Chapter 9: Losing control
Something was poking him. It felt like sharp talon's which bore into his skin but Harry was far too sleepy to wake up now. Being sixteen didn't mean to stand up every day that early just to clean again a few more rooms. He was sick to say it the best to do this. Since at least two if not three weeks his daily routine hadn't changed what did it matter if he once stood up later.
But to his annoyance this poking didn't want to stop, in fact it did increase. At one point or another it was becoming painfully. Tired and not really willing to do so Harry opened his eyes slowly. Nearly he fell out of his bed by this sight. An angry looking brown Owl with a few white spots was sitting on his chest. If Owl's could glare this one certainly did so. A thick letter was attached to it feet which Harry started to unfasten. As soon as it was off the Owl flow away without a second glance at the sleepy Teenager.
He couldn't believe that he had sleep at all so tired he felt. Slowly he looked around and found he was alone in their room. Ron of all people was already awake and probably eating breakfast. Yes, Ron his other best friend he thought. Harry knew he was angry with him and at some points Harry could understand it even though he didn't want to tell Ron anything. It had been a promise to Dumbledore to respect Mr and Mrs Weasley's decision.
And this Harry understood too who wanted to see their children's in the middle of a war? Who wanted to see them harmed or worst killed? Nobody. He sighed and stood up from his four-poster bed this letter he would open later. For an odd reason he wasn't that enthusiastic to read finally the OWL results.
Full dressed and ready for the day Harry went upstairs with nothing particularly in mind as he heard a loud screaming and it wasn't Mrs Black's insults but a very angry Ron. Though the corridor was dark Harry could see how Ron's face was red as he went on with hammering against a very solid looking door.
"Open the damn door, Hermione!" He yelled while slamming his fist against the dark wood.
Petrified Harry hold still in track and watched the scenery. It was the first landing and just like Harry a few days before was Ron standing there with a letter clenched in his free hand.
There was no response to Ron's request something what seems to make him even angrier. Maybe it was the past days and the fact things were hold in secrets from him that he acted like that. Louder, and harder he hammered against the door that Harry could hear the wood creak softly under the pressure.
"It's enough; you're since weeks in there. Stop this ridiculous behaviour and open the damn door so you can take your Hogwarts letter like a normal person." Furiously he suddenly slammed his shoulder against the wood which gave loudly in.
"Ron! What the -"
"We aren't allowed to do magic, Hermione!"
"Let me go. Don't you dare -"
SMACK
As soon as Ron was in the room he was thrown out again. He was lying at the swell of the door on his back as Harry rushed to his side. A thin red line emerged from his mouth while glaring at Hermione. Astounded Harry followed Ron's look and saw for the first time the room.
It has been a long time since Harry felt like this reminded at a dark wizard house but one view in this room, fogy through the different cauldron's which held different kinds of potion's and this many books spread on the floor did remind Harry so very well on this time. The cauldrons were black because of the several times of use. Still blue flames were licking at the bottom of the metal.
The room was dark just a few lines of light showed Harry what mess it was. But Hermione didn't look better. Several days back she had been looked unhealthy but by now it was like she was downright ill. Her skin was pale, in a kind of white that told one she didn't eat much, didn't saw the sun for at least three weeks. Her clothes were baggy and didn't anymore fit on her. But this all wasn't that frightening not as much as her eyes which were now dull and slightly sunken in.
One wouldn't believe she were the same person Harry had seen at Privet Drive. A few days ago he had seen her just in the darkness of the corridors but now at daylight and even if it were just a few streams it was clear that things had gone too far. Her eyes were focused at Ron, threatening him. The wand in her hand was pointed straight at his chest. Ron kept looking from Harry to Hermione before he tried to get away from her.
Slowly he backed away but what he hadn't expected from Hermione that she stepped closer and ended the small gap between them. With an unusual terror in Ron's eyes he seemed to beg Harry to do anything about this situation yet Harry was far to surprised by everything what had occurred just a few minutes ago.
Hard he tried to understand what all these things in the girl's room did and overall what Hermione all the time had done alone in this room. Harry made finally to Ron's great relief a move to get closer to Hermione and to put her wand down. But she had nothing of it.
"You won't stop me, you both won't stop me to find It." She hissed.
"What are you talking about? Harry, just take already her wand away, damn it. Don't you see she is mad?" Ron yelled while pointing at her with a shaking finger.
Barely recognisable a creaking noise told that all this hadn't went by unnoticed. Fast Harry looked from one to the other and than finally to the shadowy stairs at the end of this corridor.
"From what are we stopping you, Hermione?" He turned his attention back at her.
In his tone was no sign of his nervousness nor of any anger despite of himself he was strangely calm.
Slowly Hermione blinked before she answered in a whisper. "That I find a counter curse. Somewhere there must be a curse, potion what can cure them…"
She was still speaking as Harry closed the distance and finally reached her. By her own doing her wand wasn't anymore that threatening at Ron pointed but still Harry decided to get hold of it. Before he could take it out of her hands she let finally completely go of the wood. Briefly before Harry turned his attention to Ron he watched Hermione who had an expression of shock and disbelief written on her face.
"Are you all right, Ron?" Harry asked but Ron was already standing up.
Instead of an expected angry answer he said just nothing but starred obviously loss at words at the remaining door and touched absently his still bleeding lips.
"What is here going on? Does anyone care to explain me this?" A very angry Ginny stood near the stairs and was moving with big steps at them all the while pointing at the violated door.
Now in the small light what emerged from their room Harry could see that her face was just as red as her hair and a very determined look at it to discover what had occurred here while she wasn't there?
Yet a loud and painful sob interrupted Ginny's tantrum. Almost directly her expression changed into a softer one and every anger was gone as her eyes focused at Hermione who hold her face in her hands. Her shoulders, her whole body shook heavily under her sob.
"Hermione, what's the matter?" Ginny tried to reach for her but Hermione turned her back at her.
Slightly she swayed as she pressed one hand against the doorframe. All three starred at her with shock and helplessly. A few times Hermione seemed to try to suppress her desperate sounds before it did even increase and she completely broke down. Limp, and to weak to carry her body any longer her legs gave in.
Openly she was crying while on her knees. Ron was the first one to wake up from the shook and turned around on his heels.
"Ron!" exclaimed Ginny but he just shook his head and went for the stairs.
At first Harry didn't know what to do but tentatively he reached out for one of Hermione's shoulders but she
didn't seem to recognise this touch.
Soon, maybe too soon Harry was on his own knees trying to reach, to calm her down but every word of comfort left his
mind as he saw her face.
Agony, great pain was written all over it. Her eyes closed in attempt to keep the tears at bay but thick water drops framed her pale face.
"I - I don't want them to die." She whispered with trembling lips.
With a great effort she opened her eyes and starred directly at Harry, who didn't know anymore what he could possible do.
"They can't die!" Her voice became louder and aggressive.
"Harry, they just can't die." His ears ringed with her louder becoming mantra till all of sudden he was hard hit against his chest.
Another blow hit his chest before he realised that Hermione was hitting him and all the while saying that her parents couldn't die. Determined he got hold of her wrists and gathered her against her resisting in a tight embrace. After a while she gave in and only her quite muffled sobbing was too heard.
This was the only thing he could think of just holding her but not even this seemed to stop her crying.
"Hermione, dear." Mrs Weasley said soothingly.
She saw sympatric at Hermione before she got hold of one of her hands which lay weakly against Harry's chest. But Hermione didn't react.
"Come on, help me Harry. She needs rest." Now suddenly addressed let Harry realise that Hermione was completely leaning against him.
Carefully he laid one arm around her waist and started to stand up with help of Mrs Weasley. Hermione made no signs to hold herself on her own legs. Silently Harry admired that Neville had just a few months ago carried Hermione all alone. Together with Mrs Weasley's he brought Hermione back into her room pass all those books and pass the different cauldrons on one of the four-poster beds.
"I'm back in a minute." Mrs Weasley said in a hushed tone.
"Ginny would you be so kind and tidy up here?" she added before she left them alone.
By side Ginny stood Ron who looked positively miserable about the whole situation. His lip wasn't anymore bleeding but still swollen though Harry suspected Mrs Weasley used a healing charm.
The atmosphere changed slowly into a tense mood. Nobody liked to say anything only a few suppressed sobs were to hear here and then.
"I'm sorry, Hermione. I - I didn't mean to -. " Ron was interrupted by his mother who carried a vial in her hand and urged Hermione to sit up a little bit so she could drink it.
"Now that's the good girl. Sleep now, get some rest I look later after you." She said as she covered Hermione with a blanket with a last sniff she slept in.
Astounded Harry looked at Mrs Weasley questioningly.
"Just a Sleeping Draught potion, Merlin knows she needs this. Now get out of here she needs to rest and I like to know what exactly happened. I probably need to inform Dumbledore about this though it might be just a natural reaction."
"A natural reaction?" Ron exclaimed but Mrs Weasley hushed him.
"Not here." She answered curtly and made them leave in the corridor.
With a few wand waves the door was repaired and closed. All the way down the stairs Harry could hear her muttering. Ginny and Ron remained however silent so very much touched by what had happened.
It was just luck that the order had been away Harry didn't like the idea that else all of them had seen it, seen
what he saw. Unaware of his doing he sat down on a free chair not recognising that Mrs Weasley was busily making
tea.
Absently he rubbed his chest, now that he was able to think again it started to stung quite well. He would have in the
morning some bruises but this didn't bother him much.
His mind, his worries were somewhere else by his best friend who was no longer able to find a solution to a problem, something that seemed to destroy her.
"Dear, she is going to be all right now. Don't worry, everything will be fine." Mrs Weasley assured him with a slight smile but she hadn't seen Hermione's eyes.
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