HIS CHOSEN GIRL
chapter fifty one-brightest witch of our generation
[Harry's P.O.V]
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I make my way down the the Quidditch pitch, following my team feeling confident that we'll have a successful game. I scan the crowd, searching for my friends. I see Ron sitting in his usual seats, but the two beside him remain empty. Ron catches my eye and waves and I return the gesture before jerking my head towards the unoccupied seats beside him in attempt to wordlessly communicate, asking if he knows the whereabouts of the girls. He seems to catch on for he looks at the seats himself before looking back at me and shrugging.
I frown. That's incredibly weird. (y/n) nor Hermione has ever missed a Quidditch game.
~meanwhile~
Your P.O.V
"Go, you must go with the basilisk. You have a job to do."
I shake my head though I know it does no good. I do everything in my power not to give in to the voice inside my head, to resist. I know that he's using me, sending me off to kill another but the guilt that comes with is getting to be unbearable and my eyes begin to well up.
"Stop!" I yell. "I can't. Please stop doing this!" I plead with my controller as I feel myself moving towards the giant reptile.
Though the creature listens to me, I feel immensely horrified each time I come in contact with it. At this point, I really wish it'd just put me out of my misery and kill me instead.
"Go. Go withhhh the basilisk. Go to the Mudblood. Watch the color drain from her eyes." The voice instructs.
"Have you not yet been able to comprehend? You have no power here. This will all be much, much less painful for you and your little friend if you merely allow me to take control. Now go to the library and watch the color drain from the eyes of the little Mudblood girl. She knows all too much."
I look around me, as I always do trying to take in my surroundings. I know though that it'll be no use. I never remember anything of importance when he takes away the trance.
It then occurs to me. Who else would spend her time in the library rather than down with everyone else at the Quidditch game? Who else is a known Muggleborn and is the designated queen for 'knowing too much'? I begin sobbing as my feet move me faster to the exit.
"No!" I scream. "Not Hermione, please, please don't make me do this to Hermione." My feet continue to move and I let out a scream so loud that the basilisk let's out one of his own, in fear of my outburst. "Shut up you oversized snake!" I yell as it whimpers and slinks into the corner.
"Anger, yes, use this. Channel this anger and out it into your work, you'll be a natural, surely, it's in your blood. What's this? NO. You stupid girl, you're aimless protesting has thrown us off schedule! She's leaving the library. She's wondering where you are you were supposed to meet her there ten minutes ago. Oh no. Oh no, no, no, she KNOWS. Go, NOW! Kill her."
"No!" I yell back, feeling the imperio curse beginning to wear off. "Let her know. Let her tell everyone your plan and then, finally, I'll be free of you for good!"
"CRUCIO!" I fall to the ground instantly and scream out in pain, vision blurry, but I'm able to make out his figure, walking up to me slowly, an evil smile on his face. "I really, really, hate to do this, you know."
"Ginny, help!" I try to yell out though it probably comes out as more of a whisper. This is the most pain I've ever been in and I feel myself going limp.
I watch as Ginny tries to come to my aid before the figure easily shoved her back to the ground. Ginny flashes me a frightful look before looking down sadly, all she's ever wanted to do this whole time, was to help.
"Kill her," he says. He points at me while staring at the basilisk as he speaks in Parseltongue.
The basilisk remains in its corner and I feel the strength to speak up. "You know he won't listen to you. He only responds to the heir of Slytherin. That's me."
He lifts his leg and stomps it down on my back causing my face to smack harshly against the cold, chamber floor.
And that's all I remember before the world fades to black.
Harry's P.O.V
"Alright listen up," Wood announces, beginning his routinely pep talk. "We play our game, Hufflepuff doesn't stand a chance. We're stronger, quicker and smarter."
"Not to mention they're dead scared that Harry'll petrify them if they fly anywhere near him," George adds cheekily earning an eye roll from me.
"Well, that too," Oliver agrees leading us to the center of the Quidditch pitch causing me ti roll my eyes a second time. "Professor McGonagall," Wood says nodding his head at the Professor coming our way.
She holds her arms out, stopping us from continuing any further into the grassy field. "This match has been cancelled," she informs.
I look at her in disbelief. Surely she's mistaken, they can't cancel Quidditch!
"They can't cancel Quidditch," Oliver protests, reading my thoughts.
"Silence, Wood," McGonagall replies sternly. "You and your teammates will go to Gryffindor Tower. Now."
Our team collectively groans in frustration and Fred and George let out a string of curses under their breaths. I walk silently behind, disappointed as I rack my brain for possibilities as to why the match could have been cancelled. I don't make it too far though, before I hear the professor call my name. "Potter, you and I will find Mr. Weasley and Miss. (l/n). There's something you need to see," I fear the solemn look on her face and I nod urgently and follow her towards the castle.
The moment we arrive in the castle, Ron comes running over immediately. By the terrified look on his face, surely someone's informed him that the professor was looking for him.
"Ron!" I say relieved as he joins me by my side.
"Ah, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall nods. "Would you happen to know where Miss (l/n) is?"
Ron shakes his head. "I saw her just before the game but-"
"Here!" (y/n)'s voice sounds extremely out of breath as she runs over to the three of us. "I'm here, Professor."
McGonagall's eyes widen in panic when she sees the girl and I'm sure mine do the same. "Oh my heavens!" Professor McGonagall cries. "Whatever happened?"
(y/n) (l/n) has seen better days. She's got dirt and dust all over her robes. Her hair is a mess, tangled and sticking out in all directions. She's got tear stains on her face and a large bruise forming on the side of her head, just under her right eye.
I walk over to her immediately staring at her carefully. She puts on a brave face, but I can tell that she's trying not to cry.
"(y/n), what happened?"
"When I heard McGonagall was looking for me, I ran as fast as I could out of the Quidditch pitch. Unfortunately for me I didn't see Malfoy standing there with his broomstick in hand, I took a Nimbus 2001 straight to the eye and fell into the grass," she says wiping her eyes quickly.
McGonagall stared at her suspiciously, as if not believing the story. I don't blame her, I don't believe it either. No way she got that hurt from a broomstick.
Besides, Slytherin wasn't playing today.
"Well," McGonagall says finally. "It's a good thing then, that we're going to the hospital wing."
"The hospital wing?" Ron repeats her words questioningly.
"Why?" I add.
McGonagall says nothing, instead leading the way, Ron, (y/n), and I following behind. We keep a little distance from the professor and Ron leans over to (y/n).
"What really happened?" He asks.
(y/n) shrugs looking as confused as we are. "I, I don't know. It just happened again, the Imperio curse."
I look at her in frustration, not frustration towards her, more so towards myself for allowing it to happen again. "(y/n), you can't be out by yourself," I scold, unintentionally. "You've gotta be out with someone at all times, we agreed."
"I was!" She protests. "I was with Hermione in the library. I heard a stack of books being knocked over, so I went to check it out. I turned a corner and the next thing I know, I'm under the spell again. When I woke up, I was lying in the library with a splitting headache and Hermione was nowhere to be seen. I had figured she went to find you two."
Ron and I exchange a nervous glance. "I haven't seen Hermione since this morning," Ron says.
I nod in agreement. "Me neither."
(y/n) shudders. "And where is she now? Why'd McGonagall want just the three of us?"
I think about this. "I don't know, in the library still? You know how she gets when she's found a good book. Do you have any idea as to who could've cursed you?"
(y/n) looks down immediately. "Oh, yeah, I do remember that... It was Ginny," she looks fearful at the look Ron throws her way. "But she's under a spell too, it's not her fault."
Before Ron or I get the chance to react, we've arrived at the hospital wing and McGonagall pushes the doors open. "I warn you, this may come as a wee bit of a shock."
She leads us to one of the further beds and I can do nothing but stare at the horrific sight.
I close my eyes and open them again, trying desperately to shake myself out of this nightmare that since stumbled into.
On the bed lies Hermione Granger. She lays there, quiet and still, but it's not because she sleeping. It's because she's been petrified. I turn to Ron and (y/n). Ron looks deeply saddened by the frozen figure ahead of us. He approaches her slowly and takes her hand in his. (y/n) begins to cry and I pull her into my arms.
"She was found near the library... along with this," McGonagall holds up a small hand mirror and shows it to us. "Does it mean anything to any of you?"
I shake my head slowly. "No."
McGonagall sighs. "Very well. We'll give you some time alone with her," McGonagall pulls the curtain around the bed and shoos off Madam Pomfrey despite her protests of taking (y/n) to get her bruise checked out.
Once they leave, (y/n) breaks down completely, sobbing on the edge of the bed. She continues muttering 'I'm sorry' over and over again.
"This isn't your fault, (y/n)," Ron says from beside Hermione, still holding her hand close to him.
"Y-y-yes i-it is," she makes out through sobs. "It always is. I never remember it but I know it's my fault. That's how I got this bruised up, I tried to resist again. It was me. I petrified her."
Ron and I look at each other, startled at the confession and I shush her, so that Madam Pomfrey doesn't come investigate for herself.
"And you don't remember anything?" I ask. "Close your eyes and try to think past the curse."
She does as she's told and concentrates. She then stares from Hermione to the mirror and points at it. "That," she says. "I remember that."
"Ok, what about it?" I encourage.
She gets a sudden horrified look on her face. "I can hear her screaming. '(y/n), don't do this, it's not you, you can fight it'. I see her falling down to the ground and I ran over to her to see if she was alive."
She falls to the ground herself, sobbing again. Ron and I rush over to her immediately, comforting her. I wrap her up in my arms again, as Ron attempts to wipe away her tears
She eventually falls asleep on our arms, tear stained cheeks red from crying. Madam Pomfrey instructs us to leave her in the hospital wing for the night, and tells us we're free to stop by first thing tomorrow morning. We help her place (y/n) in the bed next to Hermione's.
Ron and I walk back to our common room in silence, nothing really to say. There's an unspoken fear that one of us will end up petrified beside Hermione. We've got to figure this out, and soon.
And without the brightest witch of our generation, that may be easier said than done.
Ron and I rush beside her and I pull her into my arms again while Ron puts his hand on her arm and tries to wipe away her tears. The next hour goes by quickly. We continue trying to calm her down and eventually she falls asleep. Cute. I think to myself and smile down at her. Ron and I lift her up and put her on the hospital bed next to Hermione's. Madam Pomfrey thanks us and begins mending her cuts so Ron and I walk back to the common room. And all I can think about is how we're gonna fix this now without the brightest witch of our generation to help us.
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