Chapter 6: Alibi (else where)
That morning, Harry awoke with a very awefull feeling in his stomach. Quickly, he reached for his glasses and when he put them on, he remembered Hermione was leaving this morning. He sat up and dressed as quickly as possible. Ron was already gone. He hurried into the common room.
There, between Ron, Ginny and three other Gryffindors, Hermione was sitting on her trunk, trying to smile a bit, but the questions they all asked her, seemed to hit her as knifes. When she saw Harry, she got up and walked towards him.
'Hermione...' he started. But she shook her head. 'You don't need to say a thing...' she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. Harry swallowed. This was even harder than he had expected. She was so weak this way. She looked like she was made from china. If he would say something she would break.
Instead of talking, like they always did, the three plus Ginny walked out of the common room very quietly. In front of the entrance to Dumbledore's office, they stopped and turned to Hermione. Ginny made an unsure movement into a hug and took a step aside. Ron took a deep breath. He and Hermione looked at eachother for a moment or so. Hermione couldn't prevent her tears from falling. Ron pulled her into a hug. They stood there for a while without saying a word. Slowely, Ron took a step back, releasing her. They looked at eachother again. 'We...I.. we'll meet again.' Ron decided. Hermione nodded, tears still spilling.
Harry took a step towards her. The feeling in his stomach was worse than that morning. Before he knew it, he pulled her into a close hug. He could feel her breathing in his neck, his hand pressed her head strongly against his shoulder. He could feel every inch of her body. It was as if his inside was screaming 'Don't let her go! Don't let her go, or else she'll break!'
But his grip weakend, he pulled himself back. The look on her face was so desperate he wanted to pull her back into his arms again, but Dumbledore just arrived.
'Miss Granger, if you care to follow me please?' Hermione nodded, eyes still focused on the three people she was leaving behind. She quickly met Harry's eyes. She stroke her hand three times.
At that moment, Hermione's voice echoed in his head. 'What I feel doesn't need words anymore...'
Harry stood there, for a moment, without words. Then it became clear to him what he just did. She probably thought that hug... she probably thought that he loved her back. Maybe he did...
his mind was racing. He saw Hermione rub her hand three more times and slowely walk away with Dumbledore.
'Miss Granger? You're being transported to the Soleil School for Sorcery. Where this school is hidden is kept secret. For your own good. Now...' he looked at her, penetrating her thoughts. 'this is a one-way portkey, which will transport you.' He pointed at a ring on the table. 'Wear it and be transportated. Whenever you need to contact me, use ennervate to open a channel. You can say your message in the ring and use stupefy to close the channel. The message will be send to my ring. If I have a message for you or reply one of your messages, the stone in your ring will turn blue. Do you understand?'
Hermione repeated his words in her mind and nodded. He smiled. 'Good, off you go now...' he looked round at her once more. 'Don't worry about Mister Potter and the others. I'm sure they will be fine.'
Hermione swallowed her fear and her tears and reached for the ring.
One moment later, she stood in front of a large castle. It was a mediaevil looking structure, but not nearly as big as Hogwarts. Above a red, wooden door, in glittering yellow fonts 'Soleil School for Sorcery'.
Pulling herself together, Hermione opened the door. The hall was huge. A lot of students rushed from one corridor to another. She only saw yellow robes. So there were no different houses here. Before she could move any further, a woman with long, dirty blonde hair and two silverish eyes came towards her. Hermione felt a bit strange. Somewhere she had seen this woman before...
'You must be Hermione Granger!' the woman cheered vaguely. 'I am Lunette Lovegood!'
That morning, Harry awoke with a very awefull feeling in his stomach. Quickly, he reached for his glasses and when he put them on, he remembered Hermione was leaving this morning. He sat up and dressed as quickly as possible. Ron was already gone. He hurried into the common room.
There, between Ron, Ginny and three other Gryffindors, Hermione was sitting on her trunk, trying to smile a bit, but the questions they all asked her, seemed to hit her as knifes. When she saw Harry, she got up and walked towards him.
'Hermione...' he started. But she shook her head. 'You don't need to say a thing...' she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. Harry swallowed. This was even harder than he had expected. She was so weak this way. She looked like she was made from china. If he would say something she would break.
Instead of talking, like they always did, the three plus Ginny walked out of the common room very quietly. In front of the entrance to Dumbledore's office, they stopped and turned to Hermione. Ginny made an unsure movement into a hug and took a step aside. Ron took a deep breath. He and Hermione looked at eachother for a moment or so. Hermione couldn't prevent her tears from falling. Ron pulled her into a hug. They stood there for a while without saying a word. Slowely, Ron took a step back, releasing her. They looked at eachother again. 'We...I.. we'll meet again.' Ron decided. Hermione nodded, tears still spilling.
Harry took a step towards her. The feeling in his stomach was worse than that morning. Before he knew it, he pulled her into a close hug. He could feel her breathing in his neck, his hand pressed her head strongly against his shoulder. He could feel every inch of her body. It was as if his inside was screaming 'Don't let her go! Don't let her go, or else she'll break!'
But his grip weakend, he pulled himself back. The look on her face was so desperate he wanted to pull her back into his arms again, but Dumbledore just arrived.
'Miss Granger, if you care to follow me please?' Hermione nodded, eyes still focused on the three people she was leaving behind. She quickly met Harry's eyes. She stroke her hand three times.
At that moment, Hermione's voice echoed in his head. 'What I feel doesn't need words anymore...'
Harry stood there, for a moment, without words. Then it became clear to him what he just did. She probably thought that hug... she probably thought that he loved her back. Maybe he did...
his mind was racing. He saw Hermione rub her hand three more times and slowely walk away with Dumbledore.
'Miss Granger? You're being transported to the Soleil School for Sorcery. Where this school is hidden is kept secret. For your own good. Now...' he looked at her, penetrating her thoughts. 'this is a one-way portkey, which will transport you.' He pointed at a ring on the table. 'Wear it and be transportated. Whenever you need to contact me, use ennervate to open a channel. You can say your message in the ring and use stupefy to close the channel. The message will be send to my ring. If I have a message for you or reply one of your messages, the stone in your ring will turn blue. Do you understand?'
Hermione repeated his words in her mind and nodded. He smiled. 'Good, off you go now...' he looked round at her once more. 'Don't worry about Mister Potter and the others. I'm sure they will be fine.'
Hermione swallowed her fear and her tears and reached for the ring.
One moment later, she stood in front of a large castle. It was a mediaevil looking structure, but not nearly as big as Hogwarts. Above a red, wooden door, in glittering yellow fonts 'Soleil School for Sorcery'.
Pulling herself together, Hermione opened the door. The hall was huge. A lot of students rushed from one corridor to another. She only saw yellow robes. So there were no different houses here. Before she could move any further, a woman with long, dirty blonde hair and two silverish eyes came towards her. Hermione felt a bit strange. Somewhere she had seen this woman before...
'You must be Hermione Granger!' the woman cheered vaguely. 'I am Lunette Lovegood!'