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Chapter 3. HARRY'S GIRLFRIEND
I walked slowly along the Seine River; without realizing that a few raindrops were falling down.
Like internal torture, I was thinking about Angy's words again and again. But the more I thought about them, the more I couldn't believe her. It couldn't be true - Harry couldn't be dead - it wasn't fair. I hadn't even had time to say goodbye, to tell him how important he was to me.
I kept telling myself that it was just a bad nightmare, that tomorrow I would wake up in my little apartment in London and I would laugh thinking about all of this.
The rain began to fall with more intensity, and I was getting very wet. I walked faster and soon reached the hospital where I had brought Angy a few hours ago before.
That afternoon, I hadn't managed to get her to tell me anything else. After that terrible revelation about Harry, the poor girl had collapsed. Gathering all my strength, I had asked for the help of a nun, and she had helped me take Angy to the nearest muggle hospital.
The doctors had asked me to wait outside while giving her the first treatments. I had decided to run away and think it all over in solitude.
When I came back to the hospital, there was just one thought rolling in my mind. I wanted to know everything. I wanted to know how that girl knew about Harry and how she knew that he was dead. I couldn't resign myself to the idea of his death, and I never would.
I got permission to enter her room and talk to her. When I opened the door, I found Angy sitting on her bed. She was leaning against the wall, her head turned to the window, her eyes apparently hooked by the view.
I came closer and took a seat by her bed. She turned to face me, staring directly in my eyes. She looked so sad.
"What do you want to know?" she asked me, and I didn't lose time thinking about it.
"How can you be so sure that Harry is dead?"
"I saw it happen!"
"Tell me how it happened.I want to know everything!" I challenged her to convince me.
She bent her head and stared at the floor while her hands grabbed the blanket with anger.
"I'm an Auror, just like him. We were working together on the same case, and this morning, we should have met Albus Dumbledore at Mount Martyr, to tell him about our new discoveries."
She stopped for a second while I stared at her with deep attention, carefully listening to every word.
"Apparently, Death Eaters had intercepted our message to Dumbledore, and they prepared a trap for us inside the Cathedral. We fought against them with all our strength, but in the end." Angy stopped again, and suddenly her eyes filled with tears. With a strong knot in my throat, I stretched out my arm and grabbed hers, trying to give her strength. She continued speaking.
"There were too many; one of them took me. Harry risked his life to save mine, and they struck him. He fell on the ground... lifeless."
Her silent crying interrupted the story, and I started to think frantically; I wanted desperately to find an incongruity in her version of the facts.
"Angy, listen to me! I know that it's difficult for you, but it's really important for me to know how things went exactly. I didn't see his body; how is it possible?"
"They took him with them. I don't know why. After they struck him with a mortal curse, they disapparated, taking Harry with them."
At those words, hope lit inside of me. If they had taken Harry, maybe it wasn't all lost.
"I'm sure that Harry is still alive. I feel it in my heart. please don't lose hope." I was trying to reassure her, but my words didn't have any effect. Now her tears were drenching the bed sheets. "I promise you that I'll do the impossible to find him!" I spoke with deep decision, and she stopped crying and raised her head to stare directly in my eyes.
"How could you do that? We have to tell Dumbledore immediately because only he will be able to save Harry. Neither you nor I would ever be able to do it alone."
"Yes, you're right. I'll send an owl to Dumbledore, but in the meantime, I don't want to just stay here and wait. If you're not willing to help me, I'll do it alone. I don't care!" I was really determined.
"No! I could never allow that. I should go and find him. It's my task. You don't have to do it. On the contrary, it's better if you go back to London and remain there."
Her tone had changed, and it rather annoyed me. Who was this girl to tell me what to do?
"Look! I'm Harry's best friend!" I affirmed with great pride, starting to lose my temper.
"But I'm his girlfriend!"
"What?"
In that very moment, I felt as if the entire world had collapsed on me, as if she had just punched me right in the face. I was deeply shocked and wounded by her words. How was that possible? Harry would have told me... it couldn't be true.... I couldn't believe it.
"You're... his girlfriend?" I stuttered in deep confusion.
"Yes, and frankly, Harry has never told me about you."
I had just gotten another punch in the face: not only did Harry have a girlfriend but he had never told her about me! I looked at Angy for a few seconds, astonished, and then she spoke again with a strange tone of superiority.
"As you see, my dear Hermione, there is no need for you to remain here, even if I am still thankful for your assistance. So please, send an urgent owl to Dumbledore and then go back to London as soon as possible. I'm telling you this for your own sake."
My blood was starting to boil inside my veins. How dare she give me orders like that? I immediately gathered control of myself and breathed deeply before speaking. "Listen to me, Angy Pureheart. Even if you are Harry's girlfriend, I am still his best friend, and I have known him longer than you! That's why, if you don't mind, I'll start searching for him right now!"
Finally, it was her turn to stare at me with her mouth wide open.
O
"Where did you put him?" The Dark Lord asked, satisfied.
"He's in a safe place now, just as you have ordered, my Lord," the Death Eater answered, bowing deeply in front of his master.
"Well done. But it's not enough." The Dark Lord spoke with a cold and sharp voice.
"Yes, it's true. Dumbledore had probably guessed something about our plans. Anyway, the Mudblood came in his place."
The Dark Lord thundered his servant with his eyes, and the Death Eater hurriedly added: "But we have changed our plans, and soon Dumbledore will fall into our trap."
"Good idea, using the Mudblood to reach our goal. Keep informing me about new developments."
"Yes, my Lord." answered the Death Eater. He stood and left the grim room.
"It's just a matter of time. I am in no hurry." The Dark Lord spoke to himself, turning to the window, which was half closed by wooden boards. He stared at the grey clouds full of rain, that were slowly approaching, announcing stormy weather.
O
A few useless days had passed. Angy had been dismissed by the hospital that morning, and I had offered to let her to stay in my hotel room.
During all the time that we spent together, she remained closed in silence. She answered with monosyllables, and the worst thing was that she didn't tell me absolutely anything about the secret information she had to report to Dumbledore.
"I'll tell everything directly to him!" she repeated, like a clogged disk.
Regarding the fact that she was Harry's girlfriend, well, I still couldn't believe that yet. It seemed so unreal. She was such a conceited witch, and I was constantly asking myself what Harry could have seen in her. Maybe, after all, I didn't know my best friend as well as I thought.
Anyway, I didn't have any time to think continuously about these things. I resigned myself to the idea that I had lost the possibility to become Harry's girlfriend, and I held on with all my strength to the hope of finding him still alive.
Finally, after two days of patiently waiting, the owl from Hogwarts arrived. I was alone in my hotel room; Angy was taking a shower. I didn't waste time. I opened the parchment, reading it in trepidation.
Dear Ms. Granger,
I am really sorry to inform you that Albus Dumbledore is still away from School, due to a very urgent commitment. I warmly suggest that you to go back to London immediately, and do not commit any rashness if you don't want to get seriously hurt.
Sincerely Yours,
Vice-Head Mistress,
Professor Minerva McGonagall
Unfortunately, that owl didn't leave any space open for further plans. McGonagall wanted me to go back home and patiently wait for news. Cam you believe that I could ever follow her advice? Not at all!
I was just putting the parchment away when Angy entered the room.
"Is that the owl from Hogwarts?" she asked, and without even asking me, she violently took it from my hands.
"Hey! Didn't anybody teach you good manners?" I was furious at her behaviour, but she seemed completely uninterested in my reaction. She read the message greedily, and then she made a bored grimace and threw it on the bed.
"Away from School due to a very urgent commitment? It's just an excuse."
"If you're talking like that, it means that you don't know Albus Dumbledore."
"Of course I know him!"
There was silence for a few seconds, and then she broke it "I don't have any other choice. I must start researching on my own."
"I'm coming with you!" I challenged her.
"I don't think so!"
"I'm saying that I'm coming with you!" I stared at her with deep anger, without leaving her space for further comments. Finally, she turned away and sat heavily on her bed.
"I see that you are really obstinate Hermione! All right, then... I'll allow you to help me with the research, but if you give me any trouble, I'll do my best to push you aside and keep going alone!"
Finally, I had won. Satisfied, I sat on the bed close to hers "Very well then, since we'll have to work together, you should start telling me everything you know."
"Hey, wait a moment! I just want to point out one important thing. I am an Auror, so I am the boss, and I'll decide what to do, right?" She spoke in a bossy tone.
I rolled my eyes and cut her off "Yes, yes, all right! You are the boss. Now, may I know what will be our next move?"
Angy stared at me doubtfully for a few seconds, probably surprised by my sudden change of mood, then she spoke with her usual tone of superiority "Harry and I know that very soon there's going to be a secret meeting with all the Death Eaters and maybe also the Dark Lord in person will assist."
She gave me a stern look to emphasize the importance of that information, and I was listening to every word with deep attention "The secret meeting will take place in Venice, Italy, in about a week." She stopped and stared at me directly in the eyes. "If Harry is still alive, as we both hope, I am absolutely sure that they'll bring him to the meeting. That's why we must absolutely"
"be in Venice in about a week!" I cut her off, and my brain started to process the information faster and faster. There would be a secret meeting of all the Death Eaters, maybe even Voldemort. It would be a very dangerous task. How could we manage to save Harry and remain alive?
Angy had probably followed the course of my thoughts because she answered my silent question.
"I have a few friends in Venice, don't worry! We won't be alone against all those Death Eaters. Anyway, if you are too afraid, there is still time to change your mind."
"Not at all! When do we leave?"
Curiously, Angy was staring at me with a satisfied look.
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