Anyone But Me

Chapter Ninety

Disclaimer: The beginning section of this chapter comes directly from Ch. 25, The Seer Overheard, HP&tHBP. All credit for the scene in the Gryffindor common room (until Harry leaves to rejoin Dumbledore) goes to JKR. There might be some slight changes to the dialogue, but nothing major.

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"What did he want?" Harry stood above them, his shoulders rising and falling as he heaved. Both Hermione and Ron had frozen at his sudden rumpled appearance. His tear-glazed eyes were wild and quickly shifted between them. Her next question betrayed her immediate anxiety over what had been spoken about during his meeting with their headmaster. "Harry... Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," He snapped before rushing up to his dorm with no explanation.

"One year... Can't we have one bloody year end normally?" Ron's grumbled complaint followed his resigned packing of the beloved wizarding chess set he had just finished arranging.

Much too nervous to converse, Hermione did the same with the various old Prophets that were spread out in front of her. She had found shocking evidence of Eileen Prince's important connection to The Halfblood Prince but had wanted to tell the two boys together...

"I've got to be quick! Dumbledore thinks I'm getting my Invisibility Cloak. Listen..." Upon Harry's return, he went into a long diatribe in which he explained his dangerous plans for the evening, his sinister suspicions surrounding Draco, and Snape's presumed involvement. "...but he won't be expecting you lot to be on the watch, will he?"

She was overwhelmed by a nauseating mix of relief at not being ratted out and horrified by the danger her friend was about to place himself in. Her hands clenched the Marauder's Map protectively to her chest. "Harry..."

"I haven't got time to argue." He stated and turned, thrusting a wad of old fabric into Ron's hands. "Take this as well..."

"Thanks," Ron said, perplexed by the offer. "Er... Why do I need socks?"

Harry rolled his eyes at the idiotic inquiry. "You need what's wrapped in them, it's the Felix Felicis. Share it between yourselves and Ginny. Say goodbye to her for me. I'd better go, Dumbledore is waiting..."

"No!" She interrupted. "We don't want it. You take it! Who knows what you are going to be facing?!?"

"I'll be fine, I'll be with Dumbledore." He shook his head and they both watched as Ron pulled the golden potion from its confines. "I want to know you lot are okay.... Don't look like that, Hermione. I'll see you later..."

Before she could argue about the unlikelihood of his apprehension for their safety being warranted considering they were hours away from the end of term, he was gone. The Fat Lady's portrait hardly made a sound as it closed behind him.

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"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs. Another bolt of electricity ran from her wrist to her shoulder as she pounded on the wooden door. "Let us out! Snape!!! Anyone, please!!!"

"I don't think help is coming, Hermione..." Luna consoled gently from the corner, trying to distract her from the useless tailspin. "And Flitwick needs us."

She glared over her shoulder at the terrified witch, "Hurry up and Rennervate him."

"It didn't work! He... He is bleeding." Tears started to fall from Luna's pale grey eyes. "I don't know what else to do!"

Gods... How could she have been so wrong? How could she have agreed to split up? How could she have let herself get locked in Snape's office as her friends risked their lives fighting? How could Draco do this? After everything? He had promised... Just this morning he had sworn to meet her in Diagon Alley in a week's time...