The Internal Devices

Chapter 15

The Christmas holidays were quickly approaching, and Hermione was reaching a near-frantic state. There were exams to be aced, data to be analyzed, and plans for the break to be established. The former was rather simple, she supposed. Transfiguration would be relatively easy, as well as Charms. DADA was positively laughable. She had mastered those spells during her sixth year with Harry. Ancient Runes would require some stark memorization, which would probably be the most time-consuming. And Care of Magical Creatures...visiting Hagrid for a few hours would catch her up on anything she missed in the past few weeks.

The next element of her frazzled state, the laboratory data, was the primary source of concern. Theo's test turned up positive for tuberculosis. To be sure, she and Malfoy had run the assay no less than twenty times, and each time it came out positive. The hour following this revelation consisted of intense sulking on Hermione's part and successive kicking of the wall on Malfoy's end. When they both composed themselves, the look they shared was one of pure determination: they would find a cure.

First, Hermione offered up all the information she had on muggle antibiotics. They tested the usual ones, rifampicin and isoniazid, and even others not commonly known to cure TB such as penicillin and methicillin. Nothing seemed to work. Each night they laboriously inoculated plates and treated them with antibiotics, but nothing even made a dent in whatever this strain of tuberculosis was. Hermione was almost to the point of ripping out her own hair.

Finally, finally, they made a breakthrough. It was actually Malfoy who had the idea in the first place. She wasn't necessarily surprised it was him, he was obviously quite intelligent, she was just mildly irritated she hadn't thought of it first. His proposal was that the strain had indeed mutated, much as Hermione had said originally, but that it had mutated magically. Of course, muggle antibiotics weren't working. They needed a muggle-magical antibacterial hybrid. She had to admit the idea was rather brilliant. Now they simply had to develop a spell that worked.

While Malfoy's motivation was purely focused on curing his dying friend, Hermione's view was much broader. She quickly realized that if they could successfully create a spell to attack a blood curse such as Theodore's, St Mungo's and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement could apply it to those still suffering symptoms from the Death Eaters' curses. Perhaps it was a long shot, but she was excited nonetheless.

The third and final source of her fraying sanity was the dozens of letters stacking on her window. They were addressed by various Weasleys and Harry, all asking when she would be arriving for the winter holidays. She had yet to respond to any of them, so naturally, her friends sent even more.

Hermione sighed. It wasn't that she did not want to see her friends. She missed them. Terribly. But the fact remained that she had much to do at Hogwarts. Leaving her research for even a day sounded horrendous. Malfoy mentioned he would remain at school over the holidays; he didn't seem inclined to stay at the empty manor. She hurt terribly for him, just as she hurt for her own loss of her parents. At least she had someplace to go with the Weasleys. They were so generous, considering her as one of their own. She was being selfish for wanting to stay away from the Burrow. Resolved, she hastily scribbled a reply to Molly's letter and sent it off.

Hermione pivoted in place and shrieked at the grinning apparition not two inches from her nose.

"Ginny! Oh my god, what are you doing!"

Ginny howled in delight and slumped onto Hermione's bed. "I've been here for ten minutes. You were too busy pacing and scowling to notice."

"I was not scowling."

"Are you sure?" Hermione really couldn't be certain. She had a tendency to look a bit broodish when she was stressed. Instead of arguing, she joined Ginny on the covers and took a deep breath.