Chapter 2: The Explanation
The gang finished their dinner in silence; except for Ginny trying to get them to tell her what happened. They walked into the common room and slumped down into chairs. Ginny made up a pot of tea, strong very strong. No sugar, no lemon, no milk, only just a little drop of grandpa's cough medicine. They just sat there drinking and trying to figure out what the fuck happened.
Then the doors opened and no one looked up until someone cleared their throat. It was the man from with the gold cape.
"Hi, I'm Thomas. Dumbledore sent me here to collect some things for Hermione."
They all stared at him, Harry and Ron growing anger by the minute. Finally after some uncomfortable moments of silence they jumped up. They were itching to fight him so bad. Thomas felt the vibe from them and puffed himself up, showing he wasn't afraid of them.
They stood there staring at each other of a few long intense moments, until someone cleared their throat. Everyone turned to the door and standing there was Hermione. Her hair was more fizzed than ever, her eyes were blood shot, and her face was pale. She had a handkerchief in her hand and was looking at them like she was going to burst into tears and scream at them.
"Tom, what are you..." Was all she could get out before she broke into tears again. She sat down on the ground and buried her face in her hands.
Thomas ran to her side, "Hermione I'm sorry. Sweetheart, don't cry. Honey. Oh you poor thing." He picked her up again and stood there with a confused look on his face. "I know we don't like each other but can you show me Hermione's room."
Ginny walked up to Hermione in Thomas's arms she was also crying. "Oh Hermione what's wrong?" Hermione just let a loud wail and hide her face in Thomas's chest. "Here I'll show you." She said smoothing Hermione's hair.
Thomas followed Ginny up the stairs to Hermione's private room, she being a prefect, and they were gone a while. Then Ginny came downstairs crying even harder than before. She sat down in her chair, grabbed the bottle of booze they had, and chugged the whole thing down.
"Ginny what's wrong?" Ron asked trying to grab the bottle form her.
Ginny finished the bottle, let out a large burp, and threw the bottle in the fire. There was a great smash of the glass breaking against the fireplace and the sizzling of the alcohol, then the glass started to pop under the heat. Harry and Ron kept a watchful eye on whether or not the fire itself would explode and spread. "She doesn't want to talk to me. She doesn't want to talk to any of us. The Thomas fool seems to be the only person who can see her, touch her, and talk to her. I just don't understand. What happened to her? Why is she pushing us away now? And who the flying fuck is this Thomas fucker anyways? And who the fuck does he think he is?" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She was crying so hard she was shaking. Ron walked over and tried to control her.
"You know she has a point, Harry." Ron said.
"Yeah she does but what do we do?"
"Spy?"
"Yeah, that could be the only way we figure out what's going on."
"Oh Harry you can't do that!" Ginny cried.
"Ginny do you want to know what's wrong with her?"
"Yes, but we can't spy. Oh no we can't. We just can't." Ginny sniffed trying not to cry any more. Harry and Ron made eye contact over Ginny shaking their heads, and they knew they were going to spy.
After a while Harry and Ron were able to calm Ginny down enough so she could go to bed. Just after Ginny walked up the stairs they started making plans, but before they could finish, Dumbledore walked in.
"Boys come to my office please."
"Yes sir." Was all they could squeak out.
They walked in silence down to Dumbledore's office. The boys kept shooting each other looks trying to figure out what was going on. Dumbledore just walked in front of the boys giving no hint or clue. When they came to the statue Dumbledore said, "Monkey Pops" and they were allowed to go up.
When they walked into Dumbledore's office everything was a-chatter. All the paintings on the walls were every excited about something. Harry caught what one said before they went quite. "I don't believe it, she's alive! I thought she was dead after all these years, and here she is, right under our noses."
In front of Dumbledore's desk were four chairs with two people in them. Harry could already tell one was Thomas and the other most be Hermione. Harry could have kicked himself, he forgot about the secret passage that lead a prefect out side of their room without going through the common, Harry could have cut them off there and gotten some questions answered. When they entered Thomas stood up still in his armor and Hermione turned around in her seat. She had a black veil over her head and a black dress made of crushed velvet, which was long that it hit the floor. The sleeves got wider passed the elbow, and there was a very large sliver necklace around her neck with a blood red stone in the middle of it.
Dumbledore went behind his desk and offered Harry and Ron seats but they didn't sit down. He cleared his throat, "I see you want some questions answered, am I right?"
"Yes sir we would like that." Harry said giving Thomas the evil eye.
"Well boys, there is something special about Hermione." Dumbledore began to tell them but was cut off by Hermione.
"No."
"What?" Dumbledore and Thomas both asked.
"No. I don't want them to know."
"Hermione, honey, they're your friends they should know." Thomas said sweetly touching her hand.
Hermione whipped her hand out of his reach. "I don't want them to know."
"Hermione, please be reasonable."
"Tom, that's an order!" Hermione said raising her voice.
"Yes, I understand." Thomas said sitting back in his chair like a little child that got in trouble by his mother.
"Albus I don't want them to know. Any of them, for any reason, I don't care. Keep them away from my life. The danger is greater than anything we have faced together." Hermione stood up and faced Harry and Ron. "Erase me from you mind. I was never in your lives. I will leave now and never come back. Don't go looking for me, you will not find me. I have died; I am dead to you, that's all you need to know." Hermione began to walk between Harry and Ron out the door.
"Hermione wait." Harry grabbed her arm. The first flash back came. It was Hermione on the train on the first day of school. There was bushy brunette girl, looking for a lost frog with a large smile on her face.
*** "Have you two seen a frog around here?"
"No," Ron said.
"Well a boy named Neville lost him." Then her eyes lit up. "Are you doing magic?"
***
Then they flashed back to Dumbledore's office.
Harry looked into Hermione's eyes. There was fear, pain, loss, the same things he saw in his eyes when he was tired or when he thought about his parents. "Hermione what's wrong? Tell us, please?"
Her eyes flashed larger with fear. "Harry, you wouldn't understand." She tried to tug away.
Second flash back. This time it was on their date they took a week ago.
***
"Hermione, come on, you can tell me anything." Harry said into her ear as they lay on the ground over looking the lake.
"I know Harry you seem to understand me." Hermione said look at him.
They leaned in closer for the kiss.
***
Then back in Dumbledore's office. Harry looked at Ron, he wasn't seeing the flash backs but one look at Hermione, you could tell she was.
"Let go Harry. I'm sorry I have to leave." She tugged harder, Thomas got up from his chair.
"No tell me, what's wrong?" Harry held on tighter she wasn't leaving.
"Let go! Harry I'm dead to you! Let me go!" She screamed and then all of the sudden Harry's hand began to burn, like he held it over a fire. Harry let go of Hermione for a second but that was enough she ran out the door. Harry tried to run after her but the two guards from the Great Hall stopped him.
Harry whipped around at Thomas, "You! You are the cause for all this! Who the hell are you? What the fuck do you want?" Harry yelled running at him.
Thomas held up his hand and Harry stopped all of the sudden. "Please calm yourself Mr. Potter. Hermione, I mean Miss Grander asked me not to tell you anything. I'm sorry for all that I have done. I leave you with the thought that she will be safe and fine where she will end up." He snapped his fingers and vanished, so did the guards.
"Go to bed boys, try to sleep. Tomorrow is another day." Was all Dumbledore said to both them before he returned to his work.
Harry and Ron hung their heads low and walked back to the common room. They couldn't sleep at all; they just sat by the fire in silence. Some time in the night they fell asleep and were a woken by Ginny in the morning.
"Come on let's get breakfast." She said her eyes were blood shot, she must have cried all last night.
As they sat at breakfast trying to sort out all the things that happened, Dumbledore tapped his glass to get attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen we, have sad news today. Last night someone in our school took their life. Poor Hermione Ganger a 7th year took her life after the troubling news of her parents' death. We hope that you all will think of her today and if you need to talk to someone the teachers are here for you all."
Ginny burst into tears right there, everyone was crying. Harry and Ron looked at each other.
"She not dead." Harry whispered into Ron's ear.
"I agree with you, but why did she do this?"
"That's what we will have to find out."
The gang finished their dinner in silence; except for Ginny trying to get them to tell her what happened. They walked into the common room and slumped down into chairs. Ginny made up a pot of tea, strong very strong. No sugar, no lemon, no milk, only just a little drop of grandpa's cough medicine. They just sat there drinking and trying to figure out what the fuck happened.
Then the doors opened and no one looked up until someone cleared their throat. It was the man from with the gold cape.
"Hi, I'm Thomas. Dumbledore sent me here to collect some things for Hermione."
They all stared at him, Harry and Ron growing anger by the minute. Finally after some uncomfortable moments of silence they jumped up. They were itching to fight him so bad. Thomas felt the vibe from them and puffed himself up, showing he wasn't afraid of them.
They stood there staring at each other of a few long intense moments, until someone cleared their throat. Everyone turned to the door and standing there was Hermione. Her hair was more fizzed than ever, her eyes were blood shot, and her face was pale. She had a handkerchief in her hand and was looking at them like she was going to burst into tears and scream at them.
"Tom, what are you..." Was all she could get out before she broke into tears again. She sat down on the ground and buried her face in her hands.
Thomas ran to her side, "Hermione I'm sorry. Sweetheart, don't cry. Honey. Oh you poor thing." He picked her up again and stood there with a confused look on his face. "I know we don't like each other but can you show me Hermione's room."
Ginny walked up to Hermione in Thomas's arms she was also crying. "Oh Hermione what's wrong?" Hermione just let a loud wail and hide her face in Thomas's chest. "Here I'll show you." She said smoothing Hermione's hair.
Thomas followed Ginny up the stairs to Hermione's private room, she being a prefect, and they were gone a while. Then Ginny came downstairs crying even harder than before. She sat down in her chair, grabbed the bottle of booze they had, and chugged the whole thing down.
"Ginny what's wrong?" Ron asked trying to grab the bottle form her.
Ginny finished the bottle, let out a large burp, and threw the bottle in the fire. There was a great smash of the glass breaking against the fireplace and the sizzling of the alcohol, then the glass started to pop under the heat. Harry and Ron kept a watchful eye on whether or not the fire itself would explode and spread. "She doesn't want to talk to me. She doesn't want to talk to any of us. The Thomas fool seems to be the only person who can see her, touch her, and talk to her. I just don't understand. What happened to her? Why is she pushing us away now? And who the flying fuck is this Thomas fucker anyways? And who the fuck does he think he is?" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She was crying so hard she was shaking. Ron walked over and tried to control her.
"You know she has a point, Harry." Ron said.
"Yeah she does but what do we do?"
"Spy?"
"Yeah, that could be the only way we figure out what's going on."
"Oh Harry you can't do that!" Ginny cried.
"Ginny do you want to know what's wrong with her?"
"Yes, but we can't spy. Oh no we can't. We just can't." Ginny sniffed trying not to cry any more. Harry and Ron made eye contact over Ginny shaking their heads, and they knew they were going to spy.
After a while Harry and Ron were able to calm Ginny down enough so she could go to bed. Just after Ginny walked up the stairs they started making plans, but before they could finish, Dumbledore walked in.
"Boys come to my office please."
"Yes sir." Was all they could squeak out.
They walked in silence down to Dumbledore's office. The boys kept shooting each other looks trying to figure out what was going on. Dumbledore just walked in front of the boys giving no hint or clue. When they came to the statue Dumbledore said, "Monkey Pops" and they were allowed to go up.
When they walked into Dumbledore's office everything was a-chatter. All the paintings on the walls were every excited about something. Harry caught what one said before they went quite. "I don't believe it, she's alive! I thought she was dead after all these years, and here she is, right under our noses."
In front of Dumbledore's desk were four chairs with two people in them. Harry could already tell one was Thomas and the other most be Hermione. Harry could have kicked himself, he forgot about the secret passage that lead a prefect out side of their room without going through the common, Harry could have cut them off there and gotten some questions answered. When they entered Thomas stood up still in his armor and Hermione turned around in her seat. She had a black veil over her head and a black dress made of crushed velvet, which was long that it hit the floor. The sleeves got wider passed the elbow, and there was a very large sliver necklace around her neck with a blood red stone in the middle of it.
Dumbledore went behind his desk and offered Harry and Ron seats but they didn't sit down. He cleared his throat, "I see you want some questions answered, am I right?"
"Yes sir we would like that." Harry said giving Thomas the evil eye.
"Well boys, there is something special about Hermione." Dumbledore began to tell them but was cut off by Hermione.
"No."
"What?" Dumbledore and Thomas both asked.
"No. I don't want them to know."
"Hermione, honey, they're your friends they should know." Thomas said sweetly touching her hand.
Hermione whipped her hand out of his reach. "I don't want them to know."
"Hermione, please be reasonable."
"Tom, that's an order!" Hermione said raising her voice.
"Yes, I understand." Thomas said sitting back in his chair like a little child that got in trouble by his mother.
"Albus I don't want them to know. Any of them, for any reason, I don't care. Keep them away from my life. The danger is greater than anything we have faced together." Hermione stood up and faced Harry and Ron. "Erase me from you mind. I was never in your lives. I will leave now and never come back. Don't go looking for me, you will not find me. I have died; I am dead to you, that's all you need to know." Hermione began to walk between Harry and Ron out the door.
"Hermione wait." Harry grabbed her arm. The first flash back came. It was Hermione on the train on the first day of school. There was bushy brunette girl, looking for a lost frog with a large smile on her face.
*** "Have you two seen a frog around here?"
"No," Ron said.
"Well a boy named Neville lost him." Then her eyes lit up. "Are you doing magic?"
***
Then they flashed back to Dumbledore's office.
Harry looked into Hermione's eyes. There was fear, pain, loss, the same things he saw in his eyes when he was tired or when he thought about his parents. "Hermione what's wrong? Tell us, please?"
Her eyes flashed larger with fear. "Harry, you wouldn't understand." She tried to tug away.
Second flash back. This time it was on their date they took a week ago.
***
"Hermione, come on, you can tell me anything." Harry said into her ear as they lay on the ground over looking the lake.
"I know Harry you seem to understand me." Hermione said look at him.
They leaned in closer for the kiss.
***
Then back in Dumbledore's office. Harry looked at Ron, he wasn't seeing the flash backs but one look at Hermione, you could tell she was.
"Let go Harry. I'm sorry I have to leave." She tugged harder, Thomas got up from his chair.
"No tell me, what's wrong?" Harry held on tighter she wasn't leaving.
"Let go! Harry I'm dead to you! Let me go!" She screamed and then all of the sudden Harry's hand began to burn, like he held it over a fire. Harry let go of Hermione for a second but that was enough she ran out the door. Harry tried to run after her but the two guards from the Great Hall stopped him.
Harry whipped around at Thomas, "You! You are the cause for all this! Who the hell are you? What the fuck do you want?" Harry yelled running at him.
Thomas held up his hand and Harry stopped all of the sudden. "Please calm yourself Mr. Potter. Hermione, I mean Miss Grander asked me not to tell you anything. I'm sorry for all that I have done. I leave you with the thought that she will be safe and fine where she will end up." He snapped his fingers and vanished, so did the guards.
"Go to bed boys, try to sleep. Tomorrow is another day." Was all Dumbledore said to both them before he returned to his work.
Harry and Ron hung their heads low and walked back to the common room. They couldn't sleep at all; they just sat by the fire in silence. Some time in the night they fell asleep and were a woken by Ginny in the morning.
"Come on let's get breakfast." She said her eyes were blood shot, she must have cried all last night.
As they sat at breakfast trying to sort out all the things that happened, Dumbledore tapped his glass to get attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen we, have sad news today. Last night someone in our school took their life. Poor Hermione Ganger a 7th year took her life after the troubling news of her parents' death. We hope that you all will think of her today and if you need to talk to someone the teachers are here for you all."
Ginny burst into tears right there, everyone was crying. Harry and Ron looked at each other.
"She not dead." Harry whispered into Ron's ear.
"I agree with you, but why did she do this?"
"That's what we will have to find out."