There was no More

There was no More

By: Silver Ice

Hermione's P.O.V

"Hermione? Hello, what's wrong," I heard Ron ask, waving his hand in front of my face, bringing my thoughts to a halt.

"Oh, sorry, just thinking," I hurriedly answered with a small shake of my head.

"About what, Herm? You've been like this all week, what's really wrong?" Ron pushed on. How did he know...how could he?

"Ron, I'm okay, just worried about the exams," I said with a meek smile. He took my reply as enough to satisfy him. It was late, about 2:30 a.m. I couldn't sleep though. They kept on coming, they don't stop, they won't stop...they can't. Ron sensed it from the beginning, I know Harry did as well. I looked around and decided to once again, try to get some sleep.

I drifted slowly to an area of peace, peace and joy. With clouds of beauty in the sky. But then they came, the clouds formed into vicious creatures and I stood up with a lurch to make it end, but it didn't. I ran out of the Gryffindor tower, in the halls I heard children playing, and then the laughing came, cruel and heartless. Mockingly haunting, I knew not where to turn. I was being consumed by the laughter, by the evil. I was drowning in the bottomless depths of nothingness. The laughter was all I heard. I slid to my knees, tears flowing freely from my eyes.

"Stop it! Leave me alone, go away!" I screamed, rocking back and forth helplessly. I couldn't think anymore, I had no control. I felt myself seeping into the blackness, and then there was no more.

~*~*~

"What do you think it could be, Albus?" I heard McGonagall ask. My eyes snapped open to see the blinding lights of the hospital room. Ron was sitting next to me.

"Hermione! How do you feel?" He asked, holding my hand in his.

"I...I...I don't know," I said, not knowing what to say.

"You have to tell us, you were laying unconscious in the hallway at 3:00 a.m. You can't try to hide it anymore," Ron said with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Ron, they keep coming, they won't stop," I said in frustration.

"Who are they Herm? What are they doing?" he asked in anticipation.

"They're-" but I was cut off by the professors, who walked in at that moment.

"Mr. Weasley! Didn't I tell you to retrieve me if she were to awaken?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

"Sorry, Madame. She just woke up." Ron said quickly dropping his hand.

"How likely," McGonagall said sarcastically, shaking her head in a sense of disapproval.

"Well, Mr. Weasley, we do know you want to stay here, but I do fear Miss Granger needs her rest," Dumbledore said with a glint of worry in his bright eyes.

"But, Professor," Ron tried to complain, to no avail.

"Good night Mr. Weasley." Madame Pomfrey said firmly as McGonagall pushed Ron out, I was sad to see him go, and yet relieved as well.

"Miss Granger, do tell us why you were out so late at night." Madame Pomfrey said, her eyes looking straight into my soul.

"I was trying to get a book from the library," I said, blurting out the first thing that came into my mind.

"We'll talk again in the morning, Miss Granger, and do tell the truth then." McGonagall said as she and Dumbledore exited the wing. I felt guilt well up inside of me.

"Dear, try to sleep, they're not going to let you off this one," Madame Pomfrey said kindly, "drink up." She handed me a potion and then shut off all the lights. I lay awake staring aimlessly at the ceiling. The whole room seemed to be slowly closing in. I snapped my eyes to the door when it creaked softly.

"Hermione, you still up?" I heard Ron whisper quietly.

"I thought you left!" I said as Ron crept in and took a seat besides me.

"They're what, Hermione? Tell me, you have to," Ron said getting right back on the subject we had been on earlier.

"Look, it's just that they're...they're," but once again I didn't finish my sentence as I felt the potion finally soak into my system.

~*~*~

While Hermione slept, the professors had a conversation of their own.

"Albus, she's been acting strangely for longer than just a few days," McGonagall said.

The three staff members were seated in Dumbledore's office, trying to figure out Hermione's condition.

"I've noticed she's acting...in a word...jumpy. Not at all her calm self," Madame Pomfrey spoke out.

"Have you ever seen any such thing as this, Poppy? I certainly cannot remember a time of my teaching when anyone acted in this way." Dumbledore inquired as he swirled the material within his Pensive.

"Nothing, I've been looking into this all day, what do you presume it is?" She replied, going through the pile of papers in her hands.

"Well-" Albus was cut off by McGonagall, "Listen! Quiet,"

All three went silent, but with a sudden burst of air, the window flew open, extinguishing all light sources. The wind that had blown seemed madly hungered to destroy, as it passed it blew at them wildly, and yet the items in the room didn't do so much as shift.

Ron, on his way back to the tower, was walking glumly when his head was drawn up to see the whole hall in front of him darken rapidly. Yet, with a single blink the hall was once more its brownish-gray.

"Hello?" He asked in nervousness. There was nothing in sight, Hogwarts was as normal as it usually was. The blackness however continued to move through the corridors, right to its destination, to Hermione.

~*~*~

The lights in the hospital wing slowly began to flicker, I laid still and peered around anxiously. The bedpans began to clatter, and the door started to open and close repeatedly.

"Leave me alone, what do you want from me?" I exclaimed, sliding gently off the bed.

"Come, do not be scared," I heard them say. It was swallowing me in, as the words screamed within my head. I put my hands to my ears and began to rock on my heels.

"STOP IT!" I shouted shrilly, "No, no, no, no, no, NO! STOP...please!" I begged as the whole room started to spin. I ran through the door to no place at all.

The paintings were mocking me as I passed, and I kept seeing the armor clanging and laughing.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" I questioned in desperation.

"Hermione?"

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" I hollered after hearing the voice, but when I turned, I saw it was Ron.

"They're here, aren't they?" Ron asked in apprehension, already knowing the answer.

"Everywhere," I whispered, taking a step back. Suddenly I felt something grab at my waist.

"Oh god, let me go! Let go!" I screamed in agonizing fear.

"There's no one here! What's happening Hermione? Tell me!" Ron yelled demandingly, clearly in a panic. The hands around my waist tightened dragging me down.

"Ron, help me, they're getting me, Ron...please!" I hollered, grabbing for Ron's outstretched hands.

"We will come again," the voice said. Then there was a sudden gust of wind and there was no more.

"Ron, did you hear that? Did you hear?" I asked as I collapsed into Ron's arms.

"Hear what, Herm?" he asked, looking pleadingly into my eyes.

"No, don't do that Ron, tell me you heard!" I said more forcefully, hoping he had heard, while knowing he hadn't.

"Listen, Hermione, we'll-" I felt enraged as I interrupted Ron's sentence.

"You don't believe me? I'm not lying, Ron, it's not help I need...I need to know who they are!" I turned around, dashing away from Ron helplessly.

"Hermione! Come back," Ron screamed after me. But I wouldn't turn back, I couldn't.

"Why Ron, why don't you believe me?" I mumbled, leaning against a wall in the Charms Classroom. "So weak, I'm so weak," I said, conjuring a lit candle and placing it in front of me.

The room didn't feel safe, I felt like I was being watched. As I sat, the rays of sunlight filtered into the room, and the darkness lifted. The candle dimmed, and then extinguished, causing smoke to rise in little ringlets. I sighed in relief, they were gone. I sat still until I could sit no more. As I looked around the room, I realized it wasn't the Charms Classroom as I had suspected. It was a room I'd never seen before. Chairs and desks were piled in stacks off in the corner of the room and dust was sprinkled along the floor in clumps. In the other corner sat an antique red chair, looking contrastive to the room's grubby surroundings. Above the wall was a picture frame, but no picture was set within it's golden outlines, giving it an eerie look. I walked to the chair slowly and sat down, but stood back up as I heard the crinkling of paper. I searched the seat before pulling a wrinkled sheet of paper from the crease in the chair.

On the sheet there were six angels with shimmering harps. I was horrified to find that the first angel looked exactly like me. Not only that, but the melody from the harps could practically be heard. Climbing atop the chair I slid the painting into the frame and left the room to find a way back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Hermione, there you are! Ron and I have been looking everywhere for you, where did you go," I heard Harry shout from behind me.

"Harry. Don't do that! You stupid oaf, you scared me," I exclaimed.

"Oaf? What happened to you, where were you Hermione," Harry asked, not regarding my insult.

"I don't know, I'll show you though, it was some weird room, I mean we've never seen it before," I said more calmly.

"Hermione, that's impossible, we know this castle better than Dumbledore does," Harry said in disbelief.

"That's the funny thing...I thought we knew it all too," I replied.

"Show me Hermione, if there really is a room that we haven't seen I'll know, where is it?" Harry asked.

Sighing I led him through the halls I had just gone through until at last we stood in the doorway.

"What-the-it's gone! Who took it, this is impossible," I said running to the picture frame, which was now empty. Looking throughout the room I couldn't find the picture I had just hung.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," I answered quickly, "so, have you ever been here before?" I queried.

"No, this room--I don't think Dumbledore even knows about it," Harry replied, making a circle in the middle of the dust.

"It looks so old, so unused, and the chair looks so different from everything else in her, so out of place. I don't know, it seems as though something's wrong, but I just get the feeling there isn't anything evil in here. Something's just out of order, upset," I said, walking to the desks.

"My God, Hermione! You have no footprints, the dust isn't moving around you," Harry exclaimed in horror. I looked down and my stomach lurched as I realized that the only thing that had upset the dust were Harry's feet and that where I stood the dust was still exactly as it had been.

"We have to get out of this room." I moaned, walking briskly to the door and, looking behind myself. I still saw no footprints. "Come on, Harry!"

He quickly followed, making the dust rise in puffs. "That's weird, that room, it's like it just appeared. We should go to Dumbledore, tell him about it," Harry said, leading me to the gargoyle.

"You think he'll know about it?" I asked hesitantly. Harry nodded confidently.

"Flying frogs." The gargoyle sprung aside at Harry's command.

We quickly climbed up the stairs, twisting and twirling for what seemed like eternity. When we finally reached the top, Harry began to knock lightly on the door. Dumbledore opened it before Harry's fist even touched the oak.

"Yes, do come in," Dumbledore spoke. I entered the office slowly, hesitantly.

"I've been expecting you, Miss Granger, do make yourself at home. Take a seat," he said kindly as he pointed to a chair, "you too Mr. Potter, do sit down,"

"Professor, I know you probably think we came to talk to you about last night, but we've got something else to say," I started.

"It's about a room she found, sir. A room that we believe may be cursed!" Harry put in.

Dumbledore sighed. "You've found that room then?"

"So you do know about it!" I exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, I do. It appeared, I must say, a mere month ago, on Christmas day I believe. I myself have not entered it, the Grey Lady was the one who discovered it," Dumbledore said gravely. I felt my face turn into one of shock, they had started on Christmas, they had come that very same day.

"That isn't too unusual in itself is it?" Harry questioned knowing well that rooms always appeared in Hogwarts.

"You're right, at first the room seemed like nothing too important but I've learned that it is...different. There is black magic everywhere in there; it must have been a site of many murders in its previous location. The strange thing is it looks like a schoolroom. Though through my years at Hogwarts as student, teacher, and Headmaster I've never seen it, nor has any other current resident of this castle," Dumbledore explained.

"There's no way of destroying it, is there? Once a rooms been placed within Hogwarts, there it will remain until the dawn of the day it's services are fulfilled," I recited from Hogwarts, A History.

"Yes, that is most unfortunately true, we can try every possible spell that has ever been created, and though the walls may quiver from a powerful blow, they will not so much as crack. This was part of the creating of Hogwarts that came from Godric," Dumbledore added, now pacing back and forth across the room.

"Dumbledore, where's-" my head snapped to the door as it clicked, and opened, to reveal Ron.

"Mr. Weasley, we have found her, do not panic," Dumbledore quickly said resuming his halted pacing.

"Hermione you scared us all, blimey, where did you go," Ron said leaning against the wall. He looked exhausted, his eyes were blood shot from many nights of no sleep. I was so grateful that he had been staying up with me for the past week or so.

"You all right?" Harry asked before I could utter a word.

"I'm okay, I guess, I was just so damn worried. I wasn't even thinking straight," Ron replied putting his hands on his forehead in frustration. I felt guilty for his loss of all energy, and joy. He didn't deserve that, not for my suffering.

"Are YOU okay Hermione," Ron asked at last.

"I'm fine Ron, really. Thank you though, you helped me a lot last night," I said smiling at him. He seemed so lost.

"Well, if you're sure..." Ron said, a glint of worry still in his eyes.

"I'm fine," I repeated, "don't worry." I then explained the incident of the room with help from Harry. Ron looked dumbstruck.

"And there's no way of removing it? No possibility of magicking it away? What was Godric thinking," Ron exclaimed.

"Godric was a man of fate, of destiny, he knew there was no running away from your purpose of life, and when something appears from him, well it must be important," Dumbledore said in explanation.

"Well, still, how do we know for sure that it's from him and not Peeves or something?" Harry asked in curiosity.

"Every room that's been placed by him holds a portrait of six angelic creatures, and this room has that portrait, there is no mistaking it," Dumbledore replied.

"Is this all bad?" I asked hesitantly.

"Though it may be good in the end when Godric is involved, it will not start that way, all we know for certain is this will show a truth that has been hidden," the headmaster said.

"So the bad will come before the good?" I said in confirmation.

"Oh no, not bad things, horribly deadly things, if this truly is what it seems to be...no good will come." As Dumbledore concluded this, my head fell. Evil was going to prevail.

"Ms. Granger, do not leave your dormitories for any circumstance, do you understand," Professor McGonagall told me severely, making her company known.

"I know, and I am to ask the other girls for any of my needs," I said repeating the words I'd been listening to for the whole day.

"All right, I wish that all works out well for you," McGonagall said sighing in what seemed to be sincere concern.

~*~*~

I bolted up in my bed as I heard the window smash open. I yanked open my drapes and ran for the window. The glass fell on to the floor glowing a deep crimson, and I suddenly realized it spelled out

C-O-M-E.

"What do you mean," I whispered into the air, "come where!"

"Your time has come. You must follow your destiny." The voices echoed sending shivers down my spine.

"What destiny! What do you mean, my time?" I hollered before stopping dead suddenly. Slowly coming towards me through the window was a gravestone that read:

HERMIONE GRANGER

1980-1996

I screamed, "NO! I'm not dead, I'm only 16!!!" It kept coming, and when I snapped my eyes shut it still loomed there. I started to walk backwards to the door, it was in the room now, still coming closer. I turned and yanked the door open running into something-or rather someone-as I dashed away madly. Ron had been outside the door "guarding me".

"Hermione, what's wrong?" He asked, catching my arm before I fell.

I saw Ron go pale. "Hermione. Tell me, is that them?" Ron asked knowing the answer before he asked. I nodded in fear, fear for my life and fear of what they were going to do. "Don't worry, you're safe with me," Ron said with a new burst of confidence.

"I know Ron," I said timidly," d-do you think we should go talk to the professors?"

I knew for sure now Ron could hear them too. There was a loud rhythmic sound of creaking and I realized that it was the door to the girl's dorm, when I looked at it, it snapped shut, leaving Ron and me outside of the room.

Ron grabbed the handle twisting it with all his strength, It didn't so much as make a noise. I ran to the boy's dorms, and saw that their door was locked too. Ron walked slowly to the portrait hole, and when his head sank down, I knew we were trapped. Our home had become our prison.

The Gryffindor common room, once so safe and protecting, was now a deadly cage in a game of death. "There's got to be another way out of here! Dammit, where are those secret passageways!" Ron exclaimed as he began to kick the walls, and knock down tables in a blinding rage.

"Ron! Don't, stop, don't," I said in panic.

"Hermione, oh shit, this is bad," Ron said suddenly.

"What? What's bad now?" I asked.

"I don't have my bloody wand with me," he said clawing at his palms. I gasped at the realization that we were unprotected, unarmed, weakened, and outpowered.

"Damn," I said sliding to the floor, "damn." My head was killing me now, and my stomach felt knotted.

"Hermione, we don't need you thinking like that, we don't need wands either, come on, we can get through this!" Ron said reassuringly. I wanted to believe him, I willed myself to believe him.

"Ron, there's no way out, none," I said.

"The Hermione Granger I know would never say that, what happened to that girl?" Ron inquired in disappointment. I knew he was right. He began looking through the room again, moving the sofa and the armchairs, looking as though he was positive he would find something there.

I sighed walking to the fireplace, looking up I saw the sun rising outside the window. "Ron, how tall are you?" I asked looking over to where he stood.

"6 feet, why?" Ron said raising his eyebrow in suspicion.

"I know how to get out," I exclaimed in excitement.

"I thought you said there was no way out," Ron said.

"I said there were no secret passageways out, that doesn't include the windows," I said pushing the nearest armchair to the tall window.

"Hermione, I'm not so sure about using the window, really we couldn't make it all the way down, it's too high," Ron said in disagreement.

"Oh really, and what else do you propose we do? It's the only possible way out, unless you plan on doing something else," I said, knowing he hadn't the slightest idea as to what he could do.

"Well, do you really think that jumping out of a window is going to help anything?" He inquired.

"Ron, please, we're not going to jump out a window! That would be the Muggle resort. No, no, no, we are going to get out of this forsaken tower, alive," I said turning away from him and instead began dragging the sofa for the window.

"They're enchanted Hermione, you told me you read it," Ron said. I knew it was true, all I had been waiting for was that comment. For him to say it. The only way to break the charm was with a secret incantation, one that Hermione could only do with her wand.

The room went shimmery and I felt myself fly in a whirlwind of nothing. Looking down I didn't see my body, but heard my voice at the left side of the room. I knew the situation immediately, Ron and I were yelling at each other. I saw myself looking down the stairs as he shouted... I knew what came next. I saw my face turn into one of fear as I fell down the stairs while yelling at Ron. I remembered the pain, it had hurt so badly, and I had just kept falling. I saw Ron screaming my name in shock as he ran towards me.

The room swirled and we were now sitting in a hall filled with flowers and many people dressed in black. I had no idea what was going on until I realized a coffin at the head of the room that had HERMIONE ELIZABETH GRANGER engraved onto the front. Ron stood next to it weeping uncontrollably.

"What the hell was that? What the fuck are they trying to do?" Ron said, in an uncontrollable rage." Yet suddenly I knew, I hadn't survived the fall.

"Ron, this means that I'm-" but I stopped as the lights flickered. Ron went into a defense stance but suddenly the voices sounded.

Ron stood in a daze, I jumped in front of him, and the spell seeped into my skin before smashing into Ron. Eyes wide, mouth open, and hand clutching mine, Ron fell to the floor. I screamed.

"Why! Why must you do this?" I received no reply...we were not being guided and longer, nor were we at Hogwarts. They had taken our fate, our destiny, and now...there was no more.

< End >

End A/N: Well I have an epilogue if you want one, hope you...enjoyed...this? A comment would be nice. Please. No? Okay.