Chapter 28 – The Aftermath
HG
Fred and George were hidden in an alcove with their prank at the ready when Cedric came running by with Hermione in his arms. The twins looked wide eyed at each other and slipped out of the alcove just to hit into Professor Snape. The twins looked up at the professor with the most fear they ever looked at him, their prank still in Fred's hands.
"Weasleys follow me." Snape said without another word as he walked to the doors of the hospital wing Cedric had already disappeared through. Fred quickly pocketed the prank device and they followed him into the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey was already looking after the unconscious girl in one of the beds. Cedric sat next to her, worried as his knee shook, one hand around Hermione's and the other he used to lean his head on.
"What happened?" The twins and madam Pomfrey asked in unison, but the twins' voices sounded shriller as they came closer.
"I was also wondering why you two were out so late." Snape said as he stood on the other side of the bed.
"We were working on potions. George, Fred and I helped her the past weeks. They both-" He gestured to the twins. "Just left a couple of minutes before we did. And I think Oaklee knew we would be there, I don't know…"
"Oaklee did this?!" The twins' voices shook with anger. Madam Pomfrey was listening closely while she put a few drops of purple liquid in Hermione's mouth, stopping the teeth from growing.
"Yeah, we just walked out of the classroom, and we heard someone whisper but before we could pinpoint where it came from, she was hit. The hex she had send Hermione was already in effect before she hit the ground. She hit her head on the stone floor." He said the last part to Madam Pomfrey, who nodded and started to cast diagnostic spells on her head.
"I already send miss Dare to the headmaster's office." He started to turn around, probably to meet Dumbledore there. He stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder. "One time, Misters Weasley." He said before he walked through the door.
"Will she be okay?" George whispered as he rounded the bed and stood on the other side when Madam Pomfrey was done.
"Yes, she'll wake in a few minutes, then I can shrink her teeth. But I want her to stay the night, I healed the concussion, but I want to be sure there is no aftermath."
"Can we wait here until she wakes up." Fred asked as he pulled two chairs to him and George.
"Of course, I'll make a note in case you bump into one of the professors or Filch on your way to the common room."
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey." The three boys said in unison. The healer smiled before she made her way to her office, leaving the three boys and Hermione alone. They sat in silence for a while, the three of them looking at Hermione with worry. The minutes ticked slowly by and the longer it took, the more worried they got. While Cedric held one hand, Fred held the other as George stroked her head softly.
"This is my fault; I knew she was up to something." Cedric's voice low and filled with anger. He looked up to the twins. "The way she talked about Hermione. The way she looked at her on the train. I should've known."
"It's not your fault, Ced." Fred's voice quiet. "I think none of us thought she would be so drastic."
That moment Cedric and Fred felt her hands move; their eyes went from each other to the girl in the bed.
"Hermione?" George's voice soft as she started to move her head. "Don't move."
"George?" Hermione's eyebrows knit together before her eyes flittered open. "What-?"
"You're in the hospital wing. Oaklee attacked you when you and Cedric walked out the classroom."
"Is Cedric okay?"
"I'm okay." Cedric said with a sad smile, and he squeezed her hand. Hermione's head snapped to his side and winced from the pain.
"I'll get Madam Pomfrey." Fred said in a hurry and darted to the little office.
Hermione saw Fred walk up to the office next to the large doors. She turned her eyes back and saw the large front teeth that reached her navel. She gasped at the sight and started to feel at her mouth. George and Cedric looked confused as she started to feel around in her mouth and not at the large front teeth.
"Miss Granger?" The healer's voice soft as she came closer.
"I'm wearing braces."
"Braces?" The four of them asked bewildered.
"It's a muggle thing, to straighten your teeth, my parents just put them in this summer."
"I don't see anything, dear."
"It has a disillusion charm on it." She searched her pockets for her wand, once found she tapped her mouth slightly and the broken braces appeared.
"Fascinating." The healer gasped as she looked at her mouth, while the twins said. "Wicked!"
"I'm afraid they are broken, miss Granger. May I?" She asked as she pointed her wand at her mouth. And when she nodded her head, the braces vanished. "Can you boys give us a minute? I need to check her head and shrink her teeth."
"I'm fine." Hermione tried to smile behind the large front teeth at the concerned looking boys as she sat up straight in the hospital bed. Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtain closed in front of the boys, closing them off from each other. The healer smiled as she summoned a mirror.
"Just say when they are the normal size okay?"
"Okay." She nodded her head again and her teeth started to shrink as Madam Pomfrey's wand went higher. It took only seconds before they reached her previous length, but Hermione didn't stop her right away, she let her go just a little bit higher until. "Yes." The healer stopped. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey."
"I need to check your head again. Mister Diggory said you had a nasty fall, and you woke up later than I thought you would. Can you lay back down for me?"
Hermione did what was asked of her and laid back down on the soft pillows. She flinched when she turned her head to the right. Madam Pomfrey was casting another few diagnostic spells on her head as her eyebrows gathered from the headache.
"It all seems alright. How do you feel?"
"Massive headache."
"I'll get you something for the pain, miss Granger." She stood up from the bed and took folded white hospital pyjamas from under the nightstand next to her bed. "You'll stay here tonight, so I can keep an eye out. You can change into these."
"Thank you." Hermione smiled as she pushed herself back up. She quickly changed into her pyjamas, knowing full well the boys were waiting on the other side of the curtain. "You can open the curtain." She said once she had climbed back into bed. The twins didn't wait a second before the curtain flew open, nearly tearing it out of its hinges. "Oh, no." Hermione groaned when the boys sat back down around her bed. "I was supposed to meet up with Katie for her essay."
"Don't worry about that, little Granger. We'll take care of it." Hermione smiled at Fred. She knew others would look at him weird for offering to help her with her studies, but Hermione knew how smart they really were and how much they would do to help their friends.
"And after that, we will plan our revenge." George said dead serious.
"No, no, no. I'm guessing one of the professors knows?" She looked to Cedric for confirmation.
He nodded. "Snape saw us right after it happened, Oaklee was still there. He had sent her straight to Dumbledore."
"See? No need to "plan your revenge"." She chuckled.
"But there is." George said pointedly. "Just like you said a few months back-"
"No one messes with our friends." The twins ended together. Hermione leaned back against her pillow, giving up, her head pounded like crazy.
"Boys..."
"Drink this, miss Granger, all of it." The healer interrupted as she came back with a vial. Hermione accepted it gratefully and chugged it in once. She turned to the boys. "You should get to your dorms." She said as she handed out the notes. The boys had just stood up from their chairs when the doors of the hospital wing flew open, revealing a worried professor McGonagall. With her long legs she was standing in front of Hermione's bed in an instant, her eyes shifted between the four of them.
"Professor Snape told me what happened. What I can't figure out is why miss Dare attacked Hermione."
Cedric looked to Hermione who seemed to have fallen asleep before he looked back to the Gryffindor head of house. He walked closer to the professor to let the young girl rest.
"I dated Oaklee for a few weeks."
"I'm aware."
"And I broke up with her before Christmas break. She didn't take it well. She was always jealous of my friendship with her." He looked over his shoulder to the sleeping girl. "So, she blamed her. But I never thought she would do this."
"Professor Flitwick joined the others at Professor Dumbledore's office. They will see she get the proper punishment." She said as her eyes went over the boys. "You three better get to your common rooms. You can pick her up in the morning."
The three boys looked from the Professor to Hermione before they decided to head out of the hospital room. Once the door closed behind them Fred stopped the others as he grabbed their sleeves.
"We're not going to let her get away with this are we? Because I'm willing to bet her punishment won't be good enough."
"No, I agree." Cedric said before George had time to react. "But we need to make sure it doesn't get linked to either one of us."
"The girls and Lee probably want in on it too once they hear what she did." George added as they started walking again. "And we don't tell Hermione."
"And we better wait a while until the dust settles, so it won't be too obvious it was us." Cedric said as they reached the grand staircase. "Let me know if you want to meet up and discuss everything. I-" Cedric shook his head. "I need to clear my head."
"Thanks for taking care of our favourite girl, Ced." George clapped Cedric's shoulder. Cedric gave them a small smile before he walked in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room.
"Let's tell the others what happened." Fred said as he started to climb the stairs. "I can't believe Snape let us off the hook." A chuckle escaped him.
"It seems like he finally found a Gryffindor that he doesn't despise." George laughed.
"If any could do it, it's out little Granger." Fred grinned as they stopped in front of the fat lady. "Now being the bearer of bad news." His grin fell.
"Pig snout." George said before the portrait flew open.
HG
Katie was sprinting down the stairs the next morning the others on her heals. She pushed herself past other students, who glared at her. But she ignored everyone as she ran to the hospital wing, to her best friend. She pushed the doors open, and thankfully due to a charm on the doors, they didn't fly against the wall with a loud bang. Her eyes scanned the room and stopped when she found her already dressed, sitting cross-legged on her bed as she talked to Cedric.
"Mione!" Katie squealed as she ran to her friends and wrapped her in a tight hug. "Are you okay?" She asked when she pulled back, her hands on her shoulders as she looked her over.
"I'm fine, I promise." She smiled as the others all surrounded her bed. Katie looked at her and a crease formed between her eyes. Katie noticed something different about her best friend, but she couldn't place it.
"Do you guys know what kind of punishment Oaklee got?" Cedric asked looking at the Gryffindors.
"Yeah, we actually heard some of her friends talk about it on our way here." Fred started.
"She can't go to Hogsmeade this year-"
"And her parents are notified, plus she has detention for the rest of the year with Snape."
"She should have been expelled." Angelina grumbled and the others agreed.
"Can we get to breakfast? I'm starving." Hermione asked as she tried to lighten the mood.
"Alright." Katie rolled her eyes playfully as she hopped off the bed. "Ced, you're sitting with us, right?"
"Do you think that's a good idea?"
"No crazy girl or boy." Hermione looked to the girls. "Is keeping my friends away from me." She grinned as she wrapped an arm around Cedric's waist.
"Fine, fine, I'll join you lions." Cedric laughed and pulled his arm around her shoulder. George too wrapped an arm around Hermione, his on her waist. She looked up at him surprised, but he kept looking forward with a smile on his lips. Fred and Katie walked in front of her, while Lee, Angelina and Alicia walked behind them forming a protective barrier around her.
"This is a bit much." She poked George's side.
"Don't know what you're talking about, Hermione." He said innocently and he threw her a wink. Hermione pursed her lips but leaned into him none the less.
HG
It would take a while before the others let down their protective guard. It started one by one, first the girls, ending with Katie. But the boys took longer, they always made sure someone was near her at all times. Of course, all of them knew she could take care of herself, but still they had a hard time letting her go. Hermione had to duck away sometimes to get a moment alone, but the twins, with their damn map, always found her within half an hour. But now they finally backed a bit off and she was studying in the library without her bodyguards when they had practice. Happy to finally have a moment alone, or with a silent Blaise. Blaise knew what had happened, most of the school knew, but he never said a word about it, and they continued to study in silence.
