Chapter 25 – Leniency

As soon as they heard the door, the others all went quiet, turning to Emma and Hermione, expectantly. Emma shied away from the attention of so many people, but Hermione nudged her forward, gently.

'Miss Pearson! We were so worried about you.' gasped Professor McGonagall.

Relief was all over her face, though she seemed to be the only one. Madam Pomfrey had her stern matron expression on while Harry and Ron looked disconcerted, like they were out of place. Dumbledore, however, had the calm and smiling mask that he nearly always wore, so it was difficult to know what he was thinking.

Emma ducked her head, ashamed. She'd caused so much hurt to so many people this year that she didn't think she could ever redeem herself.

'Where have you been?' asked McGonagall, concerned.

'It's a long story.' said Emma, quietly, shrinking.

She really didn't want to tell it because it would make everything that had happened real, and she was scared. She was sure Dumbledore could expel her for any number of reasons, but as they all looked at her, waiting, she started.

They all settled onto some chairs that Dumbledore had conjured, outside Madam Pomfrey's office, and Emma told them everything she had done. It started with her witnessing her mother's visions, and to her losing control on the first day, hitting Ron, and then progressed through the year. Every loss of control of emotions, every action she did that was out of character, and every cross word said.

Nobody interrupted her, not when she admitted pranking Draco, not even when she admitted trying to kill him. She explained how, over time, she had become more and more deceitful and cruel, but how, at the time, she hadn't noticed. Finally, when she finished off with disarming Harry, nearly killing him, and then actually killing the Basilisk, she went silent.

She didn't even make it a second before she burst into tears again. Hearing everything out loud really had made it worse, and she saw the horrible person she'd become.

Emma had been looking at Professor Dumbledore the entire time she'd been retelling her story, and now everyone else was too. His expression had changed at some point and was now nearly as stern as McGonagall's could be, though, surprisingly, she looked quite sad. Dumbledore had specifically said the first time they met in his office that she would always be welcome at Hogwarts so long as she wasn't a danger to anyone. She'd gone well beyond that.

'Well,' he said, gravely, looking around the audience. 'under normal circumstances, this would be more than enough grounds for expulsion.'

All of the others reacted in some way. McGonagall's lips trembled, Harry and Ron looked very uncomfortable, Madam Pomfrey lowered her head concerned, and Hermione was scared.

'Is that really necessary, headmaster?' asked McGonagall.

'I... understand.' sobbed Emma.

'However,' he said, his expression softening somewhat. 'you are not the only one at fault here.'

The others all looked around, confused.

'Poppy here warned me that this could be a side effect of your new diet, and here I find myself apologising, yet again, for my neglect.'

He continued to explain how he should have taken Madam Pomfrey's advice and changed Emma's food to human blood at the beginning of the year, and that while he understood Emma's reasons for being against it, it was clear that something had to be done.

'From next year, your diet will be changed, and in the meantime, we will increase the frequency of your feeding's to avoid any more issues.'

'So, she's not getting expelled?' asked Hermione, relieved.

'No, she will not.' he said, pausing. 'The two-hundred house points you received in your absence, Miss Pearson, however, will be revoked, for endangering the lives of others. You will be keeping the award for special services to the school as you did slay the Basilisk, and quite adeptly from what I hear.'

Dumbledore finally had a smile on his face, and even winked at Emma, which made her smile, just a little.

'But, Professor, I...' she said, confused.

Emma had really been expecting to be expelled, and she didn't think Dumbledore could be as forgiving as he was being.

'You feel ashamed of your actions, do you not?' he asked, soothingly, still smiling, and Emma nodded in response. 'Then I trust you will endeavour not to repeat them.'

'Yes, Professor.'

'Splendid.' he beamed. 'Then if we are done, I believe a feast is in order, to celebrate the return of those who were petrified. I'm glad to see you are well again, Miss Granger.'

Hermione blushed, and Harry and Ron looked happy. Emma on the other hand just groaned, it was another feast she was going to have to avoid, and Hermione laughed at her expression.

Emma, Hermione, Harry and Ron all left the Hospital Wing then, and the boys started to head toward the common room, but Emma had something else she needed to do first.

'I have to apologise to Nephthys now.' she sulked.

'We'll come with you.' said Hermione, still holding Emma's hand. 'We haven't seen Hagrid since he got back.'

The boys agreed, and they all made their way down to Hagrid's hut. Once they were outside, Emma used the bird whistle she had been given to call Nephthys, but she never came, not until after they'd found Hagrid, sitting outside his hut with Fang.

The giant gave them all big hugs, particularly Harry and Hermione, and thanked them ever so much for solving the Chamber of Secrets problem, and getting him out of Azkaban. It must be a really horrible place for it to have affected Hagrid so much.

When Nephthys finally arrived, she landed on the same fence that they had parted ways on, and after very few words of apology, she flew right onto Emma's arm and pecked her really hard on the forehead, before rubbing her beak on her nose, affectionately. Clearly the bird missed Emma as much as she did, and Emma gave her a lot of fuss, while crying. She was surprised she still had any tears left, after all she'd shed today.

It was an exhausted Emma that followed the other three back up to the common room that afternoon. It had been a long day already, and it wasn't over yet. She knew she had to have a conversation with Hermione. She had been treating Emma like she was made of glass ever since they found her in the chamber, trying to be strong for her, but it was clear Hermione still wasn't comfortable around her, and neither was Harry or Ron. She wasn't surprised. Emma knew it would take time to mend her relationship with them. So much for trying to be a better friend to them this year.

She used putting Nephthys' cage in her dormitory as an excuse to talk to Hermione, alone.

'I know I've said this a lot today, but I am very sorry, for everything.' she said.

'I know you are,' replied Hermione, sitting down on Emma's bed and sighing. 'and I forgive you.'

'But...' said Emma, knowing she wasn't finished. 'Something is still bothering you, I can tell.'

Hermione nodded, but didn't say anything at first. When she did go to reply, she had to try to open her mouth three times before she was able to say what she felt.

'Why me?' she asked, quietly, before she started speed talking. 'I mean, I understand why you became distant, and crueller, I do, but why did you always lose control because of me? You tried to kill Draco, nearly succeeded too, just because he said he hoped I would die next.'

'Because you're my best friend.' said Emma, shrugging.

She hadn't given it much thought since Hermione mentioned it during their argument, nearly two months ago, and even remembering that the vampire desperately wanted revenge, she had no idea why. She could tell why it was bothering Hermione though. It didn't feel like an adequate answer.

'But you know that's not normal, right?' replied Hermione. 'People just don't go around trying to kill people who threaten their best friends. You don't see Harry doing that for Ron, do you?'

'Harry is a better person than me, you all are.'

'That's not true.' sighed Hermione. 'You're a great friend, when you're yourself, but I just don't understand why I have such an effect on you. You know Harry described your behaviour after I was petrified as possessive?'

'That was the vampire, not me.' said Emma, quickly and confused.

If Hermione was having trouble with the notion of Emma being possessive of her, it was nothing to how Emma felt. It didn't make any sense.

'As much as you don't want to admit it, Emma, you and the vampire are two sides of the same coin.'

'I know, really I do, now more than ever.' she said. 'But I don't know why I reacted the way I did, honestly. Maybe my stronger emotions are the cause?'

Emma knew she was reaching for straws, and Hermione narrowed her eyes. She was having trouble believing Emma, after all, it hadn't been as long for her since their argument as it had been for Emma.

'I promise I won't lie to you any more, Hermione, and I mean it this time.' she said, determined. 'I just hope you'll believe me, in time.'

She smiled at Hermione, hopeful, and after a moment, the smile was returned.

'I've missed you.' said Hermione, giving Emma a hug. 'The real you.'

The rest of the school year went by in a blur. Emma missed the feast, the one where almost everyone went in their pyjamas, where Gryffindor won the house cup due to Harry and Ron's four-hundred house points, and also the one where the exams were cancelled. Hermione was upset about that as she had planned to catch up on her month of being petrified, though she did it anyway, borrowing Harry and Ron's very lacklustre notes of the classes she and Emma missed.

Emma's friendship with Hermione improved somewhat over the remaining months before the summer holidays, though it was still far from where it was at the beginning of the year. Surprisingly, it returned to it's best when Hermione remembered that Emma still had fifteen house points to earn back. Having to stick her hand up in class was just as embarrassing as always, and again, Hermione was finding it funny. If that's what it took to mend things between them, she'd take it. Harry and Ron also treated Emma much better than before as well, but they too had their misgivings. Ron, in particular, would continuously flinch or twitch nervously whenever Emma made any sudden moves.

Emma and Hermione also made a friend in Ginny. The two of them had heard how she wrote in Tom's diary because she had no friends, and that her brothers kept picking on her, so they made an effort to include her when the boys weren't around. She was very nice and friendly, and really very headstrong, like all the Weasley's. She was not as bookish as Hermione or Emma, but they could tell she was happy to have someone to talk to.

Before the end of the year, Emma hazarded to ask Hermione whether she would be allowed to go back home with her again, to stay with her, Jane and Richard. She was worried she would have to live at the orphanage again, but didn't want to presume anything. She understood that Hermione might want some space.

'Of course you're staying with us.' said Hermione, rolling her eyes. 'Mum and Dad have already arranged it.'

'Oh.' said Emma, blinking. 'Thank you.'

'Mum might give you a lecture though. I told her everything.'

Emma nodded, ducking her head, ashamed. She'd almost forgotten Hermione had no secrets from her parents.

'And because we didn't go home for Christmas, they're going skiing this summer, but you don't have a passport,' said Hermione, looking uncomfortable. 'so, you will have to go back to the orphanage for a week.'

Again, Emma nodded, but this time she was sulking. 'Okay.'

When the year was finally over, everyone made their way to the Entrance Hall and out the front gates to the Thestral drawn carriages. Emma and Hermione noted how nobody else could see them, and it was creepy. Emma wondered why nobody ever walked into them, as if they knew the Thestrals were there, but couldn't comprehend them, similar to Emma's notice-me-not ability, but before she'd made up her mind, she was being pulled into a carriage by Hermione.

Once they were out and onto the train station platform at Hogsmeade, Emma quietly cast the feather-light charm on her trunk as well as Hermione's, who raised her eyebrow when her trunk suddenly felt a lot lighter.

'To surprise Richard.' grinned Emma and Hermione giggled, shaking her head.

They found a compartment, sharing it with Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George, and the mood of the group was as light as it had been the previous year, maybe more so. Fred and George had felt really indebted to Harry after he'd saved Ginny, and since Harry had said how he couldn't have done it without Emma, they'd even been incredibly nice to her. It was probably the best moment Emma had had all year, particularly when she beat them all at exploding snap.

'Ginny,' asked Harry remembering something, just as the train was getting near London. 'what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?'

'Oh, that.' said Ginny, giggling. 'Well – Percy's got a girlfriend.'

'What?' asked Fred, shocked, dropping his books on George's head.

'It's that Ravenclaw Prefect, Penelope Clearwater.' said Ginny. 'That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was – you know – attacked. You won't tease him, will you?'

She looked anxious as she knew more than anyone what Fred and George were like.

Emma wasn't surprised, she'd seen Percy and Penelope Clearwater together quite a lot on her map, but she had assumed they were just meeting because they were prefects.

'Wouldn't dream of it.' said Fred, smirking, clearly already planning ways to do it.

'Definitely not.' said George, sniggering.

Emma became nervous again when the train started to pull into the station. She was really fretting about meeting Richard and Jane again. They'd been really nice to her, and she was sure they still would be, but she wasn't looking forward to the lecture Hermione had warned her she'd be getting. Mrs Cole could shout and nag until she was blue in the face, but Emma knew she'd melt at the mere sight of disappointment from Jane.

Distracting her, Harry pulled out a quill and some parchment from his bag and quickly wrote some numbers on it, three times.

'This is called a telephone number.' he said to Ron, tearing the parchment and giving one each to Ron, Hermione and Emma. 'I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer, he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys, OK? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to...'

'Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?' asked Hermione, as they stepped off the train. 'When they hear what you did this year?'

'Proud?' he replied. 'Are you mad? All those times I could've died, and didn't manage it? They'll be furious!'

Emma and Hermione shook their heads. Hermione was confused because she didn't understand how his guardians could be so callous, but Emma was annoyed because she did. They parted ways after they had gone through the barrier at the station, and Emma and Hermione made their way to the Granger's, again, Emma pointing them out through the crowd before Hermione had spotted them.

If Emma was going to get a talking to, it seemed that it wouldn't be here, in public, because the two of them embraced her, after Hermione of course, as if she was their own daughter. After that, they made their way to the car, with Richard insisting on pulling the trunks. Hermione and Emma had to laugh when he went to grab the handle of one of them to raise it onto its wheels, and, overestimating its weight, lifted it right off the floor.

'Are these empty?' he asked, confused.

'It's a feather-light charm.' whispered Hermione in his ear so nobody overheard, before smirking. 'Emma's idea.'

'I thought it would be good to show you some of what we've learned at school.' said Emma, innocently, though she was smirking far too much to be believable.

She received three identical grins and eye-rolls, and they made their way to the car, and there ended another school year.

There we are. An end to another year, a fairly terrible year at that. I hope you all enjoyed it, and will be back for more in book 3.