Chapter 236
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Yeah! Here's the new chapter!
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After I left the teachers' stand I went to the stand where my friends were, and when I got there I found them talking and whispering to each other excitedly.
They were so engrossed in their conversations that they didn't even notice my arrival, and from where I was I could hear them talking about the Dementors' invasion and the Headmaster's Patronus.
"Ethan?" Luna called to me softly, and looking to the side I saw that she was separated from the group, hugging each other as she looked at me shivering every now and then.
I was confused, until I saw her looking up in the direction the Dementors had left and I felt emotions of fear coming from her.
'Oh shit' I thought, and immediately went to her.
"It's okay Luna, they're gone," I said, coming to her side and hugging her with one arm, while with the other I raise my wand to use the umbrella spell to protect us from the rain that was falling.
Luna, listening to me just nodded, not wanting to say anything, and realizing this I turned to my friends who were still talking.
"Hey guys, let's go back to the castle!" I called, and my friends turned to look at me.
Terry and Anthony seeing Luna in my arms raised their eyebrows, but when they noticed her sad look, they decided not to comment.
As for the girls, they immediately came close to Luna, noticing her sadness and trying to cheer her up.
Luna answered a few questions, but mostly she was silent, and that worried our friends.
Seeing that the rain was getting heavier and noticing the sad and tense mood in the air we started to leave the Quidditch pitch to go back inside the castle, and I noticed that Harry had already been taken to the hospital wing and that the crowd of students in the field were leaving too.
'Why did Harry faint if he wasn't so close to the Dementors? At most he should have been annoyed by their presence' I thought frowning looking up at the sky in contemplation.
I knew that it was not possible to measure the extent of the negative effects of Dementors, as it changed from person to person depending on the anguish and sadness that they were hiding within themself, but as far as I can remember, Harry shouldn't have so many negative memories and emotions stored within himself to suffer so much from the exposure of the Dementors from such a far distance.
'Something's not right' I thought with a frown. I then sighed and looked back, seeing that the Headmaster's Patronus was still, hovering in the sky looking everywhere looking for any enemy.
'I'm not a counselor or a therapist, but I think I'm going to have to talk to Harry about it'
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-Hospital Wing-
[POV – Hermione]
'Please Harry, wake up soon' I begged, looking worriedly at Harry.
After Headmaster Dumbledore chased all the Dementors out of the castle's surroundings, Professor McGonagall came to the field and took the unconscious Harry to the Hospital Wing, and after a few minutes of inspection Madam Pomfrey said he just needed to rest, and that soon he would wake up.
And now here I was, sitting on the side of his bed watching his still, pale body under the covers, feeling a feeling of worry and fear rising in my chest.
"Do you think he's going to be okay?" Ron asked me with concern, sitting in a chair on the other side of Harry's bed.
He, like me, was looking at Harry's pale complexion, noticing that every now and then he frowned like he was having a nightmare, which was quite possible considering his senior year and his bad sleep.
"I don't know," I said in a low voice, taking Harry's hand.
"Urgh... Why did the dementors have to attack today?!" Ron asked irritably, "And why is it always Harry who suffers the most from their presence?"
I think I knew the answer to Ron's second question, but even knowing the answer I didn't want to accept it, or even talk about it.
"He was very close to the dementors when they appeared dear, so the effects were stronger on him" Madam Pomfrey, who had arrived with a tray of potions and two mugs of hot chocolate, said softly, in a different tone than we were used to.
"Being exposed to so many of these creatures... Poor child," she said with a sigh, and I realized that just like us she was worried about Harry too.
She then put the tray on the little table next to the bed and picked up the mugs, handing one to each of us.
"Here, have a drink. You're still soaking wet and probably cold, the hot chocolate will warm you up," she said, smiling slightly at us.
"Thanks" Ron said taking the mug but still looking at Harry.
"Thanks," I said too, smiling softly at her.
"You're welcome," she said. Madam Pomfrey then pulled out her wand and waved it at us, drying our clothes with a spell.
Madam Pomfrey then turned and left, leaving us alone while she went to check on Wood, who was also suffering from the effects of prolonged exposure to the Dementors, but not as badly as Harry.
Taking a sip of hot chocolate, I glanced over at Ron who had his mug down, frowning while looking at Harry, lost in thought.
"Hey Mione?" he called out to me, and I looked up at him, resting my mug on my lap.
"Yea?" I asked.
"Do you think the Dementors' presence affects Harry that much because of his memories of the day he... Well, you know," he said, pointing to his forehead at the end, "He said he heard a woman's voices begging and screaming when the dementors attacked him on the train, and that afterwards he only saw a green light... Do you think he was replaying the memories of when You-Know-Who attacked him?"
"Sigh... Yeah, I think that's what he sees when the Dementors are around," I said, looking down sadly, not saying that I thought there were more bad things the Dementors showed Harry.
"Damn it" Ron swore, balling his hands into a fist and squeezing them tightly.
And I didn't even bother to censor his language, because for the first time I also wanted to curse about this situation.
'Sigh… I just hope you get well soon' I thought looking at Harry, running a hand through his messy hair and seeing the tension in his face ease.
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-Room of Requirement-
"They did what?!" Sirius yelled, getting up from the couch and looking at me in panic and anger.
"Sigh... The Dementors invaded the Quidditch pitch, and Harry fainted from their presence" I said for what would be the fifth time.
"Damn! I should have been there to protect him!" Sirius swore, balling his hand into a fist.
He then started pacing back and forth in frustration, before lifting his hands to cup his head.
And I stared at him, allowing him to rant while cursing the Dementors and Fudge about various things no child should hear.
After nearly half an hour of Sirius pacing around in anger and worry, he began to calm down.
"Sigh…damn," he said, sitting down heavily on the couch across from me.
"I know I can't ask you not to be worried or annoyed, but just know that Harry is fine, and that he hasn't been harmed," I said, trying to reassure Sirius.
"...That's good" He said after a while.
'Well, no physical harm at least' was my thought, but I wisely kept silent.
"I'm starting to think it would be better if I went far away from Hogwarts" Sirius said, and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"And what would that help?" I asked.
"Well, if any Muggles saw me somewhere far away from Hogwarts, maybe Fudge would decide to remove the Dementors from around the castle," he said with a shrug.
"I highly doubt it," I huffed, knowing this would be a rational and intelligent decision, but Fudge isn't known for his rationality and intelligence.
"Yes... Me too" Sirius sighed, lowering his head.
Looking at Sirius I could see that he was still annoyed that the Dementors had attacked his godson, and sad that he thought he was to blame for it and that he couldn't be there to defend him.
Deciding to cheer him up a bit, I changed the subject.
"Well, changing the subject, I talked to my influential friends, and they said they would help us once we explained the situation properly to them," I said, and that immediately caught Sirius' attention.
"Serious?" he asked.
"That would be you," I said, glad to finally be able to use this joke, which apparently also amused Sirius judging by the slight twitch of his lips.
"It's been a long time since I heard that," he said lightly, nostalgia in his eyes.
He then shook his head and refocused on the matter at hand.
"Well, for me to meet up with those friends of yours we're going to need this, right?" he said using his thumb to point to his back, where in one corner of the room was the newly repaired Vanishing Cabinet.
And I wasn't surprised that he figured out why I wanted the Vanishing Cabinet fixed so quickly.
"Yes" I said, "And I know my friends will help us after we explain the situation to them, and after that then we'll just need to come up with a plan to exonerate you"
"You say we just need to come up with a plan, but actually you already have a plan in mind, right?" he asked, already knowing the answer to that question, and I smiled at him.
"Maybe…" I said slowly.
I then got a mischievous look, and as soon as Sirius saw that look of mine he recognized it as the same look he and his Marauder friends used to get before they got into some big trouble.
He then started to laugh lightly, realizing that something bad and very troublesome was about to happen to someone.
End.
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(End AN: My sister's baby was born and there was a mess here at home, and that's why I was busy this whole week.
Sorry for the lack of chapters, but sometimes some unforeseen things happen.)