Healing the Broken

Chapter 20- Another Dream?

Harry takes a step forward and his footsteps echo loudly, the sound bouncing off the walls and making him wince. There was something in here- he could feel it, and if his stupid feet wouldn't quiet down, then it would find him for sure. He casts Muffliato on himself, and grins when his next footstep doesn't make a sound. Just because he can, he jumps up and down for a second, stomping as loud as possible, but it stays quiet. He fist pumps the air and starts walking again.

He was heading down a long, unlit corridor. He had already cast Lumos, so there was a small bit of light, but it wasn't much- not enough for him to be able to see what was at the end of the corridor.Even when he tried Lumos Maxima it wasn't bright enough. Maybe he should turn back and just get out of this hall. It was sort of scary.

But when he turns around he sees a wall. He frowns, for he had been walking, so surely he shouldn't be in front of a wall. He stays facing the wall, and takes a step backwards. The wall stays put for a moment, slightly further away from him, but then he watches in amazement as it moves right up to it's position right in front of him. The wall was moving so that he had to keep going forward, and it was preventing him from going back.

Huffing, he turns around and starts back down the hall. He still holds his illuminated wand in front of him, even though the only thing he can see is the walls on either side of him, and the dark emptiness in front.

Soon he gets tired of walking, and just as he's about to give up, he hears something. It's the first sound he had heard in a while, for now his footsteps were silent, and the wall did make a noise at all when it moved. He listens again and sure enough, the same sound bounces back at him. The sound of someone whimpering. Someone in pain.

He starts to run. Whoever was hurt was at the end of this corridor, he was sure of it. And the presence that he had felt before- he was positive that they were the one that had caused this person pain. He runs and runs, and when he glances back at the wall, it has stopped moving. It somehow knows that he wouldn't try to leave when he knows there is someone in here, someone that needs help.

Soon his wand light casts upon a crumpled figure, lying on the ground. It's shaking, and small whimpering and choked noises are coming from it, the ones that had made him start to run.

He dashes to the person side, and turns them over, ready with Episky or something to help- and then he gasps.

"Hermione!" He says. She looked exactly like she had when she first came back from saving her parents- bloody and bruised. She even had the same gash from Sectumsempra. But the gash was in someplace different. Instead of being on her stomach, it was over her heart. She heaves, and a drop of blood hits the white stone floor. "What- what happened to- I can help you, I promise!"

He waves his wand. "Episky!"

But as soon as he says the spell, his wand vanishes into nothingness, his fingers gripping air.

"No!" Harry says. "No, no no no! It's okay- Hermione it's okay, I can, I can- I-"

She starts to close her eyes, and a tear falls from his eye. "No, no no! Don't you close your eyes. No. I forbid it. Just, stay with me, I can help you-"

He spots her wand on the floor and he picks it up. Waving it, he points it at her gash. "Episky!"

The same as last time, her wand vanishes to nothing just as his had. Hermione closes her eyes completely now, and her breathing is slowing down. He feels her pulse, which was dying as well. "No! Hermione please, I can help you, just stay with me! Hermione-"

But her chest stops heaving, and when he feels for a pulse, there is none. No heartbeat.

She was gone.