Chapter 10 (All the things she said)
A week had passed and still Hermione hadn't talked to Ron and Harry. She'd often walk past them without so much as a fleeting look. She referred to them as if they were invisible, ignoring them when they call her name out loud. 'Serves them right… No one's around now to help them with their homework. They'll fail every class without me!' She thought menacingly.
She abruptly covered her mouth with one hand, as if to suppress her thoughts. 'Wait… W-w-what's happening to m-me? I… I… can't believe I just said that… They're my best friends… How? Why?'
'For a smart girl, you can be stupid at times…' A voice within her said.
'I… I'm going crazy…' Hermione's hand flew up to her head. Her head was throbbing. She can barely concentrate on what her Arithmancy teacher was saying. 'Voices… in m-my head… S-s-somebody h-help m-me… P-please… A-anybody…' She could not think straight.
A maniacal laugh echoed inside her, eerie and sadistic. 'You can never get rid of me… You are mine…'
"Nooooo!" Hermione moaned out load as she fell off her chair. A few tears falling down her cheeks. Each student was now looking at her; their surprised and confused faces gaping.
Her teacher stared at her in shock. "What's wrong child? Why did you scream? You don't feel well?" She asked as she approached Hermione cautiously. The teacher placed one hand on Hermione's forehead.
Suddenly, Hermione flinched and quickly drew her body away. She slowly lifted her face up and looked at the teacher straight in the eyes. Her teacher gave a small yelp.
Hermione's eyes were now fiery-looking and she looked enraged.
"Get your hands off of me…' Hermione hissed. She quickly stood up, briefly looked at her teacher and said threateningly, "Don't ever touch me again…" And that was it. She walked out of the classroom amidst everyone's stunned expressions.
'Mr. Malfoy, fetch Madame Pomfrey this instant. Tell her that a classmate of yours has ignorantly brewed the wrong potion and spilled it on himself, causing him to believe that he's queen of the Nile. Inform her that I have already reversed the effects of the fantasy potion that your classmate made. I believe she has a restraining concoction that could calm Mr. Cleo here.' Professor Snape, his potions teacher told him.
Draco was still laughing when he took the grand staircase up to the second floor.
"Hahahahahaha… What does he think of himself? Cleopatra? Hahahahaha… Great… I have another one to add to my list of people to make fun of…" He said to himself as he took a moving staircase up to the third floor.
It was the same floor where the Arithmancy classroom was situated. Draco knew that the corridors were deserted since it was still a class hour. He rounded a corner and went left. He was walking slowly, taking time to avoid going back to class when someone brushed past him unexpectedly. He looked back and saw the back of a girl with long brown hair running. 'Granger? Why's she in a hurry? Isn't everyone supposed to be in class?' Draco wondered. He saw her ran off to the opposite direction where the staircase leading downstairs was located.
Draco was curious. He ignored Professor's Snape order to fetch Madame Pomfrey and had set off at a run to catch up with the girl. He was right. It was Hermione.
He was halfway off the corridor when he saw her standing near the edge of the floor. The floor's railings were the only ones serving as a barrier between her and the air. She was staring madly below, her hands gripping the railings.
They were forty feet off the ground! They were in the third floor!
'Is she planning to do what I'm thinking she's about to do?' Draco thought frantically.
He saw her slowly put one leg over the railing then another. She was now sitting on the railings, her hands still grasping them.
Draco was stunned. He knew what was going to happen next. Once she took her hands off those railings, she'd fall down to her death!
