Well, what can I say? I love you all! You all reviewed your arses off and made me VERY happy. :D
Some people have asked how many more chapters there are, well there's this one, definitely one more and then the epilogue, but, you know me, might go over!

At the end of this one I have a feeling there's going to be a love/hate situation. Either you'll love the twist or hate me for doing it!

Enjoy!

And thanks loads again :D


Chapter 24

Harry blinked repeatedly for a few seconds before turning to Ginny. She slowly turned her head towards him and their eyes met.

They were glad to see in the other's eyes that they were as confused as they felt themselves.

Both Harry and Ginny came back to themselves when Madam Pomfrey pushed her way between the two of them and after a hasty glance at each other, followed her.

Ginny stopped and fell to her knees next to her brother and Harry knelt down with a little more grace next to Hermione.

'Ron?' Ginny said in a whisper. 'Ron, can you hear me?'

Harry waited for a sound, any sound from Ron but none came. He shook Hermione's shoulder lightly, trying to wake her up.

'Please, Potter, keep her still.'

The nurse's tone wasn't unkind but she was firm in her request. Harry nodded. He watched as Madam Pomfrey's wand moved quickly but quietly over Hermione and then over Ron. A minute later the nurse came over to Harry and looked at him.

'May I please borrow your wand, Harry?'

'Oh, of course, but if you don't mind me asking, why?'

The nurse smiled kindly.

'As silly as this may seem, I dislike performing any of the more fierce diagnosis spells on the two of them unless I do it at the same time given their situation. The same with any reviving spells. To some it may seem silly, but—'

'I don't think it's silly at all!' Harry said determinedly. 'It makes perfect sense.' He held out his wand for the nurse to take.

'Thank you, Harry,' she said as she took the wand.

She stood and concentration filled her face once more.

'Miss Weasley, would you move over to this side please?'

She pointed to the other side of Ron to which Ginny was knelt.

'If you would just move over here Harry,' the nurse asked, pointing to the floor a metre from Ron's side.

Harry did as he was asked and watched as Madam Pomfrey levitated Hermione next to Ron, but with room for herself in the middle of them both. She knelt down between them and she waved her wand and Harry's wand over Ron and Hermione. Various spells washed over them both, settling over their heads and their hearts, changing colour occasionally and then fading completely.

She waved the wands again and Harry watched as the grey smoke hovering and writhing over Ron and Hermione's chests formed into the shape of their hearts. Harry looked at them both, noticing Ron's was slightly larger than Hermione's. They started beating and the smoke turned, to Harry's instant relief, green.

Madam Pomfrey seemed to relax when she had looked at both the forms several times.

'That's good, isn't it?' Ginny asked suddenly.

'Well, it's certainly an improvement, but let's not forget they are still unconscious.

…oooOOOooo…

Harry and Ginny were sat on the floor outside the hospital wing. They had been there for half an hour and were starting to get irritated. Harry was pulled from his thoughts by Ginny standing up and striding up and down the corridor.

'Gin?' he asked.

She stopped and looked around at Harry. Her face was flushed and her eyes bright. Harry was confused.

'Why are they treating us like kids, Harry? As soon as you stopped being useful we were shoved out of here faster than we could blink! We saw…whatever it was we saw but apparently we're too young to discuss the bloody thing, a thing that has had two people we care for in and out of hospital and out cold more times than can possibly be healthy, yet we, apparently, can't bloody well be cope with it!'

Harry waited to see if she was going to carry on talking before standing and taking a few steps towards her.

'Gin, it would be the same regardless of where we were. If we were in St. Mungo's it would have been the same. Dumbledore, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey are responsible for them, for all of us, they have to decide what to do, it's not for us to interfere with that,' he took another few steps towards her, 'you know that.'

She glanced at him before staring defiantly at the ground. 'Well, if you're going to throw reason at me, I can't argue with you, can I?'

A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Harry smiled.

'Look, I can understand why you're angry, Gin, of course I can. But we have to let them get on with things.'

'I know.'

'So, are you going to get angry again or can I sit down?'

Ginny laughed, 'You can sit down and I think I'll join you.'

They leant against the wall and slid down it. Harry sat on the floor but Ginny stopped mid slide. Harry looked up at her, confused.

'That can't be comfortable,' he said with a grin.

'What? Oh,' she slid down the wall and stretched her legs out in front of her. 'I was just thinking, how did you know something was going on? I didn't even think to ask you during the commotion you caused and then, obviously, I got distracted with what happened.'

'Oh, yeah, well I asked Tonks if I could borrow her Auror map…thing Lupin gave her. She's got a couple of days off from both Ministry and Auror work so I asked if I could borrow it. She taught me how to keep it on the hospital wing so I would be able to see if they moved or if their heart rates got any faster. I woke up randomly at four o'clock and couldn't get back to sleep so I just checked it. Their dots were moving the smallest amounts but whatever one did, the other did too and their heartbeats were getting faster so I knew something was happening. That's when I risked life and limb by turning the girl's staircase into a death slide to hopefully get someone's attention. Luckily the head girl came out and after telling me how inappropriate my behaviour was and asking me if I had any idea what time it was I managed to persuade her to get you up.'

Harry took a breath and looked directly at Ginny.

'I hope you realise I am now in every Gryffindor girl's bad books because of you!'

Ginny laughed.

'Then again,' he added, 'their combined wrath is a tiny percentage of what yours would have been had I not done that, so I think I did the right thing!'

He laughed out loud at Ginny's shocked but laughing face and didn't really try to evade the punch to his shoulder he gave him.

'Well, I was going to say thank you for putting yourself in danger with every female Gryffindor but I won't bother now!'

Harry laughed harder.

A minute passed whilst their thoughts returned to the present.

'I mean it though, Harry, thanks for getting me.'

Harry looked at Ginny and smiled, and then tried to ignore the squirming in his stomach that had started when she smiled back at him.

…oooOOOooo…

Harry woke with a start when the double doors opened with a small bang. He hadn't meant to fall fast asleep whilst sat leaning against a wall but he had, and apparently Ginny had too. He was surprised she hadn't woken up when he had, her head balancing on his shoulder, but she was still sound asleep.

Harry looked up at Dumbledore, who was smiling serenely down at him.

'Good morning, Harry.'

'Morning Professor.'

Harry turned his head towards Ginny and shook her lightly.

'Gin. Gin, wake up.'

Ginny stirred and blinked her eyes into focus.

'Oh, sorry, Harry,' she said through a yawn. Her eyes closed as her yawn did all but dislocate her jaw and then her focus fell on Dumbledore. 'Professor!' she exclaimed.

'Good morning, Ginny. I am sorry to wake you both but I'm afraid Madam Pomfrey feels the hospital wing corridor is not the place to sleep.'

'Sorry sir,' Harry said,' but we didn't mean to, we were waiting for news and must have nodded off.'

'Is there any news, Professor?' asked Ginny.

Dumbledore looked at Harry.

'There is no need to apologise, Harry, and yes, Ginny, there is some news.'

'Can you tell us sir? Or not.'

'Both Mr and Mrs Weasley and Mr and Mrs Granger have given their permission for you two to be kept informed of how both Ron and Hermione are, within reason of course. Considering you are both here I shall tell you before I send an owl to your parents, Ginny, and to the Grangers.'

Harry waited for Dumbledore to continue. He could tell Ginny was fighting against her want to prompt the headmaster but luckily Dumbledore didn't keep them waiting.

'You know that their condition has improved greatly. As you know, there have been small improvements over the past three days as we hoped there would be, but now we believe they will wake up when they are ready to. We also believe their connection has been severed. Their hearts are no longer beating in time as they were beforehand.'

'And there's been no other damage?' Ginny asked tentatively.

Dumbledore smiled. 'Obviously we will not know that until they wake up, but from the tests we have performed we have reason to believe they are simply sleeping off their latest ordeal.'

Both Harry and Ginny relaxed slightly.

'I know it's early Professor, but can we see them for a few minutes, then we'll go back to bed, in the right place of course!'

Dumbledore smiled at Harry's comment.

'You may, Harry. Poppy has told me of your help earlier and because of that she has asked me to invite you in, for five minutes.'

Harry and Ginny stood as Dumbledore held the door open for them.

'Thank you, sir,' Harry said as he walked through the open door.

'Thanks Professor,' Ginny added.

'I shall speak to you both later,' Dumbledore replied before letting the door close behind them and walking out of sight.

They walked up to the two beds they had visited most often and watched as Madam Pomfrey tucked the bed sheets around her patients with a few flicks of her wand. She smiled when she noticed Harry and Ginny and moved out from in between the two beds. She pulled another wand out of her robes and Harry realised it was his.

'Thank you for lending me this, Potter. I must say it is a very nice wand to use. What is it's core?'

'Er, Phoenix tail feather.'

Madam Pomfrey nodded her head and gave the wand one last look before holding it out for Harry to take.

'Now, just five minutes please, you two, then you can get a couple of hours sleep before you need to get up. I don't need you cluttering you my hospital wing because you collapsed through exhaustion now, do I?'

Harry smiled. 'No Madam Pomfrey. Don't worry, we won't be long.'

The nurse smiled and walked back into her office.

Ginny was already at Ron's bedside when Harry turned back towards the beds.

He looked over at Ron, who looked exactly the same as he did when he was sleeping normally. This instantly made him feel better. He looked over at Hermione and what he saw didn't give him any cause for concern. She looked as if she had found the most comfortable position to sleep in, and wasn't lying flat on her back as if she had been put in that position because that was what her carers thought best for her.

'I think they're going to be okay, Harry.'

Harry looked over at Ginny and gave her a reassuring smile.

'Me too.'

…oooOOOooo…

'How was your journey, Charles?' Dumbledore asked Mister Granger as they walked through the corridors of the school.

'Er, well, apparition takes some getting used to. Is it any better if you're the one doing it and not the one being brought along?'

'I'm afraid not, it is something you get used to after a while, but for the first few times it can be quite alarming.'

'I suppose the convenience outweighs any disadvantages.' Charles said with a smile.

'I suppose it does. Anyway, I seem to have taken us off the point somewhat.'

'I've hardly been dragging you back there though, have I? I don't want to come across as an uncaring parent, Albus, I love my daughter more than anything, but a few more minutes of not having to deal with this… well, it's very appealing. Hermione has never been able to understand that of course, she got the urgency to deal with things as soon as possible from her mother and it baffles her that I don't have the same sense of urgency to face up to reality when it's staring me in the face… Sorry, you don't need to hear this.'

Dumbledore smiled.

'On the contrary Charles, it is good to hear that flaws I see in myself are not exclusively mine. Whether we put off doing things to protect a loved one, a friend, or even ourselves, we do it because we think it is the best thing. Only time tells us whether the decision was a wise one or not.'

They turned the final corner on their journey to the hospital wing.

'However,' Dumbledore continued, 'I'm afraid, unless you wish to take a tour of the castle, your time with blissful ignorance has come to an end.'

Charles smiled. 'Indeed it has.'

His smile slipped and he looked to the hospital wing doors. They both stopped at the doors but Charles avoided looking through the small pane of glass in the door.

'How's my little girl, Albus? Is she going to be okay?'

Dumbledore gave a small smile.

'You daughter is a remarkable witch, and Ronald is a remarkable wizard. I expect them both to wake up shortly.'

He waved his wand and the doors opened.

After starting at the sudden movement of the doors Charles took a deep breath and walked forward into the hospital wing.

He walked up to Hermione's bed and stood over her, brushing the strands of hair that had been blown into her eyes by the breeze coming in through the open window.

He sat down on the chair next to her bed and took stock of what he saw before him.

She was asleep but she had, apparently, been shouting and screaming with Ron before they collapsed again, which he wasn't sure whether to take as a comfort or not, he was inclined to think it was a good thing. She looked peaceful, and she really did just look like she was sleeping off what she had been through.

'Dad?'

He hadn't heard Hermione shuffling and waking up but he watched her every movement now, as she focused her eyes and her brow furrowed in concentration.

'Hermione!' he said in a whisper, barely believing she had finally woken up.

'Dad what—? Where— What's going on?'

She started to sit up but Charles put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her moving any further.

'Lie down, Hermione. How do you feel?'

Hermione did as her dad said and lay back down on the bed. She rubbed her eyes and blinked them back into focus.

'Er, fine, I think. Dad, what's going on? Why are you here? Why am I in the hospital wing? What happened?'

Charles smiled; it was the first genuine smile he'd worn in days.

'For someone who's been unconscious for three days, had a wander around the hospital wing while still unconscious and then slept off your trauma for a further twelve hours, you have a lot of questions!'

Hermione's eyes had widened throughout her dad's explanation of her actions and lack of actions over the past few days.

'What I— what?'

Hermione had sat up again and looked at her dad with a shocked and confused stare on her face.

'What's the last thing you remember, Hermione?'

Instantly her brow furrowed in concentration and she looked around her, as if her surroundings might help her remember something. Her eyes fell on Ron in the bed next to her.

'Ron! What's wrong with him?'

Charles was about to answer her question but two different doors banged open at the same time. Madam Pomfrey hurried out of her office towards Hermione, and Arthur stood still in the doorway to the hospital wing, staring at Hermione. He hurried forwards and stood in between the two beds next to Charles as the School nurse waved her wand over Hermione.

'How are you feeling dear? Madam Pomfrey asked Hermione sternly.

'Er, fine. Look, will someone tell me what's going on, please? Why are Ron and I in the hospital wing and why can't I seem to remember why I'm here?'

The nurse, Arthur and Charles stared at Hermione, slightly shocked at her outburst.'

'Dad?'

The four heads turned towards the other occupant of the hospital wing.

'Ron!' Arthur exclaimed as he took a step towards his bed.

Ron sat up and rubbed his face with his hand.

'What's going on?' he mumbled through his hands.

'Are you feeling all right, son?'

'Yeah, why?' he replied, his eyes not fully open yet.

Madam Pomfrey had bustled around Hermione's bed and was now waving her wand over Ron in the same way she had over Hermione.

'So what's going— Hermione? What are you doing here?'

'I was just asking the same thing.'

Arthur and Charles looked at each other, concerned looks on their faces.

'Can neither of you remember what caused you to be in here?' Madam Pomfrey asked the two students.

Ron screwed up his eyes in concentration. 'Er, I remember feeling ill then…well, nothing. Did I pass out?'

'I remember the same,' Hermione added. 'I was upstairs, started to feel dizzy and then…nothing.'

Charles, Arthur and Poppy all looked at each other and gave each other looks to say that's what they expected.

'Well, when Auror Tonks found you in separate classrooms we immediately knew—'

Hermione and Ron stared at each other, both understanding from the other's look that they were both very confused.

'Tonks?' Ron asked confused.

'What separate classrooms?' Hermione asked immediately after Ron's question. 'How did we get from our dormitory's to the classrooms?'

'Your dormitories?' Madam Pomfrey asked, a small amount of panic obvious in her voice.

'Yeah!' Ron replied. 'We were in there getting changed, well I was anyway.'

Arthur cleared his throat.

'Ron, when was this?'

Ron looked slightly baffled at his dad's question but answered it all the same.

'After potions. Harry's half-arsed attempt at Amortentia exploded after the pillock added the wrong ingredients, and Hermione and me copped a mouthful before we knew what had happened.'

He looked at Hermione and she nodded in agreement. They both turned to look at the adults in the room.

After a few seconds of looking at three very shocked and worried looking faces they turned to each other again, still glad to see the other seemed as confused as themselves.

'What?' Ron asked slowly.

'Let me clarify, please,' Madam Pomfrey said, her voice shaking slightly. 'The last thing you both remember is feeling ill in your separate dormitories after you swallowed Mister Potter's half made Amortentia potion, yes?'

Both Ron and Hermione nodded their heads firmly.

'Dad, what's wrong?' Hermione asked her father, who hadn't said a word in the last five minutes and was getting paler by the second. 'Dad?'

Charles just stared at Hermione, his mouth opening and then closing again.

'You said something about us being unconscious for days and then seeming to wake up and then sleeping it all off, is that what the potion did to us?'

Her eyes moved from her Dad to Arthur when he didn't volunteer a response, and then on to Madam Pomfrey when Arthur didn't respond to her question. Finally when Madam Pomfrey didn't answer her, she looked at Ron, who was starting to look a little concerned.

After another thirty seconds of just waiting and watching, Arthur broke the silence.

'Ron, Hermione…what date do you think it is?'

'Well, you said we've been unconscious for three days,' Hermione answered immediately, 'so it was the sixth, so it's the ninth?' she said, asking a question in her response.

Ron nodded in agreement.

Charles seemed to relax slightly but Arthur tensed up.

'Is it the ninth?' Ron asked.

'It's the tenth,' Charles said with a smile.

'Oh! Well we were nearly right!'

'I'm sorry, we?' Hermione asked Ron, trying to suppress a glare but failing.

'Yes, because that's important!' Ron retorted with a smirk. 'So, are we all right to leave? I feel fine!'

'Wait a minute Ron,' Arthur said calmly, 'one more question. What month do you think it is?'

Both Hermione and Ron's brows furrowed in confusion and they searched the faces of Arthur, Charles and Madam Pomfrey once more, for any clue that this was a trick question.

'Er…January,' Ron answered slowly.

Charles paled again and Madam Pomfrey sat down on the chair between the two beds.

'What?' Hermione asked, the panic in her voice obvious. 'We've told you the date, I was nearly right, wasn't I?'

Charles cleared his throat once more.

'Yes, Hermione, you were nearly right, it is the tenth. However, it is not the tenth of January. It is the tenth of February.'


So, regardless of what you think if you could let me know, again you'd make me very happy. Oh, and sorry for the teeny tiny cliff hanger. In all fairness you should be used to it by now! lol

Step ;)