Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to Jo Rowling, WB, and everyone else who has managed to get their hands on it…

Chapter Two

Thus her friends found her, mumbling softly in her sleep under the tree. It had quickly gotten late and after completing what assignments remained, Hermione suggested to the boys to go look for her. It was not exactly difficult to find her, as she usually went to the same place to be alone.

"What, what, what?" Imogene finally queried after being nudged by Harry for the twelfth time.

"How long have you been out here?" he questioned, in lieu of a response.

"Oh, I don't know," she snapped, finally rising to her feet. "I suppose it's getting late?"

"Couldn't you tell?"

"You know I never keep track of the time."

As the four started to head back to the school, Imogene violently jerked her head around, her eyes searching frantically for something.

"What's wrong?" Ron cut in.

"I… Did you see… Never mind," she quickly finished.

"See what?" Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I thought I saw someone. But, it must have been my imagination. I'm tired, that's all," she finished with a smile. It quickly turned into a grimace of pain. "Ooooww. I must have fallen asleep right under the sun."

"Sunburn? Again?"

"Yes, again. It's not my fault I'm pale!"

Slowly and wearily, they trudged back towards the castle. Harry and Ron headed straight for the Great Hall and their dinner. Hermione had also started in that direction, but decided to go towards the dormitories when she saw Imogene heading that way.

"But aren't you hungry!" Ron stared incredulously.

"Not really," they chorused back. "We'll meet you after you eat."

"Fine by me," the boys returned. As soon as Hermione and Imogene had their backs turned, they dashed towards the tables, loaded with food.

"Alright, tell me. Right now," Hermione demanded as soon as they got up to the dormitories.

"Tell you what?" Imogene turned towards her, her eyes wide and innocent.

"You know perfectly well what."

"Do I?"

"Look, you're my best friend. Why won't you tell me what's bothering you?"

"Nothing's bothering me! Where did you get that idea?"

"Because you jump at every sound, your appetite, usually enormous by this time of day, is completely gone, and you look very pale, despite the fact that you have been out in the sun all day and should, at least, look red."

"That's all you are worried about?" She laughed weakly, then sat down on her bed.

"Well, yes. Harry and Ron may not have noticed, but I certainly did. It's just not like you. Did something happen?"

"I went out. I fell asleep. You woke me up. That is all. Honestly."

"At the very least, tell me what you heard by the lake," she finally pleaded.

"A splash. But how unusual is that? Just a splash. By a body of water. Completely common!"

"Did you see anyone before you fell asleep?"

"Hermione, don't be ridiculous. You act as if someone is stalking me!"

"You never know…"
"Who would want to stalk me! I'm not pretty, I'm not famous, I'm not rich.."

"So? If there is a crazy person on the grounds-"

"Diving into the lake to avoid being seen?"

"And he.. That is.." She trailed off, realising that her argument now seemed quite ridiculous.

"Nothing's wrong, ok? And if it was, you would be the first to know, trust me."

"I'll hold you to it," Hermione replied. For now, she was somewhat mollified. For now...

The next morning dawned like a golden heap of misery and weariness on Imogene, who hadn't been able to sleep all night. As soon as she would close her eyes, images of strange faces and places filled them. Terrified, she had sat on the edge of her bed, eyes wide open, staring straight ahead. Perhaps she would keep her promise to her friend. She didn't know what else to do.

"Hermione," she nudged her gently. "Hermiiiione..."

"What is it? I'm up!" True to her word, she jolted upright and found herself looking into the frantic face of Imogene. The sunburn had faded from her nose, but her cheeks were bright red, as if from a fever. "Oh no, what's wrong?" she added quickly.

"I...I'm scared, Hermione. There's something wrong, I just know it. You might have been right. I think someone was watching me."

Hermione did not even feel like gloating. Her friend's face was so pathetic and her hands were shaking.

"The important thing," she quickly commanded, "Is to get some rest, I think."

This suggestion only alarmed the "patient" more.

"No! That's when I see him! Or it! Or...I don't know... I didn't sleep all last night because that is what I see when I close my eyes. Shadows... of somebody or something."

"Then maybe we should go up to the infirmary?" she suggested.

"I suppose.." Imogene still had her misgivings. There was something seriously wrong! And she had a feeling that no amount of magical medicine would be able to fix it.

The head nurse had seen her share of sick girls and boys. She could treat practically every problem, usually quickly and painlessly. She also had a knack for figuring out exact diagnoses for her patients. However, the girl that tottered into the hospital wing on Tuesday morning on the arm of her friend was something of a mystery. She was ill and frightened, but there was nothing actually causing it. Whatever she saw when she closed her eyes were no hallucinations, since she could tell those from a mile away, nor was her problem spell-induced. The woman bade the shaking girl to lie down on a bed and paced the long aisle, wondering what it was that had caused this perfectly healthy young woman to suddenly fall ill like this.

Finally, she elected to ask the headmaster for help. After all, he was a very experienced wizard, and would know more than she could. After sending a very dismayed and nervous Hermione back to her classes, she called Headmaster Dumbledore down, on a matter of grave importance. Meanwhile, she laid a wet cloth across Imogene's feverish forehead, which only caused her to shiver more. "A mystery..." the good lady decided, after again looking to see whether this was just influenza.

"Hermione!"

An agitated voice rang out in the Great Hall as the aforementioned hurried down the steps, practically tripping down the second to last one.

"Where have you been? Where's Imogene?" Harry looked genuinely worried, as did Ron, at both the absence of one friend, and the demeanor of the other.

"She's sick. She woke me up this morning and I took her to the infirmary," the girl responded quietly. No need for the whole school to know that Imogene was unwell. "I think something happened when she went out alone yesterday."

Harry raised his eyebrows at this news, while Ron furrowed his.

"At any rate," she continued, "She is there now and the nurse has no idea what is wrong with her."

"That's never good.." Harry stated flatly.