The Sun, Moon & Stars

25. Second Year, Part 2

'Hermione!' Ron cried.

On a hospital bed, a little further down in the hospital wing, lay a motionless Hermione; stiff and firm - face pale as a ghost, eyes fixated on the ceiling.

Minnie walked to stand beside Hermione's bed, and she looked up to speak to them. 'I know this must be shocking, and I'm sorry that this has happened.' She said gravely, looking down at one of her favourite students; petrified and helpless.

They stood in silence for a moment; observing the usually life-like Hermione being completely still. It was painful silence. Uncomfortable, and somehwat frightening -- a girl who did everything right, was always observant and safe, had still ended up in this situation.

'She was found with a mirror.' Minnie spoke up, and handed Ophelia a silver compact mirror engraved with roses. She had seen it before, it was the one she used at nighttime to wash her face. 'Do any of you three know if it is of substance?'

'I don't think it was important. I've seen it in our dorm, it's just a regular mirror.' Ophelia said quietly.

'Thank you. Do you have any idea what she might have been doing? She was found near the library.'

'She's always in the library.' Harry spoke up, quietly.

'You'd be hard pressed to find her anywhere else, Professor. I don't think she was doing anything out of the ordinary.' Ron added.

'Very well. Come along, let's get you back to your dormitories. You can visit tomorrow.' Minnie murmured softly, guiding the three frozen children away from their helpless, and lifeless, friend.

...

                                                                                                                           The three sat in the common room that night; at their round table -- with one chair notably, and very painfully, empty. The open spot being a brutal reminder their friend was not only stiff in a hospital bed, but unable to help them figure this out. It seemed near to impossible. Hermione -- the epitome of safety -- had landed herself petrified. 

'We have to figure it out for her.' Harry said decidedly.

'Agreed.' Ophelia nodded.

'But how?' Ron sighed. 'She was...Hermione. She was the one who was always good at figuring everything out.' He fumbled on his words, but none of them could disagree.

'I don't know, but we have to. We have to talk to Hagrid, we need to. It'll be okay.'

But it wasn't. Later that very night, they witnessed Hagrid and Dumbledore be sent to Askaban whilst under the invisibility cloak in his hut. And without Dumbledore, they had no hope of this ever getting better.

'What do we do now?' Ophelia asked.

'Follow the spiders, I suppose. Hagrid said that, didn't he?' Harry asked.

'Oh Merlin, please no.' Ron cried.

The spiders led them to an entire spider nest. Ron was beside himself the entire time, holding onto Ophelia as if he might never let go, while Harry did the talking to the massive spider they spoke to; apparently he went by the name of Aragog, and was a friend of Hagrid's. Ophelia made a mental note to mention to Hagrid, assuming she would see him again, to reconsider who he befriends.

Aragog wasn't the creature the Chamber of Secrets was said to have inside, the spider had been generous enough to tell them that much. She was partly relieved, but partly conflicted -- Aragog being the monster would have been an easy soloution. Since Aragog wasn't, they had more to investigate.