Chapter Twelve.
Enemies can't be Friends.

Harry stared at Hermione for a few seconds and then looked at Ron who was white faced and horrified. She's not dead Harry told himself again and again.

"We need to get her to the Hospital Wing." Harry said quickly and loudly so to snap Ron out of it. Ron looked up and nodded at Harry. Harry had a feeling Ron found himself unable to speak. Malfoy was still standing by the door staring at the three of them. Harry bent down and lifted Hermione off the ground with the help of Ron. Harry grabbed one of her shoulders; her body was so limp her head rested on Harry's shoulder. Ron put her other arm around his neck and the two of them struggled to walk her as quickly as they could out of the room, with Hermione's feet dragging on the floor. Harry was trying to stay calm but felt sick with fear and dread. His hands were shaking and he could barely stand as he tried to carry Hermione out of Grimmauld Place.

"Stop." Malfoy said to Harry and Ron. Harry turned to look at him. "Put her down I can help. Snape has taught me a few things." Harry looked at Malfoy suspiciously as he lifted his wand.

"Don't point that thing at her, you've always hated her. Who knows what you would do. Come on Harry." Ron tried to carry on walking but Harry stopped. If Malfoy could help them and it would help Hermione then he was willing to risk it. After all, he knew Malfoy couldn't try anything or he would be thrown out on the street for Voldemort to find him. Malfoy pointed his wand at Hermione and muttered a spell Harry couldn't hear. Immediately Hermione was lifted up onto an invisible stretcher floating in mid-air. Harry had seen this been done before many times but had never found out how to do it. Malfoy walked along with Hermione's body next to him, his wand still pointed at her with Harry and Ron following him. Both with astonished faces. They had never once seen Malfoy help out someone, especially Hermione who in their third year had punched him in the face. And on various occasions Malfoy had expressed his hate for her by calling her a mudblood.

"Where to." Malfoy asked them in an uninterested voice.

"We can apparate her to the car. Maybe you should come; it will be quicker carrying her from the forest to the hospital wing with that spell." Harry said. Malfoy looked alarmed at the thought. "You can put this on," Harry said hastily holding out his invisibility cloak. He didn't want Malfoy coming with them one bit but he needed him to get Hermione to the hospital wing as quickly as possible. Ron looked at Harry angrily but didn't argue with him. Malfoy looked at the invisibility cloak eagerly and slipped it on. The three of them flew in the car to Hogwarts, Ron still barely speaking. Harry was convincing himself that Hermione was going to be ok, still shaking. He didn't know what he would do if he lost Hermione. Ron landed the car and walked quickly back up the Hogwarts grounds Malfoy under the invisibility cloak. Ron had stuck out his wand pointed at Hermione, to pretend he was the one levitating her so it wouldn't look unusual to anyone who saw them.

"If you think this means we owe you anything Malfoy…"

"I'd watch your mouth Potter, unless you want me to accidentally drop Granger?" Malfoy sneered at Harry. Ron looked at where Malfoy would be standing under the cloak, livid, Harry saw his fists clench tightly. He knew Ron was trying to keep from cursing Malfoy for the sake of Hermione. Harry who had thought Malfoy had changed for the better since last year appeared wrong. Although he must have realised being on Voldemort's side was not the best choice, he didn't seem to like Harry any better. A bit like Snape did with Sirius Harry thought to himself. That's if Snape was telling the truth. Harry still couldn't find it that easy to trust Snape.

"Well I'd watch your mouth Malfoy unless you want me to…accidentally pull that invisibility cloak off you." Harry warned him. This made Malfoy stop talking. They reached the gates and rushed through them. Harry reached for the Marauders map. It wouldn't pay if they bumped into Moody.

"What have you got there Potter?" Malfoy whispered. Harry had a strange feeling Malfoy's eyes were all over the map. He glanced briefly at it and put it back in his pocket out of sight.

"Nothing." Harry replied knowing Malfoy wouldn't question any further. Harry felt relieved that they were now near the hospital wing and Madame Pomfrey could tell them that Hermione was going to be ok. Harry ran through the hospital wing with Hermione floating in midair behind him, he saw no other patients were in there and Madame Pomfrey was re-making the beds. She looked up in alarm as they entered and she saw Hermione. Malfoy levitated her onto one of the beds still keeping the cloak on.

"Madame Pomfrey…I don't know exactly what happened…but…" Harry realised he didn't know what to say to Madame Pomfrey, after all he couldn't tell her they had been going after one of Voldemort's horcruxes. Ron spoke suddenly after he had been very quiet; he still looked extremely pale not taking his eyes off Hermione's lifeless body.

"We…there was a locket and when she tried to touch it…light was coming from it, she flew across the room and fell unconscious. The same thing happened to me, only…when Harry tried to revive me, I regained consciousness straight away." Ron said all this very quickly and finished looking at Madame Pomfrey hopefully as she was bent over Hermione doing something with her wand.

"She's not dead." Madame Pomfrey confirmed and Harry sighed with relief. "Although, she is very weak, she's almost nearly dead." Madame Pomfrey gasped and Harry's relief turned back into angst. "Get out of here" Madame Pomfrey waved her arms beckoning for Harry and Ron to leave. " I need to find out exactly what's wrong with her, another five minutes and she could be dead. You both need to leave." She looked at them sternly still waving her wand above Hermione. Harry didn't want to leave Hermione and looked up at Madame Pomfrey about to protest.

"Harry, I'm staying. You deal with…you know," Ron nodded at where he thought Malfoy was standing. " And if anything happens, I'll be sure to tell you."

"Well, ok if one of you stays. There's no time to argue, Just stay out of my way." Harry saw Madame Pomfrey draw the curtains on Ron and he sat down on a chair just outside them looking miserable. Harry decided he wasn't leaving and sat down on an empty bed next to Ron, if there was any news on Hermione, he wanted to know.

"Malfoy." Harry hissed, and he felt Malfoy sit down on the bed next to him. Ron put his head into his hands and sighed. They sat there for hours waiting for the curtains to be re-opened. They heard Madame Pomfrey muttering to herself every five minutes and didn't bother her incase she was in the middle of something important. Harry wondered if Hermione would have to be moved to St. Mungos Hospital, but maybe there wasn't time to move her there. None of the teachers had been notified yet, which Harry was relieved about. He didn't want to have to explain what had happened to Hermione and what they had been doing. He felt nothing but guilt for what had happened to Hermione. Even though it was getting light outside and he hadn't slept, Harry didn't feel tired. He just wanted to hear from Hermione. Ron turned to Harry for the first time in a couple of hours, the only other time he had spoken was to ask for the time. Harry didn't remind Ron that he was wearing a watch himself. Suddenly Madame Pomfrey ripped the curtains open. Harry and Ron immediately looked up at her, Harry was trying to judge whether it was good news by her stern expression.

"I think she's going to be fine." She told them with a slight smile. Ron grinned with relief at Harry and looked like he could have hugged Madame Pomfrey.

"Do you know what was wrong with her?" Harry asked.

"Well, I really don't know, it's a bit like something was draining her whole body as seconds went by. If you had have gotten her to me any later, she would have died." Madame Pomfrey looked at them bewildered. "I tried spells and potions here and there but nothing seemed to work. I almost gave up… in the end something did though. That must have been a locket full of dark magic, I don't know what you were doing around something that could do that to you." Madame Pomfrey looked at them severely. Harry didn't fully understand what had happened to Hermione either, but he was just glad that she was ok.

"You will have to leave now, my patient needs sleep. She wont be awake for a few days now anyway, I've given her a very strong sleeping potion." Madame Pomfrey practically dragged Harry out of the hospital wing but Ron still refused to move. Harry who had said he should talk to Ginny and let her know they were back left telling Ron he should get some sleep but he would be back later anyway. Harry walked out of the grounds where no one was around, followed by Malfoy.

"What were you doing up there then Potter?" Harry continued walking ignoring Malfoy's question. "What was it that happened to Granger?" Malfoy continued to ask questions all the way to the car with Harry ignoring him.

"You can keep talking Malfoy, but it doesn't mean I'm listening." Harry said harshly. He flew the car, which he was getting better at now just outside the grounds so Malfoy could apparate back to Grimmauld Place. Malfoy handed the invisibility cloak back to Harry and Harry knew whether he liked it or not Malfoy had saved Hermione's life.

"Thank you for helping Hermione." Harry said struggling to get the words out. He couldn't take being polite to Malfoy. Malfoy smirked at him.

"Looks like were even. Your saving my life, I saved Grangers. See you around Potter." As Malfoy turned away Harry grabbed his wrist and looked him straight in the eyes.

"You're stupider than I first thought and I didn't even think that was possible." Harry said menacingly and Malfoy's eyes narrowed staring at Harry challengingly. "Because if you think were even, then your deluded." Harry let go of Malfoy's wrist and walked away back into the Ford Anglia.

When Harry arrived back into the common room he was greeted by Professor Mcgonagall and he saw behind her Ginny was sleeping in the armchair. She must have waited for me to get back Harry thought.

" Why is Miss Granger in the Hospital Wing? I was told she had nearly died." Mcgonagall asked Harry sternly. Harry thought he saw some anger appear on her face.

" I can't tell you what we were doing Professor. But if you could just keep this from people in the order, I would prefer not to be asked too many questions." Harry hoped she would accept this. He remembered something else that she needed to be told.

"Oh…and Professor, Isabella Takard…She's an undercover death eater." Harry knew to just come out and say it would sound bizarre to Mcgonagall but she eyed him with suspicion and merely nodded.

"I suppose you can't say how you know this? Very well. Be careful Potter." She left the common room looking slightly outraged at what he had just told her. Harry turned to walk up to Ginny, he leaned down and kissed her, he thought she looked so innocent when she was sleeping. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled when she saw him with relief. She jumped up from her chair and hugged him.

"I knew you would come back." Ginny said happily.

"For someone who knew I would come back, you sound a bit too relieved." Harry smiled at her looking into her eyes. "Ron and Hermione are fine, Hermione's in the hospital wing, but she's going to be ok." Harry said quickly looking at Ginny's alarmed face when he had said Hermione was in the hospital wing.

"Can we go and see her?" Ginny asked him sitting down and pulling him into the chair next to her. Harry put his arms around her and closed his eyes.

"Well, Madame Pomfrey says she won't wake up for a few days, Ron won't leave though." Harry informed her. Ginny put her arm around him and he felt her grip something, she had grasped the destroyed horcrux he had in his pocket.

"What's this?" She asked him pulling it out and examining it.

"Uh…that's nothing Ginny." Harry said hastily grabbing it off her and putting it back into his pocket. He didn't really know what he should tell her about what had happened. He completely trusted her, but to tell her about Snape being innocent, the prophecy and the horcruxes, he just didn't know what he should do. He was thinking of asking Hermione's advice, which was another area she was good at but he couldn't ask her until she woke up.

"Harry"

"Yeah" Harry said calmly.

"What were you doing last night?" Ginny asked him in a casual sort of tone. Harry fell silent and opened his eyes.

"Ginny, I can't tell you. Maybe soon I will, just let me think about it ok?" Harry didn't want another argument to start between them. He lightly kissed her on the forehead and walked up to the boy's dormitory. When he arrived up there, he saw Neville and Seamus sleeping. Neville was snoring loudly. Harry put away everything he had on him, storing the destroyed horcrux safely at the bottom of his trunk. He caught sight of the mirror he had found in Godric's Hollow and pulled it out, an idea forming in his mind. He searched for the mirror Sirius had given him, which he had broken in frustration after Sirius, died; it was still cracked when he found it. He pointed his wand at the mirror and uttered the words.

"Reparo." The mirror instantly repaired itself. Since Snape had said Ron and Hermione were in great danger he thought it best that one of them took a mirror, if the two mirror's worked with each other that was. He put them both away and slumped back onto his bed falling asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. As tired as he was Harry had a sleepless morning, he had been given permission to miss his days lessons as he had arrived back so late. This time, Sirius's death haunted his dreams, one of the few memories he had blocked out since it happened. His scar was piercing with pain more than ever. Sirius's face stuck in his mind.