Chapter 5-Harry Potter?
Ron had returned to Hogwarts about the time that Hermione was getting the drinks for Parvati and Harry. He sat with a look of satisfaction on his face when Hermione came into the common room and walked right past him. "Whoa, where's my hug, Hermione?" he asked, oblivious to her fury.
"Try wrapping your arms around yourself, Ron. After all, you are all you're worried about," she said as she continued up the stairs.
Ron forgot all about the protections against males getting into the girls' dorms so when the stairs turned into a slide he went crashing down hitting his head hard on the table nearest the stairs. He put his hand to his head and felt the blood that came from the nasty abrasion. "Don't you even care that I could have just killed myself and could be bleeding to death?"
"Yeah, that could have happened today to you in London and I wouldn't have been there to help you either, would I? And, come to think of it, it might have made things easier." she screamed. The other girls were annoyed and began to shush them both.
Hermione was livid and wouldn't annoy the girls anymore. She bolted down the stairs where an obviously badly hurt Ron sat in a pool of blood. Hermione panicked a bit, because she really wanted to let Ron have it, but realized it was the wrong time. "Can someone help me here? The idiot has really gone and hurt himself." One of the third years named Kelly showed up quickly and helped Hermione get Ron to his feet. They got a towel to hold to his head and started leading him to the Infirmary.
It took about an hour for Ron to feel better and the dizziness to wear off. The fall hadn't broken any bones but he had hit his head in a place where there were lots of little blood vessels to make it look worse than it was. Hermione had still not spoken to him again but she sat next to him as he lay on the gurney. He'd nodded off because of the pain potion he'd been given. He was still a little groggy.
"Hermione, I'm sorry," said Ron as he looked over at her with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.
"Do you even know why you should be sorry? Being sorry for something that I don't care about won't get you off the hook," said Hermione. She was going to make him figure out the whole thing. She was still livid. "Do you know?"
"I'm sorry for not getting back for Hogsmeade weekend," he said. "That's what's got you so bloody riled up I'm sure."
"WRONG! You'd think that with all the blood that came from your head, some of it would be nourishing an actual brain," she said sarcastically. "Duh!"
"That's just brilliant. Are you going to act like that all afternoon? I'll just go find the guys and tell them about my visit to London. I'll tell them about negotiating a contract and trying to make a life for myself and the love of my life. Piss off, if you're going to be mean. Mad, I can take. Raving lunatic mad, I can take. But I won't be humiliated like that anymore by you, Harry or anyone." Ron stormed off.
"Oh, and, it's not humiliating to me to have your boyfriend decide everything without you like your opinion doesn't count," she screamed after him.
Hermione turned the opposite way as she left the Infirmary just so she wouldn't run into Ron if he had a change of heart and came back. She saw Mrs. McGonagall in the corridor as she walked slowly toward the Gryffindor Tower.
"Hermione, child, whatever is the matter? Your eyes are all puffy," said the Headmistress casually but very concerned.
Hermione burst into tears and rambled off almost all the things she'd told Harry a day or two before. But this time she was truly sad. Mrs. McGonagall gave her a hug and asked her into her study. She had left Professor Dumbledore's office and chambers just as they had been when he died out of respect.
"So, now, now. Hermione, tell me what's wrong in sober English. I couldn't understand what you were saying," she said jokingly. "I'm just kidding of course, Hermione. But please just relax for a minute."
Those thirty or so minutes with Mrs. McGonagall were a godsend for Hermione. It opened her eyes and gave her a plan. She was about to march straight back to the Gryffindor Tower to confront Ron, when someone came to the door. "Headmistress?"
The voice was unrecognizable to Hermione. But it definitely was a voice of authority. Hermione sat quietly trying to hear the conversation, when she heard Professor McGonagall gasp. "That's just not possible. No, impossible. There has to be some explanation." Hermione was scared, but nothing compared to what came next.
"Hermione, you must go back to your dorm. Something terrible has happened. I want everyone in their dorms at once. We have to make sure everyone is accounted for," she said.
Hermione did as she was told. She didn't run into any students until she arrived just outside Gryffindor Tower. "Is it true, Hermione?"
She stood there confused in front of four or five Gryffindors. "Is what true?"
"Harry Potter attacked Parvati Patil and almost killed her. Is it true?" said the second year.
Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Was Harry going to be blamed for everything from snow to earthquakes for his entire life? But something told her that there was too much detail. Parvati? Who would make up a story like that? "I don't know. What's your name?"
"Robert, Hermione," he said.
"Robert, I don't think Harry's capable of such a thing. Where did you hear that?" she asked.
"I was in the Infirmary when they brought her in and the medi-witches and Mrs. Pomfrey were being told what happened," said Robert holding up a bandaged finger.
Hermione's heart stopped. "This just isn't possible," she said aloud. She realized now that those were Mrs. McGonagall's exact words too.
Hermione stepped through the picture frame and into the common room to long faces and glares. "You put them together. I think he's still a freak. I think Voldemort got to him," said a young Gryffindor Hermione didn't know.
"What in the world would make you say that?" she asked.
"My dad says there is no way some magic school student could destroy the Dark Lord completely," he said.
At that moment, Ginny came down the stairs with tears streaming down her face. Hermione ignored the young student and went to Ginny. "You don't think?" said Ginny. "You don't think he lost it do you, Hermione?"
Hermione sat down in the chair next to Ginny and put her head in her hands. She just didn't know what to think. That was when she decided that she was going to get answers of her own. She headed toward the door as Ron came through it.
"He's really done it now," said Ron. "He's being brought back here in shackles. There are six eyewitnesses that saw him drag Parvati out of the tavern by her hair. See why I'm glad he's not with my sister, Hermione?" he continued.
"Oh, shut up, Ron. He's no more capable of doing something that evil than you are," said Hermione. "Just go hug your bludgers, Ron. I'll take care of the really important stuff."
Hermione walked out of Gryffindor Tower more worried now for Parvati's health and Harry's sanity than Ron. Did the torture by the Dark Lord destroy part of Harry? That kind of torture made vegetables out of Neville's parents. Hermione's pace increased with every moment. No matter how bad it looked, she'd never desert Harry. Never, she thought, even if he's crazy and did this horrible thing. Something or someone made him do it, if he did it. Eyewitnesses? What the hell is going on?
"Child, I thought I told you to go to your dorm. I need you to quell the fears of the students Hermione. You can't help here," said Mrs. McGonagall.
"At least let me talk to Harry when they bring him here," she said.
"Hermione, no student will be alone with Mr. Potter until we get more facts, especially female ones. It would be too dangerous, given what we do not know at the moment," she said.
She looked over at the gurney near the wall. It was Parvati, alright. Her face was bruised and her shirt torn.
"Is she conscious?" Hermione asked.
"Not for long," said Mrs. McGonagall. "She will be sedated and when she wakes up interviewed. Whoever did this, and all the evidence points to Mr. Potter, just wanted to hurt her to prove some point."
Hermione saw tears in the Headmistress's eyes and was relieved that she seemed incapable of believing a hundred eyewitnesses. Hermione was sure that never in the long history of Hogwarts had a female student ever been assaulted physically like that. The worst ever had been Ginny when she was taken by Voldemort. Come to think of it, there was Moaning Myrtle. She couldn't even think of a male student subjected to that kind of abuse other than Harry.
"Can I talk to Parvati?" Hermione asked. "I was with her and Harry this afternoon. This is just insane."
"Pompy, can Miss Granger talk to Parvati?" asked Minerva.
The head nurse of the Infirmary was busy shooing all of the onlookers away as she asked. "I don't know if she's lucid enough. She's pretty banged up. But if you think it will help find out what happened, go ahead," she said.
Hermione walked over to Parvati. The nurse was right, Parvati was semi-conscious. Hermione had to see if she could get a response. "Parvati, can you hear me?"
Her eyes flickered in recognition and a pained smile crossed her face. "Is Harry alright?" she muttered. "I mean the real one."
Hermione could hear her but just barely. Parvati's jaw and cheek were swollen so she wasn't able to speak clearly even if she were fully conscious. "Did you just say something about the real Harry?"
Parvati nodded as her eyes rolled a little and became distant again like when Hermione had started talking to her.
Hermione went back to Mrs. McGonagall and told her what she thought Parvati said. Startled, the Headmistress looked at Hermione carefully. "You wouldn't fabricate something like this to protect Mr. Potter, would you?" She paused and sighed. "Of course, you would. And, were I you? I might also. You are not making this up, correct, Miss Granger?" Headmistress McGonagall's face was steely serious.
"Certainly not, but I can't say that's what she said for one-hundred percent sure," Hermione admitted.
"I'll see if the Ministry will allow Mr. Potter visitors tomorrow. But you must promise me that you will tell the truth if you suspect that he's not himself. And, you will take a potion in with you to incapacitate him in case he becomes violent," she demanded.
"I promise. Will I be able to see the schools version of the report prior to talking to him? I mean, I need to see how much he knows and I need to be able to compare what he knows to what the report says. He won't lie to me. I know, Harry. I've been able to get him to admit stuff that others wouldn't have dared try to do," boasted Hermione thinking of the other day. Her heart sank as she thought of Harry being treated as a criminal.
Harry sat in the cage they were using for a cell and wondered what he was going on. He was scared and no one would tell him what happened to the girl, to Parvati. He had gone from elation to desperation to unconsciousness in less than ten minutes last night and everything was a blur. He'd answered every question fully and honestly.
The sight of Hermione at the other end of the corridor being searched and carrying several sheets of paper with her made his heart leap for joy. Hermione didn't smile or frown. Her face was impassive and unnatural for Hermione. He decided to try to be the same way.
"Hi, Harry, I came as soon as I could," she couldn't hold back the tears seeing him restrained in a cage after all he'd done for everyone. "I read the police report and I talked to Parvati, who by the way, was more worried about you than anything else."
Harry would have smiled, but the tone of Hermione's voice even with good news sounded ominous. "So, what happened? What are they saying I did?"
"They're thinking about charging you with Assault and Battery, Harry. Some of your enemies, it turns out, are trying for a charge of Aggravated Assault (with the intent to do great bodily harm). I'm just quoting from the report and the newspaper articles. What happened, Harry?"
"Hermione, I'd never hurt Parvati. And, if I wanted to hurt someone badly I would use a spell on them, not my fists," said Harry.
"Be careful about what you say Harry. The evidence shows Parvati was hit with a blunt object, so using a spell to pick up something and bash her is something that could be used against you," said Hermione with a frown. "Don't give them ammunition."
"I swear, I had just finished tell Parvati the story about Voldemort and we were freshening up to come back to Hogwarts when I grabbed the handle on the toilet and it came off in my hand leaving me stranded a few hundred yards from the tavern. I mean, I wasn't gone more than two minutes and then I was being cold-cocked by this guy in the bar."
"You said that you went into the loo and all the urinals were taped up and unusable so you went to the john and used the regular toilet where the handle came off, right?" she asked.
"Yes, that's exactly what happened," Harry asserted.
"The investigators roped off the area and said every piece of plumbing in the place worked as it should. There wasn't even a leaky faucet to be found," said Hermione.
"Wow, whoever wanted to get me succeeded spectacularly this time, didn't they, Hermione?" said Harry rhetorically. "All that matters is that Parvati will be okay. She will be, right?"
"Yes, I think so. The concern is that the beating was pretty severe and may mean that she'll look like hell for a few weeks. After that, they're not sure if any of the damage is permanent. The bruising could cause permanent discoloration of her cheeks and neck," said Hermione sadly. "This was no prank, Harry. This was mean and diabolically planned."
"Malfoy," said Harry. "He could only get to students in a neutral place like Hogsmeade. I'd take bets. And, it didn't matter who it was. It could have been Ginny had we not broken it off."
"Tough to prove, since no one knows where Malfoy is, Harry. Plus, physical violence isn't like Malfoy, remember? He didn't even have the courage to fight you when you insulted him or something. He always tried to hex you. He used a spell on me to enlarge my teeth, remember?" Hermione recalled painfully.
"No, that's not true Hermione. Remember last year on the train. He stomped my head pretty good and he wasn't afraid of me then," said Harry rubbing his forehead and nose cringing. He smiled at Hermione. "I think this is an effort to discredit me and make me come after him. He'll want credit for his brilliance sooner or later."
Hermione looked at Harry and shook her head. "You and Malfoy are just going to have to kiss and make up one day before one of you gets killed."
Harry laughed. He was sad that Parvati was hurt but he told Hermione to drop it for now and see what happened.
Three days later, Harry was free again and immediately went to see Parvati. "I'm sorry, Parvati. I wish I could have seen it coming."
"Harry, I heard about the package at the Ministry and … well, I hope you're not offended, but I think I want to stay away from you for a while. But you are the sweetest Harry. I just can't …" cried Parvati.
"No, no, I understand… all things considered." Harry admitted.
A package had arrived that morning at the Ministry addressed to the Minister of Magic. It contained a vial of polyjuice potion, several of Harry's hairs, and a note. "Beware to anyone who befriends Harry Potter. Is it he or I that you're talking to? Will you end up worse off than Ms. Patil? Welcome to my party, Harry." It had no signature or markings.
Harry hugged Parvati avoiding anything that would hurt her and headed off to see Hermione and Ron.
In the common room once more he felt at home, except that there seemed to be a wall of ice around Ron and Hermione. And, Harry almost felt like allying with Hermione against
Ron, given that he was so sure that Harry was some whack-job woman beater. "Hey, Ron, anything else in the Daily Prophet that you're sure I am part of. I mean criminally of course. It's not possible for me to be part of any of the good stuff," said Harry. Just the look on Ron's face made Harry want to start a fight with him.
Ron ignored him, but Harry thought he'd have another go. This time, he was going to confess dumping Ginny. "Ron, I'm sorry that you couldn't trust me with Ginny. You know, mate. I wish she'd have told you the truth though. You know it was my idea to break up, not hers."
"Yeah, so what? She was happy to be rid of you by her account anyway," said Ron.
Harry hadn't been ready for that comeback, but he looked at Ron and said, "You really are slow, aren't you? You have the world at your feet. Our best friend is in love with you and your best mate has more respect for your sister and you than to let a losing proposition continue. So he does the right thing. He lets go of the one true romantic love he's ever had to preserve a friendship with her and you. All you can do is act the fool and want to hurt me by embarrassing me. Now you've reduced me to wanting to humiliate you. You had better figure out things fast mate. Good people like Hermione won't suffer a fool like you for very long," said Harry as he looked over at Hermione who looked away.
"You leave Hermione out of it," yelled Ron.
"Like you do, mate? You leave her out of everything. She would do anything for you. I'm jealous to see it wasted on a loser like you, if you want to know the truth. If you want a piece of me for saying that, I'm right here. She believed in me when no one else would, so I have every right to talk about my friend Hermione and stick up for her," Harry left the common room on that note and laid down on the bed in the dorm above.
Harry laid there and thought for several minutes about what he'd just said. He hadn't said anything to apologize for and he vowed he wouldn't either. He sighed and took his glasses off. "Look out, Ron. If you don't take care of that girl, I will." He felt at peace and drifted off to sleep.
-->