Chapter 5: Now.

But why would Dumbledore do that? Did he purposely do this to Harry? Was he aware of the consequences of this?

Numerous answerless questions swarmed within Hermione's thoughts. She ignored the world around her as she sat on her bed, gazing into nothingness.

Hermione had grown attached to Harry after the years. They were like brother and sister, and not only were their friendship shattered, but their lives were also. Anyone who knew Harry seemed to have a shattered heart now.

She sat up very quickly. What did that secret talk between Harry and Dumbledore mean? What did Dumbledore say to him?

Hermione's heart was pounding, and her eyes watering. She was blinking furiously, was this the key to it all?

Or did that, just mean nothing at all? Perhaps Dumbledore just want to personally wish Harry luck, and good health. But couldn't he have done that in front of herself and Ron?

Ron heard someone pounding on the dormitory door as if their life depended on it. "Leave me alone," he hollered at the door, turning over in his bed. Ron was in a very apathetic phase; he'd lie on the bed and just stare across the room, thinking of nothing in particular.

Hermione walked right in anyway. She couldn't talk to Ginny right now, she need to talk to Ron, to ask him.

"What do you want?" mumbled Ron.

"I need to ask you something," said Hermione. She didn't wait for Ron to answer, but continued, "Before Harry—left, did he say anything about what Dumbledore told him?" Hermione sat down on the bed opposite of Ron, sitting cross-legged and looking at his back, which was the only visible part of him, aside his red hair and legs.

Now this was a queer question. Why'd she want to know that for? "No," Ron said skeptically. "Why?"

She shook her head, "Oh nothing. It's just—nothing."

Ron pretended that he just didn't hear her. "Why?" he said again.

This time, Hermione hesitated; she looked from Ron, to the window, to the floor, then back to Ron again. "I—I just wanted to know... is all." She didn't really want him to get all concerned and frustrated, because she knew that, if he knew, he would be.

"Yeah well," Ron said, remembering that he didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. "I haven't gotten any sleep praktly all weekend, so I'd appreciate it if you left so I might get an hour's worth before classes tomorrow." He rolled over, and pretended to be asleep once more.

Hermione opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, but she changed her mine and shut it. She wouldn't be able to ask him anything else, now at least. The last thing she wanted to do right now was to get one of her friends cross with her.

Ron heard the door shut behind her, and he rolled around again, and again. He didn't really plan on going to sleep. He didn't really know what he wanted right now. Ron couldn't help but to dwell on what Hermione had asked him. She was hiding something from him, and he knew that very well. But for right no Ron's main goal is to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

The three friends all had themselves an uneasy sleep. That night woke them up, because most Gryffindors were in the Common Room celebrating Harry's defeat.

Ginny tossed and turned in her sleep, which was filled with many unsettling dreams. Com on, she was sixteen; nightmares couldn't bother her that much now. Yet age isn't a factor to be afraid of what was going through Ginny's mind. She felt almost hollow. Her life was over completely.

Hermione tossed in her bed and determidly kept her eyes squeezed shut. She had tantalizing dreams; it was her first night of almost-solid sleep all weekend. And she wasn't sure she was going to feel refreshed in the morning.

Ron squinted through his eyes, and sunshine obscured his vision, as he squeezed his eyes shut again and groaned. Morning already? Even though he slept for almost a day's worth, he felt exhausted. He got dressed as his other dorm mates were already grabbing their bags and going down to breakfast.

He was surprisingly quiet all through breakfast, sitting between an equally quiet Ginny and Hermione. They were just looking at their plates, not catching eyes with anyone. Particularly Neville, who was sitting across from Ron and looking at him after every other spoonful of porridge.

"Ron? Ron? Come on, say something to me." Neville scowled just as the bell rang, and Ron got up to leave, Hermione following him, Ginny walking more to the right of them, joining up to talk to Luna. Or just stand by her.

The day seemed to drag on for eternity. Ron had no one to fool around with in today's History of Magic lesson, which seemed even more tiring than usual. No partner for Divination, (he passed the O.W.L, not knowing how) so Trelawney teamed with him, telling him that she had foreseen Harry's death many months before.

Ron kept his mouth shut all day, anyway. Only talking when he was spoken to by a Professor, and he was surprised that no one else were talking to him. All he got were odd glances. He could feel people's eyes on him, but when he turned to look at them, they pretending their eyes never wandered there at all.

Neville was talking to him anyway, knowing that Ron wasn't going to reply. "You know, there was a feast last night for Harry's defeat. Dumbledore said, ooh, let me get at least most of the words right, 'That some of his close friends,' he didn't say any names, or anything, 'may be in grief, and you shouldn't try to badger them.' So what do you think?"

Ron didn't say anything, at first. "Dumbledore doesn't know anything," he mumbled, then quickened his pace as he neared the Common Room.

Neville stopped walking completely, stunned in thought. What had Ron meant? Was he not loyal to Dumbledore anymore? Or was he just going through a phase, or, something?

Ron blundered into the Common Room, and took a corner seat, away from everyone. He took out his quill, ink, and a piece of parchment, and began on his History of Magic homework without complaint.

Just as he wrote his name across the top, Hermione came over and sat next to him. "What do you want?" He said without looking away from his work.

"Come with me," Hermione said quietly, grabbing his wrist and pulling him out of his seat, making his wrist crack.

Ron's papers went across the rug as he was pulled from the chair. He looked at Hermione with a scowl like he was about to say something, but then closed his mouth, he changed his mind. Hermione had pulled him to the entrance to the stairs leading up to the girl's dormitories. And she knew boys weren't allowed up there.

"Why'd you bring me here?" He asked, with an expression as if he questioned Hermione's sanity.

Hermione just brushed a lock of her brown hair behind her ear as she sighed exasperatedly. "Just wait here," she said, running up the stairs as if she was in some sort of rush.

He was just clueless. Why the—

He had to hold that thought, because Hermione was coming down the stairs practically dragging a stubborn Ginny alongside her.

"Now can you tell me what the hell are you doing?" Ron asked, still with the expression as if he questioned her sanity.

"We're going to Dumbledore."

"Now?"

"Now." She started walking to the portrait hole. Ginny and Ron exchanged looks, Ginny shrugged and followed after her. Ron, still wondering what was going on in Hermione's mind, followed suite.

Wow. Now I hope you all liked that, because I had to listen to my mom's Clay Aiken CD about three times to get that Chapter to go down into the computer.

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