Chapter 2: Complications
Nothing more had happened for a while after Hermione's collapse on the Hogwarts Express, but Ron and Harry had noticed that she had steadily gotten paler over the last two weeks. They were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, doing homework in front of the fire, when Ron asked,
'Are you ok, Herm?'
'I'm fine,' she replied. 'Why?'
'It's just that you look really ill and tired.' He was right. She had gotten pale and gaunt; and the fire highlighted the bags under her eyes.
'Hermione,' Harry began. 'Remember the song? "Feel my fury, feel my pain, feel your life begin to drain."'
'What are you saying, Harry? Do you think the song is coming true?'
'I don't know Herm. I wish I knew-'
'Maybe it was a curse of some sort,' Ron interrupted. 'May-' Hermione slumped out of her chair onto the rug in front of the fire.
'Oh, God, it's happening again.' Harry and Ron fell to the floor and pulled Hermione away from the fire. She lay there convulsing, fighting for breath, while Ron ran around the common room looking for Gryffindors to help; but the previously full room had suddenly emptied. Harry sat on the floor with Hermione, stroking her hair and murmuring comforting things, waiting for it to pass. It seemed an eternity before the haunting voice sang,
'When the churchbell strikes midnight,
When the moon is shining bright,
When you leave your tower high,
Then it is your time to die.' The words troubled Harry but he still felt relieved, knowing that the end of the song signalled Hermione coming round. As before, her eyes fluttered open with the last note, and she smiled at the sight of Harry, sitting beside her and stroking her hair.
'Are you ok?' he asked quietly, concern written all over his face.
'Yeah. Where's Ron?' She thought she saw something flash in Harry's eyes, but it was gone in an instant.
'Ron, she's awake,' Harry called to the other side of the room.
'Good,' Ron said as he strode back to where they were sitting. 'Ok?' he asked, looking just as concerned as Harry had.
'She's fine,' Harry said stonily. Hermione noted with regret that he had removed his hands from her hair and had folded them in his lap.
'Did you see anything?' Ron asked, moving forward.
'Yes. It was the woman in white again. She was singing. I remember the tune this time.' Hermione sang the verse. It sounded different to the song that had echoed around the common room, but it was the same words. Hermione's version was a haunting melody, and she sang it in a voice that sent chills down Harry and Ron's spines.
'Wow,' Ron said when she finished. 'That was beautiful.' Hermione smiled.
'Worrying lyrics though,' Harry said.
'Yeah.'
'What can they mean,' Hermione pondered.
'Last time the lyrics were "feel your life begin to drain" and you've been getting really ill.'
'He's right Hermione.' Harry thought about the words for a minute. 'Lets see. "When you leave your tower high," that must be Gryffindor tower. "When the churchbell strikes midnight, when the moon is shining bright." It must mean midnight on a full moon.' Hermione started at the sudden look of fear on Ron's face.
'What is it?' she asked frowning with concern.
'Full moon is tomorrow night.'
'Is that it?' Hermione said in relief. 'I thought it was something really terrible!'
'It is!' Harry said indignantly.
'Why?'
'Because if what the song says is true, then you'll die tomorrow midnight.'
'Oh! As if it's true!' Hermione laughed.
'We don't know that it isn't,' Ron said seriously. He looked at Harry.
'We have to protect her.'
'I don't need protecting!' Hermione exclaimed, but the boys ignored her.
'How can we? We're not allowed in the girls dorm and she's not allowed in ours,' Harry said.
'I'll stay down here with Hermione,' Ron answered.
'I'm staying down here, too,' Harry said, and again Hermione saw that indescribable something flash in his eyes. Ron gave Harry a look, and said,
'Fine.'
The next night, Harry, Hermione and Ron stayed downstairs long after all the other Gryffindors had gone to bed. They occupied themselves by doing homework and talking quietly about Hermione's condition.
'For goodness sake!' Hermione exclaimed for the umpteenth time. 'I do not have a condition!'
'What do you call passing out, convulsing, gasping for breath and having weird dreams about songs which come true?' Hermione rolled her eyes.
'Really, boys, I appreciate that you're worried about me but I'm sure I'll be fine. Why don't we all go up to bed?'
'Nice try, Herm. We're staying here at least until gone midnight.'
'You don't need to.' 'Shut up, you two. I'm trying to sleep,' said Ron from one of the sofas.
'We should, too,' Harry said. He watched her walk over to a sofa and summon her duvet, before choosing a sofa and summoning his own duvet.
The clock in the common room struck midnight with a loud boom. Harry and Ron immediately woke up but Hermione slept on, the serene smile playing across her lips a reminder of the first time she collapsed. As the clock reached its final boom, she stirred and sat up slowly. She looked around her and Harry and Ron saw that her eyes were still closed. She eased herself off of the sofa she had been sleeping on and walked towards the portrait. Hermione steered clear of any obstacles, as if she was programmed to follow a particular route. The boys got up and followed her as far as the portrait. She was about to push open the portrait but Harry and Ron caught her arms to stop her.
'We'll get in loads of trouble if we leave the tower, Herm,' Ron whispered.
'Ron, she's asleep. She can't hear you,' Harry replied.
'Oh.' Hermione still struggled against them as they held her. The time edged closer to 12.05 and Hermione's struggles became more frantic. When finally the minute hand reached the five, a sigh escaped Hermione and she fell to the floor.
Nothing more had happened for a while after Hermione's collapse on the Hogwarts Express, but Ron and Harry had noticed that she had steadily gotten paler over the last two weeks. They were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, doing homework in front of the fire, when Ron asked,
'Are you ok, Herm?'
'I'm fine,' she replied. 'Why?'
'It's just that you look really ill and tired.' He was right. She had gotten pale and gaunt; and the fire highlighted the bags under her eyes.
'Hermione,' Harry began. 'Remember the song? "Feel my fury, feel my pain, feel your life begin to drain."'
'What are you saying, Harry? Do you think the song is coming true?'
'I don't know Herm. I wish I knew-'
'Maybe it was a curse of some sort,' Ron interrupted. 'May-' Hermione slumped out of her chair onto the rug in front of the fire.
'Oh, God, it's happening again.' Harry and Ron fell to the floor and pulled Hermione away from the fire. She lay there convulsing, fighting for breath, while Ron ran around the common room looking for Gryffindors to help; but the previously full room had suddenly emptied. Harry sat on the floor with Hermione, stroking her hair and murmuring comforting things, waiting for it to pass. It seemed an eternity before the haunting voice sang,
'When the churchbell strikes midnight,
When the moon is shining bright,
When you leave your tower high,
Then it is your time to die.' The words troubled Harry but he still felt relieved, knowing that the end of the song signalled Hermione coming round. As before, her eyes fluttered open with the last note, and she smiled at the sight of Harry, sitting beside her and stroking her hair.
'Are you ok?' he asked quietly, concern written all over his face.
'Yeah. Where's Ron?' She thought she saw something flash in Harry's eyes, but it was gone in an instant.
'Ron, she's awake,' Harry called to the other side of the room.
'Good,' Ron said as he strode back to where they were sitting. 'Ok?' he asked, looking just as concerned as Harry had.
'She's fine,' Harry said stonily. Hermione noted with regret that he had removed his hands from her hair and had folded them in his lap.
'Did you see anything?' Ron asked, moving forward.
'Yes. It was the woman in white again. She was singing. I remember the tune this time.' Hermione sang the verse. It sounded different to the song that had echoed around the common room, but it was the same words. Hermione's version was a haunting melody, and she sang it in a voice that sent chills down Harry and Ron's spines.
'Wow,' Ron said when she finished. 'That was beautiful.' Hermione smiled.
'Worrying lyrics though,' Harry said.
'Yeah.'
'What can they mean,' Hermione pondered.
'Last time the lyrics were "feel your life begin to drain" and you've been getting really ill.'
'He's right Hermione.' Harry thought about the words for a minute. 'Lets see. "When you leave your tower high," that must be Gryffindor tower. "When the churchbell strikes midnight, when the moon is shining bright." It must mean midnight on a full moon.' Hermione started at the sudden look of fear on Ron's face.
'What is it?' she asked frowning with concern.
'Full moon is tomorrow night.'
'Is that it?' Hermione said in relief. 'I thought it was something really terrible!'
'It is!' Harry said indignantly.
'Why?'
'Because if what the song says is true, then you'll die tomorrow midnight.'
'Oh! As if it's true!' Hermione laughed.
'We don't know that it isn't,' Ron said seriously. He looked at Harry.
'We have to protect her.'
'I don't need protecting!' Hermione exclaimed, but the boys ignored her.
'How can we? We're not allowed in the girls dorm and she's not allowed in ours,' Harry said.
'I'll stay down here with Hermione,' Ron answered.
'I'm staying down here, too,' Harry said, and again Hermione saw that indescribable something flash in his eyes. Ron gave Harry a look, and said,
'Fine.'
The next night, Harry, Hermione and Ron stayed downstairs long after all the other Gryffindors had gone to bed. They occupied themselves by doing homework and talking quietly about Hermione's condition.
'For goodness sake!' Hermione exclaimed for the umpteenth time. 'I do not have a condition!'
'What do you call passing out, convulsing, gasping for breath and having weird dreams about songs which come true?' Hermione rolled her eyes.
'Really, boys, I appreciate that you're worried about me but I'm sure I'll be fine. Why don't we all go up to bed?'
'Nice try, Herm. We're staying here at least until gone midnight.'
'You don't need to.' 'Shut up, you two. I'm trying to sleep,' said Ron from one of the sofas.
'We should, too,' Harry said. He watched her walk over to a sofa and summon her duvet, before choosing a sofa and summoning his own duvet.
The clock in the common room struck midnight with a loud boom. Harry and Ron immediately woke up but Hermione slept on, the serene smile playing across her lips a reminder of the first time she collapsed. As the clock reached its final boom, she stirred and sat up slowly. She looked around her and Harry and Ron saw that her eyes were still closed. She eased herself off of the sofa she had been sleeping on and walked towards the portrait. Hermione steered clear of any obstacles, as if she was programmed to follow a particular route. The boys got up and followed her as far as the portrait. She was about to push open the portrait but Harry and Ron caught her arms to stop her.
'We'll get in loads of trouble if we leave the tower, Herm,' Ron whispered.
'Ron, she's asleep. She can't hear you,' Harry replied.
'Oh.' Hermione still struggled against them as they held her. The time edged closer to 12.05 and Hermione's struggles became more frantic. When finally the minute hand reached the five, a sigh escaped Hermione and she fell to the floor.
