CHAPTER FOUR

Relief.

Hermione was released from the hospital wing a few hours later, her wrist thickly bandaged and a sling tightly supporting her swollen arm close to her body quite uncomfortably. Correcting the bone structure in her wrist had been pure agony. Madam Pomphrey had given her something for the pain which made her feel incredibly lightheaded.

She wanted nothing more than to sleep after such an eventful day, and decided she would go back to the Gryffindor common room after she had done what needing doing, and call it a day. It was still early as lunch was nearing, but Hermione didn't really feel like eating. She walked slowly down the corridor, her mind filling with troubling thoughts as she inched closer and closer to Professor Dumbledore's office.

What had happened last night? She had no recollection of any incident that could cause the Headmaster to be concerned. Hermione racked her brains and frowned as she started tracing back over everything that had happened yesterday, agitated that she had no ideas. She sighed to herself as she reached Dumbldeore's office and knocked softly with her good hand before entering.

"Ah Miss Granger, take a seat." The old man smiled at her as she entered. Hermione returned a weak smile before seating herself down on a chair opposite the Headmasters desk.

"Miss Granger, it appears that you have been experiencing some traumatizing nightmares. Miss Weasley witnessed you distraught last night, myself and Madam Pomfrey were notified instantly and you were given a potion to stop the dreams."

Dumbledore clasped his hands together, his deep voice became filled with great concern as he continued, "I once had an old friend who use to also suffer from traumatic dream experiences, and his dreams became so real that he couldn't help but begin to believe his dreams were actually happening." He paused, "My dear old friend attempted to kill himself as a way out of the nightmare he was literally living. But then he discovered this"

Dumbledore motioned towards a small pensieve. "This pensieve works in a different way Miss Granger. This pensieve combined with a potion, collects your dreams so you will wake every morning with no recollection of dreaming anything at all."

Hermione's eyes widened as she stared at her headmaster, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her seemingly dreamless sleep the previous night hadn't been dreamless at all- she had been given a potion in her sleep. Hermione came out of her thoughts as Dumbledore continued.

"As these dreams still occur and are collected, it is very important that you watch these dreams each day. Sometimes we dream in order to practice responses to threatening situations when they occur. Dreams are of course our subconscious mind telling us things that our conscious state is too blind to tell us. Dreams can also warn us of certain problems that are most likely to arise in our lives Miss Granger. It would not be advised that you go on without knowing what you have been dreaming about. There's nothing to worry about, of course, the dreams while awake will not be traumatic at all. I'll leave you to watch last nights dream and I will be placing the pensieve in the room of requirement after we are done here. I suggest that every day when you have time, you go over your previous night's dream and jot certain incidents down in a journal. The dreams in reality will only take about five, possibly ten minutes to watch. Is this okay Miss Granger?"

Hermione was befuddled, yet very impressed. Not to mention nervous as she knew every night she dreamt about was Harry, she was not looking forward to having to relive her nightmares when there was now the option of not having them. "Okay. Thank you Sir."

"One more thing Miss Granger. Last night you were quite violent in your sleep, and I was most curious. I hope you don't mind but I watched your dream- the cruciatus curse that had been used on you in your dream caused your body to act almost identically to how it would if you were actually being tortured with the curse. Another thing I find quite peculiar is your broken wrist..." He scratched his chin, frowning.

Hermione looked up, confused. "What?" She shuffled awkwardly in her seat.

"You will see for yourself Miss Granger. I'll leave you to it." Dumbledore stood up and handed Hermione a small vile that was filled with a silvery mist.

"I believe Miss Parkinson will be glad to hear how severe her punishment will be for what she has done," Dumbledore said, chuckling to himself as he left the office, closing the door quietly behind him.

Hermione sat still, trying to comprehend everything she had just heard. She was terrified to watch last night's dream. She knew almost certainly what she was about to witness. She wanted to leave, she didn't want to see it.Hermione stood abruptly, deciding it would be best for her sanity if she didn't watch the dream. But the cruciatus curse? She had never felt the pain from the curse in reality... Hermione sat back down, defeated by her own curiosity. She bit her lip as she looked down at the vile in her hand. "Oh what the hell..." she said as she poured the misty substance into the pensieve.

Hermione took a deep breath, expecting her airways to close as she dipped her face into the pensieve. She felt incredibly light as she fell into the memory of the dream she couldn't remember. Her feet landed softly in a large empty room that looked strangely similar to the Great Hall. It was bizarre, Harry had tried to explain to her his own experiences of using a pensieve, but it was clearly inexplicable.

"Hermione." She turned around when a voice called her name in a calm voice, distracting her from her thoughts.

"Who's there? Harry, is that you?" Her attention was then turned to a girl that replied. She was standing in the middle of the hall, wearing a long white gown. This girl looked identical to her, only prettier and very elegant. Hermione took a step towards the girl to get a closer look.

The girl had to be Hermione, maybe the unconscious version of herself. She then caught sight of someone else that came into view. Hermione's eyes widened as she watched him walk towards the girl. Looking at the girl, or rather, looking at herself, they both shared the same look of shock as Draco Malfoy approached, walking right up to her dream state figure, and staring directly at her. "I don't understand..." the girl whispered, "Where is everyone?"

"Everyone's dead Granger, and you're coming with me." Draco smirked menacingly at the girl.

Hermione began to run towards them as soon as Draco had grabbed hold of the girls arm and was pulling her roughly towards the door. The girl appeared to be struggling, trying with all her might to release herself from his grip.

Hermione was speechless as she watched the two of them. She just couldn't understand, she dreamt about Harry every night, not Malfoy. The girl then fell to the floor, followed by Malfoy who had dropped to his knees beside her, seeming slightly confused.

Hermione had stopped blinking, her eyes were collecting dust and starting to water. She had never witnessed such a thing in her life. Her thoughts flooded so wildly in her head that she could no longer concentrate on what was happening in front of her.

She did, however, hear Malfoy whisper her name and then apologize for hurting her. Hermione shook her thoughts out of her head and tried to concentrate. "You didn't mean to what Malfoy? Break my wrist?"

He broke my wrist?Hermione looked down at her bandaged arm. The room started feeling as the reality of the situation hit her in the face. This was not good. Tears were building up heavily in her eyes and blurring her vision, but they weren't flowing- an effect of the pensieve, she guessed. Her heart went out to the girl as Draco Malfoy raised he's wand, she felt sorry for her dream self...

Hermione pulled her head out of the pensieve, finding it hard to breathe as she placed her hands on the desk. "Calm down Hermione!" she yelled at herself, breathing erratically. Hermione then turned on her heel and ran.