centerChapter 5

Arrival at Hogwartsblockquote Harry awoke the next morning to the sound of a door closing. He opened his eyes and realized he was still wearing his glasses. He felt something move, shifting its weight on top of his chest, and he looked down at the sleeping Hermione. iOh, yeah, that's what happened now,/i Harry realized, wondering why he was in her room. He looked over at her digital clock. i8:30. Oh, when does that bloody train leave?/i He shifted and felt that his leg was sleeping.

Harry smiled. He slowly slid out from underneath Hermione and sneaked back into his own room. He walked to Hedwig's cage, and saw her sleeping there, with a letter attached to her leg. He opened the door to her cage, and started petting her head. Hedwig hooted softly, and started preening her feathers.

Harry looked at the letter. "Is it for me, Hedwig?" he asked the owl softly. Hedwig hooted in reply, and Harry untied the letter.

blockquote iTo Harry Potter,

I see that you are having a good time with the Grangers this summer. Please keep an eye out for Mrs. Granger.

She seems to be sick. If she shows any other signs of being sick, other than coughing, please inform me. Have a good summer, and we'll see you September 1.

Professor Albus Dumbledore/blockquote

Harry stared at the letter in opened mouth shock. i How did Dumbledore figure this out from just last night?/i, he wondered. Harry sighed and started packing. Hermione insisted that they leave for Hogwarts a week before. Harry thought about it. i If we are leaving today... that's just a little less than two weeks,/i he pondered. iI wonder how we're going to get there. I don't remember Hermione asking Dumbledore for transportation.../i

He finished packing his trunk and walked down to the breakfast table. Hermione was sitting there with a cup in her hand. Her plate had two pancakes sitting on it and she just ignored them. Harry walked to the table, and sat next to Hermione.

"Hermione," Harry asked, and Hermione flinched at the sound of his voice. "Are you OK?"

She turned her head towards Harry and he looked in her eyes and saw a flood of emotions. She shook her head, and then leaned it on Harry's shoulder. She sighed and Harry saw tears fall on his shirt. Mrs. Granger walked over and put a plate in front of Harry. It had two pancakes sitting on it. Mr.s Granger walked to a different spot on the table and set her plate down.

"So," Mrs. Granger started. "Are you two going to Hogwarts early, as planned?"

Hermione nodded her head slightly and Harry confirmed it.

"How are you getting there?"

"Port-key, Mum," Hermione whispered. "Professor Dumbledore made me one last night, before he left." Harry looked at Hermione, and smiled. He started eating, and Mrs. Granger was already through one pancake. Hermione, however had not touched a one. Harry unconsciously slipped his arm around Hermione's waist, and kept eating. When he realized that he had done this, he kept it there, confident that it would give Hermione needed support.

"Hermione," Harry asked. "What time does the port-key activate?"

"11AM."

"And where will it bring us?"

"We'll appear in Professor Dumbledore's office."

"OK." Harry stopped asking questions, trying not to wince at the sound of Hermione's voice. They finished breakfast in the silence that ensued and Harry helped Hermione get to her room.

"Harry," Hermione rasped, loudly enough so that Harry could hear her. Harry turned to her in acknowledgement. "As much as I don't want you to avoid me, you'll have to. The sickness..." she paused, and started coughing. "It's going to be really... contagious soon. I don't want you endangering yourself for me." She trailed off, and started another coughing fit.

Harry frowned. "Hermione, d'you really think that I'm gonna let you stay sick when you wouldn't do so with me?" Hermione looked wearily in Harry's eyes.

"Harry, none of that was contagious."

"Yes, true," Harry agreed. "But, would that have stopped Hermione or Ron from staying at Harry's side until he was well?" Harry inquired rhetorically. He walked out of the room, leaving a dazed and confused Hermione to start packing.

"Oh," Harry stuck his head in the room once more. "If you need help, I'm already done." Hermione smiled and nodded before he left.

"What do you need help with, Hermione?" Harry walked to the bed and sat next to Hermione. She swooned, and Harry caught her before she had even started falling. He laid her on the bed and then started packing for her as best as he possibly could.

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Hermione awoke slowly. She opened her eyes and looked at the clock. It was 10:45. She started panicking. She stood up and got dressed, seemingly perfectly fine. She rushed downstairs. Harry was sitting on her sofa writing a letter and whispering to Hedwig. Hedwig ruffled her feathers and hooted to acknowledge her presence, and also to alert Harry, but he was too absorbed in talking to Hedwig to notice.

"Hedwig," Harry whispered, barely audible to Hermione. "You know I like her, but what would Ron think? I know, you know the whole story, I've talked to you about it almost every night. But what would Ron think? I don't want to lose Ron as a friend as well... I already have a small family. You, Ron and Hermione. And, well, the whole Weasley family, too, I guess," Harry whispered with an inaudible laugh. "Mrs. Weasley is quite attached to me, isn't she. Then, there's the whole part about how I know Ron likes Hermione as well, and, well I have the feeling that she likes him as well. I just hope that they are happy together, if that's how it happens, and that they don't forget me." He petted Hedwig's head. "You know where to bring this. I'll see you at Hogwarts."

Harry walked to the window, oblivious to Hermione, and opened it, sending Hedwig out. He smiled, Hermione couldn't see it, and closed the window. He turned around and saw Hermione standing on the steps. He gawked at her standing there, half because she could barely walk two hours ago, and because Harry was sure that she had heard his conversation with Hedwig, no matter how one-sided it had been.

"So that's why Hedwig hooted... " Harry stated, dying out and just looking at Hermione. She smiled and walked down to Harry. She led him to the sofa and sat him down. Sitting next to him, she intertwined her fingers with Harry's. Harry, still contemplating what she heard, barely noticed her head resting on his shoulder.

"Um... how much did you hear?" Harry asked softy.

"Oh, not much," she lied. "Just heard you tell Hedwig where the letter was to be sent to." He inwardly didn't believe this, but he sighed and turned to Hermione.

"It's almost 11 now. Where's the port-key?" he asked.

"Here," she replied and took the object off of the coffee table in the living room. She showed it to Harry and he smiled.

"Time to go," he said, and he grabbed hold of all their stuff. He grabbed Hermione, pulled her towards him, closer to himself than he had meant, and the port-key activated. They both felt a pulling sensation, and then they were gone.

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Dumbledore turned his head at the sound of the port-key appearing in his office.

"Hello Harry, Hermione," he greeted happily. "Harry, I got your letter, thank you. Hedwig is in the Owlery getting lunch." He smiled. "How are you, Hermione?"

She smiled. "I'm fine, Professor."

Dumbledore smiled. "Well, the password to your dorms is 'Jellybean'. One of my favorites," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Well, we shall expect you in the Great Hall in one hour for lunch. You can unpack and wander the halls if you want. Mr. Filch has been notified that you will be here, and notified that you cannot get any punishments while school is not in session." Harry looked ready to ask a question, but Dumbledore continued. "And your friend Mr. Weasley has been notified that you will not be on the train, and he will meet you here." Harry smiled, waved to Dumbledore and Fawkes, and led Hermione to the Fat Lady.

Along the way, Harry unconsciously held Hermione's hand, and they walked in silence. Hermione walked with a grand smile, like a four year-old going to the circus for the first time. Harry didn't even notice this, and Hermione lost herself in her thoughts.

iSo, he really does like me. I wonder what Ron'll do when he realizes it. Oh, but Ron's not observant enough. He didn't notice that Scabbers was really Peter Pettigrew, /i she thought. She sighed, and looked at Harry. iHe doesn't know I like him. He hopes, but he doesn't really know. How should I tell him? Should I-/i

"We're here, Hermione," Harry said, looking at her. /i he thought. iI never got lost in her eyes before.../i

They stood in front of the Fat Lady for a while, looking in each others eyes, both wondering how they got lost in the other's eyes. Finally, Harry broke the mood. He blushed and looked away.

"Jellybean," he said to the Fat Lady, who quickly gained her composure. She was watching the two just looking at each other. She swung open and the two brought their stuff into their separate dorms.

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Harry brought the trunk into his room and put Hedwig's cage by the window. He opened his trunk and looked at his Invisibility Cloak. He brushed his hand over it, then grabbed his wand, changed into his robes and walked into the Common Room.

Hermione wasn't in the room, so Harry waited for her to enter.

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Hermione changed into her robes. She grabbed her wand, and before she could leave the dorm, she started coughing. She struggled to the door, but the coughing effectively prevented her from getting very far in the room. She sat there for ten minutes coughing. Harry, who had been sitting throughout the ten minutes getting more and more worried, ran into the dorm, after starting up the stairs and realizing that Hermione was coughing. He walked over to the form of Hermione, and helped her stand.

"You're getting weaker, Hermione," Harry stated. "You have to go to Madame Pomfrey, alright?"

Hermione tried to push Harry away, but he wouldn't let her, and inadvertantly brought her closer. "Harry... its too dangerous for you now. I told you to leave me..." she trailed off, not having enough strength to speak anymore. Harry picked Hermione up and carried her to the Great Hall.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry called when he saw Dumbledore in the Great Hall.

Dumbledore turned and walked straight towards Harry. "Oh, this is not good," Dumbledore said, stopping a full twenty feet from Harry and Hermione. "Harry, bring her to Madame Pomfrey and see if you can get the antidote, before you get sick as well."

Harry gulped. "Professor... what does this disease do?"

Dumbledore looked at Harry with a sorry look. "We don't know. No one has lived through it. The only cure can be administered before the person gets that far into the disease. I'm sorry Harry, but we don't know."

Harry nodded, hiding a tear, and carried Hermione to Madame. Madame had been previously warned, and she was prepared for Hermione. She had some magical shield over her mouth and nose.

"Harry," she said. "Please put her in that room. And it seems like you will have to stay in there as well, since you seem to have acquired the virus." Harry brought Hermione to the room and placed her on the bed. As soon as he let go of her, the virus attacked Harry, and he passed out on the floor next to the bed.

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A/N: Thanks to the few reviewers that I have... I think that everytime I update a chapter, I lose reviews! Not that it matters much to me though. I have my fun writing this.

Responses to reviews:

Nirvanagurl1220: Yes, it does seem that way. But doesn't it also seem like Harry likes Ginny and Hermione (up until this chapter) ?