Snake & Spider - 3

Ron, still delirious, panicked completely. He began kicking his legs as he tried to stand, but couldn't get his grip and kept slipping on the ice.

"Spider. It's a spider," he repeated frantically. "Have to get Ginny. Have to get her out of here. Spider."

Hermione desperately tried to calm him, as Harry turned his attention back to the spider.

"Incarcerous," Harry bellowed.

The burgundy material wrapped itself around the struggling spider several times, trapping it in place with heavy binding. He watched as the creature's struggles finally slowed with its exhaustion.

Grunting in pain, Harry pulled his abused body across the floor and crawled back to where Ginny still lay, unmoving. Frost had built up in her hair, and she was trembling from the cold.

His own teeth chattering, he pulled his torn and bloody robe off his shoulders and wrapped it around her as best he could, careful to stay out of the snake's reach.

It watched him with cold, emotionless eyes, hissing and testing the air with its forked tongue, although it made no move to strike. Harry conjured a stick and tried again to unravel it from her head, but the snake wouldn't budge.

Harry's body ached, and his injured leg throbbed, but the worst agony came from his chest. How was he going to get this off of her, and what was it doing to her in the meantime? He never should have allowed Ginny to help him. He knew this would happen. He knew it.

Ron and Hermione joined him on the floor in front of Ginny, Ron leaning heavily on Hermione, his expression still dazed and confused.

"What are we going to do?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione hopefully and feeling very much like a small child.

Hermione's worried gaze raked over her three companions, all of them battered and in various states of distress.

"First step is to get that snake off her head," she said, placing her wand to Ron's temple. "Episky."

The bleeding stopped, and the wound sealed remarkably tightly. Ron groaned and raised his hand to his head. "What did you do?" he asked.

"Just a Healing Spell. I've got rather good at them," she said quietly. She turned to look at Harry's shoulder, but he jerked away.

"Ginny first," he said.

"Harry, I don't—"

"Ginny first," he insisted, feeling hysterical. "What's that?"

He pointed to thin red streaks appearing along Ginny's temple and running down her face. One of the streaks had nearly reached her neck.

Hermione gasped, looking up at Harry with wide, panicked eyes. "Oh, no. I think it's poisoning her."

Oh, no. I think it's poisoning her!

Hermione's words rang in Harry's ears repeatedly, fading in and out as if he was moving a great distance away. He ran his hand through his unruly hair, absently smearing blood on his forehead. The rope bracelet that Ginny had woven for him felt too snug around his wrist, almost like it was burning him. He didn't know what to do. He was going to lose Ginny despite all his efforts. He felt as if he were choking on his own breath, the panic bubbling in his chest and ready to consume him.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted. Her voice was insistent, and it forced him back to reality.

He blinked, dazed, desperately trying to drag his eyes away from Ginny's still form and the sinister-looking red streaks creeping down her face so that he could meet Hermione's gaze.

"Harry, you need to speak to the snake and make it let go of her," Hermione demanded, shaking his shoulder roughly.