Fidelity to Friends

The first thing Hermione felt when she woke up was someone holding her hand. It felt hot and sweaty and perfect. She wasn't sure why she thought that, but it felt familiar. Cracking an eye open, she saw a mop of unruly black hair laying on the side of her bed. Harry, she realized, of course it was him.

She must have moved or something, because Harry's head rose, his striking green eyes catching hers. She saw something new, something she'd never seen in them before. Harry had always been rather care free, his eyes seemed to always have a bit of laughter in them. The dark glint in them now was definitely not laughter though, it was fear.

"Harry," Hermione's voice cracked, "What's wrong? Are you ok?"

"I...I…" Harry hesitated, then shook his head, a tear glinting in his eye. "No, I'm not… You almost died… I almost lost you and I couldn't do anything."

"Oh Harry, I'm right here."

"Now, but when you were petrified, when all i could do is sit, and talk at you, and you could just lay there, unmoving…." Harry's voice was cracking, she could hear the fear and pain in it. "I thought I'd lost you, I'd lost you and I couldn't do anything to bring you back. It…. I'm sorry I never understood what you went through seeing me hurt, that I never listened to you tell me to be more careful."

"Harry," She reached up with her hand to pull him up so she could hug him. His clothes were covered in dirt and grime, and he smelled, she realized. "Harry, what happened to you, are you OK?"

"I'm fine Hermione, just tired." Harry waved her concern off, "The important thing is you're ok now."

"Harry," Hermione scolded him, her tone warning. "What happened?"

"Well," Harry hesitated, "Me and Ron found your note yesterday, and we figured everything out, even where the chamber was. We were on our way to tell Dumbledore when we found them discussing another message. It said 'her skeleton shall lie in the chamber forever'. They said Ron's sister was down there, and Lockhart was tasked with retrieving her, as he'd been bragging about knowing were the chamber was for weeks."

"He did?"

"Claimed to," Harry clarified, "When me and Ron went to him to tell him about the Basilisk, we found him packing and claimed he'd been called away, urgent business."

"Well he is a very important man," Hermione hesitated.

"Hermione, he refused to try to find Ginny, said it was a terrible tragedy but at least it wasn't him."

"He did?" Her incredulous tone said much about her disbelief.

"Yeah, then he tried to stun me and Ron." Harry told her, "But we got the drop on him and forced him to go with us into the chamber."

'Where was it?"

"What?"

"The Chamber of Secrets, where is it?"

"Oh, it's in Myrtle's bathroom," Harry said blushing, "she was the student that was killed last time."

"Oh," Hermione leaned back "That actually makes sense, I think."

"Anyway, it's under the sink," Harry continued, "we got down to the caves, and Lockhart tricked Ron and tried to stun us again. Nearly killed us when the spell backfired and caused a cave-in."

"He what?"

"He tried to use Ron's wand, it backfired, and cause a cave-in," Harry repeated. "I was on one side, Ron and a stunned Lockhart on the other."

"Harry, this sounds truly death defying, but are you sure he wasn't trying to protect you, keep you from danger or something?" Hermione asked skeptically, "I mean he is a teacher, and a famous wizard after all."

"Hermione, you're not still on about him are you?" Harry was flabbergasted, then at her arch look continued. "I know we agreed back in October to self-study more practical stuff but i thought you had figured out he was a phony then."

"A what? He's a great wizard."

"Fine, if he's so great, tell me this: When did he conquer the Wagga-wagga Werewolf?"

"It was the fall of 1986, really Harry, you'd know this if you actually studied." Hermione Huffed.

"And when was he crossing the Atlantic with the Vampires?" Harry asked, pressing on.

"They left South Africa in late August of '86 and arrived in Havana in…" Hermione trailed off, her brain finally caught up to what Harry was trying to tell her. "In mid-November. But he couldn't… that was… He LIED?"

"I think so," Harry agreed, "I mean, think about it, what has he actually taught us this year? Most of his homework is about him and most of the stuff in class is acting out scenes from his books."

"But...But the books…." Hermione seemed to be lost, before she turned to Harry, fury in her eyes.

"He must pay." She said in a cold tone that made Harry shiver. Then she looked oddly at him, and asked in a much softer tone, "Why are you so dirty?"

Harry couldn't help it, he laughed. Not a little chuckle either, it was a full, deep belly laugh.

"Sorry, but I love the way you get focused like that." Harry grinned as he looked at her, the laughter back in his eyes. 'Anyway, after the cave in, I went ahead, fought the Basilisk and the artifact Voldemort was using to control…"

"Voldemort?" Hermione cut him off, "What did he have to do with it?"

"He opened the chamber the first time, he's the Heir of Slytherin." Harry explained, "The Diary i found was his, his name is Tom Marvelo Riddle, it's an anagram for I am Lord Voldemort. Anyway, the diary was controlling Ginny, so i fought the Basilisk, killed it, destroyed the diary, and rescued Ginny. Didn't really expect her to still be alive honestly."

"Just like that?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Well maybe not that easy," Harry admitted shyly, "But those are the basics, yes."

"And just why does your arm have that nasty scar on it?" She asked pointing at his torn right sleeve.

"Oh it's nothing." Harry waved her off, "When I killed the Basilisk he bit me, no big deal."

"No big deal?" Hermione near screamed, "Harry you should be dead, Basilisk venom is very deadly."

"It's Ok, Fawkes healed me." Harry said, dismissively, "The important thing is that you are ok."

"Harry?" Hermione asked softly after a minute trying to process things.

"Yes?"

"If you didn't expect Ginny to still be alive, why didn't you and Ron clear the cave in before you went after the Basilisk?"

"Oh, that..." Harry got very nervous, "Well, you see… I was angry at it."

"You were angry at it, so you didn't wait and just wanted to throw your life away trying to kill one of the most deadly creatures known to wizard kind?"

"Not exactly…" Harry rubbed the back of his neck and refused to meet her glare.

"What then? What made you so angry that you didn't wait for help? What made you nearly throw your life away?"

"It hurt you!" Harry said suddenly, forcefully. Realizing what he'd said, looking at her shocked expression, he continued softly. "I couldn't think straight because I knew it had hurt you. It had tried to take you from me and I… I really didn't like that."

"Oh," Hermione's shocked answer came in a puff as her world was tossed upside down. A moment later she smiled and looked at the very nervous Harry, "I guess we need to make sure that doesn't happen again then, huh?" And she kissed his cheek.