Why did it have to be you?
You’re perfect. You’re smart. More brilliant than any witch of noble blood. You learned advanced spells faster than any person I knew, even with the private tutors and centuries of magic blood in their ancestry.
You came into this school, your nose in a book, the look of wonder in your eyes, and you managed to lay them all in their backs. You questioned our ways and found the logic that we missed. And when you were called a mudblood, you turned around and showed them that you were a prodigy.
But why did it have to be you?
You were his best friend. You ran into danger without hesitation. You made yourself a target the moment you became Harry Potter’s friend. We all knew the Boy Who Lived would have never gotten this far without you.
Only you could solve the monster that lived in the school. Only you could brew a Polyjuice potion as a second year in an out of order girl’s bathroom.
Because it had to be you and only you, Harry Potter’s muggleborn best friend, you were the one that was in danger. You were the one that got hurt along side him.
But why did it have to be you?
You looked so beautiful in your dress. The smile on your face when you were dancing with Victor Krum didn’t make me seethe in jealous rage. It made me happy to see you so carefree. In another life, I would’ve asked you to the ball. In another life, I would’ve escorted you this ball. You would be on my right and we would’ve glided onto the dance floor. I would’ve held you in my arms as we danced the night away. In another life, it would’ve been me who would’ve kissed you in the gardens that night instead of Krum.
I couldn’t focus on Pansy. Each time you would pass us, my eyes would stay on you. And she would ask, “Why did it have to be her?”
I knew you were a target. As each year passed and the more danger Potter brought to you, I knew you would be a target. Everything stopped the moment I saw you. You were supposed to be kept away from this. When I didn’t find your parents, I hoped. I prayed to every deity, God, every force in the universe, that you finally came to your senses and escaped. I should’ve known better. You’re Hermione Granger. You’re the smartest witch of our age. You’re Harry Potter’s best friend. Danger and Hermione were twins.
But damn it all, why did it have to be you?
I knew you would be here. I had to get my wand back is what I told them. But really I needed to make sure you were alive. Wherever Potter is, you would be there. And I saw you. You were breathing. You were alive.
I kept watching over you, although you didn’t need me to. Just for my peace of mind I stayed behind you. I immobilized and even killed the Death Eaters that got too close to you. I’ll damage my soul if it meant you are kept safe. Mother tried to pull me away. Her and father wanted to leave, but I didn’t want to go. As I sprinted away from her, I could her say to my father, “Why did it have to be her?”
I saw you dueling. You were great. You were doing so brilliantly. I kept the others off you while you finished this duel. You were disarmed but that didn’t stop you. Of course you knew wandless magic. You’re Hermione Granger.
You took care of him, but I was too distracted. I didn’t see the other get close you. I knew I could’ve casted a spell, but it would’ve been too late. So I ran.
You saw it happened the moment the spell hit me and you killed the Death Eater that casted it. You caught me in your arms. I could laugh if it didn’t hurt so much. After all this time, it was you that caught me in your arms.
Why are you crying?
Or is the wetness on my face from my own tears?
You’re so beautiful, Hermione. I think I may have said that out loud.
“Why me?” you asked.
“It was always you.”