Three weeks had passed and Nikole was still in a coma. Hermione sat by her
bedside and held her cold, limp hand.
"Do you think she's ever wake up?" asked Ron, who sat on the other side of her bed.
"Oh, Ron, she has to! She's the Slayer. She can't just stay in a coma forever-although it does happen . . ." Hermione's voice trailed off.
"Do you think Harry knew that he was all evil?" asked Ron.
"Gee, I hope not. It would really hurt him to know that he had almost killed Nikole and had turned over to the dark side for an hour."
"Yeah. It would. But I think he should know that he was either way."
"What? Ron? What are you talking about? You're supposed to be his best friend!"
"I know, Hermione. But he should know that he hurt someone and he shouldn't have stolen that book from Nikole!"
"But, Ron, he didn't steal it."
"How do you know?"
"Because he told us so."
"Yeah. Then he turned into the devil."
Hermione was silent. Ron did have a point. But why was he blaming all of this on Harry? Wasn't he supposed to be best friends with him? Hermione understood the anger that Ron felt toward Harry, but didn't count that Harry was under some sort of evil spell?
"Hermione, don't you see? Maybe Harry is evil."
"Maybe he was under a spell."
"Hermione, why are protecting him?"
"Why aren't you? You're supposed to be his friend!"
"He's supposed to be Nikole's friend, too. But look at what he did to her! He hurt her. Now she's in a bloody coma!"
"It wasn't his fault."
"Why do you keep saying that?"
"Why do you keep disagreeing?"
"Because friends don't do that to friends."
"Well friends also stick with friends. They trust them." "Ugh! Hermione! So you're going to trust Harry even though he was the devil and tried to kill you?"
"Of course not! Because I know it wouldn't be Harry!"
"Well, the man who hurt Nikole wasn't Harry, Hermione. Yet you still trust him?"
"Ron. Please be sensible-"
"Sensible? You're the one trusting the Anti-Christ!"
"He is not the Anti-Christ!"
"Right. He's the devil."
"Ron! Just drop it already!"
"Fine. You don't want to admit that you trust Satan. I can live with that."
"Ron. Just shut up about it already!"
"Why don't you just tell me the truth?"
"Because I already did! I trust Harry."
"I think it would help if he wasn't an evil demonic creature, don't you think?"
"Ron, drop it! I'm serious!"
"Or what?"
"I'll make you eat slugs again."
Ron's eyes bulged and he didn't speak another word for ten minutes. He just looked at Nikole's pale face, that is, before she moved for the first time in weeks.
Nikole groaned and her eyes slowly opened. "Where am I?"
"Nikole! You're awake!" squeaked Hermione.
"I'll go get Madam Pomfry," Ron said as he walked out of the door.
"Huh?" asked a confused Nikole.
"Oh, Nikole, what do you remember?"
"Who's Nikole?"
"Do you think she's ever wake up?" asked Ron, who sat on the other side of her bed.
"Oh, Ron, she has to! She's the Slayer. She can't just stay in a coma forever-although it does happen . . ." Hermione's voice trailed off.
"Do you think Harry knew that he was all evil?" asked Ron.
"Gee, I hope not. It would really hurt him to know that he had almost killed Nikole and had turned over to the dark side for an hour."
"Yeah. It would. But I think he should know that he was either way."
"What? Ron? What are you talking about? You're supposed to be his best friend!"
"I know, Hermione. But he should know that he hurt someone and he shouldn't have stolen that book from Nikole!"
"But, Ron, he didn't steal it."
"How do you know?"
"Because he told us so."
"Yeah. Then he turned into the devil."
Hermione was silent. Ron did have a point. But why was he blaming all of this on Harry? Wasn't he supposed to be best friends with him? Hermione understood the anger that Ron felt toward Harry, but didn't count that Harry was under some sort of evil spell?
"Hermione, don't you see? Maybe Harry is evil."
"Maybe he was under a spell."
"Hermione, why are protecting him?"
"Why aren't you? You're supposed to be his friend!"
"He's supposed to be Nikole's friend, too. But look at what he did to her! He hurt her. Now she's in a bloody coma!"
"It wasn't his fault."
"Why do you keep saying that?"
"Why do you keep disagreeing?"
"Because friends don't do that to friends."
"Well friends also stick with friends. They trust them." "Ugh! Hermione! So you're going to trust Harry even though he was the devil and tried to kill you?"
"Of course not! Because I know it wouldn't be Harry!"
"Well, the man who hurt Nikole wasn't Harry, Hermione. Yet you still trust him?"
"Ron. Please be sensible-"
"Sensible? You're the one trusting the Anti-Christ!"
"He is not the Anti-Christ!"
"Right. He's the devil."
"Ron! Just drop it already!"
"Fine. You don't want to admit that you trust Satan. I can live with that."
"Ron. Just shut up about it already!"
"Why don't you just tell me the truth?"
"Because I already did! I trust Harry."
"I think it would help if he wasn't an evil demonic creature, don't you think?"
"Ron, drop it! I'm serious!"
"Or what?"
"I'll make you eat slugs again."
Ron's eyes bulged and he didn't speak another word for ten minutes. He just looked at Nikole's pale face, that is, before she moved for the first time in weeks.
Nikole groaned and her eyes slowly opened. "Where am I?"
"Nikole! You're awake!" squeaked Hermione.
"I'll go get Madam Pomfry," Ron said as he walked out of the door.
"Huh?" asked a confused Nikole.
"Oh, Nikole, what do you remember?"
"Who's Nikole?"