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BS - Chapter 22: What Happened to You?
🕑 Added 2025-07-11 13:51:13 +0000 UTCDisclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
“Dialogue”
‘Thoughts’
-Author notes-
Chapter 22: What Happened to You?
“You left her alone with him?!” Ron exclaimed when Neville brought the news.
“Nev, in case you haven’t realized yet, there is something wrong with Harry. How could you do that?” Seamus added.
“You know how Hermione gets. There is no stopping her once she makes up her mind. And I think you are exaggerating with Harry. He just snapped once…”
“He almost killed me!” Ron said with frustration.
“Come on, Ron. You have been messing with Harry the entire year. I don’t think it’s that unreasonable that… you know...”
“That he choked him with magic?” Seamus asked. “That doesn’t sound like something the Harry we knew would do.”
“We don’t know what he just went through. The Headmaster said that he and Diggory were kidnapped and…” Neville didn’t want to finish the sentence.
“And now Diggory is dead while Potter is alive.” Ron did it for him. “The cheater survives and the champion dies. Everyone knows how unfair that is.”
“Ron, stop it with the ‘cheater’ already. The tournament is over, and no one managed to prove that Harry actually cheated. So can we drop this?... It’s not helping.” Neville responded.
“I’m not trying to help. Now, let’s go find Hermione. Where did she go?” Ron asked.
“Second floor… I’ll take you there.” Neville guided Ron and Seamus to the place where he had parted ways with Hermione.
He assumed that she could not have gone too far with Harry, so they would be able to find her there.
The boys walked at a fast pace and arrived at the second-floor hall where Neville had last seen her.
“Where is she?” Ron looked around.
“I don’t know. Harry looked like he wanted to say something important, and Hermione took him somewhere more private so they could talk… it cannot be far from here. Maybe an empty classroom?” Neville suggested.
“Oh… there is that creepy bathroom that no one wants to enter because of the ghost,” Seamus added.
“Myrtle’s bathroom?” Ron was very familiar with that one. “It could be.” He recalled that Hermione had used it during their second year to brew the Polyjuice Potion, because of how private it was. “Let’s go.”
Ron went first this time, rushing through the corridors of the school while Neville and Seamus followed his steps.
He turned a corner and spotted the sign for the bathroom he was looking for, but then stopped for a moment when he realized that someone was already standing in front of the door.
“Hermione?”
“There she is,” Neville pointed.
It was indeed their friend Hermione, who was currently standing in front of the bathroom door, like she was waiting for someone to come out.
“What is she doing there?” Seamus wondered.
Ron ignored his question and went towards the girl. “Hermione!”
She heard him and turned to face him. “Ron… what is it?”
Ron felt that her tone was much colder than usual. These last few months, the two of them had gotten closer and he thought they were getting somewhere in their relationship, even though they never spoke openly about it.
“What are you doing here? We were waiting for you at the hall, remember?”
“I had something to do.” Hermione answered, not moving from the spot and speaking in the same distant tone as before.
Ron found her attitude very off-putting. She was never like this with him, not even when they had that huge fight in the third year because of their pets.
“What’s with you? Did something happen?”
“Nothing happened to me,” Hermione said while staring at Ron almost like he was a stranger. “If you have no business with me, I will have to ask you to leave.”
Neville and Seamus glanced at each other, not understanding what was going on with their friend.
“Are you waiting for someone?” Neville pointed at the bathroom door. “And where did Harry go?”
“You cannot go in there,” Hermione simply said.
“We don’t wanna go in there. It’s a girls’ bathroom.” Seamus looked confused.
“Did you speak with Harry?” Neville asked.
“I did.” Hermione gave him a cutting response and went back to look at the door.
“And?…” Neville was waiting for a more elaborate answer, especially from someone like Hermione, who always tended to speak too much.
“The contents of our conversation are none of your concern,” Hermione simply told him.
“What?! What do you mean by that?” Ron was getting frustrated and angry by this point. “And where is Potter?”
“You cannot go in there,” Hermione repeated.
“Wait… is Harry in the bathroom?” Neville noted that both times he asked about Harry, she mentioned that they could not enter the bathroom, as if it was something she was asked to say.
“You cannot go in there.” Hermione pulled out her wand. “No matter what.” And aimed it at them.
“Whoa, Hermione… hold on,” Seamus took several steps back.
Ron and Neville were also perturbed by this and retreated away from her.
“What are you doing? Don’t point your wand at me!” Ron exclaimed.
“Could you guys keep it down?”
A voice came from the bathroom before the door opened up, revealing the figure of Harry as he came out.
“I was kinda busy in there, you know?”
“Harry!” Neville called for him.
“Potter!” Ron looked absolutely furious, to the point that he was able to overcome his previous fear of him. “What did you do to Hermione?”
“I didn't let them in.” Hermione lowered her wand and turned to speak with Harry.
Harry had a gentle smile on his face. “You did a good job, Hermione.” He patted her head. “We can leave now, my business here is concluded for now.”
“Y-you are not going anywhere.” Ron stood in their way.
Seamus and Neville looked at each other, but despite their concerns, they also stood in his way, not willing to let him leave until the situation became clear.
At this point, it was obvious to them that he had done something to Hermione, but they just didn't know what.
