Author's Note: This is sort of like a drabble, but at the same time it's also like an alternate scene, or something of that nature. I think the title is self explanatory, so I don't think I need to make this note any longer. Enojy, and if you feel the need, tell me what you think! (Thanks to Rocky235 for reviewing!)

Hermione's Boggart

It's just a boggart, Granger, you can do it. It won't be like last time, you've changed since then. You're more mature. You can handle it, I thought to myself.

Although, why would our sixth year defense teacher want us to do something we had done already in our third year? Actually, the explanation she gave was a realistic one. Simple, but realistic.

"The last time you encountered a boggart, for most of you, was your third year of schooling. Now, I don't think you need me to inform you that a lot has happened since then, and you've changed dramatically. Your fears, in turn, have changed as well, and it's always best to know what you are most afraid of because, if given the chance, it will be used against you. Especially if you don't think you're sure about what you're most afraid of."

So we were assigned to go into a room that she had sectioned off, by ourselves, and fight our boggart. No problem, until I remembered my boggart from third year, and how Ron had made fun of me for it. Well, not again.

"Alohomora!" I unlocked the cabinet that the boggart had been trapped in; wondering what would be coming out of it. The door opened slowly, and nothing appeared immediately. Confused, I lowered my wand, looking around the room for the boggart, but not seeing a thing.

Had this ever happened to someone before, I wondered to myself. However, upon turning around I shrieked in horror at what lay before me. I couldn't stop the tears, because even though it was just a boggart, my fears could easily come true.

Harry's dead body lay sprawled in front of me, in a pool of blood. Struggling to focus, I pointed my wand at it, but I couldn't pull my gaze away from Harry's eyes. They were dull, lifeless, not the brilliant glittering green eyes I was so used to. That shook me to the core, and my wand slipped from my hand.

"No, no, no! It's not real, it's not real!" I sat with a thump on the floor and stared at the eyes that haunted me so. "Harry, you're not dead! This isn't REAL!" I covered my face; I didn't want to see that face.

Was this the horror Harry had felt when he'd seen Cedric Diggory's dead body? No wonder he had nightmares about it! Uncontrollable shaking took over me, and I uncovered my face and tried to find my wand.

I felt around on the ground for it, and ended up knocking it farther out of reach, closer to the dead Harry/ boggart. I couldn't do this, the teacher had told us, if we couldn't handle it by ourselves, don't be ashamed, and to call for help. She and several other students would come in and confuse it with the many things it would want to turn into.

"Help!" I called out desperately ashamed of myself, but at the same time wanting to get away from that body, knowing that it could happen, and that my fears weren't based on some paranoid delusion.

I continued crying when I heard the door open and several footsteps could be heard entering the room. I heard two sets of them stop abruptly, and I glanced up to see our teacher, along with Harry and Ron, their wands ready to help.

They were both frozen, staring at Harry's dead body in the steadily growing pool of blood. As soon as I glanced back at it, I started shaking again and cried harder. Harry wasn't going to die, he was going to live! He's a fighter, he would never give up to Voldemort!

"Accio wand!" I exclaimed, wondering why I hadn't thought of it before, and figuring I had been to frightened to think of it. My wand landed in my lap, and I looked up at Ron and Harry. Ron was staring at the boggart, his face horribly pale and his mouth opening and closing silently, like he was a fish out of water.

Harry, strangely enough, didn't seem to be phased by it that much, and our teacher walked forward to move it back into the cabinet. I didn't see what it changed into when she got near, but she quickly got it back into the cabinet without trouble, and came over to me.

"Hermione, I know you must feel horrible with yourself, but don't be. Some of the most experienced wizards and witches of our age can't bear to even consider fighting a boggart, much less see what their boggart is." She pulled me up and I wiped my face off before turning to Harry and Ron.

Ron gave me a strange look, and frowned at me before turning away stiffly without a word. I gazed at Harry, who tried to give me a comforting smile without success. Somehow, I knew that this boggart incident held more weight with Ron and this was going to change a dynamic within our friendship. It was only just a matter of when.