Disclaimer: We didn't make Harry Potter. Deal with it.

“Harry, wake up,” sighed Hermione Granger. She hastily brushed aside some curly strands of bushy hair. St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries was the last place Hermione wanted to be. Thoughts of regretful arguments were racing through her usually sensible mind. She began to stroke Harry’s cold forehead.

“Do you think he will blame me?” Hermione asked Ron suddenly.

“He shouldn’t, but he was really mad. What did you say to him, by the way? All I heard was shouting and when I got to the kitchen, I saw him slamming the door in your face,” Ron stood up and started pacing.

Ginny, who also happened to be sitting there with Ron and Hermione, looked very pale. She knew what had happened, but she had lied about it. No one else knew what had happened to him that dreadful night.

Hermione stopped stroking Harry’s forehead and began to stare at it. She wondered what he was feeling. She wondered why he was unconscious. She wondered if he was thinking of how horrible she had been lately.

“Hermione, it’s not your fault,” persuaded Ginny, using all the strength she could muster in her frail voice.

“But if it is not my own fault, then who is to blame? I know it wasn’t your fault. If only you had been there when whatever happened to Harry happened. The healers could have him awake by now.”

Ginny shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but Hermione did not take notice to Ginny’s awkward behavior. Suddenly, Ginny jumped out of her chair.

“What is it Ginny?” asked Hermione in a concerned voice, looking up at her.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just remembered something I had to do. Send an owl if Harry wakes up, please. I really look forward to seeing him smile again. No, don’t worry; I think I will be back. I can handle it.”

“Fine,” Ron said. Seconds later, Ginny had left the room.

“Ron, I have something to ask-” Hermione began shakily.

“No way,” groaned Ron, interrupting Hermione.

Hermione, who was also trying to comb Harry’s messy hair, although she knew it was entirely worthless to do so, put the comb on the bedside table and turned around. She scowled as Draco Malfoy entered the ward with a superior look on his pale face.

“What?” Hermione asked in the same shaky voice.

“Oh, hello theoretical best friends to this pathetic lump of nothing inside some thick wool blanket. I just had a few words with some…people. Plus I wanted to give you my money for the bet now. See, you think Potter will come around. I disagree with your assumption. I personally think he will be gone by tomorrow morning; you get the money because you need it, Weasley.”

Hermione glared at Malfoy. “Why don’t you just leave us alone? You always bullied Harry in our previous years at Hogwarts. But when we go back for our final year, I won’t let you. See, I am Head Girl. Harry is Head Boy. They have more power than all the Prefects put together. You can be thrown out of the school if I get strong enough evidence to Dum- I mean, McGonagall.”

“And I am threatened by this, how?” Malfoy asked in a somewhat amused voice.

Hermione didn’t answer.

“I’ll just leave, then,” Malfoy said after a long, awkward silence.

“How could he do that?” Hermione asked Ron through heavy tears after she was positive that Malfoy had left.

“I don’t know. It is Malfoy, do you really need an explanation? He’s a bloody menace,” Ron said to Hermione in a somewhat consoling voice. He patted her on the back and she felt something inside of her jump.

“Hello,” said another familiar voice. This person, however, was one person that they were always pleased to see and talk to. Remus Lupin stood in the doorway. Hermione glanced over her shoulder to see him looking more battered and ill than ever.

“Lupin, how nice it is to see you!” Hermione said to him as he began to walk toward Harry’s bed. She was still crying.

“Hermione, what’s wrong? You don’t exactly seem happy to see anybody right now.”

“No, really, I am fine. It’s just, Draco Malfoy came in and he…”

“What?”

“He said that he was sure that Harry would be gone by tomorrow! How could he say something that is so obviously untrue? Harry will wake up. He has to!” Hermione said determinedly, with her tears finally slowing down.

“That isn’t true in any way at all. How about we leave Harry alone for a few moments and get some tea?” Lupin suggested, being very careful not to say anything offensive to either of the two troubled teenagers.

“If leaving him will bring him back around, then I won’t be reluctant at all to go, but what if something happens? I mean, Ginny left and said she had to do something. I wonder what it was.”

“She sent an owl to me and persuaded me to come and try to, just possibly, calm you down a bit. Her letter wasn’t calm, though. She has a hypocritical side to her.”

“Okay, shall we go, now?” Ron was uncomfortable thinking and talking about Harry, with the state of things; although he had been doing so ever since Harry had arrived at St. Mungo’s.

“Yes, let’s go now before I change my mind,” Hermione said quickly. As they left Harry’s room, Hermione glanced back at him and had to blink tears out of her eyes. She knew that she should stop having breakdowns, but she felt that she was to blame for everything that had happened in the past few days.

“Here we are. This tearoom is quite lovely, don’t you think? Why don’t you two sit down, I can get the tea. Go on ahead, that couch over there looks very comfortable,” said Lupin cheerfully.

“Okay,” Ron said dully. Hermione sat right next to him.

“Ron, I want to talk to somebody about this important issue. I have felt this way for a while, but I don’t know what to say. Do you think I should tell them about my feelings on this particular thing, or would now be a bad time?”

“I don’t know, I’m not exactly the person to go to for advice, but do whatever you have to do. First, can you hand me that muffin?”

“That wasn’t much help, but I think I should go ahead. Ron, I love you. I can’t tell you how much I have been looking forward to finally being your girlfriend, but it is never the right time.”

It took Ron a minute to respond. He looked shocked that she had asked him. “Blimey. I can’t, Hermione. You know I can’t. Bloody bad timing for this, I agree. Besides, don’t you love Vicky?” he added, with a bitter tone to his voice.

“No, Ron. I haven’t talked to him for months. And I never really loved him. I admit that I liked him, but I never once loved him. I won’t beg for a yes, but I expected more.”

A minute later, Lupin came back with the tea floating in front of him. “Now, back on to the discussion we were having about Harry. Do they have any idea what happened to him, in the least, a possible hint?”

Hermione shook her head to Lupin’s question. She was unable to speak. Her heart had been ripped into a million pieces, and the expression she saw on Ron’s face was not one of regret. She saw nothing but concern on Ron’s face. The concern was for his best friend, but not the girl who dreamed of being with him and only him for so long.

“It is a shame Ginny doesn’t know. She could have been the key that may perhaps fit into the lock, speaking figuratively, of course,” Lupin was sipping his tea and wondering about many things concerning Harry, the Order, and when one particular person was going to reveal all he knew.

“I agree, it’s such a shame she doesn’t know. But, if you don’t mind, I really don’t feel like being around anybody right now, so, I’ll just go. Believe me, I’ll be fine,” Hermione said, placing her tea cup on the table by the couch.

Hermione looked back at Ron and felt tears filling her eyes once more. She doubted that she would ever be fine. She found herself standing outside of Harry’s ward. She knew that going back in would bring so much pain. She knew that the pain was supposedly avoidable, and she should have just let Harry go. There was also a hole in her heart where her feelings for Ron had been for so long.

“Hermione!” Ron shouted, walking up to the pathetic looking girl.

“Hello, Ronald. I don’t feel like going in at the moment. I thought I said that I wanted to be alone.”

“Hermione, if this is about me, you shouldn’t punish Harry for what I said. I mean it, go on in. I don’t think he will be mad. I am not going to let you make a fool of yourself and me, because you know that I’m the fool.”

“Fine,” Hermione said bitterly. She went inside the room and stopped as she saw who was sitting by Harry’s bed. It was Luna Lovegood.

“Yes, I understand. But honestly, you should wear the wool ones, as they are the warmest. Oh, hello! Harry was complaining about his feet being cold, so I was suggesting which pair he should wear. He doesn’t want the wool ones because they itch, but the rest are so thin. And one is infested with nargles. Speaking of nargles, would you like to assist me with the nargle song I wrote?”

“How can you talk to him? He’s out cold!” Hermione had a look of fury on her face.

“Telepathic communication,” Luna said brightly.

“No. That’s not possible! It’s just a myth! Besides, I doubt he would care about his socks. Nothing is going right!” Hermione turned around and left Luna and Ron standing in an awkward silence.

“She’s mental, I’m telling you. I have never seen her so…moody. Ginny isn’t any better, either. They both have gone mental…” mumbled Ron.

“Ah, but have they? You say they are mental, but maybe you are being insensitive to their feelings,” Luna said wisely.

“I-no, I’m not being insensitive to anyone’s feelings!” Ron’s ears were turning pink.

“Whatever you say,” Luna said in an extraordinarily serious voice.

“Excuse me?” a small healer called, “visiting hours are over. Can you please come back tomorrow?”

“Fine,” Ron grumbled. He walked out in a huff, Luna following close behind.

Author’s note: Yes, awkward timing for Hermione. Um, I think that is about all I have to say...just thanks to my beta!

Disclaimer: The writers did not create Harry Potter. They wish that they did.

Harry looked around the room. He was sitting in a chair at the center of the room. He stared at the door that was six feet away from him.

“I want out of here,” he said aloud, though he wasn’t sure why.

“Too bad, Potter,” a cold voice replied.

Harry shivered. He kept trying to remember where he had heard this voice before, but he couldn’t. He sighed and began to shift in the hard, wooden chair he was sitting in.

“Please let me out! I am so lonely in here,” Harry pleaded, knowing nothing about his past and doubting his future.

“I can’t help it that you are in your current state. Bellatrix did not carry out her mission successfully. You wouldn’t be so lonely if she had succeeded in killing you in the first place.”

“Why would you want to kill me? What did I ever do to you?”

“You did everything I didn’t want,” the voice replied.

Harry frowned. He decided that this person was no threat to him as long as he was in the room. But, he really wanted to get out at the very same time. Harry stood up and tried to touch the doorknob, but he couldn’t. His hand stopped three inches away from it.

“It is useless to wish to get out, Potter,” the voice said to Harry.

Harry sat down, groaning. He had no idea how long he had been in that room, but it seemed to be days. He remembered hearing only one other voice, one of a girl’s. She talked to him about socks and such comfortable things. He had already decided that he trusted the girl, but not the man.

“How are you even talking to me?” Harry asked the voice.

“Telepathy. You wouldn’t understand something so complex.”

“Then how could I respond to you if I didn’t understand?”

“Because I can make myself hear what you say. You can probably hear the things around where you actually are.”

Harry sighed. He heard some mumbling coming from a woman. The door began to glow. Harry bolted toward it and tore it open.

---

“You’re awake,” a woman said.

Harry looked around. He realized that he was in St. Mungo’s.

“What happened?” Harry asked.

“Take this potion. It should restore your energy.”

Harry began to drain the potion, but as he got to the bottom, he started to choke on it. He was struggling desperately for air.

“Help,” he managed to gasp.

“No,” the woman said.

“Please,” Harry said, trying to stand up, but he was unable to.

“I told you not to meddle,” the healer said through clenched teeth.

Harry felt tears streaming down his face. Everything went black.

---

Percy Weasley sat up in his bed. Glancing over at the clock, he groaned.

“Penny,” he sighed in a somewhat lovey-dovey voice that none of his family had ever heard him use. Except for Ginny in her first year, of course.

A young woman sat up. She had been sleeping beside him.

“Did we get married last night?” Percy asked.

“I think I remember us eloping,” Penelope said, kissing Percy.

“Now I remember. Best night of my life. Unfortunately, I still have to go to work. So, I will see you later.”

“Okay Gummy Bear!” Penelope called as Percy left the room in a rush.

“Penny!” he groaned at the absurd nickname.

As he fixed his breakfast he thought of Penelope and how excited he was that his parents weren’t there to ruin the mood. Minutes later, he Apparated into the Ministry and walked toward his office. As he entered his office, he nearly jumped at the sight.

“Hello, Weasley,” a cold voice said.

“What are you doing here?” Percy asked fearfully, pulling his wand out of his robes.

“I have a job for you,” Voldemort said, standing up.

“Whatever it is, I am not going to do it!”

“Is that so?” Voldemort asked, laughing evilly.

“Of course”

“IMPERIO!” Voldemort yelled.

“Yes, my Lord?” Percy suddenly asked.

“I have a job for you,” Voldemort said.

“What do you need?”

---

Hermione looked over at Ginny.

“He’ll be okay,” she said.

Ginny sighed and sat down at her bed. They had finally gotten home from visiting Harry and both were exhausted.

“I finally asked Ron out,” Hermione said.

“Really? What did he say?”

“He said no. I can’t believe I thought that he would say yes after all of the drama last year. He asked me about Viktor.”

“He doesn’t still think you are with him, does he?”

“Apparently,” Hermione sighed.

“But you don’t have any feelings for him?”

“No, I was just helping Viktor out with some things.”

“While Harry was competing in the Triwizard Tournament?”

“Yeah,” Hermione said, nervously tugging on her hair.

“Did you help Viktor with the Tournament?” Ginny asked, her temper rising.

Hermione sat down on her bed and didn’t say anything.

“Did you?” Ginny asked again.

“No,” Hermione shook her head.

“You did.”

“No, I promise you that I didn’t help Viktor with the Tournament. Harry is my friend.”

“Harry meant so much to me. He still does! I can’t believe that you would do something so harmful. The worst thing is that I might never get to talk to him again. But if I do, I am telling him.”

“Ginny! I did not help Viktor with the Triwizard Tournament!”

“Then what was it?” Ginny asked, her face as bright as her hair.

“I don’t know if it is appropriate to tell you.”

“If you don’t, I just might tell Harry what I think you did.”

“I tried to help him learn better English.”

“NOT APPROPRIATE? YOU’RE LYING!”

“It’s true! You can ask him. Please don’t leave. I can’t stand having all of these arguments.”

“Hermione, Ginny?” Ron said, coming in.

“What is it?” Ginny asked bitterly, shooting her eyes towards her brother.

“Mum says she has to tell us something. She didn’t say what it was, but it sounds pretty bad.”

Hermione and Ginny sighed and agreed to go into the kitchen. As they were going downstairs, Hermione remembered the argument she had with Harry and how truly sorry she was.

“Horrible news…St. Mungo’s…” Mrs. Weasley said, her eyes swimming with tears.

“What is it, mum?” Ginny asked shakily.

“They sent a letter…”

“What about?”

“H-Harry is d-d-dead!”

Author’s Note: CLIFFHANGER! Okay, um…yes. This is all getting so...WB-drama…on a more HCB-related subject, chapter 3 is going to be the argument that started it all.

Harry had arrived at the Burrow just after his birthday, although in his heart he knew that he truly wanted to leave much sooner. The Dursleys' had been unusually kind to Harry. He was convinced that they were entirely happy that he was going to be leaving, but he had no idea that they felt fear every single time that they saw him.


His two best friends were happy to see him, but they were positive that his unpleasant mood swings were a total downside. He was negative about the slightest thing, and his friends were sure that they knew why. The day he was attacked was the worst. He seemed to be channeling Hermione’s old know-it-all spirit that Harry and Ron couldn’t stand in their first year.


"Hermione, I won’t listen to another word, since I’m right about it!” Harry said rudely.


“Harry, I don't know if anyone has informed you, but it doesn't exactly matter," Ron said to Harry darkly.


"I was talking to Hermione, not you, Ronnie," Harry said bitterly.


"But I can't help but interrupt when you are being a total git," Ron groaned.


"I am not!" Harry groaned. He started stomping on a mouse. Hermione and Ron exchanged worried glances.


"Harry, the mouse is not a Horcrux!” Hermione said hopelessly.


"It could be an Animagus Death Eater!” Harry said. He continued to stomp on it. Hermione stepped forward.


"Harry, stop. This behavior has got to end some time, and that time is now. You are acting as paranoid as Moody used to be,” Hermione said sternly.


"He’s still paranoid, Hermione! And no, I am not paranoid at all!” Harry said, stepping into the Burrow.


"Harry, mate, just take a break. You need to loosen up a bit,” Ron said to his friend.


“I can’t!”


As Harry walked out, Hermione and Ron exchanged worried glances again.


---


Finally, the next evening as Harry was in the kitchen reading a book on Horcruxes, which he had finally found
after weeks of searching. Hermione walked into the room. Harry looked up.


"Hello Hermione," he said bitterly.


"Hi Harry. How are you feeling?"


"I’ve felt fine the whole time I’ve been here."


“No you haven’t, you aren’t the same person you were a month ago. What happened?”


“What happened? WHAT HAPPENED? The one person that could lead me one step closer to destroying Voldemort was murdered. That’s what happened!”


"Harry, I know this has been hard on you, but why are you taking it out on your two best friends? This isn’t going to be easy in any way, but we’re here for you.”


”I know, but I feel like this time, nobody can help me. I don’t need space, but I don’t need help right now. I just need time to figure things out.”


"You can't yet. You heard Lupin. Things aren’t getting any better. You need to wait a bit longer. You are going back to Hogwarts, right? You didn’t answer me yesterday when I asked you."


"Actually, I am not even sure if I want to go back," Harry confessed, slamming his book shut.


"You don't want to go back to school? You really need to! Dumbledore would want you to."


"Hermione, it isn't that easy. What if it isn't the right thing to do?"


“Harry, you need to go back to Hogwarts! That is definitely the right thing to do. Another year could save you, and that is really important! I know that this is important to you, but I am sure that Dumbledore would be happy to see you go back.”


“What if another year does nothing? What if because I didn't try to stop Voldemort soon enough the whole wizarding world was gone? Another year could destroy everything I have worked against! Think about it, Hermione.”


Ginny began to come into the kitchen, but heard them talking and decided not to barge in. She had the feeling that Harry was going to be going off at Hermione again.


“Hermione! Stop trying to control every move I make! You know that I am going to have to do this now, or it will never be done!”


Ginny sighed. She knew that Harry was right, but she dreaded seeing the day that he left. When she was with him, she was breathless. When she was not, she ached for him.


“Harry, I was trying to be sensitive. I was trying to help you,” Hermione said.


"Well, I need space," Harry said through clenched teeth.


“That’s not true! I remember how you were when Cedric died, you were always yelling, but you weren’t this bad!”


“Really? I haven’t been bad!”


“All I have been trying to get through to you was that you shouldn’t be going alone. I can’t go with you, and I thought that your friends were going to go with you, after all, that’s what you said at Dumbledore’s funeral.”


“Don’t mention it, Hermione! If you say one more word about what’s happened, I’m leaving.”


“Harry, don’t go. Dumbledore wouldn't want this,” Hermione whispered.


"ACCIO TRUNK!" Harry suddenly yelled after a long, painful silence.


"Harry!"


“If you ever see me again, don’t talk to me,” Harry said, glaring at Hermione. He slammed the door shut behind him.


Ginny sighed and walked over to Hermione.


"How much did you hear?" Hermione asked.


"All of it," Ginny confessed.


"I am sorry you had to hear it," Hermione said.


"It's okay. Do you want me to get him?"


“I don’t know, maybe it would be better if I went ahead and got him.”


"To be entirely honest, it might be better if I did. You know, he hasn't really yelled at me this summer. I have just been the witness to the fights. I'm not trying to be offensive, but maybe he'll listen to me."


"Go on ahead, Ginny. But try to convince him soon, since it is really getting dark outside."


"The whole world is dark outside," Ginny said, thinking of Voldemort and his Death Eaters.


"Hurry!"


Ginny nodded and went outside. She broke out into a run when she saw Harry.


“Harry, come back! You can’t possibly think it is safe out here!”


Harry turned around. "Ginny, you know I can't go back."


"Why not?" she asked.


"Hermione is trying to direct my life, and it isn't right."


"You know she isn't trying to direct your life. She really cares about you. I really care about you. Why do you want to leave behind a place where people care about you?"


"It just isn't enough anymore," Harry said.


"Harry, behind you!" Ginny squealed. She pulled out her wand. Before she could say anything, Harry was twitching on the ground.


"Bellatrix Lestrange! I don't think we've properly met," Bellatrix said.


"STOP HURTING HARRY!" Ginny yelled.


"I don't see any reason to any longer," Bellatrix sighed evilly.


"What?" Ginny shrieked.


"CRUCIO!" Bellatrix yelled. She yelled it several more times, pointing to Harry and Ginny.


---


Some time later, Ginny sat upright. She realized that she had been unconscious. Trying to remember what had just happened, she looked to her left and noticed that Harry was lying on the ground and breathing heavily.


"Ginny," Harry sighed.


“Harry? Oh no! Are you okay?”


“Tell Hermione I’m sorry. I was being stupid.”


“I won’t need to. You are okay; I am okay. Everything will be fine. We should go back to the Burrow.”


“No, I am so tired. I love you. I've been so stupid this summer. I know I am dying. Just promise me you will tell Hermione that I said I was sorry,” he closed his eyes.


“No! Harry, no! I’m not losing you!” Ginny felt Harry's wrist for a pulse, and found it. She picked him up and did her best to take him back to the Burrow without dropping his limp body. She burst through the door with a struggle.


“Ginny, what happened?” Hermione shrieked, tears beginning to flow from her eyes.


“I-I don’t know,” Ginny said, trying to remember. She was shaking and very pale.


“We need to get him to your mum; she’ll know exactly what to do!”


"I'll get her," Ginny volunteered. Minutes later, Mrs. Weasley was rushing into the kitchen.


"Oh dear. Harry!" Mrs. Weasley said, trying to wake Harry up.


"Is he going to be okay?" Hermione asked.


"I have no idea. What happened, by the way?"


"I have no idea," Ginny replied to her mother, still thinking about what could have possibly happened. She remembered waking up and seeing Harry.


"He'll have to go to St. Mungo's," Mrs. Weasley concluded.


Ginny and Hermione exchanged worried glances. They knew that everything was going to change.


---


Later that night, Ginny sat upright in her bed. She had just realized what had happened to her and Harry. She began to cry and decided that it was too late to tell anybody what had happened.

“Dead?” Hermione asked. She felt tears fill her eyes.

“Y-yes, this is t-the l-letter,” Mrs. Weasley choked out.

“No!” Ginny shrieked. A second later she was sitting on the floor, bawling. The only boy she had ever loved was gone forever, and she couldn’t even protect him by speaking up about what had really happened.

Hermione hugged Mrs. Weasley soothingly, thinking that it wouldn’t do much good anyway. They had lost Harry, and none of them could think of a worse fate.

“I don’t believe it…” Ron said, sinking into a chair and hiding his face in his hands.

“They said t-that the h-healer tried to save him, but she c-couldn’t!” Mrs. Weasley wailed.

“Mum, sit down,” Fred said, pulling out a chair dazedly.

Mrs. Weasley sobbed loudly and collapsed into the chair.

“How could this happen?” George asked.

“I have no idea how. He was in good condition when we left, and I just…don’t believe any of this,” Mr. Weasley said.

An owl swooped into the kitchen. Mr. Weasley reached for the parchment attached to the owl’s beak. He had a disbelieving expression on his face.

“It is an urgent letter from the Ministry. I am so sorry, everybody, but I have to go take care of this,” Mr. Weasley said cautiously. He wished he could tell them all the news contained in the letter, but he wasn’t allowed to do such, so he didn’t.

“What is it, dad?” Ginny choked through her tears.

“I’m not supposed to talk about it. I will be back later.” Mr. Weasley abruptly left them all standing in the kitchen feeling hurt, confused, and generally lost.

An hour later, the whole room was silent. Well, it was until Ginny spoke up.

“Are they intending to have a funeral for him?” she had asked.

”Oh dear, they didn’t mention such a thing,” Mrs. Weasley wailed depressingly.

Ron jumped out of his seat.

“WHAT? So what do they intend to do with my BEST FRIEND’S body? Throw it away? That is rubbish!” Ron’s face was bright red.

“Ron! It’s okay, they will probably send something telling us what we need to do,” Hermione said, tears still blinding her.

“The last thing I said to him while he was conscious was ‘hurry up in there, before I drag you out, because some of us haven’t used the bathroom yet,’ and that night, he stormed out!” he said, wiping tears from his eyes.

“Ron…”

“I should have talked to him more; maybe he wouldn’t have felt so ignored if I had…”

“Ron, you couldn’t help it any more than I could,” Ginny said, thinking to herself that it really was her fault that he had died.

“I could have done something. It really irritates me that I didn’t…”

“Ron, I am serious. No matter what, sooner or later he would have left on his own. Just remember who found him unconscious and dragged him to safety , when he could have died sooner if I hadn’t seen him.”

“Ginny, I am sorry. I just…didn’t know,” Ron said quietly. Everybody was silent for what seemed like hours, or as silent as many people crying over Harry’s death could possibly be.

“I already miss him,” Hermione said through tears.

“I feel like I’m the one to blame,” Ginny said, considering telling the family the truth about what happened with Harry.

“You didn’t kill him, I mean, he wasn’t killed. He just…died,” Ron said, beginning to wonder if somebody indeed had killed his best friend.

Everybody stared at Ron awkwardly.

“Ron, that was a horrible thing to say about your best friend!” Ginny said. Her eyes were red and very puffy.

“I didn’t mean it that…”

“It was my fault!” Hermione said, interrupting Ron.

Nobody said anything. Hermione looked at Ron helplessly.

“Hermione…what are you talking about?”

“Ginny, Harry knew about Viktor. I had told him the night he arrived here. It was my fault that he didn’t want to talk to me.”

“Wait a minute…what about Viktor?” Ron asked.

“I tried to deny it when Ginny confronted me, but I can’t avoid it forever…”

“Hermione, tell us…” Ron said in a somewhat consoling voice.

“I helped Viktor with the Triwizard Tournament. I don’t know why I did it. He was just the only one I could really talk to that year. You and Harry were fighting half of the year, so I helped him with the Tournament. I helped Viktor when Harry hoped for my support. And I am really sorry I did it.”

There was a depressingly long silence. Then Ron sighed.

“Well, how does it feel now that you can’t take it all back?” Ron asked Hermione.

“I feel horrible.”

“You should,” Ron said, storming out of the kitchen. Hermione stared at the floor ominously.

“How could you?” Mrs. Weasley asked.

“I don’t know…I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to!” she said. Tears streamed down Hermione’s pink face.

“You’re honestly sorry? This is a horrible timing for all of this to come out, so maybe you blame yourself,” Mrs. Weasley said.

“I’m sorry I did it all! And the worse part about it is that being sorry won’t bring Harry back!” Hermione said. She glared at Mrs. Weasley for a moment and ran to the room she had been sharing with Ginny that past summer. She tossed herself onto her bed and cried into her pillow.

Meanwhile, down in the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley was snatching a piece of parchment attached to an owl. Her eyes widened as she read it.

“What is it, mum?” Ginny asked.

“Not possible…” Mrs. Weasley gasped with a burst of joy.

“What isn’t possible?” Fred asked.

“It is a letter from your father. It says that someone tried to kill Harry, but got caught. It says that Harry is alive.”

Ginny stared at her mother with disbelief.

“Is he still unconscious?” George asked.

“Yes. His condition is worse, but he is still alive, and that is what matters. All we can hope for now is that he can wake up.”

“I’m telling Ron and Hermione,” Ginny said.

“No need. I can call them down. RON! HERMIONE! PLEASE COME DOWN HERE! WE HAVE SOME…NEWS!” Fred yelled.

Minutes later, Ron and Hermione came down They both looked like a mess, but they didn’t seem to care.

“What?” Ron asked bitterly.

“It’s Harry…it says that he is alive!”

“What?” Ron asked.

“Yes,” Mrs. Weasley said with tears of joy.

“Unbelievable!” Hermione squealed. She was so happy that nobody could even begin to describe how life suddenly got easier.

“Is he awake?” Ron asked.

“Unfortunately, he isn’t. And his condition has worsened. I don’t know if we can go now, just because of the time, but we can wait there in the morning and catch some sleep there..”

Everybody agreed and decided to get some things.

“Ginny, are you still mad about me helping Viktor?” Hermione asked.

“Of course I am, I didn’t expect for you to do that,” Ginny said.

“Being angry won’t help, you know,” Hermione said.

“Well, being calm means that I have let go of Harry, and that I am ready to move on. I’m not. You know that I can’t…”

“Well neither can I with Ron, but you don’t have to move on. You should just forgive me.”

“Why should I?” Ginny asked, grabbing a bag for her things..

“Because I’m sorry that I did it. But, we have to go and see Harry now, so if he wakes up and you’re in this mood, I won’t cover for you.”

--

The next morning they all woke up early and eagerly got ready to see Harry. Ginny was not speaking to Hermione, and Hermione was longing to get Ginny to forgive her.

“Okay, some of us should go up to his room now,” Mrs. Weasley said.

“Okay,” George sighed. His hair was as messy as Harry’s usually was. No, it was actually worse. Fred grinned evilly at George, as his hair was not messy at all.

“What happened to your hair?” Ron asked.

“Little brother, you don’t want to know,” Fred said, patting Ron on the shoulder.

“We have to go, now,” Ginny groaned childishly. She was desperate to see Harry.

“Okay, then you lot can go first. Are you sure you’re ready?”

“Of course we are!”

“Fine, just don’t spend all day in there, since some of us also would love to see Harry,” Mrs. Weasley ordered.

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione agreed and went to see Harry. When they went into the room, a girl with black hair jumped up.

“Cho?” Ginny asked.

“Oh, sorry. No one was here. I’ll just…go,” Cho said, standing up. There were tears rolling down her face.

“It’s okay. You can stay,” Ron said.

“No, really. I have to do something,” Cho said, wiping the tears off. She walked out of the room and the other three looked at each other with skeptical expressions on their faces.

“What was that about?” Ron asked.

“No idea,” Hermione said.

“What are you willing to bet she still likes him?” Ginny asked.

Hermione and Ron didn’t answer. They weren’t sure, to be honest.

“Ginny, I doubt she still has feelings for him. She’s probably concerned,” Hermione said after a while.

“Or maybe she isn’t, it could be guilt,” Ginny sighed, glaring over at Hermione.

“Ginny…” Ron whispered warningly.

“Well, that’s why Hermione told Harry this summer. She felt guilty, and maybe that is why he was mad at the whole world, because someone who he thought was his friend betrayed his trust. You can’t make up for it, Hermione. No matter how hard you try, it will be with you wherever you go,” Ginny said, standing up.

“Ginny, don’t walk out. That’s happened enough this past week,” Hermione said.

“Then you should be pretty used to it,” Ginny said, walking out.

“I’ll go get her,” Hermione said to Ron.

“Okay. See you later, then,” Ron replied. He watched Hermione walk out of the room and he wondered if he had been wrong.