"#1 Crush"
Chapter five-The Confession
Ron burst into tears. I reached for Hermione and cradled her. I sat on the grass and just cradled her. Her face was buried into my shoulder. I pressed my face into her hair and burst into tears. I just held her lifeless body against mine and slowly rocked back and forth.
I could hear Ron sobbing uncontrollably behind me.
After what seemed like hours, I released her. Some of her blood had gotten on the collar of my shirt and stained it. I laid her down gently.
I ran back into the castle and began yelling for help. Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore had come.
"Good lord, Potter! Are you hurt?" Professor McGonagall asked immediately.
"It's Hermione's blood. She's dead. She fell off the roof," Ron sobbed.
After that, I went into shock.
LAURIE
I heard the girls dorm room door opening.
"Wake up girls. There's just been a death," Professor McGonagall's voice said quietly.
I sat up and pulled on my robe over my pajamas.
We all walked down to the Great Hall, where Ron and Harry were. Ron was sobbing hysterically, and Harry looked like he had gone into shock. There was a lot of blood staining his collar.
"What's going on?" A girl asked behind me.
"We have very solemn news. Another student has been killed," said Professor Dumbledore gravely and quietly.
The rest of the school had gathered now and was watching Harry and Ron curiously.
"Who is it?" Ginny asked in a small voice.
"Hermione Granger,"
At that, I felt my legs wobbly. I grabbed a hold of Ginny's shoulder.
This wasn't happening…no way…
I felt tears swelling in my eyes.
"Apparently, she was on the roof and she must've fallen over the edge," Professor McGonagall said, quietly. There was faint glistening of tears in her eyes as well.
Suddenly, I remembered.
"Harry had asked to meet her up on the roof," I said, as tears streamed down my cheeks.
Harry didn't blink or move.
"We had gone down to the kitchens to nick some late night food! He was with me the entire time!" Ron sobbed.
I will be walking one day, down a street far away, and see your face in a crowd, and smile
Knowing how you made me laugh, hearing sweet echoes of you from the past, I will Remember you.
Look in my eyes while you're near; tell me what's happening here. See that I don't want to say, goodbye.
Our love is frozen in time, I'll be your champion and you will be mine…I will Remember, I will remember you.
"Is that true, Harry?" Professor Dumbledore asked him quietly.
Harry didn't answer.
"He's in shock. Take him up to Madam Pomfrey," Professor McGonagall said.
Ginny and I hugged and sobbed hysterically.
"My God…she's dead," I sobbed into Ginny's shoulder.
"I can't believe it," Ginny sobbed. "I just can't believe it."
The rest of the students returned to their dorms. The air was definitely grim and solemn.
Ron was also taken to the hospital wing. I helped Ginny back to the dorm and decided to go to the wing to see how Ron and Harry were coming along.
I stepped into the room. Ron was lying on a cot sound asleep. I still had tears streaming down my cheeks.
"You should be in bed, Miss Carter," said Madam Pomfrey.
"How are they?" I asked, my voice wobbly.
"Well, Mr. Weasley's going to be just fine. I gave him a Dreamless Sleep potion. He was pretty bad, but Mr. Potter's in worse condition," said Madam Pomfrey.
"Will he be okay?" I asked as my voice shook.
Madam Pomfrey sighed.
"That I don't know. It might be a while before he snaps out of it. There really isn't any potion I can give him. This is something magic can't help," Madam Pomfrey said quietly.
Through my tears, I saw Harry. He was lying on a cot next to Ron, just staring up at the ceiling, blinking occasionally, but no movement.
"Tomorrow Mr. Weasley will be able to talk more. Go get some rest yourself," Madam Pomfrey said softly.
I nodded, turned around and left the hospital wing.
In the morning, I went back to the hospital wing. Ron was awake now and talking to Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore.
I stepped into the wing. Professor McGonagall looked up.
"Ah, Miss Carter. Can we have a word with you? If you are up to it of course," said Professor McGonagall softly.
"Sure," I said as I walked over to them.
"Now, what exactly happened?" Professor Dumbledore asked kindly and gently.
"Well, Hermione and I had gone to the library to check on a charm. There was a girl there who really creeped us out. She left shortly after 'Mione and I sat down. When Hermione and I returned to Gryffindor tower, I found a note from Harry asking Hermione to meet him on the roof, that he supposedly had something serious to tell her. Hermione went,"
Just at the mention of Hermione's name, I felt tears forming all over again.
"Mr. Weasley had just told us he and Mr. Potter had gone down to the kitchens to nick food. I'm going to have one of the elves testify to that," Professor Dumbledore said gently.
"What girl?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"I dunno. She had dark, curly brown hair. We couldn't see her face or anything. The thing is, Hermione didn't remember seeing her around. We saw her sitting at the Slytherin table earlier," I replied, as the tears began blurring my vision.
"Severus, I want you to check your students," Professor McGonagall said.
"I know my students. I can assure you there is no one by that description in my house. Are you positive she was sitting in Slytherin? Perhaps it was Ravenclaw," Professor Snape said to me.
I shook my head.
"She was sitting a few spaces away from Draco Malfoy,"
"I will check with him," Professor Snape said as he left the hospital wing.
"This all started when Harry received those letters," Ron muttered.
"What letters?" asked Professor McGonagall.
"Harry started getting these letters. One asked him if he would like to be someone's girlfriend. After he declined, that's when all those 'accidents' happened," Ron said.
"Accidents? You mean Ginny falling down the stairs, Mr. Longbottoms death and Miss. Granger nearly being poisoned?" Professor McGonagall asked alarmed.
Ron nodded.
"We reckoned this person was obsessed with Harry and wanted to harm everyone near him. I don't think Hermione's death was accidental nor Neville's or Ginny falling down the stairs," I said quietly.
"Why on earth didn't one of you say something?" asked Professor McGonagall.
"We thought it would end," Ron said quietly.
"You still should have alerted one of us! Professor Dumbledore, you will need to contact the Grangers," said Professor McGonagall.
I went over to Ron and sat beside him on the cot. Ginny had come in moments later to check on Ron.
Professor Snape came back shortly.
"Mr. Malfoy remembers seeing the girl. I have the teachers on alert to find her. I also went down to get an elf,"
He notioned towards the door.
One of the house elves stood in a teacozy.
"Dobby?" Ron asked.
"Tis Dobby, sir! How good it tis to see sir!" Dobby said happily.
"Dobby, did you see Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter down in the kitchen?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Dobby nodded.
"They come to take food back to common room! Dobby was all to happy!"
"Okay, Dobby. You may go," Professor Dumbledore said softly.
"Bye sir, miss," Dobby bowed toward me before he disappeared to go back down to the kitchen.
"All right. Then someone lured Hermione up to that roof definitely. I reckon it's the same person writing those letters," Ron said.
We nodded.
Just then, Professor Sprout stood at the hospital wing door with someone.
"That's her!" Ron cried.
It definitely was the girl. I recognized the dark curly brown hair.
"Well young lady, explain yourself. These students don't remember seeing you around, and frankly, neither do I," Professor McGonagall said firmly.
The girl tucked strands of her hair behind her ear, so now her face was visible.
We all gasped.
"Hermione?" Ron asked, incredulously.
The girl looked almost like a twin to Hermione. Same facial features and everything.
"No. I'm not Hermione. My name is Mary Locke," the girl said, but then, her features turned ugly as she sneered.
"I killed that Longbottom boy, I pushed Ginny down the stairs, I poisoned and pushed Hermione off the roof. I'm the one who wrote those letters,"
Ron and I looked at each other with frightened looks.
"And I burned Ron. I was wearing an invisibility cloak behind him," the girl sneered.
"Why? Why did you kill Hermione?" I asked, in a wobbly voice.
"To take her place so I could be next to Harry," she said, turning her eyes onto Harry.
A dreamy expression came across her face.
"When he turned me down, I decided to take action. If he wasn't going to have me, he wasn't going to have anyone…including Miss. Granger whom I knew he loved more than life," Mary sniggered.
I felt anger boiling in my chest. I glanced at Ron. I knew he was feeling the same way.
I had tears blurring my eyes now as I went to lunge for her, but Ron grabbed me around the waist and held me back.
"YOU KILLED MY BEST FRIEND YOU FREAK!" I screamed thrashing and trying to get free of Ron's grip.
Mary turned her eyes onto me. They were filled with such an evil, cold and unemotional expression that it sent chills down my spine. There was no way she could be human with that kind of expression.
"So what? She was nothing to me. It was the only way I could get close to Harry,"
"YOU GODDAM BITCH!" I screamed still thrashing around trying to break free of Ron's grip. My hair was now tousled. My eyes were filled with rage.
"LET ME AT HER! LET ME AT HER!" I screamed, trying to claw at her.
"Ron! Take Laurie outside. I will deal with Miss. Locke," said Professor Dumbledore sternly.
Ron pulled me out of the hospital wing. I was still screaming and trying to get at Mary. The door closed behind us.
"WHY'D YOU PULL ME OUT? I WANT TO KILL HER!" I screamed at Ron.
"Laurie! Just calm down!" Ron cried, holding his hands in a defensive position.
"CALM DOWN? SHE KILLED HERMIONE!" I bellowed.
"I know…but attacking her won't bring 'Mione back," said Ron quietly.
I dug the heels of my palms into my forehead and sobbed.
Ron took a step closer and tentatively wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against him.
Sobbing, I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my face into his shoulder.
"I just want Hermione back," I sobbed, my voice muffled from Ron's robe. I shut my eyes against it, enjoyed the gentle blackness.
"So do I. I hope Harry's going to be okay," Ron said quietly.
"He has to!" I sobbed.
After a few minutes, I managed to calm down enough to think rationally again.
10 minutes after that, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall exited the hospital wing, with Mary, who had her wrists tied together with magical ropes, almost like handcuffs.
"Miss. Locke is going before the ministry. She will probably be charged with 1st degree murder," said Professor Dumbledore quietly.
I glared at her.
"I hope the dementors give you a kiss," I snarled.
All she did was give me a nonchalant look before Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape led her down the corridors.
Professor Dumbledore stayed behind and turned his blue eyes onto Ron and I. They were filled with remorse behind his half moon spectacles. He clasped his hands behind his back.
"I would like both of you to know that if you need some time to yourselves to go a head and take it," he said softly and gently.
"Thank you," I said softly.
"We will not let Harry give up," Professor Dumbledore said, as he put his hand on my shoulder.
"Neither will we," Ron said, swallowing.
Professor Dumbledore smiled at Ron before he walked down the hallway after Snape and Professor McGonagall.
Ron and I looked at each other.
"Wow. A witch charged with 1st degree murder? That's on the same level with treachery or worse," Ron said, his blue eyes were wide.
"Yeah, and she deserves it," I said.
"Oh yeah. Definitely. She killed our best friend. Lucky I didn't get a hold of her," Ron muttered as I saw tears glistening in his eyes all over again.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.
"Ron. What happens if Harry wakes up and asks who killed Hermione? Knowing him, he'd want go after Mary!" I said.
"Yeah. I know. We're just going to have to tell him Mary was already taken care of by the Ministry of Magic," Ron offered.
"That won't stop him! He'd still go after her! He's going to want revenge and frankly I feel the same way," I said angrily.
Ron swallowed again.
"Laurie, I feel the same way too. But going out and doing something rash won't help and it will not bring Hermione back. No matter how many times we think it will. She's gone. She isn't coming back,"
His voice shook as he said this.
I turned my face away as the tears formed all over again. I angrily pounded my fist on the wall.
"It's not fair! I wish it were me in Hermione's place! She didn't deserve to die, Ron!"
"I know she didn't! But none of this is our fault! There's nothing more we can do," Ron said quietly.
I nodded as the tears flowed down my cheeks again.
Ron and I stepped into the hospital wing.
Madam Pomfrey looked up.
"You can stay with him for a bit. Not too long though. It might be some time before he comes out of it,"
We nodded and sat beside Harry.
He was staring up at the ceiling, blinking occasionally but no movement or speech.
"Come on Harry. Please snap out of it," I coaxed quietly.
I gently put my hand on top of his and squeezed it.
Harry really loved Hermione. I knew Hermione really loved him back.
About 3 hours later, we heard someone speak.
"Laurie? Ron?"
We looked up.
Harry was sitting up looking from Ron to me.
"Harry!" Ron cried as he happily hugged his best friend.
Then, I hugged him.
"I'm worried, Ron," Harry said.
"Worried?" I asked leaning close to him
"Yeah. Where's Hermione?"