The two students followed Neville past the corridors. The race was not for long, only a climb up the stairs and a few tiles further until they reached the boy's bathroom, not a walk longer than five minutes at a normal pace. The three Gryffindor entered the place, Hermione forgetting her gender, and not caring at all. They walked past the pale tiles, approaching an open door. Three bodies peeked out of it, their backs to be more concrete.

The two friends peeked inside. Fred and George were holding the young red head. Ron was laying on the floor weakly, attempting with hopeless effort to maintain his head and body up. He was the closest thing Hermione had ever seen to a drunken person close to ethylic comma. The youth had vomited into the WC, rests of greenish yellow bilis laid onto the white ceramic, mixed with drops of a strange, dark crimson. Ron looked up to focus his sad, sank eyes onto the girl's warm orbs, his white lips dripped with blood.

"Help… me…Hermione…!" Ron whimpered frightened, his voice nothing but a weak croak.

"I don't know what to do!" the girl exclaimed, looking around nervously.

Ron turned around as his body convulsed again aggressively. He gripped onto the white ceramic and sank his head inside it. The boy burped loudly as a splashing sound was heard. Harry gasped and recoiled, Hermione paled and Neville felt faint as the red headed youth vomited a mouthful of blood. Then he fell silent, exhausted as he was, all he did was breath with the effort of someone who has run for a long while.

"Damn it…!" whispered Hermione feeling tears welling up her eyes.

"What is wrong?" Harry asked weakly, gazing with worry at his friend.

"I don't know…" Fred looked at his brother, then at Harry with a dark, grim look.

"It looks serious…" Neville mustered glancing at his dormitory companion.

"Damn it!" Hermione yelled loudly, "What are you waiting for? Take him to the infirmary!" the girl yelled.

Ron shook his head weakly, wanting to feel better but not wanting to spend the following days in the infirmary, not when he was about to become an animagi. George looked at his brother with sparkling, green eyes, worry framing them.

"He doesn't want to…" George pointed out staring at the girl with impotence.

"What? He doesn't want?" The girl began with disbelief, "Can't you see he is dieing? He's vomiting BLOOD! Take him to the fucking infirmary NOW!" Hermione bellowed loosing control of herself.

Suddenly she stood very silent, her face very pale. Harry and Nevilled observed her with attention. The girl broke, her sobs echoed in the bathroom, and she covered her face with her hands to hide the tears that were streaming through her face. Harry and Neville dragged her out of the bathroom, and back to the common room.

"Take him to the infirmary!" commanded Harry severely as he dragged Hermione outside.

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"What is going to happen to him?" wailed Hermione with fearful worry.

"Nothing, you'll see he's going to be ok!" Harry was rubbing the girl's arms, trying to comfort her, although inside his stomach fluttered with nerves, and his veins felt cold with fear.

"He was fine! Last night he was just fine… he was with me… and he hugged me, and comforted me, and… OH MERLIN!" the girl sighed letting her head fall over her knees.

Harry observed her with attention, saying nothing. He simply listened to her words wondering briefly why they had coincided, and why had the red headed hugged her, or why she needed comfort. As curious as he might be, Harry realized this was not the proper time to question Hermione about her grieves and her doubts.

"If something happens to him… oh don't let anything happen to him!" Hermione began crying again, letting tears slip past her cheeks without control.

Suddenly the portrait opened. Hermione and Harry turned around rapidly to see who had entered. It was Ron, followed by his two twins, both of which were already joking with him, hence keeping a slight distance while they faked being contaminated. The youth was still pale, and his legs were still wobbly and weak, but otherwise he was smiling and seemed fine.

"Ron!" yelled Hermione standing up from the sofa and racing towards him.

The girl pounced on the young redheaded and encircled his neck with her arms, laying her body upon his warmth and sobbing on his shoulder. Ron seemed confused when the girl began crying on his shoulder again, but returned the hug tightly, swaying slightly while he smiled contented.

"There, there, Hermione, I'm fine!" the boy smiled gently at the girl, pushing her away to stare at her humid face.

"What did Madame Pomfrey tell you?" inquired Hermione curiously, staring straight into his eyes.

"Gave me a nasty potion and said I was fine, some intoxication of some kind, something about mold!" commented the boy lacking importance to his sickness.

"Yeah, our little brother is too tough to kill!" laughed George punching the youth's shoulder.

"If he didn't enjoy just about eating everything he found, watch out Hermione!" Fred winked at the girl, making her blush lightly and smile at their foolishness.

"Guys!" snapped Ron becoming irritated.

"Well, our job is done here, see you later Lovebirds!" George called out vanishing through the portrait.

"Morons…" mustered Ron glaring at the spot they had vanished through, "Whose idea was it to give them the Defence Against the Dark Arts position?" he inquired glancing at Harry.

"I believe McGOnagall's!" Harry pointed out with a smile, "Welcome back, you gave us some fright back there!" the raven haired boy commented with a worried grin.

"Yeah, I was scared half to death, it's not everyday you vomit blood, you know?" Ron scratched the back of his head foolishly.

"You made Neville sick too! He's in bed trying to recover from the shock!" Hermione added severely, still shaking lightly.

"Hey, like it was my fault!" snarled Ron, yet his smile accused him of not being mad at all, hence the girl's grin also revealed something else. "Is Hermione joking?" commented Ron playfully.

"Oh Ron!" muttered Hermione throwing her hands up in the air.

"No! Really? I never thought I'd see the day when Hermione would joke!" Ron smirked at the girl, containing laughter.

"Ron! Stop!" Hermione pointed out severely, yet glanced at Harry as if to plead him for help against the red headed.

Harry simply shrugged, probably deciding to let the two fix the matter themselves. At least they were not fighting, and considering the couple of fearful hours they had spent, it was a relief to see Ron in such a wonderful mood.

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The young student glanced apprehensively at the field. In front of her, yet at a good distance, stood two magnificent beasts, larger than trees, with a strength and beauty that inspired envy. Large lizards, one probably longer than two buses, silver scales glimmered in the afternoon light, a powerful head rested on the long neck, and the strong wings were folded calmly against its sides. The other one was smaller, the scales of a bright copper, such that it looked as if the whole beasts was on fire. The leathery wings fluttered at each side as a woman tied a saddle on its back, and the red mane shook as the restless beast shook its head up and down, making the bridles chime like tiny bells.

"Hermione, come here!" the woman preparing the animals yelled at the girl, who was keeping her distance.

Hermione sighed and her shoulders fell. She took careful, hesitant paces towards the dragons, while her eyes landed on the animals, shaded with lack of trust. The girl stood closer, but made sure she was out of head reach of the two reptiles. Her muscles were tense, ready for anything, and her hand caressed the wand amorously.

"You are not serious about this, now are you?" Hermione inquired, she was not eager to ride on a dragon just yet, and never for that matter.

"Relax, these are tame dragons. It's not like I'm telling you to ride and Hungarian Horntail, now am I?" Professor Alazan smiled while pulling at the saddle's stripes with strength, such that the copper dragon moaned.

"But professor, I've never ridden one of this, not even a griffin or a Pegasus yet! I don't think I'm ready!" the girl complained, yet keeping manners calm.

"I've seen you ride a horse, and riding griffins and Pegasus is just like them, with the exception that they have wings. I even believe dragons will give you no problems, but a rider able to master a dragon is very precious in the ministry. Who knows, you might get a good position at some dragon reserve!" Professor Alazan patted the dragon's back while smiling at the girl with pride.

"Well, but won't they bite or something?" Hermione asked, and received a snort from the copper dragon, as its amber eyes glanced at her disapprovingly.

"Of course! You just have to avoid annoying it!" the professor walked towards the silver dragon, which was laying on the ground.

"How do I get on its back?" Hermione inquired, now approaching the dragon carefully, and watching the saddle with studious eyes.

"Stand on his leg, hold the wing and the saddle, and jump!" Professor Alazan explained going up the argent dragon.

Hermione obeyed. She might be skilled with horses, but Jerezano was not even half as tall as this animal. The girl struggled with the fluttering wing, while the young animal tossed his head up and down with annoyance. Finally she was able to settle herself on the dragon's back.

"Now look at me, you have to adjust the leather stripes at the sides of the saddle around your legs, and that third stripe at the back of the saddle around your waist, it's a safety belt." The professor explained as she adjusted the belts from her dragon's saddle.

Hermione did as told, and discovered that the function of this item was not much different to a horse saddle. She worked her security with skills and ease.

"Good, now listen, you see the reins, right? There are two metal rings. The higher ring it to raise the dragon's head, to make him go up. Hold that with your index fingers, like this." Professor Alazan explained everything with calm, visually showing the girl.

"Like this!" Hermione held the reins, and saw there were three leather ropes directed to the dragon's head, one was tied to the animal's horns, the other was placed at the beginning of the muzzle, and a thicker stripe was united to the bridle and bite.

"The other ring must be held with your small fingers, it's for lowering the dragon's head. Finally, the thick stripe must be held with the remaining fingers, those are the directional reins." The professor explained sitting very straight and holding the reins tightly, with mastery.

Hermione fixed her fingers as perfect as she could, considering she had never done this before. She sat very still waiting for the others, while trying not to pull at the reins.

"Ok, now the saddle has a part with thorns under it, it's a little behind so, to urge him forward, you must bend your legs and press there. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt them. Another thing, your dragon is called Fireflash, he is a little nervous but he's really good for learning. Now lets go!" The professor kicked on the saddle, and her dragon stood up abruptly, and would have thrown her off had it not been for the security placed on the saddle.

Hermione did as well, her dragon staggered nervously and stood up with a leap, making her stumble on her saddle. Suddenly she realized how tall dragons were, for she was standing a good four or five metres from the ground. Both dragons began walking, then trotting, then galloping faster and faster around the field. The swaying movement was sharper, more accused than a horse's, but it was basically the same pace.

"Now Hermione, pull on the rings with your index finger and kick again!" The professor said with an excited glint and a smile.

Hermione did as told. It took only a little pressure to lift the dragon's head. A single kick on the sides and the wings expanded as large as they were with a deaf booming sound, like an enormous quilt fluttering to the wind. The red dragon leapt off the ground and the animal began flying upwards with speed. Hermione felt that characteristic feeling of butterflies flying through her stomach, millions of them caressing the cell walls with their silky wings.

The castle sank into the distance as the animals elevated higher and higher. It might have been frightening at first, but all fear was left behind replaced by an excitement and a joy Hermione had never known before. The Quidditch field was being used, probably a team was training for the tough battle that was the tournament. The curious observant began pointing at the two animals, nagging at the companions and motioning at the skies.

A golden glitter sparkled right before her, dashing speedily over the dragon's neck, making the animal snort and shake his head nervously. A flyer on a broom speeded over the dragon's neck as well, making the animal growl angrily. The red and gold colour blurred slightly, hence the seeker stopped only briefly to redirect his broom in the direction of the snitch.

"Hi Harry!" Hermione grinned, her joy flooded from every inch.

"Hi Hermione!" Harry answered automatically, "Hermione?" he gasped all of a sudden, glancing at her with disbelieving eyes, and gliding next to her.

"The snitch!" The girl pointed at the woodlands, where the golden snitch was threatening to sink.

With a shriek, Harry dived after the tiny ball. Hermione laughed joyfully, this was far the most amazing experience she had ever felt. Now she wanted to try the animal's full potential, as risky as it might be. She pulled on the rein and began tugging at the animal's head to lower it. With a hard kick, the dragon began closing his wings into a dive, heading towards the quidditch field. The animal approached faster and faster, and the girl began correction the trajectory by raising the head, such that a good deal of metres before colliding with the ground, the animal flew up again. The Gryffindor players began bellowing and cursing, while Ron gazed at the girl with stunned, glossy eyes.

"Now Hermione!" Professor Alazan, who had approved that mastery, hence not the risk, began saying, "it's time to land, that is far the most difficult manoeuvre when flying!" the woman explained.

"How do we do it?" the girl inquired, not wanting a two ton dragon on her stomach.

"Pull on the reins while lowering his head, the dragon will do the rest. You must always choose a good, clear area to land. The difficulty lays in that sometimes dragons are not easy to stop!" the professor explained with seriousness.

The girl obeyed, pulling on the reins and lowering the animal's head. The ground was getting closer, and the animal began to incline his body, such that his wings acted as parachutes, and his hind legs would be the first to touch the ground. With a large, earthquake shake for the riders, the two dragons took ground easily. The silver remained still and expectant, while the copper tossed his head and changed weight from leg to leg, nervously, euphoric.

"Did you enjoy it?" Professor Alazan inquired with bright, glimmering eyes.

"I sure did! It was the most amazing experience I ever had!" Hermione was exultant, and in her euphoria she was eager to tell Harry and Ron about it. She patted the dragon's neck and discovered that the copper scales were soft and velvety.

"Ok, next Monday at the same time!" the woman said severely, now leaving her friendly role to become the professor.

Hermione nodded pleasantly, diligently, and leapt off the dragon. She began cantering towards the castle, as tired as she was, and as achy as her muscles were.

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The sun glimmered in the distance, dawn was lighting the Hogwarts grounds with a rainbow of warm gold, and frozen violet. The iced dew began to melt, and the grass woke up standing lively. The blindless windows inhaled and absorbed the warmth and luminosity of the sun with welcoming hands. Students began to shift in their beds, most turning around, pulling their mattress closer, shutting the curtains over their beds, or simply groaning to hide under the pillows. It was Saturday, and most people wanted to sleep in, most excluding a few studious members, like Hermione, who were already in the library, or at the Common Room, studying with the most strict diligence.

Ron was not such people, hence he wanted to sleep in. The rays of light flickered over his eyes and face, urging him, pulling him out of sleep. The boy winced slightly as his mind began to recover consciousness of itself, of his presence. Thoughts began to rain on him, almost automatic, such as 'not remembering leaving the curtains open', and 'wanting to sleep longer'. Once his mind woke up totally, the boy began feeling different thoughts and sensations, and discovered something odd was going on. He frowned as he licked his lips and felt something odd over them, filling his mouth and throat. A hand made its way to touch the pale face, and as it sensed the skin, the boy's chestnut eyes opened wide.

AN: Ok, I realized I had missed this chapter. Sorry, well, here it goes.