The Last Time

Chapter 29

It took Hermione a minute to realize that they had actually made it out of St. Mungo's and back to Hogwarts.

Harry crawled over to a nearby statue and pulled himself up. He stood there for a moment, swaying slightly, and then was violently sick all over the statue's feet.

Hermione was too stunned to move. That was Voldemort, that was Voldemort, oh my God that was really Voldemort, her mind kept saying over and over and over, like one of her father's old vinyl records with a scratch in it. It was like her brain was stuck in one single horrifying groove and no one was going to come along and bump the needle over to the next track.

"Harry?"

He made a choked sort of noise and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, but didn't look at her.

There was the sound of footsteps, running in their direction, and then a startled "Good heavens!" Professor McGonagall and Professor Tenby appeared at the entrance to the alcove.

"Up you go, Hermione." Professor McGonagall pulled her to her feet and put one of her bony arms around her waist, holding her firmly upright. Hermione was so numb she didn't protest; she barely noticed that Professor Tenby had detached Harry from the statue and was holding him up in much the same way.

The teachers were leading them to Dumbledore's office, she realized, and her feet moved automatically in that direction, but she didn't really pay any attention to anything around her. The image of the terrified woman on the floor had burned itself into her eyes, and Harry's screams kept rattling around in her ears....

Before she knew it she was in a chair in Dumbledore's office.

He said something, and Harry answered him, but she wasn't listening. Dumbledore sighed and waved his wand, conjuring up a tray with a silver pot and some mugs, and a minute later Hermione found herself staring into a steaming mug of hot chocolate.

Don't move, Harry, or the woman dies.

Harry was telling Dumbledore about what happened at the hospital, but Hermione didn't want to listen; especially not in the flat, dead voice that Harry was using. It was almost as bad as hearing him scream.

She concentrated very hard on blocking out his voice, and instead focused on her mug of chocolate.

The thick white foam on top of the chocolate looked comfortingly rich, and she lifted the mug to drink. The movement of the mug shifted the foam, breaking it up, and it swirled across the surface of the hot chocolate, looking like....

A woman screaming, her mouth and eyes wide open in horror.

Yes, I most certainly would kill her...Crucio!

Hermione dropped the mug, sending shards of china and splashes of chocolate all over the floor.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry," she whispered. She put her head to her knees and hugged herself tightly, trying to blot out the image from her mind.

Don't move, Harry, or the woman dies.

"It's all right, Hermione," said McGonagall, clearing away the mess with a single wave of her wand.

Hermione put her hands over her ears; she didn't want to hear Harry tell Dumbledore what had happened; the dead man, the terrified woman, the hooded and masked Death Eaters, and worst of all Voldemort, putting the Cruciatus Curse on Harry....

Your little Mudblood girlfriend doesn't know me very well, does she?

The office door flew open with a bang, and Professor Snape burst into the room in a billow of black robes.

"Headmaster," he said, trying to catch his breath. "I've just come from St. Mungo's."

"You were there?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Yes, Potter, I was there - I believe you know quite well why - and I saw the whole damn thing. If you would remain at school, where you are safe, there would be no need for - "

"Severus," said Dumbledore warningly. "Harry had my permission to be away from school, as you well know."

Snape made a face that left no doubt as to what he thought of that permission.

"What happened to those people? To that woman?" Harry asked.

Yes, I most certainly would kill her....

"They're all dead, " Snape said flatly.

"No...." Harry slumped back in his chair.

Hermione wanted to be sick. "I'm sorry, Harry, I just wanted to get you out of there...."

"You should have left me there, Hermione!" Harry said fiercely. "You could have gone without me - he wouldn't have cared if you left, but if I'd stayed he wouldn't have killed them! Now they're dead!"

"Spare us the melodrama, Potter," said Snape. "He would have killed them anyway, and the both of you as well."

"But - "

"You stupid boy!" Snape bellowed. "Don't you - "

"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore.

Snape shut his mouth with a snap, looking furious at being cut off so abruptly by the headmaster. He turned sharply on his heel and threw himself into a chair beside Professor Tenby, glaring at Harry.

"What about the rest of the hospital, Severus?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"After Potter and Granger vanished, the Death Eaters killed the hostages and Disapparated. No one else was hurt."

A small bit of the knot of panic in Hermione's chest eased. Ron's fine...he's safe.... She was very glad he hadn't tried to come with them.

Dumbledore poured himself a mug of hot chocolate. The smell of the chocolate made Hermione want to throw up; far from the comforting effect Dumbledore obviously intended, it was heavy and cloying, and her stomach heaved.

"Anything else we should be aware of?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape looked at Hermione for the first time since entering the room, and it wasn't a look she'd seen on Snape's face before. "By saving Potter tonight, Miss Granger has attracted the attention of the Dark Lord. He is furious that she thwarted his plans."

Your little Mudblood girlfriend doesn't know me very well, does she?

Harry slammed his fist on his leg. "Great, Hermione! I told you to stay put. I told you not to come with me, but you didn't listen!"

Hermione's numbness was swept away by a wave of righteous anger, and her mouth fell open to reply to his ridiculous outburst, but nothing came out except a fit of indignant sputtering.

"Potter, don't be a fool!" Snape spat. He was on his feet now, right in front of Harry. "Do you not realize you would be dead if it were not for Miss Granger? If she'd had your idiotic Gryffindor notions of chivalry you wouldn't be sitting here right now!"

"I'll not have you harassing my students like this, Severus!" said McGonagall, her hands resting protectively on the backs of Harry's and Hermione's chairs. "Either say something useful or keep quiet!"

"I hardly think telling Potter not to be a fool constitutes harassment, Minerva," Snape replied acidly. "If he cannot handle it, then - "

Dumbledore thwacked his mug down on the desk so hard that a bit of chocolate splashed out onto the many parchments and books strewn across the surface. "Severus - Minerva - that's enough."

"Professor," interrupted Harry, "I told her to stay out of the way, but she didn't, and now Voldemort's going to be after her too! Tell her she should have listened - she'll listen to you."

"I will tell her no such thing, Harry," Dumbledore said. "I do not believe you realize what was at stake here. If Voldemort's plan had succeeded - " he shook his head, and then looked at Hermione. "You did the right thing tonight, Hermione."

"But those people...." She couldn't get their faces out of her mind.

Don't move, Harry, or the woman dies.

"Listen, both of you," Dumbledore said, and his tone was not one to be refused. "Neither of you should blame yourselves for what happened to those people at the hospital. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time, as is usually the case with hostages. Voldemort was counting on your concern for their safety to keep you from escaping."

Her mind knew he was right, but her heart still felt sick.

"It is late," Dumbledore added. "I believe the best thing for you would be to get a good night's sleep. And as for your wands," - he looked at Snape, who shook his head curtly - "we shall see about finding replacements for you as soon as possible."

"Albus, do you think - " began McGonagall, but Harry stood up suddenly.

"Don't even think about telling me to go to the hospital wing, because I won't," he said coldly, and stormed out of the room without looking at Hermione.

*****

Hermione sat alone in a chair in the corner of the empty common room much later that night. Lavender and Parvati were up late having a girl-chat, and Hermione wasn't in the mood to listen to a discussion about which member of the band Screaming Haggis really had the cutest arse.

No, she was worried about other things.

Voldemort had scared the hell out of her. She had been terrified of him at St. Mungo's, watching him use the Cruciatus Curse on that unsuspecting woman...and on Harry...and she was terrified of him now. His words had echoed through her mind the whole time she'd been in Dumbledore's office.

Don't move, Harry, or the woman dies.

Your little Mudblood girlfriend doesn't know me very well, does she?

Yes, I most certainly would kill her.

Now another voice joined Voldemort's in her head...Professor Snape's.

By saving Potter tonight, Miss Granger has attracted the attention of the Dark Lord.

And yet another voice...Harry's...which was somehow worst of all.

I told her to stay out of the way, but she didn't, and now Voldemort's going to be after her too!

She desperately wanted to talk to Harry, mostly because she wanted to make sure he was all right, but also because she wanted to find out why he was so angry with her. It didn't make any sense.

The very first time he'd faced down Voldemort, she and Ron had gone with him and he hadn't stopped them. Ron was only stopped from going all the way to the end by the giant chess queen bashing him the head and knocking him unconscious; Hermione was only stopped by the fact that there wasn't enough potion in the bottles of Snape's logic-puzzle to get both her and Harry through the flames. Harry hadn't told either of them not to go with him.

Hermione had been petrified in the hospital wing when Harry and Ron had gone down into the Chamber of Secrets to rescue Ginny, but she knew the only reason that Ron hadn't gone all the way into the Chamber had been the rockslide blocking his way. Harry hadn't tried to go in alone.

When Sirius - who they thought was a murderer and Voldemort's faithful servant - had dragged Ron under the Whomping Willow into the Shrieking Shack, Harry hadn't told her to get out of the way or let him go alone. They'd gone in after Ron together, like equals.

That was before Cedric Diggory had died just by being near Harry, she reminded herself.

But Cedric hadn't been a part of Harry's fight against Voldemort like she and Ron were. Cedric was different. Cedric was an innocent bystander.

Kind of like those people at the hospital.

But still... Harry hadn't been able to keep her and Ron and the rest of the six from going with him to the Department of Mysteries. He'd tried to get them to stay behind, but none of them were having any part of that. They had all been determined to go with him, no matter what. Perhaps it was after that, after Sirius had died - perhaps that was the point he started truly believing he needed to handle things on his own so that no one else could get hurt.

Hermione pulled her feet up into the chair and hugged her knees to her chest. She was used to having all the answers, and now she had none.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Harry walking through the common room until he'd almost reached the dormitory.

"Harry."

He jumped and reached automatically for his wand, which of course was not there, then relaxed when he realised it was her.

"I didn't see you over there in the dark," he said.

"Sorry."

"I thought you would be asleep already."

"No."

"Oh."

Hermione was totally adrift.

She wanted Harry to come and sit with her, she wanted him to hug her and tell her everything would be fine, that he was fine and that no one else was going to die and Voldemort was gone and everything would go back to the way it was; but it would all be a lie, and she knew it, so she just dropped her head to her knees and bit her lip.

She'd never felt this out of control and lost in her life.

Everything was so quiet and still for so long that she knew Harry had gone.

That's it, then.

Hermione took a deep breath and stood up to go to her room.

Harry was still there, just a few steps away, with his hands jammed in his pockets.

Only a few steps away, but he might as well have been on the other side of the world. It was like there was an impenetrable wall between them. A wall of fear and confusion and anger; a wall of swirling black cloaks and white masks and terrified screams.

It scared her, and she felt her bossy and irritable side taking over in defence.

"Where did you go?"

He scuffed his toe on the red and gold rug, not looking at her. "Out. Around."

"Without a wand?"

"So? Fat lot of good it would have been anyway," he said bitterly.

"Why did you tell me to leave?" she asked, around the large lump that had lodged in her throat.

"Because...I didn't want you to get hurt."

"But I was willing to take the risk - it's not your place to say I can't!"

"It is my place," he said fiercely. "I didn't have a choice about Voldemort killing my parents and leaving me with this stupid scar." He rubbed his forehead roughly as if trying to wipe the scar away. "I don't have a choice, or even a clue, about so much that's going on here. Dumbledore has all these plans and schemes and he says 'I'll tell you when the time is right' and acts like I won't understand, just like he always has, keeping things from me - Snape's hanging out with the Death Eaters and Malfoy's got the Dark Mark too, and everyone seems to know everything that's going on except me, once again, which is stupid because I'm right here in the middle of it. But I can make one decision: you and Ron are going to stay out of it." Those last few words came out in a hiss, almost like Parseltongue, and there were red patches of colour rising in his cheeks.

"No, Harry, we won't...we want to help you...." She reached out for him, but he grabbed her upper arms and held her as far away from him as he could.

"You helped me today, and look what it got you. Now Voldemort's after you too - you heard Snape. You screwed up his plans to get me, and he's going to make you pay."

"I don't care! I wasn't going to leave you there."

Harry's grip on her arms was so tight that her hands were going numb. "You don't get it, do you? Hermione, Voldemort has a grudge against you now. This is not like you pissing off Rita Skeeter - he'll do far worse than write lies about you in the Daily Prophet. And if he can't get to you directly...."

"My parents...." My God, he could go after my parents just for spite.... The thought of it made her grit her teeth in anger.

He relaxed his hold on her, and his voice took a more gentle tone. "Do you understand now?"

She nodded.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. His lips brushed her forehead very quickly, and he let go of her.

Hermione watched him walk away, her thoughts a jumbled blur.

Harry thinks by pushing me away, he can protect me. He thinks he can push Ron away too. What he doesn't realize is how much he depends on us - and we depend on him.

He's willing to take the risks for our sakes. I'm willing to take the risk for his sake. I'm sure Ron is too.

If you think you're going to do this alone, you've got another thing coming, Harry Potter.

*****

The first thing Hermione saw when she came down to the common room just before lunch the next day was Ron, sitting in the corner talking to Ginny.

"Ron, I'm so glad you're back," she said, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Me too. I heard what happened," he said, hugging her tightly. "There were rumours all over the hospital - I couldn't get anyone to tell me what was going on, till I finally got to talk to Dad. I was so worried about you and Harry. Where is he, anyway?" he asked, as he let go of her.

"I don't know," she said. "I slept late."

"I don't see how you could have," said Ginny. "There was some awful noise coming from one of the lower-year girls' dormitories really early this morning. I didn't stop to see what it was, but it was really loud."

"Well, he'll turn up in a bit," Ron said. "You hungry? I'm starved...they tried to get me to eat their awful hospital food before I left this morning, but I said I'd just wait till I got back here. Man, these house-elves sure can cook...." He and Ginny kept up a back-and-forth chatter as they made their way to the Great Hall for lunch, and Hermione was glad. She didn't really want to discuss what had happened last night in front of Ginny.

The chatter continued over lunch, although it was Ginny doing most of the talking as Ron was eating like a starving man. The chatter ceased, though, with the arrival of post owls delivering the Daily Prophet. Hermione took her copy warily.

"Wonder what it says about last night," Ron said. "Want me to read it to you?"

"No," she said, unfolding the paper. "You can see it in a minute."

There was a large picture of Harry on the front page, with the headline:

FOURTEEN DEAD IN ATTACK ON ST. MUNGO'S

HARRY POTTER INVOLVED

"Budge over," said Ron. "I want to see this. I'll read over your shoulder."

She could see his lips moving silently as he read. Ginny came around the table to look over her other shoulder to read the article, which said:

Fourteen people were killed last night in a confrontation at St. Mungo's Centre for Magical Maladies and Injuries, according to hospital representatives. Allegedly, a group of Death Eaters, along with You-Know-Who, arrived in the main lobby at 9:30 p.m. and took everyone waiting there as hostages. Two of the fourteen were Mary and Seamus Murphy, who were arriving at St. Mungo's for the birth of their third child; the other twelve victims were hospital personnel whose names have not been released at this time.

The apparent target of the attack was Harry Potter, who was at St. Mungo's to visit his friend Ronald Weasley (son of Ministry official Arthur Weasley). Potter, along with his girlfriend Hermione Granger, have been visiting Weasley at St. Mungo's on a regular basis for the last several weeks due to a Quidditch accident that has left Weasley unable to walk. Potter, Granger, and Weasley are all seventh-year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Potter and Granger were leaving the hospital to return to Hogwarts when they encountered You-Know-Who in the lobby. You-Know-Who had allegedly used the Killing Curse on Mr. Murphy by this time. The two students were able to escape, and then the reports are that the Death Eaters killed the remaining hostages and fled the scene.

In a statement released this morning, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge claims that there is no danger to the public from this incident.

"We do not have evidence to prove this was actually the work of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Harry Potter claimed the return of the Dark Lord at the conclusion of the Triwizard Tournament, but could provide no evidence. Since his claim three years ago, there have been no other reports of You-Know-Who sightings anywhere. It is very suspicious that there would be such an obvious display of Death Eater activity after so long a time. There will be further investigation into this matter."

At the end of the Triwizard Tournament three years ago, Potter claimed that You-Know-Who kidnapped him and fellow Champion Cedric Diggory (the late son of Ministry official Amos Diggory). Potter also claims that You-Know-Who is responsible for Diggory's death, although no evidence has been given to prove it.

The Daily Prophet attempted to speak with Potter this morning, but Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and Head of Gryffindor House (to which all three students belong) refused to allow press access to the school.

"This is an institution of learning, and you will not disrupt it," she said. "There will be no comments from myself, Professor Dumbledore, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, or Mr. Weasley."

It must be noted that Professor McGonagall has not always been impartial when it comes to The Boy Who Lived. In his first year at Hogwarts she was responsible for his receipt of a brand-new racing broom so that he could play Seeker for Gryffindor, despite school rules that prohibit first year students from having their own brooms.

Officials with the Magical Law Enforcement Squad were at the scene of the crime this morning performing magi-scans and gathering evidence. At this time, it appears there is no danger to the wizarding public, and the Ministry encourages everyone to go about their business as usual.

Hermione threw the paper down on the table with a noise of disgust. "How dare they bring up the Third Task...insinuating that it was Harry's fault Cedric died!"

"That's bollocks!" said Ron, glaring at the paper. "That Fudge is a damn fool. He doesn't think it's Voldemort? Who the hell else could it be - Harry? Yeah, right. I'll tell him what he can do with - " and followed that with a very lengthy description of exactly what the Minister of Magic could do with his investigations and his pronouncements - none of it pleasant.

"Ron!" said Ginny.

"So?"

"So you ought to watch your mouth, Weasley," said a familiar, drawling voice. Draco Malfoy had appeared right beside Ron's chair. "Good thing you weren't with your little friends last night. You're quite the sitting duck now, aren't you?"

Hermione and Ginny both looked at Ron anxiously, waiting for the inevitable outburst, but Ron showed no sign of having heard Malfoy at all.

"I'm sure you were right there with the rest of them, weren't you, Malfoy?" Hermione snapped.

"And whyever would I be?" He casually pushed up the sleeves of this robes and pretended he was stretching his arms. "I'm not walking around with a mark on my arm, or anything."

Hermione's mouth fell open in shock. Where several weeks ago the Dark Mark was clearly visible on Malfoy's left forearm, the pale skin was now unmarked.

"Have a nice day, Malfoy," said Ron, tucking his wand back into his robes. Hermione was so busy staring at Malfoy's arm that she hadn't noticed Ron getting it out in the first place. Then he turned back to his food and started eating again, as if Malfoy hadn't been there at all.

Malfoy looked mad that he hadn't been able to provoke Ron into an argument - in fact, he looked absolutely bewildered. He frowned and scratched his pale blond head as he walked back to the Slytherin table.

Ron put his fork down. "Sodding bastard."

"I can't believe you didn't let Malfoy get to you!" said Ginny.

"Just look at him," he said. "Don't be obvious."

Hermione turned slowly around to get a clear view of Malfoy, who had resumed his place at the Slytherin table between Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini. He was still scratching his head, but not in confusion anymore.

Malfoy was scratching his hair, his neck, his nose, and his cheeks like he was a puppy with a bad case of fleas. His skin was turning bright pink from all the scratching. He apparently didn't even realize he was doing it, even though the other Slytherins were staring at him, and Pansy and Blaise were edging away from him like he had a contagious disease.

Ginny choked on her pumpkin juice.

"What did you do to him, Ron?" asked Hermione.

"Being cooped up in a hospital room with nothing to do but study for weeks gave me plenty of time to imagine - and perfect - all the ways I could get back at Malfoy," Ron said calmly, popping the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth. "I'm just getting started."

He smiled slightly, but it wasn't a smile Hermione was used to seeing on Ron's face; and something about the tone of his voice made her a bit uneasy.

What had these last few weeks done to him?