Chapter 12 Of Shadows of Death and Lights of Hope - Part 02
Golden Rules for Hogwarts Students that want to survive the School Year of 1995:
If you find Filch or his cat, Mrs. Norris and you are doing something you shouldn't, run as fast as you can. You don't want to face them.
As usual, be careful of Snape if you aren't a Slytherin. He hates everyone as much as always.
McGonagall is still someone that you shouldn't make angry. She's been as stern as usual, although she looks different form previous years.
Be careful with the Weasley Twins and anything they offer you. They have became worse this year.
Don't say a wrong word about Harry Potter's death or Hermione Granger's parents' either. You'll face the wrath of the Gryffindor House if you do it. This rule also applies for McGonagall, Head of said House.
Never make Dumbledore angry. Rumors says that he was very angry when it was found out about the false Moody last year. And no one who has seen him angry, has been here at the School for another year.
****
These rules although were not written were as important as the ones that were on the books. They were said from the oldest students to the youngest, who understood the importance of them very soon. Everyone knew that breaking any of those rules, excepting the number 4 maybe, in most of the cases would bring very bad consequences.
Breaking the rules 3, 5 and 6 would mean a sure death and only someone who wanted a painful death would dare to break them. In other words, only a suicidal and a stupid would do it.
Severus Snape found himself waiting for Dumbledore at the Headmaster's Office. He looked nervous. He had been stupid enough to break those rules in only 15 minutes.
After they understood that Miss Granger had tried to kill herself, Severus, Minerva and Albus had taken to Hermione inmediately to the Hospital Wing with Ron Weasley behid them.
While Madame Pomfrey began to work with her wounds, the 3 teachers and the student waited outside of te Inifirmary till the Nurse gave them some news about the Prefect.
Albus began to walk through the corridor, while Minerva tried to consolate a distraught Ron who was crying like a baby with the idea of losing her. Severus watched the scene in silence.
After a while of waiting, the Potions' Master said one of the most stupid things that someone could ever say:
"This is how the Gryffindors react when there are problems? I thought they were the braves not the cowards." Although he didn't say it to anyone in special, the 3 heard those words.
Before any of the teachers could react, Ron had his wand pointing to the Head of Slytherin and he looked ready to repeat what he had done with Trelawney at the start of the term. Before Albus or Minerva could stop him, the redhead started his attack.
"Stop him!" Almost shouted Snape to his colleagues trying to stay away from the spells, curses and hexes that Ron shot.
"Do we have to do it?" Asked Minerva to Albus, considering the chance of leaving Severus without help with her student.
"Yes." Said Dumbledore with a flick of his wand and stunning and disarming Ron at that moment.
"Congratulations, Severus. You are the first person who knows the real meaning of my House's threat." Said Minerva shoting murderer looks towards the Potions' Master, who tried to recover his normal breath.
"Wait for me at my Office." Said Albus to Severus with a tone that not left place for arguments. That was the reason the Snape found himself at said place.
"Severus, in the 20 years we have known, that was the most stupid thing you could have ever said! Do you know that?" Asked Albus shouting when he entered at his Office 40 minutes after the incident.
Severus gulped. Albus Dumbledore shouting was one of the worst things he ever met.
"Yes, I do." Said Snape unconfortable.
"What the hell possesed you to say that? You knew how Weasley would react. Minerva was considering very seriously to not stop him. And that thought also crossed my mind." Said Albus trying to calm his anger.
"I don't have any idea why I said it. And my intention wasn't to say it aloud. It was a personal thought." Said Snape more unconfortable every moment that he was there.
"Keep that kind of thoughts for yourself! Next time that something like this happens, I'll leave at Gryffindor's Common Room without a wand, I'll seal the entrance and you'll face the House alone! Did you understand me?" Asked Dumbledore showing an anger that reminded Severus of the one that he had showed last year with Barty Crouch Jr.
"Yes, I did." Said Severus with a shiver thinking in that idea.
"Leave the Office before I lose the little amount of patience I still have this morning. And it isn't a lot, I'll tell you." Warned the Headmaster.
"How is she?" Asked Severus before he left.
"Poppy told that she'll survive. But we don't know when she'll wake up." Said Dumbledore with a worried tone of voice.
"I'll see you at breakfast." Said Severus leaving the Office.
"This will be the hardest year of all, Fawkes." Said Albus to his phoenix before he turned his atention to the Pensive and started to use it.
****
Minerva McGonagall sat for breakfast with a tired and worried look. She was very worried with the whole incient that had happened with Hermione that morning and how she would react after that.
When she left the Hospital Wing, Ron was sat next to her bed silent. He hadn't spoken a word since the attack to Snape. He didn't say nothing to her or Dumbledore. And neither of them expected it. His eyes clearly told them that he was far from being sorry for his actions and that he would do it again at any moment if it happened once more.
"Do it again, Severus, and you'll think that You-Know-Who is a first year student compaired with me. And you should know that I can be your worst nightmare if I want to be it." Whispered Minerva to her Colleague when the Head of Slytherin sat for breakfast.
Snape didn't say nothing, he just started to eat, knowing that the Transiguration Professor was far from joking with her words. She was worse than him and all the other teacher combined when she was angry. And he had faced that anger as a student and teacher alike.
"They will need help with this, Minerva." Said Dumbledore listening the threat, but choosing to not comment anything about it.
"I'll take care of that in a few minutes." Said Minerva looking to the Table of her House. Her eyes were at the Team of Quidditch. Since the start of the term, Ron and Hermione had grown as friends with them and they looked the only ones that could help them with this.
The absence of the 2 students didn't pass unnoticed by anyone at the Table. But no one seemed to know anything about where they were. The last time that someone had seen them had been the last night at the Common Room. Theories started to appear but none of them was near the truth. After a while, the whole House stood and went to classes.
The first Class for the Seventh Years of Gryffindor was Transfiguration with Ravenclaw, with their Head of House as Professor. The students noticed some worry at the Teacher's face and the team had the feeling that something was very wrong with Ron and Hermione.
"Messers Weasley, Miss Bell, Miss Jonhson and Miss Spinnet, please come with me to my Office. I need to speak with the 5 of you." Said Minerva to the group when the class had finished and the students started to leave the classroom.
"What happened with Ron and Hermione?" Asked Fred when the 5 students and the Teacher were sat at the Office.
"First of all, what I'll tell you here, MUSN'T leave this place under any circunstance. Is it clear?" Asked McGonagall with a tone that told them that she wasn't kidding.
"Yes, Professor." Said the 5 teens with a nod.
"Read this." Said McGonagall showing them the letter that Hermione had left the previous night.
The 5 students took the paper and began to read it in silence. All of them looked worried and paled when they finished it. It wasn't necessary a genius to know that something had happened.
"Hermione tried to kill herself last night. She had left the letter next to Ron's bed. When he read it, he knew that something was wrong and tried to find her. Thanks Merlin, he did it in time to save her." Said Minerva with a sad tone of voice.
"How is Hermione, Professor?" Asked Fred shocked with the news.
"She'll live. But I need your help. Ron is doing his best efforts with her. It's obvious that he won't do it alone. I'm asking you to help him on this." Said McGonagall with a plead to the group.
"You can count with us for this, Professor." Assured Katie while the others nodded.
"Thanks, Miss Bell." Said Minerva with one of her rared smiles, before she turned serious once more and continued: "First, see if you can be at the Infirmary and let Ron rest a while. Miss Bell, you have my permission to allow him to rest in the Head Boy's Dorm. It's empty and no one will disturb him there."
"I'll do it, Professor." Nodded the Head Girl.
"When she leaves the Hospital Wing, stay with her and help her at everything you can. Act as if this incident didn't happen, except she wants to talk about it. It'll be worse if we remind it to her every day.
"As I said before, no one at the School must know it if she doesn't tell it. Of this happening, the only persons who knows it, are Ron, myself, the Headmaster, Professor Snape and you. We want to keep the others in the dark. Is it clear?" Finished Minerva her explanation with her usual hard and stern tone of voice.
"As clear as the water, Professor." Assured Alicia while the others nodded.
"This matter solved, we have another one. Madame Hooch has told me that Gryffindor will play the first game of the season as usual. Considering the fact that we need a Keeper, a Seeker and a Captain, should I ask her to pospone it till December our first match?" Asked McGonagall changing the subject to Quidditch.
"Let's have the tryouts first. If we see that we need more practice, then we'll pospone it." Answered George after discussing it with the others.
"Very well, have you decided who will take the position of Captain in replacement of Mr. Wood?" Asked McGonagall.
"Yes and no." Answered Katie unsure.
"Excuse me?" Asked Minerva confused with her words.
"Yes, we have decided it. But..." Started Fred but he wasn't sure how to finish the sentence.
"It was Harry, right?" Asked the Professor guessing the answer.
"Yes, he was our choice to that position." Said Angelina.
"And now, none of us wants to take it just for a year. We chose Harry principally because he had another 2 years at the team. The 5 of us will be graduated this year." Explained Katie.
"Let's wait till the tryouts to decide who will be Captain. Does any of you have any problem having the next saturday?" Asked Minerva.
"Not at all, Professor." Said the team at the same time with a nod.
"Go to your next class. Which one is it?" Asked the teacher taking a parchment and a quill to write a note for the Professor.
"Charms." Said Katie checking her schedule.
"Give this note to Professor Flitwick when you arrive there." Said McGonagall dismissing the group and returning to her Classroom to teach the next group of students.
****
Ron watched Hermione sleep in her bed silently. He hadn't moved from her side since the Nurse had put her in a private room. He had eaten only because Madae Pomfrey made him. That, plus the fact he hadn't slept in 2 days, showed him very fragile and tired.
Although he would never admit it to any person, Ron was terrified with the idea of losing his best friend. He had lost Harry, the only person that he had considered a brother out of his family, 2 months ago and the idea of losing Hermione was just terrifier.
"She'll be fine, Ron." Said someone entering at the room at some moment of the afternoon. The redhead turned to see Alicia.
"How can you be so sure of that, Alicia?" Asked Ron turning his atention once more to the girl who was in the bed.
"I can't but she'll do it. You are not alone anymore on this. You have our help on this. It's too much weight just for you." Said Alicia laying a hand over his shoulder.
"Sometimes I wonder how Harry could stand it. The hope of a whole whizarding world over his shoulders." Said Ron with a tear rolling over his cheeks.
"He was unique. People like him exists only once in centuries. I can say that I have the proud of having met him. Like the team, I considered him a little brother. He had became a part of my life, just like he did on yours. Harry was someone that left his mark over us and that can't be forgotten easily." Said the Chaser with a sad smile.
"I don't know what I will do if I lose her, Alicia. Lose Harry was enough for me in a summer. Losing Hermione, I can't imagine it." Said Ron bursting in tears once more.
"I know that feeling Ron. More than you can imagine." Said Alicia hugging him.
"How can you know it?" Asked Ron looking her confused.
"I went through the same. I lost my parents and my sister in 2 months. I took the same way she did. The date was August, 13th and the year was 1990. I was 12 when I cut my veins." Said Alicia pulling up her sleeves to show 2 scars like the one that Hermione had around her wrists.
"I didn't know it" Said Ron shocked with the revelation.
"Only Katie does. She's the only person that I've told this to. She helped me with this. And since that summer I live with her family. It's not a subject that I like to talk about very much." Said Alicia pulling down the sleeves once more.
"Thanks for the help. I hope it will work." Said Ron with a smile taking Hermione's hand in his.
"You are welcome." Said the Chaser, before she added: "Why don't you go to sleep a while? I'll be here if she wakes."
"I'm fine." Lied Ron, but when he finished those words, he yawned like a lion roaring.
"Sure, and Fred and George are the most quiet students of the School." Said Alicia with sarcasm, rolling her eyes.
"I don't want to face anyone now. I can't go back to the Tower yet. Everyone will ask what happened, where is she, and I don't have the strenght to do it now." Said Ron putting a hand over his mouth to hide a new yawn.
"Find Katie. She'll help you with that problem." Said the Chaser shooing him away from the room.
"If she wakes..." Started the redhead but Alicia cut him off.
"You'll be the first one who knows it." Said Alicia closing the door of the room.
****
A few hours later almost a dinner time, Ron woke up and found hmself in a strange and unknown place. Then he remembered that Katie had allowed him to sleep at the Head Boy's private dorm.
After a quick change of clothes, he went to the Common Room where he found Katie, his twin brothers and Angelina studying. He guessed that Alicia was still with Hermione.
"Hey, Ron." Said Fred noticing his brother.
"Hey guys." Said Ron sitting in an armchair near the group.
"How did you sleep?" Asked George watching his brother intently, while Katie sent her house elf to get dinner for the whole group
"As usual. Very bad." Said Ron rubbing his eyes.
"Since when have you slept bad?" Asked Katie concerned.
"The Alley." Said Ron simply.
"Nightmares?" Asked Angelina.
"Everynight. Can't sleep for more than 3 or 4 hours before I woke sweating and sometimes crying and shouting too." Said the redhead closing his eyes and leaning on the back of the armchair.
"Returning there just made the things worse." Said Ron suddenly after a few moments of silence in the place.
"You went back? When?" Asked Fred shocked with the news.
"The last day of my suspention. I needed some air and I had to go there someday. Not one of my wisest ideas I'll tell you." Said Ron eating some dinner that the House Elf had brought.
The whole group continued eating in silence for almost ½ hour, before the oldest students returned their atention to their studies while Ron started to read a book to kill the time.
Suddenly Alicia entered and joined her yearmates in a sofa. All of them turned to see her expecting news.
"No, she didn't wake. She's still sleeping." Said Alicia with sad tone of voice answering the silent and unspoken question.
"Who's with her?" Asked Ron dissapointed with the news.
"Madame Pomfrey won't let anyone to be there at night." Answered the Chaser with disgust.
"I'm going back to sleep. See you tomorrow." Said Ron sad, going back to his room.
"He's thinking about it, right?" Asked Katie to Alicia worriedly when the young boy was slept.
"Maybe he wouldn't do it, but yes, he thinks about it." Answered Alicia knowing that her best friend talked about the idea of suicide.
"What are you talking about?" Asked Fred who was confused. Angelina, Lee and George were also confused.
"Fred, Ron, alike Hermione, has been thinking about the chance of finishing everything." Said Alicia touching her own scars.
"You mean...?" Asked George paling with her words.
"Yes, George. He thought about the suicide. And remember my words, If she dies, nothing or no one will stop him. Hermione is the only thing that keeps him alive." Said the Chaser very seriously.
"But, we are here! We are his family!" Exclaimed Fred not wnating to belive her words.
"Guys, think this. Think in Ron before he met Harry and Hermione, then think how he changed when he met them and how he changed when Harry died. If Hermione dies, he'll die inside. You'll keep his body not his soul. Harry and Hermione are so important to him, that he won't survive without them here to be with him." Said Alicia in her most serious tone of voice.
"I'm going back to the dorm. Do you come with me, Angel?" Asked the Chaser turning to her friend after 10 minutes of akward silence in the room.
"Sure." Said Angelina picking up his thing and kissing George before both teen left.
"How can she be so sure of what she said?" Asked Fred when he had recovered of the words of Alicia.
"You don't want to find it out, guys." Said Katie before she added with a yawn: "I'll go to sleep. See you tomorrow." After she said this, she went to her dorm and closed the door.
Fred, George and Lee left the place in silence, all of them thinking in what Alicia had said and how truth she was. The twins decided to send a letter to thir parents the next day explaining them the whole situation. They would need a lot of help with this.
****
Two days later, Hermione was still sleeping. Ron was with at every moment exceot at night when he went sleep. He still did it at Head Boy's dorm. Dumbledore had excused him of classes. His mind was somewhere else and if he had to atend, he wouldn't pay atention to them at all.
The team, plus Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys, tried to raise his spirit talking with him. But everything failed. Ron's mind was in only a place: Hermione ad nothing could take it from there.
Although none of them wanted to admit it to anyone, they knew that Alicia was right. If Hermione died, he would die too with her. None of them had still recovered completely from Harry's death and this would make only the things 10 times worst for all of them.
At the afternoon of the fourth day of Hermione's stay at the Infirmary, something happened: she began to open her eyes. The first thing she saw was her best friend looking at her worriedly and near the tears.
"You worried me, do you know that?" Asked Ron hugging her with tears in his eyes.
"He's alive." Said Hermione with tears on her eyes when both teens separated.
"What are you talking about?" Asked Ron confused.
"Harry didn't die that day, Ron. He's alive." Said Hermione with more tears.
"Hermione, we were there. We saw him..." Said Ron but he stopped suddenly.
"Ron, we asumed he was dead because the only thing we saw were ashes in the place where he was when he was hit. We never found his body, did we?" Said Hermione whipping off her tears.
"But, if he's alive, where is he?" Asked Ron more confused.
"Where is who?" Asked Dumbledore entering at the room with Pomfrey and McGonagall, listening his last words.
"Harry's alive. He didn't die that day." Said Hermione while the nurse checked and changed the bandages at her wrists.
"Poppy please leave." Instructed the Headmaster to the Matron in a tone that didn't leave place to any argument from her. Pomfrey nodded and left in silence leaving the 2 adults with the teens alone.
"What do you mean with that, Miss Granger?" Asked Minerva shocked with her words.
"Look, I know this will sound strange, but when I was between the life and the death I talked with my parents. They told me that Harry hadn't died. At first, I didn't want to believe it, after all I had been there and had seen the attack myself.
"But then I began to think in something. His body never appeared, he vanished. If You Know Who had planned to kill Harry, why didn't he just used the Avada Kedavra? He hit Harry with another spell. How was it?" Explained Hermione and tried to remember the name of the spell.
"Rellus Alterve." Said Ron remembering the attack.
"Reallus Altever?" Asked Albus suddenly becoming very worried.
"Yes, that was it!" Exclaimed the teens at the same time.
"Where have I heard that name?" Asked Dumbledore beggining to pace the room.
"Albus, What's wrong? And what is that spell?" Asked Minerva, now completely confused with everything.
"If I'm right, then Miss Granger, then you are right. I have to do some research but I know that I have heard that spell before." Said Dumbledore, before he added: "Minerva why don't we go to dinner? I'm sure they want to be alone for a while." Suggested Albus with a smile.
"Of course." Said Minerva realising that Ron and Hermione didn't need company at that moment.
"We'll talk in the morning." Said the Headmaster to Hermione before he and the Deputy Headmistress left the room and went to the Hall.
"I was scared of losing you." Said Ron to his friend.
"I'm sorry." Said Hermione sheepisly before she added: "Friends forever?"
"Never doubt it." Said Ron before they started to talk about what had happened during those days at the School.
Both friend went on with the chat for 2 hours till Madame Pomfrey shooed out Ron saying that she needed her rest and he could return tomorrow after the Headmaster had talked with her.
"I'll be here tomorrow." Promised Ron before he left and went to the Head students dorms.
When he entered there, the seventh years were once more studying. When they noticed him, the saw a big smile on his lips and knew in that moment that something good had happened at the Hospital Wing with Hermione.
"I have 3 words to say: She. Is. Awake." Said Ron when he sat next to them.
"At least a good news." Said in relief Katie while Fred hugged his brother.
"There is something else. It's not sure, but it's a great news." Said Ron misteriously.
"What?" Asked all of them at the same time.
"If Hermione is right, Harry could be still alive. We don't know anything else about this, but it's a big chance to be true." Added Ron with a big grin.
"You are kidding right?" Asked all of them with hope in their voices.
"No, I'm not. As I said, it's not sure. Dumbledore has to make some research, but the possibilty is." Explained Ron before his stomach growled and told him that he needed some dinner at that moment.
"I'll go to the kitchens. I haven't seen Dobby in a while." Said the redhead before he left the place and went to the kitchens.
When he entered there, he saw a lot of House Elves running in the place coming and going from a place to another. He spotted Dobby and wnet to him.
"Hey Dobby." Greeted Ron.
"Mister Weasley!" Said the little creature hugging him.
"How are you?" Asked Ron sitting in a chair.
"I miss Harry." Said Dobby with sadness.
"So do I, Dobby, so do I." Said Ron before he added: "Could you give me something to eat? I missed the Dinner and I'm terribly hungry."
While Dobby and a few other Elves began to cook dinner for him, the portrait opened and Albus Dumbledore entered. When the Headmaster spotted Ron he went to him and sat next to him.
"Could I have a cup of tea, please?" Asked the old wizard to the elves who nodded and started to make it.
"Any luck?" Asked Ron while he started to eat his dinner.
"Not yet." Said Albus before he asked, "You are still at detention, right?"
"For another month." Answered Ron. He had still 4 more weeks of detention because the attack of the start of the term in Divination's Class. The house had managed to get the lost points once more, and no one had talked about them since the first day, thing that the redhead thanked.
"Who will you help tonight?" Asked Dumbledore. Ron did that during his detentions: helped some teacher with things that refered to the teaching and classes.
"Wait a minute." Said Ron before he took a parchment of his pocket, where he had the schedule for the detention. After he scanned it quickly, he said: "Professor Flitwick. I'll do it for 2 weeks. This one and the one I missed for being with Hermione at the Hospital."
"Would you like to help me in the research? I'm sure Filius won't miss you." Suggested Dumbledore with his usual twinkle in the eyes.
"Of course!" Said Ron with a smile at the idea of making the research too.
"When you finish, go to my Office. The password is 'Chocolate Frogs'." Said this the Headmaster took his cup and left Ron to finish his dinner.
With a big grin at the work he had to do tonight, Ron finished the dinner quickly and went to the Headmaster's Office. It was the most importnt thing now: Find out what had happened with Harry and where he was.
****
Three days later, the research was still fruitless. They hadn't found nothing yet, though neither Ron or Dumbledore gave up their hopes on it. It was a matter of time before the information was found.
That morning, Hermione joined the School again as if nothing had happened. Of the incident, the only ones who knew it were the whole Weasley Clan, Lee Jordan, the 3 Chasers and the Professors who had found her.
When she sat at the Table, those students made a circle around her seat. They had agreed that no one shoulkd find it out, no if they had something to say about it.
Albus watched this with a little smile. After her attempt, he tried to find out what had happened between Hermione and her Aunt and Uncle. When he did it, he understood why she said that they were dead for her.
Knowing that he couldn't return the money to her, he opened a vault in Gringotts with some money of Harry's. Like he was the last Potter, no one could use it again.
Hermione didn't buy the story that her parents had opened one for her last year if something happened to them with Voldemort's reborn. She suspected that Albus had something to do with the misterious new vault. But she didn't say nothing about it and accepted.
Suddenly he caught sight of something: she was wearing blue gloves. They reached to rthe nudges and didn't have the fingers on them.
"Miss Spinnet gave them to her last night." Explained Minerva seeing his confused expression with the gloves.
Dumbledore nodded in understanding. He had seen gloves like those one in the Chaser's hands since her Second Year and knew what they were for: hide the scars of the suicide attempt.
"Where is Severus?" Asked Filius at some moment of the breakfast.
Albus checked the High Table and realized for first time since the start of the breakfast that the Potion's Master and Head of Slytherin wasn't there. He was surprised. If something had happened, Severus would have told him. Checking the Hall, his eyes fell on the Gryffindor Table, more precisely on the Weasley Twins. Their evil grins told him that maybe they knew where he was. What surprised him more, was that the whole team shared those smiles.
"I can make a few guesses." Said the Headmaster before he went to the group and asked them if they knew something about the sudden dissaparition of Snape.
"The threat." Said Fred with a evil smile while the others nodded.
"You stopped me. You didn't do it with them." Said Ron before he took his bag and went to classes with the rest of his yearmates.
"So what happened?" Asked Sprout when Albus returned to his seat.
"Gryffindor did what they threatened." Said Albus before he went to fetch Madame Pomfrey and went with her to the Dungeons, not wanting to know what the 7 students had done with the teacher.
****
"Who did it?" Asked Albus to the team of Gryffindor that night when they met at his Office.
When he found Severus, he had to fight the urge of laughing. His Office was painted in pink, the classroom was in orange, an the best of all was Severus Snape himself. His hair reached to his knees, was more greasy than ever and now he was a she, they changed his sex.
Madame Pomfrey could revert the spells of the hair, but no the one of the sex change. He had to be a woman till the spell wore off. Needless to say, Snape wanted to kill every Gryffindor at that moment.
"The whole House." Answered Katie with a serious tone of voice.
"We warned the School of the consequences of our threat. If Professor Snape was stupid enough to ignore them, it's not our problem." Added Fred with the same tone that his teammate.
"Like Ron said, you stopped him, not us." Said George finishing the explanation.
"How long will Professor Snape stay like that?" Asked Minerva, who had decided to not doing anything against her House. Severus got what he deserved for his comments.
"Today is Thursday, right?" Asked Lee.
"Yes." Answered Dubledore with a nod.
"Till Monday." Answered Fred simply.
"Get out of here before we punish you." Said Minerva amused with idea of Snape being a woman for the next 3 days.
"What will happen with his classes?" Asked Angelina curious.
"They'll be cancelled till Monday." Said Albus dismissing the group.
"You won't hear a word from me about this." Said Minerva before she exited the Office.
"It's a house of insanes and their Head is the worst one." Said Dumbledore amused to Fawkes who sang a few notes in answer.
****
The hate that Snape felt towards Gryffindor reached to never known level after the incident and the changes. He treated them worse than ever, especcially to Fifth and Seventh Year. The first ones because 2 of them were who started everything and the oldest, because they had done it.
"IF I have to expell them because what they did, then I have to fire you because what you said. You choose." Said Albus when Snape went to ask the Headmaster to expell those students.
That was the last thing said about the incident. The whole School never knew about it and Snape stopped trying to expell them. He prefered to keep his job. Besides he made them suffer at class.
The tryouts for the Quidditch team in Gryffindor could be described only with terribles. Ron and Ginny had joined the team. He as Keeper and she did it as Chaser. The rest were disasters.
Considering that they had to fill obligatorily only a place, the Seeker position that Harry had left empty after the attack, the twins and the girls decided to find the best one, or someone good enough to join the team. Everyone in the House knew that Harry was unique and no one could be better than him. The rest of the positions would be matter of the next year's Captain.
For this year, they had chosen Angelina Johnson to be it. Katie declined the offer because she was Head Girl. Alicia didn't want and thought that any of the others would be a better captain than her. And NO ONE would make the twins Captain. The girls still had some sense about the team to make them Captain. So the Chaser was chosen as Captain.
"Hey girls." Said Hermione to the Chasers when they were testing possibles Seekers.
"Scratch that one of the list." Said Katie to Alicia pointing to a Second Year before she said to Hermione: "Hey, did you come to make the tryouts?"
"No thanks. I don't like flying." Said Hermione watching the tests.
"Come on. It's easy." Said Alicia with a smile.
"Believe me, you can't be worse than them." Said Angeling scratching another name of the list.
The 3 Chasers went on trying to conmvince her for almost ½ hour before she agreed a bit reluctantly. Alicia gave gave her the broom to try and Hermione kicked off and was in the air a few seconds later.
"Now I understand why Harry loved this so much." Thought Hermione flying around the Pitch looking for the Snitch.
She did what Harry always did at the matches: she stayed 10 meters above the level of the game moving around avoiding the Bludgers hit by the Twins. From time time she tried some dives, although they weren't very good ones in distance and speed.
"She reminds me to Harry playing." Said Alicia to her friends watching her play.
"She's doing what he did when he played." Said McGonagall joining the 3 girls and watching her in a dive.
"I guess he's a great master at this." Said Katie with a smile at the thought of her old teammate.
"In my almost 35 years as teacher and 25 as Head of this House, I've seen few Seekers better than him. I can count them with the fingers of a hand." Said Minerva while Hermione dove once more to catch the Snitch this time.
"What did you say about flying?" Asked Alicia teasing to Hermione when she landed next to the group, followed by the twins.
"Forget what I said! Now I understand why Harry spent so many time on his broom!" Said Hermione giving back the broom to Alicia.
"Welcome to the team!" Said Fred hugging her.
"We have to owl Charlie asking him some tips for Seekers. You and Harry share the same thing: you cannot learn the abbility from books." Said Geroge after hugging her.
"There is something that I will never forget. Do you remember when Oliver talked to us about the first training with him?" Asked Alicia laughing.
"Yeah!" Laughed the twins.
"Oliver had to explain him the rules of the game that day. When he told us about McGonagall presenting Harry to him as Seeker, Wood was almost jumping with the news." Explained Katie to Hermione who looked confused while the group started to go back to the Castle.
"After the practice, his jumps almost touched the ceiling of the Common Room!" Added Fred sending everyone in a fit of laughter.
"Remember the party after the match of Slytherin 2 years ago?" Asked George with a laugh.
"We didn't sleep for 3 nights partying!" Laughed Katie when they entered in the Common Room.
"I made the Team!" Shouted Ron going to Hermione.
"So did I." Said Hermione with a wide smile.
"Yes, you as Keeper and she as Seeker." Said Fred seeing his confused look.
"Let's make a party." Said George to the others who agreed and they started to prepair the things for it.
****
A few days after the tryouts, Ron was at Dumbledore's Office helping him with the research. Also was Hermione. She had asked permission to be there with them. She wanted, and needed, to be there. Dumbledore agreed knowing that both teens needed it.
Near 23.45 P.M., in the Office, stormed in Snape who looked tired and was panting as if he had ran a long distance. What surprised eveyone was that he wore the robes of Death Eater.
"Severus, what's going on?" Asked Albus helping him to sit in a chair.
"Another Universe." Said Severus trying to recover his breath.
"What are you talking about?" Asked McGonagall who entered at the Office and heard hgis words.
"That's what the spell does. Potter was sent to another universe, an alternate reality." Said Snape drinking a glass of water that Dumbledore gave him.
"Could you start from the beggining?" Asked Dumbledore confused. The others were as confused as him.
"I was called to a meeting today. My first fear was that Voldemort found some way to return. But when I reached there, I found some Death Eaters and Pettigrew a wating for us." Started Severus his tale.
"He explained us what Voldemort had had planned for Potter. He sent him to a place where no one could reach to him. The spell made him disspear along his belongs." Continued Snape taking a moment to recover his breath.
"That's why we never found the things he bought at the Alley that day." Mumbled Dumbledore to himself.
"Yes. What no one expected was that Potter killed Voldemort. His plan was to make believe to everyone that he was dead and that he had killed him." Said Severus.
"Many people would lose the wish to fight seeing that Voldemort had killed our hope to finish the war." Said Minerva thinking in Snape's words.
"Wormtail told us this and said that there is a way to reach him and finish the work." Said Snape before he took a parchment from his robes and gave it to Dumbledore: "This is the Potion that will take the Death Eaters to that Universe. I was called to make it for them."
"Can you make it also for us?" Asked Albus reading the reciepe.
"That's the problem. A spell has been casted on me and I can make it only once. You'll need someone else to make it." Said Snape with a ashamed look towards the Headmaster.
"Who can do it?" Asked Ron with hope.
"I would trust this Potion to only few students. Although I loathe to admit it, Miss Granger is the most indicated to do it." Said Snape although his last words seemed to be spat from his mouth.
"How long will it take?" Asked Minerva while Hermione started to read the reciepe of the Potion.
"More or less 3 months." Explained the Head of Slytherin.
"Where did Wormtail got something from Harry?" Asked Hermione suddenly reading the reciepe.
"Don't know. The question is where will we get something from him, considering that all his old things were distroyed this summer." Explained Severus.
"Could some cloth work on this?" Asked Ron with doubt.
"What do you have in mind, Mr. Weasley?" Asked Albus confused after Severus nodded.
Ron didn't answer and went to the fireplace, threw some powder and shouted: "Dobby! Come to Dumbledore's Office now!"
"Why do you need the House Elf?" Asked Snape with doubts.
"Did you call Mr. Weasley?" Asked the Elf when he apparated at the Office.
"The sock." Said Hermione watching Dobby carefully and realizing what her best friend had in mind with the Elf.
"Could any of you explain what's going on here?" Asked Minerva cofused.
"Dobby where did you get the sock?" Asked Ron to the Elf pointing to the one that Harry gave him at Second Year.
"Harry Potter gave it to me and freed me!" Said Dobby proudly showing it to everyone.
"We have the element for the Potion." Said Ron to the 3 teachers taking the sock and putting it on the table.
"Why do you need the sock?" Asked Dobby confused.
"We'll explain it later, Dobby. Return to your work." Said Dumbledore with a smile. Dobby nodded still doubtful and dissaparated with a plop from the Office.
"When can we start to do it?" Asked Hermione wanting to do it as soon as she had permission for it.
"Severus do you have all of the others elements?" Asked Albus to Snape who shared the wish with Hermione.
"Yes. We'll start it next Monday after dinner." Said Snape before he added: "I'll return to my quarters." Without waiting any answer he left the Office.
"I'll suggest to both of you to return to the Tower. It's late." Said Minerva to her students in a tone of command.
"Goodnight, Professors." Said both teen leaving the Office and going to sleep with the hope that they would see their friend very soon.
****
The whole truth about Harry's new place and the plan to take him back was unknown to most of the Wizarding World. The only people besides the Death Eaters, Ron, Hermione and the 3 teachers who knew it, were the whole Weasley Clan and the Quidditch team. All of them had sworn secrecy about this matter. They didn't know what had happened to Harry in the other Universe and till they knew it, it would be kept in silence.
Halloween's feast was a little hard to Ron and Hermione. For them, it was a date that brought many memories, but one was the most important of all of them: the Troll of First Year and the night they became the best friends with Harry. The other feast were aklso specials and had different kind of memories, but none like that one.
On Haloweem's day, the fifth years had Transfiguration in the first period of the afternoon. Hermione, who had been the best student of the year since their first class in that subject, finished her work before anyone else did it as usual.
A little bored, and not having anything else to do, she decided to get some fun. She didn't know why, but she had an urge to create teddy bears. Not seeing anything better to do, she decided to try it.
"How hard can it be?" Wondered Hermione to herself taking a quill from his bag and putting it on her desk. Then she got an idea: make a teddy with Harry's features or his characteristcs and likes.
The first matter was the animal. She decided to use a lion. Harry was a part of the Gryffindor House and their symbol was the lion. She transfigured the quill in a teddy lion of yellow colour and brown mane. Then she changed it into a pair of glasses like Harry's. The next change was into a black robe with the House's crest on the left side and a Prefect Badge near the crest.
Although she didn't know it, the whole class began to watch her work interested. Only Minerva and Ron realized what she was planning: a teddy lion like Harry. All of them continued watchig it and her next change was into a broom and a chain with a snitch.
Hermione decided it was enough and did the last change to her work. When it was done, where in first place there was a quill, now was a yellow lion with brown mane, wearing a black robe with Gryffindor's Crest and the Badge near it, a broom on his left hand, a chain with a snitch around his neck and wore a pair of glasses.
"You couldn't put him in a teddy in a better way." Said Minerva with a smile taking the lion and watching it.
"You missed his scar!" Said someone when all of the students realized what Ron and the teacher had realized before them.
"I prefer it in that way." Said Hermione before she pointed her wand to the teddy and said 2 times: "Duplicatus."
Next to the original work appeared 2 copies like it and Hermione gave one to Ron and the other to McGonagall. She put the original one on her bag.
"Sorry, Professor, but I prefer to keep the original and not give it to you." Said Hermione to McGonagall explaining the reason of giving her a copy and not the original.
"At least I have a copy." Said Minerva with a reassuring smile before she added: "50 points to Gryffindor for your very good work."
"Well done." Said Ron to his friend with a smile when Minerva returned to the front of the Classroom to continue with the class.
"Thanks." Said Hermione with a wide smile before both of them returned their attention to their Head of House.
When Ron and Hermione went to dinner after Divination for Ron and Arithmancy for Hermione, the whole House had heard the story of the teddy that Hermione had done in class.
"Can we see it?" Asked Alicia to her new Teammate.
"Sure." Said Hermione taking the lion from the bag and giving it to her.
"Do you know what's the best detail?" Asked Katie while the teddy went from hand to hand of every memember of the House.
"Which one?" Asked Hermione when she got it back.
"The lack of the Scar. You made an image of Harry being just a wizard as any other. Great job." Said Katie with a smile before she turned to Angelina and started to talk about the match against Slytherin that they were going to play next week.
****
"Ok, guys. Listen to me!" Said Angelina the next Saturday at the lockers when the Gryffindor team was changing their clothes to the team's robes.
"This match is the first for 2 of you," Started the Chaser the prep-game talk watching Ron and Hermione, "we know what you can give and we won't ask you to be as good as your antecesors in those positions by the simple reason that no one will do it in a time, I'm sure. Watch out their players, they'll play dirt and they'll try to harm both of you.
"Fred and George, do whatever you need to stop their attacks. It includes some players at the Infirmary." Continued Angelina with an evil smile towards the twins and beaters of the team.
"Are you sure that you aren't Wood?" Asked Fred with a faked shock.
"She reminds me to him giving the prep game talk, you know." Said George to his brother.
"I wouldn't need to say those words. You should now what's your job since a long time ago." Said Oliver entering in the lockers in that moment an listening the talk.
"Hey, mate!" Exclaimed Katie hugging him.
"Did you miss us?" Asked George after everyone had hugged him.
"Of course I did! I would love to return here to be at the pitch with you once more!" Laughed Wood taking seat next to Hermione.
"Guys, let's win this match for 2 persons who aren't here to play with us anymore." Added Angelina. No one needed more words to realize who was the other one missing: Harry Potter.
"I brought this. I hope you don't mind to wear them." Said Oliver taking a box from his pocket. In it there were a lot of black bracelets with the letters "HP" and a lightning crossing them.
"Let's win for Harry!" Shouted Angelina putting the bracelet on her left arm along the other players, before the 8 players left the lockers and went to the pitch in the team's case and to the seats in Oliver's.
"And here comes Gryffindor! Bell! Johnson! Spinnet! Weasley! Weasley! Weasley! Granger!" Announced Lee Jordan when the team was out on the pitch.
"Do you mind having me as a guest today, Lee?" Asked Oliver entering in the Box where the boy was sat.
"Whoah! Look who's here! The old Keeper and Captain from Gryffindor and nowadays Keeper of the Puddlemore United, Oliver Wood!" Announced Lee when Oliver took seat next to him.
When he said this, the whole School turned their atention to where the 2 boys were. The Gryffindor stand burst in cheers towards their old housemate, and many of the students who were sat near them began to ask him to sign autographs.
"When the match is over, I will." Promised Oliver watching Malfoy and Angelina shaking hands at the center of the pitch, watched intently by Hooch.
"Mount your brooms! On my whistle! 3... 2... 1...!" Exclaimed Hoch before she blown the whistle and 15 brooms went up in the air.
Malfoy started to taunt Hermione since the beggining, but the girl ignored him all the time while she looked for the Snitch and heard Lee's and Olivers's words about the match.
"And Ron Weasley saves another shot from Slytherin!" Exclaimed Lee when the redhead stopped a shot of Millicent Bullstrode.
"It seems that the sport runs in the blood of the Weasleys!" Commented Oliver watching the boy in his catch.
"What's your opinnion about him as your sucesor?" Asked Lee while Fred hit a chaser and he dropped the Quaffle and Katie scored a goal.
"And Bell scores! Gryffindor leads 10 to 0!" Exclaimed Lee before he repeated the question to Wood.
"He's good. I'm sure he'll become better with more matches." Answered Oliver truthfully while Ron saved another goal from Slytherin.
Malfoy's taunts towards Hermione made her lose her patience. Tired of it, she fled towards Fred who was watching the game seeing if he needed to save a player of a Bludger.
"Why do you need my bat?" Asked the twn confused when she asked it.
"Choose a part of Malfoy's body." Said Hermione with an evil smile.
"His low zones." Said Fred with an smile like hers.
"A Butterbeer that I can do it." Challenged the Seeker to the Beater.
"You do it, and I'll buy you 2!" Said the redhead accepting the challenge.
"Deal!" Said Hermione hitting the Bludger towards the blond.
The bludger hit him at his genitals and Malfoy cried in pain with the hit. He fell off his broom taking the zones and crying like a baby. Inmediately Madame Hooch blew her whistle and called Fred and Hermione while Madame Pomfrey took him to the Hospital Wing.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT??!!" Asked the referee shouting to both players when they landed next to her.
"We tried a switch of positions. Fred wanted to try to be a Seeker and I wanted to be a Beater." Said Hermione with a tiny and inocent smile.
"I think you should continue being a Seeker, Hermione." Said Fred fighting the urge to laugh in front of Hooch and blow the trick.
"You are right, Fred." Said Hermione giving back the bat to the twin.
"Two penalties for Slytherin!" Shouted Hooch before she added to the players: "Next time you do this, I'll expell you from the match! Is that clear!"
"Yes, Madame Hooch." Said Fred and Hermione with a nod.
"Great aim, Miss Granger." Said Hooch in a whisper to Hermione.
"Thanks." Said Hermione before she turned to Fred and said: "You owe me 2 Butterbeers."
"You made a bet?" Asked the referee shocked with her words, while the twin noidded to the Seeker's words.
"We bet if I could hit Malfoy there, and I won the bet." Said Hermione before the 3 kicked off and went up to the air once more.
"After that shot of Hermione, which I'm sure hurt a lot to Malfoy, the game contimues with 2 penalties for Slytherin." Said Lee covering his own genitals, like most of the males at the stadium.
"She would be great as Beater." Added Oliver with a laugh after the incident.
Ron stopped both shots and the game continued. Now the Gryffindor lead the score 80 to 0. Malfoy couldn't return to the pitch and Slytherin had to play the rest of the game without Seeker because they didn't have a Reserve for him.
Hermione went up 20 meters above the rest of the players and stayed there watching the game. Knowing that she didn't have any competence in the search of the Snitch, she would let the Chasers to score till they were tired of doing it.
Katie, Angelina and Alicia realized this and decided to take this to their adventage. After 2 hours of game the score was 250 to 0. Slytherin never could score a goal to Ron.
After Katie scored and put Gryffindor 350 to 0, Hermione saw the Snitch near where Snape was sat. She turned her broom, a Nimbus 2002 that she bought with some money of her vault, towards the place and sped towards the ball.
None of the teachers saw the Snitch, but they saw what Hermione was doing and moved aside from their places as soon as Hermione was almost 1 meter from them.
She released her right arm from the broom and caught the tiny ball just in time to go up with the broom without hitting any teacher. She raised her arm and showed it to the whole Stadium who burst in cheers seeing her catch.
"PARTY AT GRYFFINDOR'S TOWER!!!" Shouted the twins when the whole team landed engulfed in big hug.
With a smile that nothing could make dissapear, Hermione followed the whole House to the Tower for the Party that would start there.
****
"I always pay my bets!" Said Fred giving 2 Butterbeers to Hermione who nodded and gave one to Ron and started to drink the other one.
"What did you bet?" Asked the other players listening Fred's words.
"I bet him a Butterbeer that I could hit Malfoy in his genitals, but he bet 2 instead of one. I accepted the bet." Explained Hermione with an inocent smile.
"I'll tell you that Malfoy's face when he was hit was priceless!" Laughed Collin listening her words and giving the group a few pictures.
They took them and started to watch them. There were one of each player alone flying, Hermione catching the Snitch, Ron stopping a shot, the twins hitting Bludgers and the Girls shooting the Quaffle. The best one was one of Malfoy's face and taking his genitals while he cried at the grass. The whole team burst out in laughter watching that pic.
"I want a copy of my pic and one of this." Said Hermione to Collin giving him back the pics.
"I want one of Malfoy's!" Exclaimed the rest of the team at the same time laughing.
"What do you think about our new players, Oliver?" Asked Katie when the Keeper and Lee went to join the team.
"Are you sure you chose the right position at the team? Because you'd be a very good replacement for them!" Said Oliver to Hermione pointing to the twins.
"I don't think that the male population of the School would like it after what I did with Malfoy!" Said Hermione with a big and evil grin.
"It hurts every time I think about it." Said Lee covering his gentitals again.
"Now we know that bother her brings very bad consequences!" Said Fred bursting out in laughter along the other players.
Before anyone else could say something, the portarit was opened. Eveyone at the Common Room turned to see who had entered and saw to their Head of House who was looking for someone.
"There you are!" Said Minerva going to the team.
"What's your opinion of Hermione's aim with the Bludgers, Professor?" Asked Katie with curiousity and interest.
"I won't make comments about that... incident." Said Minerva before she adresses to the whole Common Room: "It's late. If you don't want to lose points, then I suggest that all of you go to sleep." This was said with her usual stern and serious tone of voice.
Everyone checked their watch and saw that it was already 1.30 pm. The night had passed and no one noticed the hour. Not wanting to lose points or raise McGonagall's anger, everyone stood and went to their dorms bidding their goodbyes.
"I'll see you soon. I have to go to Dumbledore's Office to use his fireplace. Owl me when you play the next match." Said Oliver leaving the Common Room after hugging his old teammates.
"See you!" Said all of them before they stood and went to their dorms, but Hermione was stopped by her Head of House.
"What can I do for you, Professor?" Asked the Prefect with an inocent smile.
"The male population of this School has asked me to tell you, that they would apreciate if you stay as Seeker and no as Beater in future matches. They are worried after the incident with Mr. Malfoy." Said McGonagall withg a stern look, though Hermione could sense some amusement in her voice.
"I don't promise nothing. I felt good hit the Bludger. Maybe I'll change position next year. What do you think about it?" Asked Hermione with a smile.
"It's your decision, although I'll repeat what the males of this School has asked. No one wants more of that incidents. Miss Parkinson was a little... bewildered after that hit. It seems that she feared something." Said Minerva keeping the stern look.
"The truth, Professor. You would have wished to be in my place, right?" Asked Hermione with an evil smile.
"With Severus Snape instead of Draco Malfoy on the broom." Said Minerva with a smile like Hermione's.
"That's the dream of all the students at the School." Said Hermione before she went to her dorm.
Feeling better than in a long time, especcially after the summer and the death of Harry and her parents, and feeling proud of herself for what she had done in the match earlier, Hermione changed her robes and put in a PJ before she went to sleep.
Taking off the gloves that she was wearing always, Hermione looked at her scars for a moment before she put them again. It had been a big mistake, but now she had something to fight for: bring Harry back to this Uniuverse, or be with him wherever he was.
"We'll be together again soon, Harry." Thought Hermione before she fell asleep.
Golden Rules for Hogwarts Students that want to survive the School Year of 1995:
If you find Filch or his cat, Mrs. Norris and you are doing something you shouldn't, run as fast as you can. You don't want to face them.
As usual, be careful of Snape if you aren't a Slytherin. He hates everyone as much as always.
McGonagall is still someone that you shouldn't make angry. She's been as stern as usual, although she looks different form previous years.
Be careful with the Weasley Twins and anything they offer you. They have became worse this year.
Don't say a wrong word about Harry Potter's death or Hermione Granger's parents' either. You'll face the wrath of the Gryffindor House if you do it. This rule also applies for McGonagall, Head of said House.
Never make Dumbledore angry. Rumors says that he was very angry when it was found out about the false Moody last year. And no one who has seen him angry, has been here at the School for another year.
****
These rules although were not written were as important as the ones that were on the books. They were said from the oldest students to the youngest, who understood the importance of them very soon. Everyone knew that breaking any of those rules, excepting the number 4 maybe, in most of the cases would bring very bad consequences.
Breaking the rules 3, 5 and 6 would mean a sure death and only someone who wanted a painful death would dare to break them. In other words, only a suicidal and a stupid would do it.
Severus Snape found himself waiting for Dumbledore at the Headmaster's Office. He looked nervous. He had been stupid enough to break those rules in only 15 minutes.
After they understood that Miss Granger had tried to kill herself, Severus, Minerva and Albus had taken to Hermione inmediately to the Hospital Wing with Ron Weasley behid them.
While Madame Pomfrey began to work with her wounds, the 3 teachers and the student waited outside of te Inifirmary till the Nurse gave them some news about the Prefect.
Albus began to walk through the corridor, while Minerva tried to consolate a distraught Ron who was crying like a baby with the idea of losing her. Severus watched the scene in silence.
After a while of waiting, the Potions' Master said one of the most stupid things that someone could ever say:
"This is how the Gryffindors react when there are problems? I thought they were the braves not the cowards." Although he didn't say it to anyone in special, the 3 heard those words.
Before any of the teachers could react, Ron had his wand pointing to the Head of Slytherin and he looked ready to repeat what he had done with Trelawney at the start of the term. Before Albus or Minerva could stop him, the redhead started his attack.
"Stop him!" Almost shouted Snape to his colleagues trying to stay away from the spells, curses and hexes that Ron shot.
"Do we have to do it?" Asked Minerva to Albus, considering the chance of leaving Severus without help with her student.
"Yes." Said Dumbledore with a flick of his wand and stunning and disarming Ron at that moment.
"Congratulations, Severus. You are the first person who knows the real meaning of my House's threat." Said Minerva shoting murderer looks towards the Potions' Master, who tried to recover his normal breath.
"Wait for me at my Office." Said Albus to Severus with a tone that not left place for arguments. That was the reason the Snape found himself at said place.
"Severus, in the 20 years we have known, that was the most stupid thing you could have ever said! Do you know that?" Asked Albus shouting when he entered at his Office 40 minutes after the incident.
Severus gulped. Albus Dumbledore shouting was one of the worst things he ever met.
"Yes, I do." Said Snape unconfortable.
"What the hell possesed you to say that? You knew how Weasley would react. Minerva was considering very seriously to not stop him. And that thought also crossed my mind." Said Albus trying to calm his anger.
"I don't have any idea why I said it. And my intention wasn't to say it aloud. It was a personal thought." Said Snape more unconfortable every moment that he was there.
"Keep that kind of thoughts for yourself! Next time that something like this happens, I'll leave at Gryffindor's Common Room without a wand, I'll seal the entrance and you'll face the House alone! Did you understand me?" Asked Dumbledore showing an anger that reminded Severus of the one that he had showed last year with Barty Crouch Jr.
"Yes, I did." Said Severus with a shiver thinking in that idea.
"Leave the Office before I lose the little amount of patience I still have this morning. And it isn't a lot, I'll tell you." Warned the Headmaster.
"How is she?" Asked Severus before he left.
"Poppy told that she'll survive. But we don't know when she'll wake up." Said Dumbledore with a worried tone of voice.
"I'll see you at breakfast." Said Severus leaving the Office.
"This will be the hardest year of all, Fawkes." Said Albus to his phoenix before he turned his atention to the Pensive and started to use it.
****
Minerva McGonagall sat for breakfast with a tired and worried look. She was very worried with the whole incient that had happened with Hermione that morning and how she would react after that.
When she left the Hospital Wing, Ron was sat next to her bed silent. He hadn't spoken a word since the attack to Snape. He didn't say nothing to her or Dumbledore. And neither of them expected it. His eyes clearly told them that he was far from being sorry for his actions and that he would do it again at any moment if it happened once more.
"Do it again, Severus, and you'll think that You-Know-Who is a first year student compaired with me. And you should know that I can be your worst nightmare if I want to be it." Whispered Minerva to her Colleague when the Head of Slytherin sat for breakfast.
Snape didn't say nothing, he just started to eat, knowing that the Transiguration Professor was far from joking with her words. She was worse than him and all the other teacher combined when she was angry. And he had faced that anger as a student and teacher alike.
"They will need help with this, Minerva." Said Dumbledore listening the threat, but choosing to not comment anything about it.
"I'll take care of that in a few minutes." Said Minerva looking to the Table of her House. Her eyes were at the Team of Quidditch. Since the start of the term, Ron and Hermione had grown as friends with them and they looked the only ones that could help them with this.
The absence of the 2 students didn't pass unnoticed by anyone at the Table. But no one seemed to know anything about where they were. The last time that someone had seen them had been the last night at the Common Room. Theories started to appear but none of them was near the truth. After a while, the whole House stood and went to classes.
The first Class for the Seventh Years of Gryffindor was Transfiguration with Ravenclaw, with their Head of House as Professor. The students noticed some worry at the Teacher's face and the team had the feeling that something was very wrong with Ron and Hermione.
"Messers Weasley, Miss Bell, Miss Jonhson and Miss Spinnet, please come with me to my Office. I need to speak with the 5 of you." Said Minerva to the group when the class had finished and the students started to leave the classroom.
"What happened with Ron and Hermione?" Asked Fred when the 5 students and the Teacher were sat at the Office.
"First of all, what I'll tell you here, MUSN'T leave this place under any circunstance. Is it clear?" Asked McGonagall with a tone that told them that she wasn't kidding.
"Yes, Professor." Said the 5 teens with a nod.
"Read this." Said McGonagall showing them the letter that Hermione had left the previous night.
The 5 students took the paper and began to read it in silence. All of them looked worried and paled when they finished it. It wasn't necessary a genius to know that something had happened.
"Hermione tried to kill herself last night. She had left the letter next to Ron's bed. When he read it, he knew that something was wrong and tried to find her. Thanks Merlin, he did it in time to save her." Said Minerva with a sad tone of voice.
"How is Hermione, Professor?" Asked Fred shocked with the news.
"She'll live. But I need your help. Ron is doing his best efforts with her. It's obvious that he won't do it alone. I'm asking you to help him on this." Said McGonagall with a plead to the group.
"You can count with us for this, Professor." Assured Katie while the others nodded.
"Thanks, Miss Bell." Said Minerva with one of her rared smiles, before she turned serious once more and continued: "First, see if you can be at the Infirmary and let Ron rest a while. Miss Bell, you have my permission to allow him to rest in the Head Boy's Dorm. It's empty and no one will disturb him there."
"I'll do it, Professor." Nodded the Head Girl.
"When she leaves the Hospital Wing, stay with her and help her at everything you can. Act as if this incident didn't happen, except she wants to talk about it. It'll be worse if we remind it to her every day.
"As I said before, no one at the School must know it if she doesn't tell it. Of this happening, the only persons who knows it, are Ron, myself, the Headmaster, Professor Snape and you. We want to keep the others in the dark. Is it clear?" Finished Minerva her explanation with her usual hard and stern tone of voice.
"As clear as the water, Professor." Assured Alicia while the others nodded.
"This matter solved, we have another one. Madame Hooch has told me that Gryffindor will play the first game of the season as usual. Considering the fact that we need a Keeper, a Seeker and a Captain, should I ask her to pospone it till December our first match?" Asked McGonagall changing the subject to Quidditch.
"Let's have the tryouts first. If we see that we need more practice, then we'll pospone it." Answered George after discussing it with the others.
"Very well, have you decided who will take the position of Captain in replacement of Mr. Wood?" Asked McGonagall.
"Yes and no." Answered Katie unsure.
"Excuse me?" Asked Minerva confused with her words.
"Yes, we have decided it. But..." Started Fred but he wasn't sure how to finish the sentence.
"It was Harry, right?" Asked the Professor guessing the answer.
"Yes, he was our choice to that position." Said Angelina.
"And now, none of us wants to take it just for a year. We chose Harry principally because he had another 2 years at the team. The 5 of us will be graduated this year." Explained Katie.
"Let's wait till the tryouts to decide who will be Captain. Does any of you have any problem having the next saturday?" Asked Minerva.
"Not at all, Professor." Said the team at the same time with a nod.
"Go to your next class. Which one is it?" Asked the teacher taking a parchment and a quill to write a note for the Professor.
"Charms." Said Katie checking her schedule.
"Give this note to Professor Flitwick when you arrive there." Said McGonagall dismissing the group and returning to her Classroom to teach the next group of students.
****
Ron watched Hermione sleep in her bed silently. He hadn't moved from her side since the Nurse had put her in a private room. He had eaten only because Madae Pomfrey made him. That, plus the fact he hadn't slept in 2 days, showed him very fragile and tired.
Although he would never admit it to any person, Ron was terrified with the idea of losing his best friend. He had lost Harry, the only person that he had considered a brother out of his family, 2 months ago and the idea of losing Hermione was just terrifier.
"She'll be fine, Ron." Said someone entering at the room at some moment of the afternoon. The redhead turned to see Alicia.
"How can you be so sure of that, Alicia?" Asked Ron turning his atention once more to the girl who was in the bed.
"I can't but she'll do it. You are not alone anymore on this. You have our help on this. It's too much weight just for you." Said Alicia laying a hand over his shoulder.
"Sometimes I wonder how Harry could stand it. The hope of a whole whizarding world over his shoulders." Said Ron with a tear rolling over his cheeks.
"He was unique. People like him exists only once in centuries. I can say that I have the proud of having met him. Like the team, I considered him a little brother. He had became a part of my life, just like he did on yours. Harry was someone that left his mark over us and that can't be forgotten easily." Said the Chaser with a sad smile.
"I don't know what I will do if I lose her, Alicia. Lose Harry was enough for me in a summer. Losing Hermione, I can't imagine it." Said Ron bursting in tears once more.
"I know that feeling Ron. More than you can imagine." Said Alicia hugging him.
"How can you know it?" Asked Ron looking her confused.
"I went through the same. I lost my parents and my sister in 2 months. I took the same way she did. The date was August, 13th and the year was 1990. I was 12 when I cut my veins." Said Alicia pulling up her sleeves to show 2 scars like the one that Hermione had around her wrists.
"I didn't know it" Said Ron shocked with the revelation.
"Only Katie does. She's the only person that I've told this to. She helped me with this. And since that summer I live with her family. It's not a subject that I like to talk about very much." Said Alicia pulling down the sleeves once more.
"Thanks for the help. I hope it will work." Said Ron with a smile taking Hermione's hand in his.
"You are welcome." Said the Chaser, before she added: "Why don't you go to sleep a while? I'll be here if she wakes."
"I'm fine." Lied Ron, but when he finished those words, he yawned like a lion roaring.
"Sure, and Fred and George are the most quiet students of the School." Said Alicia with sarcasm, rolling her eyes.
"I don't want to face anyone now. I can't go back to the Tower yet. Everyone will ask what happened, where is she, and I don't have the strenght to do it now." Said Ron putting a hand over his mouth to hide a new yawn.
"Find Katie. She'll help you with that problem." Said the Chaser shooing him away from the room.
"If she wakes..." Started the redhead but Alicia cut him off.
"You'll be the first one who knows it." Said Alicia closing the door of the room.
****
A few hours later almost a dinner time, Ron woke up and found hmself in a strange and unknown place. Then he remembered that Katie had allowed him to sleep at the Head Boy's private dorm.
After a quick change of clothes, he went to the Common Room where he found Katie, his twin brothers and Angelina studying. He guessed that Alicia was still with Hermione.
"Hey, Ron." Said Fred noticing his brother.
"Hey guys." Said Ron sitting in an armchair near the group.
"How did you sleep?" Asked George watching his brother intently, while Katie sent her house elf to get dinner for the whole group
"As usual. Very bad." Said Ron rubbing his eyes.
"Since when have you slept bad?" Asked Katie concerned.
"The Alley." Said Ron simply.
"Nightmares?" Asked Angelina.
"Everynight. Can't sleep for more than 3 or 4 hours before I woke sweating and sometimes crying and shouting too." Said the redhead closing his eyes and leaning on the back of the armchair.
"Returning there just made the things worse." Said Ron suddenly after a few moments of silence in the place.
"You went back? When?" Asked Fred shocked with the news.
"The last day of my suspention. I needed some air and I had to go there someday. Not one of my wisest ideas I'll tell you." Said Ron eating some dinner that the House Elf had brought.
The whole group continued eating in silence for almost ½ hour, before the oldest students returned their atention to their studies while Ron started to read a book to kill the time.
Suddenly Alicia entered and joined her yearmates in a sofa. All of them turned to see her expecting news.
"No, she didn't wake. She's still sleeping." Said Alicia with sad tone of voice answering the silent and unspoken question.
"Who's with her?" Asked Ron dissapointed with the news.
"Madame Pomfrey won't let anyone to be there at night." Answered the Chaser with disgust.
"I'm going back to sleep. See you tomorrow." Said Ron sad, going back to his room.
"He's thinking about it, right?" Asked Katie to Alicia worriedly when the young boy was slept.
"Maybe he wouldn't do it, but yes, he thinks about it." Answered Alicia knowing that her best friend talked about the idea of suicide.
"What are you talking about?" Asked Fred who was confused. Angelina, Lee and George were also confused.
"Fred, Ron, alike Hermione, has been thinking about the chance of finishing everything." Said Alicia touching her own scars.
"You mean...?" Asked George paling with her words.
"Yes, George. He thought about the suicide. And remember my words, If she dies, nothing or no one will stop him. Hermione is the only thing that keeps him alive." Said the Chaser very seriously.
"But, we are here! We are his family!" Exclaimed Fred not wnating to belive her words.
"Guys, think this. Think in Ron before he met Harry and Hermione, then think how he changed when he met them and how he changed when Harry died. If Hermione dies, he'll die inside. You'll keep his body not his soul. Harry and Hermione are so important to him, that he won't survive without them here to be with him." Said Alicia in her most serious tone of voice.
"I'm going back to the dorm. Do you come with me, Angel?" Asked the Chaser turning to her friend after 10 minutes of akward silence in the room.
"Sure." Said Angelina picking up his thing and kissing George before both teen left.
"How can she be so sure of what she said?" Asked Fred when he had recovered of the words of Alicia.
"You don't want to find it out, guys." Said Katie before she added with a yawn: "I'll go to sleep. See you tomorrow." After she said this, she went to her dorm and closed the door.
Fred, George and Lee left the place in silence, all of them thinking in what Alicia had said and how truth she was. The twins decided to send a letter to thir parents the next day explaining them the whole situation. They would need a lot of help with this.
****
Two days later, Hermione was still sleeping. Ron was with at every moment exceot at night when he went sleep. He still did it at Head Boy's dorm. Dumbledore had excused him of classes. His mind was somewhere else and if he had to atend, he wouldn't pay atention to them at all.
The team, plus Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys, tried to raise his spirit talking with him. But everything failed. Ron's mind was in only a place: Hermione ad nothing could take it from there.
Although none of them wanted to admit it to anyone, they knew that Alicia was right. If Hermione died, he would die too with her. None of them had still recovered completely from Harry's death and this would make only the things 10 times worst for all of them.
At the afternoon of the fourth day of Hermione's stay at the Infirmary, something happened: she began to open her eyes. The first thing she saw was her best friend looking at her worriedly and near the tears.
"You worried me, do you know that?" Asked Ron hugging her with tears in his eyes.
"He's alive." Said Hermione with tears on her eyes when both teens separated.
"What are you talking about?" Asked Ron confused.
"Harry didn't die that day, Ron. He's alive." Said Hermione with more tears.
"Hermione, we were there. We saw him..." Said Ron but he stopped suddenly.
"Ron, we asumed he was dead because the only thing we saw were ashes in the place where he was when he was hit. We never found his body, did we?" Said Hermione whipping off her tears.
"But, if he's alive, where is he?" Asked Ron more confused.
"Where is who?" Asked Dumbledore entering at the room with Pomfrey and McGonagall, listening his last words.
"Harry's alive. He didn't die that day." Said Hermione while the nurse checked and changed the bandages at her wrists.
"Poppy please leave." Instructed the Headmaster to the Matron in a tone that didn't leave place to any argument from her. Pomfrey nodded and left in silence leaving the 2 adults with the teens alone.
"What do you mean with that, Miss Granger?" Asked Minerva shocked with her words.
"Look, I know this will sound strange, but when I was between the life and the death I talked with my parents. They told me that Harry hadn't died. At first, I didn't want to believe it, after all I had been there and had seen the attack myself.
"But then I began to think in something. His body never appeared, he vanished. If You Know Who had planned to kill Harry, why didn't he just used the Avada Kedavra? He hit Harry with another spell. How was it?" Explained Hermione and tried to remember the name of the spell.
"Rellus Alterve." Said Ron remembering the attack.
"Reallus Altever?" Asked Albus suddenly becoming very worried.
"Yes, that was it!" Exclaimed the teens at the same time.
"Where have I heard that name?" Asked Dumbledore beggining to pace the room.
"Albus, What's wrong? And what is that spell?" Asked Minerva, now completely confused with everything.
"If I'm right, then Miss Granger, then you are right. I have to do some research but I know that I have heard that spell before." Said Dumbledore, before he added: "Minerva why don't we go to dinner? I'm sure they want to be alone for a while." Suggested Albus with a smile.
"Of course." Said Minerva realising that Ron and Hermione didn't need company at that moment.
"We'll talk in the morning." Said the Headmaster to Hermione before he and the Deputy Headmistress left the room and went to the Hall.
"I was scared of losing you." Said Ron to his friend.
"I'm sorry." Said Hermione sheepisly before she added: "Friends forever?"
"Never doubt it." Said Ron before they started to talk about what had happened during those days at the School.
Both friend went on with the chat for 2 hours till Madame Pomfrey shooed out Ron saying that she needed her rest and he could return tomorrow after the Headmaster had talked with her.
"I'll be here tomorrow." Promised Ron before he left and went to the Head students dorms.
When he entered there, the seventh years were once more studying. When they noticed him, the saw a big smile on his lips and knew in that moment that something good had happened at the Hospital Wing with Hermione.
"I have 3 words to say: She. Is. Awake." Said Ron when he sat next to them.
"At least a good news." Said in relief Katie while Fred hugged his brother.
"There is something else. It's not sure, but it's a great news." Said Ron misteriously.
"What?" Asked all of them at the same time.
"If Hermione is right, Harry could be still alive. We don't know anything else about this, but it's a big chance to be true." Added Ron with a big grin.
"You are kidding right?" Asked all of them with hope in their voices.
"No, I'm not. As I said, it's not sure. Dumbledore has to make some research, but the possibilty is." Explained Ron before his stomach growled and told him that he needed some dinner at that moment.
"I'll go to the kitchens. I haven't seen Dobby in a while." Said the redhead before he left the place and went to the kitchens.
When he entered there, he saw a lot of House Elves running in the place coming and going from a place to another. He spotted Dobby and wnet to him.
"Hey Dobby." Greeted Ron.
"Mister Weasley!" Said the little creature hugging him.
"How are you?" Asked Ron sitting in a chair.
"I miss Harry." Said Dobby with sadness.
"So do I, Dobby, so do I." Said Ron before he added: "Could you give me something to eat? I missed the Dinner and I'm terribly hungry."
While Dobby and a few other Elves began to cook dinner for him, the portrait opened and Albus Dumbledore entered. When the Headmaster spotted Ron he went to him and sat next to him.
"Could I have a cup of tea, please?" Asked the old wizard to the elves who nodded and started to make it.
"Any luck?" Asked Ron while he started to eat his dinner.
"Not yet." Said Albus before he asked, "You are still at detention, right?"
"For another month." Answered Ron. He had still 4 more weeks of detention because the attack of the start of the term in Divination's Class. The house had managed to get the lost points once more, and no one had talked about them since the first day, thing that the redhead thanked.
"Who will you help tonight?" Asked Dumbledore. Ron did that during his detentions: helped some teacher with things that refered to the teaching and classes.
"Wait a minute." Said Ron before he took a parchment of his pocket, where he had the schedule for the detention. After he scanned it quickly, he said: "Professor Flitwick. I'll do it for 2 weeks. This one and the one I missed for being with Hermione at the Hospital."
"Would you like to help me in the research? I'm sure Filius won't miss you." Suggested Dumbledore with his usual twinkle in the eyes.
"Of course!" Said Ron with a smile at the idea of making the research too.
"When you finish, go to my Office. The password is 'Chocolate Frogs'." Said this the Headmaster took his cup and left Ron to finish his dinner.
With a big grin at the work he had to do tonight, Ron finished the dinner quickly and went to the Headmaster's Office. It was the most importnt thing now: Find out what had happened with Harry and where he was.
****
Three days later, the research was still fruitless. They hadn't found nothing yet, though neither Ron or Dumbledore gave up their hopes on it. It was a matter of time before the information was found.
That morning, Hermione joined the School again as if nothing had happened. Of the incident, the only ones who knew it were the whole Weasley Clan, Lee Jordan, the 3 Chasers and the Professors who had found her.
When she sat at the Table, those students made a circle around her seat. They had agreed that no one shoulkd find it out, no if they had something to say about it.
Albus watched this with a little smile. After her attempt, he tried to find out what had happened between Hermione and her Aunt and Uncle. When he did it, he understood why she said that they were dead for her.
Knowing that he couldn't return the money to her, he opened a vault in Gringotts with some money of Harry's. Like he was the last Potter, no one could use it again.
Hermione didn't buy the story that her parents had opened one for her last year if something happened to them with Voldemort's reborn. She suspected that Albus had something to do with the misterious new vault. But she didn't say nothing about it and accepted.
Suddenly he caught sight of something: she was wearing blue gloves. They reached to rthe nudges and didn't have the fingers on them.
"Miss Spinnet gave them to her last night." Explained Minerva seeing his confused expression with the gloves.
Dumbledore nodded in understanding. He had seen gloves like those one in the Chaser's hands since her Second Year and knew what they were for: hide the scars of the suicide attempt.
"Where is Severus?" Asked Filius at some moment of the breakfast.
Albus checked the High Table and realized for first time since the start of the breakfast that the Potion's Master and Head of Slytherin wasn't there. He was surprised. If something had happened, Severus would have told him. Checking the Hall, his eyes fell on the Gryffindor Table, more precisely on the Weasley Twins. Their evil grins told him that maybe they knew where he was. What surprised him more, was that the whole team shared those smiles.
"I can make a few guesses." Said the Headmaster before he went to the group and asked them if they knew something about the sudden dissaparition of Snape.
"The threat." Said Fred with a evil smile while the others nodded.
"You stopped me. You didn't do it with them." Said Ron before he took his bag and went to classes with the rest of his yearmates.
"So what happened?" Asked Sprout when Albus returned to his seat.
"Gryffindor did what they threatened." Said Albus before he went to fetch Madame Pomfrey and went with her to the Dungeons, not wanting to know what the 7 students had done with the teacher.
****
"Who did it?" Asked Albus to the team of Gryffindor that night when they met at his Office.
When he found Severus, he had to fight the urge of laughing. His Office was painted in pink, the classroom was in orange, an the best of all was Severus Snape himself. His hair reached to his knees, was more greasy than ever and now he was a she, they changed his sex.
Madame Pomfrey could revert the spells of the hair, but no the one of the sex change. He had to be a woman till the spell wore off. Needless to say, Snape wanted to kill every Gryffindor at that moment.
"The whole House." Answered Katie with a serious tone of voice.
"We warned the School of the consequences of our threat. If Professor Snape was stupid enough to ignore them, it's not our problem." Added Fred with the same tone that his teammate.
"Like Ron said, you stopped him, not us." Said George finishing the explanation.
"How long will Professor Snape stay like that?" Asked Minerva, who had decided to not doing anything against her House. Severus got what he deserved for his comments.
"Today is Thursday, right?" Asked Lee.
"Yes." Answered Dubledore with a nod.
"Till Monday." Answered Fred simply.
"Get out of here before we punish you." Said Minerva amused with idea of Snape being a woman for the next 3 days.
"What will happen with his classes?" Asked Angelina curious.
"They'll be cancelled till Monday." Said Albus dismissing the group.
"You won't hear a word from me about this." Said Minerva before she exited the Office.
"It's a house of insanes and their Head is the worst one." Said Dumbledore amused to Fawkes who sang a few notes in answer.
****
The hate that Snape felt towards Gryffindor reached to never known level after the incident and the changes. He treated them worse than ever, especcially to Fifth and Seventh Year. The first ones because 2 of them were who started everything and the oldest, because they had done it.
"IF I have to expell them because what they did, then I have to fire you because what you said. You choose." Said Albus when Snape went to ask the Headmaster to expell those students.
That was the last thing said about the incident. The whole School never knew about it and Snape stopped trying to expell them. He prefered to keep his job. Besides he made them suffer at class.
The tryouts for the Quidditch team in Gryffindor could be described only with terribles. Ron and Ginny had joined the team. He as Keeper and she did it as Chaser. The rest were disasters.
Considering that they had to fill obligatorily only a place, the Seeker position that Harry had left empty after the attack, the twins and the girls decided to find the best one, or someone good enough to join the team. Everyone in the House knew that Harry was unique and no one could be better than him. The rest of the positions would be matter of the next year's Captain.
For this year, they had chosen Angelina Johnson to be it. Katie declined the offer because she was Head Girl. Alicia didn't want and thought that any of the others would be a better captain than her. And NO ONE would make the twins Captain. The girls still had some sense about the team to make them Captain. So the Chaser was chosen as Captain.
"Hey girls." Said Hermione to the Chasers when they were testing possibles Seekers.
"Scratch that one of the list." Said Katie to Alicia pointing to a Second Year before she said to Hermione: "Hey, did you come to make the tryouts?"
"No thanks. I don't like flying." Said Hermione watching the tests.
"Come on. It's easy." Said Alicia with a smile.
"Believe me, you can't be worse than them." Said Angeling scratching another name of the list.
The 3 Chasers went on trying to conmvince her for almost ½ hour before she agreed a bit reluctantly. Alicia gave gave her the broom to try and Hermione kicked off and was in the air a few seconds later.
"Now I understand why Harry loved this so much." Thought Hermione flying around the Pitch looking for the Snitch.
She did what Harry always did at the matches: she stayed 10 meters above the level of the game moving around avoiding the Bludgers hit by the Twins. From time time she tried some dives, although they weren't very good ones in distance and speed.
"She reminds me to Harry playing." Said Alicia to her friends watching her play.
"She's doing what he did when he played." Said McGonagall joining the 3 girls and watching her in a dive.
"I guess he's a great master at this." Said Katie with a smile at the thought of her old teammate.
"In my almost 35 years as teacher and 25 as Head of this House, I've seen few Seekers better than him. I can count them with the fingers of a hand." Said Minerva while Hermione dove once more to catch the Snitch this time.
"What did you say about flying?" Asked Alicia teasing to Hermione when she landed next to the group, followed by the twins.
"Forget what I said! Now I understand why Harry spent so many time on his broom!" Said Hermione giving back the broom to Alicia.
"Welcome to the team!" Said Fred hugging her.
"We have to owl Charlie asking him some tips for Seekers. You and Harry share the same thing: you cannot learn the abbility from books." Said Geroge after hugging her.
"There is something that I will never forget. Do you remember when Oliver talked to us about the first training with him?" Asked Alicia laughing.
"Yeah!" Laughed the twins.
"Oliver had to explain him the rules of the game that day. When he told us about McGonagall presenting Harry to him as Seeker, Wood was almost jumping with the news." Explained Katie to Hermione who looked confused while the group started to go back to the Castle.
"After the practice, his jumps almost touched the ceiling of the Common Room!" Added Fred sending everyone in a fit of laughter.
"Remember the party after the match of Slytherin 2 years ago?" Asked George with a laugh.
"We didn't sleep for 3 nights partying!" Laughed Katie when they entered in the Common Room.
"I made the Team!" Shouted Ron going to Hermione.
"So did I." Said Hermione with a wide smile.
"Yes, you as Keeper and she as Seeker." Said Fred seeing his confused look.
"Let's make a party." Said George to the others who agreed and they started to prepair the things for it.
****
A few days after the tryouts, Ron was at Dumbledore's Office helping him with the research. Also was Hermione. She had asked permission to be there with them. She wanted, and needed, to be there. Dumbledore agreed knowing that both teens needed it.
Near 23.45 P.M., in the Office, stormed in Snape who looked tired and was panting as if he had ran a long distance. What surprised eveyone was that he wore the robes of Death Eater.
"Severus, what's going on?" Asked Albus helping him to sit in a chair.
"Another Universe." Said Severus trying to recover his breath.
"What are you talking about?" Asked McGonagall who entered at the Office and heard hgis words.
"That's what the spell does. Potter was sent to another universe, an alternate reality." Said Snape drinking a glass of water that Dumbledore gave him.
"Could you start from the beggining?" Asked Dumbledore confused. The others were as confused as him.
"I was called to a meeting today. My first fear was that Voldemort found some way to return. But when I reached there, I found some Death Eaters and Pettigrew a wating for us." Started Severus his tale.
"He explained us what Voldemort had had planned for Potter. He sent him to a place where no one could reach to him. The spell made him disspear along his belongs." Continued Snape taking a moment to recover his breath.
"That's why we never found the things he bought at the Alley that day." Mumbled Dumbledore to himself.
"Yes. What no one expected was that Potter killed Voldemort. His plan was to make believe to everyone that he was dead and that he had killed him." Said Severus.
"Many people would lose the wish to fight seeing that Voldemort had killed our hope to finish the war." Said Minerva thinking in Snape's words.
"Wormtail told us this and said that there is a way to reach him and finish the work." Said Snape before he took a parchment from his robes and gave it to Dumbledore: "This is the Potion that will take the Death Eaters to that Universe. I was called to make it for them."
"Can you make it also for us?" Asked Albus reading the reciepe.
"That's the problem. A spell has been casted on me and I can make it only once. You'll need someone else to make it." Said Snape with a ashamed look towards the Headmaster.
"Who can do it?" Asked Ron with hope.
"I would trust this Potion to only few students. Although I loathe to admit it, Miss Granger is the most indicated to do it." Said Snape although his last words seemed to be spat from his mouth.
"How long will it take?" Asked Minerva while Hermione started to read the reciepe of the Potion.
"More or less 3 months." Explained the Head of Slytherin.
"Where did Wormtail got something from Harry?" Asked Hermione suddenly reading the reciepe.
"Don't know. The question is where will we get something from him, considering that all his old things were distroyed this summer." Explained Severus.
"Could some cloth work on this?" Asked Ron with doubt.
"What do you have in mind, Mr. Weasley?" Asked Albus confused after Severus nodded.
Ron didn't answer and went to the fireplace, threw some powder and shouted: "Dobby! Come to Dumbledore's Office now!"
"Why do you need the House Elf?" Asked Snape with doubts.
"Did you call Mr. Weasley?" Asked the Elf when he apparated at the Office.
"The sock." Said Hermione watching Dobby carefully and realizing what her best friend had in mind with the Elf.
"Could any of you explain what's going on here?" Asked Minerva cofused.
"Dobby where did you get the sock?" Asked Ron to the Elf pointing to the one that Harry gave him at Second Year.
"Harry Potter gave it to me and freed me!" Said Dobby proudly showing it to everyone.
"We have the element for the Potion." Said Ron to the 3 teachers taking the sock and putting it on the table.
"Why do you need the sock?" Asked Dobby confused.
"We'll explain it later, Dobby. Return to your work." Said Dumbledore with a smile. Dobby nodded still doubtful and dissaparated with a plop from the Office.
"When can we start to do it?" Asked Hermione wanting to do it as soon as she had permission for it.
"Severus do you have all of the others elements?" Asked Albus to Snape who shared the wish with Hermione.
"Yes. We'll start it next Monday after dinner." Said Snape before he added: "I'll return to my quarters." Without waiting any answer he left the Office.
"I'll suggest to both of you to return to the Tower. It's late." Said Minerva to her students in a tone of command.
"Goodnight, Professors." Said both teen leaving the Office and going to sleep with the hope that they would see their friend very soon.
****
The whole truth about Harry's new place and the plan to take him back was unknown to most of the Wizarding World. The only people besides the Death Eaters, Ron, Hermione and the 3 teachers who knew it, were the whole Weasley Clan and the Quidditch team. All of them had sworn secrecy about this matter. They didn't know what had happened to Harry in the other Universe and till they knew it, it would be kept in silence.
Halloween's feast was a little hard to Ron and Hermione. For them, it was a date that brought many memories, but one was the most important of all of them: the Troll of First Year and the night they became the best friends with Harry. The other feast were aklso specials and had different kind of memories, but none like that one.
On Haloweem's day, the fifth years had Transfiguration in the first period of the afternoon. Hermione, who had been the best student of the year since their first class in that subject, finished her work before anyone else did it as usual.
A little bored, and not having anything else to do, she decided to get some fun. She didn't know why, but she had an urge to create teddy bears. Not seeing anything better to do, she decided to try it.
"How hard can it be?" Wondered Hermione to herself taking a quill from his bag and putting it on her desk. Then she got an idea: make a teddy with Harry's features or his characteristcs and likes.
The first matter was the animal. She decided to use a lion. Harry was a part of the Gryffindor House and their symbol was the lion. She transfigured the quill in a teddy lion of yellow colour and brown mane. Then she changed it into a pair of glasses like Harry's. The next change was into a black robe with the House's crest on the left side and a Prefect Badge near the crest.
Although she didn't know it, the whole class began to watch her work interested. Only Minerva and Ron realized what she was planning: a teddy lion like Harry. All of them continued watchig it and her next change was into a broom and a chain with a snitch.
Hermione decided it was enough and did the last change to her work. When it was done, where in first place there was a quill, now was a yellow lion with brown mane, wearing a black robe with Gryffindor's Crest and the Badge near it, a broom on his left hand, a chain with a snitch around his neck and wore a pair of glasses.
"You couldn't put him in a teddy in a better way." Said Minerva with a smile taking the lion and watching it.
"You missed his scar!" Said someone when all of the students realized what Ron and the teacher had realized before them.
"I prefer it in that way." Said Hermione before she pointed her wand to the teddy and said 2 times: "Duplicatus."
Next to the original work appeared 2 copies like it and Hermione gave one to Ron and the other to McGonagall. She put the original one on her bag.
"Sorry, Professor, but I prefer to keep the original and not give it to you." Said Hermione to McGonagall explaining the reason of giving her a copy and not the original.
"At least I have a copy." Said Minerva with a reassuring smile before she added: "50 points to Gryffindor for your very good work."
"Well done." Said Ron to his friend with a smile when Minerva returned to the front of the Classroom to continue with the class.
"Thanks." Said Hermione with a wide smile before both of them returned their attention to their Head of House.
When Ron and Hermione went to dinner after Divination for Ron and Arithmancy for Hermione, the whole House had heard the story of the teddy that Hermione had done in class.
"Can we see it?" Asked Alicia to her new Teammate.
"Sure." Said Hermione taking the lion from the bag and giving it to her.
"Do you know what's the best detail?" Asked Katie while the teddy went from hand to hand of every memember of the House.
"Which one?" Asked Hermione when she got it back.
"The lack of the Scar. You made an image of Harry being just a wizard as any other. Great job." Said Katie with a smile before she turned to Angelina and started to talk about the match against Slytherin that they were going to play next week.
****
"Ok, guys. Listen to me!" Said Angelina the next Saturday at the lockers when the Gryffindor team was changing their clothes to the team's robes.
"This match is the first for 2 of you," Started the Chaser the prep-game talk watching Ron and Hermione, "we know what you can give and we won't ask you to be as good as your antecesors in those positions by the simple reason that no one will do it in a time, I'm sure. Watch out their players, they'll play dirt and they'll try to harm both of you.
"Fred and George, do whatever you need to stop their attacks. It includes some players at the Infirmary." Continued Angelina with an evil smile towards the twins and beaters of the team.
"Are you sure that you aren't Wood?" Asked Fred with a faked shock.
"She reminds me to him giving the prep game talk, you know." Said George to his brother.
"I wouldn't need to say those words. You should now what's your job since a long time ago." Said Oliver entering in the lockers in that moment an listening the talk.
"Hey, mate!" Exclaimed Katie hugging him.
"Did you miss us?" Asked George after everyone had hugged him.
"Of course I did! I would love to return here to be at the pitch with you once more!" Laughed Wood taking seat next to Hermione.
"Guys, let's win this match for 2 persons who aren't here to play with us anymore." Added Angelina. No one needed more words to realize who was the other one missing: Harry Potter.
"I brought this. I hope you don't mind to wear them." Said Oliver taking a box from his pocket. In it there were a lot of black bracelets with the letters "HP" and a lightning crossing them.
"Let's win for Harry!" Shouted Angelina putting the bracelet on her left arm along the other players, before the 8 players left the lockers and went to the pitch in the team's case and to the seats in Oliver's.
"And here comes Gryffindor! Bell! Johnson! Spinnet! Weasley! Weasley! Weasley! Granger!" Announced Lee Jordan when the team was out on the pitch.
"Do you mind having me as a guest today, Lee?" Asked Oliver entering in the Box where the boy was sat.
"Whoah! Look who's here! The old Keeper and Captain from Gryffindor and nowadays Keeper of the Puddlemore United, Oliver Wood!" Announced Lee when Oliver took seat next to him.
When he said this, the whole School turned their atention to where the 2 boys were. The Gryffindor stand burst in cheers towards their old housemate, and many of the students who were sat near them began to ask him to sign autographs.
"When the match is over, I will." Promised Oliver watching Malfoy and Angelina shaking hands at the center of the pitch, watched intently by Hooch.
"Mount your brooms! On my whistle! 3... 2... 1...!" Exclaimed Hoch before she blown the whistle and 15 brooms went up in the air.
Malfoy started to taunt Hermione since the beggining, but the girl ignored him all the time while she looked for the Snitch and heard Lee's and Olivers's words about the match.
"And Ron Weasley saves another shot from Slytherin!" Exclaimed Lee when the redhead stopped a shot of Millicent Bullstrode.
"It seems that the sport runs in the blood of the Weasleys!" Commented Oliver watching the boy in his catch.
"What's your opinnion about him as your sucesor?" Asked Lee while Fred hit a chaser and he dropped the Quaffle and Katie scored a goal.
"And Bell scores! Gryffindor leads 10 to 0!" Exclaimed Lee before he repeated the question to Wood.
"He's good. I'm sure he'll become better with more matches." Answered Oliver truthfully while Ron saved another goal from Slytherin.
Malfoy's taunts towards Hermione made her lose her patience. Tired of it, she fled towards Fred who was watching the game seeing if he needed to save a player of a Bludger.
"Why do you need my bat?" Asked the twn confused when she asked it.
"Choose a part of Malfoy's body." Said Hermione with an evil smile.
"His low zones." Said Fred with an smile like hers.
"A Butterbeer that I can do it." Challenged the Seeker to the Beater.
"You do it, and I'll buy you 2!" Said the redhead accepting the challenge.
"Deal!" Said Hermione hitting the Bludger towards the blond.
The bludger hit him at his genitals and Malfoy cried in pain with the hit. He fell off his broom taking the zones and crying like a baby. Inmediately Madame Hooch blew her whistle and called Fred and Hermione while Madame Pomfrey took him to the Hospital Wing.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT??!!" Asked the referee shouting to both players when they landed next to her.
"We tried a switch of positions. Fred wanted to try to be a Seeker and I wanted to be a Beater." Said Hermione with a tiny and inocent smile.
"I think you should continue being a Seeker, Hermione." Said Fred fighting the urge to laugh in front of Hooch and blow the trick.
"You are right, Fred." Said Hermione giving back the bat to the twin.
"Two penalties for Slytherin!" Shouted Hooch before she added to the players: "Next time you do this, I'll expell you from the match! Is that clear!"
"Yes, Madame Hooch." Said Fred and Hermione with a nod.
"Great aim, Miss Granger." Said Hooch in a whisper to Hermione.
"Thanks." Said Hermione before she turned to Fred and said: "You owe me 2 Butterbeers."
"You made a bet?" Asked the referee shocked with her words, while the twin noidded to the Seeker's words.
"We bet if I could hit Malfoy there, and I won the bet." Said Hermione before the 3 kicked off and went up to the air once more.
"After that shot of Hermione, which I'm sure hurt a lot to Malfoy, the game contimues with 2 penalties for Slytherin." Said Lee covering his own genitals, like most of the males at the stadium.
"She would be great as Beater." Added Oliver with a laugh after the incident.
Ron stopped both shots and the game continued. Now the Gryffindor lead the score 80 to 0. Malfoy couldn't return to the pitch and Slytherin had to play the rest of the game without Seeker because they didn't have a Reserve for him.
Hermione went up 20 meters above the rest of the players and stayed there watching the game. Knowing that she didn't have any competence in the search of the Snitch, she would let the Chasers to score till they were tired of doing it.
Katie, Angelina and Alicia realized this and decided to take this to their adventage. After 2 hours of game the score was 250 to 0. Slytherin never could score a goal to Ron.
After Katie scored and put Gryffindor 350 to 0, Hermione saw the Snitch near where Snape was sat. She turned her broom, a Nimbus 2002 that she bought with some money of her vault, towards the place and sped towards the ball.
None of the teachers saw the Snitch, but they saw what Hermione was doing and moved aside from their places as soon as Hermione was almost 1 meter from them.
She released her right arm from the broom and caught the tiny ball just in time to go up with the broom without hitting any teacher. She raised her arm and showed it to the whole Stadium who burst in cheers seeing her catch.
"PARTY AT GRYFFINDOR'S TOWER!!!" Shouted the twins when the whole team landed engulfed in big hug.
With a smile that nothing could make dissapear, Hermione followed the whole House to the Tower for the Party that would start there.
****
"I always pay my bets!" Said Fred giving 2 Butterbeers to Hermione who nodded and gave one to Ron and started to drink the other one.
"What did you bet?" Asked the other players listening Fred's words.
"I bet him a Butterbeer that I could hit Malfoy in his genitals, but he bet 2 instead of one. I accepted the bet." Explained Hermione with an inocent smile.
"I'll tell you that Malfoy's face when he was hit was priceless!" Laughed Collin listening her words and giving the group a few pictures.
They took them and started to watch them. There were one of each player alone flying, Hermione catching the Snitch, Ron stopping a shot, the twins hitting Bludgers and the Girls shooting the Quaffle. The best one was one of Malfoy's face and taking his genitals while he cried at the grass. The whole team burst out in laughter watching that pic.
"I want a copy of my pic and one of this." Said Hermione to Collin giving him back the pics.
"I want one of Malfoy's!" Exclaimed the rest of the team at the same time laughing.
"What do you think about our new players, Oliver?" Asked Katie when the Keeper and Lee went to join the team.
"Are you sure you chose the right position at the team? Because you'd be a very good replacement for them!" Said Oliver to Hermione pointing to the twins.
"I don't think that the male population of the School would like it after what I did with Malfoy!" Said Hermione with a big and evil grin.
"It hurts every time I think about it." Said Lee covering his gentitals again.
"Now we know that bother her brings very bad consequences!" Said Fred bursting out in laughter along the other players.
Before anyone else could say something, the portarit was opened. Eveyone at the Common Room turned to see who had entered and saw to their Head of House who was looking for someone.
"There you are!" Said Minerva going to the team.
"What's your opinion of Hermione's aim with the Bludgers, Professor?" Asked Katie with curiousity and interest.
"I won't make comments about that... incident." Said Minerva before she adresses to the whole Common Room: "It's late. If you don't want to lose points, then I suggest that all of you go to sleep." This was said with her usual stern and serious tone of voice.
Everyone checked their watch and saw that it was already 1.30 pm. The night had passed and no one noticed the hour. Not wanting to lose points or raise McGonagall's anger, everyone stood and went to their dorms bidding their goodbyes.
"I'll see you soon. I have to go to Dumbledore's Office to use his fireplace. Owl me when you play the next match." Said Oliver leaving the Common Room after hugging his old teammates.
"See you!" Said all of them before they stood and went to their dorms, but Hermione was stopped by her Head of House.
"What can I do for you, Professor?" Asked the Prefect with an inocent smile.
"The male population of this School has asked me to tell you, that they would apreciate if you stay as Seeker and no as Beater in future matches. They are worried after the incident with Mr. Malfoy." Said McGonagall withg a stern look, though Hermione could sense some amusement in her voice.
"I don't promise nothing. I felt good hit the Bludger. Maybe I'll change position next year. What do you think about it?" Asked Hermione with a smile.
"It's your decision, although I'll repeat what the males of this School has asked. No one wants more of that incidents. Miss Parkinson was a little... bewildered after that hit. It seems that she feared something." Said Minerva keeping the stern look.
"The truth, Professor. You would have wished to be in my place, right?" Asked Hermione with an evil smile.
"With Severus Snape instead of Draco Malfoy on the broom." Said Minerva with a smile like Hermione's.
"That's the dream of all the students at the School." Said Hermione before she went to her dorm.
Feeling better than in a long time, especcially after the summer and the death of Harry and her parents, and feeling proud of herself for what she had done in the match earlier, Hermione changed her robes and put in a PJ before she went to sleep.
Taking off the gloves that she was wearing always, Hermione looked at her scars for a moment before she put them again. It had been a big mistake, but now she had something to fight for: bring Harry back to this Uniuverse, or be with him wherever he was.
"We'll be together again soon, Harry." Thought Hermione before she fell asleep.