Christina was in a coma. Harry looked into her poor, pain stricken face. She was pale and her cheeks were hallowed out. Harry felt waves of guilt seeping over him. He held one of her fragile hands in his.
He spoke to her softly as tears welled up in his eyes, "Christina, I am so sorry. I really didn't mean to. It was my duty to. I mean.......I had to open the box. How was I supposed to know? Please show me that you understand me."
Harry waited, but no sign came.
Harry sat by her bed until the nurse came in, "Excuse me, It's time to leave plus I don't think there's a point in talking to someone who can't hear you."
Harry nodded and got up to leave. He looked at Christina and squeezed her hand one last time. He walked out of the room and ran to the lavatory. Ron and Hermione ran after him. Ron ran into the bathroom while Hermione stayed outside.
Harry heard Ron come in, "Harry? Are you alright mate?", asked Ron.
Harry was sobbing now in the last stall.
"Is she that bad?", asked Ron.
Harry moaned, "She's worse Ron. She's barely breathing and she's not getting any better....Ron?"
"Yes Harry?", answered Ron.
Harry sniffed and opened the stall to look at him, "I don't want Christina to die."
Ron walked over to Harry and put his arm around his shoulder, "Well Harry, I've only spoken to Christina a few times since last summer but if I know my family and our friends, no one else wants her to die any more than you do."
Harry sniffed again, "You knew her last summer?"
Ron nodded, "Yeah she came and left before you did. Then my dad told me that she showed up again a week after....well you know. We weren't supposed to say anything. Sirius said it was best if you didn't know her. Actually I didn't think we would ever see her again, but I guess not."
Weeks passed. Soon they were going to start school with no sign of recovery from Christina. She hadn't communicated with anyone yet but Harry insisted on sitting at her bedside everyday. One day Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all sitting around Christina's bed.
They had sat there from early morning until noon. Harry had noticed Ron staring at Hermione, she must've noticed too because she flared up at him,
"Why on Earth do you keep staring at me like that?!"
Ron sighed, "Hermione, you haven't said anything about, you know, what happened at the train station."
Hermione avoided his gaze, "Ron, do you want me to be honest with you?"
Ron smiled, "Well we're friends are we not?"
Hermione looked as if she could've slunk into a hole, "Ron do you remember Viktor Krum?"
Ron scowled, "Yes, I remember him."
Hermione gave him a half-hearted smile, "Well, Viktor and I still sort of like each other. And it wouldn't be fair to...Oh Ron I don't want to hurt you but if we weren't friends and I had never met Viktor then maybe things would be different between you and me."
Ron sighed and got up, "I understand, excuse me."
Harry was afraid Ron might do something drastic so he followed him upstairs to the tea room, "Are you gonna be ok?"
Ron nodded, "Yeah, I think so. I don't know what I was thinking. I think I'll stay here for a while if you don't mind."
Harry and Ron sat in the tea room silent for a while. After fifteen minutes of silence Hermione walked slowly into the room and leaned next to Harry,
"Harry, I think you should go to Christina. She's showing signs of improvement. Maybe she's fighting the curse."
He wasted no time. He was down the stairs in a half a second and back at Christina's side. She was breathing more normally now.
Harry looked out the door for a nurse.One was coming down the hall,
"Excuse me but could you come in here for a minute. I think my friend is improving."
The nurse came in and examined Christina, "Well, I think your friend's going to pull through. Amazing though, it must be the worst case I've seen here that hasn't died and this one pulls through, just astonishing."
The nurse left and Harry took his post next to Christina once again, "Christina, please get well, please. I hope you don't think that I meant to do it."
Suddenly, Harry got the sign he was waiting for. Christina smiled and in a raspy voice said,
"I know sweetie."
Harry shouted, what he said he didn't know. Hermione and Ron came bursting into the room.
"What's going on?", asked Hermione.
Harry smiled, "She's fighting it."
A week later, Harry, Hermione, and all the Weasley's went to the hospital. When they entered her room they found to their great surprise that Christina had her eyes open and she was lying in bed watching TV.