A/N: There was a review that I really wanted to reply to, but, instead of replying, I managed to delete it, since I'm a moron. The review was from an anonymous user, and I am heartily sorry for deleting it. Anyway, the reviewer was upset with a line Harry said in chapter 7 where Harry offered to break up with Hermione in return for Ron's friendship. I actually like that line a lot, and it was very important to me to have it in there. Essentially, what Harry was saying was, "Ron, I'd do anything for you" and Ron answered back with, "I know you would, so you don't have to." Which… struck me as a very powerful moment between the two of them. As well as sappy. *g* But, more to the point, Harry never would have broken up with Hermione for Ron. If that's Ron had demanded, Ron wouldn't really be all that great a friend, would he? So… that is that.
A/N 2: Thanks for all the reviews so far. You are all wonderful. I loff you all.
Harry could hear the muffle of voices. He shifted slightly, but didn't open his eyes, concentrating on getting his bearings. Hermione was still pressed tightly against him and Harry unconsciously gathered her closer, straining to hear what was being said.
"…Found them that way in the middle of the night," Madam Pomfrey said. "It certainly wasn't very appropriate, but considering the circumstances…" Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat. "He's the only one that seems to be getting any kind of response out of her…"
"Where's Weasley?" Someone… it sounded like McGonagall, asked.
"Sent him back to his dorm. Poor boy. Looked absolutely devastated when he walked in on them."
"Oh, I have no doubt he'll be back soon," Dumbledore said mildly.
In a hushed voice, McGonagall said, "Were you able to find out what curse that Jane Noxon girl used on her?"
Harry felt his skin prickle. The name sounded hauntingly familiar.
"Not, curse, Minerva," Dumbledore answered gravely. "Curses."
McGonagall gasped. "Dear Merlin."
Madame Pomfrey tutted. "Of course it was more than one. Overloaded her immune system, it looks like. She's in a type of coma, probably too painful to her to come out of it."
McGonagall sounded tearful. "Stupid, cowardly, idiot girl! She could have killed her."
"It's a wonder she isn't dead," Madame Pomfrey interjected.
Harry squeezed his eyes together, clinging on to Hermione. He felt lightheaded, and he listened very hard for the reassuring noise of her breathing.
"Albus, what was Miss Granger hit with?"
Dumbledore sounded tired. "First Noxon used a stunning spell. Hermione was shaken, but managed to put up a weak shielding charm…"
McGonagall clucked her tongue. "While her back was turned… bright, young witch Mr. Potter has there…"
"That shielding charm probably saved her life," Madam Pomfrey added, clearly impressed.
"Quite right." Dumbledore paused before continuing. "Noxon threw another stunning curse, followed by an expelliarmus, an impedimenta, and a stupefy."
"My God," McGonagall whispered in horror. "Miss Granger would have been completely defenseless."
Dumbledore sighed. "She was. Her wand was found 25 feet away from where Noxon left her."
"But Noxon didn't just leave it at that," Pomfrey added. "Once she had Granger unconscious she…" Pomfrey trailed off, too horrified to finish the thought.
Harry shifted again, desperately needing to know the real reason why Hermione was in a coma.
Dumbledore hesitated before he said, in a low voice that sent chills down Harry's spine, "She used crucio."
Harry was so shocked that he let out a loud gasp. The three adults turned sharply towards him, as if remembering for the first time that he was still there. Harry sat up quickly, his eyes wide. He stared at Dumbledore. "Crucio?" he whispered, pained. "She used *crucio* on Hermione?"
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Harry."
Harry sat up straighter and shook his head. "But she couldn't have!" he yelled. "Only a really advanced wizard can use crucio! YOU'RE LYING!"
"Mr. Potter!" McGonagall cried, sharply. "That is no way to talk to the headmaster."
Harry was shaking and was horrified to find himself crying again. "NOT ON HERMIONE!" he hollered. "NOT CRUCIO!"
Professor McGonagall took a step back, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh, Harry… I'm so sorry…"
He wiped at his eyes, and clutched Hermione's hand. He looked fiercely at Dumbledore. "Is it true? Did she really use the cruciatus curse on Hermione?"
Dumbledore kneeled down next to him. "Crucio isn't a particular difficult curse to learn, Harry. It requires knowledge, that is true, but more than anything else it requires hate. That is what makes it difficult for most witches and wizards to master. To feel a hate so bleak…" Dumbledore trailed off, his eyes sad. "That is something that most people never experience."
Harry hugged his knees to his chest, thinking about his own encounter with crucio. A darkened graveyard, Cedric's open, empty eyes, the pain that consumed all of him until he wasn't sure where it ended and he began…
Harry blinked back his tears and looked at Madam Pomfrey. "She will get better. She won't end up in a ward at St. Mungo's…"
Madam Pomfrey shook her head sadly. "There is no way to tell at this point."
"Noxon stopped when she realized that Hermione could be dead. In fear, she tried to run away from the castle." Dumbledore surveyed Hermione's still form with a look of deep concern in her eyes. "She did not get far."
Harry found his wand, clutched it. "What's going to happen to her?"
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Noxon has been sent home, stripped of all her powers, and forbidden to use magic again."
"That's not good enough," Harry whispered, thinking about the pain he'd seen on Hermione's face the night before.
Dumbledore peered at him shrewdly. "I'm afraid that it will have to do."
"No. That's nothing. She won't ever have to suffer like Hermione did."
Dumbledore sighed. "Nor should you want her to, Harry. Noxon will have to live with what she has done. She will never again be accepted into the wizarding community."
Harry swallowed. "What about Azkaban?"
"Azkaban, Harry, is no longer the prison it once was. The Dementors have joined Voldermort."
Harry pondered that quietly. He turned back to Hermione and, oblivious to everyone else in the room, smoothed her hair back, studying her face. She looked calmer, but Harry could already see the remnants of the spell having lasting effects. What if she never woke up? What if waking up hurt her too much? He kissed her forehead, leaving his lips hovering over her skin for a moment before pulling away.
He turned back to Dumbledore. "If Hermione doesn't wake up, it's over," he said quietly. "I won't do it anymore. I won't stop until I've found Noxon. And I will kill her."
Dumbledore studied him, apparently considering the validity of his words. His eyes filled with disappointment. "Then," he said softly, "let us hope that Hermione awakens." He got up and swept out of the room, Harry's eyes following his retreating back.
Ron passed Dumbledore on his way in. He took one look at the faces of everyone in the room, his eyes landing on Harry's face. "Okay. What did I miss?"
Harry shook his head. "Nothing. I'll fill you in later."
Ron nodded. "How is she?"
"Still unconscious."
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "You two have class starting in," she checked the clock. "Ten minutes."
"I'm not going," Harry said flatly.
Ron glanced at him and seemed to summon up his courage. "Me neither."
"Don't be ridiculous, Potter. Miss Granger will be fine. If there is any change in her condition you will be notified, I assure you."
"I'm not going."
Professor McGonagall met his challenging gaze. "This is not your choice to make."
Harry took Hermione's hand. "She knows I'm here, I can feel it. Madam Pomfrey said it herself, I'm the only one that Hermione responds to. I won't leave her here alone." Harry felt his throat constrict painfully. "I know what she's going through," he said quietly. "I won't leave her." Harry glanced back up, disinterested. "Make Ron go, if you want."
Ron looked betrayed. "What???" he cried. "What do you mean, 'make me go?' You're NOT the only one here that cares about her!"
"FINE!" McGonagall yelled, throwing her hands in the air. "However, you will BOTH be collecting your work at the end of every day. If either of you so much as slips one grade in ANY class, your visiting privileges will be revoked." And McGonagall swept around, stalking out of the room.
Madame Pomfrey shook her head. "It's not as if you're the only who ever had a loved one end up in this hospital." When Madame Pomfrey shifted towards them, Harry held Hermione's hand tightly, his gaze threatening. "Well, if you want her to recover, you will let me check her over."
Ron moved over to them. "Not that I'm not still bloody angry for that comment you made, but go… have breakfast or something. I'll stay with her." Harry looked up, slightly suspicious. Ron sighed. "I promise I won't snuggle, okay? Just change or…" he frowned. "Shower or something."
Harry nodded slightly. "Hold her hand," he commanded. "Tell her that it's going to be okay because she's…" Harry trailed off, caught Ron's eye. "I need to fill you in on everything but I want you to know… despite what I told McGonagall… I'm really glad you're here."
Ron nodded and took her hand, slightly bewildered as Harry went rushing off. "Cracking up, that one…" he muttered.
Madame Pomfrey tutted. "Using crucio!" she muttered under her breath. "Letting students skip classes to stay in the hospital wing! Students sharing beds! The state this school is coming to… disgraceful… absolutely disgraceful…"
Ron let her angry words wash over him, slightly comforted by Madam Pomfrey's brusque, but caring manner. Then, it hit him. "CRUCIO!" he hollered, horrified. "WHAT ABOUT CRUCIO???"
***
When Harry returned 20 minutes later, Ron all but pounced on him. He let Ron hold onto Hermione for a while as he stalked around the room, sharing everything that he'd heard that morning. Ron listened impassively, his mouth hanging open. Harry stopped his pacing when he finished and turned to look at him sadly.
"I can't believe that you told Dumbledore you'd kill her if Hermione didn't wake up," Ron said, in a hushed voice. "Are you mad?"
Harry resumed his stalking. "Maybe. Probably. I don't know… it comes over me, I can't really help it."
Ron shook his head, slightly impressed. "I can't believe McGonagall's letting us stay here."
"She knows I wouldn't have left." Harry replied, coming to stand next to him. "Besides, she feels bad for me. They all do."
Ron nodded. "Yeah. I don't," he added hastily. "I personally think that you put a love spell on her. Who in their right mind would go out with you?"
"Thanks, Ron. Really."
Ron grinned. "I guess I'm just jealous that she doesn't notice me the way she knew you were there. I keep trying to get a response out of her but… nothing."
Harry sat carefully next to her on the bed. "She hasn't moved at all since last night. I think she knows we're here. I just… it's painful for her. Yesterday… she let me know. Because I needed it. But I don't want…" he swallowed. "I don't want her to hurt, just so we know that she's still…"
"Alive?" Ron finished, bleakly.
Harry shrugged. "That she's still… aware."
"Harry?"
Harry glanced over at him. Ron was still holding her hand, a look of intense concentration on his face. He avoided his eye. "What's it like? Crucio. I mean… when she wakes up… is she going to be…"
"I don't know." Harry answered honestly. He stared down at the bed, and spoke for Hermione's benefit as well as Ron's. "It's consuming… it's pain so much that all you want is to die because not feeling anything would be better."
Ron didn't look at all reassured. In fact, he looked close to throwing up.
Harry fiddled with the sheet. "But… when it ends, and you're still alive… it's a powerful feeling. Because when it ends you know the last thing you want is to let it get the better of you. So you try and hold on to what you are… who you are… even when it's impossible to remember your first name." Harry shuddered. "I'll never forget it, but I am so glad to be alive…."
Ron nodded. "But… but… how long did You-Know-Who have you for?"
"I don't remember. Time stops. It felt like forever, though, I imagine it probably wasn't long at all. Of course," Harry added, his face turning into a grimace. "He didn't first hit me with a slew of stunning curses."
Harry blinked at Ron for a moment, as if coming back to himself. "Ron do you think it would be okay if… I held her hand for a while?"
Ron jumped up, moving out of the way. He looked slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, of course."
Harry gathered up her hand, holding it inside both of his own. "It'll be okay, Hermione," he whispered fiercely. "I understand but… when you come out… it'll be okay."