Chapter 2: The Search for a Cure
Upon returning to the castle, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny set off to the library for some research. The only two people who were really "gung- ho" for a library trip were Ron and Hermione. Harry and Ginny felt their time was a bit better spent in any other place than the library, and really wouldn't have minded laughing at Ron for the remainder of his hiccuping episode. However, neither of them could help feeling a little sorry for the redheaded sixth year, and with Hermione's persistance at helping him, they didn't exactly have a choice in doing research.
The four witches and wizards pulled numerous books off of the shelves, looking for anything that might concern hiccups.
"Oh, ok, this could be something," Hermione said, skimming a rather thick book of remedies, "its says, 'The hiccups are caused by a muscle spasm occuring in the diaphragm. To relax the diaphragm and overcome the muscle spasm, take many deep, continued breaths.' Go ahead, Ron, try it. You never know, it just might work."
"Well, I suppose- *hic *- I can try- *hic *-, but it didn't- *hic *- work that last time." hiccuped Ron, as the others attempted to suppress their giggles.
"Come on, Ron, give it a shot," encouraged Harry.
"Really, Ron, you don't know if things will have changed or not since then," Ginny agreed.
"Ok. Here- *hic *- it goes," said Ron, finally taking a huge breath. He let it out slowly, and took another breath when it was gone. This continued for about thirty seconds before-
*Hic*
Ron's face immediately showed his disappointment, and his words confirmed it, "See? It's never- *hic *- going to help!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Ron," Hermione consoled, although looking just as put out over the sudden return of the hiccuping. "I guess we'll just have to keep looking for something."
Over the next hour, the teenagers searched in book after book, usually coming across some useful information. While this was always promising, nothing seemed to help Ron. Every trick in the book, in every book actually, had been tried and nothing was going to cure him. Hermione casted a bubblehead charm on Ron to get him to breathe in his own carbon dioxide (apparently she was trying to substitute a paper bag). But it was a lost cause, just like everything else. Finally, Harry announced that he thought they should all head back up to the common room. The other three agreed, none too reluctantly, for Ron had been getting more and more disappointed with each fallen attempt. Even Hemione was looking hopeless, like her beloved library had failed her. As they trooped up the stairs toward Gryffindor Tower, Harry thought of something.
"You know, they always say that you can scare the hiccups out of someone."
"BOO!" Ginny yelled in Ron's face. Unfornately, he was so down about nothing working, Ron simply gave his sister a pathetic look and a hiccup for a reply. "Well, I tried," Ginny mumbled.
"Maybe we can try that on him tomorrow," Harry reassured Ginny with a small smile. They all climbed into the portrait hole, just in time for a loud hiccup from Ron.
******
After a while of sitting around the fireplace in the common room, Ron's hiccups seemed to be just too much for most people to bear. Sure, at first, everyone made a huge joke out of it, but soon enough, reality set in for Seamus, Dean, and Neville, who realized they would be listening to the hiccups all night in their dormitory. Most people had gone to bed early, Ginny among them, and pretty soon, all but the trio had vanished. Hermione was still very put out by the failed search for a cure, so she attempted to put it out of mind with her studies. Harry and Ron tried to study, but Harry couldn't tune out Ron's hiccups, and poor Ron was just beside himself. Finally, when this became too much, the boys decided to call it a night.
"I just hope that I- *hic *- sleep with my mouth shut," Ron said, turning on his heel and walking up the boys' staircase, Harry following closely behind.
"Well, I doubt it." Hermione mumbled when they were gone, although she could still hear a few distant hiccups. She was all alone in the common room now, and was packing up her things to go to her own dormitory, when she saw the latest issue of the wizarding world's newest magazine Teen Witch Weekly sitting on a nearby table. Not knowing what may be in it of use or whom it might belong to, Hermione picked up the copy and flipped it open to a random page. She skimmed through a few stories- "How to Make your Eyes Shine, Literally". "Charm your Way into His Heart". "Make that Perfect Dinner for a Date". Wait! Something had caught her eye in a story called "20 Facts about Boys." It said- Random fact: Boys get bad bouts of hiccups more often than girls do. What this means to you: Ok, maybe it's not so random after all. If your crush gets a bad case, surprise him with a kiss! A surprise move is a popular home remedy, since it is believed to divert nerve activity to a different area.
Hermione sat, stunned at the impact of the words she had just read. This was the answer. If Ron wasn't surprised by anything else, this just might do the trick. All she needed to do was kiss him. This was all too perfect! But she couldn't do that, could she? And what if other people were watching? No, Hermione wasn't the type to just waltz up to guy and start snogging him, let alone in front of a lot of people. However, under the circumstances.
Hermione closed the magazine and set it back on the table where she had found it. She gathered her things once again and made her way towards the girls' staircase. Now that she had an idea, all she needed was a plan. Deciding not to think about it until the next day, she climbed the steps to her dormitory.
Upon returning to the castle, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny set off to the library for some research. The only two people who were really "gung- ho" for a library trip were Ron and Hermione. Harry and Ginny felt their time was a bit better spent in any other place than the library, and really wouldn't have minded laughing at Ron for the remainder of his hiccuping episode. However, neither of them could help feeling a little sorry for the redheaded sixth year, and with Hermione's persistance at helping him, they didn't exactly have a choice in doing research.
The four witches and wizards pulled numerous books off of the shelves, looking for anything that might concern hiccups.
"Oh, ok, this could be something," Hermione said, skimming a rather thick book of remedies, "its says, 'The hiccups are caused by a muscle spasm occuring in the diaphragm. To relax the diaphragm and overcome the muscle spasm, take many deep, continued breaths.' Go ahead, Ron, try it. You never know, it just might work."
"Well, I suppose- *hic *- I can try- *hic *-, but it didn't- *hic *- work that last time." hiccuped Ron, as the others attempted to suppress their giggles.
"Come on, Ron, give it a shot," encouraged Harry.
"Really, Ron, you don't know if things will have changed or not since then," Ginny agreed.
"Ok. Here- *hic *- it goes," said Ron, finally taking a huge breath. He let it out slowly, and took another breath when it was gone. This continued for about thirty seconds before-
*Hic*
Ron's face immediately showed his disappointment, and his words confirmed it, "See? It's never- *hic *- going to help!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Ron," Hermione consoled, although looking just as put out over the sudden return of the hiccuping. "I guess we'll just have to keep looking for something."
Over the next hour, the teenagers searched in book after book, usually coming across some useful information. While this was always promising, nothing seemed to help Ron. Every trick in the book, in every book actually, had been tried and nothing was going to cure him. Hermione casted a bubblehead charm on Ron to get him to breathe in his own carbon dioxide (apparently she was trying to substitute a paper bag). But it was a lost cause, just like everything else. Finally, Harry announced that he thought they should all head back up to the common room. The other three agreed, none too reluctantly, for Ron had been getting more and more disappointed with each fallen attempt. Even Hemione was looking hopeless, like her beloved library had failed her. As they trooped up the stairs toward Gryffindor Tower, Harry thought of something.
"You know, they always say that you can scare the hiccups out of someone."
"BOO!" Ginny yelled in Ron's face. Unfornately, he was so down about nothing working, Ron simply gave his sister a pathetic look and a hiccup for a reply. "Well, I tried," Ginny mumbled.
"Maybe we can try that on him tomorrow," Harry reassured Ginny with a small smile. They all climbed into the portrait hole, just in time for a loud hiccup from Ron.
******
After a while of sitting around the fireplace in the common room, Ron's hiccups seemed to be just too much for most people to bear. Sure, at first, everyone made a huge joke out of it, but soon enough, reality set in for Seamus, Dean, and Neville, who realized they would be listening to the hiccups all night in their dormitory. Most people had gone to bed early, Ginny among them, and pretty soon, all but the trio had vanished. Hermione was still very put out by the failed search for a cure, so she attempted to put it out of mind with her studies. Harry and Ron tried to study, but Harry couldn't tune out Ron's hiccups, and poor Ron was just beside himself. Finally, when this became too much, the boys decided to call it a night.
"I just hope that I- *hic *- sleep with my mouth shut," Ron said, turning on his heel and walking up the boys' staircase, Harry following closely behind.
"Well, I doubt it." Hermione mumbled when they were gone, although she could still hear a few distant hiccups. She was all alone in the common room now, and was packing up her things to go to her own dormitory, when she saw the latest issue of the wizarding world's newest magazine Teen Witch Weekly sitting on a nearby table. Not knowing what may be in it of use or whom it might belong to, Hermione picked up the copy and flipped it open to a random page. She skimmed through a few stories- "How to Make your Eyes Shine, Literally". "Charm your Way into His Heart". "Make that Perfect Dinner for a Date". Wait! Something had caught her eye in a story called "20 Facts about Boys." It said- Random fact: Boys get bad bouts of hiccups more often than girls do. What this means to you: Ok, maybe it's not so random after all. If your crush gets a bad case, surprise him with a kiss! A surprise move is a popular home remedy, since it is believed to divert nerve activity to a different area.
Hermione sat, stunned at the impact of the words she had just read. This was the answer. If Ron wasn't surprised by anything else, this just might do the trick. All she needed to do was kiss him. This was all too perfect! But she couldn't do that, could she? And what if other people were watching? No, Hermione wasn't the type to just waltz up to guy and start snogging him, let alone in front of a lot of people. However, under the circumstances.
Hermione closed the magazine and set it back on the table where she had found it. She gathered her things once again and made her way towards the girls' staircase. Now that she had an idea, all she needed was a plan. Deciding not to think about it until the next day, she climbed the steps to her dormitory.