Chapter One
Hermione washed her hair quickly, drying it with a quick spell and tying it up into a ponytail, nothing special since it was just a normal day at Hogwarts. As she made her way down to the common room where Harry, Ron and Ginny were waiting for her. It took second for her to see what they were huddled around and talking about, she rolled her eyes.
"God forbid you think of anything other than Death Eaters for five minutes." She said dryly, grouping with them.
"Well it is important, 'Mione." Ron told her.
"I know." She backtracked.
"Besides, we're finding out who're Death Eaters in Hogwarts itself." He added, pointing to several photos – all Slytherins, of course – and naming them. "Of course we know the Ferret is a slimy git, but so are Crabbe and Goyle." He said. He was proud of his findings and looked to her for approval.
Hermione looked at the photographs and nodded, seeing that a few of them didn't look very likely, but obviously Harry, Ron and Ginny had to have proof before presenting them to Kingsley, as I imagined was the point of this whole thing.
"Where's the proof?" She asked. This time Ginny answered her.
"We've seen them meeting with Malfoy and going to dodgy places in Hogsmead." She smirked. "We've got enough proof to take this back to the Order and make sure they never wipe their slates clean.
Hermione nodded with them, smiling on the outside but looking at the list. A few of them were only first years and she was aware that they have very pushy pureblood families. By no means was she a sympathiser with the racist pureblood regime, how could she be since she was the exact thing they sought out to kill? But she did understand that not everyone on that list was a completely willing participant in the Dark Lord's work. It was useless having these thoughts, however, for no one would ever listen to her unless she had proof, and she couldn't exactly get them to admit they didn't really support the dark lord – they wouldn't survive the rest of the day.
She narrowed her eyes at the thought and grabbed her bag.
"I'm off to Potions. I'll see you guys at lunch."
"See ya, 'Mione." They called together, seemingly too taken in by their little task to think about lessons or breakfast.
Hermione rolled her eyes and went to Potions.
Sure enough, the lesson went how she imagined it would. It was with the Ravenclaw's so there was little feuding within the room. The older years would occasionally pick on the younger, but they stayed away from Hermione and she minded her own business as she did her work. Being part of the Golden Trio meant very little unless you were Harry Potter, heck, even Ron got his fair share of attention due to being on the Quidditch team. Hermione barely existed to anyone, and she didn't mind, she always viewed it as her being the little person behind the screen that kept the Muggle television channel's going. She always smiled as she thought of it, but today it bought her a strange confusion. Yes, she was very much the brains of the operation, but she was very rarely involved on missions, like the rest of them were today – she hadn't even known it was going on until Ron told her – she sighed and went back to her work, vowing not to think of it any more that day.
When she exited the class, she walked into Padma Patil, thinking it strange to see her without her sister.
"Hey, Padma, why are you on your own?" Hermione asked as they walked together towards Charms – an unfortunate lesson they had with Slytherin.
"Oh, my sister is doing something for Harry, but she won't tell me what." She sighed, clutching her books a little tighter. "I do hope he's not asking her to spy on the Slytherin's again."
Hermione looked at her with obvious shock. Since when had Harry been asking others to spy? It was one thing for them to be doing it themselves on the Order's command, but to involve other people, innocents? Was it right?
"Oh, I'm sure she's not." Hermione offered in comfort as they walked into the class. They parted ways and she took her place at the front of the class, as she always had, and paid attention to Professor Flitwick as best she could with everything swimming around her mind.
The lesson was a normal occasion with the Slytherin's, paper aeroplanes being thrown by the Muggle-raised children and enchanted swans and such pecking at their hair from the Slytherin side. Of course, they all used magical jinxes to irritate the Gryffindors.
An hour or so into the lesson, Professor Flitwick decided that a practice session was called for and left them in the room together with some rather feeble warning words about fighting. It didn't take long for Hermione's prediction of carnage to break out.
Lifting her book behind her head to protect her from hexes, she jumped under a desk with a few of the first years and breathed heavily.
"Granger's gone running with the first years. Some part of the Golden Trio." Hermione heard the arrogant voice of Draco Malfoy snidely bite; causing a laugh from the backing of Slytherins he had around him.
Hermione replied with nothing more than to sink further into the desk. The first years looked slightly shocked, but were happy that they weren't the only ones hiding.
She watched as several of the younger members behind Malfoy looked uneasy and unwilling to do as he – and several older members – said, pushing them to send hexes at people that they didn't want to, that weren't doing anything wrong. It made Hermione feel sick, but she still wasn't leaving that desk.
"Hermione, you can't keep running and hiding from Malfoy!" Harry moaned, exasperated. He'd let Hermione go to classes on her own for one day and she'd cowered and shamed the Golden Trio in a matter of house. He was rather put out and angry.
"It was a rather vicious attack between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Harry…" Ginny jumper to her friend's defence against her boyfriend, but to little avail.
"Regardless!" He called out, turning to Ginny. "She didn't throw a single hex! She didn't enter into negotiations with Malfoy, she just let him do what he wanted to anyone who couldn't defend themselves!" He groaned.
"Harry, not everyone wanted to do what they did. Throwing a hex could have hurt one of them and–"
"Could have hurt a Death Eater?" He asked dryly, a dark laugh in his throat. "God forbid someone gives them a little payback." He ran his hand through his hair as he paced, trying to calm down. It didn't work. "I'm sorry, Hermione, but the feud between Slytherin and Gryffindor is now far beyond that of a little House rivalry." He explained, motioning to the common room around him. "Sympathising with them isn't in the best interests of Gryffindor and being a coward isn't what this House is about." He said sadly.
Hermione gasped. What was he trying to say?
"Harry–" He cut Ginny off.
"I'm sorry, Hermione. You've done this several times now, even with our support. I don't think you should be given any more missions." He admitted with a sigh.
"But I hardly get any anyway!" Hermione protested, standing from her seat.
"Because you can barely save your own arse, let alone anyone else's." Ron spoke up. Hermione hadn't even noticed he was there, but he had sat angrily glaring at the whole exchange since the beginning – his face as red as his hair.
"And sending Parvati Patil to do your dirty work of spying on the Slytherins in such an honourable and noble thing?" Hermione blurted out angrily, hot tears pooled into her eyes with her anger. "Every spell you've ever achieved has come to me naturally without a second attempt. How can you say I'm incompetent?" She demanded angrily, her voice breaking.
"You're not incompetent, 'Mione–" Harry began.
"You're a coward." Ron finished seriously.
Hermione, once again, gasped. How could someone she had saved the life of several times be so dismissing of her? He just called her a coward and she was supposed to accept it? A Gryffindor was not a coward. But then Hermione thought about everything she had been through, she had never been alone. Both Ron and Harry had been somewhat alone in their time of facing enemies and foes, what with Ron single-handedly sacrificing himself to the Queen for Harry in first year, Harry in the Tri-Wizard Tournament and several other escapades. Yes, Hermione had achieved very little on her own and was always so frightened whenever she faced something. She had no doubt she belonged in Gryffindor, but she had not yet found the courage to do something like Ron and Harry had, and therefore, understood what they meant when they said she had let the Golden Trio down. The ability to do something was nothing without the courage to carry it out.
The discussion went on long into the night with several Floo connections to Kingsley and other Order members. It had been decided that they would convene in a week's time to talk about Hermione's current position.
Throughout the week Hermione spent very little time alone and was always accompanied by either Harry or Ron. Ginny had kept her distance, since she wasn't a stupid witch, and had already said her goodbye's to Hermione as she was not allowed into the meeting. Both Ron and Harry were lucky to be included, but it was only for their character references that they had managed it. The week had flown by so quickly and she had spent much of it away from the Slytherin's as much as possible, assuming the position under the table whenever the two Houses were left alone in Charms. How was Flitwick so oblivious to everything that happened in the short twenty minutes he would leave the classroom?
Once the week was up, Hermione stood facing the mirror in her Sunday best as her mother had always called it. Her dress reached her knees and was synched in at the waist, the bright white gave her a childish look and the ponytail in her hair not changing that little observation. As the three of them made their way to the fireplace in Dumbledore's office – as they had express permission, despite him being away from the castle at the present time – and stepped inside, quickly arriving at number 12 Grimmauld Place.
Stepping inside the threshold had never been so daunting to Hermione and she noticed how her heart beat rapidly as she forced her feet to bring her to the dining room where she knew several Order members would be. It didn't surprise her that Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley and Remus were not present, as they had prior commitments.
And if it came to a vote, they would want to keep me. Hermione thought to herself as she sat down at the head of the table, opposite Kingsley a good twelve feet or so away from her. She laced her fingers together nervously as Harry and Ron sat either side of her. She looked to them for support and wasn't surprised when they were giving their full attention to the other head of the table.
"So, Miss. Granger," he began, her stomach giving a flip-flop as her fate was about to change in this very moment, "it has been bought to my attention that you are a Death Eater Sympathiser." He said sternly.
Hermione looked around the room rapidly, noticing that Harry and Ron did the same; apparently they had not expected this kind of reaction from their leader at all. Due to the very reasons she was here, Hermione could not speak, she didn't have the front to.
"This is a dangerous accusation made by Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. Do you wish to elaborate further?" He asked the both of them openly.
"S-She isn't going around trying to help them…" Ron began.
"Yeah, she's just…a little against hurting the less violent Death Eaters." Harry added, looking to Hermione's frozen face for some sort of agreement, but it was clear she was as close to petrified as she had been in second year. It unnerved them.
"Has she every harmed a Death Eater?" Kingsley asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Well…erm…" Harry stuttered, looking to Ron.
"She once punched Malfoy in the face." He offered feebly.
Kingsley closed his eyes and shook his head, rubbing his temples and sighing heavily. Apparently they had not convinced him otherwise with their additions.
"Look, we don't think Hermione is a Death Eater Sympathiser, we just think she's a little…cowardly sometimes and could do with some help with it…" Harry piped up, putting his hand over Hermione's still petrified hand and looking back to Kingsley. "I just thought you might be able to help her."
Kingsley sat forward and rested on his elbows, looking at the three of them intently.
"I'm sorry, boys, but your accusations still stand and I don't see any evidence that she is against what we call our enemies." He shrugged. "Of course, I am aware that she had shown no reasonable cause to suspect her of supporting the Dark Lord, it would be dangerous to share any missions, information or plans with her for the foreseeable future." He said. The faces around the table began to agree and nod, deciding that Kingsley's decision was justified.
Harry went to argue but the older member beside him but a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"I'm afraid that someone who does not venomously hate the Dark Lord and all his followers, they are a liability if caught." He explained in his wheezy voice. "Of course, this is probably a relief for Miss. Granger as she is not likely to be captured now, should things turn sour at Hogwarts." He explained.
The two boys looked towards Hermione who's face was as petrified still as it had been the first time Harry looked. They were concerned, but saw no argument in her face…no emotion at all in her face. They both felt guilty for tattling on her to the Order and couldn't get over the lumps in their throat of what had happened – was Hermione no longer a member of the Order of the Phoenix then?