Disclaimer: How many times do have to tell you, papa? I do not own this stupid thing called Harry Potter Series and characters! Now will you leave me in peace? Aye curumba!!
Author's Note: And here we are again, to my only instant reviewer Musicstarlover, from now on, all these chapters are dedicated to you. Why do I carry on this thing huh? Oh yeah, and Catrina will hopefully *prays heaven-wardly* not die. Anyway, those of you who are completely lost, ignore any statements to Musicstarlover.
Thank you to Ruks, Musicstarlover.
Last Time:
"Boys," Voltaire said from behind them. The boys turned round quickly.
"And two hundred points apiece for saving Holly," Voltaire went back into his office.
"Wait a minute," Ron considered, "How did he know –"
"Ron!" Harry interrupted, "That means two thousand points to Gryffindor!"
"You're forgetting that two hundred of those go to Slytherin," Ron added.
"One thousand eight hundred points to Gryffindor!" Harry happily said.
"How's Liz by the way?" Ron asked as they approached the stairs leading to their common room.
"Liz!" Harry remembered, "She wanted to meet us in the library!"
Chapter 17*~*~*Away!*~*~*
"Accio Nimbus 2001!" growled Draco in a menacing tone.
The broomstick flew steadily through the air and came to rest at his feet. Draco swung a leg over the Nimbus 2001 and lowered his back. He rose a few feet and then shot out of the open window above his bed; curtains fluttering behind him.
- HermioneThe power within Hermione Granger had increased over this year. Needless to say that she was far more powerful than Harry Potter.
Hermione never realised that she held the ultimate power. She didn't even wonder why her body had changed so much in such a short time. Of course she was coming of age, but she did not know that she held the same powers as someone else. All she needed to do is think of someone when she was in danger and she would be fine.
*~*~*Back to Reality*~*~*
Lavender backed away from the something that caught her eye.
A type of shrine – made of dead skin – dead snakeskin. She gaped like a goldfish and, suddenly terrified at the instant glow that came from the fire in the brackets, screamed.
"Somebody!" Lavender yelled, "Anybody! Help me!"
It didn't occur to her, that she was 20 feet underground and only the momewraths could hear her now.
*~*~*(Oohh!) *~*~*
Viktor Krum sat casually on a bench wondering why he was listening to his Quidditch coach and not eating any Biting Burgers. He waited moodily to see his girlfriend come out of the Hypnotic Burger, carrying a Gremlin Burger and fries.
"Are you seriously going to eat that, Pansy?" Viktor asked cautiously.
"Ever heard of the saying, you've got a gremlin?" Pansy retorted, "Well, duh, this is how you get rid of them. I'm not about to eat a real gremlin really! Just a spell modified one from my self."
And here in Viktor's mind was "Come again?" and "Everyone's says that." But Viktor wasn't crazy enough to say that in Pansy's face, this was not the time to start an argument. First of all, he needed to get some information out of her about Voldemort. That was the only reason he was here, not only to meet up with Hermione, but also to find out more what Voldemort's upcoming plans were. Dumbledore trusted him with this task and he had to be careful in not giving the game away.
He told Pansy he was going to go into the men's while she should wait here and not try and sneak up on him. "Pervert!" was going through Viktor's mind right now as he waltzed deliberately to the men's.
Once he got in, he quickly slipped into an empty cubicle instead and pondered on what she had been doing with Draco Malfoy. He knew she had a crush on him, but what had made her so desperate to go and see him the moment she received that hideous looking vulture (note: not an owl)?
There was only one thing for it, he only hoped Pansy didn't get to curious at why he away for so long – apparation to the hospital wing and now.
*~*~*In the Library*~*~*
Ron and Harry reached the library panting and completely out of breath. They dragged themselves into the library and Liz, hearing their ragged breathing, turned around clutching an ancient book in her hands, looking very pale.
"Where…is…Hol…Holly," Ron managed to say.
"Not here, I didn't think it was appropriate for her to be here and listen to what I have to say," Liz said, drawing up chairs with her wand and lending a shoulder for Harry to rest his head on, "And anyway, with our argument I don't think she'll be wanting to speak with me for a long time, nor Rose come to think of it."
As if when introduced, Rose appeared from behind the bookshelves carrying some hundreds of notes. Ron fell by her side and helped her.
"Why are you so tired?" Rose asked, "Couldn't just orb here?"
Ron and Harry groaned loudly that the librarian threw them a disgusted look.
Ron hit Harry's head saying, "You idiot! Why didn't you remind me!"
Harry rubbed his head and glared at Ron, "I'm not the only one dead around here you know."
"Yeah, there are the ghosts as well," Ron said, "Only thing is they don't know about orbing!"
"Okay, okay, break it up boys," Liz said gently.
"We've got enough trouble to be getting on with," Rose added.
"So do you want to know what the urgent call was?" Liz asked.
"If you don't mind," Ron added in undertone.
"Okay, well, you see," Liz began shakily, "Well, Cole, Cole Hunter."
"Oh spit it out!" Rose urged.
"Cole Hunter may not be dead!" Liz shouted.
"What!" Ron and Harry both said in unison.
"I see why Holly shouldn't be here then," Ron added.
"Hunter is a shape-shifter," Rose explained, "Meaning, when you left him down the well, and he was supposedly drowning to his end, he could have just switched places with someone else he knew near him."
"Preferably someone weak," Liz continued, "Because he was weak himself and needed to switch places with a weak hearted person so that his own wouldn't get startled with a powerful one."
" But," Harry now sounded exasperated, "I saw him die with my very own eyes!"
"However," Rose ignored Harry, "Now Hunter could be back to his ultimate strength and can shape-shift with anyone, even you or me."
"Rehearsed I see," Ron approved.
"Well, Harry, did you really see him die?" Liz asked, "Did you see Hunter close up when his body changed back to its human form?"
"Um, well –"
"Where's Hermione, Harry?" Ron interrupted.
"Good point," Harry turned towards the exit looking concerned.
*~*~*Guess who's Back*~*~*
The curtains flew about above a bed that had once been full.
Draco Malfoy had been cured; his body was under his control
again – but someone was already on his fleeting tail.
Violent green eyes flickered as they turned to fall upon a fireplace set in the Hospital wing's wall.
A pair of well-toned arms reached out and picked up some green, sparkling powder – Floo Powder – from an ancient pot. The Floo powder was thrown into the licking flames of a fire that had been conjured up by the mysterious figure.
Yet again the green eyes flickered, but instead, around the room. As if the eyes had x-ray vision, they saw through a pair of doors, making the figure smile, or rather smirk.
The eyes rotated back to the fireplace, and the figure spoke in a deep, hypnotising voice, "Malfoy Manor."
The flames turned green and rose above the figure, engulfing the whole body.
Hermione lay on the floor. Still as ever. She had been through so much this past year in Russia and yet lived to tell the tale in each accident. Her body had had enough; it could not take any more. Hermione wanted to be free.
At that moment the flames died out instantly, only to be replaces by none other than Viktor Krum.
"Damn! Must get my positioning right next time," He thought to himself.
It only took him seconds to realise the scene before him.
"HERMIONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Not only the voice of Krum but also Hermione's most closest friends, Harry, Ron, Liz, Rose, and of course, the nurse.
"No," Harry fell, his knees weak. He reached out his hands and gently lifted Hermione's hand. It felt dead; Harry had to check the pulse.
Ron's eyes grew wide and forgetting all his dignity, grasped Hermione, crying into the thickness of her soft hair.
Krum was astounded, nothing was clear to him any more. How could so much happen in a few moments? Once, his ex-girlfriend laughed and hugged him when he showed her a paradise of twinkling fairies. Once, Hermione used to smile and tell him how sweet he was. Once…
Liz and Rose both shook their heads, unable to understand the situation. Liz, the first to come to her senses, burst into a flood of tears and Rose held on to her tightly. After all, Liz was her sister. Who cared what happened to Hunter and where he was? Hermione was d–
"Move away from her now," Mm. Threadgold said choking through tears. Obviously this had not happened before. "She must need air and attention at once."
Harry was still groping to find a sign of Hermione's pulse. Grief struck and thoroughly angry and annoyed with life he let go pulled up by Ron and led away.
Mm. Threadgold pushed the others out of the doors and made sure no one could enter. She did not know a way to cure Hermione. She might as well be dead.
Author's note: Are you going to kill me for this? So many accidents, so many deaths, but could this really be the end for one of our most loved characters? Stay tuned to find out next – on Love Hurts.
