 Hermione was sitting on a chair next to Ron’s bed. He was asleep, his face serene, in perfect contrast with the events of the day. Her throat constricted when she remembered the moment Harry almost ran her over in the Common Room when he came to tell her that Ron had been poisoned with Slughorn’s mead. At first she’d thought that he was lost forever, and suddenly she felt as if a boa snake had twisted around her torso and was strangling her. There was a heavy weight on her lungs, making it impossible to inhale properly. The air was coming in short gushes, making her feel dizzy and fogging her brain with lack of oxygen. Her vision became blurry and Harry had to shake her, his hands firmly on her shoulders, to bring her back to reality.