Harry woke up in the hospital wing, his head pounding like a herd of
elephants had just ran over top of him, each trying specifically to snag
his body. Hermione peered into his face, a blush creeping onto her cheeks
as their eyes met. She looked away.
"You've been asleep for three days." She informed him sitting back on a chair as he struggled to a sitting position himself. Harry blinked at her.
"Three days?!" He squeaked, clearing his voice. "What about my Classes?!"
Hermione shook her head at him. "Maybe you don't understand Harry, but when you read my mind, that was wizardry that takes years and years of practise. You had ten minutes. You nearly drained your life using magic like that. For god's sake. Do you want to die young?" She ranted, letting her worry for him vent itself as anger.
"So it would seem." Harry said, sighing deeply. He remembered every time his life was endangered. At least once a year. "This whole Harry Potter Almost Dying thing is becoming a nice tradition isn't it." Harry said sarcastically.
Hermione stood up, only to lower herself onto the hospital bed next to him. She bit her lip, looking hesitantly at him.
After a few seconds, she threw herself at him, wrapping him a tight bear hug. "Damnit Harry! They didn't know till this morning if you were going to die or not!" She practically yelled into his ear.
Harry hugged her back, a blush rising on his cheeks. Ron entered as they broke apart. He walked swiftly over to Harry's bed and punched Harry, rather hard, on the shoulder.
"What the bloody hell d'you think yer doin', mate?" Ran asked, brazenly, his accent more pronounced with anger. "Trying to kill yerself in a DDA class. WAY TO BE SMART, MAN." Ron wrapped his fingers around Harry's neck and pretended to strangle him. Harry faked a choke, shaking his head in apology to Ron.
Suddenly Harry was aware of how Ron stopped laughing. Hermione did as well. Ron's fingers tightened on Harry's throat considerably.
"Ron, Mate, Leggo of me." Harry said, pulling on Ron's hands. He couldn't breath.
"Ron! Let him go! Your choking him!" Hermione shrieked, quietly.
Harry stopped mid bout of profanity as Ron's eyes grew steadily red. Hermione saw it too. Ron's wide, red eyes, peered at Harry, and a laugh that only few could hear and live to tell about echoed from Ron's throat. As if snapping back, Ron let Harry go. Harry promptly massaged his instantly bruised neck and edged away from Ron. Both Harry and Hermione gawked at him.
Ron looked surprised to see anyone there. His face darkened and he nodded a fare well to them and turned on his heel, storming away, brushing past an immobile Ginny in the doorway.
Harry was allowed to return to the common room with strict instructions not to go to classes until he felt completely rejuvenated. Harry took the rest of the day and all the next day off.
Then it was the weekend.
Harry, Hermione and Ginny had all avoided Ron for the two days after the incident in the Hospital Wing. They made plans to go to the three broomsticks without him Saturday afternoon.
Harry sipped at his mug of butterbeer, peering across the table at Hermione, who was engaged in a diplomatic conversation with Ginny. Her hair fell over her shoulders and cascaded down her back in smooth ringlets that Harry longed to play with.
Drawing his eyes back to his mug, Harry blushed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. She hadn't spotted him watching her.
Ginny, who was seated beside Harry, turned to him.
"What was the glowing eyes and laughing like Voldemort thing Ron was doing in the wing?" Ginny asked, being her usual frank and blunt self. Hermione drew a sharp breath as Ginny uttered the name Voldemort.
"There are two possibilities that I have been thinking about." Harry said, looking from Hermione to Ginny. "Either Voldemort has possessed Ron. Which is highly unlikely because Ron knows where he was and hasn't been really forgotten large gaps of time. Or He is controlling Ron's mind with Telepathy. (Thank you to Kat Goddess Isis for stopping me from embarrassing my self further by using the wrong terminology.) Which isn't that obscure of an idea." Seeing that no one was proposing to cattle prod him to death for stupidity, Harry continued. "I read some chapters in my DDA text book and it told me that when you are under the power of telepathy, sometimes you may be controlled, but on a subconscious level. So that you don't even know your being controlled. You cant tell. You just do it and reason it in your own mind."
Ginny nodded. And Hermione did as well.
"I don't like jumping to conclusions." Hermione said, sipping at her butterbeer and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, "But maybe it was a once in a life time thing?" She proposed.
"It's happened twice before this." Harry said, quietly.
Hermione gaped at him.
"You didn't tell me?!" She hissed at him. Ginny looked from one to another and edged away, figuring it would be her blood spilt if she got between them now.
"Because I knew you would make a big deal about it." Harry retorted, his chin thrust stubbornly in the air.
"Well, frankly Harry I think your best friend acting like your worst enemy and trying to kill you is a big deal." Hermione said, irritated.
"He was just horsing around." Harry said, trying to convince himself of it as well.
Hermione shook her head at him, knowing perfectly well that he didn't believe himself.
"No Harry. Ron tried to kill you."
"Says the one who always defends Snape." Harry quipped, standing and paying for their tab.
"You've been asleep for three days." She informed him sitting back on a chair as he struggled to a sitting position himself. Harry blinked at her.
"Three days?!" He squeaked, clearing his voice. "What about my Classes?!"
Hermione shook her head at him. "Maybe you don't understand Harry, but when you read my mind, that was wizardry that takes years and years of practise. You had ten minutes. You nearly drained your life using magic like that. For god's sake. Do you want to die young?" She ranted, letting her worry for him vent itself as anger.
"So it would seem." Harry said, sighing deeply. He remembered every time his life was endangered. At least once a year. "This whole Harry Potter Almost Dying thing is becoming a nice tradition isn't it." Harry said sarcastically.
Hermione stood up, only to lower herself onto the hospital bed next to him. She bit her lip, looking hesitantly at him.
After a few seconds, she threw herself at him, wrapping him a tight bear hug. "Damnit Harry! They didn't know till this morning if you were going to die or not!" She practically yelled into his ear.
Harry hugged her back, a blush rising on his cheeks. Ron entered as they broke apart. He walked swiftly over to Harry's bed and punched Harry, rather hard, on the shoulder.
"What the bloody hell d'you think yer doin', mate?" Ran asked, brazenly, his accent more pronounced with anger. "Trying to kill yerself in a DDA class. WAY TO BE SMART, MAN." Ron wrapped his fingers around Harry's neck and pretended to strangle him. Harry faked a choke, shaking his head in apology to Ron.
Suddenly Harry was aware of how Ron stopped laughing. Hermione did as well. Ron's fingers tightened on Harry's throat considerably.
"Ron, Mate, Leggo of me." Harry said, pulling on Ron's hands. He couldn't breath.
"Ron! Let him go! Your choking him!" Hermione shrieked, quietly.
Harry stopped mid bout of profanity as Ron's eyes grew steadily red. Hermione saw it too. Ron's wide, red eyes, peered at Harry, and a laugh that only few could hear and live to tell about echoed from Ron's throat. As if snapping back, Ron let Harry go. Harry promptly massaged his instantly bruised neck and edged away from Ron. Both Harry and Hermione gawked at him.
Ron looked surprised to see anyone there. His face darkened and he nodded a fare well to them and turned on his heel, storming away, brushing past an immobile Ginny in the doorway.
Harry was allowed to return to the common room with strict instructions not to go to classes until he felt completely rejuvenated. Harry took the rest of the day and all the next day off.
Then it was the weekend.
Harry, Hermione and Ginny had all avoided Ron for the two days after the incident in the Hospital Wing. They made plans to go to the three broomsticks without him Saturday afternoon.
Harry sipped at his mug of butterbeer, peering across the table at Hermione, who was engaged in a diplomatic conversation with Ginny. Her hair fell over her shoulders and cascaded down her back in smooth ringlets that Harry longed to play with.
Drawing his eyes back to his mug, Harry blushed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. She hadn't spotted him watching her.
Ginny, who was seated beside Harry, turned to him.
"What was the glowing eyes and laughing like Voldemort thing Ron was doing in the wing?" Ginny asked, being her usual frank and blunt self. Hermione drew a sharp breath as Ginny uttered the name Voldemort.
"There are two possibilities that I have been thinking about." Harry said, looking from Hermione to Ginny. "Either Voldemort has possessed Ron. Which is highly unlikely because Ron knows where he was and hasn't been really forgotten large gaps of time. Or He is controlling Ron's mind with Telepathy. (Thank you to Kat Goddess Isis for stopping me from embarrassing my self further by using the wrong terminology.) Which isn't that obscure of an idea." Seeing that no one was proposing to cattle prod him to death for stupidity, Harry continued. "I read some chapters in my DDA text book and it told me that when you are under the power of telepathy, sometimes you may be controlled, but on a subconscious level. So that you don't even know your being controlled. You cant tell. You just do it and reason it in your own mind."
Ginny nodded. And Hermione did as well.
"I don't like jumping to conclusions." Hermione said, sipping at her butterbeer and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, "But maybe it was a once in a life time thing?" She proposed.
"It's happened twice before this." Harry said, quietly.
Hermione gaped at him.
"You didn't tell me?!" She hissed at him. Ginny looked from one to another and edged away, figuring it would be her blood spilt if she got between them now.
"Because I knew you would make a big deal about it." Harry retorted, his chin thrust stubbornly in the air.
"Well, frankly Harry I think your best friend acting like your worst enemy and trying to kill you is a big deal." Hermione said, irritated.
"He was just horsing around." Harry said, trying to convince himself of it as well.
Hermione shook her head at him, knowing perfectly well that he didn't believe himself.
"No Harry. Ron tried to kill you."
"Says the one who always defends Snape." Harry quipped, standing and paying for their tab.