A/N I don't own any of these characters. J.K. Rowling invented them.

Ron reached her first. "Hermione?" he said tentatively as he knelt down. Harry came running up to them. He had dropped all his stuff. Thick drops of rain were now pelting the three people. Harry slipped his hands underneath Hermione's warm body and lifted her up. "She's trembling!" he told Ron. "Grab my stuff will you? I'll take her to the infirmary." Ron was too shaken up to argue with Harry, he gathered up both his and Harry's belongings before remembering Hermione's things. "Harry!" he yelled, "What about Hermione's luggage?" Harry didn't hear him; he was stumbling up the pathway leading to the crumbling door that concealed the rich entryway.

He threw the door open just as a dark looking man ran past. "I'm so dead.!" the man cursed himself. "Hey!" Harry yelled, "I need help!" By now Hermione had begun to shake almost violently. Harry didn't know what to do.his mind was drawing a blank."Is anyone out there?" Harry screamed at the top of his lungs. He heard doors slam open and what sounded like a herd of elephants come running towards him. The first to reach him was Professor Dumbledor. He skidded to a top and reached up to cover his bald spot with the thick beret that had almost fallen off.

"Harry! What's going on?" he said. Looking back and forth between Harry and the trembling girl in his arms. "I don't know! She fell off of the train, and when I picked her up she was shaking." Harry explained. Just then Ron, still looking dazed, stumbled in through the door, nearly collapsing on the floor, under the weight of his, Harry's and Hermione's things. Unfortunately, neither Harry nor Dumbledor noticed. Ron didn't really care though. He threw the stuff on the floor and rushed up to his best friend and favorite professor.

"Is she okay?" He asked. Harry didn't miss the edge in his voice, nor did Dumbledor. "Now Mr. Weasley, we don't know who or what happened to this girl, so before you vow revenge, help us get to the bottom of this." Dumbledor placed his hand on Ron's shoulder and pointed them towards the nurse's station. "Help Harry take her up to the nurse, he's about to collapse!" It was true, Harry's knees were knocking together and his head was swimming. By no means was Hermione that large, but neither Harry nor Ron were strong enough to carry a soaked shaking girl up 16 flights of stairs. It took Dumbledor a couple of glances from boy to boy to girl, before he realized the obvious problem. "I'll help," The boys jumped at the low voice of their potions professor. Harry looked around the hall, students and professors surrounded him, and everyone was silent, except for Hermione who had begun to moan in her unconscious state.

"She's not getting any better boys!" Snape snapped at them before swiftly taking Hermione from Harry's arms and hugging e to his chest. Ron was smoldering as Severus started up the stairs clutching his best friend.

By the time they reached the infirmary both guys were out of breath. "Wow, we're out of shape!" Harry said quietly to Ron. "I recognize this curse." Severus was telling the nurse, Madame Pomfrey. The boys stopped talking and listened in on the conversation. "I taught it to the 7th years in my class last year." He went on. "But they graduated, and no one under the age of 18 is allowed to activate the curse, but that won't stop people from teaching it to their friends and brothers and sisters. Would it?" "No, I'm afraid not." Madame Pomfrey told him. "I've seen this before too, it's the Nisonette curse out of France, soon Miss Granger will begin spewing out all her secrets! And once she's done with that, she'll-" "Slip in and out of a coma, before waking up with most of her brain destroyed!" Professor Snape finished for her. "Stop talking about it and DO SOMETHING!" he roared. Harry flinched; he was used to Snape's yelling, but not when he yelled at other people in authority.

"Let's get these boys something to return their strength to make it down those stairs." Madame Pomfrey said, obviously unfazed by Professor Snape's yelling. "Vera!" she called, "get something for Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley!" Then she set to work on healing Hermione. "Who's Vera?" Ron whispered to Harry, but the boys didn't need to wait to long to find out. A door opened and out stepped the most beautiful woman Harry had ever seen. Harry could tell by the way Ron was staring, the same went for him too. She had long reddish brown hair that curled out at the different layers her eyes were the clearest emerald green Harry had ever seen, and the uniform she woe did nothing to conceal her slender hips and full breasts. Harry looked her over and stopped at her long shapely legs peeking out from underneath the belt of the robe. She smiled and leaned over to give Harry and Ron a small pill. She gave both of the boys an eye full of her pale cleavage. "I don't think we've met!" Severus smiled and kissed her hand as soon as she stood back up. "Severus Snape" He grinned. "I'm Vera Amoren" She smiled back at him revealing the whitest smile Harry and Ron had ever seen. "Now boys," Vera said, "you've already missed most of the orientation, I'd get down there if I were you!" The boys smiled back and rushed down the stairs.

As soon as they got to the bottom, Harry stopped "Who do you suppose would put a curse like that on Hermione?" He asked. Just then Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle walked by. "Hey Weasles! How's hair ball doing?" Draco grinned and Crabbe and Goyle snickered behind him. "What did you do!?!?!?!?" Ron growled before hurling himself at Draco. Both fell to the floor, but it was obviously a one sided fight. Draco was much stronger than Ron was and unfortunately Ron ended up pinned underneath Draco. "I didn't touch your girlfriend Weasles!" he spat. "Nor did I curse her, a curse like that is wasted on a MUDBLOOD! They're not worthy of something the prestigious!" Draco patted Ron's cheek and then stood up. Ron leapt up ready to resume fighting, but Harry stopped him. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle laughed as they stalked off back to the Slytherin Dorms.