Chapter Three

Harry awoke in the medical wing. Madame Pomfrey was sitting next to him dabbing his forehead with a moist towel.

"Well, good afternoon Mr. Potter. How are you feeling?"

Harry didn't answer.

"It sounds like you had quite the night. I'm sure Hermione is very glad you showed up when you did. What a brave boy you are, checking up on Ms. Granger when you thought something was amiss. We need more students like you, Mr. Potter."

"Where is Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Oh, well, the Malfoys came and got her this morning. She didn't look too sad about leaving. She does owe them for the death of Draco."

"She's gone!" Harry yelled.

Harry was outraged. He ran out of the medical wing and back up the Gryffindor tower. He thought about what she said. He knew that she was right. He had always loved her, but for one reason or another, she was always taken away from him. Only now, Harry was truly alone.

Weeks later Harry was sitting at lunch looking at the two empty chairs where Ron and Hermione used to sit. As he was eating, Hedwig dropped him a letter. There was a fancy 'M' on the front in shiny green ink. He opened it.

My Dear Harry:

I just wanted to tell you that I am fine here. I have made my peace with the Malfoys. They are, for the most part, kind to me, despite my Muggle heritage. Please try to forget about me. We will not see each other for fifteen years.

Sincerely,

Hermione Granger

PS: I know I'm right about you.

Harry closed the letter. He was brimming with anger. He thought about Cho. He thought about Hermione. He thought about Ron.

After classes that day, Harry went back to his room and waited till after dark. As usual, he slipped on his cloak and made his way to Hermione's old room. Dumbledore had closed it off for future residents so everything was just as it was when she left. McGonagall had repaired the window, and Hermione didn't take much with her. Harry imagined she was to have all new clothes while in the Malfoys service. He had rummaged through her belongings so many times before. But this time, as he was leaving, he stubbed his toe on something. Harry bent down to see that a corner of a floorboard was sticking up. It was loose.

Harry lifted up the floorboard. To his complete puzzlement he found a pensieve. Whose could this be? Was this Hermione's? He put the pensieve on the end table and began to lower his head into it. Slowly the world transformed around him. He was sitting on a shiny black leather couch. The walls were green and Malfoy was sitting next to him. Harry recognized the Slytherin Common Room. He had been in there previously, but only once… And Hermione was there too! She was chatting with Malfoy. What was she doing here? Harry listened to them.

"Do you really think is going to work?" Draco asked.

"Of course it's going to work," Hermione said. "I've planned out every last detail."

"So when does all this happen?"

"That's a good question, Draco; let me think. If you were going to try to kill a star Quidditch player during a Quidditch match, when do you think it'd happen?" Hermione asked bitterly.

"Oh, right you are then" said Draco sheepishly.

"I think we need to go over this one more time" Hermione said, annoyed. "Do you even remember who we're trying kill?"

"I know who it is. It's that Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang.'

"And do you know how we are going to do it?"

"Yes. By enchanting the brooms with extra speed and then bewitching them while they are in mid flight."

"Do you know your part?"

"You said all I have to do is keep Cho headed straight and you'll take care of the rest."

"That's right. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to bed."

Hermione was halfway out the door when Draco called, "Hermione, you know I'm crazy about you, don't you?"

"I know."

Harry was shocked. Here was his worst enemy and his best friend crafting a plan together to kill Cho as if they were talking about the weather!

The scene changed to a Quidditch match. He was sitting next to Hermione who was staring straight at the Harry playing Quidditch and muttering some incantations. Harry recognized it instantly from his own haunting memories. He knew exactly what was going to happen. He looked up and saw himself collide with Cho in mid-air. He saw himself get knocked off his broom and tumble toward the ground only to be saved by Dumbledore. He saw his own broom skewer Cho, pulling her off her broom and fly toward the Gryffindor goal. He saw Madame Hooch chase after her and bring her to the ground. Cho was already dead. Hermione let out a quiet chuckle, but then shrieked in horror like everyone else.

The environment changed once again. He was now in the Restricted Section of the library with Hermione. It was very dark outside. She was studying something very closely, and muttering to herself about something. There was a signed permission slip from Professor Trewlaney on the table and something that looked like a short love letter from Draco. Harry could see she was reading about potions and had the potions class itinerary in front of her. She was making a list of ingredients.

"Lethifold extract is it?" she said softly.

"I know who has some of that!" she added happily.

Harry, surprised, followed her back to the his own dormitory. She had crept past himself and Ron, who were playing wizards chess in the common room and were too lost in thought to notice her. Once in Harry's room, she took his invisibility cloak, put in over herself, and walked out of the Common Room. Harry continued to follow her down to the lower levels of Hogwarts. She made her way to Snape's office. It was locked, but Hermione knew how to get through his charms and hexes. Once inside, she went straight for the cupboard marked "DANGER, KEEP OUT!" The bottle of lethifold extract was filled with a swirling greenish mist. It appeared to be somewhat alive. She gave the bottle a quick shake, and the bottle shook back. Harry followed Hermione back to her room where she began creating a potion that would react with the potion scheduled for Thursday's class. After she made it, she poured the lethifold extract into the vial. It voiced a small scream as it left its old bottle for a new home.

Hermione chuckled and whispered to the bottle, "I'll be using you in two days!" With that she tucked the bottle inside her robes.

The next scene in the pensieve was that horrible day in Potions Class. Draco was calling Hermione a Mudblood and taunting her. Harry saw her get up out of her chair and storm over to Draco, just as he remembered. But this time he saw that as she was arguing and waving her arms around, she dropped the open vial of lethifold extract into his cauldron. She then went back to her seat. Harry waited by Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. The potion jumped right onto them, just like he remembered. He watched it vaporize them. He watched whatever was left of them waft out the door and up the stairs, ultimately dissipating.

Harry pulled himself out the pensieve and sat on Hermione's bed and thought about what he had just seen. Hermione killed Cho Chang with Draco Malfoy's help, then later killed Draco and his friends? What would cause her to do anything like that?

Harry slipped his cloak back on. He needed to think. He needed someplace quiet. He left the common room and went upstairs. He kept going up and down stairs until he came to a door. He went inside and was at once greeted by the familiar yet whiney voice of Moaning Myrtle.

"Well well well, if it isn't Harry Potter. I haven't seen you up here in a long time."

"Hi, Myrtle."

"Hi? Is that all you have to say? You haven't been up here in years." She threw a punch at Harry's arm but it passed right through him. "You told me you would visit me. You said you wouldn't forget about me. And now that you've lost all your friends and you're all alone, the only thing you can say to me is hi?"

"Sorry, Myrtle," Harry said wearily. "It's been a long day."

Harry stared at the ground. He felt awkward talking to Myrtle. He did tell her before that he would visit her all the time.

"So." Myrtle said.

"So--what?"

"What do you want from me?" Myrtle asked bluntly.

"I just came up here to think about what has happened to me…." Harry's voice trailed off.

"And maybe ask you if you could help me figure this out," he added hopefully.

"I know what you need Harry," Myrtle said. "You need to forget your living friends. Just forget about your flesh family. Forget about that Hermione girl. She doesn't love you. She'll never love you. She's living with the Malfoys. She's already forgotten all about you. You won't see her again.

"I can love you. I do love you. For years, I've waited for someone like you. Your life is in your hands, Harry. End it. We could be together forever. Use your wand on yourself." Myrtle did her best to sound seductive.

"Why are you telling me this" Harry asked.

"Because I'm the only one who cares about you, Harry. Because I'm the only one who has any real feelings for you. Can't you see this?" Myrtle began to cry.

"Myrtle…" Harry said softly. "It would never work between us. Don't you understand? I'm not dead yet. I don't want to be dead yet."

"Well nobody gave me that choice!" Myrtle snapped.

"I'm sorry, Myrtle. I don't know what to say."

"That's ok, Harry. I didn't think I could turn you, anyway."

"Myrtle, I…"

"You need to go down there again." As she said this she motioned to the large sink in the middle of the bathroom that could open up into the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

"Down there? There's nothing down there anymore. It's empty."

"No. It's not. It's down there."

"What's down there?" Harry asked.

"You've seen it before. It can help you," Myrtle said.

Harry looked at the sink. He had been down there before. He fought against the Heir of Slytherin down there and narrowly escaped with his life. He didn't like the thought of going down there again.

"If you go down there, you will find what you seek." With that, Myrtle vanished into a puff of smoke.

Harry was once again alone. He stared at the entrance to the Chamber. What was down there?

A/N: Reviews are welcome!