Sobbing hysterically, Hermione managed to drag her luggage back to
the castle, crawling all the way. She did not feel physically injured,
although her back was aching from the fall, but her mind was scarred. The
things she had seen when he had touched her. Never before had she come in
such close contact with death itself.
Deciding that Durmstrang had taught Tom enough for him to want to try it on someone that wasn't from his school, she dragged herself up the steps of Hogwarts, never more happy to see it in her life. Standing uneasily, she wobbled a bit before making her way to the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady in the portrait glared at her apprehensively as Hermione gave the password. The Fat Lady swung open and Hermione entered, feeling absolutely drained. All she wanted to do was go lie down, but Ron, Harry and Ginny, all sitting in front of the fire, faced her.
"Hermione!" Ron's cry startled her and she wobbled again. Realizing that she must look a fright, she put a hand to her head and tried to straighten out her wild hair. "What the hell happened to you?"
Pulling twigs and leaves out of her hair and straightening her clothes, Hermione replied, "I fell." The three of her friends surrounded her. Ginny laid a hand on Hermione's arm to keep her from wobbling again.
Harry, sensing the bitterness in her voice, said, "Fell where?"
"On the pathway between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, alright?" Hermione snapped, immediately feeling bad at the hurt look on Harry's face. Unable to control her fury anymore, she burst into angry tears. "It was horrible!" she cried. Ginny moved out of the way so they could lead her to the couch in front of the fire. Ron took Hermione's bag, which she was still madly clutching in her right hand, and set it down beside the couch.
"What was horrible?" Ginny asked softly.
"I met this guy on the train," Hermione began, hiccupping softly, "and we went for a drink in the Hog's Head."
"Why the Hog's Head?" Harry asked, almost accusingly. "Why not the Three Broomsticks?"
"I don't know!" Hermione sobbed. "Tom said that he wanted to go to the Hog's Head."
"Tom?" asked Harry and Ginny in unison. Sharing a look, leaving Ron totally baffled, Ginny asked, "What did this Tom look like?"
"Dark black hair, blue eyes that kind of freaked me out, taller than me." Hermione wiped her nose on her sleeve.
Ginny gasped and Harry closed his eyes. "Did he give a last name?" Harry asked, his eyes still shut, as if he were trying to shut out the world.
"No."
"That's him." Ginny's voice was small and shaky. "That's him, Harry." She looked at Harry with frightened eyes and Harry nodded slowly to himself.
"Who?" Hermione was becoming frustrated at the prospect of being left out of the conversation. "Who was it?"
"Tom Riddle." Harry's voice was clear, but Hermione's mind fogged over. The name was familiar, yet in her puzzled mind, she couldn't place it.
"Voldemort," Ginny said softly. Suddenly, it clicked in Hermione's mind and she began sobbing wildly. Professor McGonagall who had just entered the room soon heard her uncontrollable cries.
"What is going on here?" she said, storming over to the couch. When she saw the state of Hermione, her voice softened. "What happened?"
Hermione listened half-heartedly as Harry relayed the story to Professor McGonagall. When he finished, McGonagall's eyes were as wide as Ginny's. "Are you alright, Miss Granger?" she asked, kneeling down to Hermione's height. "Did he do anything to you?"
"No," Hermione lied. She didn't know what Tom had done to her so she felt it better to stay quiet on the matter. She took deep steadying breaths as McGonagall asked her if she wanted to go to the infirmary. Hermione shook her head no. "I just want to go to bed."
"Okay." Professor McGonagall stood up. "Miss Weasley, please take Miss Granger to her dormitory where she can lie down. Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, please come with me to inform the Headmaster of what has happened. Miss Granger, if you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to come see me." With a pitiful glance, McGonagall left the room, Harry and Ron following her.
Ginny helped Hermione climb the staircase to the girls' dormitories, although she didn't really need the help and was just grateful for the company. She was especially grateful that it was Professor McGonagall who heard her story, as she, too, had been attacked by Voldemort and knew how it felt.
"He didn't possess you, did he?" Ginny asked quietly when Hermione had gotten into bed. She had tried to leave, but Hermione had begged her not to, wanting the company.
"No." Hermione sniffled. "But he did this funny thing. He brought me close to him and put his hand on my stomach. And-I know this is going to sound crazy, Ginny, but I swear, I heard his thoughts."
Ginny had gone paler than Hermione had ever seen her before. "He put his hand to your stomach?" she asked, her face contorted in fear.
"Didn't you hear the other part, Ginny? I heard his thoughts!"
Ginny nodded vacantly, but her mind was occupied with the fact that Hermione had stated before. She had only heard of that happening one other time, but she was sworn to secrecy about that. She kept her thoughts on it to herself and said, "Maybe you should have told McGonagall."
Hermione shook her head. "Why make things worse?" When she glanced at Ginny, she was surprised to see a faint smile. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing's funny," Ginny replied distantly. "It's just that normally you're the one convincing Harry and others to go tell someone about their problems and here I am, trying to convince you to go see either Dumbledore or McGonagall about this thing and you're being stubborn."
"I'm not stubborn," Hermione said, her brow furrowed together. "I'm just right."
Deciding that Durmstrang had taught Tom enough for him to want to try it on someone that wasn't from his school, she dragged herself up the steps of Hogwarts, never more happy to see it in her life. Standing uneasily, she wobbled a bit before making her way to the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady in the portrait glared at her apprehensively as Hermione gave the password. The Fat Lady swung open and Hermione entered, feeling absolutely drained. All she wanted to do was go lie down, but Ron, Harry and Ginny, all sitting in front of the fire, faced her.
"Hermione!" Ron's cry startled her and she wobbled again. Realizing that she must look a fright, she put a hand to her head and tried to straighten out her wild hair. "What the hell happened to you?"
Pulling twigs and leaves out of her hair and straightening her clothes, Hermione replied, "I fell." The three of her friends surrounded her. Ginny laid a hand on Hermione's arm to keep her from wobbling again.
Harry, sensing the bitterness in her voice, said, "Fell where?"
"On the pathway between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, alright?" Hermione snapped, immediately feeling bad at the hurt look on Harry's face. Unable to control her fury anymore, she burst into angry tears. "It was horrible!" she cried. Ginny moved out of the way so they could lead her to the couch in front of the fire. Ron took Hermione's bag, which she was still madly clutching in her right hand, and set it down beside the couch.
"What was horrible?" Ginny asked softly.
"I met this guy on the train," Hermione began, hiccupping softly, "and we went for a drink in the Hog's Head."
"Why the Hog's Head?" Harry asked, almost accusingly. "Why not the Three Broomsticks?"
"I don't know!" Hermione sobbed. "Tom said that he wanted to go to the Hog's Head."
"Tom?" asked Harry and Ginny in unison. Sharing a look, leaving Ron totally baffled, Ginny asked, "What did this Tom look like?"
"Dark black hair, blue eyes that kind of freaked me out, taller than me." Hermione wiped her nose on her sleeve.
Ginny gasped and Harry closed his eyes. "Did he give a last name?" Harry asked, his eyes still shut, as if he were trying to shut out the world.
"No."
"That's him." Ginny's voice was small and shaky. "That's him, Harry." She looked at Harry with frightened eyes and Harry nodded slowly to himself.
"Who?" Hermione was becoming frustrated at the prospect of being left out of the conversation. "Who was it?"
"Tom Riddle." Harry's voice was clear, but Hermione's mind fogged over. The name was familiar, yet in her puzzled mind, she couldn't place it.
"Voldemort," Ginny said softly. Suddenly, it clicked in Hermione's mind and she began sobbing wildly. Professor McGonagall who had just entered the room soon heard her uncontrollable cries.
"What is going on here?" she said, storming over to the couch. When she saw the state of Hermione, her voice softened. "What happened?"
Hermione listened half-heartedly as Harry relayed the story to Professor McGonagall. When he finished, McGonagall's eyes were as wide as Ginny's. "Are you alright, Miss Granger?" she asked, kneeling down to Hermione's height. "Did he do anything to you?"
"No," Hermione lied. She didn't know what Tom had done to her so she felt it better to stay quiet on the matter. She took deep steadying breaths as McGonagall asked her if she wanted to go to the infirmary. Hermione shook her head no. "I just want to go to bed."
"Okay." Professor McGonagall stood up. "Miss Weasley, please take Miss Granger to her dormitory where she can lie down. Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, please come with me to inform the Headmaster of what has happened. Miss Granger, if you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to come see me." With a pitiful glance, McGonagall left the room, Harry and Ron following her.
Ginny helped Hermione climb the staircase to the girls' dormitories, although she didn't really need the help and was just grateful for the company. She was especially grateful that it was Professor McGonagall who heard her story, as she, too, had been attacked by Voldemort and knew how it felt.
"He didn't possess you, did he?" Ginny asked quietly when Hermione had gotten into bed. She had tried to leave, but Hermione had begged her not to, wanting the company.
"No." Hermione sniffled. "But he did this funny thing. He brought me close to him and put his hand on my stomach. And-I know this is going to sound crazy, Ginny, but I swear, I heard his thoughts."
Ginny had gone paler than Hermione had ever seen her before. "He put his hand to your stomach?" she asked, her face contorted in fear.
"Didn't you hear the other part, Ginny? I heard his thoughts!"
Ginny nodded vacantly, but her mind was occupied with the fact that Hermione had stated before. She had only heard of that happening one other time, but she was sworn to secrecy about that. She kept her thoughts on it to herself and said, "Maybe you should have told McGonagall."
Hermione shook her head. "Why make things worse?" When she glanced at Ginny, she was surprised to see a faint smile. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing's funny," Ginny replied distantly. "It's just that normally you're the one convincing Harry and others to go tell someone about their problems and here I am, trying to convince you to go see either Dumbledore or McGonagall about this thing and you're being stubborn."
"I'm not stubborn," Hermione said, her brow furrowed together. "I'm just right."
