Chapter 52. Placing the Blame.

Blood was everywhere, on Harry's fingers, on Malfoy's blonde hair…on the grey stone floor. Harry turned around, every object, every colour…everything in the room a blur to him as his eyes found Hermione, slumped against the wall.

The same whine of panic took hold of him as it had last year in the Department of Mysteries as he took in the blood and black liquid that stained her robes, her unseeing eyes, her lips turning blue, and the absence of movement of her chest.

She wasn't breathing.

Harry ran to Hermione and crouching down next to Ron, who looked completely shocked and was staring at her. "She's not breathing!" Harry shouted.

Ron did nothing.

"What do we do?" Harry asked helplessly.

Ron said nothing.

Harry fumbled for Hermione's wrist, searching for a pulse. It was there-faint-but there, and if he looked closer, her chest was moving slightly. Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Go get Dumbledore." Harry instructed. "She's got a pulse, but you need to get Dumbledore." Harry yelled urgently, and Ron looked at Harry, and nodded, swallowing.

"She'll…she'll be alright though…won't she?" He asked, sounding so meek and desperate that Harry almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

"She won't if you keep standing there!" Harry yelled, and Ron nodded, running out of the room and pounding down the stairs.

Harry and Hermione were left alone.

Harry had no idea what to do. Before, it had been panic and urgency and common sense that told him what to do. Ron's silence had forced him to take charge, but now that Ron was gone…

Harry looked helplessly at Hermione and felt tears roll down his cheeks at the sight of her dead-like appearance. He didn't bother to wipe his tears away.

"Tell me what to do Hermione, please." He begged, taking her ice cold hand. His eyes travelled to the sickening wound in her gut, and he hurriedly took off his robe, even though he was only wearing a shirt underneath and it was cold. He bundled it up and pressed it to the wound, hoping that he was doing something right.

He sat back, the material still pressed to her stomach, her eyes staring past him and into some place he did not know where. His teeth were chattering now from the cold, but he did not dare put his robe back on in case it was actually helping Hermione.

His mind played back everything he had said to Hermione, and a terrible emotion took hold of Harry…if Hermione died, the last words he would have spoken to her would have been full of hate and anger. She would never have known how much he meant to her, how much he needed her, how much he loved her.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. I'm so sorry." Harry begged, tears flowing freely down his cold, pale cheeks. "I should have gotten here sooner, I should have stopped you coming, and I should have killed Malfoy when I had the chance."

Footsteps pounded on the staircase behind the door, and Harry looked to it hopefully. Relief flooded his face as Dumbledore appeared in the doorway, his expression pained and shocked. Madam Pomfrey pushed her way past Dumbledore, stopping and gasping in shock at the sight of Hermione.

"Madam Pomfrey…" Harry said, glancing helplessly between Hermione and the nurse. "Please…please help her."

Madam Pomfrey nodded, broken out of her shock and she knelt next to Hermione, taking out various potions and things from the black bag she carried.

"Where's Ron?" He asked.

"He went the toilets." Dumbledore said, walking to Draco Malfoy and inspecting him. "He felt sick."

Harry nodded, but wished Ron was with him now, so they could look after their best friend together.

"Did you do this, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, gesturing to the cords that bound Draco and the blood that pooled on the floor.

"Yes." Harry said, not an ounce of guilt in his body.

Dumbledore surveyed Harry with curious eyes, peering over his half moon spectacles to look at the boy who would save the world. Dumbledore said nothing however, and left Malfoy where he lay, and asked Madam Pomfrey how Hermione was.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head, her face white, and her fingers trembling. "There's not much I can do."

The whine of panic went off again in Harry's head and he looked sharply at the nurse, wishing he had heard wrong. "Is she…is she going to…d-die?"

Madam Pomfrey looked at him, honesty in her eyes. "Possibly."

Harry choked; something was constricting his breathing in his throat. Tears clouded his vision as he struggled to keep a hold on himself, but he found he couldn't. Harry could not imagine life without Hermione, she was one of his closest friends, and she meant more to him than he could and would ever say to her. The thought of spending his life without Hermione as his friend sickened him, and he felt the need to vomit too.

"We should contact the Healers at St Mungo's. If she can be saved, then the methods required are past my experience and knowledge." The nurse said.

"Well then get her there." Harry said coldly, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pomfrey look to Dumbledore for consent. Dumbledore gave it, all the while looking at Harry with a sad expression on his face.

Madam Pomfrey quickly left the tower, instructing them to keep Hermione warm and to take her to the hospital wing. Dumbledore quickly conjured up a blanket and draped it over Hermione, then turned back to Harry.

"Harry, you must try to control your emotions." He said softly, and Harry stared at him, hating him with all the strength he could muster.

"How can you ask me to do that?"

"Hermione is very important to you, I know this Harry. But you must keep your feelings in check, Voldemort-"

"I don't care!" Harry shouted, tears streaming down his face. "I don't care if I'm projecting my emotions to Voldemort! I don't care!" He stopped, panting, and looked at Hermione's pale face. "I'm losing one of my best friends. I don't fucking care."

Dumbledore nodded, keeping wisely silent.

"It's all my fault." Harry choked. "The things I said to her…merely an hour ago…she's gonna die thinking that I hate her."

Dumbledore shook his head, placing a grand-fatherly hand on Harry's shoulder. "No she will not. She knows how you feel about her, more than you do yourself. And she would have known that you did not mean whatever it was you said to her." Dumbledore sighed. "If it was anyone's fault, it would be mine." Harry looked at him, and was shocked by the guilty and sad expression on his headmasters face. "I never knew about Mister Malfoy, about his true self. And I should have known. If it was anyone's fault, Harry, it would be mine."

The pair was both silent for a moment, until Dumbledore said that they had better move Hermione to the hospital wing. Harry nodded, standing up and wiping furiously at the tears on his cheeks and in his eyes. Dumbledore conjured up a mat and Hermione was carefully levitated on it. He then levitated Malfoy off the ground, and Harry took Hermione's cold hand as they walked down the stairs and towards the hospital wing, Hermione and Malfoy floating in front of them.

He wished that Ron could be here at the moment, he wished that he had not fought with Hermione; he wished he had pushed Malfoy off his broom at a higher distance from the ground. He wished many things, but most of all he wished-willed-Hermione to be alright, to turn her head, look into his eyes and tell him she was fine, then lecture him about doing homework on time. But she did not do it, her eyes were still open but they stared unseeing into the ceiling. She did not blink once, nor did she look anywhere else. It was unnerving, but Harry did not dare close them, she would look too dead with them closed.

They reached the hospital wing, where several Healers, Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall, Kingsley, Tonks, Snape and Ron were waiting. Ron had his head in his hands, and Harry could tell he was crying. No one comforted him, and Harry knew that was what he would want also. How could someone tell him that it was ok, that Hermione would be fine, when she so clearly would not, and it was not ok!

The Healers immediately started to inspect Hermione, putting her on one of the beds and looking her over, muttering quietly to each other. Kingsley and Tonks immediately took care of Malfoy, putting him on one of the beds and pressing a bandage to his wound on his head. Both Ron and Harry glared at Malfoy in his still form, wishing he were dead.

"Harry, will you come over here please?" Tonks asked kindly, and Harry nodded, walking away from Hermione and joining Tonks, Kingsley, Dumbledore and McGonagall. Ron sat on a chair a bit away from them, listening in.

"Harry, can you tell me what happened?" Kingsley asked, and Harry nodded. Kingsley took out a quill and some parchment.

"S-She left the common room at about nine. We were having a party, because we won the Quidditch match today, and I told her not to leave."

"Why?"

"I found out today, from Ron, that Hermione was friends with Draco Malfoy. And he has always been horrible to us, and I did not trust him with her. And we argued about it. And she left."

"When did you fight?" Kingsley asked.

Harry swallowed. "Today, before the Quidditch match. I got angry with her. And then again at the party, when she was leaving."

"So you let 'er go?" Tonks asked, and Harry nodded. "What did you do after?"

"I found Ron, and told him what was happening. He said we should follow her, so we did…under my dad's invisibility cloak."

"How far behind were you from Miss Granger?" Kingsley asked, his quill in his hand, writing down everything Harry was saying.

"A couple of minutes." Harry said. It was true, but he had the Marauder's Map with him at the time, so it was easy to see where Hermione was going.

"And when you got to the tower, what were they doing?"

Harry swallowed again; he could feel tears pricking in his eyes. He could not forget the image of Hermione, slumped against the wall, her skin going pale and Malfoy standing over her. "He was talking to her, she was slumped against the wall…she was hurt. He had a dagger in his hand; it was covered with h-her b-blood. And he said that her d-dying would give him great pleasure. And then he saw us."

"Did you three duel?" Tonks asked, and Harry nodded.

"It didn't take long really, he took our wands and then I made him slam against the wall."

"You made him?" Dumbledore repeated, and Harry nodded.

"I-I don't know how. I just saw Hermione…and…he just slammed against the wall." Harry explained, not knowing how he had done it.

"Did you use an action or say a spell?" Dumbledore asked, interested and slightly pleased.

"I put up my hand, like this." Harry said, demonstrating. "Then, I got my wand, and put cords around his body, and knocked him out. And then…Ron found you obviously…and that's it."

Kingsley nodded. "That's fine Harry. I may need to ask some more questions later, but I think we are done for now." He said, standing up.

"What are you going to do with him?" Ron asked hoarsely, staring at the ground.

"He will be going to Azkaban." Kingsley said firmly. "He is now old enough."

"Will there be a trial?" McGonagall asked, her face pale after hearing everything.

"I doubt it." Tonks said. "Madam Bones will look over this information, and if she's happy with it, then he won't have a trial."

"We'll be off then, Dumbledore." Kingsley said, and Dumbledore nodded, thanking them. "We are very sorry, Harry, Ron." Kingsley said, and Harry nodded in thanks, but he could not look at him. Tonks squeezed his shoulder, and Harry felt something constricting his throat…everything was so final, so grim, it was almost as if they were confirming that Hermione was going to die. And Harry did not want that.

He strode past Dumbledore and approached the Healers as they discussed something with Professor Snape. "What's happening to her? Is she going to be ok?"

One of the Healers looked at him, unsure whether to tell Harry what was happening. But at the sight of his scar, and at Dumbledore's nod of consent, the Healer decided to tell Harry and Ron-who had appeared at Harry's side.

"She is suffering from severe poisoning and blood loss. The blood loss we can fix, but the poisoning is more complicated."

"But you can save her, right?" Ron asked adamantly.

The Healer sighed, and looked at the boys, honesty and sadness showing in his face. "We are taking her to St Mungo's where she can be properly assisted. However, you should expect the worst. From our tests, she has a small chance of surviving."

"But there's a chance." Ron said desperately.

The healer nodded "But you should expect the worst. It will be easier on two boys if you do." The Healer said seriously, and Ron turned away, staring out of the window so no one could see him cry.

"Do whatever you can." Harry demanded tearfully. "Save her, please."

The healer nodded, and the Healers turned their backs to him, feeding Hermione potions that would make the pain lessen.

Ron muttered something about telling Ginny and Neville and abruptly left the hospital wing. McGonagall left, saying that she needed to contact Hermione's parents. Harry retreated to the back of the ward, away from Hermione and the busy Healers, unable to bear seeing her anymore. The ward grew quiet, apart from the hushed whisperings of the Healers.

Harry could hear footsteps approach from behind, but he did not turn around.

"Mister Potter." Snape's icy voice cut through the air. "I am sorry."

Harry clenched his fists as his thoughts turned to Snape. "You should be." He said coldly. "How did you not know?"

"The Dark Lord does not trust me with information."

Harry ground his teeth and stared at the wall opposite him in frustration. "Then you are no use. You were sent to Voldemort to hear about his plans…yet you didn't hear about this!" Harry's voice rose as he turned around, and the Healers looked their way.

"I am sorry I did not hear about Draco Malfoy." Snape said quietly, trying to be nice as Dumbledore had told him to be. Dumbledore had known that Harry would place some of the blame, if not most, on Snape. Snape himself had expected that.

"You are a spy." Harry said quietly, meeting Snape's gaze unflinchingly. "And you are the head of his house! How did you not know?"

"The Dark Lord does not trust me with information." Snape repeated.

"Bull." Harry scoffed.

"There are always casualties and fatalities in a war Mister Potter." Snape stated.

"Don't talk about her like that!" Harry shouted. "She's my best friend! And she could die, 'cos of you. Because fucking Voldemort did not trust you." Harry said angrily.

"Language, Mister Potter."

"Fuck off!" Harry shouted. "I'm not the one that has done something wrong! Or at least…you are more to blame than me." Harry added stonily. "And if she dies…I hope you can live with yourself." Harry said coldly. "Because I had an argument with her moments before this all happened. And I feel like shit. So if she dies…I really hope you can live with yourself." Harry finished, glaring at him coldly, before leaving the hospital ward.

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Hi everyone, I'm really sorry for the wait. I'm really busy with exams and revising at the moment so there won't be a lot of updates this month until the exams finish.

Thank you all for the reviews! I loved seeing your reactions to that last chapter, it was great!

OhTheConfusion: of course you may use the dagger for your story, no problem.

Kaity ): no its not the same poison, that poison is meant for vampires, and of course the cure is the blood of a slayer, so I'm not gonna have human Hermione drink Buffy's blood because that would be weird. The poison I used is just plain old killing poison. It's fun.

AnimeHanyou39: Lol that was a lot of questions. I doubt there is gonna be more Buffy/Sirius fluff. They're gonna stay together of course, but their relationship isn't so important to the story, I just like them together. As for the violence and blood…yeah I should think so. And as for the other questions…do you really think I would answer them? Lol. Wait till the end of the story and your questions would have been answered.

Buffy/Harry Potter Fan: Thanks for all the reviews! I don't have time to go through all the questions right now but as the story comes to an end, all questions should be answered!

Anyway, I hope to update quicker than last! Please review and if I don't update before, Merry Christmas (for all those who celebrate)! Happy holidays for the ones who don't celebrate Xmas!

Becks