"Knock, knock..."
"Come in."
"Miss Granger?"
In the Headmaster's Office on the Castle's Seventh Floor, Dumbledore sat behind his large desk, weariness etched between his brows. His gaze remained gentle as he looked at Hermione standing before him.
"Headmaster." Hermione's lips trembled. "I..."
After another long moment, she bit her lip, seemingly gathering her courage.
"I heard from Harry that you've destroyed the Philosopher's Stone. Is that true?"
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows slightly. "Before we discuss whether I've destroyed the Philosopher's Stone, may I ask what you intend to do with it, Miss Granger?"
Whatever the form of communication, the hardest step was always the first-speaking up.
"If you haven't destroyed it, I'd like to use it to save Su Er," Hermione said. "I've heard the Philosopher's Stone has the power to grant immortality. Could it also be used to wake Su Er?"
"That day in the Forbidden Forest, if I hadn't tripped, we wouldn't have been caught. If we'd escaped safely, Su Er certainly wouldn't have..." Grief and exhaustion showed plainly on Hermione's face. "If you haven't destroyed the Philosopher's Stone yet, could we try using it? Please, Headmaster Dumbledore."
"It's not your fault. It's not your fault, child." Dumbledore's voice was exceedingly gentle. "No one could have foreseen things turning out this way."
"Unfortunately, however, I have indeed destroyed the Philosopher's Stone. That was my agreement with Nicolas Flamel."
"Mr. Bones is in no danger for the moment. He's merely unconscious. Trust us, child. We'll find a way to wake him."
"We simply need a little more time."
"Now, your friends must still be waiting for you. Winning the House Cup after so many years was no easy feat for Gryffindor."
But I'm in no mood to celebrate at all. Hermione nodded dejectedly, then turned and left the