Chapter 50
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November 17th 1994
It has been twelve days since the weighing of the wands and it turns out that Skeeter didn't let the fact that Harry and Hermione didn't talk to her stop her from writing a very long article about them, where she didn't mention Cedric at all and miss-spelled both Krum and Fleur's names. This fact has caused Hermione and Harry to spend even more time than usual, usually with Neville, in Sirius and Remus's quarters as it is the one place where they can get away from everyone.
Having gotten up early because it was a full moon Hermione is surprised when she walks into the common room and finds Harry and Neville waiting.
"What are you two doing?" Hermione asks, seeing them.
"We thought we would come with you to check on Remus." Neville explains.
"Thanks." Hermione says, smiling at her two closest friends and the three of them head across the common room and through the portrait hole.
A few minutes later Harry and Hermione walk into Sirius and Remus's quarters where they find all the furniture overturned and broken,
"What happened?" Neville asks, confused as he thought the Wolfsbane was mean to stop things like that from happening, and Harry just shrugs.
"DAD, PAPA." Hermione yells as she hurries to her parents' bedroom and finds it just as dishevelled as the living room, "They're not here." Hermione says worried as she walks back to where Neville and Harry are.
"This is bad, isn't it?" Harry asks worried.
"I think so." Hermione says, panic rising, "Hospital wing." She says before she runs across the room and out of her parents' quarters Harry and Neville right behind her.
As they ran the entire way it only takes Hermione, Neville and Harry a few minutes to get to the hospital wing, and as they run Hermione sees her Dad standing at the end bed, which there are curtains around, a look of horror on his face.
"Dad." Hermione says worried, hurried over to him.
"Mione." Sirius says, pulling his daughter into a tight hug.
"What happened?" Hermione asks worried.
"Moony was fighting against the potion, fighting for control, and it was like he was internally tearing Rem apart, but because of the potion the wolf couldn't get control, he just kept fighting." Sirius says, tears of horror coming to his eyes, "I tried to stop him, but I couldn't, Rem just kept getting more and more hurt." Sirius says, honestly he has never seen Moony like how he was as even though he has hurt Remus before he was always able to stop once he got control, this time he couldn't get control and so he just kept hurting Remus.
"Oh god." Hermione say horrified, as Neville and Harry exchange worried looks, "Is he…..?" she starts to ask but then trails off as she finds herself being unable to actually ask that.
"Poppy, Minerva, Albus and Snape are working on him." Sirius reveals, it being a testament to how worried he is that there isn't the usual venom in his voice when he says Snape's name, and the group drift into silence, Sirius not removing his arms from around his daughter.
For over half an hour Sirius, Harry, Hermione and Neville stand together until the curtain is finally removed and Albus, Minerva, Poppy and Snape walk out. Snape walks away without saying anything but Albus, Minerva and Poppy walk over to Sirius, Hermione, Harry and Neville.
"How is he?" Sirius asks worried.
"In bad shape." Poppy answers, "We've heled his injuries as much as we can, but it's bad, I would also like to reach out to a werewolf specialist from Saint Mungo's, if that's okay with you." She says, looking at Sirius as with Remus being in the state he is in it is up to Sirius to make all his medical decisions.
"It's fine, do whatever you need to do to make him okay." Sirius requests.
"I'll go make the call." Poppy says, walking towards her office.
"How'd this happen? The potion is mean to stop things like this." Sirius says, his voice breaking, as he looks at Albus.
"I believe that wolf part of Remus wanted control, that it senses that people in his pack are in danger, and fought for dominance because of that." Albus says, causing Harry and Hermione to exchange horrified looks because they know it's their fault, "But because of the potion the wolf couldn't take over and kept hurting Remus because of that."
"I need to see him." Sirius says, pushing past Albus and Minerva so he can get to Remus's bed where he finds his mate lying, looking pale wounds all over him, looking barely alive as his chest slowly rises and falls.
"Oh Papa." Hermione says, her voice breaking as Sirius sits down next to his mate and hesitantly takes his hand.
"It may be best if you three get to class." Minerva says to Harry, Hermione and Neville, "There's nothing you can do right now."
"Minerva's right, Mione." Neville says as he takes his friends hand, "There's nothing we can do right now and you'll drive yourself crazy if we stay here."
"He's right, you will." Harry says, trying to be comforting.
"Okay, but I want to know if anything happens, please." Hermione begs.
"Of course." Albus says and with one last look at her Dad and Papa Hermione heads out of the hospital wing with Harry and Neville on either side of her.
"Sirius you have classes too." Minerva tells her friend, honestly not expecting him to move.
"I don't care, I'm not teaching." Sirius says, not looking away from Remus, "Get Snape to teach or Mad-Eye, I don't really give a crap who, I just know it's not going to be me." Sirius says, not surprising Albus or Minerva as neither were expecting Sirius to leave Remus's side.
For the rest of the morning Hermione finds it very difficult to concentrate on anything and at lunchtime she goes straight to the hospital wing and skips lunch all together and spends her lunch break sitting beside her Papa's bed.
"He's going to wake up, eventually, right?" Hermione asks her Dad, sounding worried.
"Yes, Poppy and the healer from Saint Mungo's are both sure that he will, but it might take a few days." Sirius reveals.
"I'm sorry, Dad, this is all my fault." Hermione says, pain in his voice.
"What? Why would you say that?" Sirius asks, looking away from his mate to look at their daughter.
"Albus said that Moony sensed that people in his pack are in danger, and that's me, and Harry. This is our fault." Hermione says, looking upset.
"No, Princess, it's not." Sirius assures her, "You didn't cause this, no one did. It's just something that happened." Sirius assures his daughter.
"Okay." Hermione says, though it is clear that she doesn't believe it.
Twenty minutes later Hermione walks up to where the other Gryffindor fourth years are waiting.
"How is he?" Harry asks as she walks up.
"Still unconscious. Dad said that healers are saying that it's going to be a few days before he's awake." Hermione explains.
"That's kind of good news." Neville comments, trying to look on the bright side.
"Yeah." Hermione comments as the door to the defence class open and the class walk in to find Moody standing at the teachers desk to the confusion of everyone but Hermione, Harry and Neville.
"Where's Sirius and Professor Lupin?" Dean asks.
"Professor Lupin is in the hospital wing and Sirius doesn't want to leave him. Dumbledore asked me to take classes until further noticed." Moody explains and as he does Hermione becomes very well aware that a lot of people around the room are looking at her in concern, "Now after a conversation with Dumbledore I know that Sirius and Remus have been focusing on curses and that Sirius has shown you his memories of the Unforgivable curse, and now I think it's time you experience them." Moody says, causing everyone to tense, "So, I'm going to cast the imperious curse on each of you."
"That's illegal!" Hermione objects.
"You've experienced an unforgivable curse before Miss Lupin-Black, wouldn't you have preferred to have some kind of idea what it would be like before?" He asks and Hermione doesn't answer, "Feel free to leave if you would like." Moody says, but Hermione doesn't get up as she knows Moody is right, "Good, I'll call you up one at a time." He says and he does just that.
For the rest of the class everyone gets to experience what it feels like to have the Imperious curse on them, but the only people who can fight it and after several attempts completely throw it off, are Harry and Hermione.
Hours later, long after everyone else in the castle are asleep, Sirius is wide awake sitting in the same spot he's been sitting in all morning, right next to Remus.
"I'm right here, Remy. I'm not going to leave, but I need you to wake up." Sirius says, begging being clean in his voice, "Please Remy, just open those beautiful eyes of yours." He asks, but his mates eyes remain closed, "I love you, I love you so much, please come back to me." Sirius says, tears welling in his eyes.
November 19th 1994
It has been two days since the Full Moon and Remus is still unconscious in the Hospital Wing and the only times Sirius has left him, for very short amounts of time, is when he was forced to, either by Albus, Minerva, or Poppy.
It is a Saturday and the first Hogsmeade weekend and after being convinced by Sirius Harry and Hermione ended up going with Neville, and even though they didn't stay long it turns out to be a good decision as they ran into Hagrid who asked Harry and Hermione to come down to his hut at midnight.
So, at half past eleven Harry and Hermione, both of whom had pretended to get up early pull the invisibility Cloak over themselves and start to creep back downstairs through the common room. As they walk they notice that there are quite a few people still there. Walking past them Harry and Hermione notice that the Creevy brothers have somehow managed to get a stack of a Support Cedric Diggory badges and by looks of things are attempting to get them to say support Harry Potter and Hermione Lupin-Black instead, but so far all they have managed to do is get them stuck on LUPIN-BLACK AND POTTER STINK.
Exchanging looks Harry and Hermione make their way over to the portrait hole and wait, for about a minute or so, and then the portrait hole opens thanks to Neville, just as they arranged.
"Thanks." Harry and Hermione whisper to their friend before they start to make their way through the castle.
After a few minutes Harry and Hermione walk onto the very dark grounds and as they walk towards the lights on in Hagrid's hut they see that the enormous Beauxbatons carriage is also lit up and the two of them hear Madame Maxime talking as Harry reaches out and knocks on Hagrid's door.
"You there, Harry, Hermione?" Hagrid whispers as he opens the door and looks around.
"Yeah." Harry and Hermione both say and the top of them slip inside the cabin and they pull down the cloak just enough that their heads are free, "What's up?" Harry asks curious.
"Got summat ter show you." Hagrid explains, seemingly very excited about something, as he is wearing a flower that resembles an overside artichoke in his buttonhole, and has also attempted to comb his hair as Harry and Hermione can see broken comb teeth tangled in it.
"What are you showing us?" Harry asks, sounding worried.
"Come with me, keep quiet, an' keep yerselves covered with the cloak." Hagrid explains to Harry and Hermione, "We won' take Fang, he won' like it."
"Why not?" Hermione asks, sounding just as worried as Harry.
"You'll see." Hagrid says and he head out of the hut, both confused Harry and Hermione put the cloak back over themselves and follow Hagrid out of the hut, and to their surprise Hagrid leads them to the Beauxbatons carriage.
"Hagrid, what?" Harry asks confused.
"Shhh!" Hagrid says as he knocks three times on the door. Seconds later Madame Maxime opens the door wearing a silk shawl that is wrapped around her massive shoulders.
"Ah, 'Agrid, is it time?" Madame Maxime asks with a smile.
"Bong-sewer." Hagrid says, beaming at her, and holding out a hand to help her down the golden steps.
"Any idea what's going on?" Harry whispers, directly into Hermione's ear,
"None." Hermione hisses back as Hagrid and Madame Maxime, arm in arm starts to walk and guessing that they should follow Harry and Hermione have to practically run to keep up with them, something which isn't very easy to do while under the cloak.
"Wair is it yu are taking me, 'Agrid?" Madam Maxime asks curious.
"Yeh'll enjoy this." Hagrid says gruffly, "Worth seein', trust me. On'y don' go tellin' anyone I showed yeh, right? Yeh're not s'pose ter know."
"Of course not." Madam Maxime says.
As Harry and Hermione jog along behind Hagrid they both can feel themselves becoming annoyed as they wonder what the hell Hagrid is doing. But then, once they have walked so far around the perimeter of the forest that the castle and the lake are now both out of sight Harry and Hermione hear something that causes them to exchange looks, as they hear men shouting and a deafening, ear-splitting roar.
As Hagrid leads Madame Maxime around a clump of trees Harry and Hermione hurry alongside them and as soon as they see what Hagrid is looking at they both become shocked as there are Dragons, four fully grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons that are rearing onto their hind legs, all four of them inside enclosure fences.
As each of the dragon's roar and snort torrents of fire shoot into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks. Each of the dragons are different there is a silvery-blue one with a long, pointed horns, that are snapping and snarling at the wizards on the ground; a smooth-scaled green one that is withering and stamping with all it's might; a read one with an odd fringe of fine gold spikes around it's face, which is shooting mushroom-shaped fire clouds into the air; and a gigantic black one, more lizard-like than the others, which is nearest to them.
"Oh god." Hermione mutters, as she and Harry exchange terrified looks.
Around all the dragons there are about thirty wizards, seven or eighth to each dragon, that are all attempting to control them, pulling on chains that are connected to heavy leather straps that are around the dragons' necks and legs. Completely mesmerized, Harry and Hermione look up, high above them, and see the eyes of the black dragon are bludging, either with fear or rage it being impossible for harry and Hermione to tell which as it is making a horrible noise, a yowling screeching scream.
"Keep back there, Hagrid." A wizard near the fence, straining on the chain he is holding, "They can shoot fire at a range of twenty feet, you know! I've seen this Horntail do forty!"
"Is'n' it beautiful?" Hagrid asks, softly.
"Iit's no good." Another wizard yells, "Stunning Spells, on the count of three!" he yells and Harry and Hermione see each of the dragon keepers pull out their wands.
"Stupefy!" they all shout in unison and Stunning Spells shoot into the darkness like fiery rockets, bursting in showers of stars on the dragons' scaly hides, Harry and Hermione watch as the dragon nearest to them tether dangerously on it's back legs; it's jaws stretching wide in a silent howl; it's nostrils seemingly suddenly devoid of flame, though still smoking then, very slowly it falls and several tons of sinewy, scalyblack dragon hits the ground with a thud that both Harry and Hermione are sure make the trees behind them quake.
Lowering their wands the Wizards make their way to their fallen charges, all of which are about the size of small hills. As the dragons are unconscious the handlers hurry forward to tighten the chains and fasten them securely to iron pegs, that they force into the ground using their wands.
"Wan' a closer look?" Hagrid asks Madame Maxime excitedly and the pair of them move right up to the fence and having no idea what else to do Harry and Hermione. As they go closer the wizard who warned Hagrid turns and Harry and Hermione realises that it is Charlie Weasley.
"All right, Hagrid?" Charlie pants as he comes over to talk, "They should be okay now, we put them out with a sleeping draft on the way here, thought it might be better for them to wake up in the dark and the quiet, but, like you saw, they weren't happy, not happy at all."
"What breeds you got here, Charlie?" Hagrid asks as he gazes at the closest dragon.
"This is a Hungarian Horntail." Charlie reveals, "There's a Common Wels Green over there, thhe smaller one, a Swedish short-snout, the blue-grey, and a Chinese Fireball, that's the red one." Charlie says, looking around as Madame Maxime starts to stroll away around the edge of the enclosure.
"I didn't know you were bringing her, Hagrid." Charlie says, frowning, "The Champions aren't supposed to know what's coming, she's bound to to tell her student, isn't she?"
"Jus' thought she'd like ter see 'em." Hagrid says with a shrug.
"Really romantic date, Hagrid." Charlie says, shaking his head.
"Four." Hagrid says, "So it's one for each of the champions, Harry and Hermione sharing, is it? What've they gotta do, fight em?"
"Just get past them, I think." Charlie answers, "We'll be on hand if it gets nasty, Extinguishing Spells at the ready. They wanted nesting mothers, I don't know why, but I'll tell you this, I don't envy the one or ones, who get the Horntail. Vicious thing. Its back end's as dangerous as its front, look." Charlie says, pointing to the Horntail's tail where Harry and Hermione see a long, bronze-colored spikes along it every few inches.
At that moment five of Charlie's fellow keepers stagger up to the Horntail carrying a clutch of huge granite-grey eggs between tem in blanket and they place them carefully at the Horntail's side, causing Hagrid to let out a moan of longing.
"I've got them counted, Hagrid." Charlie says sternly, "How are Harry and Hermione?"
"Fine." Hagrid says, while still gazing at the eggs.
"Just hope they're still fine after they've faced this lot." Charlie says, grimly, as he looks over the dragons' enclosure, "I didn't dare tell Mom what they've got to do for the first task; she's already having kittens about them." Charlie says before imitating his mother's anxious voice, "How could they let them enter that tournament, why didn't Remus and Sirius stop him, they should have done more, they're much too young! I thought there was going to be an age limit! She was in floods after that Daily Prophet article about them, Harry still cries about his parents! And Hermione has nightmares about Pettigrew and her Dad in Azkaban! Oh bless them, I never knew!"
"Okay, I'm done." Harry whispers to Hermione.
"Me too." Hermione responds and the two of them start to make their way back up to the castle, both of them figuring that Hagrid isn't going to miss them.
Ten minutes later, having walked into Karkaroff as they left the dragons, Harry and Hermione have arrived back into the empty common room where they throw off the invisibility cloak.
"Dragons." Hermione says, her voice faint, "We've got to get past dragons." She says, having no idea how they are going to do that.
"I know." Harry says, "Want to run?" he asks as that's what he really wants to do.
"We can't, you know that." Hermione says as even though she wants to she knows they can't.
"Then we've got to talk to Sirius and Remus, they're bound to know something, know some way we can try." Harry says then realises something, "We can't ask Remus and Sirius."
"No, we can't." Hermione confirms, "Papa unconscious and the last thing Dad needs right now is to worry about us facing a dragon." She says, as Sirius is barely hanging on as it is, he doesn't need more stress, "We've got to figure this out on our own."
"How?"
"We start with the library, go from there." Hermione says and Harry nods, and the two of them drift into silence.
November 21th 1994
It has been two days since Harry and Hermione found out that they are going to be facing a dragon on Thursday and ever since they have been looking though any book they can think of to try and find something to help, but so far they haven't found anything.
It's early Monday morning and Sirius is asleep in the same place he's been since Thursday, in a chair next to the bed where Remus is unconscious, holding his mate's hand, when someone shakes him awake.
"Rem?" Sirius asks, jumping up and he looks over to the bed and sees that Remus is still unconscious.
"He's still unconscious." Poppy's voice says.
"Has there been any changes?" Sirius asks curious.
"Not yet." Poppy answers, "You should go for a couple of hours, get some proper rest, have a shower and actually eat."
"No, I'm not leaving." Sirius tells her, his voice forceful.
"Sirius, it doesn't look like Remus is going to be up for a while. You need to look after yourself too." Poppy tells Sirius, becoming concerned about her friend.
"I'll look after myself once Rem is awake." Sirius says, "We've been apart too long, I wasn't there for him so many times he needed me, I never leaving him again." Sirius says as he reaches out with the hand that isn't holding Remus's hand and pushes Remus's hair out of his face.
"You know Remus doesn't blame you for that." Poppy comments, "And he would want you to look after yourself." She says, "He wouldn't want you to fall apart because of him."
"I know; I just can't bear to leave him." Sirius says, "I need to be here when he wakes."
"Okay, but I'm going to bring you some food and you're going to eat every bite and tonight you're going to sleep on something other than that chair." Poppy tells her friend.
"I'm not moving away from him." Sirius says and Poppy just nods and walks away, wondering if anyone will be able to get Sirius to leave Remus's side to look after himself.
A little while after Sirius was woken up Harry and Hermione are getting up after finishing breakfast in the Great Hall as they do Hermione notices Cedric at the Hufflepuff table.
"Harry, Cedric doesn't know." Hermione whispers to Harry and there is no question in his mind what Hermione is talking about.
"We can't let him face that alone." Harry realises.
"No we can't." Hermione confirms.
"I'll tell him, cover for me?" Harry asks.
"Of course. I'll see you in Herbology." Hermione say and the two of them head out of Great Hall as they do Hermione heads outside while Harry heads towards the marble staircase. Just as she gets to the door Hermione turns back around to see Harry destroying Cedric's bag so that he can talk to her.
"Do I want to ask what that is about?" Neville asks Hermione curious.
"By now Fleur and Krum are bound to know what's coming, but Cedric doesn't know, we can't let him face it without knowing; Harry's going to tell him." Hermione explains.
"That's very good of you two." Neville comments, with a smile.
"Yeah." Hermione responds and the two of them continue to walk to Herbology.
About fifteen minutes late for class Harry slips into class and slips into place between Harry and Hermione.
"Mione, I got it. I know what we have to do." Harry explains in a whisper.
"You do?" Hermione asks and Harry nods.
"We'll talk at lunch." Harry explains and Hermione nods.
For Hermione and Harry Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures both take longer than they thought possible, and when the lunch bell rings Harry and Hermione, along with Neville, run to Remus and Sirius's quarters, which has been cleaned up, as they know it's the only place where they can have privacy.
"What happened?" Hermione asks, "How did you telling Cedric what happened translate to you knowing what we should do?"
"Moody caught me, and he took me to the temporary office he's using. At first I thought I was done for, but he gave me some advice." Harry explains, "He said that we've got to use our strengths to complement each other, to work together. I said that you're great at spells, but I don't have strengths….. "
"Yes, you do." Hermione and Neville say together.
"That's what Moody said." Harry admits with a smile, "From what we saw it looks like we have to get past a dragon, and I realised my strength, flying."
"But I thought you were only allowed your wands." Neville comments, not seeing how they would get the broom.
"I can summon your firebolt." Hermione realises, not being able to believe how simple it is.
"And I can fly us past the dragon, I figure that as we're one champion we both have to get past it." Harry explains.
"It would make sense." Hermione realises, then frowns, "But Harry, I can't fly, not as well as I would have to, and do you think you'll be able to fly both of us in the way we'll need?" Hermione asks concerned.
"Um, I should be able to, after some practice." Harry comments, looking uncertain.
"How exactly are you going to get some practice? The first task is Thursday afternoon." Neville says, looking worried.
"We'll have to use the map and cloak and sneak down to the Quidditch pitch. It can't be seen from the castle which means we have three nights to practice flying together the way you usually fly." Hermione explains.
"That should be plenty of times." Harry realises, being glad about that.
"I'll do what I can to cover, to help." Neville offers, wanting to do whatever it is he can do to help his friends even though he knows that there isn't much he can do.
"Thank you." Harry and Hermione say together and three of them drift into silence.
Hours later, at about eleven pm Harry and Hermione have made their way through the castle and to the Quidditch pitch.
Once they get to the pitch Harry and Hermione leave the cloak and map in Harry's locker in the changing room before heading out onto the pitch.
"So, you'll control the broom, right?" Hermione asks.
"Yes, but I need to get used to there being two people on the broom, and we have to get into the habit of moving in tandem." Harry explains, "Because even though I'm controlling the broom it won't end well if we move in different directions." Harry explains to Hermione.
"Okay, just tell me what to do." Hermione requests.
"I will." Harry says and the two of them mount the broom, Hermione putting her hands around Harry's waist as they do, "First we'll do a couple of laps and then we'll start to get used to doing the twists and turns and tricks that we're probably going to have to do to get past a dragon." Harry explains, and as he does he notices Hermione shake slightly, "We'll be okay, Mione, I know what I'm doing."
"I know. I trust you Harry, completely." Hermione assures her friend and seconds later Harry kicks off from the ground and starts to fly them around the pitch, Hermione being slightly afraid of the speeds they are going at while Harry is completely comfortable and for the first time in a while he feels like he is back where he belongs.
Many hours later Harry and Hermione, both feeling cold from the wind back into the changing rooms.
"Okay, I'm pretty sure that could have gone better." Hermione comments with a frown, "I'm sorry." She says as she is pretty sure that it was her fault.
"Don't apologise, it's okay." Harry assures her, "We'll figure this out."
"We've only got two more days." Hermione says worried, "What if we don't figure this out?"
"We will." Harry says, placing reassuring hands on Hermione's shoulder, "We always figure these kind of things out Mione, together, and that's what we've doing this time. We're doing it together. If I was doing this alone I would be terrified, but I'm because I'm not alone, we're not alone. It's you, and it's me, together, and we may be facing a dragon, but that doesn't change the fact that we're working together and we'll be okay because when it's you and me I don't think there is anything we can't do." Harry says and Hermione just throws her arms around Harry, hugging him tightly.
"You're incredible, Harry."
"Right back at you." Harry responds and the two of them spend a little while just hugging, "We should get back to the castle."
"Yeah, we should." Hermione says, pulling out her wand, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." She says tapping the map, "I'll navigate."
"Sounds good." Harry says and as Hermione picks up the map, Harry covers them while picking up his broom and the two of them head back to the castle, both knowing that they need more practice before Thursday.
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