Hello readers,
Well, I'm sorry to say that this story did not turn out as the wonderful masterpiece, filled with comedy and suspense I had originally envisioned, but I hope you'll get something out of it anyway.
Actually, my dearest wish is that someone would come along and re-write it, using my idea, and along that vein, I'll share with you what exactly was going on in my head when I cooked this whole thing up;
I got the idea from the countless Romeo and Juliet-inspired Harry Potter fanfics, usually with Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy as the illustrious, ill-fated duo. (Don't ask me who dreamed up the Draco/Hermione paring. I guess Draco has some of that sought-after bad-boy charm) Anyway, I also know that the storyline is always good for a giggle. Think about it, folks, there was at least one episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Xena, Hercules and I think X-files and Star Trek (but I'm not sure) where that happened, and let's not forget to mention the Bard's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
Why does this thing work so well? Well, it combines people acting goofy and PDA-ish in public (that's usually pretty funny), and suspense as well as just all-around weirdness (Why do they like each other?). So, I was thinking What if somebody did that to Hermione and Draco (now, I'm not saying it hasn't already been done, it's just that I haven't happened to read any where that happened) So I spent, like, two days working on this, and I got frustrated and I sort of felt like I was wasting my time (cause it's not like the world needs any more Harry Potter fanfic) so I just called it a day, and, no, I am not planning to revise. If you want to, just go ahead. You don't even have to e-mail me. (of course, I'd like to see what you've done, though! :-)
Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. I meant to have this a little longer and actually lead to the Gryffindors and the Slytherins fighting over it, but I couldn't get the character to stop giggling long enough to get mad. And maybe Draco getting told off by his father, but unfortunately, I couldn't drag it out that long. And maybe one of the Gryffindor girls reporting that Hermione had, like, a zillion pictures of Draco hanging by her bed, or that they were planning to get married or something, but I couldn't find any reason for that to happen, so I just left it alone.
I set this in year 4, but I tried to keep everything pretty much year-three so it would stay relatively cannon. Notice that except for a little thing I cooked up between Fred Weasley and Angelina Johnson, the relationships are all pretty much the same. Now, you can easily imagine either Harry or Ron getting jealous of Draco, so that was a little hard to deal with since Book 4 was not even close to being released when I wrote this - and I still haven't read it! (which means I didn't know who was going to like who yet, even though, I would like to go on record as saying that I have seen a Ron/Hermione thing coming pretty much ever since Book 1.)
So I just made Harry very level-headed and Ron slightly jealous (I know they're not really in character a lot of the time, but what can I do? I'm not really a very good writer, you know.)
So, anyway, if you're still with me, happy reading!
Best,
Colleen
cg226@mailcity.com
---
OK, now for the legal stuff: I don't own these characters, situations or anything. I am not making any money off of this, and it is my dearest aspiration not to dishonor them too badly.
Oh, and I hereby grant this work to the public domain (in case you want to do something with it without worrying about my suing you.)
The Entrancement Enchantment
By the time Harry came back from the Quiddich practice, the Great Hall was filled with chattering students, most of who were already seated at the four long tables.
No sooner had Harry slid into the seat next to Ron Weasley at the end of the Gryffindor table when his brother George brushed past the back of his chair and extended his hands toward Angelina Johnson, a sixth-year and an excellent Quiddich player who had just taken the wide seat at the head of the table.
"Aahhhhhhhh... Who do we have here? George exclaimed.
She looked up disgustedly. Harry and Ron exchanged an amused glance.
You look ravishing darling, really smashing!"
Without a word, she jumped up from the chair and moved to the other end of the table.
Ron and Harry sniggered.
Fred walked over just as George was shouting, "You can sit down here. Really!"
Angelina ignored him.
How many times do you think she wants to be told she's smashing or fantastic or the like? Fred asked. I mean you must've said that to her every time you've seen her this week!
Hermione walked in carrying a very old-looking, very thick book with brass filigree designs on the end and sat down at the end of the table.
Oh, wait! George exclaimed. That seat's – what I mean to say is, uh – taken
Oh, it is not! Angelina shouted from the other end of the table.
But you can sit down here! I'll move. George exclaimed frantically.
Put your wand away! The teachers will think you're up to smacking people's plates in their faces. And I'll tell them you have been.
The other sixth-years giggled.
She's right, you know. Doing magic in the halls is forbidden, Hermione said in a low voice.
George rolled his eyes.
How'd practice go?" Ron asked brightly as George tucked his wand under the table. Hermione propped the book against the pumpkin-juice jug and started munching a carrot off of her plate as she read.
Fred was just relating with a snigger how George had nearly fallen off of his broom no less than eighteen times ("A Gryffindor record Exclaimed Lee Jordan, who was sitting next to George), and was about to say that the Gryffindor bludgers were acting sluggish and Madam Hooch thought they needed to be treated with a Bludger Potion, when Draco Malfoy wandered in just then, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.
Draco stopped directly behind Hermione's chair.
Quiet everybody! he shouted. Hermione thinks this is the library.
Hermione nearly gagged the carrot
Shut up, Malfoy Ron said. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled.
Or perhaps she's merely afraid all her toes would drop off if she failed to be the biggest, most annoying, know-it-all in the school." He drawled
You're pushing it, Malfoy Harry growled.
"Of course," Malfoy continued maddeningly "If I were in Gryffindor, I'd read as much as possible to try to rise above the fact that I had been put in the dimwit house," he glanced at Harry.
Hermione snapped the thick book shut noisily and glared at Malfoy.
Whatever Hermione was going to say at Malfoy got lost on the way to her mouth, because for about ten or fifteen seconds Hermione and Malfoy only stared at each other. They were both grinning from ear to ear. Hermione bit her lip and went very pink. She cast her eyes down and pointed to the four or five inches of space left over on her wide seat at the end of the table.
This – this seat's not taken, she said breathlessly.
Thank you. Said Draco politely sitting practically in Hermione's lap.
Sit at your own table, Malfoy Harry said coldly.
Yeah, come on! said Crabbe impatiently. Draco ignored both of them.
Hermione and Draco had lost all visible interest in food and were apparently more intent on exchanging fingerprints when Professor Snape swept into the hall, apparently oblivious to Draco sitting at the wrong table.
"No standing about the hall" he said to Crabbe and Goyle. They lumbered off to the Slytherin table.
Now nearly everyone at the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables was staring at Draco and Hermione, and it was no wonder. Harry had never seen such a thing in his life.
First Hermione's elbow landed in her potatoes, then Draco knocked her books onto the floor and nobody said a word about it, not even Hermione, then Draco mumbled an actual apology and Hermione giggled as though it were the funniest thing she'd ever heard.
---
Draco and Hermione were apparently completely oblivious to everyone else in the crowded hall. ("I should hope they were, for their sake!" Someone said later.)
After Draco had spilled Hermione's glass of pumpkin juice, Hermione had giggled and flipped her hair over her shoulder and Draco had said something so softly that nobody else heard it and then they both had left the Great Hall.
Most of the normal jabbering had returned by this time but it took a few minutes before the students at that end of the table were able to close their mouths and actually do anything. It was questionable exactly how many actually remembered to eat anything at all.
George drank all of his pumpkin juice in one gulp.
Seamus Finnigan was the first to break the silence "What, can they see in each other?" he asked.
"And they kept it so well hidden all that time" said Ginny Weasley
"Yeah, you never would have suspected," agreed Dean Thomas
"I wonder what they're doing now," sniggered Fred
"I think it's disgusting, said Ron "All that knocking stuff over... Talk of dimwits."
I think nothing so smarmy has happened since Lockhart was here, said Neville said, which reminded Harry of something that had happened during the awful year when Gilderoy Lockhart, Egomaniac Superlative had been their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
---
"Harry," Ron began, "Are they under some kind of spell?"
Harry shrugged. "Curse is more like it," he said "But who could've cast a spell on Hermione... and Malfoy?"
They passed Fred and George in the hall.
"... And if she doesn't look up, smack her plate of food in her face" Fred was saying to George, who had apparently resumed his obsession with the blonde girl. Or, you could just talk to her. He added.
"Well, someone who hates both of them, probably," said Ron.
I guess, Harry replied But did you see the Slytherin table? They were as shocked as we were! And worse, because Malfoy's practically a deity to them.
Well, I don't imagine it was any of the teachers, Ron said.
That would be a pretty stupid thing for a teacher to do, Harry agreed. And it can't be one of the ghosts, because they can't do magic.
---
In potions, things were no better. Hermione and Draco arrived arm-in-arm, about five minutes into the lesson, Snape pretended not to notice in order to avoid taking points away from his own house, Hermione had cut her thumb, Draco had bound it up with a piece off his immaculate robe, Hermione had giggled and kissed him on the cheek, Crabbe and Goyle had made loud vomiting noises, Draco had smacked Goyle's head so hard that he knocked into Crabbe and got green slime from the cauldron Crabbe was stirring all over both of them (it was not quite a potion, so nothing happened), Snape had yelled at Neville for accidentally dropping an entire bottle of Foxglove into his caldron, Draco's wand had started to spew green smoke, because he'd inadvertently dangled it into the potion while whispering something into Hermione's ear, Then, to Harry's relief, professor Snape announced that potions class was over, congratulating Mr. Malfoy because his potion was quite the best in the class (Draco didn't hear this because Hermione telling him she'd never seen anyone work with potions quite as well as he did.)
The next Gryffindor class was one with the Ravenclaw students and Hermione nearly cried when the other Slytherin students dragged Draco away from her.
---
Later, in Transformation, the class was supposed to be changing the writing on a piece of parchment
Professor McGonagall walked around checking everyone's work.
"Very good, Mr. Potter, although I should like those Es to be slightly rounder... I'm afraid your mind may be wandering every so slightly, Mr. Longbottom. I find that's what causes the paper to catch fire and burn ... Oh, you've changed the color too, Mr. Finnigan! Five points for Gryffindor... Ron, it's wonderful, but it is supposed to be going in a left-to-right direction. Oh, don't worry, it's easily fixed..." there was a longish pause as she stopped in front of Hermione's desk at the words "...well, I don't recall any student of mine writing anything quite like 'Mrs. Draco Malfoy' with in script transfiguration class before..." Sniggering and gagging filled the room. "Quiet," she ordered calmly, her lips quite thin. "You've all made far worse mistakes, I'm sure, she said with a backwards glance at Hermione who was staring dreamily at the parchment. Miss Granger, if you don't mind, I'd like you to stay a few seconds after class.
Just then, the bell rang, and the Gryffindor fourth-years filed out into the hallway and immediately started talking about Hermione and Draco.
"I don't even know how you'd do a spell like that!" said Dean Thomas "Or why!
"Perhaps isn't a spell after all" Parvati Patil sighed, "I mean, not just a spell or something. There's this Muggle thing my mum took me to see, and it's about these two people whose families hate each other, but then they fall in love."
And then they die. Harry added.
"Hermione really seems to have brought out the best in Draco Malfoy," said Lavender Brown, ignoring Harry "He used to be a hateful boy, but they were so cute together!"
"Oh, for sure, said Seamus Finnigan sarcastically Hermione Darling! Would you like to share this Every Flavor Bean I've had in my pocket all day? He mimicked Draco. Oh, certainly Draco Dear he squeaked in imitation of Hermione.
Ron made a gagging noise.
I just hope it wore off a little bit while they were away from each other! said Neville Longbottom.
Just then, the Slytherin students walked down the great staircase outside of the Transfigurations classroom. Draco, as was his wont, walked in front of his classmates followed by Crabbe and Goyle. No sooner had he touched the bottom step than Hermione opened the door, shrieked and before anyone could blink they were standing in the middle of the hall kissing most passionately
Or maybe not. Lavender Brown giggled.
Ron turned and walked down a deserted hallway followed closely by Harry.
Oh, that was sickening, said Ron.
Not only that, but Hermione's letting her schoolwork slip! I tell you, this spell's got to be taken off soon!
But what if it's not a spell? I mean, maybe Parvati's right. It could be real.
Harry shook his head. "No, I don't believe that. What I mean is, first he's calling her an annoying know-it-all, and then he's practically sitting on her lap!"
Could we go outside for some fresh air? Ron asked, looking a bit queasy.
No, let's go to the library instead. I just remembered something Gilderoy Lockhart was babbling about. It was something about an Entrancement Enchantment. He said that Professor Flitwick knew about it.
Flitwick? You're not seriously thinking about asking him about an Entrancement Enchantment, are you?
No. I'm going to look at Lockhart's books."
That phony git? Ron exclaimed with disbelief. You mean, you think he actually wrote something that was true?
Well, it's a place to start, Come on.
Oh, well, I'm feeling a little better now. And I suppose I ought to get a move on that assignment about wizards who were killed by Muggles.
---
This must be it. Harry whispered as he came back carrying a book that featured the former professor smiling merrily on the cover, clad in a pink robe with a tiny white and gold heart print, and a matching hat and the title in flamboyant gold lettering Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Romance.
Listen to this Harry read aloud from the book:
'I am pleased to tell you that Magic is there for you no matter what you're trying to do. Levitation? Yes. Travel? Yes. Getting someone to fall in love with you? Yes. Fighting Werewolves? Yes, and that reminds me of the time when I was in Eastern Zuroowahu but I digress. Entrancement Enchantments, classified as charms, are some of the most effective, potent and exaggerated-by-Muggles spells there are. There are Love Potions, yes, but they aren't nearly as effective, plus they taste nasty (Although I find it necessary to mention that the Love Potion created by Yours Truly has one no less than seven taste-tests in a row.) Now then, Entrancement Enchantments are usually used to make people fall madly in love with you, or you with them (I hardly see why you'd do that), or two other people fall in love with each other. I must caution you not to use these enchantments carelessly, because they really are quite hard to get off, and couple's that are badly matched are usually hard to live with (not to mention unhappy).
I also would like to mention that I am guarded against such enchantments at all times. My sincerest apologies.'
Ron rolled his eyes.
Harry continued:
Ah, yes, well, to get such a spell off, well it has been conjectured that you could just let it wear off, but that could take up to 50 years, so I suggest use the juice of the budding Astragalus flower. I have heard – from those far less knowledgably than I - you can use a truth charm or something like that, but this is the proper way to remove an entrancement enchantment.
There was a small picture of a little white flower swaying in a breeze, and a caption beneath the picture that said:
Put this onto the eyelids of any person affected by the spell, and the spell with be totally and completely, one-hundred-percent neutralized.
Ron looked at the picture I think I've seen some of it here, too just outside, actually.
Aha. Well, we'll just have to find a way to get it onto the eyelids of Draco or Hermione, Harry said.
How do you plan to do that? asked Ron I mean, I figured it would be something you could do with a wand, at least, but a flower thing? And you don't even know if that works. I mean, come on! Gilderoy Lockhart wrote it!
Well, if you have any better ideas, I'd like to hear them Harry said In the meantime, this stupid curse is ruining everything, and it will be terrible for Hermione – if she ever snaps out of it – as it is!
Well, if you think it'll work, I'll certainly help you, Ron said dejectedly.
---
Harry turned to Ron Do you have the Astragalus flowers?
Ron held up a scraggly bunch of buds.
Good. Here they come, he whispered.
Draco and Hermione were walking so closely they could have been wearing the same cloak, or the same shirt, or the same socks.
"Hermione!" Harry called "Somebody would like to see you."
Hermione and Draco looked over their shoulders and Harry beckoned her with
his hand.
She and Draco made a spectacular event of turning around with such precision
they never let go each other's arms.
"Um, they'd like to see you alone," Harry said.
Hermione turned to Draco "Goodbye, Love. I'll see you at dinner, I hope,"
she said solemnly.
"I will come if it kills me, Draco said tenderly.
They gazed at each other for a long time and looked like they were about to
start kissing.
Harry interrupted "Um, Hermione..."
"Goodbye my love" Hermione said tragically and waved to Draco as he walked
backward down the corridor, very nearly knocking over another student.
Hermione followed Harry into Professor McGonagall office, which was
deserted, except for Ron. Harry shut the door.
"Where's Professor McGonagall?" Hermione asked looking around.
"Oh, she just disappeared." Said Ron
"So... who wanted to see me?" Hermione asked in puzzlement
"We did," Harry answered
"Absolutely," Ron chimed in "We want to know if..."
"If we can ask you something about the..." Harry continued
"The... Transfiguration class" Ron finished brilliantly
"Right! I didn't understand what she was saying about the history of
Transfiguration."
Hermione looked down with her hand on her forehead as though she were
thinking quite hard.
"Oh, that History of Transfiguration, well it was all stuff I read last year. I guess you must've forgotten it in all that confusion over Sirius Black and everything. I have a book you can look at. After all, if I'm an annoying know-it-all or whatever Malfoy said today, I may as well be able to help my friends. As for him well, talk of dimwits!"
Harry and Ron exchanged surprised glances.
I'm going to go and borrow some books from the library before dinner. See you later!"
Ron looked at the flowers in his hand.
No sooner had she left Hermione's office than Professor McGonagall appeared at the seat behind her desk. Oh, no. Why couldn't they have been somewhere else than a teacher's office?
"Well, done," she said. Harry was relieved to see that she wasn't angry.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Miss Granger. You've set her free of the enchantment?"
"How can we have done that? The book said..." Ron began
said Professor McGonagall suspiciously, Who wrote that?
Harry looked embarrassed "Gilderoy Lockhart did."
Professor McGonagall smiled Ah, yes, well, I guess you have probably figured out by now that it's not entirely correct, the only thing that can really break such a powerful spell is a show of true friendship, not some silly nonsense about a flower. Not for a spell that powerful. Honestly, that sounds like something Muggles would think up.
she continued I think I should tell you that even though I find your purpose for being in my office without my permission to be completely admirable, so admirable, in fact, that I am not going to say a word about it – because the risk you took to bring Miss Granger here is part of the reason you were able to break the spell – I would appreciate it if you said something to me beforehand in the future.
We're sorry, Professor, Harry said, But if you don't mind my asking, who was responsible for putting that curse on Hermione? And how did you know?
Ah, yes. I'm glad you asked me, well; a Ms. Ginny Weasley came to visit me this afternoon. Rather agitated, as I remember, because she thought her older brother George had something to do with Hermione's behavior. She said he might have inadvertently put a love potion into Hermione's food.
Ron gasped. Is that what happened?
No, of course not. I learnt the entire truth when I learnt from Professor Snape that a certain ancient book was lying on the floor of the Great Hall today after lunch. Professor McGonagall picked the Thick, old book with the filigree end-cover. He mentioned that it was right near Harry Potter's chair, and didn't I think that meant anything, she smiled.
Your friend Hermione, it seems, has been through parts of the Library that haven't been touched for years. For example, this book has not been touched (I mean, at least I hope not) for more than two hundred years. Madam Pince hadn't the slightest idea it was even there. It contains, hidden between its rotting pages, very mischievous dark magic. I have no idea why Miss Granger chose this book for her lunchtime reading – probably just curiosity – but the moment she set her eyes onto the first page, the spell had been cast.
I was just about to ask Miss Granger to step into my office when you two brought her here for me, and so I decided todepart and see what to nice respectable students like you would be doing in here in my absence, She smiled.
What's written in the book? Asked Ron.
Well, it looks like it used to be a Muggle schoolbook, but the words don't always fully appear on the page, so I have decided that this book will be placed in the very careful and knowledgeable hands of Professor Flitwick, and will not be returning to the Library
Harry said.
Just then, the Dinner bell rang.
We'd better get down there. Ron exclaimed The other students will make things pretty difficult for Hermione.
Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows.
Well, they thought Hermione and Malfoy were rather amusing.
Professor McGonagall smiled When you broke the spell it was taken completely off of Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy, but I was able to do some magic of my own. You will be pleased to find that all the other students except for you two and Ginny, have forgotten all about this incident.
---
Ron said to Harry as they walked toward the Great Hall, It was kind of nice when Malfoy wasn't constantly insulting people and all that, wasn't it?
Well, yes, Harry admitted But it was still a disgusting curse. Imagine if no-one had been able to take it off?
Ron shuddered and suddenly nodded toward the end of the Gryffindor table. Talk of disgusting.
There, in the wide chair at the head of the table, sat George Weasley and Angelina Johnson laughing and eating off of the same plate.
Harry sighed. Ah, well, At least it's real, and not some stupid curse. And if they do something stupid, we can laugh at them without worrying about being beat up by one of Malfoy's crew.
Malfoy was back at his usual place in the middle of the Slytherin table surrounded by his disciples.
Hermione was sitting in her normal place at the corner of the Gryffindor table, next to Ron's usual chair, which he sat in, and across from them, Harry and Dean sat in their usual chairs.
No books, Hermione? Harry asked.
Hermione sighed. Madam Pince said something to me about that this evening, and I see what she meant. I missed your Quiddich practice this morning because I was reading for a report that I didn't even need to read about, and then I missed hearing about it because I was busy reading. She took a sip of pumpkin juice So what did happen out there this morning?