DISCLAIMER: WHAT'S MINE IS YOURS BUT WHAT NOT MINE IS NOT MINE :(

A/N: I'm so extremely sorry for updating so late! I kept thinking on working on it, but I was so overwhelmed with work… but the support of all my reviewers is my drive to finish! Thanks to all the reviewers! It makes me feel somewhat powerful! 8D

CHAPTER 8: THE TEST

PREVIOUSLY:

"I'm glad you came." He said with a slight smile. "But I'm afraid Pansy suspects something… we need to get in quick before she arrives."

"I don't know… I think we should go and speak with a professor or something…"

"If I thought a professor would be able to help I would've gone to one in the first place. Now hurry, I think I hear someone coming." Hermione reluctantly went into the room of requirement.

"Draco… what… what kind of room did you ask for?" Hermione asked as she turned around. To her surprise her eyes met with dark brown ones instead of the familiar gray.

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"Harry… I need to… we need to…don't get angry I… I… it was her decision… I… I… it's all my fault… I let her go…"

"Ginny…Ginny, slow down… I don't understand… it was whose decision? What's your fault?"

"I let her go see him. She was worried… I could see it on her face… I couldn't tell her no…"

"Who Ginny WHO?"

"Hermione… she's not back… she promised Harry… she promised…"

"What do you mean Hermione's not back? Back from where?" Harry voice was growing as was his frustration with Ginny who was speaking in incoherent sentences.

"Hermione… she got a letter from him… Malfoy… she…"

"WHAT!"

"she went to go see him… Harry… she's not back… she promised she would somehow by ten get into contact with me if she was okay… I…I… it's my fault… I let her go…"

Harry didn't stay to hear the rest of her sentence. He ran back to his dorm room to grab his map and cloak. When he got back down he saw Ginny had not moved. "Do you know where they were supposed to meet?"

"In the Room of Requirement… she said she was going to meet him at 8…" Ginny showed him the letter Hermione had given her. Harry took it and again immediately after hearing what Ginny said Harry ran toward the Room of Requirement. When Harry arrived, much like the year before, he began to pace in front of where the door should be and began to think of any way to get in. Much to his surprise the room was empty. He couldn't understand. The year before… if it was occupied it wouldn't open… he couldn't understand. He opened up his map and after saying the incantation he began to search for Hermione's name in fervent attempt to find her.

As he searched for Hermione he fell upon a name he did not expect to see. Draco Malfoy. According to the map Malfoy was in the library. Harry without another thought folded the map up and ran toward the library. Upon reaching the library he scanned the tables for any trace of Malfoy. As Harry ran up and down the big aisle of books, he finally found him at Hermione's table… the one all the way in the back where she liked to sit because of the privacy it created. Harry ran over to Malfoy and grabbed him by the shirt collar and picked him up. "Where is she? What the bloody hell have you done with her?"

"Is that scar getting to you? What in Merlin's beard are you on about?"

"Hermione… I know you two met… what the bleeding hell have you done with her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Potter, but I haven't met with her since we had our little chat. Remember? the one where you threatened me into promising not to meet her anymore?"

Harry took out the letter he took from Ginny and stuck it in Malfoy's face. "I have proof!"

"Potter, you GIT do you REALLY think I would leave any traces of our encounters if I were to be secretly meeting her? I'd make sure only she and I knew of where and when to meet. And this is not even my script first off secondly THIS is not the Malfoy Crest. We do NOT associate with snakes. My family crest has a Dragon on it. If I didn't know any better I'd think it was…"

"Voldermort."

"Bingo…" Harry without another thought let go of Draco and began to run out the library. As Draco saw Harry leave he couldn't help but feel a pang albeit a small one poke at his heart. Before his mind could register what he was doing he ran after Harry. "Potter… Potter… wait up… It's Zabini I know it is… after I failed last year Zabini became HIS new pet. Follow me."

"I'm not following you anywhere. For all now this could all just be a trap…"

"Fine don't trust me I wouldn't either. But this is not about you. This… this is about Granger. The Dark Lord… he had an obsession with her during the summer before I le… anyways he had all kinds of ways to use her… to manipulate her mind for his use. I even think he began to see her as an equal among us."

"Why are you telling me this and what were you about to say… before you what?"

"Never mind that. We need to hurry." Draco without turning to see if Harry was following began to run. It looked like he was running toward the Great Hall. All Harry could do was follow. Losing Hermione was not an option…

As they ran down the moving stairs right they saw in the distance Zabini in the entrance hall. Coming from outside presumably. "Zabini what have you done with her? Where is she?"

Zabini's neutral face changed into a maniacal one "Malfoy… it feels like I haven't seen you in a while. Do tell me where do you sleep now that you left us all to be a traitor. I have to assume that you're looking for the mudblood right? Well you'll never find her. And even when you do, you won't be able to save her. I gave it to her Malfoy. You failed last year, not when you didn't kill Dumbledore yourself, but when you refused to give a mudblood like her the 'gift'. No matter now. After failing twice to kill her, this time I will be successful and that is all I need. I will be rewarded GREATLY for this one."

"Where is she? Where did you leave her?"

"The forbidden forest is always a great place to put things you don't want wouldn't you say Potter?" Harry didn't respond. Half because of shock, the other half because he had no idea as to what the two were talking about.

"Sorry. You don't know what we are talking about right? It's called Tardus Nex, created by the traitor that stands next to you. It means slow death. It is very painful and slow…"

"Damn you Zabini where the FUCK did you leave her?"

"I would never tell you…" Malfoy frustrated just ran out the door. Harry followed soon after him. They ran together to the forest. Malfoy without thinking just ran into the forest. But Harry figured it would be easier with help. On his way he stopped by Hagrid's Hut.

"Hagrid… Hagrid I need your help!" Harry yelled as he pounded on Hagrid's door. He could hear Fangs barking on the other side as Hagrid approached the door. "Hagrid you need to go find Ron and Ginny. Hermione's in trouble and in the forest. It's an emergency! I also need to borrow Fangs."

"Yea… Yea… sure… I'll get right on it!" Harry then took Fangs and ran out the door into the woods.

"Come one Fangs… pick up Hermione's scent. We need to find her FAST!" Harry said as he ran after Fangs.

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Meanwhile Draco was thinking of where he could find Hermione and find some kind of plant to sustain her until they reached the castle. He had never regretted until now the making of the potion. He was stupid to believe that HE would not find out. Draco was lost. He had half a mind to quit. The potion… it probably had begun to take effect. Even if he screamed for her she wouldn't even be able to hear him. Soon… very soon she would lose her ability to speak, then to see, and last but not least to think. She would still have a mind to know that she is feeling pain though; it was specifically designed for that purpose. She will begin to feel pain like no other starting from the insides of her organs out. It will eat her from within. Even if she had a wand she would have no thoughts as to what kind of simple spell could dull the pain. "UGH HOW CAN SHE BE SO STUPID TO BELIEVE THAT LETTER!" Draco screamed at the top of his voice. As soon as he screamed this he could hear something in the distance. Immediately he ran toward the noise. Then he saw her. Just as the screaming had begun out of nowhere, it had stopped just as abruptly. It meant she would lose her sight in just a few moments before…

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Just as Harry reached the screaming, he saw Malfoy approach Hermione. He saw Malfoy pick up the small body of Hermione and carry her out, running as he did so. Harry just followed. "Give her to me." Harry demanded once he caught up with him. "It's best you not be seen, there will be all kinds of professors and students who will be out, I told Hagrid to get help. They'll think you did it…"

"Potter save the excuses… I know why… Don't worry. I have to intentions of seeing her. Also if she gets anymore of these stupid letters make sure she knows that they are traps…" Draco said as he stopped walking. Before Harry could turn around Draco placed Hermione on Harry's back. "Make sure she gets to the school fast. I gave her a bit of bezoar that I had in my pocket. It will slow down the process, but she will feel excruciating pain soon that will make her heart fail and die. Tell Pomphrey all she needs to do is make sure Granger gets just a few drops of Unicorn blood and any kind of antidote that contains unicorn hair. It will stop the process completely." With that Draco turned the other way and ran into the forest. Harry didn't understand. It was all a jumbled mess he had no idea what was happening. All he knew was that he needed to get Hermione to the infirmary and FAST!

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:One week later:

"I can't believe it's only December and I've been in the Infirmary more than twice!" Hermione exclaimed. She had no recollection of why she had gone to the infirmary; all she knew was that something had happened to her head so she couldn't remember. In actuality they had erased that part of her memory. It was something she would not let herself die down if she had remembered.

"Well be glad that only once it was for something serious" Harry said, half hating himself for the lie.

"I can't wait until the holidays. I'm planning on staying at the school and just catching up with all my work." Hermione said.

"Hermione… you need to take it easy. It's not like if you're falling behind. I looked at your schedule book, your still two lessons ahead in all your classes…"

"Yes but I should be 5 lessons ahead Harry… I have too many duties as Head Girl and such to not worry that eventually I will fall behind!" Hermione said.

"So you have no thoughts what so ever to come to Grimmauld Place or the Burrow? I don't think I can leave you by yourself… you're too prone to accidents this year." Harry said in a serious tone.

"Harry you need to rest a bit yourself. I see the way you fret over me. I'm fine and anyways I'll promise to stay in my room at all times and I won't even go outside in the snow just in case I might catch a cold…" Hermione said teasingly.

"Hermione… I'm not joking…"

"Harry… do you still have that mirror Sirius gave you?"

"No, I broke it shortly after remembering I had it after he…"

"Because… because Dumbledore… he had a pair…" Hermione said. "Why don't we each take one and every time you begin to worry about me you can ring me up and I'll answer. Okay?"

"Okay…" Harry said in a half hearted way. He would have stayed… but… there were too many things he needed to get straightened out about the order… "Hermione… promise… promise you won't go looking for him… I heard he has to stay at school too… I don't… I don't want you to get hurt…"

"Harry what are you…"

"Malfoy… don't… not even because of what I told you… make sure you stay clear of him…"

"Harry… I promise… don't worry about me will you?'

Harry couldn't help it… he had a feeling that if he left something… something big would happen just under his nose.