Who to Choose? (Finished)

Chapter Twenty-Four: Protego

The next day, I dragged my body out of bed. My arms were still sore from last night. I kicked off the covers and went down to the Gryffindor common room. I sat at the couch, thinking about what we just saw last night. I'm pretty sure Harry got hit by the shocking news hard because he went straight to bed last night without saying a word. I waited for him to come down, wanting to have a small talk with my best friend. But instead of Harry, my other best friend came down.

"Hey, Hermione. What happened?" Ron asked, plopping down the couch beside me. "Last night?"

I took a deep breath and told him everything. I see Ron was stunned by what I've told him. No one said anything until Harry finally came down with dark circles under his red eyes. He has been crying.

Ron stood up and took Harry's arm. When the three of us were seated, Ron started "Mate, wow. That was a huge blow."

Harry simply nodded and stared at the fire. Then he said, "I don't know if I wish I've never seen it or if I wish that I have seen it earlier. If I should be angry, or sad. Or thankful."

I stared at him for a moment, lost for words. I knew he needed us. I knew he wouldn't be able to face the last task with such burden. He gotta shake it off somehow. And that's the hard part.

"Harry. I don't know how to break this to you but.." I stopped, unsure of what to say next. "But you gotta fix yourself. You can't hold on to this forever. Especially right now that the next task is just around the corner."

Ron stood up towering over me "Hermione! Are you nuts?! How can you tell Harry to forget about it?! Blimey, if YOU just learned that the person whom you hated so much almost become your father do you think you can just shrug it off? If you just learned that the person whom you loathe somehow hated your dad and loved your mum? Or can you believe that the person who makes your life a living hell was your mum's childhood friend? Huh? Bet you can just dump it in the trash like it's nothing?!"

My face grew hot. I didn't mean that! I stood up facing Ron "I didn't say that! Do you think I'd like that, huh?! I'm merely trying to keep him alive Ronald! Do you think Harry can just go there and face the task unprepared? He'd die! It seems like you don't care!"

"Now I don't care? Looks like you’re speaking about yourself! Yeah, that's you! A selfish and insufferable Know-it-all!"

"It's better than you...you!.." I stopped weighing my words carefully. I know we're in a heat of a fight but I don't really mean all the nasty things I say about him. I looked him in the eye "Listen Ronald, I may be an insufferable know-it-all but at least I'm doing my best to help Harry. Not slinking around, snogging girls while my best friend is on death's grasp."

I knew I'd hit him where it hurt. His face went red and shouted "Why? You Jelly? Just because you don't have a guy doesn't mean you have the right to throw your anger at those who have relationships! Just shut up."

It was my turn to get hit. My eyes were stinging of tears but I knew I can't afford to lose. I drew my wand out the same time he did and I snapped "You and your big mouth !! Petrificus Tota-"

"Protego!"

Before I knew it, there was a somewhat protective barrier between me and a stunned Ronald. I stared at Harry wide-eyed "How did you do that?"

As Harry lowered his wand, the barrier disappeared. "I-I don't know.." He stammered.

I glanced at Ron who seems to be a bit cooled down at the moment. Then I focused my attention to Harry. "Do it again.."

"Protego!" He exclaimed and another shield of light came out from the tip of his wand. 

"Direct yourself behind it." I ordered which Harry obeyed. I gave Ron a slight nod and as if he instantly knew what I meant, both of us pointed our wands at Harry and said "Stupefy!" 

We watched as a jet of scarlet light hit the shield and bounced off towards another direction, causing a nearby vase to shatter.

"Harry.." Ron and me said, impressed.

"I don't know! I just saw the spell in one of the books while Hermione and I are researching at the library. It was my first time to do it." Harry explained.

Then it hit me "Shield Charm. It creates a magical barrier to deflect physical entities and spells! Harry you're brilliant!" 

"I am?" He asked, smiling a bit.

I nodded with a grin across my face "I knew you can-" Then I stopped remembering my fight with Ron. I looked at the floor then up to Harry's eyes "Are you okay?"

He let out a sigh and glanced at Ron. "She's right Mate. I need to live throughout this tournament. I need to focus and concentrate." He took a deep breath and continued "I'll be lying if I say that that entry didn't bother me because it did. I refuse to believe it until this moment. I realized that there's nothing I could do about it anymore. I'm thankful that mum chose dad over that bitter greasy slug."

I can't help but laugh at that. The boys gave me a quizzical look then joined in with my laughter. It was a sign that my fight with Ron is over and forgotten as if it never existed.

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We spent the next few days at the library researching for more useful spells or at an empty classroom trying to master it or near the lake just having a breeze. Ron has been spending a surprisingly more time with us after our fight. He just left to tell the other champions about the third task then he stuck around with us.

The week turned into days and the days turned into hours. That Night before the third task, I had that nightmare again. This time, there was more..

I was walking along this grassy path; I noticed I was trying to stop the flow of blood that was coming out of my right shoulder. Ignoring the pain, I continued walking before I tripped then a gust of cold wind pierced into my skin. I then realized that I was under Harry's invisibility cloak. I gathered it up and draped it over me to 1.) Keep myself from shivering and 2.) Keep myself hidden and safe.

After that, I saw everything again. Diggory pinning my friend against a tree with his wand, then the blackout then the flash of green light. I started crying again and shaking Harry's cold body sprawled across the ground. Before I completely woke up, A voice called out "This is it Granger. This is the end."

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I jolted upright, panting in my bed. I quickly kicked off the covers and went down the stairs. I saw Neville climb down from the boys’ dormitory.

"Good Morning, Neville! Have you seen Ron and Harry? Are they upstairs?" I asked.

Neville yawned and answered "Nah. They came down a few hours ago. Why?"

I shook my head and thanked him before climbing out the portrait hole. I went to the Great Hall to see if they were grabbing some breakfast but they're not there. I searched for them in our usual places but they are nowhere to be found. I was on the verge of giving up when I bumped into Cedric.

"Hey." I said.

He continued walking away and I chased after him. "I said hey!" 

He stopped to look with cold eyes. "What?"

Then I remembered we had this fight not a few days ago. 

~Why do I always get into fights with guys these days?!~

"Well, I was wondering if you had seen Harry-"

"Harry? Harry again? Why is it always him huh? Harry here, Harry there. UGH! I'm sick and tired of him being under the spotlight all the time. Now he managed to take even you away from me."

"What do you mean? I've never been yours Cedric, you know that."

"Whatever. Here's just one thing I gotta say. I'm winning this tournament and I'm winning over the boy who lived. Whatever it takes." Then he started to jog away from me.

"What the Heck, Diggory?!" I called out after him but it is either he was too far away to hear me or he just simply doesn't care.

"Fine." I muttered "The real battle begins now."