Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters; I own only the plot!

"Rennervate!" Nothing. Dumbledore closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying desperately not to panic. "RENNERVATE!" Still nothing. Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Poppy. We are going to have to wait for her to wake up on her own. Somebody should inform Mister Potter and Mister Weasley."

Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Potter and Weasley do not need to know about this, Albus."

"Severus, in the short time that we have left before the Final Battle, there should be no regrets. No secrets." Dumbledore frowned before turning to McGonagall. "Minerva, perhaps you could go and get them; I believe they are out practising Quidditch."

McGonagall nodded and left quickly as Dumbledore turned back to Snape. "Send the boy to me; tell him to tell me that you have punished him already. That will keep you safe and stop Lucius from becoming angry."

"Yes, sir." Severus swept out of the room in a swirl of robes, heading down to his dungeons.

***

Meanwhile, Harry and Ron were perfecting a new move on the Quidditch pitch when Ron stopped, seeing a stationary figure watching them far below.

"Harry!" Ron yelled, causing Harry to pull up next to him.

"What?"

"McGonagall is down there, watching us."

"What do you think she wants?"

"I don't know. Let's show her that new move we came up with."

"But we haven't practised it much. We could crash."

"Come on, Harry," Ron whined.

"Fine. Ready." They leaned forward on their brooms and sped towards the ground, pulling up into a loop and corkscrew before skimming along the ground and getting off whilst still moving, running towards McGonagall.

The Head of Gryffindor tried to smile as her students sped towards her, but the ache in her chest was too much. She didn't think she could bear the look on Harry's face when he found out what happened.

"What's the matter, Professor?" Harry questioned, coming to a complete standstill and trying to catch his breath.

Turning back towards the castle, McGonagall started to walk again. "Mister Potter, Mister Weasley, follow me."

"What's happened? Has there been another Death Eater attack?"

"Harry!" Ginny, who had just noticed them about to leave the pitch, was speeding towards them. She pulled up sharply as she reached them.

"Glad to see we have another talented player joining the team, Miss Weasley."

"Thank you, Professor." Ginny turned to Harry. "What's the matter, Harry? Why are you leaving practise early? You were going to teach me that trick." Harry looked at McGonagall.

"Perhaps you should come with us as well, Miss Weasley. You are one of her friends, after all."

"What?" Ron looked at her dumbly.

"Hermione!" Harry took off running.

McGonagall followed slowly as Ginny got off her broom to walk beside her and Ron.

"Is something wrong with Hermione, Professor?"

"I'm afraid that there is. She is unconscious right now, after several bouts of... of the Cruciatus Curse." Ron stopped walking.

"Malfoy... that bloody ferret!" He got on his broom and sped towards the castle.

Ginny looked at McGonagall's face. "Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know, Miss Weasley."

"Professor?"

"Yes?"

"How did she get attacked? Wouldn't Aurors come if an Unforgivable was cast?"

"Normally." McGonagall was reluctant to tell a student about the room and thinned her lips, trying not to think about how helpless she had felt when trying to get to her prized student. Knowing that she wasn't going to expand on that, Ginny stayed quiet the rest of the way to the Hospital Wing.

***

Harry and Ron watched as Madam Pomfrey fussed with Hermione before they were allowed to sit next to her.

"Now, you are not to stay long. She needs her rest. She has been through a lot. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey," they chorused.

She smiled as she left the boys alone with Hermione, but both boys noticed it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Hey, Herms, you have to wake up."

"Yeah, we need you to help us with our homework," Ron groaned.

"Yeah, Ron still hasn't done his Potions homework."

Snape had just entered the Hospital Wing when he heard that. Puzzled, as he knew he hadn't set them anymore homework, he was about to speak, but something made him decide to watch from the shadows instead.

"P... P... Potions homework? What Potions homework? There wasn't..."

Harry was clutching his sides as he laughed. "You still... fall... for that!"

"It's not funny!" Ron huffed and punched Harry on the arm.

"But it is. Your face, it's brilliant!"

Ron folded his arms and huffed. "You know that kind of stuff gives me nightmares."

"You dream about me, Mister Weasley?" Snape stepped up behind Ron, who froze in fear.

"No... no, sir."

"I almost believe that." Snape sneered before smirking at the look of horror on both boys' faces as he circled around to the other side of Hermione's bed. "Has she been conscious at all since you have been here?"

"No, sir. We haven't been here long."

"It doesn't make sense." Snape muttered.

"Sir?"

"Was I talking to you?" he snapped.

Ron and Harry looked at each other, then at Snape as he swept out of the Hospital Wing.

"Well, that was certainly interesting." Harry turned to Hermione and gripped her hand, just as Ginny and McGonagall came in.

"Oh, Hermione... she almost looks..."

"Don't say it, Ginny," Harry pleaded.

Suddenly, Hermione stirred and groaned.

"Herms?" Harry squeezed her hand.

There was another groan which alerted Madam Pomfrey, who arrived at what could almost be described as a run. "Move aside, move aside. Minerva, dear... Minerva!"

McGonagall jumped as she came out of her thoughts.

"Can you help me by removing these students?" Upon seeing their grief stricken faces, Pomfrey continued, "You may return when she is fully awake. Could you three perhaps collect Professor Dumbledore?"

McGonagall quickly led the three concerned friends out of the Hospital Wing before hurrying back to stand beside Hermione's bed. They watched as her eyes flickered open and cringed as she cried out in pain. Pomfrey, with the help of McGonagall, administered a pain relief potion, which had Hermione laying silent but staring off into space, not focusing on anything.

"Miss Granger, would you like to tell us what happened?" McGonagall asked in a concerned voice.

"Nothing happened. We were just talking," Hermione's voice seemed mechanical, dead.

"Mister Malfoy..."

"Was doing nothing to harm me; he was just talking to me."

"Miss Granger, he..."

"I have nothing else to say." Hermione rolled over, with her back facing her Head of House.

McGonagall looked at Pomfrey, horrified. "He's, he told, he's..."

"Miss Granger is his slave." Both women turned to Snape, who had just entered the room again.

"What do you mean slave? What kind of slave?" McGonagall gasped.

"I know he has been draining her magic, and he told me that it is all part of one of Lucius' plans."

"To do what, exactly?"

"Lucius barely gives details for a raid, why would he give his son any details?"

"Severus, please."

"What has she said?" Snape carefully changed the subject. It was hard enough looking at the student before him who was usually filled with such life; he didn't want to dwell on why she was like that.

"That nothing happened, and that they were just talking and he wouldn't harm her."

"Anything else?"

"She repeated that they were just talking, and then said she had nothing more to say."

"He has her under a complicated spell. There is no way Draco can deny that his father had a hand in it. I'm shocked that he managed to brew the potion correctly... but..."

"But what, Severus?"

"Well, I can reverse it, but we need to get the necklace off her first."

"Why?"

"Because if we leave it on, it will block the potion."

"Isn't there..."

"Not everything to do with magic involves foolish wand waving, Minerva."

"Severus, there is no need to be..." Realising that now was not the time for petty arguments, McGonagall sighed. "How do we get it off her?"

"By lifting it over her head; how else do you get a necklace off?"

"Why wouldn't Miss Granger just take it off herself?"

"Because if she has been instructed not to take it off, then she couldn't, no matter how much she wanted to."

"But we can?"

"Yes." Snape started to move towards Hermione when Pomfrey stood in front of him.

"You go and make the potion, we will remove the necklace."

"I need to ensure I make the correct potion. I need the necklace to do that."

"Stand there. Minerva, go ahead."

McGonagall slowly removed Hermione's necklace and placed it into Snape's hand.

He nodded his head and was gone.

"What has this world come to?" Pomfrey sighed as she looked at Hermione, lying very still.

McGonagall sat down heavily in the chair by Hermione's bed. Gripping her hand she finally let the tears fall.

"Miss Granger... Hermione... don't let this get to you... don't let it stop you becoming the witch you are destined to be."

Hermione didn't move; in fact, her blink was barely visible.

McGonagall tried to stop the choking sobs from taking over, but seeing her favourite student in this position, she couldn't help her fears overwhelming her.