Healing the Broken

Chapter 14- Hermione Is Sent To St. Mungo's

"Out of the way!" Professor McGonagall barks. She as well as Professor Slughorn and Madam Rosmerta hurry through the hall, students parting to make way for them. Heads turn, and everyone they pass by gasps as soon as they see what they're carrying.

McGonagall passes by Harry and Ron. "Potter, Weasley! Come with me to the Hospital Wing now!"

They follow behind Madam Rosmerta who is at the very end. The three of them were carrying a person on a stretcher by the looks of it. Rosmerta and the other two bloc Harry and Ron's view of the person on the stretcher, and the most they can see is a shoe dangling over the side. McGonagall kicks the Hospital Wing doors open, yelling for Madam Pomfrey, who comes running out.

"Oh my! What happened to her?" Madam Pomfrey asks as they set the stretcher down on the bed. Her?

Harry's heart races as he thinks about how they never found Hermione. "She had her parents and Narcissa Malfoy with her. Somehow she managed to save all of them, even with her condition."

"She's the brightest witch of her age, should have expected as much." Slughorn says, wiping his brow. "Is she going to be okay, Pomfrey?"

Madam Pomfrey frowns. "I can't figure out how to fix her... I've never seen this spell before. it shows a faint trace of Episky, which I'm guessing she tried... but it doesn't look like it helped, just dulled the rush of blood long enough for her to leave. I tried to use it, a stronger version, but it isn't working, she's still bleeding..."

"Maybe Potter or Weasley will know what it is." McGonagall turns around, finally giving them a view of the person in the bed, though they already had a very good guess.

"Hermione!" They both cry, rushing to her side. Harry takes in her appearance, both he and Ron crying silent tears. They had never seen her this tore up before. Small cuts and bruises were everywhere, followed by long gashes. She was pale and sweating, and her shirt was stained with blood. Her stomach was cut open in two long and deep gashes, caused by...

"Sectumsempra." Harry says. "One of them used Sectumsempra. It's a spell made up by Snape, and I've used it before, not knowing what it did. I used it on Malfoy, but Snape healed him with some counter spell that I didn't know about, or at least, I don't know what it is."

"How did you learn about this spell, Potter?" McGonagall demands as Madam Pomfrey tries her best to mop up the blood, but it isn't working well. She keeps bleeding.

"In my sixth year I had all of that Potions fiasco where I didn't sign up but then took the class anyways... but I got a hand me down book, and it was Snape's that he had used, and it had spells and potions that he had made up scrawled all over in it."

A flicker of hope passes through McGonagall's face. "Well go get the book then!"

"I can't. It was burned in the Room of Requirement."

"It's okay Minerva. I think I can handle this, but..." Madam Pomfrey trails off. "This is dark magic, so I can't really stop it. Dark magic tends to have that 'never heal' affect, you know? However, I think if I give her a strong enough dose of wound healing potion, it will at least close up the gash over time..." She opens Hermione's mouth and tilts her head back, dumping the potion down her throat. The wound on her stomach stops bleeding, but doesn't close. McGonagall hands Harry a wet rag so he starts to wipe up all of the blood.

She then dumps a blood replenishing potion in her mouth, and wraps two rolls of white cotton bandage around the wound. She finally sits back, looking at her work. "It's not much, but it will have to do. Boys, I know this is probably not something you want to hear, but... Hermione might not make it through the night." She grabs a hospital gown and turns to the five of them. "Out now, she has to change into her gown."