Poisoned Youth | ✓

60- Terrifying Twosome

Forcing Hermione to go to bed, I stayed next to Harry the entire time he was delirious. Constantly, he would make up screaming and crying, only to pass out again. Sweat lined his body and I did everything to keep his fever down from giving him muggle medicine to placing wet socks and towels on his forehead and limbs.

"Harry?" I panicked as his body began to shake. "Harry, stop it!" I cried, trying to move him to his side as best I could.

Harry shot up from the bed and opened his eyes. He was shaking with terror rather than having a seizure as he had done once before. I let out a breath of relief as I pushed him back down on the bed, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a cold towel.

"We got away," said Harry looking around at the tent.

"Yes, Hermione and I had to use a Hover Charm to get you into your bunk, we couldn't lift you," I shook my head.

At the sound of our voices, Hermione stirred awake and sighed in relief at the sight of Harry being conscious.

"Harry, you're up!" she said and sat on the edge of Harry's bed.

"You've been ill," I said softly. "Quite ill."

"How long ago did we leave?"

"Hours ago," Hermione answered. "It's nearly morning."

"And I've been... what, unconscious?"

"Not exactly," I said uncomfortably. "You've been shouting and moaning and...things."

Harry looked terrified.

"The Horcrux," I said, touching his chest, "it... melted into your chest. It was stuck to you. Hermione had to use a Severing Charm to get it off."

Harry looked down his shirt to look at the wound.

"And," I added, "the snake bit you, but I've cleaned the wound and put some dittany on it, along with a crushed paste."

Harry pulled up his sleeve and looked at the half-healed puncture marks on his forearm and shook his head, "Where've you put the Horcrux?"

"In my bag," said Hermione, "I think we should keep it off for a while."

"We shouldn't have gone to Godric's Hollow. It's my fault, it's all my fault— I put you guys in danger, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. We wanted to go too; I really thought Dumbledore might have left the sword there," I sighed.

"What happened, Harry?" Hermione whispered after a bit of silence. "What happened when she took you upstairs? Was the snake hiding somewhere? Did it just come out and attack you guys?"

"We had found blood in one of her cupboards and I thought something had... I don't know," I said.

"No," Harry shook his head. "She was the snake— the snake was her."

"W-what?" Hermione breathed.

"Bathilda must've been dead a while. That's probably the blood you found," Harry explained. "The snake w-was inside her. You-Know-Who put it there in Godric's Hollow, to wait. You were right. He knew I'd go back."

"The snake was inside her?"

"Lupin said there would be magic we'd never imagined," Harry said. "She didn't want to talk in front of you guys because it was Parseltongue, all Parseltongue—"

"We had heard it through the vents," I said. "I was confused..."

"But the snake sent a message to You-Know-Who, I heard it happen inside my head, I felt him get excited, he said to keep me there...and then..."