Of Letter Writing and Journal Entries…
Harry woke up hours later and smiled at the young woman sleeping so peacefully in his arms.
"Hermione?" He whispered as he shook her gently.
"Mmm?" She murmured. His heart swelled as she smiled and snuggled closer.
"Nothing." He said softly. "Just sleep." It wasn't a dream, he thought. The bed was small and he really needed to get up to stretch his aching body. He chose instead to stay beside her for just a while longer. He studied her as he ran his fingers through her hair. Beautiful, he thought. Why did I never notice it before all of this happened?
"Oh but you did." Said the voice he heard in his mind so often of late. "If you wanted to, you could look back over the last few years and you would know; she's held the same place in your heart that she does at this moment, for a very long time. Until now there have been too many things preventing you from realizing it. Now you are free to explore many new things…most especially, love."
He looked at her as he contemplated the words…he could look back if he wanted to. "No." He said aloud softly. "No, no looking back. All that matters is now; now and the future." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. The future… he thought. It was the first time he could ever remembering thinking about the future with a smile.
When he was sure she was sleeping he slid off the bed slowly so as not to disturb her. His joints were cramped from being in the same position for so long and it hurt when he stretched. He moved his legs around until he could feel his circulation returning. When he thought it was safe to move without falling he made his way out of the infirmary for some parchment so he could write to Ron and her parents to tell them the wonderful news.
He was on his way to Gryffindor Tower, where most of his stuff still remained, when he was stopped by Professor Dumbledore. "Tell me, Harry. How is Miss Granger doing?" Dumbledore said.
Harry turned abruptly at the sound of the voice. He smiled at the sight of his mentor. "Oh!" He said. "Sorry. I didn't see you there. Guess my mind must have been somewhere else."
"I understand, Harry. Please, think nothing of it." He said waving his hand. "I was merely asking you how Miss Granger is doing."
"Great. She's great. She's sleeping right now." He said with a smile. "I assume you saw us last night?"
"Yes, Harry, I did indeed. I must apologize for not stepping forward to announce my presence. When I witnessed the interaction between you and Miss Granger I felt it best to let you alone. Madam Pomfrey would have been there as well had I not asked her to grant you privacy."
"You did that?" Harry said surprised. "For us?"
Dumbledore smiled. "Naturally, Harry. There did not appear to be a medical emergency and Miss Granger did not appear as though she needed anything more than what she already had right there with her. As a matter of precaution Madam Pomfrey will be paying her a visit later this morning. Do you not feel, Harry, as though you, too, should be resting? It has been a long two weeks and a lot has happened in just the last few hours." He said.
"I rested for a bit with Hermione." Harry said. "Right now I'm going to my room to get some parchment. I need to let her parents know that she's awake."
"I'm sure you are right, Harry. However, my office is much closer and if parchment and a quill are all you need you may get them from there if you would like." He said. "It would allow you to return to Miss Granger much more quickly."
Harry noticed the twinkle had returned to the older man's eyes…if only for the moment; and he smiled.
"Thank you, sir. I would like that very much." He said.
"Let's make haste then, shall we?" Dumbledore said gesturing in the direction of his office. He walked away leaving Harry standing there, stunned once again by his insightfulness and awed by his consideration for him and Hermione. Dumbledore turned back when he realized Harry wasn't next to him. "Are you coming Harry?"
Harry looked up and smiled. "Yes, sir." He said and he walked quickly to catch up with him.
The walk to Dumbledore's office had been a quiet one until they were nearly there, then Dumbledore's voice broke the silence. "You must remember Harry, that I am always here should you need me." He said.
"I know that." Harry replied.
"Yes, I'm quite sure that you believe you do. However, I feel that it is of utmost importance to remind you." Dumbledore said. "You are a grown man now; one who has thus far exceeded everyone's greatest expectations. I want you to know that I have faith in you Harry and that I believe you to be quite capable of handling whatever may come your way." He said.
"Thank you, sir." Harry said. He was mildly confused by the meaning of Dumbledore's words.
"When you and Miss Granger begin discussing recent events you may feel free to come to me if you so desire; at some point you may find it necessary to call upon the wisdom that I have gained through many, many years of experience. Until or unless you do, I will make this promise to you Harry; I will not interfere." He said. "My only request is that you remember with reverence the sacrifices made by Mr. Malfoy and Miss Bullstrode, as well as Professor Trelawney."
Harry looked at him as they walked. The twinkle appeared to have vanished once again; only to be replaced by the tired, worn expression Harry had seen earlier when he had been in Dumbledore's office. "Yes, sir. Don't worry. Neither of us will allow their deaths to be in vain. Somehow, someway we will let people know that they were on our side." He said. "We still have our own story to tell as well. Ron and I were waiting for Hermione to wake up and now that she has we need to prepare to tell the wizarding world the truth…the whole truth."
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, Harry. I trust that you will. Please do not hesitate to come to me if you find that you need the assistance of a tired, old man." He said with a chuckle. Harry looked at him again and saw that while the laugh had escaped his lips, it was not reflected in his eyes. Will that twinkle ever return to stay? He wondered.
When they arrived Harry waited patiently as Dumbledore went to retrieve the parchment and quill. He handed them to Harry along with Cho's journal.
"In your haste, you forgot to take that with you." Dumbledore said. "I believe that you will find Miss Chang's words to be most enlightening."
"Thank you, sir. I hadn't noticed yet that I didn't have it." Harry said. "I definitely would have looked for it later."
Dumbledore placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. His voice solemn as he spoke, "Harry, I feel that I must warn you. It is difficult for me to believe that Miss Chang was in her proper state of mind as she wrote in that journal. You will read things in there that will shock you. I would like to ask that you promise me you will not take her words to heart. However, I am quite positive that promise would be too difficult to keep."
"What..." Harry began. Dumbledore placed both of his hands on Harry's shoulders and looked directly into his eyes. Harry saw what appeared to be fear in their depths and he found that he could no longer speak. There had been so few times, only one really, that Harry could remember seeing actual, real fear in Dumbledore's eyes. How could a journal written by Cho have such an affect on him? He wondered.
"Harry, you must never forget…" he said earnestly, "your heart is where your strength lies. I have never, in my many years, met another with such a great capacity for love. That journal may bring you pain but do not allow it to weaken you. It was your love, after all, that saved our world from Tom. Do not allow the words of an angry, bitter young woman change your perception of who you know yourself to be. Listen to Hermione, as I am sure she will offer you wise advice, and listen to me…do not ever doubt yourself. Remember who you are, Harry."
"Tell me…" Harry said tentatively, "what will I find in there?"
"I feel that I can no longer tell you that, Harry. You must venture forth with Miss Granger to discover what lies within the pages of that journal. Look for the truths Harry. Do not trust only what your eyes can see. Listen to your heart." Dumbledore said. "Go on now, Harry. You have been away long enough; it's time now that you returned to her."
Harry nodded and with one last look at Dumbledore he walked quietly out the door. When he reached the bottom of the stairwell he started to run.
Hermione was still sleeping when he returned. He sat in his chair with every intention of writing the letters to Ron and the Grangers. However, when he looked at what he held in his hand all thoughts of letter writing vanished. He sat back in his seat and prepared to open the journal.
"What will I find in here?" He said quietly to himself. "I'll read only one just so I'll know what to expect. The rest Hermione and I will read together."
He opened the front cover and found these words; This journal is dedicated to the memory of my Cedric. I love you and I will forever miss you. Yours for always, Cedric…
Yours for always? He thought. Just how close were they? I didn't think they'd even been together very long.
When he turned to the first entry he was surprised to find that it had not been dated. He turned to look at a few others and found them all to be the same. For some reason he found it odd, and a little disconcerting; he would have preferred to have some kind of time frame for her entries.
Oh well, he thought. It's not like I can do anything about it.
He turned back to the first entry and gasped as he read the first paragraph. His heart caught in his throat and he began to perspire. Everything he'd thought about himself following Cedric's murder was confirmed by her words. How could he have forgotten?
Journal entry
Cedric's gone…dead. It happened last night. I watched as the one responsible carried his lifeless body back from where it happened. Granted, Harry Potter may not have been the one who cast the spell but that doesn't change the fact that he's to blame for it. If it weren't for him, my Cedric would still be alive.
"What?" He said a little louder then he'd intended. He was astonished that she'd felt much the same way he had. He had felt responsible for Cedric's death. He took a deep breath and read on…
I heard him say that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back. Of course, the brave and fearless Harry didn't call him that. Oh no, he has to call him by his name…a name that witches and wizards have feared for years. I wonder if it makes him feel special to do that…to do something that even grown wizards fear to do. I grew up in fear; my parent's fear, and now…Harry Potter has brought that…that…thing back, and with it will come a renewed fear. What will happen to us now? I always felt so safe with Cedric; now, because of Harry, I am forced to face my fears alone.
Harry asked me to the Yule Ball in December. I told him I was sorry that I couldn't go with him because I had already accepted an invitation from Cedric. I lied. I wasn't sorry at all…not because I didn't like him, he was all right. No, it was more because I loved Cedric…no, not loved…love. My love for him will always be in the present…it will never find its way to the past because I will never allow myself to just look back on it.
My mum and dad married young; they married right out of school. My mum told me not long ago. I was so nervous when I told her about Cedric, I was sure she'd think it was a silly crush or just a passing teenage love. She just smiled and pulled me close and told me that she fell in love with my dad when she was my age; they've been together ever since…they are living proof that young love can last. At that moment every doubt that I had about young love was gone…I knew for sure that love would last with my Cedric.
Then came that damn Tri-Wizard Tournament! Everyone wanted to represent Hogwarts but Cedric was the one chosen…well, he and Harry were chosen; but Cedric deserved it. He was so excited about it. He was not only representing Hogwarts; he was representing Hufflepuff, the house that hadn't seen success in anything for many years; he was their hope and he was proud of that.
He was so happy and I was so scared. He assured me that everything would be all right…and finally I believed him. And now here I sit. Alone. Missing him. I should be celebrating his victory with him…not preparing for his funeral.
He was determined to win; he was so sure that he would. He said he had something special planned for the money; something special planned for us. It was supposed to be a surprise…it became a secret he took with him to his grave. Now I'll never know what his plans were. In my fantasies I always saw him on bended knee with the most beautiful ring imaginable and enough money in Gringott's for us to start our life together. Now he's gone…and I have realized already that his secret can be whatever I want it to be. Someday I hope to see our wedding.
I walked away last night lost. I'd seen his body and I watched as Harry fell from the strain of carrying him, but still I couldn't bring myself to believe. In that moment I wondered what life would bring me now when my one chance for happiness was lying dead on the ground. I know that I should be grateful that Harry at least brought him back…but I just can't bring myself to be.
I somehow found my way to the only place I knew that I could be alone; my place of solitude. The place where the water ran…washing away the endless stream of tears that stubbornly refused to stop falling. I sat for a long time on the floor of the shower and let the water wash over me. I watched as it drained away, hoping that it would wash away the loneliness and pain along with the tears. It didn't work...
Fifteen years old and I feel so lost; alone. How can it hurt this much? How could he die? How could Harry Potter let him? So many questions and I doubt I'll ever get the answers…I'll never understand it. His death was such a waste of a wonderful, caring life.
I've been in the library for the better part of the day reading, trying to understand these feelings; and trying to discover what I'll be feeling when the numbness finally goes away. Right now I'm too shocked and empty to feel angry; I know that…I understand it. But it will come and I am afraid…
Because someone will have to pay…
Harry couldn't believe what he'd read. Dumbledore had been right. If the journal started out this way then whatever else it contained would undoubtedly be painful for him and he was definitely not looking forward to it. Remembering his promise to himself to read only the first chapter, he dropped the book quickly. His eyes burned with unshed tears and he reached up to rub them.
How could he have forgotten the way he'd felt after Cedric died? He knew then just as surely as he did right now, that he had been to blame for his death. He was feeling melancholy and philosophical as he tried to put his thoughts into perspective…
Does time really heal? He wondered. Or does it somehow just numb us so that we're fooled into believing we've gotten past the pain? If so, then what happens when it all comes crashing back like waves against the defenseless shore? Over time the waves erode the shore until there is less and less sand to walk upon. Does the same thing happen to the soul when your memories begin to invade and suddenly refuse to let go? Does it start the process of erosion? What will happen to me…and Hermione, if I find I can't let go of this? Is that what happened to Cho?
He felt a hand touch his shoulder and he jumped. "Harry? Harry, are you all right?" Hermione said concerned. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't heard her calling his name.
He lifted his head to look at her and it took a moment for him to register that she was talking to him. He shook his head to clear away his jumbled thoughts. "What? I'm sorry Hermione. I was thinking." He said. "Did you say something?"
"I've been calling you Harry. You're scaring me." She said as she searched his face; her eyes were narrow and her brow furrowed. "What are you thinking about that has you so upset?"
He placed his hand over hers. "Nothing." He said. "Nothing important. Let's talk about it later, okay? How are you feeling?"
"I'd be feeling better if I knew what was wrong." She said.
"Hermione, please." He begged. "I promise you that we will talk about it…when you're really ready to hear it. Don't worry. I'm fine. I'm so happy that you're back that nothing can bring me down right now." He forced a smile and moved to sit next to her on the bed to put his arms around her. He took a deep breath to loosen the tightness that had taken hold of his chest. "It feels so good to hold you." He murmured.
"You too." She said softly. She pushed him back so she could look into his eyes. "You know, Harry, you've never been very good at keeping things from me. You will tell me what's wrong."
"I promised you, Hermione." He said. "And I've never made you a promise that I didn't keep. Trust me."
She nodded. "All right then." She said. "I can wait."
"Thank you." He said as he pulled her close and buried his head in her shoulder.
"Ahem."
They pulled apart and looked in the direction of the noise.
"Hello Madam Pomfrey." Hermione said with a smile.
"It's wonderful to see that you've finally awoken Miss Granger." Madam Pomfrey said with a smile. She nodded her head in Harry's direction. "Mr. Potter here has kept a constant vigil by your bedside. While we are all happy to have you back, I'm quite sure there are very few as excited as he must be." She said.
Hermione looked at Harry and smiled. "You've almost got that right." He said looking at Madam Pomfrey.
"Almost?" She said.
Harry smiled at Hermione. "Take away the `very few' and replace it with `no one' and you'll be spot on." He said. "I don't think anyone anywhere could be happier than I am right now."
Hermione blushed as they all laughed.
"Now, Mr. Potter." Madam Pomfrey said. "Why don't you take a well-deserved break? Go find some breakfast, take a long, hot shower and freshen up a bit or something. I need to examine Miss Granger and if all is as well as I think it is, perhaps she and I can get her into the shower as well. Those freshening spells may help with the odor but they certainly don't make you feel as good as a nice, hot shower now, do they?"
Harry looked mildly concerned. "You think she can get up and move around already? Isn't it a little too soon for that?" He asked.
"Oh yes, Mr. Potter. It's possible that she may have to wait a little longer. That's what I will determine during my examination." She said. "However, you of all people should know by now that one of the greatest things about being a wizard is the way our bodies tend to heal much more rapidly than those of Muggles."
"You're right. I'm definitely aware of that." He said. "And grateful too, I might add!"
Madam Pomfrey smiled. "As well you should be, Mr. Potter. In my many years here I can't say I've had the pleasure of treating anyone else nearly as often as I have you." She said as she waved her arms toward the door. "Away with you now. Let me examine Miss Granger, then we can go from there."
"All right." Harry said begrudgingly. "Can you tell me how long I have to be gone? When can I come back?"
"Initially, I would say one hour." She said. "Depending on what Miss Granger is able to do, that time may be extended. You may return in an hour's time; however, do not be surprised to find yourself being pushed back out the door."
"All right." He conceded. He looked at Hermione. "I'll be back in a while. I think I will find some food and take a shower. That won't take an hour so I'll take the parchment with me so I can write those letters." He said. He smiled and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek before he stood up. "See you later then." He said as he gathered his stuff and headed for the door. He looked back to discover Hermione watching him, he gave a small wave and turned to walk out the door.
Harry did as Madam Pomfrey suggested. He found some food and took a long, hot shower. He felt rejuvenated for the first time in a very long time. Although he felt they had a long way to go, it appeared as though things were finally starting to look up for him…for them.
He was sitting at his desk in his room preparing to start the letters he'd promised to write. He reached for the parchment and quill. A nagging thought entered his mind…the journal! "Where the hell is the journal?" He said. He thought back to where he may have set it after he finished reading the first chapter. The floor, he thought. I dropped it on the floor and I forgot to pick it up before I left. "Please don't let Hermione find it." He pleaded with whoever may be listening. "I don't think she's ready for that."
Figuring she wouldn't find it down on the floor he set about writing the letters. He decided that the one to Ron would be much easier so he started with that one.
Dear Ron,
Guess what?
What do you mean you don't know? (Sorry mate, habit, I suppose)!
I'm sure you've guessed it by now. I suppose I already sound a little too happy for it to be anything other than the fact that Hermione has finally come back to me…to us…to all of us. Well, you know what I mean.
There is so much going on here right now though. I've found out that there is so much more to all of this than a mere accident or misplaced spell. I really wish you were here...you'll never believe everything I have to tell you if you're not here to see the truth for yourself. I don't think a letter will suffice.
I will tell you this though. Dumbledore gave me a journal and you'll never guess who it belonged too…Cho! Yes, you read that right. Belonged. She's dead. Bet you'll never guess who killed her either…or more importantly, why. I'll just tell you that it was Malfoy and Millicent Bullstrode. They did it for me…for all of us. Are you still standing? I suppose I should have warned you to sit before I started telling you all this stuff, shouldn't I? Suppose I could go back and warn you now since I haven't finished the letter…nah, I kind of like the image I have of you falling over. (Ha, ha, ha…can you hear me laughing all the way from the Burrow?).
Anyway, I'll let you know when it's a good time to come if you think you'll want to do that. Or, maybe when Hermione gets released by Madam Pomfrey we can come to the Burrow. I'll have to talk to her about that. We all still need to get together so we can tell our story. Hopefully it won't be too long.
I told you that Hermione is awake but I haven't told you the best part…she loves me! Yep, that's right…she loves me. I can't wait to get out of here and start my life with her. I have to admit though; I'm a little scared. I read the first entry in Cho's journal and it was really powerful…and painful. I don't know what to expect from the other entries, but I have a feeling that it won't be good. Basically, she confirmed everything I've ever felt in regard to Cedric Diggory's death. She blames me…much as I have blamed myself.
Dumbledore said some things that have me wondering if this may, in some way, affect Hermione and me. I hope not. I love her and now I know she loves me…all I can do is hope that what we are feeling is strong enough to survive anything. If it had been anyone other then Dumbledore, I wouldn't think anything of it. Also, he's read the journal…the entire thing, so he knows what's in store. He says Hermione and me have to `venture forth together to find what lies within the pages of the journal'…whatever that means. I'm waiting for her to get better (and mentally prepared) before I read anymore of it. I think I'm going to need her more than ever…you too, mate.
Oh, man. I was on a roll today; feeling all philosophical and stuff after I read that journal entry. You'd laugh if you knew even half the stuff that was going through my head. Maybe it's too much time spent with Dumbledore or something. I'll have to remember to tell you about it someday.
Oh yeah, one more thing. When Hermione was finally starting to wake up she said something about Cho having me and that she needed to get back to me…to protect me. I asked her what that was about and she said that she had some kind of bizarre dream that had Cho, Millicent, Malfoy and, get this…Professor Trelawney. How she could call that a dream and not a nightmare is beyond me; especially since she doesn't know anything yet about Malfoy and Millicent. That sounds like a combination straight from hell, doesn't it? Well…it did until I found out all that stuff today. I can't wait until I can talk to her about it. I'm really curious to know what happened. She was pretty upset about not being able to go back until I finally convinced her that I was real and that I was waiting right here for her (it's a long story). Yet another mystery to tell you about another time, I suppose.
Well, mate. I have to write another letter to Hermione's parents. I thought yours would be easier, but now I'm hoping that's not the case. It's taken me forever to write this and I have to get back to Hermione. Madam Pomfrey is with her now. She had to have an examination and Madam Pomfrey kicked me out.
Anyway, I'll get back with you about coming here or us going there. I'm sure Hermione will want to see her parents as soon as she's able to though.
I look forward to hearing back from you. Tell the rest of the family hi. I'm sure I'll hear your mum screaming all the way over here when you tell her the news. Take care.
Your friend,
Harry
Harry was grateful to finally set down the quill. He flexed his fingers as he looked over his letter to Ron before he sealed it. "Looks good." He said. He sealed it and flexed his fingers a couple more times before he picked up the quill again to write to Hermione's parents.
He grabbed another piece of parchment and prepared to write the letter but he stopped before he even got started. How should I address it? He wondered. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger or To Hermione's Parents or, after the last letter, should I address it `Mum and Dad'?" He contemplated aloud. He decided that for now the best way to address it would be to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. They could talk about the other later.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Granger,
Finally, I get to write a letter that I'm happy to send to the two of you. Isn't it about time you got a little good news? I would ask how you are doing but I have a feeling that once you read what I have to say, I'll already know the answer!
You'll be happy, excited, and elated to know that Hermione woke up late last night. A lot has been happening so I haven't had the opportunity to write until now. I apologize for that. I promise to send Hedwig straightaway when I'm finished.
There is so much to tell you both that I don't know where to begin. A big part of me wants to give Hermione a chance to tell you herself and yet another part of me wants to shout it out to the world. The thought of what she can do with a wand leads me to believe that letting her tell you is by far the best way to go. Although I'm sure that you'll be able to tell why I'm so happy just by reading what I've written here. At least I can tell her honestly that I didn't tell you outright! (Somehow I doubt that will work with our Hermione, but, well…).
Let me just say this…
I am hoping that one day soon I will have the opportunity to ask you both a very important question, in person.
I was thinking about telling you so many other things in this letter but I feel it would be better to discuss them with you when we see you again. There are things happening that I think you should know but I haven't gotten to talk to Hermione about them yet. I think it would be better to do that first. I don't want you to worry though. Everything is fine. It's just…stuff, that's all.
I want to thank you for the book. I didn't actually get to finish reading it to her…I know, I know, the book is a short one! However, reading it made me think about a lot of things and it took longer than it might normally take for me to read it. I'm not sure how much Hermione has told you about my life with the Dursley's, but I could certainly sympathize with Cinderella, let me tell you. I don't know that the book itself made much difference, to be honest, but I can tell you that the ending sure did! OOPS! Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Oh well. I'm too happy right now to care much what Hermione might think about what I'm putting in this letter.
Well, I have to get back to her now. Madam Pomfrey had to do an examination and she kicked me out of the infirmary. She sounded very optimistic about how well Hermione is doing even though she's only been back with us for a short time. There's something about the magical blood that flows through us that helps us to heal faster than non-magical people…it was part of the reason why no one could understand why Hermione was in a coma; that's very unusual for a witch or wizard. I'm sure they told you that already, though.
As soon as we know anything, we'll write again. I'm sure that Hermione has loads of stuff to tell you. Take care.
Love,
Harry
Once again Harry was thankful for the opportunity to set the quill down. He flexed his aching fingers as he re-read the letter he'd written. He chuckled in some parts and then contemplated tearing the letter up and starting over when he got to the part about the `other stuff' he wanted to tell them. He looked at the clock and saw that it had already been more than an hour so he decided to just leave it the way it was; he would just have to reassure them in his next letter. Besides, his hand was already aching from all that writing and he wasn't sure that he'd be able to do another letter just yet. He sealed it up and grabbed Ron's so he could take them to Hedwig. He wanted her to deliver them immediately.
After dropping by the owlery and spending a little time with Hedwig before she took flight, Harry quickly made his way back to the infirmary. He was late and he really wanted to get back to her. He met Madam Pomfrey just outside the door. "Ah! There you are Mr. Potter. I thought I was going to have to go look for you. Miss Granger and I are finished so you may go back in now."
"How is she?" He asked. "Is she all right?"
"She'll be fine. She does need to rest though. She was able to take a shower, although she had to sit down on a chair when she got tired, and she ate a little solid food…nothing too heavy, mind you." She said. "I would appreciate it if you would check with me before offering to get her anything from the kitchen. There are some things that she probably shouldn't be having quite yet."
"No problem." He said. "That sounds easy enough."
"She should be up and about in a couple of days but she should be monitored for at least another week." She said. "I won't allow her to be released before that time."
"Okay." He sighed. "You're the expert. We'll do whatever you say."
"That's my boy." She said with a smile as she patted him on the shoulder. "One more thing, Mr. Potter, it's important that you don't let her get too emotional. If at all possible, it would be best to keep her from getting overly upset or even excited. Professor Dumbledore warned me that some things may start happening that could upset either one or the both of you. I must ask that you wait for a couple of days before bringing up anything that might upset her. Right now she needs her rest."
"Yes, ma'am." He said. "I promise I'll do my best to ensure she's protected. I won't let anything happen to her and I'll try to make sure she gets plenty of rest."
"All right, Harry." She said. "You may go to her now. I'm sure she is anxious to see you. I'll be back to check on her later this afternoon."
"See you then, Madam Pomfrey." He said. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Mr. Potter. Now scoot along." She said as she shooed him toward the door. He smiled at her and walked through the doors to see Hermione.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her. He could just make out the tears that were running down her cheeks. He looked at her lap to see what she was looking at and there he saw it…she had found the journal.
He hadn't realized his gasp could be heard across the room until she turned to look at him. "Harry?" She said, her voice was hoarse as a result of her tears and he could hear her trying to clear it.
He walked closer to her. He was a few feet away when he stopped again. The book was open and it looked to him as though she'd been reading the same entry he'd read only a short time ago.
"Harry?" She said, her voice firm. She looked at him and he could see sadness and hurt reflected in her eyes…but there was something else there as well, something he hadn't expected to see; something that looked remarkably like anger…or hatred. Please tell me that look is not intended for me, he thought. She looked at him as she pointed to the book. "Harry, what is this?"
It took a moment for Harry to find his voice and he swallowed hard. "It's a journal." He said timidly.
She looked at him again and Harry saw the same emotions reflected in her eyes as he'd seen moments ago…only this time she was looking much more pointedly at him and her cheeks had turned red. "Damn it, Harry." She said vehemently. "I'm not stupid. I can see that it's a journal. What I want to know is where the hell it came from and how it came to be in your possession."
Harry was stunned. Hermione never talked like that unless she was very, very angry and didn't he just promise Madam Pomfrey he wouldn't let that happen? "Hermione don't be so upset. There's a lot we have to talk about but it can wait. There is a lot we both need to know." He said in the most comforting voice he could muster in his panicked state. "But since you asked, I got the journal from Dumbledore."
"What?" She yelled. The only emotion he could read in her eyes now was anger. Her voice dropped lower but her tone was no less hostile and her cheeks were no less red. "What the hell was he thinking giving you th…" She stopped suddenly and her arms went around her head as she cried out in pain. She fell back against the pillow and he watched as the color drained from her cheeks and she lay motionless. Her arms were still wrapped around her head but no sound escaped her.
"Hermione?" He said tentatively as he walked closer to her. He touched her arm and just like before there was no response.
Harry shook his head. "No. This can't be happening. Hermione?" He said again more urgently as he shook her. No reaction.
Tears stung his eyes as he watched her…what the hell is happening now? He wondered gravely…
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