::: From now on, the author's note is going to be at the end of the
chapter. :::
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Chapter 16: A Mysterious Vision
"Yes! They finally brought back Quidditch!" Ron said excitedly.
Harry, Ron and Aurora emerged from the Great Hall in the morning after an announcement from Dumbledore. He had declared Quidditch back in season after a mysterious banning. No one but Harry and Ron knew why the staff had taken extra precautions after Hermione's death, but no one was complaining now. In fact, the whole school was in a good mood, chattering about the first Quidditch match in a long time. The three of them walked and talked at the same time.
Harry was also unusually happy considering his normally depressed mood. "I can't wait to play again!"
"Hey, Aurora, did they have Quidditch at your old school?" Ron asked her.
Seamus, who was appeared beside them, responded before Aurora could open her mouth. "Don't be stupid, Ron. Of course they have Quidditch at her old school!"
"And what makes you so sure?" Ron spat at him.
"There isn't a school that doesn't!"
"How do you know?"
"There just isn't!"
"Guys, knock it off. This is a good thing, we should be celebrating!" Harry said.
"Exactly," Aurora agreed, "And to answer your question, yes, I used to watch games at my old school. But it was always so boring. There were only two teams, and one of them was always victorious. Completely predictable. I can't wait to see a /real/ match where the outcome isn't obvious!"
"Did anyone hear which teams are playing?" Harry asked, anxious to play.
"Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff," Seamus said in a disappointed tone. "It's really too bad. If they wanted to set the season off with a bang, they should've put Gryfindor and Slytherin up."
Harry couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment himself because he wouldn't play. And Aurora wouldn't get to see him play.
"Old rivalry," Ron added, looking at Aurora's questioning look.
"Ah," she said, nodding her head in understanding. "I should've guessed."
"By the way, what class do we have next?" Seamus asked them.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," the trio said.
"Two good things in a row," Harry said with a smile.
"Then what?" Ron questioned.
No one answered for a long time. "Hang on, I have the schedule somewhere . . ." Aurora fumbled through her books. "Aha!" She said, pulling out a piece of parchment from between the pages of one. "We have . . . Divination."
Ron and Seamus groaned and Harry's smile vanished.
"Great, the best class there is," Ron said in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "I can't wait to peer at swirling fogs trapped inside crystal balls and see what my future holds. Or rather, try to make stuff up without having Trewlawny breathing down my neck and telling me that I'm 'disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations ((Disclaimer: from the third Harry Potter book))'."
"Do you have Divination at your old school?" Seamus asked Aurora. She shook her head. "Consider yourself extremely lucky," he told her.
The four of them entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Harry, Ron and Aurora sat together in the front while Seamus went off to sit with Dean.
"Harry?"
As soon as he sat down, Harry heard a familiar voice coming from ahead. He looked up and saw Professor Lupin standing before him. He looked as old and tired as ever, but Harry knew that the specks of white hair on his otherwise brown head and the shadows under his eyes were deceiving, for Lupin was one of the best wizards Harry ever knew.
Before Harry could react, Lupin quietly continued. "May I speak to you alone?"
Harry's heart sank and dread welled up inside him. The only time a teacher requested privacy with Harry was when they wanted to know about . . .
He couldn't bring himself to go on.
Reluctantly, he got up from his seat as Lupin strode over beside his desk, turned, and beckoned Harry to join him. Harry slowly obeyed, ignoring the questioning and curious stares of Ron and Aurora.
He reached Lupin's desk and braced himself.
"Harry, I need to ask you a favor," Lupin told him.
Harry felt his stomach twist sharply. *What do they want now? More details? Or something further . . .* He didn't want to relive her death. Once was enough for a lifetime.
"What kind of favor?" Harry asked, though not sure if he wanted an answer. He looked away, trying to focus on a quill lying on Lupin's desk instead of reality.
"I'd like your assistance in class."
Harry's eyes whipped around to Lupin. At first, the sentence did not register in his mind. All he knew was this wasn't what he expected.
"Assistance?" He repeated vaguely.
"Yes. We are going to practice the Patronus Charm and I would like you to help the class learn it. Just to supervise and to help those that need it."
Harry felt as though a heavy weight on his chest had lifted. His dread melted away and he breathed a huge sigh of relief. He suddenly noticed that his fists were clenched and relaxed them.
"Yeah, sure," he replied with an escaping tone of relief, remembering the time Lupin himself had taught him the Patronus Charm.
"Thank you," Lupin said as he sat in the chair behind his desk, which he had previously been hovering over.
Harry remained standing, not sure whether to leave or not. Lupin seemed to read his thoughts. "You're excused," he informed Harry with a smile.
Harry quickly returned to his seat between Ron and Aurora.
"So?" Ron asked the moment Harry sat down. "What'd he want?"
"Nothing," Harry said with a hidden joy that the statement was true.
Ron stayed persistent. "What was it? Did he ask you about - "
"No," Harry sharply interrupted before he could go further, "It was nothing."
"But - "
"Ron, I'm sure if Harry said it's nothing, then it's nothing," Aurora said.
Ron rolled his eyes and opened his textbook while Harry gave Aurora a brief, grateful smile. She smiled back.
"Okay, let's begin," Lupin said loudly as he stood. "I know it's not my style to lecture you. I prefer to present you with a creature and give you a hands-on experience. But this time I can't. Not by my morals and not by law."
Intrigued by his last sentence, the students listened.
"Today, you're going to learn how to defend yourself from one of the worst dark creatures out there. They are so frightful that I had to get permission from Dumbledore to teach you about them. If they're on your side, consider yourself both lucky and well protected. But if they turn against you, and you aren't prepared, your fate will be the worst imaginable. A fate so terrible that you will beg for death, even a slow, painful one. These horrible creatures are . . ."
Lupin paused for moment as he thoughtfully listened to the silence.
"Dementors."
The silence remained, broken only by the shudders of a few members of the class. Everyone was remembering the third year when dementors invaded the Hogwarts Express. All eyes were on Lupin. He smiled.
"I would suggest that you take notes, for this is not only going to be on a test, but it could effect your very own life."
There was fumbling, the rustle of parchment and the furious scratching of students taking notes. Lupin waited patiently as the scratching became faint and the last quill stilled. ((Disclaimer: I took the ideas for these last few paragraphs from a friend. Username: Fool. Story: Puppet. I suggest you check it out sometime ^-^))
"First, I want to hear from you. What do you know about dementors? Tell me everything."
He watched for any hesitant hands that may rise into the air. It was a few moments until the first brave student volunteered.
"Yes, Neville?"
"Um, they wear black cloaks," he said with a voice that showed his low self- confidence.
"True, very true," Lupin said encouragingly. "Anyone else?"
Now that someone had gone first, a few more students piped up.
"You can't see their faces 'cause of their hoods."
"They guard Azkaban."
"They take rattling breaths."
"They're bloody creepy."
Everyone laughed at Ron's comment, and even Lupin smiled in amusement. Immediately afterward, however, Lupin became very serious looking and addressed the class.
"You're all missing something very important. Can someone tell me the reason /why/ Dementors are so widely feared?"
Harry volunteered since no one else did.
"When they kiss someone, they suck out their soul," he said, all too familiar with the fact.
"It's no wonder they don't have any girlfriends!" Ron exclaimed. All the students laughed again, but this time Lupin didn't.
"It's no laughing matter," Lupin said sternly. "You should realize the weight of what Harry said."
Guilty faces spread and Ron blushed.
"Harry, could you repeat what you just said?"
"When they kiss someone, they suck out their soul," Harry said, starting to feel like some sort of Muggle answering machine.
Satisfied at the class' response, he continued. "How many of you have encountered a dementor in your lifetime?"
Most of the students raised their hands, and Lupin shook his head.
He mumbled something under his breath that wasn't audible. Then he raised his voice again.
"I know most of you are referring to the time dementors boarded the Hogwarts Express in your third year." Lupin paused slightly before continuing. "Describe to me what it was like."
More students raised their hands.
"It suddenly got very cold."
"I couldn't think of anything happy."
"It was really scary." All the students nodded in agreement, and some took notes.
"Yes, that's what it's like," Lupin said. "And now the question is, how do we defend ourselves from a dementor's terrifying attack?"
"But, they won't attack us, will they?" Lavender asked, clearly alarmed. "Dementors work for the Ministry! They protect us!"
"For the moment, yes," Lupin said without hesitation. The class was startled by his answer.
"W-what do you mean, 'for the moment'?" Neville inquired, turning a little pale.
"Oh, don't get the wrong idea. It is true that dementors guard us from the convicted criminals of the wizarding world - "
Harry noted that Lupin had used the word 'convicted' instead of just 'criminals'.
" - but I'm merely pointing out that dementors are also being, not our own creation. They can change their faith as easily as humans can. It's not impossible, nor improbable."
The class remained silent, digesting what he had said.
"Now, however, let's focus on our defense. Though I sincerely hope that none of you will need it at any point in your lives," he added. Harry thought he heard a soft sigh.
"Which charm do we use against dementors? Aurora?"
"The Patronus Charm," she said while lowering her hand.
"Correct, five points to Gryfindor. What is the incantation for the Patronus Charm?"
Harry raised his hand and answered when Lupin called on him. "/Expecto patronum/."
"Correct, another five points to Gryfindor. We're going to practice the Patronus Charm soon, but first you need to know how it works. When you cast the spell, think of a very happy memory or thought. Then, if you did it correctly, a silver, misty animal shall emerge from your wand. What kind of animal it is depends directly on you. For example, if you're sneaky, mischievous, sometimes untrustworthy and like to be with others of your kind - "
As Harry took notes (though he didn't need them), he heard a cough from Ron that sounded a lot like "Malfoy". Harry suppressed a chuckle.
" - your animal might be a fox. Your animal acts as a shield between you and the dementor, and when the animal attacks it drives off the dementor. Got it?"
Half the class nodded while the other half struggled to catch up on notes. Lupin waited once again until the scribbling stopped.
"Okay, put down your quills and watch me demonstrate."
There was a faint, tapping noise of quills as Lupin pulled out his wand and walked over to one side of the classroom. A still silence followed as Lupin got in position. He surveyed the class with his eyes.
"Ready?"
Every student nodded.
Lupin took a breath and shouted, "/Expecto patronum/!"
A silver wolf suddenly sprung from the tip of Lupin's wand. It was in mid- jump, yet landed on the ground without the slightest noise, its transparent head flipping around. The wolf didn't look old at all, but a fully-grown adult at the very peak of its life. It turned toward the class, searching. It blinking at them, and suddenly turned into a silver mist that floated and gradually disappeared.
Lupin relaxed and turned to face the class.
"The Patronus Charm works best when you're actually in danger, but with practice you'll get better. Harry's going to be helping me teach you, so wands out and start practicing!"
Everyone got up, wand in hand, and soon the air was filled with fog and shouting. Harry left Ron and Aurora and walked around watching the others. To no one's surprise, Neville was having a hard time with the incantation.
"Pat . . . Patrirum! No . . . Patty's Too Numb! No . . . "
Harry walked over, taught Neville the right way to say it, and stayed with him until Neville could produce a faint mist with his wand. After giving him some last minute encouragement, Harry left and continued circling and helping anyone who was having trouble.
Before they knew it, class was over and the room was completely full of silver fog. Lupin took out his wand, mumbled a spell, and the fog disappeared. "Okay, class is over!" he yelled over the incantations. "Your homework is to read chapters eleven through thirteen and answer the questions at the end of each chapter. Ten points to Gryfindor for Harry's help. Thank you, and good day!"
Harry, Ron and Aurora gathered up their books and exited along with all the other students. As they began walking along the corridor toward Divination, they heard Lupin yell, "And enjoy the game tomorrow!"
"Well, that was interesting," Aurora commented. Harry and Ron nodded.
"That was the first time we learned about dementors in class," Harry said.
"Yeah," said Ron quickly, "But I can't wait till the Quidditch match!"
It was almost painfully obvious that Ron didn't want to talk about anything except the game.
"It's a shame you won't be playing," Ron continued, looking at Harry.
"You play?" asked Aurora.
"Yes," answered Ron before Harry could respond. "He's a seeker."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah," Harry said plainly. He didn't like to brag.
"That's great!" Aurora said enthusiastically.
Harry just smiled back.
"When is the match, anyway?" Aurora inquired.
"Tomorrow morning, Saturday," Ron said. "We'll have to get up early."
"And," Aurora said, "you'll have to do all your homework tonight instead of procrastinating until morning when you do it while munching on breakfast in the Great Hall."
Ron made a look of disgust and said, "That was a long sentence." Harry and Aurora laughed. "Besides, I can do it on Sunday."
"Speaking of homework, we didn't get any in Potions yesterday," Harry noticed.
"You're right." Ron furrowed his eyebrows. "I bet he's gonna dump a load on us tonight so we won't be able to see the game."
Harry shrugged.
Their conversation continued until they reached the trapdoor to their class. They waited for the ladder to be released, and when it was, they went up, one after the other.
The room was empty of people when they finally got up in it, except for Professor Trelawny who was too absorbed in whatever she was doing at her desk to notice them. They were obviously early. The trio walked over to one of the round, wooden tables and sat down. Before them were three crystal balls, each filled with a gray fog. Harry watched the fog swirl around as if being held captive, never still and always struggling to escape.
Other students gradually filled the room and, when they were all present, Professor Trelawny stood.
"We've done this before," she said softly, starting the lesson with her introduction. "Gaze into the crystal ball. Gaze with an open mind and listen closely as it whispers to you the secrets of the uncharted future and unknown world beyond."
Harry saw Ron lean forward and put his ear to his crystal ball. His face twisted in concentration, he said, "Mine must be mute or shy."
Harry and Aurora laughed, only to receive a piercing glare from Trelawny. Parvati and Lavender also shot them disapproving looks.
"You may begin," Trelawny told the class. "But remember, matters of the crystal gazing are serious matters, and," she looked straight at Harry, Ron and Aurora, "I will not tolerate any foolishness."
With that, the students picked up their balls and starting looking into them.
"Every time I look into these balls I see the same thing," Ron whispered. "There's gonna be a fog tonight." [Sorry Ms. Rowling, I had to use that.]
Aurora giggled, but broke off when Trelawny glanced in their direction.
They spent the next period of time in silence, broken only by an occasional whisper or cough.
Trelawny weaved her way around the tables, often peering over a student's shoulder and muttering things. She reached Harry, Ron and Aurora's table and, to their shock, pulled up a chair and sat down.
"May I?" She asked, looking at Aurora with her hand outstretched.
Aurora stared blankly back, and then suddenly grasped what she was asking. "Oh, sure," she said as she handed Trelawny her crystal ball. Trelawny took it and set it down in front of her. She leaned forward and stared into it, her hands hovering over it as though attempting to catch anything that might escape from the ball.
"I see . . . nervousness and anxiety. Lots of it . . . but it is melting away. You were nervous about coming to Hogwarts, but now you're getting comfortable. I also see . . . three white flowers, fusing and blossoming into one. You have two good friends, and your friendship is blossoming."
"Oh my god, she must be psychic," Ron muttered. Harry and Aurora smiled, both trying hard not to laugh.
Trelawny continued as if she hadn't heard.
"I also see . . . a broomstick . . . and a crowd cheering . . . You're excited about the upcoming Quidditch match. But . . . darkness is engulfing all of it . . . oh, my . . ."
By this time everyone in the class was listening and watching them intensely.
" . . . This is darkness like I've never seen before. It's as black as the night . . . no, darker than the night . . . it's hiding something, I can't see it . . ."
She suddenly looked up at Aurora. "You're hiding something."
Aurora looked confused.
"Everyone has secrets," Ron said, "We're not open books."
Trelawny glared at Ron for the second time that class. "No," she told him, "This is different."
She lowered her head and kept watching.
"I can't see anything . . . this secret is very deep. Goodness, I've never . . . wait! I see something . . ."
She leaned in so close that her nose was only a few centimeters away from the ball.
"I see . . . a tree, a massive tree, with many branches . . . it looks ancient . . . but one of the branches is on the ground . . . it's rotting . . . the other branches are reaching down for it, but they're too high up . . . leaves are falling, there's a flash of lightning in the distance . . ." She sighed in aggravation.
"The darkness . . . I can't . . . wait, something's coming up . . . it's a girl in a garden . . . I can't see her face . . . it's a dead garden . . . she's holding something in her hands . . . they're flowers, white flowers . . . but they're becoming brown and wrinkled . . . they're dying, this is what the girl feared . . . now there are more people . . . two of them, yelling at her . . . she's crying . . . she's running away from them . . . but now she's in a dark chamber . . . I see a man . . . a tall man . . . she's really scared, huddled in a corner . . ." She gasped. " . . . He has a knife, the man has a knife, he's . . . oh my god - "
CCCCRRRRRAAAAASSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of the girls screamed and everyone jumped as the loud crash pierced the air like a bullet. Trelawny instantly stood and turned, knocking her chair over. Neville was standing, looking extremely pale and shaking, scattered glass littering the floor all around him.
"NEVILLE!" shrieked Trelawny, her eyes whipping around the scene and stopping on the broken pieces of glass around him.
"I - I - I'm s-sorry . . ." stuttered Neville. He reached down for the pieces.
"NO!" Trelawny yelled, startling everyone again. Neville froze and rapidly straightened bolt upright, his hands raised at his sides. "NO! DON'T TOUCH IT!"
She strided over, her arms out like wings, shooing everyone away from the glass. "Everyone stay away! Don't touch any of it!"
Neville jumped from the center of the mess and all the students scooted a little away.
Trelawny stood in the middle of the pieces, looking down, then glancing at the clock.
"We're late! Okay, tonight's homework is to write a two-foot essay about what you saw in your crystal ball! Class dismissed! And keep away from the glass!"
Every student picked up their bags (Ron grumbling about the essay), edged around the shards, and quickly darted down the ladder and out of sight. Harry, Ron and Aurora left together, and only when they started walking faster and broke away from the crowd did Harry glance at Aurora's face.
Her eyes were wide open, staring ahead of her. Her mouth was also ajar, and she seemed to be gasping sharp breaths of air. It was if there was something ahead that frightened her. Her face was pale, and she was clutching her books tightly against her chest, as though in pain. She looked like she would faint any second.
Harry became very worried. "Aurora? Are you okay?" He asked her.
She didn't respond at all.
Harry glanced at Ron. He was concerned too.
"Aurora? What's wrong? You want to go to the Hospital Wing?"
"No!" She said suddenly and took the two boys by surprise. "No, I'm fine, I'm okay . . ." Her voice faded.
"Listen, don't worry about what Trelawny says," Ron told Aurora. "She's a phony."
"Yeah, she keeps predicting my death every couple of weeks," Harry informed her.
Aurora looked at him. "Really?"
Harry nodded. Aurora relaxed a little, then sighed.
"But . . ." She looked away. Harry and Ron looked at each other.
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NEW ADDITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Disbelief widened in Hermione's eyes as she stared at the wall before her. There was something on it; a dark pool that stained the stone. Slowly, reluctantly, she stepped forward toward it as curiosity got the best of her. She suddenly gasped when her fears were confirmed. She recognized it.
Dried blood.
Hermione traced the tracks with her eyes. They started at a large pool at the top that wound its way down to the floor which, to her disgust, was covered in dried blood, while all around the area droplets of blood were scattered.
She reached out to touch the blood, to try to prove to herself that it wasn't real, but the instant her fingertips stroked the rough wall there was a brilliant, white flash.
And there was darkness. She couldn't see anything.
But she could hear something echoing.
It was a shriek, a shriek that she recognized as her own, but broken off by a sickening crack and a splatter of blood. A man's heavy breathing, along with a boy's cry of disbelief could echoed in her mind.
Then there was another blinding flash.
Hermione found herself upon the cold floor, gasping and shaking with fear. Tears slid down her cheek as she remembered. Curling up into a tight ball in the middle of the bloody spot but still trembling, Hermione thought of only one thing.
*This is it. This is where . . . *
Her body made an uncomfortable lurch as she lay upon the same place she had died.
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Harry lay wide awake in bed that night, staring at the blank ceiling. He looked over at Ron's bed and saw he was already fast asleep. Harry sighed, got up, and looked around for something to do. Deciding to read a book, he got out of bed with a creak and walked silently over to his trunk. Harry fumbled around and soon discovered something he didn't expect.
It was a black, leather, zipped-up packet which read /Broomstick Servicing Kit/.
A dark cloud descended over Harry and a wave of guilt washed over him as he remembered the kit. Hermione had given it to him for his thirteenth birthday, on the day he hadn't excepted anything. He ran his fingers over the silver lettering, as if trying to touch something beyond. It was a connection between them.
Something else caught his eye. It was a small roll of parchment, a letter. He slowly and carefully put down the kit, as if it were a delicate glass item. Then, he picked up the letter and slowly unraveled it, reading it for the second time.
Dear Harry,
Ron wrote to me and told me about his phone call to your Uncle Vernon. I do hope you're all right.
I'm on holiday in France at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you - what if they'd opened it at customs? - but then Hedwig turned up! I think she wanted to make sure you got something for your birthday for a change. I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world). Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous - the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating.
There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out. I hope it's not too long - it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Bins asked for. Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your aunt and uncle let you come? I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express on September first!
Love from
Hermione
P.S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased. Ron doesn't seem too happy about it.
Tears had coated Harry's eyes as he read the letter, making it very hard to read the end. When he finally finished, he sighed inwardly and blinked several times, sending the salty tears down his cheeks. He didn't bother to wipe them off and they kept flowing even after his eyes were relieved of their wet burden.
He could almost hear Hermione in his head as he read. He could almost see her writing it, her neat handwriting poured over the parchment. But no more . . . and . . .
*It's my fault. I could have stopped it. If it weren't for my stupidity, Hermione would be here right now! She would be alive and happy, but no, I had to go and act like an idiot! No, I /am/ a damn idiot! I never acted like a cared! I made friends with another girl, pretending that there wasn't anything wrong! I don't think about her anymore even though it's my own damn fault she's dead! And why do I like that Aurora person anyway? No one can replace her . . .*
A voice in the back of his head answered.
*Because you find something in Aurora that fills the hole caused by Hermione's death.*
*But I can never replace her! How can I ever find someone so smart, caring, brave, helpful, trustworthy, loyal, honest, quick thinking, perfect . . .*
*Look in your heart. You'll find the memories.*
*Memories . . .*
Harry's hands shook as he gripped the letter. "Memories. That's all. She could be here now, and it's my damn fault . . . it's my damn fault . . ."
At that moment he wanted to run downstairs and throw the letter into the common room fireplace, to watch it shrivel up and burn . . .
But something kept him from doing it.
Trying to control his trembling hands, he put the letter on his bed and searched through his suitcase for a sweater. He finally found one, a black wool one that he never wore. He took it and spread it on the bed, then gingerly put the letter and the broomstick kit on top. Hands still trembling slightly, he folded his sweater on top of them. Picking up the bundle, he carefully put it in his trunk and closed it.
Harry stared at the trunk.
*I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm sorry I acted like such an idiot. I'm sorry I forgot you. But . . .*
"I promise," he whispered to the darkness, "I promise I will never forget you again. Ever."
The image of Hermione still on his mind, Harry went back into his bed. He could taste the saltiness of his tears as he lay down and closed his eyes. Breathing heavily, Harry soon fell asleep knowing that with this new vow he would make a fresh start.
But what he didn't know was that he wasn't the only one crying that night.
In fact, a trio of three friends were all crying, though each in his or her own separate world.
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::: :( I feel so horrible. I killed Hermione. Now I'm starting to feel guilty. This isn't good . . . anyway, Hermione's death is coming /real/ soon. Okay, fine, you've convinced me, I'll say it. It's coming in the next chapter. I'm sorry about taking a while on this chapter. Contradictory to my earlier thoughts, I have even less time in the summer to write because I'm always going away or busy. But I promise you won't have to wait very long for chapter 17, since I'm so worked up about it I am probably gonna write it right after I post this. I just noticed I said "I promise" :( *sniff* Okay, enough blabbing, on to the reviews . . . :::
[usha88]: Thanks, and you've gotten some clues in this chapter . . . now just put on your thinking cap and decipher the clues!
[Monet]: Thanks, and wow! I'm throwing off Sherlock! I feel so accomplished! ^-^ I'm not going to say anything about Hermione and Aurora. I don't want to give anything away, you know. But here you go!
[Arsenal]: Yes, Hermione is a ghost, she just dreamed the snake thing. I believe I wrote that somewhere . . . Thanks for reviewing! ^-^
[Fool]: Like I explained to you, I'm trying to make people /not/ like Aurora, and I'm sooo happy it worked! No offense taken about the Harry/Hermione thing, but for right now I want to keep it as just a friend thing. I want the reader to make his or her own pairings. That's one of my goals.
[TaioraCrazedGirl]: Okay, one more member for the club . . . *writes your name down on the list* You know, I'm getting the feeling people want Hermione back . . . ^-^ Lol! I explained this in one of the chapters, but I'll do it again: I don't think it would be fair if I declared this a Harry/Hermione, Ron/Hermione, Draco/Hermione or whatever. I want to write my story as I visualize it, and I really want the reader to make his or her own pairings. So, you can look at it one way and say it's a Harry/Hermione fic, look at it another way and say it's a Ron/Hermione fic, or (if you try /real/ hard) you can say it's a Draco/Hermione fic. It doesn't matter to me, as long as you decide for yourself! Wow . . . I've never been strangled by a reviewer . . . *rubs neck* How exhilarating! Someone cares about the story so much they'd strangle the author! I'm honored! *bows* Anyway, I guess Aurora must've annoyed you in this chapter too, since she's replacing Hermione more and more! Thanks for the review! ^-^
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Chapter 16: A Mysterious Vision
"Yes! They finally brought back Quidditch!" Ron said excitedly.
Harry, Ron and Aurora emerged from the Great Hall in the morning after an announcement from Dumbledore. He had declared Quidditch back in season after a mysterious banning. No one but Harry and Ron knew why the staff had taken extra precautions after Hermione's death, but no one was complaining now. In fact, the whole school was in a good mood, chattering about the first Quidditch match in a long time. The three of them walked and talked at the same time.
Harry was also unusually happy considering his normally depressed mood. "I can't wait to play again!"
"Hey, Aurora, did they have Quidditch at your old school?" Ron asked her.
Seamus, who was appeared beside them, responded before Aurora could open her mouth. "Don't be stupid, Ron. Of course they have Quidditch at her old school!"
"And what makes you so sure?" Ron spat at him.
"There isn't a school that doesn't!"
"How do you know?"
"There just isn't!"
"Guys, knock it off. This is a good thing, we should be celebrating!" Harry said.
"Exactly," Aurora agreed, "And to answer your question, yes, I used to watch games at my old school. But it was always so boring. There were only two teams, and one of them was always victorious. Completely predictable. I can't wait to see a /real/ match where the outcome isn't obvious!"
"Did anyone hear which teams are playing?" Harry asked, anxious to play.
"Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff," Seamus said in a disappointed tone. "It's really too bad. If they wanted to set the season off with a bang, they should've put Gryfindor and Slytherin up."
Harry couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment himself because he wouldn't play. And Aurora wouldn't get to see him play.
"Old rivalry," Ron added, looking at Aurora's questioning look.
"Ah," she said, nodding her head in understanding. "I should've guessed."
"By the way, what class do we have next?" Seamus asked them.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," the trio said.
"Two good things in a row," Harry said with a smile.
"Then what?" Ron questioned.
No one answered for a long time. "Hang on, I have the schedule somewhere . . ." Aurora fumbled through her books. "Aha!" She said, pulling out a piece of parchment from between the pages of one. "We have . . . Divination."
Ron and Seamus groaned and Harry's smile vanished.
"Great, the best class there is," Ron said in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "I can't wait to peer at swirling fogs trapped inside crystal balls and see what my future holds. Or rather, try to make stuff up without having Trewlawny breathing down my neck and telling me that I'm 'disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations ((Disclaimer: from the third Harry Potter book))'."
"Do you have Divination at your old school?" Seamus asked Aurora. She shook her head. "Consider yourself extremely lucky," he told her.
The four of them entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Harry, Ron and Aurora sat together in the front while Seamus went off to sit with Dean.
"Harry?"
As soon as he sat down, Harry heard a familiar voice coming from ahead. He looked up and saw Professor Lupin standing before him. He looked as old and tired as ever, but Harry knew that the specks of white hair on his otherwise brown head and the shadows under his eyes were deceiving, for Lupin was one of the best wizards Harry ever knew.
Before Harry could react, Lupin quietly continued. "May I speak to you alone?"
Harry's heart sank and dread welled up inside him. The only time a teacher requested privacy with Harry was when they wanted to know about . . .
He couldn't bring himself to go on.
Reluctantly, he got up from his seat as Lupin strode over beside his desk, turned, and beckoned Harry to join him. Harry slowly obeyed, ignoring the questioning and curious stares of Ron and Aurora.
He reached Lupin's desk and braced himself.
"Harry, I need to ask you a favor," Lupin told him.
Harry felt his stomach twist sharply. *What do they want now? More details? Or something further . . .* He didn't want to relive her death. Once was enough for a lifetime.
"What kind of favor?" Harry asked, though not sure if he wanted an answer. He looked away, trying to focus on a quill lying on Lupin's desk instead of reality.
"I'd like your assistance in class."
Harry's eyes whipped around to Lupin. At first, the sentence did not register in his mind. All he knew was this wasn't what he expected.
"Assistance?" He repeated vaguely.
"Yes. We are going to practice the Patronus Charm and I would like you to help the class learn it. Just to supervise and to help those that need it."
Harry felt as though a heavy weight on his chest had lifted. His dread melted away and he breathed a huge sigh of relief. He suddenly noticed that his fists were clenched and relaxed them.
"Yeah, sure," he replied with an escaping tone of relief, remembering the time Lupin himself had taught him the Patronus Charm.
"Thank you," Lupin said as he sat in the chair behind his desk, which he had previously been hovering over.
Harry remained standing, not sure whether to leave or not. Lupin seemed to read his thoughts. "You're excused," he informed Harry with a smile.
Harry quickly returned to his seat between Ron and Aurora.
"So?" Ron asked the moment Harry sat down. "What'd he want?"
"Nothing," Harry said with a hidden joy that the statement was true.
Ron stayed persistent. "What was it? Did he ask you about - "
"No," Harry sharply interrupted before he could go further, "It was nothing."
"But - "
"Ron, I'm sure if Harry said it's nothing, then it's nothing," Aurora said.
Ron rolled his eyes and opened his textbook while Harry gave Aurora a brief, grateful smile. She smiled back.
"Okay, let's begin," Lupin said loudly as he stood. "I know it's not my style to lecture you. I prefer to present you with a creature and give you a hands-on experience. But this time I can't. Not by my morals and not by law."
Intrigued by his last sentence, the students listened.
"Today, you're going to learn how to defend yourself from one of the worst dark creatures out there. They are so frightful that I had to get permission from Dumbledore to teach you about them. If they're on your side, consider yourself both lucky and well protected. But if they turn against you, and you aren't prepared, your fate will be the worst imaginable. A fate so terrible that you will beg for death, even a slow, painful one. These horrible creatures are . . ."
Lupin paused for moment as he thoughtfully listened to the silence.
"Dementors."
The silence remained, broken only by the shudders of a few members of the class. Everyone was remembering the third year when dementors invaded the Hogwarts Express. All eyes were on Lupin. He smiled.
"I would suggest that you take notes, for this is not only going to be on a test, but it could effect your very own life."
There was fumbling, the rustle of parchment and the furious scratching of students taking notes. Lupin waited patiently as the scratching became faint and the last quill stilled. ((Disclaimer: I took the ideas for these last few paragraphs from a friend. Username: Fool. Story: Puppet. I suggest you check it out sometime ^-^))
"First, I want to hear from you. What do you know about dementors? Tell me everything."
He watched for any hesitant hands that may rise into the air. It was a few moments until the first brave student volunteered.
"Yes, Neville?"
"Um, they wear black cloaks," he said with a voice that showed his low self- confidence.
"True, very true," Lupin said encouragingly. "Anyone else?"
Now that someone had gone first, a few more students piped up.
"You can't see their faces 'cause of their hoods."
"They guard Azkaban."
"They take rattling breaths."
"They're bloody creepy."
Everyone laughed at Ron's comment, and even Lupin smiled in amusement. Immediately afterward, however, Lupin became very serious looking and addressed the class.
"You're all missing something very important. Can someone tell me the reason /why/ Dementors are so widely feared?"
Harry volunteered since no one else did.
"When they kiss someone, they suck out their soul," he said, all too familiar with the fact.
"It's no wonder they don't have any girlfriends!" Ron exclaimed. All the students laughed again, but this time Lupin didn't.
"It's no laughing matter," Lupin said sternly. "You should realize the weight of what Harry said."
Guilty faces spread and Ron blushed.
"Harry, could you repeat what you just said?"
"When they kiss someone, they suck out their soul," Harry said, starting to feel like some sort of Muggle answering machine.
Satisfied at the class' response, he continued. "How many of you have encountered a dementor in your lifetime?"
Most of the students raised their hands, and Lupin shook his head.
He mumbled something under his breath that wasn't audible. Then he raised his voice again.
"I know most of you are referring to the time dementors boarded the Hogwarts Express in your third year." Lupin paused slightly before continuing. "Describe to me what it was like."
More students raised their hands.
"It suddenly got very cold."
"I couldn't think of anything happy."
"It was really scary." All the students nodded in agreement, and some took notes.
"Yes, that's what it's like," Lupin said. "And now the question is, how do we defend ourselves from a dementor's terrifying attack?"
"But, they won't attack us, will they?" Lavender asked, clearly alarmed. "Dementors work for the Ministry! They protect us!"
"For the moment, yes," Lupin said without hesitation. The class was startled by his answer.
"W-what do you mean, 'for the moment'?" Neville inquired, turning a little pale.
"Oh, don't get the wrong idea. It is true that dementors guard us from the convicted criminals of the wizarding world - "
Harry noted that Lupin had used the word 'convicted' instead of just 'criminals'.
" - but I'm merely pointing out that dementors are also being, not our own creation. They can change their faith as easily as humans can. It's not impossible, nor improbable."
The class remained silent, digesting what he had said.
"Now, however, let's focus on our defense. Though I sincerely hope that none of you will need it at any point in your lives," he added. Harry thought he heard a soft sigh.
"Which charm do we use against dementors? Aurora?"
"The Patronus Charm," she said while lowering her hand.
"Correct, five points to Gryfindor. What is the incantation for the Patronus Charm?"
Harry raised his hand and answered when Lupin called on him. "/Expecto patronum/."
"Correct, another five points to Gryfindor. We're going to practice the Patronus Charm soon, but first you need to know how it works. When you cast the spell, think of a very happy memory or thought. Then, if you did it correctly, a silver, misty animal shall emerge from your wand. What kind of animal it is depends directly on you. For example, if you're sneaky, mischievous, sometimes untrustworthy and like to be with others of your kind - "
As Harry took notes (though he didn't need them), he heard a cough from Ron that sounded a lot like "Malfoy". Harry suppressed a chuckle.
" - your animal might be a fox. Your animal acts as a shield between you and the dementor, and when the animal attacks it drives off the dementor. Got it?"
Half the class nodded while the other half struggled to catch up on notes. Lupin waited once again until the scribbling stopped.
"Okay, put down your quills and watch me demonstrate."
There was a faint, tapping noise of quills as Lupin pulled out his wand and walked over to one side of the classroom. A still silence followed as Lupin got in position. He surveyed the class with his eyes.
"Ready?"
Every student nodded.
Lupin took a breath and shouted, "/Expecto patronum/!"
A silver wolf suddenly sprung from the tip of Lupin's wand. It was in mid- jump, yet landed on the ground without the slightest noise, its transparent head flipping around. The wolf didn't look old at all, but a fully-grown adult at the very peak of its life. It turned toward the class, searching. It blinking at them, and suddenly turned into a silver mist that floated and gradually disappeared.
Lupin relaxed and turned to face the class.
"The Patronus Charm works best when you're actually in danger, but with practice you'll get better. Harry's going to be helping me teach you, so wands out and start practicing!"
Everyone got up, wand in hand, and soon the air was filled with fog and shouting. Harry left Ron and Aurora and walked around watching the others. To no one's surprise, Neville was having a hard time with the incantation.
"Pat . . . Patrirum! No . . . Patty's Too Numb! No . . . "
Harry walked over, taught Neville the right way to say it, and stayed with him until Neville could produce a faint mist with his wand. After giving him some last minute encouragement, Harry left and continued circling and helping anyone who was having trouble.
Before they knew it, class was over and the room was completely full of silver fog. Lupin took out his wand, mumbled a spell, and the fog disappeared. "Okay, class is over!" he yelled over the incantations. "Your homework is to read chapters eleven through thirteen and answer the questions at the end of each chapter. Ten points to Gryfindor for Harry's help. Thank you, and good day!"
Harry, Ron and Aurora gathered up their books and exited along with all the other students. As they began walking along the corridor toward Divination, they heard Lupin yell, "And enjoy the game tomorrow!"
"Well, that was interesting," Aurora commented. Harry and Ron nodded.
"That was the first time we learned about dementors in class," Harry said.
"Yeah," said Ron quickly, "But I can't wait till the Quidditch match!"
It was almost painfully obvious that Ron didn't want to talk about anything except the game.
"It's a shame you won't be playing," Ron continued, looking at Harry.
"You play?" asked Aurora.
"Yes," answered Ron before Harry could respond. "He's a seeker."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah," Harry said plainly. He didn't like to brag.
"That's great!" Aurora said enthusiastically.
Harry just smiled back.
"When is the match, anyway?" Aurora inquired.
"Tomorrow morning, Saturday," Ron said. "We'll have to get up early."
"And," Aurora said, "you'll have to do all your homework tonight instead of procrastinating until morning when you do it while munching on breakfast in the Great Hall."
Ron made a look of disgust and said, "That was a long sentence." Harry and Aurora laughed. "Besides, I can do it on Sunday."
"Speaking of homework, we didn't get any in Potions yesterday," Harry noticed.
"You're right." Ron furrowed his eyebrows. "I bet he's gonna dump a load on us tonight so we won't be able to see the game."
Harry shrugged.
Their conversation continued until they reached the trapdoor to their class. They waited for the ladder to be released, and when it was, they went up, one after the other.
The room was empty of people when they finally got up in it, except for Professor Trelawny who was too absorbed in whatever she was doing at her desk to notice them. They were obviously early. The trio walked over to one of the round, wooden tables and sat down. Before them were three crystal balls, each filled with a gray fog. Harry watched the fog swirl around as if being held captive, never still and always struggling to escape.
Other students gradually filled the room and, when they were all present, Professor Trelawny stood.
"We've done this before," she said softly, starting the lesson with her introduction. "Gaze into the crystal ball. Gaze with an open mind and listen closely as it whispers to you the secrets of the uncharted future and unknown world beyond."
Harry saw Ron lean forward and put his ear to his crystal ball. His face twisted in concentration, he said, "Mine must be mute or shy."
Harry and Aurora laughed, only to receive a piercing glare from Trelawny. Parvati and Lavender also shot them disapproving looks.
"You may begin," Trelawny told the class. "But remember, matters of the crystal gazing are serious matters, and," she looked straight at Harry, Ron and Aurora, "I will not tolerate any foolishness."
With that, the students picked up their balls and starting looking into them.
"Every time I look into these balls I see the same thing," Ron whispered. "There's gonna be a fog tonight." [Sorry Ms. Rowling, I had to use that.]
Aurora giggled, but broke off when Trelawny glanced in their direction.
They spent the next period of time in silence, broken only by an occasional whisper or cough.
Trelawny weaved her way around the tables, often peering over a student's shoulder and muttering things. She reached Harry, Ron and Aurora's table and, to their shock, pulled up a chair and sat down.
"May I?" She asked, looking at Aurora with her hand outstretched.
Aurora stared blankly back, and then suddenly grasped what she was asking. "Oh, sure," she said as she handed Trelawny her crystal ball. Trelawny took it and set it down in front of her. She leaned forward and stared into it, her hands hovering over it as though attempting to catch anything that might escape from the ball.
"I see . . . nervousness and anxiety. Lots of it . . . but it is melting away. You were nervous about coming to Hogwarts, but now you're getting comfortable. I also see . . . three white flowers, fusing and blossoming into one. You have two good friends, and your friendship is blossoming."
"Oh my god, she must be psychic," Ron muttered. Harry and Aurora smiled, both trying hard not to laugh.
Trelawny continued as if she hadn't heard.
"I also see . . . a broomstick . . . and a crowd cheering . . . You're excited about the upcoming Quidditch match. But . . . darkness is engulfing all of it . . . oh, my . . ."
By this time everyone in the class was listening and watching them intensely.
" . . . This is darkness like I've never seen before. It's as black as the night . . . no, darker than the night . . . it's hiding something, I can't see it . . ."
She suddenly looked up at Aurora. "You're hiding something."
Aurora looked confused.
"Everyone has secrets," Ron said, "We're not open books."
Trelawny glared at Ron for the second time that class. "No," she told him, "This is different."
She lowered her head and kept watching.
"I can't see anything . . . this secret is very deep. Goodness, I've never . . . wait! I see something . . ."
She leaned in so close that her nose was only a few centimeters away from the ball.
"I see . . . a tree, a massive tree, with many branches . . . it looks ancient . . . but one of the branches is on the ground . . . it's rotting . . . the other branches are reaching down for it, but they're too high up . . . leaves are falling, there's a flash of lightning in the distance . . ." She sighed in aggravation.
"The darkness . . . I can't . . . wait, something's coming up . . . it's a girl in a garden . . . I can't see her face . . . it's a dead garden . . . she's holding something in her hands . . . they're flowers, white flowers . . . but they're becoming brown and wrinkled . . . they're dying, this is what the girl feared . . . now there are more people . . . two of them, yelling at her . . . she's crying . . . she's running away from them . . . but now she's in a dark chamber . . . I see a man . . . a tall man . . . she's really scared, huddled in a corner . . ." She gasped. " . . . He has a knife, the man has a knife, he's . . . oh my god - "
CCCCRRRRRAAAAASSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of the girls screamed and everyone jumped as the loud crash pierced the air like a bullet. Trelawny instantly stood and turned, knocking her chair over. Neville was standing, looking extremely pale and shaking, scattered glass littering the floor all around him.
"NEVILLE!" shrieked Trelawny, her eyes whipping around the scene and stopping on the broken pieces of glass around him.
"I - I - I'm s-sorry . . ." stuttered Neville. He reached down for the pieces.
"NO!" Trelawny yelled, startling everyone again. Neville froze and rapidly straightened bolt upright, his hands raised at his sides. "NO! DON'T TOUCH IT!"
She strided over, her arms out like wings, shooing everyone away from the glass. "Everyone stay away! Don't touch any of it!"
Neville jumped from the center of the mess and all the students scooted a little away.
Trelawny stood in the middle of the pieces, looking down, then glancing at the clock.
"We're late! Okay, tonight's homework is to write a two-foot essay about what you saw in your crystal ball! Class dismissed! And keep away from the glass!"
Every student picked up their bags (Ron grumbling about the essay), edged around the shards, and quickly darted down the ladder and out of sight. Harry, Ron and Aurora left together, and only when they started walking faster and broke away from the crowd did Harry glance at Aurora's face.
Her eyes were wide open, staring ahead of her. Her mouth was also ajar, and she seemed to be gasping sharp breaths of air. It was if there was something ahead that frightened her. Her face was pale, and she was clutching her books tightly against her chest, as though in pain. She looked like she would faint any second.
Harry became very worried. "Aurora? Are you okay?" He asked her.
She didn't respond at all.
Harry glanced at Ron. He was concerned too.
"Aurora? What's wrong? You want to go to the Hospital Wing?"
"No!" She said suddenly and took the two boys by surprise. "No, I'm fine, I'm okay . . ." Her voice faded.
"Listen, don't worry about what Trelawny says," Ron told Aurora. "She's a phony."
"Yeah, she keeps predicting my death every couple of weeks," Harry informed her.
Aurora looked at him. "Really?"
Harry nodded. Aurora relaxed a little, then sighed.
"But . . ." She looked away. Harry and Ron looked at each other.
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NEW ADDITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Disbelief widened in Hermione's eyes as she stared at the wall before her. There was something on it; a dark pool that stained the stone. Slowly, reluctantly, she stepped forward toward it as curiosity got the best of her. She suddenly gasped when her fears were confirmed. She recognized it.
Dried blood.
Hermione traced the tracks with her eyes. They started at a large pool at the top that wound its way down to the floor which, to her disgust, was covered in dried blood, while all around the area droplets of blood were scattered.
She reached out to touch the blood, to try to prove to herself that it wasn't real, but the instant her fingertips stroked the rough wall there was a brilliant, white flash.
And there was darkness. She couldn't see anything.
But she could hear something echoing.
It was a shriek, a shriek that she recognized as her own, but broken off by a sickening crack and a splatter of blood. A man's heavy breathing, along with a boy's cry of disbelief could echoed in her mind.
Then there was another blinding flash.
Hermione found herself upon the cold floor, gasping and shaking with fear. Tears slid down her cheek as she remembered. Curling up into a tight ball in the middle of the bloody spot but still trembling, Hermione thought of only one thing.
*This is it. This is where . . . *
Her body made an uncomfortable lurch as she lay upon the same place she had died.
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Harry lay wide awake in bed that night, staring at the blank ceiling. He looked over at Ron's bed and saw he was already fast asleep. Harry sighed, got up, and looked around for something to do. Deciding to read a book, he got out of bed with a creak and walked silently over to his trunk. Harry fumbled around and soon discovered something he didn't expect.
It was a black, leather, zipped-up packet which read /Broomstick Servicing Kit/.
A dark cloud descended over Harry and a wave of guilt washed over him as he remembered the kit. Hermione had given it to him for his thirteenth birthday, on the day he hadn't excepted anything. He ran his fingers over the silver lettering, as if trying to touch something beyond. It was a connection between them.
Something else caught his eye. It was a small roll of parchment, a letter. He slowly and carefully put down the kit, as if it were a delicate glass item. Then, he picked up the letter and slowly unraveled it, reading it for the second time.
Dear Harry,
Ron wrote to me and told me about his phone call to your Uncle Vernon. I do hope you're all right.
I'm on holiday in France at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you - what if they'd opened it at customs? - but then Hedwig turned up! I think she wanted to make sure you got something for your birthday for a change. I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world). Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous - the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating.
There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out. I hope it's not too long - it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Bins asked for. Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your aunt and uncle let you come? I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express on September first!
Love from
Hermione
P.S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased. Ron doesn't seem too happy about it.
Tears had coated Harry's eyes as he read the letter, making it very hard to read the end. When he finally finished, he sighed inwardly and blinked several times, sending the salty tears down his cheeks. He didn't bother to wipe them off and they kept flowing even after his eyes were relieved of their wet burden.
He could almost hear Hermione in his head as he read. He could almost see her writing it, her neat handwriting poured over the parchment. But no more . . . and . . .
*It's my fault. I could have stopped it. If it weren't for my stupidity, Hermione would be here right now! She would be alive and happy, but no, I had to go and act like an idiot! No, I /am/ a damn idiot! I never acted like a cared! I made friends with another girl, pretending that there wasn't anything wrong! I don't think about her anymore even though it's my own damn fault she's dead! And why do I like that Aurora person anyway? No one can replace her . . .*
A voice in the back of his head answered.
*Because you find something in Aurora that fills the hole caused by Hermione's death.*
*But I can never replace her! How can I ever find someone so smart, caring, brave, helpful, trustworthy, loyal, honest, quick thinking, perfect . . .*
*Look in your heart. You'll find the memories.*
*Memories . . .*
Harry's hands shook as he gripped the letter. "Memories. That's all. She could be here now, and it's my damn fault . . . it's my damn fault . . ."
At that moment he wanted to run downstairs and throw the letter into the common room fireplace, to watch it shrivel up and burn . . .
But something kept him from doing it.
Trying to control his trembling hands, he put the letter on his bed and searched through his suitcase for a sweater. He finally found one, a black wool one that he never wore. He took it and spread it on the bed, then gingerly put the letter and the broomstick kit on top. Hands still trembling slightly, he folded his sweater on top of them. Picking up the bundle, he carefully put it in his trunk and closed it.
Harry stared at the trunk.
*I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm sorry I acted like such an idiot. I'm sorry I forgot you. But . . .*
"I promise," he whispered to the darkness, "I promise I will never forget you again. Ever."
The image of Hermione still on his mind, Harry went back into his bed. He could taste the saltiness of his tears as he lay down and closed his eyes. Breathing heavily, Harry soon fell asleep knowing that with this new vow he would make a fresh start.
But what he didn't know was that he wasn't the only one crying that night.
In fact, a trio of three friends were all crying, though each in his or her own separate world.
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::: :( I feel so horrible. I killed Hermione. Now I'm starting to feel guilty. This isn't good . . . anyway, Hermione's death is coming /real/ soon. Okay, fine, you've convinced me, I'll say it. It's coming in the next chapter. I'm sorry about taking a while on this chapter. Contradictory to my earlier thoughts, I have even less time in the summer to write because I'm always going away or busy. But I promise you won't have to wait very long for chapter 17, since I'm so worked up about it I am probably gonna write it right after I post this. I just noticed I said "I promise" :( *sniff* Okay, enough blabbing, on to the reviews . . . :::
[usha88]: Thanks, and you've gotten some clues in this chapter . . . now just put on your thinking cap and decipher the clues!
[Monet]: Thanks, and wow! I'm throwing off Sherlock! I feel so accomplished! ^-^ I'm not going to say anything about Hermione and Aurora. I don't want to give anything away, you know. But here you go!
[Arsenal]: Yes, Hermione is a ghost, she just dreamed the snake thing. I believe I wrote that somewhere . . . Thanks for reviewing! ^-^
[Fool]: Like I explained to you, I'm trying to make people /not/ like Aurora, and I'm sooo happy it worked! No offense taken about the Harry/Hermione thing, but for right now I want to keep it as just a friend thing. I want the reader to make his or her own pairings. That's one of my goals.
[TaioraCrazedGirl]: Okay, one more member for the club . . . *writes your name down on the list* You know, I'm getting the feeling people want Hermione back . . . ^-^ Lol! I explained this in one of the chapters, but I'll do it again: I don't think it would be fair if I declared this a Harry/Hermione, Ron/Hermione, Draco/Hermione or whatever. I want to write my story as I visualize it, and I really want the reader to make his or her own pairings. So, you can look at it one way and say it's a Harry/Hermione fic, look at it another way and say it's a Ron/Hermione fic, or (if you try /real/ hard) you can say it's a Draco/Hermione fic. It doesn't matter to me, as long as you decide for yourself! Wow . . . I've never been strangled by a reviewer . . . *rubs neck* How exhilarating! Someone cares about the story so much they'd strangle the author! I'm honored! *bows* Anyway, I guess Aurora must've annoyed you in this chapter too, since she's replacing Hermione more and more! Thanks for the review! ^-^