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Chapter 336: Holding Hands and A Warning for Hermione
🕑 Added 2025-03-31 08:04:31 +0000 UTCA long and quiet corridor stretched across the second floor of the castle, its atmosphere tinged with an eerie stillness.
On one side, it led to Madam Pomfrey’s office and the infirmary; on the other, it connected to the ever-moving staircases of Hogwarts.
The midday sunlight filtered through the windowpanes, casting fragmented shadows onto the cold stone floor.
Standing at the entrance of the infirmary, Ino’s gaze idly drifted toward the far end of the corridor, where two familiar figures walked side by side—Hermione and Ginny.
A ripple of thought surfaced in his mind. Despite all the burdens Harry had to bear, he was lucky in some ways—especially when it came to Ginny, who had always remained steadfast in her trust and care for him.
From a distance, the two Gryffindor girls also noticed Ino standing at the infirmary door.
Hermione, in particular, lit up with surprise and delight.
"Ino!" Her clear, melodious voice rang through the corridor.
Her tone carried an unmistakable note of joy, and her long strides unconsciously quickened.
"Are you here to see Harry too? I came with Ginny—she hasn’t been acting like herself lately, and I was worried about her."
As she approached, Hermione explained softly, her eyes flickering toward Ginny now and then, as if waiting for confirmation.
She hadn't expected to see Ino here. Originally, she had planned to drop Ginny off and then personally seek him out to congratulate him.
This unexpected meeting was a pleasant surprise, but at the same time, there were things that needed to be said.
"As a friend, you’re doing the right thing. She does seem… unsettled," Ino observed, his tone casual as he waved off any unnecessary concern.
As the two spoke, Ginny finally caught up to Hermione and reached the infirmary entrance.
"Good morning, Mr. Swinburne!" Though visibly preoccupied, Ginny remained polite.
"Just Ino is fine," he replied naturally.
Unlike with George and Fred, Ino hadn't had many interactions with Ginny. Aside from that incident in second year with the diary, he had barely spoken to her one-on-one.
"If you want to see Harry, now’s the best time. He’s still asleep, but once more people start arriving, Madam Pomfrey will likely limit visits. But don’t worry—his injuries aren’t serious."
Ino had always admired Ginny in a way—her unwavering determination and loyalty were truly commendable.
Perhaps his admiration was too obvious, because just as he finished speaking, he felt a sharp kick against his boot.
Turning his head, he found Hermione looking up at the ceiling, feigning complete innocence, as if she had nothing to do with it.
Ginny, unable to hold back her amusement, covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
Hearing that Harry wasn’t seriously hurt eased some of her worry, but she was still determined to see him.
After casting Hermione a quick, encouraging glance, Ginny stepped into the infirmary.
With Ginny gone, the corridor fell silent once more.
After a moment, Hermione broke the stillness. "He’s really okay?"
"As far as I can tell, yes," Ino nodded slightly.
"Alright, but more importantly—I haven’t congratulated you yet. A perfect score—well deserved!" Hermione lifted her head, her expression genuine.
Ever since their shared secret in the Room of Requirement, their relationship had subtly shifted, drawing them closer.
The most noticeable change was that Hermione no longer blushed or grew flustered around him. Now, she met his gaze directly, without hesitation.
"Thanks! But it was just a game," Ino replied with a light chuckle, not avoiding her eyes either.
The quiet corridor seemed frozen in time as the two stood there, simply looking at each other.
Then, with a soft click, the silence was broken.
The infirmary door swung open again, and both of them instinctively turned toward the sound.
A tall figure, cloaked in flowing black robes, stood at the threshold.
For a rare moment, Severus Snape looked… awkward.
He hesitated in the doorway, as if caught between entering and leaving, seemingly unsure of what to do.
"Good afternoon, Professor Snape!" Hermione was the first to recover, greeting him warmly.
Deep down, she was genuinely grateful to him.
Had it not been for that pair of two-way mirrors and the vial of Felix Felicis she had found in the Potions classroom…
At the time, she hadn't fully understood the significance of those moments. But looking back now, she could see the pattern—a pattern that pointed to the very professor standing before them.
Wanting to spare Snape any further discomfort, Hermione made a quick decision.
Without a second thought, she grabbed Ino’s hand and pulled him along the corridor.
Ino, momentarily caught off guard, barely had time to react.
Before he could utter a single word to Snape, he was already being led away by Hermione’s determined grip.
Standing at the infirmary entrance, Snape watched their retreating figures in silence.
His expression was unreadable.
As they walked, Hermione made no move to let go.
Even after leaving the infirmary behind, she continued striding forward, her fingers still wrapped firmly around his.
Noticing this, Ino didn’t comment.
Instead, he simply adjusted his grip, shifting from being passively led to actively walking beside her, fingers interlocking with hers in a seamless, natural motion.
A quiet yet unmistakable transformation.
Perhaps it had started from the moment he accepted Hermione’s Felix Felicis.
Perhaps all relationships began the moment one person became indebted to another.
Feeling the warmth in her palm, Hermione couldn’t help but smile slightly.
They walked at a leisurely pace, but their steps remained perfectly in sync.
After a while, Ino finally spoke.
"For now, it’s best if you don’t spend too much time around Harry."
Hermione looked up, startled. "Because of the Unforgivable Curse?"
"Not exactly," Ino shook his head. "There’s more to it than that."
A brief silence fell between them as he weighed his words.
Eventually, he decided she needed to know.
"Hermione, there’s something you should be aware of—but this is something only you should know."
He stopped walking, his tone turning serious.
"Harry… isn’t quite himself right now. And it’s not his fault. Think of it as a curse—something left behind by dark magic."
Over the next few minutes, Ino explained the severity of the situation as best as he could—leaving out only the details about Voldemort and the Horcruxes.
By the end, Hermione’s eyes were wide with shock.
"Oh, Merlin…" she whispered, her voice filled with disbelief.
She had thought this was just a momentary concern, a precautionary measure—but she hadn’t expected it to be this grave.
Then, a horrifying thought struck her.
"Wait—Ginny’s still in there!" she gasped, spinning around to look back down the corridor.
Before she could take a step, Ino reached out and caught her wrist.
"It’s not that bad—yet," he reassured her. "And right now, Harry’s still asleep from Madam Pomfrey’s potions. He won’t wake up anytime soon."
Hermione hesitated, her eyes filled with uncertainty.
"But… Dumbledore—he must know, right? He has to have a plan to fix this… doesn’t he?"
Her voice wavered slightly.
