Born From Madness (Harry Potter Fanfic)

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"How is she doing it?" Harry's thoughts were cut off from Ron's voice. 

"Huh? Who?" Harry asked. Ron shot him a look. 

"Hermione! How is she doing it?" Ron repeated himself. Harry turned to see Hermione was at her table full of notes and books, charts and other things. She appeared tired and worn out and ready to snap into going completely mad. 

"Doing what?" Harry asked again, feeling stupid for asking. 

"Getting to all her classes!" Ron mumbled, "I heard her talking to Professor Vector, the Arithmancy witch, this morning. They were talking about yesterday's lesson, but Hermione couldn't have possible be there! She was with us in Care of Magical Creatures! And Ernie Macmillan told me, she's never missed an Ancient Runes class! But half of them are at the same time as Charms! And she's never missed one of them either!" 

Harry hadn't thought about it, but Ron was right. He had been noticing Hermione knowing lectures of different classes that had been during the same time their other classes were. But that wasn't the main thing that was on his mind. Harry was curious about what Hermione had thought about during their lesson on the Patronus Charm to create the basilisk Patronus. 

After a few weeks of afternoons with Lupin, Harry finally learned Hermione's secret. It was after his seventh attempt of forming a Patronus charm, which wasn't going too well. 

"You're expecting too much of yourself to create this Patronus. For a thirteen-year-old wizard, even an indistinct Patronus is a huge achievement. You aren't passing out anymore, are you?" Lupin told him. 

"Then how come Hermione was able to create hers?" Harry asked, sounding a bit rudely and angry. Hermione stiffened as she turned around, her back facing Harry. The sight of her back made Harry feel slightly upset about asking. Lupin turned as he leaned against the case. 

"Hermione, would you might if I ask what is your happy memory when you make your Basilisk Patronus?" Remus asked her. For a moment, Hermione didn't speak... till... 

"It's not exactly a memory. Well... part of it is... but mostly it's a thought... when the boggart dementor started to get to me, I could hear Iracebeth's voice. Saying the same phrase... 'you are me... you are me...' and... I hated it. So I thought of all the things that made me different from Iracebeth... and the first thought that popped in my head was... remembering the night in the Chamber of Secrets, where the Basilisk, though it was given a gift to Slytherin and could have chosen to listen to Riddle over me,... it stayed loyal to Betty White... loyal to my Great-Grandma Rose... loyal to me even though it probably knew deep down it was going to be killed by Riddle... and that's the kind of person I want to be. Someone, who would do what is right over what is easy..." Hermione explained as best as she could. Harry tilted his head, feeling impressed that Hermione was able to get that much happiness at that mere thought. 

"That's very beautiful, Hermione," Lupin said, "why don't we take a little break... here-- you've two earned a drink-- something from the Three Broomsticks. Harry you wouldn't have tried this before-- but Hermione surely has," 

Lupin pulled out three bottles from his suitcase. 

"Butterbeer!" Harry said, without thinking, "Yeah I like that stuff!" 

Lupin raised his eyebrow while Hermione's eyes widened. 

"Oh-- Ron and Hermione brought me some back from Hogsmeade," Harry lied quickly. 

"Yes, we did. We felt bad Harry isn't allowed to go due to the fact, his guardians didn't sign his permission slip," Hermione added to Harry. 

"I see," Lupin said, though he still looked slightly suspicious and seemed like he was fighting a smirk from crawling on his lip. They began to drink their butterbeer until Harry asked something he had been wondering for a while. 

"What's under a dementor's hood?" 

"Hmm... well, the only people who really know are in no condition to tell us. You see, the dementor lowers its hood only to use its last and worst weapon." Lupin told him. 

"What's that?" 

"The Dementor's Kiss," Hermione said, shuttering a bit, "it's what dementors do to those they wish to destroy completely. They clamp their jaws upon the mouth of the victim and-- and they suck out the person's soul." 

"What-- they kill--" 

"Oh no," Lupin cut in, "Much worst than that. You can exist without your soul as long as your brain and heart are still working, but it wouldn't be worth it. You wouldn't have a sense of self. No memory, no... anything. There's no chance of recovery. You'll just-- exist as an empty shell. It's actually the fate that awaits Sirius Black. It was in the Daily Prophet." 

Harry and Hermione split up down the corridors, she was probably going to the library or something. He was making his way back to the common room when he walked headlong into Professor McGonagall. 

"Do watch where you're going, Potter!" 

"Sorry, Professor--" 

"I've just been looking for you in the Gryffindor common room. Here it is, we've done everything we could think of, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all. You've got a good friend somewhere, Potter..." She told him as she held out his Firebolt. 

"I can have it back? Seriously!" 

"Yes, I daresay you'll need to get the feel of it before Saturday's match, won't you? And Potter-- do try and win." She told him. 

Harry carried his Firebolt back to Gryffindor Tower and happened to run into Ron, who was grinning from ear to ear and began asking for a go on it. Just as Harry told him that he could, a thought popped in. Hermione... 

"Why don't we make up with Hermione... she was only trying to help..." 

"Yeah-- alright, where is she?" Ron asked him. 

"I think she went in the library. We can go to the common room and wait for her," Harry suggested to Ron. Harry and Ron headed towards the Gryffindor Tower. They were turning down the corridor where Sir Cadogan's portrait laid with Neville in front of him telling him how he must have lost the piece of paper with the passwords on when Harry spotted something. He paused for a moment as he stared down another corridor. He could see a man crutched down leaning over a suitcase. 

"Hey!" Harry called out while he started to walk down the corridor. The man turned to peer over his shoulder. Harry froze on the spot, his eyes and mouth opening wide open. The man was none other than Barty Crouch Jr. Harry had thought Barty was finally out of their lives, but it seemed as if he had returned. Barty's frown slowly twisted into a smirk before he grabbed hold of the suitcase and vanished right on the spot in a swirl. Harry shook his head in disbelief. 

"Bloody hell! Wait-- I thought you couldn't apparate in or out of Hogwarts?" Ron asked, turning to face Harry. 

"Seems like Barty figured it out." Harry said as he turned around and began jogging away, "Come on! We have to warn Hermione!"