And that's the end of Chamber of Secrets!

This was grueling. Mainly because of my dislike of this book, lol.

I am excited to get into the next one. I have so many plans for POA. Poor Hermione is gonna be so exhausted. I feel I'm going to struggle with going back and forth but it's gonna be a fun challenge.

Plus...GROWING ROMIONE MOMENTS YES!

Anyways, on with the fic!

Chapter 44: Happiness

The world came back to me all at once. One moment, I was locked in a state of cold, immobile darkness. The next, I felt the unpleasant sensation of something thick and bitter sliding down my throat. Slowly, I began to move. My fingers twitched first, then my arms, and before I knew it, I was blinking through the haze of dry eyes and seeing light for the first time in two months.

Two entire months.

It was surreal to move again, to feel the weight of my body and hear the shuffle of movement around me. Madam Pomfrey urged me to take it slow, though every part of me wanted to leap out of the bed and rush into the sunlight. She handed me a glass of water, which I gratefully drank, feeling my throat come back to life.

I caught faint snippets of conversation nearby. Ginny's voice, soft and trembling, reached my ears. Then, what had to be her parents, murmuring words of comfort. Something about Pepperup Potion for her nerves and her being in the Chamber of Secrets. My curiosity was piqued, but I decided not to disturb them. Ginny had clearly been through a lot. I made a mental note to speak with her later and see if she was alright. For now, I stayed silent behind the privacy curtain, waiting.

And then, I heard Madam Pomfrey's amused voice. "Nasty hex he's been hit with?"

"That he hit himself with, Madam," came Ron's unmistakable tone, laced with amusement.

I nearly laughed. Of course, Ron was involved in something absurd. Madam Pomfrey chuckled and replied, "I'll look at him. But there's someone I think you'd like to see."

My heart leapt. Before I could fully process it, Ron peeked behind the curtain, and the moment I saw his face, I launched myself at him. The hug was instinctive, and for a second, I didn't care that Madam Pomfrey had told me to take it slow. My arms were tight around his arms before I realized what I was doing.

Embarrassed, I quickly pulled back, awkwardly sticking out my hand as if a handshake could erase the moment. Why was I doing this? A handshake, really?

Ron, to my surprise, grinned and took my hand. "Welcome back, Hermione."

"It feels good to be back," I said, smiling so widely my cheeks ached. "What happened? I overheard something about Ginny and the Chamber."

Ron's eyes widened, and he dove into the story with all the enthusiasm I'd expect from him. " Yeah that was wild! Oh, you wouldn't believe it! First, we had to follow Hagrid's spiders into the Forbidden Forest—yeah, not my favorite thing. Turns out Hagrid's 'pet' spider, Aragog, is the size of a bloody elephant. And his kids? Oh, they tried to eat us."

I gasped, horrified. "Ron! That's—terrifying! Are you alright?"

"Barely," he said with a dramatic shudder, clearly relishing the tale now. "Then we came back and found this paper about the Chamber of Secrets. That's when we had to drag Lockhart along. And—wait till you hear this—turns out he's a total fraud! He's been nicking other people's stories and passing them off as his own."

I blinked, taken aback. "What?"

Ron nodded eagerly, launching into a gleeful tangent. "Yeah, and when we took him down to the Chamber, he tried to Obliviate me—using my broken wand! The idiot ended up erasing his own memory. Now he's as useless as—well, as he's always been, just more obvious about it."

I didn't know what to say. A part of me felt foolish for having admired Lockhart. I'd believed in him, been swept up in his charm and dazzling smiles. Now, hearing Ron's account, I realized how naive I'd been.

"And then Harry saved the day," Ron finished, almost casually, like it was the least surprising thing in the world.

Before I could process everything, Madam Pomfrey returned and gave me the go-ahead to leave the hospital wing. Walking out into the castle's warm corridors with Ron by my side felt like stepping into a new world. We made our way toward the Great Hall, where the feast awaited, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt happy—really, truly happy.

The Great Hall was a sea of jubilant chaos. Everyone was in their pajamas, laughing, shouting, and throwing confetti made from torn bits of parchment. The atmosphere was electric, like we'd all been freed from some invisible weight. I was right in the middle of it, buzzing with excitement, when Harry finally appeared. The moment I saw him, I couldn't help myself. I darted across the room, nearly tripping over someone's discarded slipper.

"You solved it! You solved it!" I screamed, throwing my arms around him before I could think better of it.

Harry looked a little overwhelmed, but he managed a tired smile as Justin Finch-Fletchley came bounding over from the Hufflepuff table. He grabbed Harry's hand, shaking it so enthusiastically I thought it might fall off.

"I'm so sorry for suspecting you, Harry," Justin said, his words tumbling out like a waterfall. "I mean, we all feel so dreadful about it now—"

I could barely hear the rest of his apology because, at that very moment, Hagrid burst into the common room. His enormous frame filled the doorway as he rushed in, tears streaming down his face like rivers. He pulled Harry, Ron, and me into a bone-crushing hug, sobbing openly.

"Yeh did it!" he bellowed, his voice shaking with emotion. "Yeh three... I can't thank yeh enough!"

I felt a lump rise in my throat. Seeing Hagrid so overwhelmed made everything feel even more real. We'd done it. It was over.

The celebrations continued into the early hours of the morning, with laughter echoing off the walls. But then, just when I thought nothing could dampen the mood, Professor McGonagall stood up and made an announcement. At first, everyone quieted down, expecting more good news.

"As a treat," she began, "the end-of-year exams have been canceled."

Cheers erupted around the room, but I stood frozen, horrified. Exams canceled? How could they?

Then Dumbledore added, almost as an afterthought, "And I must inform you all that Professor Lockhart will not be returning to teach next year."

Ron snorted loudly. "Shame," he said, dripping with sarcasm. "He was starting to grow on me."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him. Still, I felt a pang of disappointment at the idea of no exams. It wasn't just about the studying—I liked proving what I'd learned, showing myself I could rise to the challenge. But as I glanced around at everyone's smiling faces, I decided not to dwell on it. There were more important things to think about.

The last few days of term flew by. Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were officially canceled—no one missed them—and Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor. I noticed Draco sulking around the castle, his usual smugness replaced by a sullen scowl. Ginny, on the other hand, seemed brighter with each passing day. It was wonderful to see her smile again.

When it was finally time to board the Hogwarts Express, I felt a bittersweet ache in my chest. We made the most of the journey back, playing Exploding Snap and practicing disarming spells on each other. Harry, unsurprisingly, was becoming quite skilled at it.

Harry told us about how Dobby had been the Malfoys' house-elf and how he'd managed to free him. Ron laughed so hard at the idea of Lucius losing a servant that he nearly choked on a Chocolate Frog. I couldn't help but smile, too. Dobby deserved freedom after everything he'd endured.

As we neared King's Cross, Ginny joined us, her face glowing with relief after saying goodbye to her friend Colin. I loved seeing her like this—no more shadows in her eyes.

"Ginny?" Harry asked suddenly. "What did you see Percy doing that he didn't want you to tell anyone?"

Ginny froze for a moment, then giggled. "Oh, that. Well, Percy's got a girlfriend."

Fred, who had been balancing a stack of books on George's head, dropped them immediately.

"What?"

"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," Ginny said, her voice full of mischief. "That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was—you know—attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" she added, looking genuinely concerned.

Fred grinned so widely I thought his face might split. "Wouldn't dream of it," he said, his tone dripping with insincerity.

"Definitely not," George added, though the gleam in his eye suggested otherwise.

I laughed, feeling lighthearted for the first time in ages. As the train pulled into the station, I realized that despite everything that had happened, we were all leaving Hogwarts a little stronger, and a little closer than before.

The Hogwarts Express slowed to a halt, and the buzz of students gathering their things filled the air. I grabbed my bag and glanced at Harry and Ron, the three of us lingering as if reluctant to step into the summer months ahead.

Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment, breaking the moment. "This is called a telephone number," he said, scribbling it down twice and tearing the parchment in two. He handed one to me and the other to Ron. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer, Hermione, so he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys', okay? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to."

I nodded, pocketing the parchment. "Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they? When they hear what you did this year?" I asked, thinking how anyone would be impressed if their child had faced what Harry had.

"Proud?" Harry said with a dry laugh as we stepped off the train and joined the throng of students heading toward the enchanted barrier. "Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious."

I frowned. It still baffled me how anyone could treat Harry the way the Dursleys did.

Through the barrier, we emerged into the Muggle world, where Harry's aunt, uncle, and cousin were waiting. His cousin Dudley looked like he had swallowed something sour, while Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia stood stiffly, their faces a perfect blend of disdain and irritation.

Harry shook Ron's hand, then gave me a quick hug. "See you," he said, his voice light but carrying an undertone of dread as he walked toward his dreadful relatives.

"You'll write to me, won't you?" I asked Ron as we watched Harry disappear into the crowd.

"I guess," Ron said, smirking in his usual cheeky way. "See if you can come this summer, okay?"

I nodded, taking the scrap of parchment Harry had handed Ron, taking out a quill from my bag, and quickly wrote my number on the back. "You can call me if you're too tired to write," I said, giving him a teasing smile.

"At least you Muggles got communication right." Ron said, waving the parchment before tucking it into his pocket.

"My parents are over there," I said, spotting Mama and Papa standing near the platform exit, their faces brightening as they saw me. My stomach fluttered nervously, and I hesitated before turning back to Ron.

I surprised myself by leaning in and hugging him. Ron froze at first, arms stiff at his sides, before awkwardly patting my back. By the time he relaxed and smiled, I had already pulled away, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.

"Thanks, Ron. See you later," I said quickly before walking away. My blush deepened as I thought about what he had done for me this year. Visiting me while I was petrified, talking to me even though I couldn't respond. He didn't realize how much that had meant to me.

And I wasn't sure I would ever tell him.

"Mimi!" Papa's voice rang out warmly as I reached my family. He scooped me into a hug while Mama beamed, wrapping her arms around both of us. "There's our Jeanie!" she said. Their joy at seeing me washed over me, momentarily pushing away all my worries about the Chamber and the danger we had faced. For the first time in months, I felt like a normal girl, safe and loved.

As we walked toward the car, my heart felt full. Whatever awaited next year, I would face it with Harry and Ron by my side. For now, I would cherish this warmth and try to forget, at least for a little while, the darkness that had overshadowed this year.