The Primrose Tree: A Harry Potter Story {COMPLETE}

Chapter 3: Payback

HARRY'S P.O.V.

"So, did Madame Pomfrey tell you how long she'll be in the hospital?" Ron asked as we left the Great Hall and headed for Divination.

"Yeah," I replied. "They'll let her out in a couple of days." 

"Let who out in a couple of days?" came a voice from behind us. We turned to find Hermione walking towards us.

"She's going to go ballistic if we tell her," Ron mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.

"She's going to find out eventually if we don't tell her," I mumbled back, "then she'll be madder at us!"

"Who's in the hospital?" she asked again. Ron and I exchanged worried looks.

"Hermione," said Ron, "don't freak out when we tell you who it is, okay? We're going to break it to you slowly."

"Umm, okay," she said nervously. "Just tell me!"

Ron looked at me.

That was my cue.

"It's Cassidy," I said softly. "Cassidy's in the hospital."

"WHAT?!" she cried.

"I told you she'd flip out!" Ron said angrily.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she yelled. "What happened? Who did it? How badly is she hurt?"

People were giving us sideways glances as they passed us, looking at Hermione as if she was losing her mind.

"Hermione!" I cried, grabbing her shoulders and planting her firmly on the ground. "She's alright! She hit her head a little. Just be glad it wasn't any harder. She would've had a concussion if it had been any worse." Hermione covered her mouth in shock.

"Did someone purposely cause it?" she asked. Ron pursed his lips. I sighed.

"Telling you might not be the best thing to do right now," I said. "I think you should wait until you cool down. Or better yet, wait until Cassidy's out of the hospital."

Hermione grabbed my shoulders and pinned me against the wall, her fingernails digging into my skin. Ron tried to pull her off but, to mine and his surprise, he couldn't pull her off.

"Harry Potter!" she growled. "You will tell me who hurt my best friend right now or my nails will shred you down to your every last cell!"

I winced with pain. Her nails stung like ten little blue pixies were biting my skin.

"Don't tell her, Harry!" yelled Ron. "She'll kill him!"

"Him?" Hermione said, looking at Ron. Ron covered his mouth. Hermione retracted her nails and let her arms fall to her sides. I held my shoulders as searing pain shot through my body.

"Damn, Hermione!" I said through my teeth.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked, staring at Ron with a fearsome glare flickering in her eyes.

"I think you know the answer to that question, Hermione," said Ron quietly.

At that moment, we heard malicious laughter coming up the hallway and then, as if right on cue, Malfoy walked in, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. His nose still looked a bit swollen from when Cassidy had kicked him in the face.

"Hermione," Ron whispered, "don't." Hermione's hand began to slowly pull out the wand concealed in her robes.

"YOU VILE SCUM!" Hermione shouted. She sprinted towards him. Malfoy cried out in fear and bolted out the front doors into the Entrance Courtyard followed by Crabbe and Goyle with Hermione hot on their heels.