Harry Potter #5 Carry-On!

((Wow that was good! Thanks for you comment Cheeks! muah!))

Harry was on his feet faster than he was aware.

"I should have KILLED YOU THE DAY I I FOUND SIRIUS! yOU SON OF A -"

"Harry!" shouted Lupin, as Harry lunged forward. "Your decision was the right one. It might have been easier had you killed him perhaps, but nothing about what happened to Sirius would have changed."

"Don't even talk to me about that - not now."

Lupin nodded as Moody pushed Pettigrew into a seat.

"Here" he drawled, handing Harry his wand. "Finish it now."

Harry took the wand and raised it slowly. "You should have died that night..."

Harry formed the words in his mind...Avada Kadavra. He caught a glimpse of Lupin iin the corner of his eye and saw a smile there that did not belong...

Harry changed the words forming so that ropes pored from the wand when e spoke. Once Pettigrew was secured he did the same to Moody and Lupin.

"I want to know what the hell is going on -RIGHT NOW!"

"Harry, what are you doing?! You would betray Sirius like this! KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"

"Shut up and tell the truth! Who are you!"

Lupin began to laugh, and soon Moody and Pettigrew was laughing too.

"Do you think I would have made it that easy for you?!" The laughter continued.

Harry suddenly saw a vivid flash before his eyes. A flash of |Dumbledore, and a flashof pain.

"Harry!" Shouted the image.

The thing in Lupins shape smiled and vanished, along with Moody and Pettigrew.

Harry opened his eyes, not aware that he had sweat on his face. Snape was leaning over him, apparently applying something under his nose to wake him.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted and Snape stood up, raising an eyebrow.

"Harry, you ran here to go to Grimauld place, is that not right?" Dumbledore asked to his left.

"Yes." Harry said, teeth clenched.

"Voldemort was here?"

"Yes"

"Well, you passed out, and we have not been able to wake you for twenty minutes. We need to focus on something more than Occlumency. I will need the help of Courtney for this. Please come with me Mr Potter."

Harry got up and threw Snape his filthiest look as he passed.

"And when you are done, come and see me Mr Potter, we have something of great importance to discuss."

Harry raised his eyebrows. There was no trace of vulger snidety in Snape. He was being sincere....

((Sorry to end whith so many things to fill in! I can't wait for the next one!))

Courtney sat at her new desk. She was five seconds from passing out from pure exhaustion. Make no mistakes. She didn't mind her adventurous lifestyle. Not getting any sleep for the past five days had really taken a toll on her nerves. She was a little it more cray than usual.

Courtney held a hand-mirror up so she could check her appearance. She gave a small laugh. She now knew why Harry reacted the way he did. she looked almost exactly like a younger female version of her Uncle Snape or Professor Snape as she now called him. She let a small smile appear.

What had happened over the years that made her change. She used to be a carefree Slytherine who got along with everyone except Granger and Weasley. She chuckled as she remembered how she and Draco pulled millions of tricks on the two. It was out of the love for fun of course. Then there was Dumbledore. This made Courtney smirk. McGonnagal would always bring them in. ALthough she pretended she despised him, Courtney far from despised Dumledore. She held him in highest regards, but did not let anyone know. She still didn't like the fact her uncle wasn't Professor of D.A.D.A. And yet she was extremely happy he hadn't been when she attended as a student. She had hated Defense Against the Dark Arts. She and the professor would always argue. it normally was about the dark arts, but no matter the subject, she always came out on top and sent to the headmaster's office.

When she graduated, Courtney was sad. She would have to look for a job and leave her only family (Snape) and friend (Draco) in London. She had traveled to Norway and applied for a job. Snape hadn't een to happy with it. He had commented that it was too far beneath her, ut it was the only employer that would have her. She had had many invitations from the ministry of magic, but turned them down repeatedly. She was not going to sit behind a desk and fill at forms. It was not up to her standards.

Courtney's mind drifted to the train wide to Hogwarts. It would have been faster had it not been stopped by Dementors. She had sighed as everyone else freaked out while she, as usual, remained calm.

Courtney was shaken from her reveree by the creeking of her office door opening. She glanced up from the paper she had been writing to See Dumledore. Harry will e next. she thought. She was right. Potter walked in behind him. He seemed shakened up pretty badly. She stood. "Headmaster? Mr. Potter?" she greeted. "How may I help you." she feigned ignorance. Of course she already knew why they were there.

She sighed then added. "Voldemort?" Her question was directed to Harry.

Dumbledore smiled. Courtney Jamessen always knew what was going on. Her job choice had pained him. He would have gladly offered her a job, but he couldn't come up with one that suited her abilities.

(((Ah, can't go any longer. Writer's block)))

ok, here is my entry!

(( That was great - It really helped me to understand Courtney a little better. Ok, here we go! ps - where is Cheeks?))

"Yes, Voldemort," he replied vaguely. His mind was wondering, and he was feeling drained, if not angry. Courtney seemed somethinglike her old self again, and he mustered a cautious smile which she returned.

Courtney then adressed Dumbledore again. "So you wish to partake in a searching."

She didn't need Dumbledore to respond, and he didn't. Courtney came towards Harry and took his hand. She brought him to a small pillow on the floor, and he sat on it. Dumbledore conjured up a small sofa, and Courtney sat on the floor too.

"What we are going to do, is similar to producing a partronous. Since you have no trouble with those while you're happy, I think you may be able to do this. I must warn you this is an extremely advanced piece of magic. If yoiu every wanted to become a top auror, you will need to perform this to perfection. It is a requirement ever since Voldemort was last around, and we couldn't see which wizards were acting out of their own free will, and who were under the power of the imperious curse."

"So what do I have to do?"

"Ok, never close your eyes when you are doing this. It could be deadly. It is kind of like a field that surrounds your body when you will it to come. It's tricky, and it tires you. You can't believe the lack of energy it leaves you with. I had anticipated that you would be needing this skill, and so I have been practicing."

"Thank you." Harry said, a little drained himself.

"Alright, you need to focus on an object. Pick something that you will never forget, and if you see it, you will remember how to do this."

"Best to pick something close you you at all times. You will need this spell untill Voldemort is defeated," said Dumbledore calmly.

"If I can defeat him you mean," Harry blurted before he could stop himself.

"Once you have an object, you must focus all of your energies onto it. It doesn't matter what kind of energies - negative or posative -just all of it. You must not close your eyes however."

"Okay."

"This object should be very profoundly important to you, an cannot be already serving another magickal purpose."

Harry thought about all he owned. The amulet that his mother had left him would not do, because it was already serving another magickal purpose. He thought about the invisibility cloak, but again - that was serving another magickal prupose. He sighed loudly.

"Harry, do not think solely of things you possess," Dumbledore advised.

Harry centred on the things he loved. Quidditch, his friends.... But what finally found his focus was Sirius in his dog form. He thought about all of the things that reminded him of his wizarding life, of Sirius and of his friends. One thing had been an everlasting element - a permanent puzzle piece in his mind.

His scar. Although it had been a painful reminder of his parent's death, it also protected him. It signalled when danger was near, when THE danger was near. It was fitting that it should be the focus of his mind.

"I have it."

Dumbledore smiled.

"Excellent, now Harry, focus on this object without telling me what it is. Never let anyone know what it is, because if it is destroyed, it takes many many years of re-training to learn it again."

Harry focused his mind. As he did so, his scar started to warm up. Surely it was a sign that it was working. He focused harder, his scar white hot now. he grimaced as it gave a particularly painful pang.

"Now, form a field - a semi-circle of power in your mind. It covers you body."

Harry's mind collapsed around him. All went blank.

"Good! Excellent Harry!" Courtney exclaimed getting up. "It wasn't quite there, but you had stilled your mind. You see, you have to be completely impartial to be able to do this. You cannot hate, you cannot desire, or will. You have to not care if you will. But only while doing this. You don't have to stop feeling forever."

Harry smiled.

"Excellent. Well, I had better be going. Courtney, please will you and Harry try this every evening until he had got it. Christmas is approaching, and I should like to see a demonstration before Harry goes to stay with his aunt and uncle.

“What?! I have to go there?! Why?”

“Come and see me tomorrow and we will discuss it.”

Without another word, he left.

“Hey, I want to apologise for being such a jerk. I have been a bit weird lately…”

“It’s ok, don’t worry about it.”

“Well, come and see me tomorrow at the same time, ok?”
“See you then.”

Harry headed straight for Snapes office. He was curious to see what Snape had to say.

“Come in,” said the cold voice. “Close the door.”

Harry did so, and then stepped inside.

“I understand you wish to take the Auror entrance exam when you leave school. Potions is a necessity to the subject. What you do not realise, and what most people do not realise, is that you have to apply to be an Auror now. Two years before the end of school, and receive numerous tests during the year. In effect, you are being tested now.”

“What do I need to do?”

“You need to practice. Since your Potions is somewhat more than lacking, you need to focus on that area as well as defence against the dark arts primarily. I will set you tasks weekly. You are not to tell anyone about this. Professor Tonks will set you tasks too. See you tomorrow in class.”

Harry left, but made sure Snape could no longer see him before giving out the biggest smile he had in days.

Within a few months, Harry had successfully learned and mastered the field. Courtney had called it the barrier, and so he had taken to calling it that too.

Harry sat on the pitch one evening near to the lake when it was getting fairly dark. He focused on his scar and it began to throb again. Once he was focused, the summoned objects to him.

“Accio broom!” he shouted. When it came zooming through the air, it hit the field and was thrown backwards with incredible force. As the broom hit, a green light in the shape of a semi-circle enclosed Harry before it disappeared in ripples around him. Soon he was summoning all of the items in his room and they all flung away from him. However, he often collapsed after this and could not do anything. This annoyed him, as it seemed that Dumbldore had given him this spell so that he s=could only protect himself and not fight.

Suddenly, he had an idea. He went to Hermione and told her all about what ad happed. After she had shrieked and asked to see a demonstration, she agreed to help.

“There is a way. It is a small spell, but it is permanent. Well, it is an infusion of sulphate, groigon sorter, morgenman and blood. Yours.”

It took Hermione another month to brew the potion. Harry’s arm was pierced, yet again in the crook, but this time, it was to save him.

Within two weeks, Dumbledore asked to see a demonstration.

Harry focused. Soon, the barrier was up. Dumbledore threw numerous curses at him, and they all bounced off.

When he closed his eyes, and the barrier dropped, he felt better. He still was weak, but the morgenman and blood had certainly focused him.

“Well done Harry! We shall meet again tomorrow. There is one other thing to iron out.”

The next day, Harry was assigned hi first task by both Tonks and Snape. He could not wait to begin.

Snapes task left him amazed and elated, but still, he wondered what was happening in the school to turn it around so.

Harry picked up his bag after leaving potions and set about the finish the first task…

((OMG! SOrry! That one lasted for the span of like half the year! No, it is about Christmas now. ok munkey and Nabokonir, there you go! Can't wait to see your brilliant additions! 😄))

(( you added me to your sig 😄 sorry i havent been online for a while, i cant get on at weekends................. can sum1 explain, cuz im confused...... is courtney a student or teacher or what? how old is she? ))

the task which tonks had set him was difficult. he hadnt had any warning, he had just suddenly been transported, by means of a portkey to an obstacle course of a kind. he had to reach the end before he could get the next portkey back to school.

he faced grindylows, boggarts, kappas, and hinkypunks, there were also a number of curses and charms to overcome. but he made it in one piece, and beamed in pride when he landed back in tonks office, and received a good deal of praise.

((sorry that was short, gotta go, im being kicked outta the comp room ))

(( ok, i found another comp........ where was i? ))

"well done harry" smiled Tonks "you did very well, i will set you your next task the same time next week, and i will give you this clue, practice levitation and invisibility spells"

harry left Tonks' office, feeling nervous but excited about the next challenge. the feeling was very similar to the way he felt when he had been in the triwizard tournament.

he thought back to then. people where always trying to kill him...... why? he hadnt asked to defeat voldemort, or to be part of the prophesy.

harry sighed and made his way to the library.

he walked along numerous corridors, occasionaly taking a shortcut through a hidden staircase.

he was absorbed in his own thoughts, and only found the way because he knew it so well. had he been paying more attention he might have noticed peeves. as it was he didnt realise he was there untill the pots of ink that peeves had been juggling with came flying towards him.

with reflexes that came of his quidditch training harry managed to avoid the majority of them.

unfortunately, the one that found its target was full, and harry was left dripping in black in, whilst peeves zoomed up the corridor cackling.

harry looked around, beside him was the concealed entrance to the room of requirement. harry remebered what dumbledore had said about continuing the DA meetings.

he produced the fake galleon from his pocket, and burned in the date of the next meeting :thursday, three days from then, at 8 o clock:

he then proceeded to the library.

hermione was there, pouring over her numerology homework.

she looked up as harry entered.

"harry" she said, and her face broke into a wide smile. "how are you?"

"fine" harry mumbled "i have to look up invisibility and levitation charms" he said, as though trying to explain his prescence.

"oh, well, il help you shall i? im getting bored of this anyway she said, gesturing to the pile of parchment spread before her.

they pulled out great dusty volumes in the hope of finding the spells they were after, and once again harry was reminded of the triwizard tournament. he squeezed his eyes shut tight, and tried to block the thoughts from his mind.

they continued to search untill it was pitch black outside, and they were ushered out by the librarian.

harry returned to the common room, and sat down to do his charms homework. Ron entered through the portrait hole, took one look at harry, and made for the boys dormitory.

harry made to go after him, but hermione held him back.

"harry, leave him. he'll come round. he just needs time."

harry wasnt so sure, he had attacked Rons mother, he could have killed her.

he shook his head slowly, trying to get the image of molly weasley collapsing out of his head. he went back to his work, he was not looking forward to tomorrow.

((there ya go, sorry it was a bit boring, but ya have to have non exciting bits too, makes the other stuff even more exciting 😄 i will try to post again soon....... keep up the good work ))

((Yep I did add you, coz you are my friend! That wasn't boring! It was relaxing! Glad you could find a comp! xxx))

"Harry, I think maybe you should go and see her...please wont you try?"

Hermione had placed her hand on Harry's arm.

"I don't think I can."

"Of course you can. COme on, I'll go with you."

The following saturday, Harry and Hermione went to Proffessor McGonogal to ask for a pass to leave the school.

"Mr Potter, you cannot leave the school without supervision and we cannot spare anyone."

"I'm 16. I think I can take care of myself."

"I'll go with them," came a voice from behind Harry. Lupin stood in the doorway with his arms folded. "I want to speak with Molly anyway."

"|Oh, very well Remus. But be careful. And take a portkey. Mr Potter needs to be back in time for an exam."

"Exam?" asked Hermione astonished. "For what?"

Harry was told not to mention the auror stuff, and since McGonogal was indicating that it should be kept that way with her eyes, Harry had to do some quick thinking.

"I have to retake a module of the potions exam."

"Oh, right..."

"Very well, you may leave now," confirmed McGonogal again

"Come on you two, lets go."

The journey took a few seconds at best. Before long, Harry had come to the door where Molly Weasley was lying. He could not bring himself to open it.

"Come on Harry, I'll go in first. When I come out, you can go," suggested Hermione.

Harry nodded. "Ok."

Hermione was twenty minutes long, and she came out looking completely impartial.

"Ok, she'll see you."

Harry entered slowly, careful to put his hands at his sides. She was sitting up in her bed, holding something in her hands. When he saw her smiling face, tears broke into his eyes. She held up her arms calling him for a hug. Harry walked over, and tears fell onto his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as she laughed

"Harry, oh Harry dear - I know that it isn't you. I know. DO you know what I saw when you pulled that wand? I saw Voldemort,"

Harry lowered his head.

"And do you know what I saw when your eyes widened in shock? I saw James. And Lilly. That was more powerful."

Harry smiled.

"You're not angry with me then?"

"Goodness no! I never was! I don't know who told you that!" she laughed.

"Well, Ron won't even look at me."

She sighed. "Dear me. That won't do."

She smiled mischieviously and looked to a point in the room beyond where Harry stood. harry turned to where she was looking. Ron stood in the doorway with a smile on his face.

"Ron!"

"Hey," said Ron walking forward. He hugged Harry and gave him a frienly pat on the back. "So you finally made it down here."

Harry smiled, astonished.

"This was a plan!" he laughed, "I can't believe it!"

Hermione and Lupin had come into the room too, and they were all smiled as well.

Harry gave Molly one last hug, and then He, Ron and Hermione headed back to school.

Harry was ushered staright to Snapes room for the test.

"Mr Potter, there is someone I want you to meet. He specialises in mental pain and memories. Hopefully, he will be able to teach you how to keep your little being on this planet long enough to do something useful........

((That was so boring too! Sorry, but as you say, it makes the exciting buts better! 😄))

"Professor Snape..." came Courtney's quiet voice.

Snape growled lowly. "What?!" he asked angrily.

Courtney's eyes narrowed. "After you get through torturing Mr. Potter you might want to check on your ingredients. If you wait to long they may ecome lethal." she said matter-of factly.

Snape glared at her. Turning to a very shocked Harry, he said, "This will be short and it is not torture."

"That's what you say about all of your lesson, Professor."

Harry's eyes widened. Snape was not yelling. Both him and Courtney remained cool.

"Ms. Jamessen, are you here to help?"

"Him or you?"

Snape whipped around. His eyes were widened. What was she getting to?

"Are you going to be useful, or do I have to force you to leave?" he said, his voice rising.

"No, I'll help."

"Good. Potter stand here."

Harry stood where he was told.

"Now, I want you to copy these instructions and tell me what they make."

Harry looked at the ingredients and gulped. He knew he would hate this.

Harry brewed the ingredience, boiling, burning, brewing, cutting - you name it! When he was finished, he was left with a black solution that bubbled white.

"Looks like tar to me," he said, risking a telling off.

"It probably is," laughed Courtney, but she composed herself before Snape whiped round.

"It is selmmite. For homework, you will researcg what it does - without the help of Miss Granger - and then memorise the potion, to be tested next week."

Harry sighed and left the room. Everyone expected so much from him...

He left and strolled down the corridor. Draco was waitig there for him in a nitch in the wall. Harry did not see him coming.....

Draco muttered a few words. His wand gave off sparks as an invisile force repelled Harry into a wall. He smirked. Harry slumped to the floor. He barely had a chance to duck before Draco was sent flying into the wall where his head had been.

"Mr. Draco, I thought you would come up with different tricks or at least different places to attack from." Courtney said. She slipped her wand into her robes as she walked forward. She helped both boys up. "You two could be a deadly force, if you teamed up, but that would be out of the world." she had a friendly smirk.

Draco hadn't seen Courtney in a year. The last few months she had been at Hogwarts, he had seen her working, never any free time. "Court..." he stopped feeling the eyes of his head of house on him.

"Ms. Jamessen, are you having fun here at Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

Snape came forward. "She is not suppose to be having fun. She's suppose to be working" he spat.

"Professor, not in front of Mr.Potter and Mr. Malfoy."

Snape looked at the two. "Fine. I'd like to see you in my office, Ms. Jamessen."

Courtney nodded and followed him. She had graduated the year before. She watched as Snape sat behind his desk and followed suit. "Courtney." he began. He glanced at his locked office door. "I wish you would please take the Headmaster up on his offer."

"Uncle Severus, You know as well as I that I am learning to protect myself in a different wat then Harry. I choose to learn on my own, although I do not have Voldemort on my trail."

"Which is a good thing."

"Is is. I've lived through seven years at this school and have never had an adventure. when the Basilisk was released I wasn't in danger because I'm a pureblood and am fond of serpents. Dementors don't even bother to see if I couuld e dangerous because of my looks. I need something thats new and different."

Snape sighed. "You are difficult."

(((Man, my posts are short)))

((yeah, but they are good, cept i dunno where to go from here, and im still confused, if courtney graduated, then is what is she doing there, and how does she know harry and draco, im really confused, can u like pm me and explain it or summit please))

harry was once again in the library. he had piles of dusty volumes in front of him.

magic potions and their purposes, special ingredients for special spells, 10000 herbs and their uses, daily potions for daily problems, potions explained..... there were loads of them.

harry scanned the titles with a tired expression. he yawned. he had been at it for nearly 2hours, and so far had only fond one mention of selmmite, and that had only been to say that if it was ingested, it would cause the persons limbs to dislocate.

harry thought that it didnt sound like a very nice potion, and wondered whether snape would force him to try some.

hour after hour he continued looking, untill eventually, he found wat he was looking for.

it was only a page long, but he hurriedly copied it out onto a piece of parchment.

there was the magical properties, the ingredients, and the antidote.

harrys eyes widened in shock. it turned out, that if selmmite was sprinked onto the skin, then it would dry clear, but act as a shield to most hexes and jinxes.

he would never have guessed that.

he yawned and lent back in his chir, now all he had to do was memorise it.

suddenly an inexplicable feeling of dread came over him. he wasnt sure how he knew it, but he knew that something was wrong.

instinctively he grasped the amulet that had once belonged to his mother.

he grabbed the parchment and ran along the corridors making for the common room.

he reached the portrait of the fat lady, and panting, he mumbled the password.
it swang forward to reveal his fellow gryffindors, sitting around, doing homework.

they all looked in harrys direction.

he scrabbled through, and ran through the room.

up the stairs towards his dormitory he went.

he knew that something wasnt right. his heart was beating in his lungs, and he was breathing hard.

he pushed open the door, almost afraid to see what was behind it.....................

((there ya go, thought it was time for sum excitement 😄))

((OOOH, I like that one Munkey! It rocked. Yeah, about Courtney, I am not sure what she is going to be doing. i don't know where I should take her. I think we should just keep going and let it flow...))

Harry's heart stopped as he entered the room. Lying on the floor was Hermione. She didn't appear to be hurt, but she was unconcious. he ran over to her to see if she was okay, she looked like she was ina s=deep slumber.

She had obviously tried to climb the boys dormitory and had suffered the ffects of thew spell to keep the girls out. It was a newly developed protacol.

In her hand she held a note that seemed to be written hurriedly. It said,

"Where hagger" in massive writing.

harry gasped - he had forgotten all about Grawp and Hagrid.

He lifed Hermione onto his bed and ran out of the common room, yelling to Ron as he went by that he should watch Hermione on his bed.

It didn't take harry long to see what his forgetting about grawp had done. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight......

((hee hee - i ended my story with my usual cliffhanger to add to your¬! hee hee" xxxx))

(( ooooh.... that was tres brilliant........... i wanted to c wat ya did with it))

harry stood and looked at the site of devastation before him.

grawp had ripped about 30 trees out at the roots, he had also killed a centaur and some other creatures that lived in the forest.

harry sighed.
where was hagrid, and what had happenned to hermione.

at that moment dumbledore walked out of the forest, he saw harry and headed towards him

"sir, what happenned" harruy asked

((sorry, that was really short, but i dint have long 😛))

((No it was good! I will have to think up an addition....let you know when I have something😄))

(((I am such a sheep 😛 )))

Harry watched as snape came out behind Dumbledore. His eyes widened as he saw the unconscious form of Courtney. "Professor, what is happening."

Dumbledore waited to see if Snape would answer.

"None of your bussiness Potter." he said coolly. He past by harry. Giving him a look of pity before going to the medwing.
**********
Dumledore turned to Harry. "Let's go see if we can help Ms. Granger."

((man i have no inspiration left 🙁 im finding it so hard to write stuff))

harry obediently followed dunbledore throught the school to the hospital wing. hermione was lying in a bed at the far end with the curtains drawn around her.

after a bit of persuading madam pomphrey agreed to let them see her.

she was conscious again, but she was very bewildered.

harry looked at the vacant expression and wondered whether it had been his fault. whether he'd hurt her without realising.
he gripped her hand, and willed her to get better.

he turned to look into dubledores wise blue eyes. "whats going on? what happenned to hermione? will she be ok?"

"she will be fine" said dumbledore slowly, "and as to what happenned, im not totally sure myself, although i think that she went to see grawp, and then was looking for you. as to why she was unconscious, well, we can only speculate. the spell to stop her entering the boys dormitory was not powerful enough to knock her out"

harry sighed and looked down at hermione. he wished that everything was over.

the door to the hospital wing opened, and snape entered carrying courtneys limp form.

harrys eyes felt heavy. he felt as though the weight of the world was on his shoudlers. he knew that somehow this had been down to vodemort, and that everyone was relying on him to stop him.

harry squeezed his eyes shut tight, the weight of responsibility bearing down on him. he knew he had to find a way to defeat voldemort, because if he didnt, not only he would die, but all his friends would too.

((there ya go, its only short, but least i didnt leave u a cliff hanger 😛 ))

(((Is it my fault, Cheeky Monkey?)))

((No way, Courtney was a breath of fresh life! I can help with some of that inspiration though - you are looking at a muse! lol))

Dumbledore turned to speak with Madam Pomfrey, and Harry turned his attention to Hermione. She had passed out again.

Harry let his head drop onto Hermione's stomach. The rise and fall of it with the sound of her calm breathing was relaxing. But guilt was pressing down upon him, and he felt exposed. Everyone knew every little detail about him. Everyone could see him. Suddenly the thought of being looked at every day made him feel sick.

Just as he began to close his eyes, Harry felt a lurge beneath him. Hermione had jumped in her sleep. Harry raised a hand to her forehead , where little drops of sweat were making her skin shine.

He had barely touched her when eyes squeezed tightly and her face contorted in an expression of pain. She began lurching in her bed furiously as Harry tried to hold her down by the arms.

"Proffessor! Come quickly!" he shouted

Dumbledore raced towards them as did Madam Pompfrey.

"What should I do?!" he houted ad Hermione began to move so violently that she escaped his grasp.

As soon as Dumbledore put his hand on her head she began to subside, but tears had formed on her cheeks.

"There is nothing to be done yet. We have to call a meeting," began Dumbledore.

"I am not letting you keep me out of this! NOt this time!"

"Harry, you will be required to attend this meeting."

Dumbledore left without another word.

"I will send you an owl when it is time. Bring Ron along with you too."

Within an hour Ron and Harry were both sitting by Hermione's side.

"Proffessor Dumbledore wants to see you both - he send an owl," said Madam Pompfrey.

Harry got up to leave, and did not see the small kiss Ron placed on Hermione's cheek.

((there you go - hope I insoired you! 😄))

Courtney slowly sat up on her bed. She held her head and groaned. she looked around to see she was in the med wing. Swinging her legs over the bed she got up. A little shaky at first.

Madame Pomphrey tried to stop her, but Courtney got pass her. "I must speak to Professor Snape." she whispered.

((hey Nab, you changed your name!