Voices (HP Fanfic)

Chapter 11: Hermione's Helping Hand

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." -Charles R. Swindoll

Chapter 11: Hermione's Helping Hand

Penelope's POV:

"What do you mean he raped you?" Harry questioned.

"Just like I said, he raped me, Harry." I muttered. Harry grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the Gryffindor common rooms. Once there he mumbled the password and he dragged me inside.

Third Person POV:

As Hermione had predicted, the sixth years' free periods were not the hours of blissful relaxation Ron had anticipated, but times in which to attempt to keep up with the vast amount of homework they were being set. Not only were they studying as though they had exams every day, but the lessons themselves had become more demanding than ever before. Harry barely understood half of what Professor McGonagall said to them these days; even Hermione had had to ask her to repeat instructions once or twice. Incredibly, and to Hermione's increasing resentment, Harry's best subject had suddenly become Potions, thanks to the Half-Blood Prince. Nonverbal spells were now expected, not only in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but in Charms and Transfiguration too. Harry frequently looked over at his classmates in the common room or at mealtimes to see them purple in the face and straining as though they had overdosed on U-No-Poo; but he knew that they were really struggling to make spells work without saying incantations aloud. It was a relief to get outside into the greenhouses; they were dealing with more dangerous plants than ever in Herbology, but at least they were still allowed to swear loudly if the Venomous Tentacula seized them unexpectedly from behind. One result of their enormous workload and the frantic hours of practicing nonverbal spells was that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had so far been unable to find time to go and visit Hagrid. He had stopped coming to meals at the staff table, an ominous sign, and on the few occasions when they had passed him in the corridors or out in the grounds, he had mysteriously failed to notice them or hear their greetings.

"We've got to go and explain," Hermione said, looking up at Hagrid's huge empty chair at the staff table the following Saturday at breakfast.

"We've got Quidditch tryouts this morning!" Ron said with a huff. "And we're supposed to be practicing that Aguamenti Charm from Flitwick! Anyway, explain what? How are we going to tell him we hated his stupid subject?"

Harry was not listening as he noticed Penelope was sitting away from her normal friends that she sat with during breakfast. He wished his sister would not let this consume her. But everyone dealt with it in their own ways.

"Harry are you even listening?" Hermione asked, as she followed his train of sight. "Penelope is going to be okay."

"She is a tough dude, remember?" Ron said as he stuffed his face. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to Harry.

"Remember what happened back in second year?" Hermione asked, "When she came face to face with the Basilisk?"

"Yeah I know she punched it in the nose. How could I forget. She broke three bones in her hand after doing that. But how is she going to recover from this, Hermione?" Harry retorted, "She was rapped."

Harry whispered the last part so no one at the table would hear him.

Penelope's POV:

I pushed my food around on my plate, not even eating it. I felt someone touch my shoulder. I looked up and saw Severus's face.

"Dumbledore wants to speak with you. As do I." he said in a low voice. I nodded and followed him out of the Great Hall. I saw Harry look at me and I gave him a reassuring smile and a nod.