Fulfilling Obligations (Harmione)

Chapter 7: Time in the Library

Harry awoke the next morning feeling rested-an exceedingly rare occurrence over the course of the last year. As he stretched loose his tight muscles, he spared a glance over at Ron's four-poster and found it empty of not just Hermione, but Ron as well. Directing his eyes towards the clock on his bedside table, he saw that it was 7:54 in the morning. Not terribly early, but early for Ronald Weasley.

Swinging his legs from his bed, Harry made his way to the bathroom and showered quickly, curious as to where Ron had gone. Upon further self-appraisal, he performed a simple hair-removal spell to eliminate the scruff covering his cheeks. For once in his life, he would have rather liked to have a haircut, but had no desire to try it himself-with his luck he'd end up butchering it. Perhaps he would ask Hermione; while certainly no expert herself, she had done a passable job of it before.

After he had pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, Harry snatched up his wand and exited the dormitory. The common room was completely empty, which was not much of a revelation. Undoubtedly the handful of occupants in the castle were either sleeping or having breakfast in the Great Hall.

He was a bit more surprised to see the Great Hall was empty. Sitting down at one of the ten place settings situated at the table, he was immediately rewarded with a bowl of oatmeal. In no way belligerent over the somewhat meager meal, Harry ate his breakfast slowly, expecting that someone would eventually join him. When no one showed after twenty minutes, he dropped his spoon into his bowl and left the table.

Somewhat sullenly, Harry made his way slowly back up the stairs and meandered aimlessly among the corridors, not paying any special attention to where he was going. Eventually, Harry found himself in front of the library, the doors to which were shut tightly. He found this in no way peculiar, as Madam Pince had undoubted left with the other teachers.

But as he turned around to walk back the way he had come, a loud thump resounded from within the library. Curious, Harry slipped his wand from his pocket and pushed the door, which swung inward on silent hinges.

The library looked empty, and Harry decided he didn't much like an empty Hogwarts, despite his previous fondness for the handful of holidays he had spent within its walls. He had been in here alone before, but usually at night when it was forbidden to be there and in full knowledge that it would be filled with students the next day. Now, with the drapes drawn over the windows and no students milling around the bookcases, it felt abandoned. The only light source came from the sunlit corridor he had just left, and the shafts of gold illuminated the dust particles floating through the air.

Another thump sliced through the thick silence that surrounded him. Harry's eyes darted in the direction from which he heard the noise and realized that there was another light permeating the darkness from behind a row of bookcases-a much smaller, weaker light, which was most likely coming from a candle.

Though he was not worried, Harry still kept his wand drawn.

Constant vigilance. This was a lesson from Mad-Eye that he would not soon forget.

Harry finally reached the final bookcase in the row and stepped around the corner and saw...no one.

Puzzled, he took a few steps forward and promptly went tumbling to the ground.

Momentarily stunned but still holding his wand at the ready, Harry jerked his head from left to right, searching for his attacker. Instead he saw Hermione in a heap on the floor, her lit wand beside her, looking just as dazed as he felt.

"Hermione?" Harry said, finally lowering his wand. "What're you doing here?"

Hermione blinked at him.

"Harry, you do realize this is the library, right?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course I realize that. I meant what are you doing on the ground."