A/N: I'm am so terribly sorry, I know it has been a long time, but I've just been on a block, and I have stupid school, and I'm sorry, but here's a good chapter, at least I hope so. Wow some of you are quite mean, now you couldn't possibly think that I would keep Harry dead did you? In a Harry Potter story? You should know better! R&R!
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Hermione just couldn't believe that Harry was dead, as she knelt next to his lifeless body; she grabbed his hand, searching for any sign of life. Then, from behind Harry's body she heard something, her eyes shot up and she saw Cho, lying there, laughing! Hermione let go of Harry's hand and grabbed his sword from the ground where it had fallen and approached Cho, who was still laughing. Hermione put the sword against her throat and stared at her.
"What are you gonna do?" Cho said, "Kill me?" Cho said coughing, "I'm already dying, and besides, killing me, won't bring him back!" Hermione just stared at Cho, not moving before slowly lowering her sword.
"Why did you do this?" Hermione asked, her eyes never leaving Cho's face, "Why did you take the one thing I have left?" Hermione screamed, "My parents are gone, I had nothing left, NOTHING, then Harry came and I had something, he meant everything to me, and because of your petty jealousy you took him." Hermione said turning away from Cho.
"You," Cho said in a small voice, "you talk about him like you…"
"Like I love him?" Hermione said facing her, "Of course I love him, and he loved me too, and we were happy…" Hermione said, almost crying, "I was happy!" she finished in a small voice.
"But what about me…" Cho said
"What about you! So Harry didn't love you, big deal! You could have had anyone you wanted but you chose the one guy you couldn't have." Hermione spat.
"Harry was the only one who understood me; after fourth year, I didn't think I'd be happy…" Cho said trailing off.
"Yeah, why was it that you got over Cedric so quickly…I mean if you liked him as much as you claimed to, why did you get over him in three months?" Hermione asked stepping closer to Cho, "Was it maybe because you never really liked Cedric and you were just using him?" Cho's eyes widened and she made a motion to move but drew back in pain, to effects of the stab wound taking their toll.
"How dare you," Cho wheezed, "Cedric meant everything to me, but so did Harry, and you know what I'm glad I killed him, because I would hate to have to watch you two be happy together." Hermione just stared at Cho and then a thought popped in her mind.
"Oh, you'll watch me and Harry be happy, and you'll hate it!" Hermione said digging through her pack, she pulled out some bandage and quickly walked over to Cho, doing her best to stop the bleeding.
Cho just threw her head back in laughter, "Saving me won't bring Harry back!" Hermione looked up at her and could tell she was getting weak.
"No, but if you live, you can watch Harry and I be happy, after I bring him back!" Hermione said. She walked over to where Harry was and knelt down next to his body, "We'll have our happy ending!" she whispered to herself.
"Why would you choose Harry?" Cho asked, "Why would you choose a fling over your parents?" Cho said. Hermione just kept staring at Harry, she had never thought of that. Her parents, she could bring back her parents; but then again, these types of things took a lot of magic, she didn't have enough to bring them both back. Something, something was nagging at the back of her mind, something someone said about her parents, she just couldn't lay a finger on it. Then she saw something, or someone, out of the corner of her eye and she looked and saw that no one was there. She had sworn she had seen that woman, the same woman that had been in her dream. Then it hit her and she looked back at Cho and saw that unconsciousness was quickly taking her. Hermione stood up and picked up the Book of Deception, staring at the cover, could she really do this?
"Of course you can!" Hermione heard from behind her. She didn't turn, she knew who it was.
"What do you want from me, who are you?" Hermione said spinning around to face the raven-haired woman, the book still clenched in her hands.
"Who am I? That I cannot tell you! But why I am here is to remind you of…" the woman began
"My parents can't come back! I remember…" Hermione interrupted
"I didn't need to remind you of that," the woman said, "I knew you would remember, I came to remind you of something you cannot remember, because it was erased…" the woman said, "something you shouldn't remember, something that for you to remember is illogical, but I think you can do it." She finished.
Hermione looked at the woman, "So…let me get this straight, you came here…to remind me of something…that logically, I shouldn't be able to remember?" the woman nodded. Hermione resisted the urge to yell, and instead rolled her eyes, looking down at the book. "Whatever…"
"You know how to use that!" the woman said, Hermione looked up.
"No, I don't I'm just assuming you say the spell and it should work!" Hermione said opening up the book.
"I wasn't asking you…I was telling you!" she said with a smile on her lips. Hermione looked up to see that the woman was gone.
"I just wanna get out of this cave…" Hermione said looking around, then her eyes fell upon Harry, and she felt her eyes tearing up, `What if it doesn't work?' she thought to herself, `I couldn't live without him…' she thought blinking back the tears, "It will work!" she said out loud, "It has to…" Hermione controlled herself and looked back to the book, flipping pages. "How am I even going to figure this out, I don't even know what the spell sounds like, or looks like!" Hermione continued to flip until she saw Harry out of the corner of her eye. Taking the book over next to Harry's body she set the book down and looked at him, taking his hand, that was already beginning to go cold. As she looked back at the book she saw something that seemed familiar, a faded drawing on a page. She stared at it and felt a hand on her shoulder; she turned and came face to face with someone she never thought she would see, again.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked. The person did not speak but instead pointed to the book; Hermione looked back and saw that the picture was becoming more evident. Once she realized who the picture was of, she turned back to where the person should have been, but found her not to be there. Hermione smiled, something that was almost foreign to her now, and looked up, "Thanks, Persiam!" Hermione said quietly as she began to prepare to say the spell, not seeing the head of blond hair that had been watching her the entire time.
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She was in her room, but she knew something was wrong, she felt sadness in her heart. Someone had died. She saw something scribbled on a piece of paper, but it was blurry. She looked up and saw a bright flash of light. Focusing her eyes she concentrated on the thing in front of her, once her mind took in what she saw she began to feel dizzy. Overwhelmed by shock she felt darkness overcome her while whispering one word, "Sirius!"
Hermione's eyes shot open and she took in her surroundings, she was in the hospital wing, why was she in the hospital wing? Then it all came back to her…the cave…the book…Harry! She frantically looked around the room, searching for Harry, instead all she saw was an empty room, not even Madam Pomfrey was there. Then she heard a door open and looked to where the sound came from and saw Draco standing there.
"Draco?" Hermione said in a hoarse voice. Draco just stood there, staring at her.
"Hermione, you're awake, let me go get Madam Pomfrey!" he said quickly turning and leaving the room, only to return with Madam Pomfrey, Dumbledore, Harry, Ron and Lavender all in tow. After checking Hermione over Madam Pomfrey went back to her office to leave them all to talk. Hermione's eyes shifted to the face of the other people in the room, Harry's face held one of concern and confusion, this made her wonder; did he not remember what had happened? Hermione's eyes shifted to Ron and Lavender who looked confused, happy and concerned, but it was Draco who held a look of utmost discomfort. Hermione was about to speak when Dumbledore spoke up.
"Hermione, it's good to have you back with us." Dumbledore said with a smile, "Now if you would be so kind," he said turning to the others, "Miss Granger and I have some things to discuss," he said motioning towards the door. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances before he followed the others out. As soon as Harry closed the door Dumbledore walked to it, taking his wand out from his robes, muttering some spells towards the door. He turned back to her and walked over to sit next to her bedside, not saying a word.
"Professor…?" Hermione asked timidly
"Yes, Hermione?" Dumbledore asked still smiling.
"You wanted to talk…" she said uncertainly.
"Oh, yes, well I assumed that you had some questions." Dumbledore said, "I am not wrong, am I?"
Hermione looked down, "He doesn't remember does he?"
"Remember what?" Dumbledore asked.
Hermione looked up, "Surely you know!"
"I only know if you want me to know!" Dumbledore said, a more serious look coming over his face. "Hermione keep in mind, what is in that book, all those spells, enchantments, and charms, are highly illegal, and dangerous. What you did was very brave, and you showed yourself as a true Gryffindor. But that doesn't make it right, surely you thought of the consequences before you did this."
"The consequences couldn't be worse than not having him here, could they?" Hermione asked, "It was foolish, I shouldn't have done it, I know…"
"I didn't say you shouldn't have done it!" Dumbledore said, interrupting her, "I would have done the exact same thing…"
"Well, then I don't understand…" Hermione said trailing off.
"Hermione, excuse me for saying this, and I don't mean offense by it, but you and me have very different magical abilities. I should be able to perform powerful incantations, and be able to control the consequences and make them minimal. You shouldn't!" Dumbledore said.
"I know, I know!" Hermione said. "Professor…what happened, I don't remember much, just performing the spell then nothing but this weird dream until I woke up. What happened, why doesn't Harry remember?"
"It's a side effect, if the person saying the spell doesn't want you to know you died, to save you the pain, perhaps, then they won't. But, according to Harry, he woke up you were passed out on the ground clutching the book in one hand and a sword in the other. Cho was slowly dying, but Harry got her back here in time, she in currently in St. Mungo's, she should be getting out soon." Dumbledore said.
"And the book?" Hermione asked.
"Is safe…for now!" Dumbledore said. "We will be transporting it to Grimmauld place soon, for safe keeping."
"So, no one knows what I did?" Hermione asked after a long pause.
Dumbledore looked at her, "Hermione what you did, was very wrong, it is not our place to be messing with who lives and who dies."
"But you brought back Sirius and the Potter's, how can you tell me I did the wrong thing?" Hermione said
"I didn't bring anyone back to life!" Dumbledore said, "I want to make that perfectly clear, I had no part in this, I was just the one who cleaned up the mess."
"Then…who did?" Hermione asked confusion etched on her face.
"Hermione…some things are kept a secret for a reason," Dumbledore said taking her hand, "I cannot tell you what you ask, it is not my place."
"You can't tell me…but someone else can!" Hermione said, Dumbledore just smiled and turned towards the door.
"Oh, Hermione?" Dumbledore said from the door.
"Yes…professor?" she asked thoughts running through her head.
"Don't tell him I sent you!" he said before exiting.
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Throughout the week Hermione had been kept in the hospital and the whole time all she could think about was why Harry didn't remember, whether or not to tell him, and that stupid dream she kept having. It had been the same one that she had, had before she initially woke up, and it ended the same way, with her seeing Sirius before waking up. She was getting out that day after Madam Pomfrey checked her over and she was heading straight for his office. Then there came the issue of Harry, she had been distant and she knew he knew. She couldn't help it, he had died right in front of her eyes and she had brought him back without anyone knowing. How was she supposed to just act the same around him, its just not that easy! Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and Madam Pomfrey coming inside. After checking her over, and commenting on how great of a recovery she was making she headed for the door. Hermione was getting out of bed when she heard the door reopen. Her head went to it immediately, expecting Madam Pomfrey to reenter, but was surprised to find Draco.
"Draco?" Hermione asked as he came inside. "You haven't been to visit me since I woke up…?" Hermione said.
"I know, and I can't stay long." Draco said quickly.
"Okay, well come in and take a seat, I guess?" Hermione said unsurely. "You look nervous, Draco what's wrong…you look like hell, is someone hurt?" Hermione stopped when she heard Draco mumble something. "What?"
"I know what you did!" Draco said meeting her eyes. Hermione felt her stomach drop.
"What…" Hermione said shakily.
"You heard me, what I don't understand is why he doesn't remember?" Draco said looking up at her.
Hermione felt like she had just been kicked in the stomach, "I…I don't know what you are talking about, now get out." She said turning away so he wouldn't see the truth etched onto her face.
"Fine have it your way, but I know the truth and I won't tell anyone, but he deserves to know, so do his parents and all those involved. It can just make him seem more powerful, like even death can't stop him." Draco said.
Hermione spun around with an angry look on her face, "Get out…you have no right to be here and tell me who to tell, that is my own business. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and saw some things that you shouldn't have. You shouldn't have seen that, Harry doesn't need this, not now." Hermione said in a pleading voice.
"Why not…" Draco asked
"Because he's happy!" Hermione exclaimed, "For the first time in his life he has his Godfather, his parents, good friends…"
"An honest girlfriend…" Draco said
"What would you know about honesty?" Hermione spat back. When she saw the look on his face she immediately felt guilty, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for, but Draco, do try and understand, if Harry found out he died, it would ruin him. He's always been able to save himself and us at the same time. Let him think he did it again, please." Hermione begged.
"Listen, it's not my place to tell, so I won't, but you can't keep it from him forever." Draco said, then with a smile he was out the door leaving Hermione to think about what he said.
"No, I can't." she said to herself, "But I can die trying!"
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