The next day was saturday and it was time to go to hogsmeade, Harry had spoken to Ron, he had told his best mate about his crush on Hermione and asked for his help with his plan. Ron was going to take Hermione to the bookshop to the back isles and keep her occupied looking at books. Harry would make an excuse to go with Seamus and instead he would slip into the jewelery store and it was easy from there on. So feeling confident, he left his dormitory and headed down to the Great Hall where breakfast was already being served. Galleons and Sickles jinggling in his pocket he took the steps four by four and sat quickly next to Hermione beating Neville by a mere second.
The village was alive with the new spring life. Flowers were blooming, birds were chirping and hundreds of Hogwarts students were pilling around in the shops and down the roads. Harry and his two best friends had been there for a few hours and they were about to go to the bookshop. "Oh hold on guys Seamus is calling me over"Harry said and then ran off in Seamus's direction. He explained quicly hat was going on and then brought Seamus with him when he walked back to his friends. "Hey guys, Seamus just wants to show me something.I'll be back"
"Well do you want us to wait for you ?" Hermione asked
"Oh no it'll be ok...I'll join you after we're done..ok?" Harry answered with his own question.
"Ok"his friends answered and turned to continue to the store, Ron turned around and gave Harry a thumbs up.
Harry then made his way over to the jewelery shop and picked out the gold bracelet he had in mind he paid for it (10 galleons) and then got it gift wrapped. He ran out of the store and all the way to the book shop where he was sure to find a bored-to-death Ron and a vigorously-looking-for-the-book-she-heard-about Hermione.
Sure enough thats what he found when he entered the book store and he managed to pry both of them from the store and into the Three Broomsticks for a warm butterbeer. The rest of the day was quite uneventful but fun and merry just the same.
At diner time they went back to the castle and to the feast. The house-elves had once again overdone themselves. The food was delicious. The feast was long and uneventful, unless you count Neville dropping a bowl of boiling hot soup in his lap. Harry was jumpy tonight, he had a gift for the love of his life in his pocket and nothing could happen to it, it couldn't be seen, it couldn't be broken...he HAD to get OUT! He had barely eaten anything but kept serving himself with the next course, at that moment it was desert, delicious chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and a cherry. He ate some of it but was too nervous to finish the rest, the day he would tell Hermione how exactly he felt. Wow! Suddenly he needed to lay down, he felt dizzy.
Harry went up to bed as soon as he and his friends got up to the tower and slept with awesome dreams about Hermione. The next morning Harry woke up bright and early. He got dressed and went down to the common room where he found some of his homework and did a few assignments before the other Gryffindors started coming through the common room on the way to the great hall. It was going to be a great day Harry felt as he walked down to the Great Hall, the sun was shinning brightly and everything seemed to glow in it's rays of light. The sky was blue with only very few clouds polluting its beauty. He sat down at the gryffindor table and noticed that most student were from years bellow him and not people he usually talked to. He ate his breakfast, bacon, eggs and toast, with hunger. He was almost donw when Hermione walked into the great Hall it was nearly easter and she was wearing pastel colors, a light yellow baby-T shirt, some light blue pants and a jacket of the same color with her hair down in its usual slightly-more-bushy-than-a-girl-could-want way that Harry had grown so fond of. She saw him and walked over to him quickly although still swinging her hips from side to side.
"Morning Harry!" she said brightly as she sat next to him brushing herself up on him as she sqeased through her chair and his. Harry tried desperatly not to get aroused.
"G'morning 'Moine!"he returned as brightly as she "How'd you sleep?" he asked passing her the orange juice.
"Oh very well, actually best nights sleep I've had in weeks!" she said while she finished buttering her toast.
"and you?" she asked after she had swallowe her first bite.
"it was fine" he said as he turned so she wouldn't see his blush.
She left the hall with him when he was done, bringing the rest of her other toast in her hand. She noticed what he was wearing, slightly baggy dark blue jeans, a blue T-shirt with a black zip-up hoody that was un-zipped. his wand in the holster he had been given earlier in the past 13 months. His hair was horribly messy, but so appealing! His emerald green eyes sparkled at her from beneath his glasses.
"So what do you want to do?"He asked her not wanting to be the one who brought up the idea of walking around the lake.
"Oh i guess we-" she started but a loud, booming voice rang out in the entire castle.
"ALL STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND GHOSTS PLEASE GET TO THE GREAT HALL IMMEDIATLY, I REPEAT EVERYONE TO THE GREAT HALL NOW!" It was the voice of Professor McGonagal.
Panic overtook Harry's insides as he heard this message. Ice was seeping into his veins, he swiftly took out his wand and took hold of Hermione's hand pulling her along with him as he nearly ran al the way into the Great Hall it was usually a two minute walk from the door-way where they had been but they had arrived within 20 seconds. Harry put his wand back in it's holster and kept bringing Hermione with him as they heard what sounded like a stampede from the floors above. "What's happening Harry?" Hermione asked panicked herself.
"I don't know"he admitted "but we're going to find out" he finished as he started to pull her towards the high table where all the teachers were talking in hurried hushed voices.
"Professor Dumbledore!" he called out when they had entered ear-shot
"Yes Harry what is it? Be quick we have an announcement to make" the old man replied
"What's going on?" Harry asked quite boldly.
"Harry come see me after this announcement, bring the strongest DADA students with you." he answered in a rush and then cleared his voice.
"This can't be good" Harry heard Hermione whisper.
"Thank you all for coming so quickly"Dumbledore started "I wish that theannouncement I am about to make was a happy one, but alas it isn't." he looked around the hall to show everyone he wasn't joking. "Teachers, students and ghosts, it is unfortunate to bring such bad news but i must warn you that this official letter came for us today."He held up a big black enveloppe and pulled out a black paper with what seemed to be silvery writting on it. "It says: ' To whom it may concern, your side has been awaiting for this moment for a while and now I'll make it official. I, Tom Marvolo Riddle also known as Lord Voldemort, hereby declare war against the mudbloods and vile muggles poluting our world. We will see who wins in reality!'" Dumbledore looked around and sighed.
"It seems we have a war on our hands, I need to see Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley along with other strong defense students to please come to my office right away. By strong I mean, with grades of E's and O's. The rest of you, get ready we could fight our battle any day, any minute. That is all"
Students got up and walked to their common rooms writting what could be their last letters, kissing their boyfriends/girlfriends maybe for the last time. All of this was being done while some 50 students gathered in the headmasters office, he quickly dismissed all students from years four and bellow leaving only years 5 through 7 to be in the office.
"Welcome Students, I am glad to see you all. Although I wish it could be under different circumstances. Alright, now onto more pressig matters. War is breaking out i want everyone ready to fight any time of day, even of night. You are all to eat well, sleep as much as you can. I suggest you do complete any unfinished buisness, and I don't mean your homework. Please try to be strong! We can do this, just focus and keep your heads up. You are dismissed"
Harry and Hermione left the office stil clutching each others hands with Ron walking next to them. All the color in his face had drained out and left him as white as a sheet. Harry was nervous it was approaching, his deadline. Hermione walked with out much thought only th constant realizations, 'I'll never see my parents again...I'll die without knowing love...' so many thoughts began pourring into her mind by then.
Ron noticed his friends holding hands and pulled Harry aside after having excused themselves from Hermione's constant hyper-ventilation.
"Did you tell her mate?" Ron asked with a small trace of a smile on his face.
"No I was about to put the plan into action when..."he trailed off both knowing exactly what he was talking about.
"Do it now! Today! This could be your last chance." Ron said and headed back towards their best female friend, trying to calm her down.
It had been an hour and everyone was nervous, jumpy. In the Gryffindor common room, all the students were writing furiously on three feet long parchments. Writing 'novels' as Ron would have said to their loved ones. Harry was the only one not scribbling on parchment. He had no one to write to he simply put all in things into his trunk and layed out clothes for the next day. He prepared everything for a quick and easy wake up. Finally at around five in the evening, he was getting restless, he needed to tell Hermione how he felt. He went to find her among the chaos that was the common room and found her staring at a wall.
"Hermione, would you like to come on a walk with me?" he asked gently
"Sure Harry" she said as she sanpped out of her trance.
The walked out of the common room and down to the lake where they began circling the body of water, still as if a mirror just waiting to break. THe sun was beginning to set and the sky was a mixture of orange, pink, blue and red. It was beautiful! Harry was losing his confidence and they were heading back towards the castle. They hadn't talked but only enjoyed the peacfulness of their could-be last moments. As they were about six feet from the door he turned roughly and took both of Hermione's in his and gently messaged the back of them with his thumbs.
"Hermione, I have something I've wanted to tell you for a long time..." he said
"Ok go a head Harry" She replied
"I just needed to tell you, because i've felt this way for a long time and..." he started, and Hermione's eyes were lit up with happiness despite the horrible circumstances "Hermione..i ...I ..Lo-"
A huge white light exploded from near the lake and the friends had to shield their eyes. Out of the light Harry heard it, a laugh so cold so void of happiness and so evil. Harry drew his wand, people from inside the school flooded out and took their places to fight. He turned to his left expecting to see Hermione there ready to fight with him. he was wrong.
Hermione was gone.
A/N OOOOhhhh Cliffy! Where's Hermione? What happened? You'll just have to read to find out...Review Too!