Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me.
It's for the Best
Chapter 13 - What Should We Do?
The head of Slytherin nodded, and four different students joined their professor in pointing their wands at Hermione, saying, "Sectumsempra!"
Using all his new power, Harry shouted, "Protego," as he and Hermione dove to the ground, Harry moving so swiftly that his invisibility cloak slipped, exposing his left arm.
The beam of light from Snape's wand seemed to be weakened significantly by Harry's shield, but not completely blocked. Part of it hit Harry's left hand while he was diving, which immediately began bleeding profusely as Harry swore. Two of the jets of light shooting toward Hermione were completely stopped by the shield, but the other two hit the same spot, enabling one to break through and hit Hermione's right shoulder, which was where her chest had been a moment before. She screamed in pain as she put her left hand on her wound. Harry could tell from her tone of voice that she was ready to cry. When he saw her collapse as her eyes closed, he lost his temper.
He threw off his cloak, and following Snape's sneer of, "Potter, how good of…" he pointed his wand and shouted, "Reducto!" He then turned toward the other Slytherins before watching the affect of his spell.
Nott aimed his wand at Harry, shouting, "Avada…" before being hit with a blast so powerful it separated his body at his chest.
Harry moved out of the way as a green beam of light shot from another attacker. He shot a, "Reducto!" at him as well, not only taking off the Slytherin's head, but a large portion of the wall behind him. Harry, in his fury, calculated that there were two more. He heard footsteps behind him and turned around as he shouted, "Reducto!" once again. He watched as his favorite spell blasted the backs of the remaining two. Part of him registered that they had been running away, but he pushed that thought aside as he realized he had to get Hermione to the hospital wing.
As he turned his attention toward her now bloody, pale and unconscious form, he wished he knew emergency healing, but he didn't. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said as he levitated her and hurried to the hospital wing, remembering to grab his cloak and map before leaving the hallway. He didn't even notice the pain he was in from the wound on his left hand, which was bleeding badly from Snape's last curse. The last thing he saw in that hallway was Severus Snape's head with an expression of shock.
-
Madam Pomfrey was sleeping soundly, enjoying a pleasant dream, when suddenly her eyes snapped open. She'd heard a ringing sound that always came when someone entered the hospital wing. With practiced ease, she got up, slipped on her robe, and calmly opened her door, expecting to find someone who woke up ill. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the sight awaiting her.
Harry Potter, with a pale face, blood all over his robes, and a severe laceration on his left hand was holding his wand with his right. Hermione Granger, also full of blood, not to mention unconscious, was lying on one of her beds. Mr. Potter appeared to be on the verge of entering a state of shock, but she asked the question anyway as she pulled out her wand.
"What happened?"
"A-attacked on prefect rounds."
"Attacked again?" she asked. She, of course, knew about the male prefect who'd behaved inappropriately - under the influence of the Imperius Curse - a few days before. She could see that these wounds were much more serious than those that had occurred during the previous incident. "What spell?" she demanded.
"S-sectumsempra," he answered.
She turned her wand on Hermione's shoulder. "Mr. Potter, can you get me three bottles of blood replenishing potion?" she asked a few seconds later. She wanted to keep Harry from spacing out, plus she could use the help. She diligently closed the wound, which wasn't as bad as it could have been from that dark spell. She wondered if it had gone through a shield.
As soon as the wound was closed, Harry came up to her. He looked very scared. "I-is this what you wanted?"
She nodded upon reading the labels and took them, pouring them down Hermione's throat and using her wand to make the girl swallow. "W-will she be alright?" he asked shakily after the last bottle had been emptied.
"I believe so, but she will have a scar. Now, I'd like to take a look at your hand."
He blinked. "My hand?"
"Yes. Your left hand is wounded as well. You've been bleeding all over my floor."
Harry looked down, and for the first time registered his wound. He held out his hand to her, and she examined it with her wand, closing it without any problems. "I think you should drink a blood-replenishing potion as well. I think that'll be my last one."
"Yeah," Harry said as he took the bottle from the shelf. He opened it and started drinking.
"I'll have to ask Professor Snape to make more."
If Harry hadn't just swallowed, he'd have spit it out. "C-can't. He's dead." Those were the last words he'd speak for several hours. He went into shock as the reality of what had happened hit him.
-
Harry opened his eyes to find that he was lying in a bed in the hospital wing. It took him a few seconds to remember why he was there. Once he did, he looked around in a panic, only to find his girlfriend in the bed next to him with a book in her lap, and a sling on her arm, reading. He breathed out a sigh of relief, which seemed to get Hermione's attention, for she immediately turned toward him.
"You're awake. Thank goodness." He noticed that she was wearing hospital clothes and glanced down to see that he was, too.
"So are you. For a few minutes, I thought…"
"Madam Pomfrey said that if you'd taken just a few minutes longer, I would've been," she said solemnly. "You saved my life."
Before Harry could respond to that, Madam Pomfrey came into the room with a breakfast tray. "I see that you're awake, Mr. Potter. I had to give you a dreamless sleep potion after you brought Miss Granger here. She told us what happened before she passed out."
"Us?" repeated Harry.
"The headmaster and the aurors," said Hermione. "They needed an explanation." She took a deep breath. "Especially after they saw…the results."
Harry closed his eyes as he remembered the revolting sight he'd left behind. He'd killed five more people. He hung his head in shame. "I, I,"
"I understand," said Hermione. "You did what you had to do to save us."
"Stupefying them didn't even occur to me. When you fell, I just…lost it."
Madam Pomfrey said, "I couldn't believe that Professor Snape would've orchestrated such a cruel attack on Miss Granger. Professor Dumbledore, as well as the aurors, will be by shortly to take your statement. Make sure you eat your breakfast." She then walked off and Harry began eating.
"I know it seems cruel to say so," said Hermione, "but the school is probably better off now."
"But I killed five more people. If I'd…"
"If you hadn't done that, we'd both be dead. If you hadn't been there, I would be dead. Harry, you did the right thing."
"It doesn't feel right."
"That means you have a conscience," said Hermione. "You don't enjoy killing people like Voldemort does."
"I suppose," said Harry.
"Oh, by the way," said Hermione. "Ginny, Neville and Ron were here earlier. Ginny's currently holding Quidditch tryouts, but she said you'll be on the team, so don't worry about missing it. Ron's trying out for Keeper, and Neville's there to watch. I think he fancies Ginny."
Harry grinned, happy to think of something else. "I think he does, too." He then chuckled a bit. "I can imagine how mad Ron'll be if a better Keeper shows up and Ginny picks them over him."
Hermione giggled. "That would be potentially problematic."
"Hello, Harry and Hermione," came Luna Lovegood's voice from the entrance. "A five-legged pinksaft told me you two were here. What happened? Did the seven-horned Fleetstraples attack you last night?"
Hermione and Harry shared a grin. She said, "No, Luna. It was Professor Snape and four Slytherins. They tried to kill me."
"I always thought that Professor Snape was possessed by Worfgings," she responded sadly. "I guess this is the proof."
-
Luna stayed and chatted for a few minutes, and then left just before Dumbledore came in, accompanied by two aurors Harry didn't recognize. He figured that the Ministry probably had an idea which aurors the Headmaster was friendly with, and made it a point not to send them.
"Hello, Harry," said Albus with the usual twinkle in his eye. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better," said Harry icily, "Now do you believe me that Snape wasn't on our side, or do you still trust him?"
The twinkle left Dumbledore's eye. "Alas, I must admit, given the evidence, that I was mistaken to trust him. This is Auror Taylor and Auror Hale. Now, can you tell us your version of events? According to Miss Granger, you were following her and Mr. Nott under your Invisibility cloak. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"So, it would appear that she was the intended target?" Albus said. He knew that he'd discussed eliminating Granger with Severus, and figured that he'd simply `jumped the gun' on that plan, to disastrous results.
"I suppose so," responded Harry.
"Why don't you start from the beginning, Mr. Potter?" said one of the aurors. Harry didn't remember what his name was. He took a deep breath. "Because of the trouble in this school, I've been following Hermione on her rounds to make sure she survives them. Last night…"
After Harry told them everything he could remember about the attack, all the way until he got to the hospital wing, Auror Hale asked, "How were you able to shield the Sectumsempra curse? No shield is supposed to work against it." The Boy-Who-Lived didn't notice, but his girlfriend in the nearby bed put her book down to pay attention.
"It didn't work very well, did it?" Harry asked sarcastically. "That's why we're here and not the Gryffindor common room."
"But still," said the auror.
"Mr. Potter is a bit…gifted when it comes to resisting dark curses," said Dumbledore vaguely. "Surely you are aware of his story. No one to this day can explain that, and I suspect this will be just as difficult to explain."
"Of course," said Auror Hale, not looking entirely convinced, but realizing that it wasn't needed for his report.
-
When they were finally alone again, Hermione immediately rounded on Harry. "How were you able to shield against that curse?"
Harry appeared a bit nervous. "Well, I've been practicing…"
"The Protego shield isn't designed to handle that, and I know that's what you used."
"Er, well…"
"Answer me, Harry. You know you can't lie to me."
He shrugged his shoulders. "Fine. I wanted to tell you anyway, but Dumbledore told me not to. He transferred some of his powers to me."
Her eyes bugged out. "He what? That's impossible. If that were possible, the purebloods would be stealing power from muggle-borns and giving them to squibs."
"That's why he wanted it kept secret."
"But there's no way…A magical core can't be altered. You always have the same amount of magical power available to you. The only way for a wizard's power to seem to increase is if…" Her face took on a worried expression. "Describe the spell Dumbledore used on you."
"Er, well, he said some Latin words, and I felt like I'd…been freed. It felt like I'd been locked in jail for years and was suddenly released. I had no idea how it felt to be so powerful. I'll miss that when I give it back to Dumbledore. The magic doesn't even feel strange. It's like it belongs to me. I was afraid it would seem a bit unnatural."
"Tell me the incantation, Harry," said Hermione, who appeared to get more distressed with each word Harry said.
"Um, well, it was something like, "Exam modes potential"
"Do you mean, `eximo modus potentia'?"
"Er, yeah. I think that's it. Why?"
She closed her eyes and muttered, "Why don't they teach Latin here?"
"Eximo means release. Modus means bound. Potentia means power. He released your bound power, which means that your power was bound in the first place. Words like `affero potentia' would be used to give you power."
Harry looked confused. "You're saying that my power was bound, and all Dumbledore did was release it?"
She nodded. "I'm afraid so."
"Then why would he lie to me?"
Taking a deep breath, Hermione answered, "There's only one reason I can think of for him to lie, and that was if he bound your power in the first place, probably just before leaving you with the Dursleys."
"But if he just didn't want to admit that he was the one who'd bound my power, why didn't he just say that Voldemort had done it when I got my scar. Hold on. He said he wanted to take the power back, which I suppose means he'd re-bind my powers."
She closed her eyes in concentration, as her expression turned very angry. "Maybe he wants you to think that you owed your victory to him. But that doesn't make any sense." She looked very worried. "I don't know what we should do about it."
He sighed heavily. "I wonder if I should just leave school if he's going to lie to me."
At that moment, the door to the hospital wing swung open, revealing Professor McGonagall. "Hello, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger."
"Hi," said both teens together.
"How are you both feeling?"
"Alright," said Harry.
"Fine," said Hermione.
"I couldn't believe it when I found out that Snape attacked you. I never liked him, but the headmaster always said how much he trusted him. I see now that I was wrong to blindly follow everything he says. Sometimes even Professor Dumbledore can make mistakes."
"I never trusted Snape," said Harry. "He never bothered to pretend to be on my side, so I didn't see any reason to trust him."
"I, I suppose you're right. Anyway, Mr. Potter, I believe we have an appointment for career counseling. If you don't mind having Miss Granger present, I thought we could have that conversation here."
Harry glanced at Hermione and smiled. "I don't mind. I'm sure she won't be as bad as Umbridge." He laughed at the indignant glare she gave him. "Seriously, though, I very much value Hermione's opinion, and would like to hear what she has to say on the matter."
"Thank you, Harry," she said evenly, apparently still not completely over being compared to Umbridge.
"Well," said Harry, sighing. "I already said I don't want to work for the Ministry, so what does that leave?"
"Many diverse options," said Minerva. "You could be anything from a curse breaker to a Quidditch Player. You could even open your own business."
Harry smiled. "My very own joke shop."
"If you wished, although I can't picture you doing that for a living."
"Besides," said Hermione, "he's already a silent partner with Fred and George."
"Really," asked McGonagall, surprised. "I wasn't aware of that."
"He gave them his Triwizard winnings."
"You what?" asked Minerva, now staring at Harry.
"I figured that with what's coming, we'd need all the laughter we could get." His expression turned more serious. "Do you really think that I'm good enough to play Quidditch professionally?"
Professor McGonagall gave him a rare smile. "Yes, I do, and if you do make a career out of that, don't forget to tell everybody that I discovered your talent."
"What about teaching?" suggested Hermione, causing both Harry and Minerva to look at the girl in disbelief.
"Teaching?" asked Harry. "I couldn't…"
"You did last year," argued Hermione, "and very well. I believe you were the best defense teacher I've had."
"No," said Harry. "Professor Lupin…"
"Was good, but you were better," argued Hermione before turning toward their head of house. "You weren't at the D.A. meetings, so you wouldn't know, but he was completely natural at teaching, and managed to help all of us tremendously."
"I did notice that the O.W.L. scores of those students on the list Umbridge found were substantially higher than the rest of the students. I must admit that I was shocked at how well Mr. Longbottom did."
"It's all thanks to Harry," declared Hermione enthusiastically.
"No, it wasn't me. I just…"
"Now is not the time to be modest, Harry. You really did help us tremendously." She took a deep breath. "You really are a wonderful teacher."
Minerva responded, "I cannot think of a higher recommendation than that, Mr. Potter. I suggest you very seriously consider it."
"Um, what would I need to do if I wanted to do that?"
"Well, your Outstanding O.W.L. score in that subject certainly has you moving in the right direction. You would need an outstanding N.E.W.T. in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and at least an exceeds expectations N.E.W.T. in three other subjects at a minimum to be considered here at Hogwarts. Of course, it is not usually our practice to hire teachers right after they've graduated. You could conceivably have a career in Quidditch until you're about thirty, and then come back to teach, provided that you don't let your defense skills slip."
"I know that this is an unusual question," said Harry, "but could I take those exams if I left Hogwarts?"
Minerva stared blankly at him for three seconds before blinking. "Er, well, yes you can. Witches and wizards who for one reason or another cannot attend magic school do that. You may arrange to take any O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. you'd like with the Ministry any time. You simply make an appointment with the Department of Education. Of course, there is a fee for that. It's covered in your Hogwarts tuition, but if you're not a student here, you obviously wouldn't have paid that tuition. Are you thinking of leaving us?" Hermione frowned but remained silent.
"Please don't tell anyone else, including Professor Dumbledore," said Harry, while Hermione remained silent. "This school has become very dangerous, and I'm not sure that it's a good idea to stay here. I mean, how many times has Hermione already been attacked this year?"
Minerva hung her head down. "I, I don't know what to say. As I understand it, both of you were almost killed. I can't blame you for the way you feel. Of course, I do believe that now, most, if not all, of your enemies here have been…eliminated," she said sadly.
Harry took a deep breath. "I know, and I haven't made my decision yet." He looked at his girlfriend. "And I won't leave as long as Hermione's here." Her expression lightened a bit. "So, I suppose it's up to her, although if anything else happens, I will be trying very hard to convince her to leave."
"I do understand, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and will respect whatever decisions you make regarding that. However, as a teacher, please let me encourage you to stay in school."
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