Disclaimer: In Ch 1
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Moonlight and murmuring voices woke Harry a few nights later. He fumbled for his glasses, and then looked around. The voices were coming from the direction of Hermione's bed. Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore were talking outside the curtains. They were speaking softly, trying not to wake him. Harry strained to listen.

"Mr. Potter has recovered, Professor. Why not release him?"

"The students are talking, Poppy. Harry doesn't need to be out there, when he can't answer their questions. Besides, the governors and the Ministry would prefer that he and Miss Granger be kept apart until the trial."

"When is the trial, sir?"

"As soon as Miss Granger recovers. I assume her condition has improved?"

"Some, yes, but she is still comatose. Mr. Potter visits her every day, poor boy. It breaks my heart to see him try to wake her. I've thought about forbidding visits."

Harry's heart stopped. Not letting him see Hermione? He hoped Dumbledore would object.

"No, Poppy, that may make things worse. It's possible that Harry is having a positive effect, though it isn't obvious yet. And if not, it would be cruel now to stop his visits.
And I believe Mr. Ronald Weasley has been asking to visit as well?"

Madame Pomfrey nodded. "But-"

"No buts, Poppy. Mr. Weasley has the right to see Miss Granger as well. I am sure he is just as worried as Harry, if not more so, since he has not seen her daily."

Dumbledore glanced over then, and Harry hunkered down into the covers. But he had a feeling the headmaster had noticed anyway.

"Please remember to alert me if Miss Granger's condition changes before I visit again. Goodnight, Poppy."

Dumbledore swept out of the room, stopping for a moment to give Harry a reassuring glance. Madame Pomfrey sighed, and Harry heard the sound of a chair scraping behind the curtain.

Harry returned his glasses to the night table, and then stared at the curtains around Hermione's bed until he fell asleep.
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"Harry! Wake up!"

Harry rubbed his eyes and sat up. A red and peach blur was in front of him.

"Ron?"

"Here're your glasses."

"Thanks." Harry put them on and Ron's grinning face came into focus.

"Madame Pomfrey finally let me visit. It's about time."

"Yeah, I could hear you protesting yesterday." Harry glanced toward Hermione's bed, as usual. Ron followed his gaze and the grin fell from his face.

"I wish I could pound Malfoy and his goons for this," he growled, "but they left the day it happened."

"I heard Madame Pomfrey talking to Dumbledore last night. She said Hermione's getting better."

"I hope she's right."

Ron and Harry were interrupted by gasping noises.

"Hermione!" They rushed over to her bed. Hermione's eyes were opened wide and filled with terror. Her mouth was open, the gasping reduced to hoarse croaks.

Ron rushed to Madame Pomfrey's office door and began pounding on it.

"Madame Pomfrey! Madame Pomfrey! Hermione's in trouble! You've got to help!"

Harry ignored the pandemonium occurring. His eyes were fixed only on Hermione's, which didn't seem to see him.

"Hermione?" He grabbed her hand and she flinched, trying to jerk away from him.

"Hermione! It's me, Harry!" She didn't respond, didn't even focus on him. Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. Hearing Madame Pomfrey, he turned angrily. Before he could say anything, Madame Pomfrey glared at him.

"Potter! Get back in bed! Weasley, fetch the Headmaster!"
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Harry was still fuming when Dumbledore swept anxiously into the room and stood at Madame Pomfrey's side. The horrible croaking sounds Hermione had been making had ceased, and she was breathing normally. Dumbledore glanced into Hermione's eyes, still wide open. A sadness worse than he had ever known settled upon him. The fear that was in those young eyes...

Dumbledore turned away, and left Madame Pomfrey to her job. He walked over to Harry's bed. Ron's face was pale as a corpse, and while Harry's was normal, his green eyes were flashing dangerously.

"What's wrong with Hermione?" Harry growled.

"Harry, Mr. Weasley, we just don't know. Sometimes people who have suffered the Cruciatus Curse end up fine. Others-" Dumbledore glance at Ron, and decided to continue anyhow. "Others suffer the same fate as the Longbottoms."

Harry paled.

"Huh? What happened to the Longbottoms?" Ron didn't understand, not having had the discussion with Dumbledore that Harry had last year.

"Neville's parents were committed to an insane asylum, Ron," Harry explained glumly.

Ron's face turned red with anger. He clenched a fist, and then slammed it down on Harry's bedside table. "That Malfoy and his idiots better watch out, because if that happens to Hermione, I'll kill them with my bare hands. I won't need a wand."

"Mr. Weasley, please calm down. I wouldn't want to have to admit you because you broke your hand in a fit of rage," Madame Pomfrey called from Hermione's bed.