 Chapter 8
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~*~*~
“Do you ever get the feeling that someone can read your mind?” I asked casually later that week in the Gryffindor common room.
Harry nodded. “Snape used to do it to me all the time.”
“The git,” Ron added with extreme dislike.
I inhaled a deep breath. I had to ask Harry to teach me. The books at the library were impossible to learn from. I’d already tried. “I think you should teach me occlumency, Harry,” I said in a rush.
“What?” he asked, bewildered. “Why would you want to learn that?” He eyed me suspiciously.
I stuttered, “I thought it’d—it’d be a good tool to use against the enemy, against V-Voldemort. Wouldn’t you agree?” I was desperate. I couldn’t risk Malfoy probing my mind again.
“Sure, but I’m rubbish at it,” Harry reasoned. “I gave up trying to learn it back in fifth year. It’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“I’m sure I could learn it with practice,” I pressed. “Could you at least teach me the basics?”
Harry gripped his head in slight frustration. “I dunno, ‘Mione. Well…” he sighed. “I don’t really remember. You just have to close your mind. That’s what I did. But I never did get the hang of it.”
Sighing, I sifted through my book bag. “Thanks for the help, anyways. I’d better work on this essay. Ron, Harry, you should as well.”
~
The next morning, Harry was gone. Just like that. Ron told me when I arrived at the main common room from my dormitory. He handed me a note from Harry to us.
Ron and Hermione,
I’ve gone to Godric’s Hollow. Don’t come looking for me; I don’t want to drag you into anything. I’ll be okay—don’t worry.
Harry
Sinking into the armchair behind me, I willed myself to stay calm. “Okay, we must tell Professor McGonagall before doing anything else,” I concluded, rising to my feet. Ron nodded stiffly. His face was white.
Thankfully, it was still breakfast time in the Great Hall, so finding the Headmistress would not be too difficult. However, when we entered, she was nowhere in sight. My blood ran cold.
“You don’t think she’s gone off too, do you?” Ron whimpered beside me, standing stock-still.
“Don’t be silly, Ron,” I heard myself say. “Of course she’s not…well, we can’t jump to conclusions yet.” Briskly walking over to the staff table, I tapped Hagrid on the shoulder.
He turned around, and seeing the frightened faces of Ron and me, dropped his toast. “’Smatter, ‘Mione?”
“Where’s Professor McGonagall?” I asked urgently in an undertone, trying to remain calm at the same time. It wasn’t working. My hair around my face seemed to get frizzier by the second.
Hagrid looked at us suspiciously. “Gone on business, can’t tell yer more ‘n that.” His row suddenly furrowed when he noticed the absence of the third member of our party. “Where’s ‘Arry?”
I bit my lip, restraining tears.
“He’s gone—gone to his parents’ place,” Ron burst out, but thankfully not too loudly.
“Merlin’s beard!” Hagrid exclaimed in his throaty voice. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching. “You two stay put, you here? I’ll sort this out, don’ you worry.”
With that, he pushed back his chair and stumped out of the Great Hall.
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On hiatus.
Last edited by Christian; 07-11-2007 at 04:00 AM.
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