Post by rlyzitzmollz on Jan 29, 2009 17:09:08 GMT -5
Harry was under a lot of pressure.
The N.E.W.T.S were this week, and he hadn't been able to study. His scar and been hurting like hell and he refused to tell anyone about it. He wouldn't even tell Hermione or Ron. If he told anyone, then they would start a ruckus about "The Dark Lord" coming back or something, when the truth is, that blasted scar just acted up when he was stressed.
Or, that's what he had been trying to tell himself.
It was 2 a.m. Monday morning, and he was c-r-a-m-m-i-n-g. He had to do good on these. Of course, his teachers would probably give him good grades, seeing as he finished off good ol' Voldemort.
Suddenly, Harry heard something move on the other side of the library. He pulled his dad's invisibility cloak over himself and, as quietly as he could, pushed the book he was reading back into the shelf. He crept into the isle on tiptoes and looked around.
Harry Potter had seen a lot of things in his life, but he never thought he would see something as horrendous as what he saw now.
Harry had loved Ginny. A lot. He thought they would be together forever. But the cold, hard truth was lying before him that forever had been cut short. Pulling off his Invisibility Cloak and slinging it over his arm, Harry stared at the line of blood trickling down Ginny's forehead. As he moved closer, he looked into her terror-stricken eyes. Her mouth was slightly agape, as if she had been about to cry for help. She had a cup of tea in her hands. Had she been coming to bring it to him? Well, that seemed likely, for what else would she have been doing in the library at this hour? She was sitting in a chair, leaning back against a table, but in such a manner that it looked like she had fallen into the position. The tea had spilled all over her, but when Harry took the teacup from her hands, it was still warm. His hands had gone cold. Suddenly, Ginny's beautiful face was blurred by tears.
He lifted her gingerly, and then, with her limp body slung over one shoulder and the teacup in his hand, he bolted through the library doors and down the corridor. He barely noticed the pain in his scar, and he kept running until he reached the stone gargoyle.
As he stepped onto the rotating stairway, the tears fell even harder. As soon as this was out, it was goodbye, normal life. Goodbye to the way things used to be. Why was it that whenever Harry Potter was at Hogwarts, something went wrong? It started his first year, with Voldemort, and ended this year, with Voldemort, and now He was gone, and Ginny had to die?!? Life sucks.
He knocked on the door at the top of the staircase. McGonagall was probably asleep. He stood at the door for about five minutes, and then tried the door. Locked. He pulled his wand out of his back pocket.
"Alohamora!" he whispered, and he heard a satisfying little c-l-i-c-k from the inside of the door. Stepping inside, he called out, "Professor?" No response. "McGonagall?" He was about to call out a bit louder, when a familiar voice startled him.
"Harry?"
Harry looked around for the source of the voice. It sounded like....but it couldn't be.
"I heard you defeated Voldemort!"
Harry turned and saw where the voice was coming from. Professor Dumbledore's portrait was hanging on the wall, and Harry seemed to have awakened him.
"Professor!" Harry exclaimed. He missed his old mentor so much, it brought a fresh wave of tears on.
"Oh, Harry, my boy, don't cry. But please do tell me why it is that you are in my dear Minerva's office at this late--or should I say early--hour," Dumbledore said.
Harry was at a loss for words. He walked over to a small table and set the teacup down. He adjusted Ginny so he was carrying her like a baby and held her up to Dumbledore.
Now it was Dumbledore who seemed to be at a loss for words. "Oh--Oh, my...What is this?"
"Ginny Weasly, sir. I found her in the library, when I was studying. And...I don't know who could have done this. Or why..." Harry trailed off just as McGonagall entered the room, wearing a night robe over her pajamas.
"Potter? What are you--OH MY GOODNESS!" McGonagall nearly fainted. What--who--why--how--when??" she demanded.
Harry fumbled for words and Dumbledore interjected. "Hush, my love, be calm. We'll get to the bottom of this."
"Is that--is that Ginny Weasly?!?" she said, her voice trembling. Harry nodded, keeping his eyes on the ground.
"It is strange, though, that whoever did this resorted to physically injuring her, rather than using magic to do the job," Dumbledore said, in all his wise glory.
"You think it was a muggle?" McGonagall asked.
"What muggle would know about this place, and sneak in an murder my girlfriend??" Harry demanded. "And even if they did know, which they shouldn't, why would they care what happens to Ginny? It's totally random and she never did anything wrong!" He was furious. The original sadness had faded and now he just wanted revenge. Hatred ran through his blood. He was seething.
"How--how long ago did this happen, Potter?" McGonagall stuttered. She couldn't wrap her head around the idea that a muggle knew about their secret society, or the idea that they had enough of a problem with it that they would kill this innocent sixth year. Unless they had a problem with Ginny herself...
Harry thought for a moment. "Um, about...fifteen minutes ago. So whoever did it is still in the school. Unless they did it earlier...but...it was brought to my attention by a sound."
"It could have been Ms. Weasly merely shifting, though," Dumbledore countered. "I say we go search for him."
"Let's not wake any students...we don't want to start a scene. But we should alert Ronald..." McGonagall said. Nobody wanted to break the bad news. Harry and McGonagall stood silently for a few moments and Dumbledore twiddled his thumbs nervously within his frame.
"I'll do it," Harry said finally, resigned. "He's my best mate. I should do it. To be there for him, y'know." McGonagall and Dumbledore nodded in unison.
"Minerva, darling, you can begin looking and ill accompany you via the frames...Harry, this was in the library?" Dumbledore inquired.
"Mhm..." Harry was unfocused. He was not looking forward to the task at hand. He looked down at Ginny in his arms. "I'll go tell Ron now. Can I--can I leave--can Ginny stay in here...for now?" Harry asked.
"Of course she can," McGonagall replied. "Albus, shall we start in the library?" This was responded to with a quick nod from the former Headmaster. "In the morning, we will...alert the students...that..." She couldn't finish the sentence. She covered her mouth with her hand made a small oh sound and rushed to her desk for a tissue. She wiped her eyes and nose and then returned to Harry and Dumbledore. "Shall we?" she said and then left the office.
"Good luck, my boy," Dumbledore said softly, and then he was no longer in his frame. Harry watched his figure move through all the other Headmasters' portraits (very quietly, so as not to wake them), and then looked around for a place to put Ginny. He decided on the chair behind the desk, and set her down very carefully. One of his tears fell down onto her cheek. Harry watched her for a long moment, and then, seeming to realize that she was not waking up, that this really was goodbye, he turned and left the office.
As Harry grew nearer the Gryffindor Common Room, he grew more anxious. He had no idea how he was going to tell Ron. But he had to do it.
He approached the Fat Lady and muttered the password (snargleroot). She swung open and he stepped inside.
Tears filled his eyes again as he realized that Ginny would never see this room again. He walked through it quickly to the stairs. Up, up, up he went, closer and closer to Ron. This would kill Ron. And it might be the end for poor old Molly too.
Ron was fast asleep in his four poster, looking all too cozy. Everyone looked perfectly fine, having wonderful dreams. How could people go on normally when something so tragic has happened??
Harry rushed over and shook Ron gently.
"Ron? Ron, wake up."
Ron rolled over. "Huh? Wh-what is it? Bloody hell, what time is it?"
Harry looked at his watch. "Er, 2:30. Ron, listen--"
"Why the hell are you waking me up at 2:30? What are you going on about, go back to sleep, I don't wanna..." Ron trailed off, rolling over onto his other side.
Harry took a deep breath. For some reason, he was able to handle this a lot better than one would think. It was as though it hadn't yet hit him. He was drifting through it as if it were a dream. Harry wished more than anything that it was a dream, but he somehow felt the reality of it.
"Ron, it's Ginny."
Ron sat up as he rolled over. He looked at Harry intently. "What about Ginny? You haven't gone and gotten her pregnant, have you?"
Harry shook his head. "No...it's...she's...someone...Ron, I'm sorry...Ginny's d-dead." His voice shook as he said it, but no more tears escaped his eyes. He didn't want this to be any harder for Ron than it had to be.
Ron stared at him blankly for a minute. A million thoughts ran through his head. Harry hadn't thought about how the time would affect Ron's reaction. Most things that happen so late--or early, depending how you think about it--are forgotten about by morning. So Ron just sat there and stared at Harry, and then straight ahead. And then he laid down and stared at the canopy. Then he closed his eyes.
"Ron?" Harry said quietly.
Ron grunted.
"Ron, you've got to wake up."
Ron opened his eyes. Then he rolled over onto his side and propped himself up with his elbow. "What did you say? It's too early for this, Harry...wait...Ginny wha--"
"Ron! Someone--I dunno who--killed her! Wake up!" Harry yelled. Across the room, Neville sat up.
"What? Who did what??" Neville said, confused.
Harry didn't want anyone to know yet. McGonagall had said that she would alert the students in the morning. He didn't want to break the bad news to anyone but Ron. "Go to sleep, Neville," he said.
"Well, I'm not gonna be able to fall asleep knowing someone's DEAD!" Neville complained. "Who died? Is it someone I know??" he was, of course, very worried. Harry could understand that. Ron had sat up by now and was staring at Harry, a look of sheer horror on his face.
"Ron, are you alright? You look pale....or...green..." Harry said. He knew that Ron was absolutely NOT alright, how could he be? But if he was going to throw up, Harry would like to know so he could move in time.
Ron gulped. "You're--telling the truth?"
"I'm so sorry, Ron..." Harry murmured. "I'm gonna go look for McGonagall...she and Dumbledore's portrait are searching for the culprit...I want to help them."
"I'll...I'll come..." Ron trailed off as tears came to his eyes. "I'll come with you." Then something seemed to occur to him. "Does Mum know?"
"Not yet," Harry said. Ron began crying harder. "You just...just stay here. Or, no, come down to the common room, okay?"
Ron nodded, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his too-small pajamas. He slid out of the bed and followed Harry down the stairs to the common room. He sat down on a comfy chair, but was anything but comfortable.
"Just stay here, alright?" Harry said. Ron nodded and curled into a ball, burying his head in his arms and shaking with sobs. Harry watched him for a moment, then left, knowing that if he stayed any longer, he would start crying again himself.
Stepping into the hallway, Harry felt a rush of cold air slap him in the face. He shuddered as he looked for the source of the cold.
At the nearest end of the corridor, a window lay ajar. Harry walked toward it to close it, and was a few steps away when he heard a noise behind him. He whipped around, but saw nothing there. The Fat Lady was adjusting herself in her frame. She yawned.
That must have been the noise, Harry thought, attempting to calm himself. He completed his journey to the window and closed it. As he was fastening the latch, he heard someone running down the corridor. He turned his head to his right and saw Hermione rushing toward him in her nightclothes, tears streaming down her face.
When she reached him, she threw her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. "Oh, Harry, it's just awful!!!" she cried.
"I know," Harry mumbled. He wished all of this could just pass, or would never have happened. But it had, and it wasn't over yet.
"You've heard?!?" Hermione blubbered. "But-but I only just-I mean, it just happened! McGonagall is still there--"
Harry held up a hand, confused. "Wait- what are you talking about??"
Hermione took a deep breath. "It's Padma, Harry. She's...she...well--"
"What happened?" Harry asked. What was going on here?
"Well, I was studying in the library--"
"I was studying in the library too, why didn't I see you?" Harry interrupted.
"I actually just went down, and when I saw, I went looking for help. Luckily, McGonagall was nearby--"
"What did you see, Hermione?!?" Harry was frustrated now.
"PADMA IS DEAD!"
Harry's heart started pounding hard, harder as Hermione slid down against the wall. Many of the portraits had woken up now and were muttering amongst themselves. In a daze, Harry walked to the open window and looked out at the grounds. A warm breeze tickled his face, but it felt like ice. Suddenly, he saw a dark figure shooting across the main field toward Hagrid's hut and the Forbidden Forest. It was a person, running. He was about to say something to Hermione, but the figure disappeared into the forest.
He stared after the person for a few moments and then turned to Hermione. "How did Padma die?"
She looked up at him. "Um, it looked like someone stabbed her, in the head...I don't know, Harry, I just..."
"I know, it's okay," Harry said. He knelt down to be next to her. "Hermione, there's something you ought to know..." She looked at him expectantly. "Padma's not...the only one who...died tonight. " At this, Hermione gasped. "I'd better just get this out quick...um, just before you arrived, I was in the library, and I found Ginny..." He didn't get a chance to finish, because Hermione was on with a fresh burst of tears. "We've got to find out who's done this. Ron is in the common room, if you'd like to join him, or you can come with me," Harry said, knowing what Hermione would choose. Though Ron was her boyfriend and she would want to be with him at a time like this, she never had been one to sit back and let things like this happen.
"I'm coming with you," she said, standing and wiping her eyes. Harry stood as well.
"Alright. I just saw someone run into the Forbidden Forest, and I think we might--" At that moment, Ron and Neville burst through the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Harry, he wouldn't stop bugging me, so I had to tell him," Ron said, gesturing towards Neville. His face looked tear stained.
"Yeah, and I want to help get whoever did this," Neville said.
"And I don't feel safe staying in there alone, so I might as well come too," Ron said. Harry nodded. Hermione took Ron's hand and the four of them started off down the corridor toward the Forbidden Forest. On the way, Harry filled in Neville and Ron about Padma and his lead on the killer.
When they passed the library they saw most of the school's staff inside, putting enchantments on doors and windows. Professor McGonagall was enchanting the main entrance, the one they were passing. She informed the group that they were sealing off the library until further notice. They didn't bother to tell her that they were headed out into the Forbidden Forest in the dead of night alone to search for a murderer.
The N.E.W.T.S were this week, and he hadn't been able to study. His scar and been hurting like hell and he refused to tell anyone about it. He wouldn't even tell Hermione or Ron. If he told anyone, then they would start a ruckus about "The Dark Lord" coming back or something, when the truth is, that blasted scar just acted up when he was stressed.
Or, that's what he had been trying to tell himself.
It was 2 a.m. Monday morning, and he was c-r-a-m-m-i-n-g. He had to do good on these. Of course, his teachers would probably give him good grades, seeing as he finished off good ol' Voldemort.
Suddenly, Harry heard something move on the other side of the library. He pulled his dad's invisibility cloak over himself and, as quietly as he could, pushed the book he was reading back into the shelf. He crept into the isle on tiptoes and looked around.
Harry Potter had seen a lot of things in his life, but he never thought he would see something as horrendous as what he saw now.
Harry had loved Ginny. A lot. He thought they would be together forever. But the cold, hard truth was lying before him that forever had been cut short. Pulling off his Invisibility Cloak and slinging it over his arm, Harry stared at the line of blood trickling down Ginny's forehead. As he moved closer, he looked into her terror-stricken eyes. Her mouth was slightly agape, as if she had been about to cry for help. She had a cup of tea in her hands. Had she been coming to bring it to him? Well, that seemed likely, for what else would she have been doing in the library at this hour? She was sitting in a chair, leaning back against a table, but in such a manner that it looked like she had fallen into the position. The tea had spilled all over her, but when Harry took the teacup from her hands, it was still warm. His hands had gone cold. Suddenly, Ginny's beautiful face was blurred by tears.
He lifted her gingerly, and then, with her limp body slung over one shoulder and the teacup in his hand, he bolted through the library doors and down the corridor. He barely noticed the pain in his scar, and he kept running until he reached the stone gargoyle.
As he stepped onto the rotating stairway, the tears fell even harder. As soon as this was out, it was goodbye, normal life. Goodbye to the way things used to be. Why was it that whenever Harry Potter was at Hogwarts, something went wrong? It started his first year, with Voldemort, and ended this year, with Voldemort, and now He was gone, and Ginny had to die?!? Life sucks.
He knocked on the door at the top of the staircase. McGonagall was probably asleep. He stood at the door for about five minutes, and then tried the door. Locked. He pulled his wand out of his back pocket.
"Alohamora!" he whispered, and he heard a satisfying little c-l-i-c-k from the inside of the door. Stepping inside, he called out, "Professor?" No response. "McGonagall?" He was about to call out a bit louder, when a familiar voice startled him.
"Harry?"
Harry looked around for the source of the voice. It sounded like....but it couldn't be.
"I heard you defeated Voldemort!"
Harry turned and saw where the voice was coming from. Professor Dumbledore's portrait was hanging on the wall, and Harry seemed to have awakened him.
"Professor!" Harry exclaimed. He missed his old mentor so much, it brought a fresh wave of tears on.
"Oh, Harry, my boy, don't cry. But please do tell me why it is that you are in my dear Minerva's office at this late--or should I say early--hour," Dumbledore said.
Harry was at a loss for words. He walked over to a small table and set the teacup down. He adjusted Ginny so he was carrying her like a baby and held her up to Dumbledore.
Now it was Dumbledore who seemed to be at a loss for words. "Oh--Oh, my...What is this?"
"Ginny Weasly, sir. I found her in the library, when I was studying. And...I don't know who could have done this. Or why..." Harry trailed off just as McGonagall entered the room, wearing a night robe over her pajamas.
"Potter? What are you--OH MY GOODNESS!" McGonagall nearly fainted. What--who--why--how--when??" she demanded.
Harry fumbled for words and Dumbledore interjected. "Hush, my love, be calm. We'll get to the bottom of this."
"Is that--is that Ginny Weasly?!?" she said, her voice trembling. Harry nodded, keeping his eyes on the ground.
"It is strange, though, that whoever did this resorted to physically injuring her, rather than using magic to do the job," Dumbledore said, in all his wise glory.
"You think it was a muggle?" McGonagall asked.
"What muggle would know about this place, and sneak in an murder my girlfriend??" Harry demanded. "And even if they did know, which they shouldn't, why would they care what happens to Ginny? It's totally random and she never did anything wrong!" He was furious. The original sadness had faded and now he just wanted revenge. Hatred ran through his blood. He was seething.
"How--how long ago did this happen, Potter?" McGonagall stuttered. She couldn't wrap her head around the idea that a muggle knew about their secret society, or the idea that they had enough of a problem with it that they would kill this innocent sixth year. Unless they had a problem with Ginny herself...
Harry thought for a moment. "Um, about...fifteen minutes ago. So whoever did it is still in the school. Unless they did it earlier...but...it was brought to my attention by a sound."
"It could have been Ms. Weasly merely shifting, though," Dumbledore countered. "I say we go search for him."
"Let's not wake any students...we don't want to start a scene. But we should alert Ronald..." McGonagall said. Nobody wanted to break the bad news. Harry and McGonagall stood silently for a few moments and Dumbledore twiddled his thumbs nervously within his frame.
"I'll do it," Harry said finally, resigned. "He's my best mate. I should do it. To be there for him, y'know." McGonagall and Dumbledore nodded in unison.
"Minerva, darling, you can begin looking and ill accompany you via the frames...Harry, this was in the library?" Dumbledore inquired.
"Mhm..." Harry was unfocused. He was not looking forward to the task at hand. He looked down at Ginny in his arms. "I'll go tell Ron now. Can I--can I leave--can Ginny stay in here...for now?" Harry asked.
"Of course she can," McGonagall replied. "Albus, shall we start in the library?" This was responded to with a quick nod from the former Headmaster. "In the morning, we will...alert the students...that..." She couldn't finish the sentence. She covered her mouth with her hand made a small oh sound and rushed to her desk for a tissue. She wiped her eyes and nose and then returned to Harry and Dumbledore. "Shall we?" she said and then left the office.
"Good luck, my boy," Dumbledore said softly, and then he was no longer in his frame. Harry watched his figure move through all the other Headmasters' portraits (very quietly, so as not to wake them), and then looked around for a place to put Ginny. He decided on the chair behind the desk, and set her down very carefully. One of his tears fell down onto her cheek. Harry watched her for a long moment, and then, seeming to realize that she was not waking up, that this really was goodbye, he turned and left the office.
As Harry grew nearer the Gryffindor Common Room, he grew more anxious. He had no idea how he was going to tell Ron. But he had to do it.
He approached the Fat Lady and muttered the password (snargleroot). She swung open and he stepped inside.
Tears filled his eyes again as he realized that Ginny would never see this room again. He walked through it quickly to the stairs. Up, up, up he went, closer and closer to Ron. This would kill Ron. And it might be the end for poor old Molly too.
Ron was fast asleep in his four poster, looking all too cozy. Everyone looked perfectly fine, having wonderful dreams. How could people go on normally when something so tragic has happened??
Harry rushed over and shook Ron gently.
"Ron? Ron, wake up."
Ron rolled over. "Huh? Wh-what is it? Bloody hell, what time is it?"
Harry looked at his watch. "Er, 2:30. Ron, listen--"
"Why the hell are you waking me up at 2:30? What are you going on about, go back to sleep, I don't wanna..." Ron trailed off, rolling over onto his other side.
Harry took a deep breath. For some reason, he was able to handle this a lot better than one would think. It was as though it hadn't yet hit him. He was drifting through it as if it were a dream. Harry wished more than anything that it was a dream, but he somehow felt the reality of it.
"Ron, it's Ginny."
Ron sat up as he rolled over. He looked at Harry intently. "What about Ginny? You haven't gone and gotten her pregnant, have you?"
Harry shook his head. "No...it's...she's...someone...Ron, I'm sorry...Ginny's d-dead." His voice shook as he said it, but no more tears escaped his eyes. He didn't want this to be any harder for Ron than it had to be.
Ron stared at him blankly for a minute. A million thoughts ran through his head. Harry hadn't thought about how the time would affect Ron's reaction. Most things that happen so late--or early, depending how you think about it--are forgotten about by morning. So Ron just sat there and stared at Harry, and then straight ahead. And then he laid down and stared at the canopy. Then he closed his eyes.
"Ron?" Harry said quietly.
Ron grunted.
"Ron, you've got to wake up."
Ron opened his eyes. Then he rolled over onto his side and propped himself up with his elbow. "What did you say? It's too early for this, Harry...wait...Ginny wha--"
"Ron! Someone--I dunno who--killed her! Wake up!" Harry yelled. Across the room, Neville sat up.
"What? Who did what??" Neville said, confused.
Harry didn't want anyone to know yet. McGonagall had said that she would alert the students in the morning. He didn't want to break the bad news to anyone but Ron. "Go to sleep, Neville," he said.
"Well, I'm not gonna be able to fall asleep knowing someone's DEAD!" Neville complained. "Who died? Is it someone I know??" he was, of course, very worried. Harry could understand that. Ron had sat up by now and was staring at Harry, a look of sheer horror on his face.
"Ron, are you alright? You look pale....or...green..." Harry said. He knew that Ron was absolutely NOT alright, how could he be? But if he was going to throw up, Harry would like to know so he could move in time.
Ron gulped. "You're--telling the truth?"
"I'm so sorry, Ron..." Harry murmured. "I'm gonna go look for McGonagall...she and Dumbledore's portrait are searching for the culprit...I want to help them."
"I'll...I'll come..." Ron trailed off as tears came to his eyes. "I'll come with you." Then something seemed to occur to him. "Does Mum know?"
"Not yet," Harry said. Ron began crying harder. "You just...just stay here. Or, no, come down to the common room, okay?"
Ron nodded, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his too-small pajamas. He slid out of the bed and followed Harry down the stairs to the common room. He sat down on a comfy chair, but was anything but comfortable.
"Just stay here, alright?" Harry said. Ron nodded and curled into a ball, burying his head in his arms and shaking with sobs. Harry watched him for a moment, then left, knowing that if he stayed any longer, he would start crying again himself.
Stepping into the hallway, Harry felt a rush of cold air slap him in the face. He shuddered as he looked for the source of the cold.
At the nearest end of the corridor, a window lay ajar. Harry walked toward it to close it, and was a few steps away when he heard a noise behind him. He whipped around, but saw nothing there. The Fat Lady was adjusting herself in her frame. She yawned.
That must have been the noise, Harry thought, attempting to calm himself. He completed his journey to the window and closed it. As he was fastening the latch, he heard someone running down the corridor. He turned his head to his right and saw Hermione rushing toward him in her nightclothes, tears streaming down her face.
When she reached him, she threw her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. "Oh, Harry, it's just awful!!!" she cried.
"I know," Harry mumbled. He wished all of this could just pass, or would never have happened. But it had, and it wasn't over yet.
"You've heard?!?" Hermione blubbered. "But-but I only just-I mean, it just happened! McGonagall is still there--"
Harry held up a hand, confused. "Wait- what are you talking about??"
Hermione took a deep breath. "It's Padma, Harry. She's...she...well--"
"What happened?" Harry asked. What was going on here?
"Well, I was studying in the library--"
"I was studying in the library too, why didn't I see you?" Harry interrupted.
"I actually just went down, and when I saw, I went looking for help. Luckily, McGonagall was nearby--"
"What did you see, Hermione?!?" Harry was frustrated now.
"PADMA IS DEAD!"
Harry's heart started pounding hard, harder as Hermione slid down against the wall. Many of the portraits had woken up now and were muttering amongst themselves. In a daze, Harry walked to the open window and looked out at the grounds. A warm breeze tickled his face, but it felt like ice. Suddenly, he saw a dark figure shooting across the main field toward Hagrid's hut and the Forbidden Forest. It was a person, running. He was about to say something to Hermione, but the figure disappeared into the forest.
He stared after the person for a few moments and then turned to Hermione. "How did Padma die?"
She looked up at him. "Um, it looked like someone stabbed her, in the head...I don't know, Harry, I just..."
"I know, it's okay," Harry said. He knelt down to be next to her. "Hermione, there's something you ought to know..." She looked at him expectantly. "Padma's not...the only one who...died tonight. " At this, Hermione gasped. "I'd better just get this out quick...um, just before you arrived, I was in the library, and I found Ginny..." He didn't get a chance to finish, because Hermione was on with a fresh burst of tears. "We've got to find out who's done this. Ron is in the common room, if you'd like to join him, or you can come with me," Harry said, knowing what Hermione would choose. Though Ron was her boyfriend and she would want to be with him at a time like this, she never had been one to sit back and let things like this happen.
"I'm coming with you," she said, standing and wiping her eyes. Harry stood as well.
"Alright. I just saw someone run into the Forbidden Forest, and I think we might--" At that moment, Ron and Neville burst through the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Harry, he wouldn't stop bugging me, so I had to tell him," Ron said, gesturing towards Neville. His face looked tear stained.
"Yeah, and I want to help get whoever did this," Neville said.
"And I don't feel safe staying in there alone, so I might as well come too," Ron said. Harry nodded. Hermione took Ron's hand and the four of them started off down the corridor toward the Forbidden Forest. On the way, Harry filled in Neville and Ron about Padma and his lead on the killer.
When they passed the library they saw most of the school's staff inside, putting enchantments on doors and windows. Professor McGonagall was enchanting the main entrance, the one they were passing. She informed the group that they were sealing off the library until further notice. They didn't bother to tell her that they were headed out into the Forbidden Forest in the dead of night alone to search for a murderer.