Never Too Young To Die

My Fault

~HAZELINE~

Yes, it was me who pretty much destroyed Harry's room and dorm but I had to get the diary off him. He couldn't go through what I'd been through. I wouldn't allow it. I had a little bit of a hard time finding the diary. So what. It's not like the room was tidy before.

"Miss Lestrange," Professor McGonnagal's voice snapped me out of my trance.

"Y-yes?" I stammered.

"I need you to find Mr Potter and Mr Weasley and come with me." Her face was grim, which made my fear spark.

"Why?"

"It's Miss Granger."

I sprinted out of the stands to find Ron and Harry as soon as I heard that. Hermione was at the library, right? What could've possibly happened at the library? That was Hermione's favourite place in the whole school. She should've been safe if there were other people in the library. Wouldn't they have seen something?

"Ron!" I yelled, quickly covering my mouth after. "Come quick!"

He ran from the stands, almost knocking me over. "What is it?"

I ignored his question. "Where's Harry?"

He went red, saying, "is that all?"

"No, Ron you have to get Harry and come with me. It's Hermione." His face darkened.

"What happened?" He demanded.

"I don't know," I said miserably. "But we have to get to the hospital wing NOW!"

He nodded, racing off to where the Gryffindors were having a 'team talk'. A few minutes later they were both by my side, panting and coughing. Harry looked ready to fight somebody and Ron looked concerned.

"Let's go!" I said, taking off up the hill and through the castle to the hospital wing.

We burst through the doors and my heart sank into my stomach. Hermione didn't look good at all. I walked over to her and almost fell backwards when I saw her condition. She was petrified.

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I wanted to scream. This was all my fault. If I hadn't been so weak, if I hadn't opened that bloody chamber and let that stupid monster out none of this would've happened. Hermione is petrified now and it's my fault. Partly Tom's as well, but mostly mine. I am so incredibly stupid.

"Oh my gosh," I whispered, running over to her and grabbing her cold hand.

I knew it was dumb but I couldn't help it when I saw Hermione's face. I started sobbing and it wasn't quiet.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered to her.

Ron and Harry looked to shocked to move, they were just staring at her blankly. I realised that there was another petrified girl next to Hermione, a Ravenclaw prefect. I think her name was Penelope but I wasn't sure. She was rigid as well, because of me.

"How?" Ron asked. "How did this happen?"

"We are not entirely sure," McGonnagal said. "But we're lucky she only saw the monster in the mirror, otherwise her condition could've been far worse."

"Worse?" Ron muttered, but I didn't have the energy to tell him off.

"How long will it take for her to be cured?" Harry asked.

McGonnagal shrugged. "The Mandrakes are almost ready, so quite soon. Don't worry your friend is going to alright."

Her words were stuck in my head for the rest of the day. Hermione would be alright, eventually. I would make sure of it. Even if it was my fault she was there in the first place, she was brave and without her we would never get anywhere. Hermione is one of my best friends, she'll be alright.

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"You three better get to dinner," McGonnagal said, after the two hours we had been sitting by Hermione's side trying to figure out how it happened.

"Wow," Ron said. "We've been here for ages."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "We should go. Come on, Hazel."

I sighed. "Alright then. I'll come back tomorrow."

We left the hospital wing in silence until we reached the great hall. We had literally been sitting for two seconds and I looked over to see Ron already stuffing chicken wings down his throat.

"Ron," I said. "Do you even swallow?"

Ron ignored my question. "Are we going to see Hagrid now Harry?"

"Wait, what do you mean? Why do we need to see Hagrid?" I questioned.

"Oh," Harry said. "I found this diary-" I stiffened, dropping my fork into my mashed potatoes. "-and this guy called Tom showed me this vision kind of from the past. I think Hagrid knows what happened last time the chamber was opened. I told Ron and Hermione that I was going ask Tom more about what happened, but the diary's been stolen from me so now I have to go to Hagrid and ask him."

I had lost my appetite. "A-are you s-sure we should go now?"

"Hazel," Ron said. "You don't have to come if you don't want to."

"No. I'll c-come. Harry do you have the invisibility cloak?"

"Yeah. You should really eat something before we go," Harry said.

"I'm not hungry."

"Well, okay then. Let's go." We all crept out of the hall, trying to avoid glares and smirks.

Everyone still hated me, obviously but at least some people liked me. I mean, I would never have expected that many cards on Valentine's Day. I didn't expect one. But what made me happiest was that Harry seemed upset by everyone taking such a sudden liking to me. It meant that there was a chance he cared about me.

I ran down the hill to Hagrid's with Ron and Harry trailing behind me. Harry banged on the door loudly and finally Hagrid emerged from his hut.