Chapter 4: Dreams
Ginny slowly trotted down the stairs, the usual skip in each step. She quickly fipped her shoulder-length, fiery red hair behind her ear, brushing strands out of her eyes. She walked through when suddenly, something caught her eye. She turned her head in curiousity. Suddenly, she gasped, stumbling backwards when she saw what she saw. Hermione lay on the floor, a small puddle of blood near her head.
I'm not a little kid anymore. I can't panic. she thought.
When she regained her composure she ran to Hermione's side and knelt down. She struggled, but managed to pull Hermione on her back and lift her upper body onto her lap. She shuddered when she saw Hermione's eyes on her. Using her middle and index finger on her right hand, she closed her eye lids for her. Using the sleve of her robes she wipped away blood off of her forehead. The area where the blood was slowly seeping out of was purple and bruised.
What the heck happened? she thought as she managed to tear off a chunk of her robe near the bottom.
She wrapped it around Hermione's head. She tried to keep her calm and not panic as she would've done before. The portrait hole swung open. She looked up and saw Harry and Ron walk in, chewing on some apples.
"Harry! Ron! Help!" she squealed.
Harry and Ron ran over to the area, when they saw Hermione they rushed over quicker. Ron dropped to his knees almost immediately. Harry knelt beside him.
"What happened Ginny?" Harry asked.
Ron was thinking the same thing, but shock was in his expression. His jaw had dropped, as if he were going to say something, but his voice was sucked out of him.
"I don't know. I was going to go down to Professor Flitwick's office and ask for some study aids for the upcoming test on Friday and I saw her lying here." Ginny explained, trying hard not to stutter.
"Th-the-there's blood." Ron managed to say. "She must've fell or something and was knocked unconscious."
"I agree." Harry replied, "We'd better get her to the Hospital Wing."
"We can't carry her there. The Hospital Wing is on the other side of the castle." Ginny reminded them, "I'll get Professor McGonagall, her office is closest."
"Okay." Harry replied.
Ginny got up to leave, but Ron held her back, still keeping his eyes on Hermione.
"What is it Ron?" Ginny questioned, anxious to leave and get help.
"Please hurry Ginny." Ron mumbled.
Ginny nodded as he let go and she ran as fast as she could out of the portrait hole.
"Harry, help me get her onto the couch. She might get a cold if we leave her on the cement floor." Ron insisted.
"Yeah, of course." Harry replied.
Slowly and carefully, they laid her down on the nearest couch.
They didn't have to wait long for Ginny and McGonagall to return. About five minutes after they place Hermione on the couch Ginny reentered with McGonagall close behind.
"Dear God!" McGonagall gasped. "Move out of the way Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley."
They did as they were told and moved away from the couch. McGonagall pointed at Hermione's body with her wand and chanted, "Mobilicorpus!"
She raised her wand and Hermione's body did the same. "Follow me to the Hospital Wing." McGonagall ordered as she guided Hermione to the Hospital Wing, with the others close behind.
McGonagall laid Hermione's still body on a bed in the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomphrey rushed in at once and began to analyze the bruised area on Hermione's head.
"What happened!?" Pomphrey questioned, still checking out Hermione.
"I found her on the floor." Ginny explained, trying hard not to shake.
Harry noticed her and placed his arm around Ginny. She leaned her head against him as she grew calmer.
Ron on the other hand was petrified. He wanted to help her all he could, but he knew he wouldn't be able to.
Hermione looked around and found herself face to face with... herself.
Where am I?
You are in your mind.
Oh that helps. Why am I here?
You know the answer to that, and only you can pull yourself out of here.
Can you give me a little more background on what you mean?
In the outside world you are filled with troubles and problems. You want to be with Ron, but you worry he won't return your feelings. You want to succeed in school, but you worry you won't do well enough. You have so many goals and dreams, yet you allow your fears to get the best of you. You wanted to get away from all those problems and fears, so you escaped into your mind, the only place where you are in solitude where you are alone. But loneliness is just as bad.
That's not my fault! I try to do everything, I try to do my best!
Those are just excuses. Only cowards use excuses. You've never tried to do everything and you've never done your best. In order to do both you have to put your fears out of your head. You have to forget about your negative feelings and go for your dreams.
I don't. I don't know how to do that.
I can't help you there Hermione. You need to do this on your own. You need to let go of your fears and for once, for once in your life let yourself live!
But how do I do that?
Like I said. I cannot help you there. You know what and how to do it. You just need to look deep inside and do one more thing.
What's that? Dance on a table doing the macarena?
No. You need to believe in yourself, or you will never accomplish more than average, and you can do better than that. It's time you learn how to believe in yourself. Only then, can you truly live and leave this place.
If I'm here, what am I doing out there?
You're in a coma-like state. Sort of hibernation. Unfortunately, you only have a limited time for yourself to get out of here, if you do not get out of here in that limited time, you will either stay here forever or...
Or what?
Or Die.
NO!
Day turned into night, but it was hard to tell except for the fact that the clouds got even more gloomy and the rain poured harder. Ron sat in a chair beside Hermione's bed. He sighed heavily as he watched her, lying there.
"Ron?" a voice quietly spoke.
Ron said nothing in return. Harry walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Ron, c'mon. Have some dinner."
"I don't need to eat." he spat coldly.
Harry chuckled, "Really Ron, that's a first.!"
Ron looked back at him, giving him a dark look. Harry retracted his hand. "This isn't the time Harry. Go on and have your feast, I can't put my mind on something else when a friend's in trouble."
"Ouch." Harry mumbled in an awfuly loud tone.
Ron sighed heavily and stood up, "I'm sorry Harry." he said sincerely, "But it's just that, I'm too worried about hermione right now."
"I understand Ron." Harry replied kindly, "She's also my best friend too y'know. And I know I don't feel the same way about her as you do, but just remember that she wouldn't want you to worry over her. You heard her!"
Ron grinned, "Yeah, in the library."
"Did she ever find you? She went looking after you after she saw you leave." Harry remembered.
"What? No!" Ron gasped, "I went to the Great Hall to get some food. I did pass Malfoy a couple times, he was grumpy as a bull infront of a red wall though."
Harry chuckled, trying to imagine it then paused, "If she never caught up with you, where do you think she went?"
"She probably went up to the tower. Something must've happened and which brings us back here." he sighed heavily as he looked over hisown shoulder at Hermione.
"Ron, don't even think it! Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault!" Harry insisted in a stern tone.
"What do you think she's thinking about?" Ron asked as if he never heard Harry.
"You." Harry said simply. "Listen, I'm going down to the Great Hall are you coming?"
"No. I want to stay with Hermione." Ron said.
He shrugged then headed for the door. Before reaching it he turned back, "How long are you going to stay with her?" He asked,
Ron sat back down, "As long as it takes."
~ PLEASE R&R people heh heh. This is the only way I know if you like what I'm writing! =)
Ginny slowly trotted down the stairs, the usual skip in each step. She quickly fipped her shoulder-length, fiery red hair behind her ear, brushing strands out of her eyes. She walked through when suddenly, something caught her eye. She turned her head in curiousity. Suddenly, she gasped, stumbling backwards when she saw what she saw. Hermione lay on the floor, a small puddle of blood near her head.
I'm not a little kid anymore. I can't panic. she thought.
When she regained her composure she ran to Hermione's side and knelt down. She struggled, but managed to pull Hermione on her back and lift her upper body onto her lap. She shuddered when she saw Hermione's eyes on her. Using her middle and index finger on her right hand, she closed her eye lids for her. Using the sleve of her robes she wipped away blood off of her forehead. The area where the blood was slowly seeping out of was purple and bruised.
What the heck happened? she thought as she managed to tear off a chunk of her robe near the bottom.
She wrapped it around Hermione's head. She tried to keep her calm and not panic as she would've done before. The portrait hole swung open. She looked up and saw Harry and Ron walk in, chewing on some apples.
"Harry! Ron! Help!" she squealed.
Harry and Ron ran over to the area, when they saw Hermione they rushed over quicker. Ron dropped to his knees almost immediately. Harry knelt beside him.
"What happened Ginny?" Harry asked.
Ron was thinking the same thing, but shock was in his expression. His jaw had dropped, as if he were going to say something, but his voice was sucked out of him.
"I don't know. I was going to go down to Professor Flitwick's office and ask for some study aids for the upcoming test on Friday and I saw her lying here." Ginny explained, trying hard not to stutter.
"Th-the-there's blood." Ron managed to say. "She must've fell or something and was knocked unconscious."
"I agree." Harry replied, "We'd better get her to the Hospital Wing."
"We can't carry her there. The Hospital Wing is on the other side of the castle." Ginny reminded them, "I'll get Professor McGonagall, her office is closest."
"Okay." Harry replied.
Ginny got up to leave, but Ron held her back, still keeping his eyes on Hermione.
"What is it Ron?" Ginny questioned, anxious to leave and get help.
"Please hurry Ginny." Ron mumbled.
Ginny nodded as he let go and she ran as fast as she could out of the portrait hole.
"Harry, help me get her onto the couch. She might get a cold if we leave her on the cement floor." Ron insisted.
"Yeah, of course." Harry replied.
Slowly and carefully, they laid her down on the nearest couch.
They didn't have to wait long for Ginny and McGonagall to return. About five minutes after they place Hermione on the couch Ginny reentered with McGonagall close behind.
"Dear God!" McGonagall gasped. "Move out of the way Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley."
They did as they were told and moved away from the couch. McGonagall pointed at Hermione's body with her wand and chanted, "Mobilicorpus!"
She raised her wand and Hermione's body did the same. "Follow me to the Hospital Wing." McGonagall ordered as she guided Hermione to the Hospital Wing, with the others close behind.
McGonagall laid Hermione's still body on a bed in the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomphrey rushed in at once and began to analyze the bruised area on Hermione's head.
"What happened!?" Pomphrey questioned, still checking out Hermione.
"I found her on the floor." Ginny explained, trying hard not to shake.
Harry noticed her and placed his arm around Ginny. She leaned her head against him as she grew calmer.
Ron on the other hand was petrified. He wanted to help her all he could, but he knew he wouldn't be able to.
Hermione looked around and found herself face to face with... herself.
Where am I?
You are in your mind.
Oh that helps. Why am I here?
You know the answer to that, and only you can pull yourself out of here.
Can you give me a little more background on what you mean?
In the outside world you are filled with troubles and problems. You want to be with Ron, but you worry he won't return your feelings. You want to succeed in school, but you worry you won't do well enough. You have so many goals and dreams, yet you allow your fears to get the best of you. You wanted to get away from all those problems and fears, so you escaped into your mind, the only place where you are in solitude where you are alone. But loneliness is just as bad.
That's not my fault! I try to do everything, I try to do my best!
Those are just excuses. Only cowards use excuses. You've never tried to do everything and you've never done your best. In order to do both you have to put your fears out of your head. You have to forget about your negative feelings and go for your dreams.
I don't. I don't know how to do that.
I can't help you there Hermione. You need to do this on your own. You need to let go of your fears and for once, for once in your life let yourself live!
But how do I do that?
Like I said. I cannot help you there. You know what and how to do it. You just need to look deep inside and do one more thing.
What's that? Dance on a table doing the macarena?
No. You need to believe in yourself, or you will never accomplish more than average, and you can do better than that. It's time you learn how to believe in yourself. Only then, can you truly live and leave this place.
If I'm here, what am I doing out there?
You're in a coma-like state. Sort of hibernation. Unfortunately, you only have a limited time for yourself to get out of here, if you do not get out of here in that limited time, you will either stay here forever or...
Or what?
Or Die.
NO!
Day turned into night, but it was hard to tell except for the fact that the clouds got even more gloomy and the rain poured harder. Ron sat in a chair beside Hermione's bed. He sighed heavily as he watched her, lying there.
"Ron?" a voice quietly spoke.
Ron said nothing in return. Harry walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Ron, c'mon. Have some dinner."
"I don't need to eat." he spat coldly.
Harry chuckled, "Really Ron, that's a first.!"
Ron looked back at him, giving him a dark look. Harry retracted his hand. "This isn't the time Harry. Go on and have your feast, I can't put my mind on something else when a friend's in trouble."
"Ouch." Harry mumbled in an awfuly loud tone.
Ron sighed heavily and stood up, "I'm sorry Harry." he said sincerely, "But it's just that, I'm too worried about hermione right now."
"I understand Ron." Harry replied kindly, "She's also my best friend too y'know. And I know I don't feel the same way about her as you do, but just remember that she wouldn't want you to worry over her. You heard her!"
Ron grinned, "Yeah, in the library."
"Did she ever find you? She went looking after you after she saw you leave." Harry remembered.
"What? No!" Ron gasped, "I went to the Great Hall to get some food. I did pass Malfoy a couple times, he was grumpy as a bull infront of a red wall though."
Harry chuckled, trying to imagine it then paused, "If she never caught up with you, where do you think she went?"
"She probably went up to the tower. Something must've happened and which brings us back here." he sighed heavily as he looked over hisown shoulder at Hermione.
"Ron, don't even think it! Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault!" Harry insisted in a stern tone.
"What do you think she's thinking about?" Ron asked as if he never heard Harry.
"You." Harry said simply. "Listen, I'm going down to the Great Hall are you coming?"
"No. I want to stay with Hermione." Ron said.
He shrugged then headed for the door. Before reaching it he turned back, "How long are you going to stay with her?" He asked,
Ron sat back down, "As long as it takes."
~ PLEASE R&R people heh heh. This is the only way I know if you like what I'm writing! =)
