Chapter 12

Sirius had tried to forget that last night with Hermione.

I wonder how she's doing.

His heart had been heavy with the thought of her these past weeks...

Dear Harry,

How are you? I hope school is treating you alright! Grimmauld Place is as dusty as ever, but I'm researching some spells in the old library here - I think the Order will find them quite handy.

I hear you won the game against Ravenclaw, well done!

Take care and give my best to Ron and Hermione. I hope things are well with them.

Love, Sirius

He didn't dare write to Hermione, not after what Harry had told him about her goings-on with Snape.

Folding the paper, Sirius set it on the coffee table where he'd be sure to post it in the morning, though in fact, it gathered dust there for a week before being sent on its way.

---

The owlery smelled musty, of dried owl droppings and damp straw. It was colder here than elsewhere in the castle, though not as dank as the dungeons.

The letter Hermione was carrying was short, a note telling Severus that she had too much homework to see him this evening.

Pity I have that charms essay due tomorrow or I could go...

She sighed as she tied the note to the leg of one of the school owls and turned to leave.

"Malfoy."

Draco stood in the doorway, a piece of parchment in his own hand. He inclined his head in recognition of her, and they stood watching each other for a couple seconds before Draco broke the silence.

"Hello, Mudblood."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Well don't you blow hot and cold, Sir Slytherin." She scoffed at the look that darkened his face and walked past him.

Draco turned around and grabbed her by the shoulder roughly. "I don't care what you think of me," he hissed, holding her eyes with his gaze. "I don't care who you are. Or what you are."

Hermione pulled back, horrified, crashing into a shelf holding a half dozen sleeping owls. They hooted indignantly and ruffled their feathers, as smirked at Draco, a smirk worthy of a Slytherin, her eyes remaining cold.

"You wouldn't?" she asked innocently. "Well then so much the worse for you, so much the better for me." With that, she stalked past him, her robes billowing around her legs.

---

Hermione had already finished transfiguring her lamp into a goose, which was now honking irritably as it wandered about the room. Professor McGonagall was flitting from student to student, helping where she was needed. Right now, that was with Ron, whose lamp had grown webbed feet, and was tottering about his desk.

A walking lamp... I wonder if Ron could get it patented as a traveling companion.

She laughed to herself, but the memory of her run-in with Malfoy in the owlery that morning quickly sobered her. She looked about the room idly. Having already completed the assignment and having slept only a couple hours the night before, Hermione let her eyes close for a moment.

I'm so tired...

A huge white spider crept towards her in the darkness, the only light emanating eerily off its glowing flesh. It moved towards her noiselessly. Hermione could feel its intent, knew it wanted to hurt her... She froze in terror as it came close enough for her to discern the albino hairs that covered its body like barbed wires. Eight cold eyes, cold like they had been hollowed from ice... took her in. She flinched at its hunger. Taking a step backward, Hermione's breathing became labored with fear. The spider raised its fang-tipped mandibles and lunged at her...

She could not see, the pain was overwhelming, there was a raging fire behind her eyes, warm blood coursing down her body... She could feel the pressure of the spider's bite in her throat, hear its whispering, venomous in her ringing ears...

...whispering?

The spider let go its hold, her blood tarnishing its white form.. She stood there in shock looking at the monster, the warmth of her blood lost to the surrounding air. She had no breath to breathe, no heart to live... the spider had tasted her, eaten her, and she was empty, dead, hopeless... Her shell collapsed to the floor as the spider poised himself over her, ready to strike again, to plunge its whips into her flesh and take hostage her soul...

But the void lifted suddenly, giving way to blinding light.

Professor McGonagall, Harry and Ron, were stooped over her, looking horribly worried.

Am I on the floor?

She tried to sit up, but pain shot through her head.

"Shh... stay there..." said Professor McGonagall, pressing her back down.

"What... what..."

Hermione's mind felt fuzzy, the way her teeth felt in the morning if she'd fallen asleep without brushing them. People around her were speaking excitedly, and she could feel that she was being levitated...

Isn't it supposed to be Harry who has visions and falls out of his seat?

Minutes later, as she was laid down on a bed, she tuned back into the surrounding conversation.

"Poppy, what's wrong with her?"

Something thick was being spooned into her mouth.

"I'm not sure," the other woman answered.

"She fell off her chair, like she was a rag doll." Ron's voice was agitated.

"It was like when I've had visions about Voldemort," said Harry. "Screaming and then fainting like that."

Hermione drifted away again, floating under the lingering images of her encounter with the spider. She felt again the strange trepidation she'd felt several other mornings when she was trying to remember her dreams... In desperation, she tried opening her eyes gingerly. They felt heavy and as if they were covered with sand.

"What happened dear?" Professor McGonagall was tucking stray hairs behind Hermione's ears.

"I...thought I was being attacked..." she sarted. "A spider...a big, white spider..." Ron's face belied his revulsion at the mention of a spider. Hermione tried to speak again, but her tongue was thick in her throat and it was hard to talk. She closed her eyes again, her breathing shallow.

My head...

Hermione's eyes fluttered, closed, and she sank into an exhausted sleep.

"The sleeping potion kicked in," said Madame Pomfrey. She looked at the boys. "You two should get to your next class." They nodded, both looking grim and worried.

"I need to talk to you." Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. The door shut behind the boys, and the teacher sighed.

"What could have provoked this, Minerva?"

"I think it was just a dream, Poppy."

Madame Pomfrey raised an eyebrow. "She shows physical signs of having had a vision... but how rare! I would scarcely believe it!"

"It could also have been insignificant!" retorted the other woman.

"I don't know, Minerva... " Madame Pomfrey sighed, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes. "I don't know much about Divination, but if she has been having more of these strange dreams...or visions..."

"Well talking to Sibyl won't help," scoffed the Transfiguration Professor, fingering a bottle by Hermione's bed.

Madame Pomfrey shook her head. "I don't know about that. Dumbledore seems to have faith in her."

"Hmph."

"Although she did leave Sibyl's class in the first place because she thought it was nonsense," smiled the Mediwitch.

"Well I'm very skeptical."

---

The cool autumnal sunlight was streaming through the windows. Hermione sat up in bed, sipping spoonfuls of soup, oblivious to what she was doing in the hospital wing.

I must have fallen asleep in class and hit my head.

She remained undistressed by the fact that she did not know what had happened to her. Hermione was too level-headed and too experienced to get panicky simply because her mind had locked a few of its doors.

Besides, I've felt like this before... All I have to do is stay calm.

The door opened quietly at the far end of the room. Hermione looked up from her meal as her Transfiguration Professor came towards her.

"How are you doing, dear?"

"Much better." Hermione smiled, setting down her soup. "Did I fall asleep in class?" she asked worriedly.

Her teacher laughed. "I don't exactly know." She gave Hermione a searching look. "Have you ever felt like that before?"

Hermione's eyes flashed upwards. The truth was on the tip of her tongue, but something held her back. "No, Professor," she replied mildly. "I think . . . well, perhaps I just haven't been getting enough sleep."

"Maybe," said her Professor, seeming almost unconvinced. "Well I'll leave you to your rest," she said, moving towards the door. "But if you remember anything. Anything at all," she stressed. "Feel free to come see me in my office."

Hermione managed a nod, and with a dizzy sigh, she leaned back and let sleep claim her.

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