"Harry…" Ron gasped as he coughed up copious amounts of blood. His head was in Harry's lap and Hermione was treating the wound as best she could with her limited medical training.
"How long until Madame Pomfrey arrives, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"I'm…I'm, not sure," Harry stuttered as he watched Hermione wave her wand in a circular motion, imitating the clockwise motion of a clock. Harry frowned at the unintended motion nonetheless, eerily reminded of his previous prison.
"Tell me again why you carry that around," Ron coughed up another spurt of blood.
Harry opened his mouth to speak but found his throat to be too parched from lack of use and as a result, he sat there opening and closing his mouth in slight frustration.
Clearing his throat, Harry spoke.
"It's my protection," Harry said softly.
Ron simply groaned and shut his eyes, the beads of sweat sprinkling his already freckled face.
Harry's eyes scanned the scene before him. Hermione was still waving her wand in uncomfortable resemblance to the haunting clock that bewildered Harry so long ago. Ron was gasping for air in obvious pain and discomfort from the wound in his abdomen.
The world swam before Harry as he struggled to fight the nausea that threatened to burst forth from his mouth. The emotions that he had suppressed in lieu of the unintentional bullet were now resurfacing and Harry could not help but feel elated at the sight of the Trio reunited again.
Hagrid burst through the door with Madame Promfrey in tow.
"What in Merlin's na-," Madame Promfrey stopped as she saw Harry's startled expression. Madame Promfrey opened her mouth to speak but she did not have anything to say. She blinked rapidly as if snapping out of a trance and Harry swore he heard her whisper, "Why do I even have to ask?"
Madame Promfrey set to work, carefully maneuvering her wands as to not rupture the delicate wound anymore. She whispered quietly under her breathe and Harry was caught in a trance and he watched as the wound slowly close itself. Ron's abdomen glowed with an abnormally bright light before Madame Promfrey ceased her movements.
He did not hear Hermione calling out to him.
"Harry. Harry. Harry," Hermione repeated the third time as she tugged on the sleeve of his jacket. He started quickly, his eyes snapping and abruptly facing Hermione, who was suddenly very close to him.
"We should leave Ron be. He's been through worse," Hermione said softly, diverting her eyes from Harry's intense orbs and instead focusing on Ron.
Harry cleared his throat and responded, "Of course."
"Come on, we should get you cleaned up," Hermione nodded towards his shirt, and Harry was mildly surprised at the amount of blood that had soaked his jacket while he had held on to Ron.
"Can't you just…you know," Harry waved his hand around aimlessly, feeling a little foolish despite the circumstances.
"Oh," Hermione blushed, "Of course."
She waved her wand and whispered, "Scourgify," underneath her breath. The liquid immediately disappeared off Harry's jacket and he thanked her.
"Still have the habit of doing it the Muggle way I see," Harry commented drly.
Hermione smiled and Harry looked at her curiously without smiling.
"Why are you smiling?" he asked as he dusted off the vanished blood.
Hermione's smiled faltered as if she didn't anticipate the question.
"I'm just glad to see you is all," she said softly. Harry's face revealed nothing. It was as if he had no emotions at all.
"I, um, expect we have a lot to talk about," Hermione prodded gently. Harry nodded as they set off to the castle.
-----------__________---------------
Harry and Hermione sat at the highest tower of Hogwarts, sipping quietly on Pumpkin Juice. Hermione had smuggled Harry through the castle, successfully evading the numerous Professors and Ghosts that occupied the Halls. Hermione had managed to steal some pleasantries from the Kitchens before they ascended to the Astronomy Tower.
Harry sipped his pumpkin juice quietly, deciding that it was Hermione's prerogative to take the lead.
"Harry. I don't mean to be blunt, but what happened to you?" Hermione asked bluntly.
Harry did not speak for several moments, still sipping his Pumpkin Juice. Hermione fidgeted nervously, anxious that she had asked the wrong question.
"What I'm meaning to say is that-"
"I don't know," Harry interrupted, staring idly at the liquid mixture in front of him. He shook the cup lightly as if he was amazed by the simple sloshing movement of the Juice.
"I mean, can you tell me anything that-"
"I don't know."
"Surely, you must have remembe-"
"I don't know."
"You can't just-"
"I. Don't. Know," Harry punctuated each of the words with a soft pause. He raised his eyes to meet hers and Hermione held her tongue as she stared into Harry's emerald eyes. They were devoid of any sort of happiness. It was oddly blank yet extremely vulnerable. Deep behind the emerald eyes laid a broken man.
Hermione let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, silently admonishing herself for being so forward. Nonetheless, curiosity drove Hermione to ask just two more questions.
"Harry, what happened?"
Harry paused as he did before, now holding the cup precariously between two fingers. Six times he opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He gave a soft chuckle as he laid the cup gently on the wooden table that separated himself and Hermione.
"Everyone was gone. No people, no magic…no nothing. It was as if Merlin himself had zapped the world of any sort of life. The seasons never changed. The leaves never colored. It was the same monotonous, bloody day for six years, three months, and twenty-three days. I lived by myself. It was torture. I contemplated my death several times. Even here. I tried to kill myself right here, Hermione. Are you beginning to understand?"
Harry was now trembling. His head pushed against his chest, his hands hammering on the table top. Hermione held a hand to her mouth, fearful of what he would say next.
"I wanted it to end. There was nothing more. Nothing. Even then, it, they, wouldn't let me do that," Harry said bitterly.
He chuckled softly, slowly moving his head from side to side, his eyes flittering back and forth.
"I suppose, this is Fate's way of giving me a second chance at things."
Hermione did not respond. She only stared at Harry, her feet planted firmly on the ground and her back stiff. She did not know it, but she had slowly been pushing away as Harry recounted the dreadful tale of his disappearance.
"I guess you know now," Harry finished.
Hermione opened her mouth to respond but found herself speechless for the first time in a long, long time. It was only after several moments that she gathered herself and spoke again.
"I'm sure…there's some sort of way to explain it all," Hermione said, staring at Harry to gauge his reaction. Harry snorted and leaned back in his chair with a sickly smirk.
"Right."
Hermione steeled herself, wary of Harry's fragile state of mind. She reached out with her hand to attempt to comfort him.
"Harry…"
As her hand approached him, however, he snapped back and stood up. His eyes wide and his head twitching, Hermione could see the abrupt changes of personality that had taken form within the past couple of minutes.
"Where's Ginny?" he suddenly asked.
Hermione started, apparently surprised by his question. Harry watched the several emotions that flickered across her face: surprise, embarrassment, pity.
"Hermione…please," he said blankly.
Hermione just shook her head, unwilling to be the bearer of yet more bad news. Harry's eyes pleaded with her, however, and she closed her eyes as she spoke.
"She killed herself. A couple of days after you disappeared," she whispered. Although one could barely hear her, each word magnified itself numerous times in Harry's ears. Her words reverberated and Harry was aware that Hermione was still speaking yet he did not listen.
He stumbled backwards, bracing himself with one hand as he collided with the wall. A torrent of emotions ripped his heart out yet no tears burned his eyes. Out of his peripheral, Harry saw Hermione stand up and walk around the table. Her arm was outstretched in a form of solace, but Harry would have no part of it.
As she got closer, Harry pushed himself off the wall and brushed her arm away.
He could feel her behind him, unsure of what to do. Harry's world spun before him and he leaned against the table to regain his balance.
"Harry, please…" Hermione started as she attempted to regain connection with him.
"Get out."
"I don't think that's a-"
"Now."
Hermione stood straight, determined not to fold against Harry's unrelenting sadness. She would not buckle now, not after what he had been through.
"I will not leave."
"GO!," Harry roared as he picked up the mug of Pumpkin Juice and threw it across the room.
It shattered against the stone, the Pumpkin Juice spraying the wall in an awkward manner. Hermione's mouth was agape as she took in the scene before her. Harry was hunched over the wooden table, breathing heavily, his knuckles turning white from his strong grip on the table.
Although every fiber of her body screamed, "Don't go!" Hermione left without a word. As she opened the door, she turned around hoping to catch Harry's eye one more time and let him know that she was there for him.
Unfortunately, he did not look up.
The door clicked quietly, affirming Hermione's exit. As the door clicked shut, Harry exhaled. With every breath he let out, the pent-up emotions slowly left him. His emotions leaked out of him like a rickety roof in a downpour. His eyes burned as the salt stung painfully.
He roared as he picked up the stool that he had been sitting on and smashed it against the table.
SMASH.
SMASH.
Harry wailed continuously on the table, screaming profanities as he beat the wooden table to a pulp. The stool shattered but he kept smashing the table with the leg of the stool, screaming all the while.
"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" he cried desperately. Kicking the remains of the table with his foot, Harry approached the windowsill with the wooden leg of the stool in his splintered hands.
He gave another yell as he hurled the leg out of the window and screamed into the sky.
"I NEVER WANTED ANYTHING!" he screamed uselessly against the sky. He stared at the stars and the moons, hoping for some sort of sign.
"I DID EVERYTHING YOU ASKED FOR! WHY ME?!" Harry banged his hands against the stone windowsill, furthering injuring himself.
He let loose an unearthly yell, howling into the sky.
Harry was spent. He slid to the floor, bloodied and defeated.
"Why me…why me…why me," he whispered continuously. It was only a few minutes later when he passed out from exhaustion.
On the other side of the wooden door, Hermione sobbed quietly into her fist, only wishing to share some of the burden that had strapped itself onto Harry's shoulders. She would try her best to help him. She was determined to let Harry live the life he so greatly desired.
----_______-----
Harry woke up, his feet kicking from the cramped position in which he had fallen asleep. It was still night. The moon poured through the window as Harry adjusted his glass to re-orient himself.
"Who was that?" he mumbled as he heard another noise.
"Hello?"
There was another crash.
The knot in Harry's stomach tightened as he found himself defenseless against the unknown source of sound.
"Hermione?"
There was a dull scraping sound. It was as if something was dragging slowly across the ground. It was in the room.
Harry shuffled backwards on all four limbs, crunching himself in the corner in fear of whatever was in the room.
The dragging sound grew louder and louder, a constant scrape against the cobbled floor. Harry shook violently but did not dare shut his eyes.
The figure that scraped along the ground was slowly approaching Harry. He could see the outline of a human body in the darkness, almost crossing the threshold of light. Harry could only watch, his mouth agape, as the moonlight struck vivid, red hair.
Harry started hyperventilating as the rest of the figure crossed into the light.
It was Ginny. Her face was bloodied and her eye sockets were empty as she dragged her broken leg across the cobbled floor. There was blood splattered over her white night gown, and her left arm hung loose in an awkward angle.
"No…" Harry whispered, "Not again."
Ginny was still approaching Harry when she came to a standstill. Harry stared into the empty eye sockets, desperately willing her to go away.
"I'm sorry," Harry desperately said, his arm reaching out.
Ginny did not respond but instead turned to face the window. Horrified, Harry watched as the mangled body clambered itself over the edge and turned one more time to look at Harry.
"Nothing is what it seems," Ginny said before she tossed herself out of the highest tower of Hogwarts.
"NOOO!" Harry lunged after her mangled corpse but it was too late.
He yelled fruitlessly before he realized he was being shaken viciously. He threw his attacker off and turned around to defend himself.
Hermione was on the ground, nursing a spot on her head where he had elbowed her. Madame Promfrey and Professor McGonagall stood in the doorway, shocked at his actions.
"Nothing is what it seems. Nothing is what it seems. Nothing is what it seems," Harry repeated under his breath, his eyes flittering between the three ladies.
Despite her injury, Hermione stood and addressed Harry.
"Harry, you need to lie down. Please," Hermione took Harry's elbow and led him gently to the door. This time, Harry did not refuse her help and just continued to chant quietly to himself.
She led him to the Hospital Wing along with Madame Promfrey and Professor McGonagall. As Hermione laid him gently on the bed, she asked Harry what he was chanting.
Harry did not respond but kept chanting, "Nothing is what it seems…"
--------______________----------
Several kilometers away, two people stood on a high bluff overlooking the Forbidden Forest. Hogwarts could be seen far in the distance and both people were surveying the scene quietly.
"So what should we do?" the taller one asked the shorter one.
"We wait," the shorter person responded.
"Are you sure that's advisable," asked the taller one again.
"He's not ready yet. Potter can wait," the shorter person responded once more.
"I've had enough waiting," the taller one said as he walked away from the edge of the bluff.
"Patience, dear boy, patience," the shorter one said, also leaving the edge of the bluff.
"I've tested my patience through and through," the taller one snarled as he prepared to Disapparate.
Before he disappeared with a pop, the taller one addressed the shorter one once more, "This better work, Umbridge."
"Oh, it shall."
---------_________________-----------------
FINALLY UPDATE!!!
Ronald's not done yet
Ginny still has something left to say
Hermione's…almost back in form
Harry will be back from his tearful abyss sooner or later
More to come, stay tuned!