Chapter 47: Finding the Petrified Hermione
One morning in March, Draco suddenly opened his eyes.
Those were a pair of gray eyes that were usually calm and indifferent, but at this moment, there was a hint of panic in the pupils.
His sleep was restless. Occlumency would occasionally fail him in his dreams, and fragmented, horrific memories would flood into his dreams, screaming until he woke up.
Draco sighed wearily. Recovering from his composure on the four-poster bed, he retrieved his wand from under his pillow and cast Occlumency on himself again.
This felt better. He could now focus on something other than his nightmare. The sound of waves hitting the window gradually soothed his mood. He turned his head and stared blankly at the window, only to find some glittering little fish chasing each other outside, a scene of joyous activity.
Draco's schedule today wasn't exactly busy. Ever since Draco had defeated Ravenclaw with a Plumpton Retweet, a beaming Marcus had finally relaxed his demands on the team members. Quidditch training was no longer as strenuous, and Draco had a bit of free time.
It would be better to be busy! So that he wouldn't have to think about anything else. Draco was confused and restless by this free time. After waking up, he found it difficult to fall asleep again.
So, with a little inexplicable uneasiness in his heart, the boy scratched his platinum hair, put on his robe, walked through the dark and cold common room, walked along the empty underground corridor, and lazily climbed up the stairs.
He wanted to sneak into the library when there were few people around and look up some information about Salazar Slytherin.
To be honest, the library's closing hours were meaningless to him, especially when you had an invisibility cloak or had mastered the Disillusionment Charm.
Unexpectedly, this unruly boy discovered the reason for his uneasiness in the corridor outside the library - Hermione Granger was standing stiffly at the corner near the library, holding the hand mirror he gave her in her hand, and was petrified on the spot.
Her expression looked surprised.
The usually rosy and lively face turned into a stiff grayish-white tone, which had nothing to do with liveliness.
His heart stopped beating as he watched a scene from his nightmare become reality again.
"Damn it!" Draco walked quickly forward and leaned over to look at her, making sure she was only petrified, not worse. Finally, he sighed into her face, nose to nose, with a complicated look in his eyes. "I told you a long time ago not to act alone, why didn't you listen to me?"
There was no answer.
The silence of the corridor, with only his voice echoing in its solitude, was unbearable. She could no longer offer a lively and articulate response to him, or seriously reason with him about the probability of a Muggle-born Hogwarts student encountering a basilisk.
He walked around her numb body, his face grim. He rubbed his temples, then resignedly pulled out the small bottle of Mandrake resurrection potion he had been carrying for nine months from his pocket and gave it to the reckless girl.
Thankfully, the potion was working – her pale complexion was gradually returning to a rosy hue.
Her body was no longer stiff and became soft again.
She was no longer able to stand steadily and staggered down - into the boy's arms.
"Oh, be careful." He subconsciously stretched out an arm and caught her in his arms in time to prevent her from falling to the ground.
She fell into his arms, like a soft cat, and she became the familiar face he knew, her thick hair regaining its tan luster, and finally his heart began to beat again - although it was still in a knot.
Hermione stared blankly at the pair of gentle grey eyes above her head. He was staring at her intently, a look of heartbreak on his face. He looked panicked and sad, more vulnerable than she had ever seen him look.
Her lips trembled as she tried to say "thank you" to him, but the words failed. The terrible petrification and excessive shock were about to overwhelm her.
"Put your hands on my shoulders." Draco swallowed the bitterness in his throat and whispered to her. But she looked at him with tears in her eyes, her body trembling, and it was obvious that she couldn't do it - she was as weak and withered as a frozen rose.
So he helped her put one arm around his neck, supported her other arm and shoulder with his hand, and half-dragged and half-pulled her to a nearby bench to rest. "Are you okay?" he asked her, unable to immediately remove his hand from her shoulder.
This horrific experience seemed to have left her without any support, both physical and mental. If no one had supported her, she would have collapsed immediately. Draco supported her, feeling increasingly distressed.
I don't know how long she stood there.
Merlin, she is just a little girl, she shouldn't have to go through such a terrible thing.
Hermione clutched the front of the boy's robes, her body still shaking, a frightened rabbit shivering in the only safe place she could find during an unusually violent season.
Draco had found her. He had found her, terrified and desperate, just when she thought she was dead. It was the only thing on her mind at that moment. The knowledge gave her a feeling akin to a fledgling complex.
She wanted him to hold her in his arms and comfort her with his warmth. Otherwise, she would have frozen to death there, or burst into tears out of fear.
She wanted to be more assertive. A good girl shouldn't be so close to a boy, no matter how good-looking he was. But she was terrified - he had saved her, and it seemed that only by relying on him could she feel a little safe.
"It's terrible, really terrible." She no longer cared about anything else. She mumbled in a crying voice, her lips trembling, and she kept grabbing his clothes.
Draco tilted his head to look at her. Her confused and vulnerable expression took his breath away for a moment. He had rarely seen her look like this.
She should be carefree and innocent, passionate and romantic, lively and cheerful, or even serious. In short, she should never have this expression.
He was distraught at her pitiful state. He held her clumsily, his hands moving up and down her cold shoulders, trying to warm them up. He whispered to her, "It's okay. You're safe now. You're alive. Nothing can hurt you."
She was still shivering, looking at him with her wet brown eyes, which reflected the image of a winter forest with cold rain falling.
Draco couldn't stand the look. It reminded him of the torture Bellatrix had inflicted on her, when she lay powerless on the floor, staring at him in the same heartbreaking way.
Merlin, please! He had to do something to stop the rain in the forest. He pulled a piece of chocolate from his pocket, unwrapped it, and coaxed her into feeding it, "Open your mouth and eat it..."
Like a lost deer, she opened her mouth and hesitantly, slowly, and sensitively accepted his feeding. She seemed to trust him for the moment, chewing the chocolate with doubtful nibbles, but the anxiety in her eyes remained. She was still tense, ready to jump up and run, or faint on the spot from the fear that had struck her.
"Good girl...that's it...eat some more...this is the best chocolate from Honeydukes, my last piece...you're such a good girl, don't be afraid...you're safe now..." He pulled out all the patience he had left in his soul and suppressed the raging violence in his heart.
He persuaded her carefully, trying to keep smiling for fear of scaring her.
Because of his unprecedentedly soft tone, Hermione felt an inexplicable sense of grievance. He was completely unlike his usual self. He was gentler than any other boy in Hogwarts at this moment.
In this situation, she found herself very willing to listen to him, his tone was very persuasive. She ate small bites of chocolate from his hand with tears in her eyes, and was so obedient that it was almost unlike her original self.
After a while, something strange happened. Heat surged through her body, and she gradually regained her vitality. She no longer felt stiff and numb, or cold to the bone.
When she came to her senses, she had unknowingly finished the chocolate.
Draco watched her swallow the last bit of chocolate and smiled with satisfaction. Being able to eat was a good thing.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes to make sure she was still heartbroken.
"Much better." Hermione said lazily, with a hint of fatigue in her eyes - she felt a little weak. She still wanted to lean on him.
"I think you need to go to the school hospital for a full body check-up or something. I'm not an expert in treating petrification, and Madam Pomfrey is more experienced in magical treatment." Draco said to her, looking at her weak appearance with some concern.
"I'm fine now," Hermione whispered, her eyes blank. She didn't want to move. She didn't want him to let go.
"You still have the energy to refute me. It seems that there is no problem." Draco smiled slightly. He did not confront her or laugh at her. Instead, he said gently, "If you can keep your legs from weakening and shaking, I think it will be more convincing."
Hermione remained silent, and the rain began to fall in her heart again.
"I don't want to be alone. I—" she choked out, clutching at his clothes.
"I'll go with you, okay? I won't leave you alone." Draco coaxed her until she hesitantly let go of him.
"Come on up, I'll carry you." He squatted down in front of her, exposing his back. "It's been daylight for a while. Some people will come to the library for academic research soon. If you don't want others to see you like this, you have to hurry."
Hermione was still a little weak. She reluctantly lay on the boy's back, her arms still numb, and she finally managed to hug his neck tightly. He held her legs tightly, and with his warm hands, he awakened the feeling in her legs.
He was warm. Whether it was his embrace earlier or his back, neck, and hands now, everything was warm. This was the kind of warmth that every petrified person struggled to let go of. She hugged him tighter.
The 12-year-old boy's back was still a little thin, but he walked very steadily. She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at his platinum-blonde hair and smelling the faint, refreshing scent on his neck. The panic in her heart was gradually replaced by a sense of fulfillment and stability.
She rubbed his shoulder and found that she had finally stopped shaking and crying.
In the school hospital, Madam Pomfrey was very dissatisfied with Draco's decision to give Hermione the mandrake resurrection potion on his own initiative.
"This is too risky! I thought a good student like you would be more cautious." She said to Draco sternly, "You are only a second-year student. Logically, you don't have the ability to brew such a complicated potion! If there is a problem with the efficacy of the potion, can you imagine how serious the consequences will be? Mr. Malfoy, can you be responsible for Miss Granger?"
"Of course I can!" Draco said unconvincedly, "How serious can it be? She's already been petrified! Besides, isn't she fine now?"
Madam Pomfrey glared at Draco, as if he were a little jerk who wanted to poison an innocent girl. She ignored the arrogant boy and busied herself with drawing the curtain around Hermione's bed and examining her.
There was a rustling sound of clothing. Madam Pomfrey's gentle, quiet questioning voice. Hermione's somewhat weak reply.
"Mr. Malfoy, you're in luck." After examining Hermione, Madam Pomfrey looked much better. She peeked out from behind the curtain, a look of relief on her face. "Her petrification has been completely lifted. Of course, after enduring such severe damage from the Dark Arts, she'll experience dizziness and fatigue. A good rest will be enough. I'll go get some hot cocoa to help her recover."
"He gave me chocolate," Hermione said to Madam Pomfrey through the bed curtains.
Madam Pomfrey glanced at Draco in slight surprise and said approvingly, "Excellent way of handling it. I think you could consider becoming a healer in the future. Also, did you brew your own Mandrake resurrection potion? Excellent! I must give Severus a compliment... A good teacher produces a good student."
Draco gave Madam Pomfrey a wry smile and nodded.
Professor Snape didn't even know about Draco brewing the potion. If he told Professor Snape, the Potions Master, who was in dire need of help, would probably scold him with a stern face and then enthusiastically grab him to help.
"Are there any other resurrection potions? There are several students in the school who have been petrified." After a pause, Madam Pomfrey asked Draco.
"Sorry, due to the shortage of raw materials and the loss during the brewing process, I only have one bottle." Draco said regretfully.
Madam Pomfrey didn't look disappointed. This kind of thing was something you could only come across once in a while. She said in a knowing tone, "And then you used the only bottle you had to save Miss Granger. That makes perfect sense."
Her eyes wandered with interest between the boy and girl on either side of the bed curtains, and finally winked at Draco, "I will give you ten minutes of visiting time, and then I will have to come in and send you away. Miss Granger needs to drink a dreamless sleeping potion and get some rest."
Draco nodded at her and watched her walk out.
"Did Madam Pomfrey misunderstand something?" Hermione gently drew aside the bed curtains. She had already changed into her hospital gown and sat barefoot on the bed. Without the large robe to cover her, her figure looked even smaller than before, even a little frail. To the point of being heartbreaking.
"Lie down on the bed, cover yourself with the quilt, and don't go out barefoot on the floor." Draco said with a frown.
Why is she so disobedient and always so reckless!
He lifted the quilt with a stern face, motioned for her to get in, and then wrapped her tightly.
"You're totally making a fuss out of nothing..." She blushed slightly and said a little unconvinced.
"That's much better," he said with satisfaction, ignoring her protests.
"Draco, I'm much better now. Everything you've done has been very helpful to me." Hermione struggled to get her hands out of the quilt and said anxiously, "Listen, before you go, I have to tell you what I saw in the mirror. You were right from beginning to end, it was indeed a basilisk. I saw a snake's body and a pair of unusually large yellow eyes."
This information is so important, Draco thought. Finally, direct evidence that the existence of the basilisk is not groundless.
Does this mean that the basilisk's fangs are one step closer to him?
"And, I think I've found out who's behind all this. It's Ginny Weasley," said Hermione, her tone suddenly anxious.
"Ron's sister? Are you sure?" Draco was very confused.
Wasn't she a victim of the Chamber of Secrets in her past life? How did she end up hanging out with the basilisk?
"Listen, Draco, I've suspected this for a while. Ginny admires Harry very much, and everyone knows this. So when Justin Finch-Fletchley suspected that Harry was the heir to the Chamber of Secrets and caused Harry to be talked about, Ginny was very angry about it." Hermione said.
"Where are the others?" he asked.
"Colin Creevey is Ginny's Charms study partner. She definitely knows he comes from a Muggle family. He always follows Harry around, annoying him, and Ginny might think he's harassing him. Nearly Headless Nick invited Harry to the Deathday party, which made him suspicious. Maybe she'll care about that," Hermione said thoughtfully. "As for Mr. Filch, although Ginny has never been punished by him, her brothers—George and Fred—are often punished by him. She must have a lot of complaints about Filch. She learned about Filch being a Squib from her brothers."
"That makes sense, they did know Filch was a Squib," said Draco.
"Exactly," said Hermione. "I asked George yesterday if they had told their sister Filch that he was a Squib, and George admitted it. He said he didn't want Ginny to be too scared of Filch's chains."
"So, why were you attacked today?"
"I think Ginny might have noticed what I was doing," Hermione said sadly. "I went to talk to her yesterday and told her I had some ideas. When I figured it out, she'd be the first one to tell me."
"To the ears of an innocent person, these words may be a comfort; to the ears of the person who opened the Chamber of Secrets, they sound a bit like a provocation," Draco said calmly.
"I was only half-believing it at the time," Hermione said with a bitter face. "I really couldn't believe it was her. She doesn't seem like a pure-blood supporter at all. She has always been very friendly to me."
"Perhaps her mind was corrupted by the thoughts in the diary. Perhaps this was not her intention." Based on the principle of caution, Draco asked, "Are you 100% sure it was her? Is there any conclusive evidence?"
"Of course! Besides the basilisk, I also saw someone in the hand mirror. She was wearing Gryffindor robes and had long red hair... Girls with such features are rare in Gryffindor. It's her, no doubt about it. She was with the basilisk. Maybe she took the diary." Hermione frowned, trying to calm down, and said calmly but anxiously, "We have to tell Harry and Ron immediately and find out everything. We have to stop Ginny before she does something more extreme."
"Of course I'll go," Draco said doubtfully.
This matter seemed to be heading in an incredible direction.
Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets was opened by Ron's sister? She was just a Gryffindor freshman, how could it be possible? How could she have gotten the diary?
Oh, that's very possible.
Draco had a wooden face, and suddenly remembered a scene he saw in Flourish and Blotts before school started. When his father was arguing with Mr. Weasley, Ron's sister seemed to be holding a pile of old books beside them?
Perhaps, it was at that time that my father did something...
He had a grudge against Mr. Weasley, who frequently came to Malfoy Manor to conduct surprise inspections for Dark Magic items, so he brought Dark Magic items to his house to cause trouble for him? It sounded like Lucius's style.
In short, in short, father, you really are cheating your son!
"Ms. Granger, drink it. I added a sleeping potion to the hot cocoa." Madam Pomfrey interrupted their conversation and Draco's thoughts. She walked in from the door and handed Hermione a cup of steaming liquid. "You can't think about anything now. You need to get some rest, dear."
Hermione whispered a "thank you" to Madam Pomfrey, took a sip from her cup, and looked at Draco with worried and anxious eyes.
Draco had already made up his mind: today was the day of the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff match - Harry must be at the match, and Ron was probably there too.
He curled his lips, opened the door of the ward, mouthed "Don't worry" to Hermione, and ran towards the Quidditch field without looking back.