It seemed to Draco that everything went into slow motion when Hermione collapsed. One minute she'd been laughing and joking with the rest of them, the next she was lying face down in her breakfast. While people began screaming and shouting, Draco found himself reaching over and shaking Hermione. When he got no response his eyes flicked down to her wrist, where she'd just placed her new bracelet. Instantly, he knew it was the cause of all the trouble.
Grabbing hold of a napkin, he used it to protect his hand as he undid the catch on the bracelet. Tucking the bracelet into the napkin, he then slid it into his pocket before anyone noticed anything. With the bracelet tucked safely away, he then refocused on Hermione and trying to get her to wake up. He'd half hoped removing the bracelet would do the job, but it had seemed to make no difference. Maybe he was wrong and the bracelet wasn't the cause of the collapse.
"What is going on here?" Dumbledore barked as the first of the Professors reached the Slytherin tables. Aside from the headmaster, McGonagall, Shackelbolt and Snape had made their way over to the Slytherins.
"Hermione's collapsed," Daphne explained, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill down her face.
"More poison?" Shackelbolt questioned, sounding completely unconcerned.
"No, she's always careful," Draco answered, glancing up to Snape so the Potions Professor knew that she was still using the protective potion he'd given her.
"It must be something else," Severus said. "We should get her to the hospital wing."
"Yes, of course," Dumbledore agreed with a nod. "But I would like to know just what happened here."
"Nothing," Blaise said. "One minute we were talking and the next minute Hermione collapsed."
"What was she doing before her collapse?" McGonagall queried.
"Opening her post," Daphne said. "Her parents had sent her a gift. A bracelet."
"I don't see a bracelet," Dumbledore said, scanning the table and floor surrounding the table when he saw no sign of any jewellery on the prone Slytherin.
"Well, it was here," Theo said. "But is that really important now? Shouldn't we be trying to find out what's wrong with Hermione?"
"Of course we should," Severus said sharply. "I think it's time we got moving."
Dumbledore nodded again and he and Shackelbolt turned back to the rest of the students, and shooed them away while Snape and McGonagall used magic to levitate Hermione up into the air. While the headmaster and his Defence Professor dealt with the gossiping students, Hermione's friends followed her up to the hospital wing.
Even Pansy accompanied the group, feigning concern for Hermione's well-being, even though her concern was in regards to the bracelet. She'd seen Hermione slip the bracelet on, but then it seemed to vanish after she collapsed. There'd been such a fuss at the table, she hadn't seen what had happened to it, but she knew it was now gone. More than likely it had fallen off Hermione's wrist and some light-fingered student had pocketed it. At least that's what she hoped had happened to it. She didn't want it slipping into the wrong hands.
Once up in the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey took over proceedings in regards to Hermione. By the time she'd given her the once over, her concern was evident for everyone to see.
"Well?" Draco prompted when Madam Pomfrey turned to face McGonagall and Snape, her face ashen.
"Miss Granger is in a magically induced coma," Madam Pomfrey said quietly. "I would say it's the result of some sort of dark curse. I have no idea how it was cast, or even what curse it is. This is out of my remit, I'm afraid. She needs to go to St Mungo's immediately."
"Can she be saved?" Pansy asked, clinging onto Theo's arm as she pretended to be as devastated as everyone else.
"If the healers can work out how the curse was administered and which curse was used, there's a chance," Madam Pomfrey answered. "But I'm not a specialist in the area, so I don't want to make any guarantees."
"Poppy, arrange a transfer to St Mungo's," McGonagall said, taking charge since Dumbledore still hadn't arrived in the hospital wing. "I'll speak to Albus and we'll contact Miss Granger's parents."
"What will happen when they find out what's happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked warily.
"Who knows," McGonagall replied with a weary sigh. "But I doubt it will be good. Whoever is trying to kill Hermione, has likely just blown this war into top gear. I have to wonder if it's even safe to keep the school open with such a threat hanging over our heads. However, it's not my call to make, all I can do is talk to Albus."
McGonagall gave Hermione one final look, before she swept out of the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey also departed, heading to her office to contact the wizarding hospital, leaving Severus alone with his students.
"I think you should all return to your common room," Severus said quietly. "I promise, I'll come and speak to you the second I have news on Hermione."
"Do you think the school really will close?" Pansy asked, not sure what she thought of that development.
"I don't know," Severus confessed. "But right now that's the least of my problems. My main concern in Hermione, and who did this to her."
"That's what we all want to know," Theo said sombrely.
One by one the Slytherins said goodbye to Hermione, even though they didn't know if she could hear them, and departed the hospital wing. Finally, Draco was the last one left and after he'd placed a kiss on his girlfriend's forehead, he turned to his head of house.
"I have something you might want to give to The Dark Lord," he said, pulling the napkin containing the bracelet from his pocket and checking Madam Pomfrey was still busy in her office before he showed Severus.
"Is this the bracelet she received in the mail?" Severus asked.
"It is," Draco confirmed. "My first instinct was that it was responsible for her condition, so I took it off her. I didn't want Dumbledore to get his hands on it as I don't trust he would turn it over to the right people. The healers might need this to save her life, and The Dark Lord will need it to track down who sent it to her."
"Thank you Draco," Severus said as he slid the bracelet into his robes. "I'll make sure The Dark Lord knows what you've done."
"I didn't do it for praise," Draco said tightly as his eyes dropped to Hermione, who was still lying unmoving in the hospital bed. "I did it to save Hermione. I think I love her, Severus, please don't let her die," he added in a whisper.
"I'll do my best," Severus reassured the young wizard. "Now go and stay with your friends. I'll be down to speak to you as soon as I can."
Draco was still wary about leaving Hermione, but Madam Pomfrey suddenly emerged from her office with a couple of medi-wizards from the hospital. At the same time Dumbledore finally put in an appearance, and started to take charge. Trusting Severus would take care of Hermione, Draco reluctantly left the hospital wing. Unsurprisingly his friends were waiting for him outside, and Daphne greeted him by throwing her arms around him and hugging him.
"She'll be okay, she's a fighter," she whispered.
"She's needed to be this year," Theo snorted as the group began making their way back down to the dungeons. "I can't believe people have tried to kill her. I bet The Dark Lord is wishing he kept quiet and let her finish school in hiding."
"Despite everything, I'm glad he didn't," Blaise remarked. "Getting to know Hermione this year has been amazing. And now we know her, and know how tough she is, I just know she'll survive this. The Dark Lord will figure out how to save her."
"We hope," Pansy said quietly, as she fought to control the smirk that was itching to break out over her face. "The healers need to find what curse she was struck down with, and how it was activated before they can save her."
"I might have helped there," Draco said as the group reached the dungeons, so he darted into an empty room so they could continue to talk.
"How?" Greg asked with a frown.
"Did you see something?" Vince questioned eagerly.
"I pocketed the bracelet Hermione received in the mail," Draco said. "Damn it, I should have grabbed the box as well. It might help The Dark Lord trace whoever sent it."
"Don't worry about the box," Blaise said with a smirk. "I picked it up when Dumbledore started asking questions. I couldn't see the bracelet, but I figured the box might be handy. It's very clear it didn't come from her mother, like she thought."
"How do you know?" Pansy demanded. "The bracelet might not have anything to do with this."
"It doesn't take a genius to work it out," Blaise said with a shrug. "She was fine before she put the bracelet on."
"Besides, if we're wrong her mother will let us know," Draco said. "If Leah did send the bracelet, she'll be able to tell The Dark Lord. And if she didn't, at least they have it so they can work out what curse is on it."
"And what if it wasn't the bracelet at all?" Pansy demanded.
Draco briefly shut his eyes as he let the possibility wash over him. If the bracelet hadn't been the cause of Hermione's collapse they were no further forward. The healers would be at a loss and Hermione's life would be hanging in the balance. Draco just had to hope the bracelet was the key, or else the healers would have to be at the top of their game to save Hermione from an unknown curse.
"None of us wants to think about that," Daphne said softly. "We all have to remain positive. Hermione will be fine, we have to believe that."
The group all nodded in agreement before heading down to the common room, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Apart from Pansy, everyone was thinking about Hermione and hoping the bracelet was the key to saving her life. However, Pansy was praying that the bracelet didn't lead back to her. It was just her luck that Draco had kept his head and removed the bracelet. And what was worse was that he'd passed it along to Snape, who would pass it to Voldemort. Within a few hours The Dark Lord would have the object that had cursed his daughter, and Pansy just had to hope it didn't lead him back to her.
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Severus had hoped to get back to his Slytherins a lot earlier than he managed, but he'd been at St Mungo's most of the day. When Voldemort and Leah had shown up at the hospital, The Dark Lord had been fuming and he very nearly cursed Dumbledore in the middle of the hospital. It was only Lucius intervening that kept the dark wizard under control. So instead of a battle between the two powerful wizards, a showdown with words took place. Voldemort demanded answers, and predictably Dumbledore had none.
Voldemort made several threats against Dumbledore and the school, before the headmaster left the hospital alongside the Minister of Magic, who'd turned up after being informed of what was happening. Severus had been designated the go-between for the school, so he'd remained behind with Hermione's family.
Once Dumbledore had left the building, Severus had explained what had happened to Hermione and handed over the bracelet Draco had given him. Leah had confirmed she'd sent no such bracelet, and Voldemort vowed to find out who had sent it to his daughter. However, the more important thing was finding out if the bracelet was the cause of Hermione's predicament, so Voldemort handed it over to a couple of members of staff Lucius could personally vouch for.
Waiting for results had taken far longer than anyone would have hoped, but by late afternoon one of the healers arrived back with news. They now knew just what sort of curse they were dealing with as it had indeed been activated by the bracelet. However, it was an ancient curse, and the hospital were having to do research into how to break it. Until they found answers, all they could do was keep Hermione stable.
"Can she be moved?" Voldemort demanded of the healer who'd delivered the news.
"With specialist care, I don't see why not," the healer replied. "But you do understand, that without a cure she'll remain in a coma?"
"I'm aware of that," Voldemort bit out. "I want to arrange specialist care and have her moved home. We can sort out the cure, can't we Lucius?"
"I'm sure we can," Lucius said with a nod, his mind already turning to a few books in the library at the manor which might prove useful.
"And what about who did this to her?" Leah demanded. "I want them punished."
"And they will be," Voldemort promised his wife. "Severus, can you help there? Speak to Hermione's friends and get as much information about this parcel as you can. I'll get the bracelet back and we can then start investigating that as well."
"I'll do what I can," Severus promised, before leaving the hospital and returning to the school.
Once he arrived back at school, he quickly filled Dumbledore in on the situation. He didn't mention the bracelet, just that the healers had isolated the curse Hermione had been struck with. Leaving Dumbledore to discuss the possibility of closing the school for the rest of the year, or at least until Voldemort calmed down and wouldn't seek retribution, with McGonagall and Shackelbolt, Severus headed down to the dungeons. Once in his office, he sent for Draco and his friends. As predicted, the fifth year Slytherins appeared in his office within five minutes of him sending the message asking to speak to them.
"How's Hermione?" Draco asked without preamble the second he entered Severus's office.
"Still in danger, but she's stable," Severus answered. "It's likely she'll be in a coma for a while yet."
"So the bracelet was no good?" Draco murmured as he slumped down in the chair in front of Severus's desk.
"On the contrary, the bracelet was the key to stabilising Hermione," Severus said. "You were right Draco, the bracelet caused her collapse. It's embedded with an ancient curse. The healers have managed to stabilise Hermione, because they know what curse they're dealing with."
"Can they cure her?" Theo asked.
"In time," Severus answered cautiously. "The curse is ancient, and the antidote needs to be carefully researched. The Dark Lord and Lucius are working on it as we speak. Between them, they'll find the answers and save Hermione."
"And what about the perpetrator?" Blaise asked. "Will whoever did this to Hermione be punished?"
"Once we find out who did it, then yes," Severus replied with a severe nod. "In fact, I've been tasked with gathering as much information about the package as I can. So I would appreciate it if you could all tell me what you know about the parcel Hermione received."
"I can do one better than that," Blaise announced as with a flourish he produced a box and some torn paper from his robes. "This is the packaging from Hermione's parcel. I nabbed it this morning before Dumbledore or any of his cronies got hold of it."
"Blaise, you're brilliant," Severus announced with glee as he swept the box and packaging into his desk drawer to examine later. "This could be the key to catching whoever tried to kill Hermione."
"I just hope whoever did gets the same treatment they tried to bestow on Hermione," Draco muttered darkly. "If I ever get my hands on the bugger that did this, I'd kill them myself."
"The Dark Lord might just beat you to it, Draco," Severus said with a wicked smirk. "He's furious, and I would hate to be on the receiving end of his temper. Someone has made a big mistake messing with Hermione. A mistake they will soon come to regret."
Standing at the back of the group, Pansy was already regretting her actions. Fear was starting to creep into her soul, and she had a horrible feeling her days were numbered. She wasn't sure how she was going to get out of the situation she found herself in. She couldn't even find a way to try and blame someone else for her actions. The bracelet belonged to her family, and her elf had sent the package. Sooner or later Voldemort would find all of that out, and Pansy dreaded to think what would happen when he did. One thing was for sure, she didn't think she would survive his punishment when he discovered she'd tried to murder his precious daughter.