"Miss Granger? Can you hear me?"
My eyes flew open, and I found myself looking into the face of Dumbledore. I jolted, and sat up abruptly.
I had discovered how to end a dream, although now I wanted nothing more than to go back and find out what was happening.
Dumbledore smiled at me, apparently mistaking my discomfort as an after-effect of the potion.
"Well, Miss Granger. It has become apparent that you are not, in fact, lying about your knowledge of Mr. Malfoy's whereabouts. Ministry officers and others have been contacted, and are on their way to the Malfoy's residence. You should be commended."
Far from reassured, I shook my head at him and spoke in a croaky voice.
"He's in a dungeon. I just had another dream he's ... he's in a dungeon. I don't know if he's still in his house."
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, but I ignored him and kept going.
"His father was there, too. He was ... yelling at him. Kicking him. It looked like he'd been beaten up, pretty badly."
I could feel my eyes filling up with tears again, but this time I didn't resist them.
"He was on the floor ... all curled up ... sh-shaking ..."
I couldn't speak anymore, and my whole body began to shake with silent sobs. Under any other circumstances, I would have been mortified to be seen crying by half of the Hogwarts staff at three o'clock in the morning, still in my nightgown, but I was too far gone to care. I was scared sick.
Professor McGonagall patted me awkwardly on the shoulder for a moment, before clearing her throat.
"You have done all you can, Miss Granger. If you can follow me, I shall take you back to your dormitory."
I looked up at her, incredulously. Back to my dormitory? I was a mess. Half of Gryffindor already thought I was going around the bend after the events of today, if anybody saw me like this that would be it.
"Don't worry, Miss Granger, I don't believe anybody will be awake to see you."
I turned, and saw Dumbledore giving me a sympathetic smile. I blinked at him for a moment.
"What was that potion you gave me?"
His smile turned a trifle guilty, and he shrugged.
"A truth potion. Usually we wouldn't use it on a student, but surely you can understand the urgency of the situation."
I nodded, numbly, and allowed McGonagall to take my elbow and steer me back up to Gryffindor tower.
---
When we entered, the first sight we were greeted with was Harry, fast asleep in an armchair. His potions essay lay forgotten on the table beside him and, I noticed, he had not written anything more since I had last seen him.
"Mr Potter? Wake up, it's three o'clock in the morning."
Harry started, and looked sleepily up at McGonagall. His eyes drifted from her to me, and they widened. He obviously feared that I had been caught out after curfew. I sniffled slightly, alerting McGonagall's attention.
"Actually ... now that you're awake, I would like you to pass on a message to the other Gryffindors not to wake Miss Granger in the morning. If they ask questions, you can say you don't know why, but I have instructed you to do so."
Harry looked at me questioningly, and then pulled on his glasses. He looked surprised.
"Are you okay, Hermione?"
I sniffled again, and McGonagall started to pull me away.
"She's fine, Mr. Potter. You can speak with her in the morning."
He looked at me, concern written all over his face. I forced a smile as McGonagall pulled me up the stairs to the girls dormitory.
---
If McGonagall expected me to sleep, she was sadly mistaken. I was absolutely sick with worry, and spent most of the night staring out my window with tears falling silently down my cheeks.
I knew deep down that my head of house had been right in saying that I had done all I could, but I still felt entirely useless as I stared out at the same dark scenery for hours on end.
All the time that I was staring out the window, my mind was filled with memories of Malfoy. Everything from seeing him curled up in the dungeon, to him calling me a mudblood, to feeling his tongue pressing against my lips. I licked my lips, absently, and felt a pang of guilt. He had wanted that kiss to mean more, and I hadn't let him. Fresh tears began to well up behind my eyes, and I tried to blink them away.
In an attempt to distract myself, I glanced down at the clock on my bedside table. To my surprise, it was close to nine thirty. I knew that it had been light outside for quite a while, but I had no idea I had been zoned out for so long.
After a quick shower, I decided to go and visit Dumbledore. Everybody was still in classes, but I figured I would have some kind of hall pass because of the events of the night before.
I had only walked half of the way to his office when I spotted Snape walking briskly towards the hospital wing.
"Professor!"
He turned around, not even bothering to hide the fact that my presence annoyed him. I hurried over to him.
"Have you heard anything about-"
"He's in the hospital wing, Miss Granger, but he is not taking visitors."
I felt like my stomach had done a back flip.
He was safe, in the hospital wing.
He was safe.
My eyes flew open, and I found myself looking into the face of Dumbledore. I jolted, and sat up abruptly.
I had discovered how to end a dream, although now I wanted nothing more than to go back and find out what was happening.
Dumbledore smiled at me, apparently mistaking my discomfort as an after-effect of the potion.
"Well, Miss Granger. It has become apparent that you are not, in fact, lying about your knowledge of Mr. Malfoy's whereabouts. Ministry officers and others have been contacted, and are on their way to the Malfoy's residence. You should be commended."
Far from reassured, I shook my head at him and spoke in a croaky voice.
"He's in a dungeon. I just had another dream he's ... he's in a dungeon. I don't know if he's still in his house."
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, but I ignored him and kept going.
"His father was there, too. He was ... yelling at him. Kicking him. It looked like he'd been beaten up, pretty badly."
I could feel my eyes filling up with tears again, but this time I didn't resist them.
"He was on the floor ... all curled up ... sh-shaking ..."
I couldn't speak anymore, and my whole body began to shake with silent sobs. Under any other circumstances, I would have been mortified to be seen crying by half of the Hogwarts staff at three o'clock in the morning, still in my nightgown, but I was too far gone to care. I was scared sick.
Professor McGonagall patted me awkwardly on the shoulder for a moment, before clearing her throat.
"You have done all you can, Miss Granger. If you can follow me, I shall take you back to your dormitory."
I looked up at her, incredulously. Back to my dormitory? I was a mess. Half of Gryffindor already thought I was going around the bend after the events of today, if anybody saw me like this that would be it.
"Don't worry, Miss Granger, I don't believe anybody will be awake to see you."
I turned, and saw Dumbledore giving me a sympathetic smile. I blinked at him for a moment.
"What was that potion you gave me?"
His smile turned a trifle guilty, and he shrugged.
"A truth potion. Usually we wouldn't use it on a student, but surely you can understand the urgency of the situation."
I nodded, numbly, and allowed McGonagall to take my elbow and steer me back up to Gryffindor tower.
---
When we entered, the first sight we were greeted with was Harry, fast asleep in an armchair. His potions essay lay forgotten on the table beside him and, I noticed, he had not written anything more since I had last seen him.
"Mr Potter? Wake up, it's three o'clock in the morning."
Harry started, and looked sleepily up at McGonagall. His eyes drifted from her to me, and they widened. He obviously feared that I had been caught out after curfew. I sniffled slightly, alerting McGonagall's attention.
"Actually ... now that you're awake, I would like you to pass on a message to the other Gryffindors not to wake Miss Granger in the morning. If they ask questions, you can say you don't know why, but I have instructed you to do so."
Harry looked at me questioningly, and then pulled on his glasses. He looked surprised.
"Are you okay, Hermione?"
I sniffled again, and McGonagall started to pull me away.
"She's fine, Mr. Potter. You can speak with her in the morning."
He looked at me, concern written all over his face. I forced a smile as McGonagall pulled me up the stairs to the girls dormitory.
---
If McGonagall expected me to sleep, she was sadly mistaken. I was absolutely sick with worry, and spent most of the night staring out my window with tears falling silently down my cheeks.
I knew deep down that my head of house had been right in saying that I had done all I could, but I still felt entirely useless as I stared out at the same dark scenery for hours on end.
All the time that I was staring out the window, my mind was filled with memories of Malfoy. Everything from seeing him curled up in the dungeon, to him calling me a mudblood, to feeling his tongue pressing against my lips. I licked my lips, absently, and felt a pang of guilt. He had wanted that kiss to mean more, and I hadn't let him. Fresh tears began to well up behind my eyes, and I tried to blink them away.
In an attempt to distract myself, I glanced down at the clock on my bedside table. To my surprise, it was close to nine thirty. I knew that it had been light outside for quite a while, but I had no idea I had been zoned out for so long.
After a quick shower, I decided to go and visit Dumbledore. Everybody was still in classes, but I figured I would have some kind of hall pass because of the events of the night before.
I had only walked half of the way to his office when I spotted Snape walking briskly towards the hospital wing.
"Professor!"
He turned around, not even bothering to hide the fact that my presence annoyed him. I hurried over to him.
"Have you heard anything about-"
"He's in the hospital wing, Miss Granger, but he is not taking visitors."
I felt like my stomach had done a back flip.
He was safe, in the hospital wing.
He was safe.