasley, a Death Eater, honestly,/i but the evidence was piling up.
"Mr. Potter?" Madam Pomfrey said with a hint of impatience in her anxious voice, jolting them out of their thoughts. "Mr. Potter-have you found them yet? This is very important."
"Yes. They are in the Forbidden Forest. Look-" Harry handed over the map.
Dumbledore stared at the map for a moment. Everyone else in the room gazed at him with tension. "Yes. All right, then. Harry, Hermione-are you feeling up to finding your friends?" Dumbledore asked, piercing them with his clear blue stare.
"Of course," Hermione said, her voice anxious. "We'd do anything for Ron."
"Very well then. You and Harry are excused-"
"But-but these children have been through too much! Headmaster, please! They need rest!" Madam Pomfrey exploded.
"Poppy, it is very important that Ron and Parvati are found, immediately. Harry and Hermione are among the very bravest of people, and due to the fact that Parvati and Ron are their friends, I believe they should be given a chance." Dumbledore finished with a note of finality.
"Let's go," Harry said to Hermione. He glanced at her. She was paler than usual but hse nodded determinedly.
Harry nodded at Dumbledore, Lavender, and Madam Pomfrey. Dumbledore moved aside to let them pass, holding the Maurader's Map out to Harry as he walked by. Harry took it, his hand shaking sightly as he gripped it. Hermione placed her ice-cold hand on Harry's arm. They set off through the night.
But little did they know what was in store for them.
*~*~*~
As they entered the forest, Hermione tightened her grip on Harry's arm, out of fear, this time, not for comfort. Harry pulled her close for a moment, saying, "It's gonna be okay, 'Mione, don't worry." He held the Maurader's Map to his face and stared at it, trying to make out where they were. He knew he couldn't light his wand in case someone was watching them uninvitedly. They were getting closer.closer.closer.they were there.
Hermione screamed. Blood was everywhere. Bodies were piled on top of each other, horribly unconscious. The circle of trees around them made her feel like she was trapped in a dungeon. As she walked, her feet struck something solid. She looked down.
It was Parvati. Hermione felt tears sting her eyes as she realized the girl had died just moments before. She had never really been fond of the girl, but to see her dead, just like that. She tried to tell Harry she'd found Parvati, but found her voice box obstructed. And she also noticed that Harry seemed to be having other difficulties.
For Harry, it was bringing back memories of the night Lord Voldemort had returned. He had located his friend fairly quickly, but he, too, couldn't speak just yet. Memories of Cedric lying on the ground, dead, were blinding him. He swallowed hard a few times. The past was the past, but this was the future. He couldn't change the past, yet the future of these people lay in his hands. He had a duty to fulfill.
Very slowly, he picked up Ron and motioned to Hermione to bring Parvati. He started to move toward a gap in the trees, when he noticed something strange.
Instead of being on the ground, the Death Eaters had once again stationed themselves amongst the trees. Harry looked wildly around, only to see that they were trapped. Lord Voldemort was advancing slowly on them, smiling in a terrifyingly sinister way.
"Harry Potter," he said. "We meet again."
*~*~*~
Pain. His very bones were on fire. He wanted it to end.forever.no matter the cost. There was screaming in the distance, but it sounded like an opera underwater.
The pain was too much-he couldn't go on.
Hermione screamed every spell that came to mind.even the ones she knew would fail. The Reductor Curse, the Stunning Spell, the Disarming.all to no avail. Below her was the only reason to keep fighting and living. If not for Harry, there would be no reason to live.
Having finished with Mr. Potter for the present, Voldemort eyed Hermione with a certain disgust in his vile, red eyes. Before him was a filthy Mudblood. One who had the nerve to stand up to the Dark Lord. Well, he would show her, he vowed to himself, with a mirthless laugh. She was a loathsome Mudblood-a nothing to Lord Voldemort. He raised his wand, prepared to curse Hermione, but something distracted him.and Hermione as well.
Fawkes the phoenix was gliding toward the pair of them. His song was unfamiliar to Hermione, but to her, it was as if it were a partner in this awful war. It told her what to do. It told her the consequences. It told her what to be prepared for. This time, it was she who raised her wand.she who performed curses upon the now silent Lord. Not much harm had been done, but it was enough. Enough for now.
*~*~*~
Dumbledore requested to meet with Harry and Hermione the next week. Although his face still had an aged look, he appeared to be much more energetic than he had been before. Mystified, Harry and Hermione went up to his office.
"Good, good. You're on time," Dumbledore welcomed them before they'd even approached the gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's headquarters. His cheerful grin was back in place and his eyes were once again twinkling. "I have good news--"
But before he could continue, Cornelius Fudge stomped in and interrupted him. Harry and Hermione were thoroughly astounded at the expression on the Minister's face. He was angry as he had never been before. "Dumbledore, what is the meaning of this?" he said very slowly, making each syllable low and threatening. "A student has been killed. Do you not act? Do you not care? Shall we remove you from this school?"
Dumbledore held up a hand, his eyes no longer twinkling. "Cornelius, I have done nothing but act. I care for nothing more than these students. But," Dumbledore gazed around at the halls, the castle, and Harry and Hermione, "if you wish me to leave, I will do so."
"Good. Follow me, Dumbledore."
The whole school was in shock. With Dumbledore now gone, fear and worry spread throughout the entire school, pulling at the mouths of the teachers and silencing the students. Voldemort was on the top of everyone's fears.
"You know what we have to do, don't you?" Harry asked Hermione a couple days later. "We've got to bring him back some way. Make Fudge see some sense. We need Dumbledore here."
Hermione nodded. She had been thinking for some time about this. It had to be done, but it was how they were going to do it that was going to be difficult. But Harry was speaking again. "What we need to do," he said, "Is bring Voldemort back."
Hermione looked at him as if he had gone mad.
~*~*~
During the next week or so, Harry became brooding and quiet. Hermione knew he was thinking of the plan they had hatched together. After Harry had explained what he meant, it made perfect sense. It was crazy, perhaps, but correct: If Voldemort came back and threatened to attack again, the Ministry would see clearly that Dumbledore was needed to run the school.
But there was one very serious problem. How were Harry and Hermione going to bring Voldemort back without fatally injuring themselves again? Voldemort's hating heart and greedy soul were sure to do the job of the attack, though. Hermione was the one who found the answer. "Harry," she whispered during a night meeting, "I know what we have to do. We have to bring Wormtail here. Wormtail is the only servant who doesn't have anywhere to go. Voldemort needs a servant to follow him around, and since he needs another Death Eater to call the others, he'd have no way of communicating in time. So--"Hermione paused. This was going to be very difficult. "So...Wormtail...Wormtail..." Hermione buried her hands in her hands, thinking hard. How could they get Wormtail to come here without telling him of their plan? "Wormtail--he'll have to just-wait. OH! Wormtail comes here. We tell him through a false owl, that Lucius Malfoy is in need of help here. Voldemort will undoubtedly try to blow up the school or something, so then the Ministry will have to act...and then, next thing we know, Dumbledore's back!" Hermione started to smile...
It was now Harry's turn to stare at Hermione as if she were insane.
"Hermione, you don't know what you're saying! Voldemort isn't stupid enough to come for Malfoy! Face it, he abandoned him! Wormtail--" Harry broke off, looking up at the ceiling on a sudden inspiration.
"What is it?" Hermione asked with a note of panic in her voice. She knew from the look on Harry's face that this could be possibly fatal.
Harry let out a long breath. "'Mione, if we can bring Wormtail here, that's enough. Dumbledore will be notified because Wormtail is Voldemort's primary caregiver. He'll come back, no problem! Think about it!"
"So what's wrong? It sounds alright, to me, " Hermione said, starting to grin again.
"Well...to bring Wormtail here...it's not going to be easy. Voldemort's not going to fall for something simple, and he's going to have to be the one who gives Wormtail consent to come. But--if we use Ginny, tell her we're here, make sure she knows what they can do to us, we've got a chance." Harry didn't dare look into Hermione's eyes. He knew that she knew what he meant. But before he could continue, Hermione had flung her arms around him.
"Hermione...what--"
"Shh," Hermione whispered, and looking down, Harry noticed that there were silent tears pouring down her face. "You can't, Harry! There must be another way!" she sobbed.
Harry ran his fingers through her hair. "You DO want Dumbledore back, don't you, though?" he asked, forcing her to look up into his face to see the solemnity in his eyes.
"Not if it's in exchange for you!" Hermione cried, hiding her head in her hands as she cried.
*~*~*~
Midnight moonlight streamed in through the window. Harry gazed up at the sky and sighed. He wished this didn't have to be his last night here. Despite Hermione's pleading for him to stay, he knew he had to go. Ginny had been told. iWell, he thought, better not waste time./i Slowly, he stood and took the note he'd written for Hermione from his bedside table. Going over all of his best memories of the castle, he walked down the steps of the boys' dormitories and up the stairs of the girls'. He took a sad last glance at Hermione's sleeping face, beautiful as an angel's in his eyes. The note gently fluttered from his hand onto her bed, right next to her hand. She wrapped her hand around it and smiled slightly, but still slept on.
A sudden slithering noise brought Harry to his senses. Eyes and ears alert, he pinned himself to the wall and looked around for the source. His eyes lighted on a snake: a snake that he could strangely recognize as Nagini, Lord Voldemort's pet. Even more watchful, he walked toward the door swiftly and silently, hoping to detract Nagini's attention from the sleeping girls.
But it wasn't Hermione Nagini was after.
As he exited the dormitory, the snake followed. It called to him in Parseltounge,i "Harry Potter."/i
Being careful to leave his back to nothing, he turned to face the snake, but didn't answer. i"Your beloved headmaster is with us. Come with me, come to us, and you will bring him back. You will be honored beyond even your wildest dreams. There is only one condition. We need the girl."/i
"NO!" Harry cried, his breath coming in painfully fast. "Hermione can't be touched."
Just then, though, Hermione came down the girls' steps. "Harry," she murmured, "Don't worry. It's already being done." She raised her face to the ceiling and breathed in deeply, squinting. "I can already feel it."
*~*~*~
There was something wrong with Hermione. Harry could sense it even though she looked entirely normal-the difference wasn't physical. It was mental, spiritual. Her usual sparkle was growing dim.
Harry was at loss for ideas. Hermione would talk to him, but it wasn't her: it felt like another person was struggling to play Hermione-and doing a poor job at that. Preoccupied with his thoughts of Hermione in Potions class, he forgot to add an important ingredient-fluxweed extract-and consequently lost 20 points for Gryffindor, got a detention, and earned Hermione's dry, derisive laugh. Harry glumly stayed behind as the rest of the class trouped out noisily, chattering about the next Hogsmeade visit.
"Mr. Potter," Snape said with a self-satisfied smirk. "Your detention will be to meet Mr. Filch here at 9:00 sharp this evening. He will further instruct you on your task. Now get out of my sight, Potter!"
Harry turned blindly and walked out of the classroom into the deserted corridor beyond. His feet seemed to know where they were going and to his surprise, they led him to the Hospital Wing. Harry opened the door cautiously. He peered around and noticed that Ron had visitors. A fiery red-haired girl and another with slightly bushy brown hair.
Eyes narrowed and brow furrowed, Harry thought, i"What are Ginny and Hermione doing here? Ron isn't even conscious again yet!"/i Creeping closer, he noticed that they seemed to be performing some kind of spell. He could hear Hermione's voice speaking. Edging even closer but still keeping in sight, he listened hard.
"Blood of a Dragon, Head of a Mastodon, Listen to where your loyalties lie, Lest your life's time should suddenly die."
And Ginny: "Heart of a Wolf's cub, Brain of a Tranofub, Look at all your prizes great, Just in exchange for your mate."
Harry's mouth opened in shock. It sounded as if the girls were brainwashing him or something...Harry searched around in his mind for a reason. Well, Ginny. Ginny was a Death Eater, and Hermione was possibly under some spell of some sort. Nagini's nighttime visit came back to him- the whole reason he hadn't left. Something was definitely going on now, it was apparent, but what?
The two girls suddenly got up and moved on to the next bed and Harry crept closer to Ron. What he saw made him gasp aloud.
Ron showed the signs of a person who has just had a Dementor's Kiss. His eyes were open but unfocused and his mouth sagged open. Harry's throat grew painfully tight. His best friend was no more. Then a wave of anger hit him, giving him strength, giving him courage. Something had to be done.
Harry cleared his throat, alerting the two girls to his presence. He saw, to his amazement, that the person in the next bed was Hermione. Blinking rapidly, he looked at the girl with the bushy brown hair. It was undoubtedly another Hermione. Mind roaring in confusion, he quickly staggered nearer for a closer look.
The Hermione on the bed was the one he remembered. He had never seen anything as beautiful, or as sad, as her face, sleeping peacefully on the white pillow. There was no way he would allow her to become like Ron. The loss of one of his friends was just one too many.
*~*~*~
A/N: Whew! OK, I admit that that chapter was a tad bit hard to write. *wink wink* Anyway, please review! =) ~Tiff~
CHAPTER 2, "Bizarre Twists of Emotion"
Back in the hospital wing, Lavender Brown breathed a sigh of relief. She had completed the difficult, complicated task of Ghost-Healing Hermione. As of right now, everything seemed to be going smoothly. She leaned back in her chair, resting her exhausted mind for a moment.
This was a mistake.
As Lavender dozed off, Hermione was not showing signs of getting well. In fact, she seemed to be doing the opposite. Instead of starting to breathe and open her eyes, she seemed to be shrinking. Like the smoke that had been pouring out of Harry and Cho's scars earlier, thin strands of fog began twisting themselves out of her face. Combined with her now red face, it made her look as if her head were on fire. Lavender, sensing that something was wrong, jerked herself awake. She screamed in horror when she saw Hermione. Panicking, she looked around for Madam Pomfrey. But the nurse was nowhere in sight. She looked for Parvati. Her friend was a much better healer than she was. But Parvati was gone. She started really panicking now. What was she to do? Hermione had only a few minutes. By instinct, Lavender knew that she had to undo the Ghost-Healing. Moving as quickly as possible, she took out her wand. She summoned up all the rest of her concentration and whispered the words under her breath. A Patronus- looking shadow whooshed out of her wand and covered Hermione. Good. Lavender knew she had the undoing process mastered.
Soon enough, Hermione was looking just as unconscious as she was before. Now Lavender had to just figure out how to get her conscious again so she could work with Harry. She knew she would need some of the library's books. She remembered one extremely useful title. "The Expert's Guide to Healing". She summoned it towards her. i"Accio!"/i she cried. Within minutes, the hospital wing door had burst open and the book came soaring toward her. Lavender caught it and began feverishly turning the pages.
It was near the back of the book that Lavender found what she needed.
iOne who has been placed under a powerful Dark curse will remain unconscious forever if left to his or her own devices. Healers have a slim chance of bring them back to life. If you wish to do so, I wish you luck in your quest, but warn you it may not succeed. Ghost-Healing would have been the first option, but if that has failed, try this:
1) Perform the Belitian Charm. This will cleanse the victim of stray Dark curses. It is merely used as a precaution to the Healer.
2) Repeat the incantation for Ghost-Healing with the same wand movements as the Levitation Charm. If done correctly, your patient should start breathing.
3) Reverse Spell Effect comes next. When done correctly, the victim will function in a normal way for a couple of hours./i
Lavender took a couple deep breaths before starting. She'd never seen such a complicated Healing procedure. iAlright, here I go/i, she thought. She followed the directions in the book exactly and at the end, felt true relief wash over her. Hermione was now sitting up and asking Lavender questions.
"Where's Harry? Where's Ron?"
"I-I really don't know. You'll have to ask Dumbledore," the weary Lavender replied.
*~*~*~
Meanwhile, Ron was having an internal struggle. How had Ginny come to be a Death Eater? Had she just been hoodwinked by a Dark object like she had in her first year? OR was she here of her own free will? Ron was torn between wanting to curse Ginny and wanting to talk to her. She was his sister, after all. Then again, she was also a Death Eater. Ron was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't realized the meaning of what Ginny had said a few seconds before. But a flash of green light and a rushing sound jerked him our of his cogitation. He looked, horrified, at Parvati, and sure enough, she was flat on her back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead, just like the spider in fourth year. Ron's thoughts of talking to his sister and reasoning with her vanished. All he wanted to do now was to curse her, hurt her as badly as he could. She had killed another person. Just before Ginny raised her wand for the Curse again, Ron yelled, i"Stupefy!" /iGinny was now Stunned. Ron darted toward Voldemort, shooting random Stunners over his shoulder. Dodging curses, he faced Voldemort. This was his moment. Voldemort raised his wand. Ron was ready. i "Finite Incancatem!"/i he roared, before he even knew what he was doing.
Voldemort had not expected this to happen. His red eyes widened in shock. The red light of Ron's spell was sucking up the green of Voldemort's. i "Reducto!" /iRon cried, on another impulse. He hadn't expected the Reductor Curse to get rid of Voldemort's shield completely, but it did enough. It gave Ron a path. i"Stupefy!"/i he shouted, fog blurring his eyes, hearing the soft ipop! /iof the disappearing Death Eaters, disappearing because their Lord was lifeless for the moment.
*~*~*~
Hermione stared sadly at Harry's motionless form. She loved him so much! She sat down in the empty chair by Harry's bed. She barely heard Lavender say she was going to try to find Madam Pomfrey. She reached out and held one of Harry's hands in both of hers. Stroked his face sorrowfully. Lying in front of her was the person she lived for. She loved Harry as she had never loved anyone else before, even Viktor Krum. She felt her eyes filling with tears for the second time this night. When they spilled out, she didn't even make an effort to stem the flow. She threw her arms around Harry's neck and sobbed uncontrollably into his shoulder as she had so many hours before when all this had begun. "I love you, Harry, " she whispered, her voice straining from tears, fingers combing his silken hair. Then something miraculous happened.
Harry pulled his arms around her and held her in an embrace both strong and frail. "And I'll always love you, 'Mione," he said. His voice was croaky too, but it was music to Hermione's ears.
She shrieked with delight as she pulled away from him to study his face, her face breaking into the biggest grin she had ever known. Harry grinned back. There was no need to speak anymore. They each knew that they were both feeling the same things. Love, joy, and even a slight twinge of sorrow that sweetened their joy to the highest degree. Suddenly, they heard the sound of laughter. Not the scornful laugh they had heard too often that night, but a happy, resonant sound. Professor Dumbledore was standing in the doorway, with Madam Pomfrey and Lavender close behind. "The spell has been broken," he said simply. But Madam Pomfrey had other worries.
"Where are Mr. Weasley and Miss Patil? Surely you two don't know?" Madam Pomfrey asked Hermione. The grins faded from faces all around the room.
Harry and Hermione looked at Dumbledore in confusion. For nearly a quarter of an hour, only Dumbledore's voice rang out in the silent hospital wing as he explained.
"Your friends Parvati and Ron apparently left this very wing to fight Voldemort. Their departure was unnoticed for a while. Only just now when Madam Pomfrey discovered that they were missing did she realize what had happened...and what we know must be done."
Dumbledore's gaze shifted from Harry to Hermione and back again.
"I dunno..." Harry murmured, already worried. He glanced at Hermione, who shook her head, frowning.
"Then it is invaluable that we find them." Dumbledore's eyes were no longer twinkling and no smile rested on his grave face. "Do either of you have any idea where they might be?"
Harry and Hermione shook their heads. But then a thought struck Harry. "I may have something...that might help." He looked over at Dumbledore, who nodded encouragingly. "It's a map of Hogwarts. It shows everyone on the Grounds, even if they're invisible." He summoned up all his remaining strength and said in a loud clear voice,i "Accio maurader's Map!"/i Once again, the hospital wing door burst open and a piece of parchment flew into the room. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good, " he muttered, tapping the map with his wand. As always, the map showed everyone and everything. Harry searched for Ron and Parvati. Then he saw them, at the very bottom corner of the map, deep within the Forbidden Forest.
*~*~*~
Harry pressed his eye closer to the Map in disbelief. How could Wormtail, Voldemort, and--wait. What was Ginny doing there? He knew she couldn't be fighting with Ron and Parvati, because she would have been with them to start with: she had no way of knowing exactly where they would be...unless...unless...
A horrible comprehension dawned on him and he sat bolt upright. Just a glance at Hermione told him that she had also come to that same conclusion. "What?!" she shrieked suddenly, apparently to herself. "Impossible!" she whispered, as if she knew in her heart that it was true. Hadn't Ginny always been very conscientious about showing her lower arms? Hermione cringed. The idea was ludicrous,i Ginny Weasley, a Death Eater, honestly,/i but the evidence was piling up.
"Mr. Potter?" Madam Pomfrey said with a hint of impatience in her anxious voice, jolting them out of their thoughts. "Mr. Potter-have you found them yet? This is very important."
"Yes. They are in the Forbidden Forest. Look-" Harry handed over the map.
Dumbledore stared at the map for a moment. Everyone else in the room gazed at him with tension. "Yes. All right, then. Harry, Hermione-are you feeling up to finding your friends?" Dumbledore asked, piercing them with his clear blue stare.
"Of course," Hermione said, her voice anxious. "We'd do anything for Ron."
"Very well then. You and Harry are excused-"
"But-but these children have been through too much! Headmaster, please! They need rest!" Madam Pomfrey exploded.
"Poppy, it is very important that Ron and Parvati are found, immediately. Harry and Hermione are among the very bravest of people, and due to the fact that Parvati and Ron are their friends, I believe they should be given a chance." Dumbledore finished with a note of finality.
"Let's go," Harry said to Hermione. He glanced at her. She was paler than usual but hse nodded determinedly.
Harry nodded at Dumbledore, Lavender, and Madam Pomfrey. Dumbledore moved aside to let them pass, holding the Maurader's Map out to Harry as he walked by. Harry took it, his hand shaking sightly as he gripped it. Hermione placed her ice-cold hand on Harry's arm. They set off through the night.
But little did they know what was in store for them.
*~*~*~
As they entered the forest, Hermione tightened her grip on Harry's arm, out of fear, this time, not for comfort. Harry pulled her close for a moment, saying, "It's gonna be okay, 'Mione, don't worry." He held the Maurader's Map to his face and stared at it, trying to make out where they were. He knew he couldn't light his wand in case someone was watching them uninvitedly. They were getting closer.closer.closer.they were there.
Hermione screamed. Blood was everywhere. Bodies were piled on top of each other, horribly unconscious. The circle of trees around them made her feel like she was trapped in a dungeon. As she walked, her feet struck something solid. She looked down.
It was Parvati. Hermione felt tears sting her eyes as she realized the girl had died just moments before. She had never really been fond of the girl, but to see her dead, just like that. She tried to tell Harry she'd found Parvati, but found her voice box obstructed. And she also noticed that Harry seemed to be having other difficulties.
For Harry, it was bringing back memories of the night Lord Voldemort had returned. He had located his friend fairly quickly, but he, too, couldn't speak just yet. Memories of Cedric lying on the ground, dead, were blinding him. He swallowed hard a few times. The past was the past, but this was the future. He couldn't change the past, yet the future of these people lay in his hands. He had a duty to fulfill.
Very slowly, he picked up Ron and motioned to Hermione to bring Parvati. He started to move toward a gap in the trees, when he noticed something strange.
Instead of being on the ground, the Death Eaters had once again stationed themselves amongst the trees. Harry looked wildly around, only to see that they were trapped. Lord Voldemort was advancing slowly on them, smiling in a terrifyingly sinister way.
"Harry Potter," he said. "We meet again."
*~*~*~
Pain. His very bones were on fire. He wanted it to end.forever.no matter the cost. There was screaming in the distance, but it sounded like an opera underwater.
The pain was too much-he couldn't go on.
Hermione screamed every spell that came to mind.even the ones she knew would fail. The Reductor Curse, the Stunning Spell, the Disarming.all to no avail. Below her was the only reason to keep fighting and living. If not for Harry, there would be no reason to live.
Having finished with Mr. Potter for the present, Voldemort eyed Hermione with a certain disgust in his vile, red eyes. Before him was a filthy Mudblood. One who had the nerve to stand up to the Dark Lord. Well, he would show her, he vowed to himself, with a mirthless laugh. She was a loathsome Mudblood-a nothing to Lord Voldemort. He raised his wand, prepared to curse Hermione, but something distracted him.and Hermione as well.
Fawkes the phoenix was gliding toward the pair of them. His song was unfamiliar to Hermione, but to her, it was as if it were a partner in this awful war. It told her what to do. It told her the consequences. It told her what to be prepared for. This time, it was she who raised her wand.she who performed curses upon the now silent Lord. Not much harm had been done, but it was enough. Enough for now.
*~*~*~
Dumbledore requested to meet with Harry and Hermione the next week. Although his face still had an aged look, he appeared to be much more energetic than he had been before. Mystified, Harry and Hermione went up to his office.
"Good, good. You're on time," Dumbledore welcomed them before they'd even approached the gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's headquarters. His cheerful grin was back in place and his eyes were once again twinkling. "I have good news--"
But before he could continue, Cornelius Fudge stomped in and interrupted him. Harry and Hermione were thoroughly astounded at the expression on the Minister's face. He was angry as he had never been before. "Dumbledore, what is the meaning of this?" he said very slowly, making each syllable low and threatening. "A student has been killed. Do you not act? Do you not care? Shall we remove you from this school?"
Dumbledore held up a hand, his eyes no longer twinkling. "Cornelius, I have done nothing but act. I care for nothing more than these students. But," Dumbledore gazed around at the halls, the castle, and Harry and Hermione, "if you wish me to leave, I will do so."
"Good. Follow me, Dumbledore."
The whole school was in shock. With Dumbledore now gone, fear and worry spread throughout the entire school, pulling at the mouths of the teachers and silencing the students. Voldemort was on the top of everyone's fears.
"You know what we have to do, don't you?" Harry asked Hermione a couple days later. "We've got to bring him back some way. Make Fudge see some sense. We need Dumbledore here."
Hermione nodded. She had been thinking for some time about this. It had to be done, but it was how they were going to do it that was going to be difficult. But Harry was speaking again. "What we need to do," he said, "Is bring Voldemort back."
Hermione looked at him as if he had gone mad.
~*~*~
During the next week or so, Harry became brooding and quiet. Hermione knew he was thinking of the plan they had hatched together. After Harry had explained what he meant, it made perfect sense. It was crazy, perhaps, but correct: If Voldemort came back and threatened to attack again, the Ministry would see clearly that Dumbledore was needed to run the school.
But there was one very serious problem. How were Harry and Hermione going to bring Voldemort back without fatally injuring themselves again? Voldemort's hating heart and greedy soul were sure to do the job of the attack, though. Hermione was the one who found the answer. "Harry," she whispered during a night meeting, "I know what we have to do. We have to bring Wormtail here. Wormtail is the only servant who doesn't have anywhere to go. Voldemort needs a servant to follow him around, and since he needs another Death Eater to call the others, he'd have no way of communicating in time. So--"Hermione paused. This was going to be very difficult. "So...Wormtail...Wormtail..." Hermione buried her hands in her hands, thinking hard. How could they get Wormtail to come here without telling him of their plan? "Wormtail--he'll have to just-wait. OH! Wormtail comes here. We tell him through a false owl, that Lucius Malfoy is in need of help here. Voldemort will undoubtedly try to blow up the school or something, so then the Ministry will have to act...and then, next thing we know, Dumbledore's back!" Hermione started to smile...
It was now Harry's turn to stare at Hermione as if she were insane.
"Hermione, you don't know what you're saying! Voldemort isn't stupid enough to come for Malfoy! Face it, he abandoned him! Wormtail--" Harry broke off, looking up at the ceiling on a sudden inspiration.
"What is it?" Hermione asked with a note of panic in her voice. She knew from the look on Harry's face that this could be possibly fatal.
Harry let out a long breath. "'Mione, if we can bring Wormtail here, that's enough. Dumbledore will be notified because Wormtail is Voldemort's primary caregiver. He'll come back, no problem! Think about it!"
"So what's wrong? It sounds alright, to me, " Hermione said, starting to grin again.
"Well...to bring Wormtail here...it's not going to be easy. Voldemort's not going to fall for something simple, and he's going to have to be the one who gives Wormtail consent to come. But--if we use Ginny, tell her we're here, make sure she knows what they can do to us, we've got a chance." Harry didn't dare look into Hermione's eyes. He knew that she knew what he meant. But before he could continue, Hermione had flung her arms around him.
"Hermione...what--"
"Shh," Hermione whispered, and looking down, Harry noticed that there were silent tears pouring down her face. "You can't, Harry! There must be another way!" she sobbed.
Harry ran his fingers through her hair. "You DO want Dumbledore back, don't you, though?" he asked, forcing her to look up into his face to see the solemnity in his eyes.
"Not if it's in exchange for you!" Hermione cried, hiding her head in her hands as she cried.
*~*~*~
Midnight moonlight streamed in through the window. Harry gazed up at the sky and sighed. He wished this didn't have to be his last night here. Despite Hermione's pleading for him to stay, he knew he had to go. Ginny had been told. iWell, he thought, better not waste time./i Slowly, he stood and took the note he'd written for Hermione from his bedside table. Going over all of his best memories of the castle, he walked down the steps of the boys' dormitories and up the stairs of the girls'. He took a sad last glance at Hermione's sleeping face, beautiful as an angel's in his eyes. The note gently fluttered from his hand onto her bed, right next to her hand. She wrapped her hand around it and smiled slightly, but still slept on.
A sudden slithering noise brought Harry to his senses. Eyes and ears alert, he pinned himself to the wall and looked around for the source. His eyes lighted on a snake: a snake that he could strangely recognize as Nagini, Lord Voldemort's pet. Even more watchful, he walked toward the door swiftly and silently, hoping to detract Nagini's attention from the sleeping girls.
But it wasn't Hermione Nagini was after.
As he exited the dormitory, the snake followed. It called to him in Parseltounge,i "Harry Potter."/i
Being careful to leave his back to nothing, he turned to face the snake, but didn't answer. i"Your beloved headmaster is with us. Come with me, come to us, and you will bring him back. You will be honored beyond even your wildest dreams. There is only one condition. We need the girl."/i
"NO!" Harry cried, his breath coming in painfully fast. "Hermione can't be touched."
Just then, though, Hermione came down the girls' steps. "Harry," she murmured, "Don't worry. It's already being done." She raised her face to the ceiling and breathed in deeply, squinting. "I can already feel it."
*~*~*~
There was something wrong with Hermione. Harry could sense it even though she looked entirely normal-the difference wasn't physical. It was mental, spiritual. Her usual sparkle was growing dim.
Harry was at loss for ideas. Hermione would talk to him, but it wasn't her: it felt like another person was struggling to play Hermione-and doing a poor job at that. Preoccupied with his thoughts of Hermione in Potions class, he forgot to add an important ingredient-fluxweed extract-and consequently lost 20 points for Gryffindor, got a detention, and earned Hermione's dry, derisive laugh. Harry glumly stayed behind as the rest of the class trouped out noisily, chattering about the next Hogsmeade visit.
"Mr. Potter," Snape said with a self-satisfied smirk. "Your detention will be to meet Mr. Filch here at 9:00 sharp this evening. He will further instruct you on your task. Now get out of my sight, Potter!"
Harry turned blindly and walked out of the classroom into the deserted corridor beyond. His feet seemed to know where they were going and to his surprise, they led him to the Hospital Wing. Harry opened the door cautiously. He peered around and noticed that Ron had visitors. A fiery red-haired girl and another with slightly bushy brown hair.
Eyes narrowed and brow furrowed, Harry thought, i"What are Ginny and Hermione doing here? Ron isn't even conscious again yet!"/i Creeping closer, he noticed that they seemed to be performing some kind of spell. He could hear Hermione's voice speaking. Edging even closer but still keeping in sight, he listened hard.
"Blood of a Dragon, Head of a Mastodon, Listen to where your loyalties lie, Lest your life's time should suddenly die."
And Ginny: "Heart of a Wolf's cub, Brain of a Tranofub, Look at all your prizes great, Just in exchange for your mate."
Harry's mouth opened in shock. It sounded as if the girls were brainwashing him or something...Harry searched around in his mind for a reason. Well, Ginny. Ginny was a Death Eater, and Hermione was possibly under some spell of some sort. Nagini's nighttime visit came back to him- the whole reason he hadn't left. Something was definitely going on now, it was apparent, but what?
The two girls suddenly got up and moved on to the next bed and Harry crept closer to Ron. What he saw made him gasp aloud.
Ron showed the signs of a person who has just had a Dementor's Kiss. His eyes were open but unfocused and his mouth sagged open. Harry's throat grew painfully tight. His best friend was no more. Then a wave of anger hit him, giving him strength, giving him courage. Something had to be done.
Harry cleared his throat, alerting the two girls to his presence. He saw, to his amazement, that the person in the next bed was Hermione. Blinking rapidly, he looked at the girl with the bushy brown hair. It was undoubtedly another Hermione. Mind roaring in confusion, he quickly staggered nearer for a closer look.
The Hermione on the bed was the one he remembered. He had never seen anything as beautiful, or as sad, as her face, sleeping peacefully on the white pillow. There was no way he would allow her to become like Ron. The loss of one of his friends was just one too many.
*~*~*~
A/N: Whew! OK, I admit that that chapter was a tad bit hard to write. *wink wink* Anyway, please review! =) ~Tiff~