AN: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I know it takes me a long time to update, but the only reason I do eventually update is because of the feedback I get! BTW: Unusually short chapter, only five pages! Ah well.
Chapter 5
Life was going great for Hermione. She was a happy twelve-year-old Slytherin, with her first year of Hogwarts almost coming to a close, again. She hadnearly forgotten about her other life as a sixth year Gryffindor. The only times she thought about it was when she was lying in bed and she couldn't sleep. Thinking about that world made her wonder…
Would she ever get back? And if she did, would she ever have the life she should have? Would she be able to back to being friends with Harry and Ron as if nothing had ever happened? Oh wait, no, she wouldn't. Because she wasn't friends with them in either world. She'd forgotten that the reason she had been in that bathroom crying was because Harry and Ron had done that… thing, that had made her so upset.
She knew she was being stupid, she told herself suddenly one night, the night before she and Harry and Ron had originally gone through the trapdoor. She realized she was being stupid to be friends with the Slytherins out of desperation. She didn't get it; she hated Harry and Ron in this world for not saving her. They wouldn't have cared to see her get killed by that troll. Yet, she was doing all she could to help them stay alive without them realizing it was her. Why? Why was she doing that?
Because she really does want to be their friend, she concluded. She wanted them to like her, but she didn't want to make the first move. She expected them to just walk on over to her and talk to her like a friend. How could she even think that would happen? Especially after trying to expel them various times through the year?
She knew that she really did want to go back to the old world. But, she knew it would be weird going back… especially after knowing what she was doing to her life now…
It was dinner on the night when Harry and Ron were going to go through the trapdoor. Hermione was praying that they wouldn't get cold feet. She prayed that they go tonight, and not tomorrow night. Well, she thought, I guess I'll know tomorrow morning.
She left dinner that night with the other Slytherins, but then she saw Harry and Ron leaving to the library together. She stopped, told the Slytherins she'd left some homework in the library and that she'd catch up with them in a few minutes, and then hurried after the two boys.
Once in the library, she chose a table close to theirs so she would be able to hear what they were saying.
"… sure, Harry?" Ron was muttering anxiously.
"Yes, Ron, for the last time, I'm sure I'm going!" Harry sounded irritated. "You don't have to come with me if you don't want to."
"No, I – I'll go," Ron stammered, his voice unusually high-pitched. "Who knows, you may need my help."
"Okay. So, we'll use my dad's Invisibility Cloak toget there, and we'll play Fluffy some music with the flute Hagrid sent me for Christmas…"
"And then…"
"And then we use the note's hints to get to the Stone, and Quirrel."
"What if they didn't tell us some stuff? You said yourself…"
"If this person left out some stuff, it was because they knew we could do it without their help," Harry said firmly. "At least, that's what I think."
There was silence. "Well… we might as well go to the common room and wait…"
"Yeah,"
They got up and left.
Hermione, breathing heavily, left a minute after them.
Good, so they were still going tonight. That's good. That's very good.
Hermione was very nervous as she tried to sleep. She kept glancing at the clock, until it was past midnight and Hermione knew that they'd left. Now, if they listen to her note and get past everything okay, they'd be in the hospital wingtomorrow and Quirrel will be dead…
She suddenly shot up in bed. She'd totally forgot – Dumbledore! Harry had told Ron and Hermione that Dumbledore had saved him in the nick of time. She remembered that the day they were going to go, Professor McGonagall had told them that Dumbledore had left for the Ministry!
She got out of bed and dressed quickly. She snatched her want from her bedside table and started for the Owlery, a quill and some parchment in her pocket.
If the chess match goes like it did before, then Ron will sacrifice himself so Harry could go on. Since she wasn't with them, she wouldn't be able to wake Ron up and take him out the trapdoor again. If she doesn't send an owl to Dumbledore, Voldemort and Quirrel will kill Harry, and as they're leaving, most likely Ron as well.
She made it to the Owlery without any disturbance. She quickly wrote a letter to Dumbledore that Harry and Ron were trying to get the Stone, but didn't sign it with her name, or any name at all. She sent the owl on its way.
She was breathing very deeply. What if he can't get here in time? What if Harry and Ron die?
She realized that it was more important for Harry and Ron to live and see that it was she who was helping them, than have them die so she could keep her cover. There was no need to have a cover if they were dead. Besides, if they die, would that mean that they die in the other world? If they die, there might be no world for her to go back to.
She ran down to the forbidden third floor corridor, not caring that she was making noise. She entered the room that Fluffy was in and immediately started playing the flute that Harry and Ron had left behind. She kicked Fluffy's paw out of the way and kicked the trapdoor open. She tossed the flute and jumped.
She landed on the dead Devil's Snare. She crossed over to the hard ground and opened the door.
She saw the keys flying around and grabbed a broom, already knowing which one she needed to catch. She flew around, dodging the keys who were trying to cut and scratch her, and found the one she needed; the brass key that had two bent wings. She grabbed it and flew down to the door. Ignoring the keys that were nipping her, she turned the lock and entered the next room.
The chess pieces were upright and ready to play. Hermione thought for a second that she had somehow surpassed Harry and Ron, but then she saw Ron sprawled on the ground, a deep gash in his cheek.
She ran on over to him. "Ron," She breathed, shaking him slightly. "Ron, wake up. Wake up, you bloody child," She hissed impatiently. She smacked him.
His eyes fluttered open. "Who are you?" He asked groggily, squinting.
"You don't know me," She said quickly. "I need to you to use a broom from the key room to fly out and try and find someone for help. Now!" She left him sitting there and then ran to the door. She was amazed, yet baffled, as to why the chess pieces didn't stop her. But she let that thought driftout ofher mind.
She pinched her nose as she crossed the room with the troll and entered the next room. This was the room with the bottles. Instantly, purple fire issued behind her, and black flames sprang upin front ofher. She made for the smallest bottle, and peeked in the see if there was anything left. There was a tiny bit still in there. She decided to down it and see if it did anything. If not, she'd go back through the purple fire.
She turned the glass bottle upside over her mouth, and a couple drops entered. She swallowed it, and to her great surprise, she felt as though her body was suddenly covered in ice. Amazed, she put her finger in the black flames, and felt, not burning, but a tickling sensation. She slowly stepped through the fire, and emerged at the other end.
She hurriedly hid behind a statue, as she didn't want Quirrel or Harry to know she was here. Harry and Quirrel were talking about something… something like there was only power and weakness. No good or bad.
Harry didn't believe them; he was yelling. Hermione suddenly realized that it was the back of Quirrel's head that was talking. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open in terror.
Quirrel made for Harry, but as he touched him, he got blisters all over his hands. Harry realized this and tried to touch Quirrel's face, but Quirrel dodged it. Harry looked barely conscious; he was barely holding on. She was just thinking that she should go and help when Voldemort's voice spoke "Kill the girl! Behind the statue!"
She felt her insides freeze, almost like she'd just downed another bottle of that stuff. Quirrel turned and started running toward her. She jumped up and pulled out her wand. "Expelliarmus!" She screamed, sending Quirrel backward.
Quirrel regained himself. He pulled out his wand and bellowed "Crucio!"
Hermione screamed. She screamed as she'd never screamed in her life, either this one or that. Her whole body was on fire… she just wanted it to end… she thought she heard Voldemort's voice saying "Kill her! Just kill her!"
And then, it stopped. She scrambled to her feet, breathing fast. She glanced over at Harry behind Quirrel, and saw that he was stillbarely conscious, and that he was only still awake because he wanted to either know that he wasn't dreaming, or that he didn't know who she was.
She disarmed Quirrel again. He flew back and hit his head, hard, and slumped to the ground. Hermione rushed over to Harry and said, very fast "Harry, you have to get out of here. I need you to get up and go. Use a broom to get out." Harry could barely keep his eyes opened, and Hermione had her voice disguised.
"What about you?"
"I have to wait for Dumbledore,"
"No… Voldemort'll kill you..."
"No, he won't. Trust me."
"Who… who are you?"
"You don't know me," She said as she'd said to Ron.
She backed away and hid behind the statue again as Harry stood up, slowly. She saw him look around for her, and sighed when he didn't find her. He stood for a moment, getting over a dizzy spell, and then Quirrel, who had anonymously regained consciousness, struck again.
Hermione screamed as Quirrel tackled Harry, trying to get the Stone. Then, she told herself that there was nothing she could do. Harry had to defeat Quirrel on his own.
Quirrel was struggling to get the Stone from Harry, who was putting up a very good fight. Harry threw Quirrel off and then put his hands on Quirrel's face. Quirrel screamed; he was blistering again. His whole body was crumbling; and suddenly he was nothing.
Harry was breathing heavily, the Stone clutched in his left hand. Then, something arose from the dead Quirrel's body and hit Harry. As Harry was falling, both to the ground and into unconsciousness, Hermione heard a voice call "Harry! Harry!"
Hermione saw the ring of fire surrounding the room disappear. Dumbledore bent over Harry and Hermione ran for it. She knew that Dumbledore had looked around and saw her, but he didn't say anything and she kept running. Hermione ran all the way into the key room, grabbed a broom and flew up out of the trapdoor, and then sprinted back to her dormitory.
Exhausted, she undressed and climbed into bed. She looked over and saw that it was four in the morning. She sighed; to keep her cover, she would have to get up at 6:30, as usual. Or else they would suspect it was her who had gone down to help them. She would use a complicated spell she had learned to erase the circles under her eyes in the morning. She set her alarm for extra loud so she wouldn't sleep through it.
With that thought, she drifted off into a deep sleep.
