1. The Prophecy

"Ron, don't hit him!" demanded the dark-haired girl. She glanced at the boy searching for his glasses as she sat down on the edge of the bed. She frowned as Ron asked Harry if he was all right but continued to look at her dark-haired friend. Surely he was not alright.

"Never been better," he replies. "You?"

"Not bad," said Ron as he sot on a cardboard box. "When did you get here? Mum's only just told us!"

"About one o'clock this morning."

"Where the muggles all tight? Did they treat you OK?"

"Same as usual," said Harry. He glanced at Hermione who was still staring at him. "They didn't talk to me much, but I like it better that way. How're you, Hermione?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she whispered. She looked at Harry, trying to see what he was thinking. She exhaled impatiently when he avoided her gaze and asked for the time.

"What's the time? Have I missed breakfast?"

Ron laughed.

"Don't worry about that, Mums bringing you up a tray; she reckons you look underfed," said Ron, rolling his eyes. "So what's been going on?"

Hermione looked at Ron and then back at Harry.

"Nothing much, I've just been stuck at my aunt and uncle's haven't I?"

"Come off it!" yelled Ron. "You've been off with Dumbledore!"

Shut up Ron! thought Hermione. She tried to catch Ron's eye, but as usually he continued on quite oblivious to her attempts.

"It wasn't that exciting he just wanted me to help him persuade this old teacher to come our of retirement. His name's Horace Slughorn."

Ron who had been looking at Harry with excitement now looked deflated.

"Oh. We thought-" He hesitated as he finally saw Hermione's glare. "We thought it would be something like that." Hermione sighed with frustration at Ron's lame cover-up.

What a git!

"You did?" said Harry with an amused look.

"Yeah…yeah, now Umbridge has left, obviously we need a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, don't we? So, er, what's he like?"

"He looks a bit like a walrus and he used to be Head of Slytherin." Harry looked back at Hermione. "Something wrong, Hermione?"

Hermione plastered a smile on her face.

"No, of course not!" she replied hastily. "So, um, did Slughorn seem like he'll be a good teacher?"

"Dunno," said Harry. "He can't be worse than Umbridge, can he?"

"I know someone who's worse than Umbridge," said a voice from the doorway. Hermione smirked as Harry unconsciously pulled his blanket up higher at the sight of Ron's younger sister. "Hi, Harry."

"What's up with you?" Ron asked as Ginny jumped onto Harry's bed.

"It's her. She's driving me mad."

Hermione concerned glance left Harry's face and settled on Ginny's.

"What's she done now?"

"It's the way she talks to me – you'd think I was about three!"

"I know," agreed Hermione. "She's so full of herself."

"Can't you two just lay off her for five seconds?" yelled Ron.

"Oh, that's right, defend her," retorted Ginny. "We all know you can't get enough of her."

"Who are you-?" started Harry. The door was flung open and Hermione shrieked as Harry yanked his blanket higher. She and Ginny were knocked to the floor as the tall blonde walked into the room carrying a tray laden with food.

" 'Arry," she cried. "Eet 'as been too long!"

Mrs. Weasley entered the room shortly after her with a slight frown on her face. Hermione pulled herself up, using the edge of Harry's bed for support.

"There was no need to bring up the tray, I was just about to do it myself!" said Mrs. Weasley.

"Eet was no trouble," said Fleur Delacour as she placed the tray over Harry's knees and kissed his cheek. Both Hermione and Ginny scowled as Harry touched his cheek where the woman's lips had touched. "I 'ave been longing to see 'im. You remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about "Arry Potter." She will be delighted to see you again."

"Oh…is she here too?" Harry asked in a dry voice. Fleur laughed.

"No, no, silly boy. I mean next summer, when we – but do you not know?" cried Fleur as she looked at Mrs. Weasley with a reproachful expression.

"We haven't got around to telling him yet?"

Hermione looked at Ginny who rolled her eyes.

"Bill and I are to be married!"

"Oh," said Harry. "Wow. Er – congratulations!"

Ginny gagged as Fleur kissed Harry again and Hermione stuffed her hand in her mouth to stop from laughing.

"Bill is very busy at ze moment, working very 'ard, and I only work part-time at Gringotts for my Eenglish, so he brought me 'ere for a few days to get to know 'is family properly. I was so pleased to 'ear that you would be coming – zere isn't much to do 'ere, unless you like cooking and chickens! Well – enjoy your breakfast, 'Arry!" Fleur left the room and closed the door behind her.

There was a moment of silence that was broken by Mrs. Weasley making a disgusted noise.

"Mum hates her," whispered Ginny to Harry.

"I do not hate her!" whispered Mrs. Weasley furiously. "I just think they've hurried into this engagement, that's all!"

"They've known each other for a year," pointed out Ron.

"Well, that's not very long! I know why it's happened, of course. It's all this uncertainty with You-Know-Who coming back, people think they might be dead tomorrow, so they're rushing all sorts of decisions they'd normally take time over. It was the same last time he was powerful, people eloping left right and centre-"

"Including you and Dad," said Ginny.

"Yes, well, your father and I were made for each other, what was the point of waiting?" replied Mrs. Weasley. "Whereas Bill and Fleur…well…what have they really got in common? He's a hard-working, down-to-earth sort of person, whereas she's-"

"A cow," finished Ginny. "But Bill's not that down-to-earth. He's a curse-breaker isn't he, he likes a bit of adventure, a bit of glamour…I expect that's why he's gone for Phlegm."

Hermione and Harry laughed.

"Stop calling her that, Ginny," scolded Mrs. Weasley. "Well, I'd better get on…eat your eggs while they're warm, Harry."

Hermione sighed and leaned her head against the wall; she glanced at Harry's face again. He had dark circles under his eyes; surely he wasn't getting enough sleep after Surious' death.

"Don't you get used to her if she's staying in the same house?" Harry asked Ron who had a slightly dazed look.

"Well, you do, but if she jumps out at you unexpectedly, like then…" Ron swallowed.

Hermione launched herself off the bed towards the other wall by the door.

"It's pathetic," she said, folding her arms.

"You don't really want her around forever?" Ginny asked Ron skeptically. Ron shrugged. "Well, Mum's going to put a stop to it if she can, I bet you anything."

"How's she going to do that?" asked Harry.

"She keeps trying to get Tonks round for dinner. I think she's hoping Bill will fall for Tonks instead. I hope he does, I'd much rather have her in the family."

"Yeah, that'll work," said Ron, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Listen, no bloke in his right mind's going to fancy Tonks when Fleur's around. I mean, Tonks is OK-looking when she isn't doing stupid things to her hair and her nose, but-"

"She's a damn sight nicer than Phlegn," argued Ginny.

"And she's more intelligent, she's an Auror," added Hermione.

"Fleur's not stupid, she was good enough to enter the Triwizard Tournament," said Harry.

Hermione looked at Harry with disgust.

"Not you as well!"

"I suppose you like the way Phlegm says " 'Arry," do you?" taunted Ginny.

"No, I was just saying Phlegm – I mean, Fleur-"

"I'd much rather have Tonks in the family. At least she's a laugh," interrupted Ginny.

"She hasn't been much of a laugh lately," said Ron. "Every time I've seen her she's looked more like Moaning Myrtle."

"That's not fair," cried Hermione. "She still hasn't gotten over what happened…you know…" Hermione looked away from Harry as he clenched his jaw. Oops! " I mean, he was her cousin!" She finished lamely.

"Tonks and Sirius barely knew each other. Sirius was in Azkaban half her life and before that their family never met-" said Ron.

"That's not the point. She thinks it was her fault he died!" yelled Hermione.

"How does she work that one out?" asked Harry. He had stopped shoveling eggs into his mouth and was staring at her.

"Well, she was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange, wasn't she? I think she feels that if only she had finished her off, Bellatrix couldn't have killed Surius," she answered somewhat defiantly.

"That's stupid," said Ron.

"It's survivors guilt. I know Lupin's tried to talk her around, but she's really down. She's actually having trouble with her Metamorphosing."

"With what-?" asked Ron.

"She can't change her appearance like she used to," explained Hermione. "I think her powers must have been affected by the shock or something."

"I didn't know that could happen," said Harry.

"Nor did I, but I suppose if your really depressed."

The door opened and Mrs. Weasley peered in.

"Ginny, come downstairs and help me with lunch."

"I'm talking to this lot!" yelled Ginny.

"Now!" Mrs. Weasley left the door open.

"She only wants me there so she doesn't have to be alone with Phlegm." Ginny got off Harry's bed and swung her long red hair in an imitation of Fleur and left the room; prancing like a ballerina. "You lot better come down quickly too."

Hermione looked around Fred and George's room, her eyes settling on the stacks of boxes.

"What's this?" she asked, picking up an object that looked like a telescope.

"Dunno, but if Fred and George left it here, it's probably not ready for the joke shop yet, so be careful."

"Your mum said the shops, going well, said Fred and George have got a real flair for business," said Harry.

"That's and understatement," snorted Ron. "They're raking in the Galleons! I can't wait to see the place. We haven't been to Diagon Alley yet, because Mum says Dad's got to be there for extra security and he's been really busy at work, but it sounds excellent."

"And what about Percy? Is he talking to your mum and dad yet?"

"Nope."

"But he knows your dad was right all along now about Voldemort being back-"

"Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right," said Hermione. "I heard him telling your mum, Ron."

"Sounds like the sort of mental thing Dumbledore would say."

"He's going to give me private lessons this year," said Harry.

A gasp slipped out of Hermione's lips.

"You kept that quiet," yelled Ron.

"I only just remembered. He told me last night in your broom shed."

"Blimey…private lessons with Dumbledore! I wonder why he's…" Ron glanced at Hermione.

Must be about the prophecy, Hermione thought.

"I don't know exactly why he's going to be giving me lessons, but I think it must be because of the prophecy."

Hermione froze.

"You know, the one they were trying to steal at the Ministry," continued Harry.

"Nobody knows what it said, though. It got smashed," said Hermione quietly.

"Although the Prophet says-" began Ron but Hermione shushed him.

"The Prophet's got it tight," whispered Harry. "That glass ball that smashed wasn't the only record of the prophecy. I heard the whole thing in Dumbledore's office, he was the one the prophecy was made to, so he could tell me. From what it said, it looks like I'm the one who's got to finish off Voldemort…least it said neither of us could live while the other survives."

Hermione held her breath. She couldn't believe that her suspicions had just been confirmed. She was used to this feeling of being right but she could not believe, didn't want to believe that she was right this time. She began to nervously twist her fingers together, squeezing the telescope-like object.

There was a loud bang as a small fist erupted out of the telescope and hit her in the face. A thick cloud of black smoke obscured Hermione's view of the two boys.

"Hermione!" she heard them yell closely followed by the clang of the breakfast tray hitting that floor.

Hermione coughed as she struggled to stand.

"I squeezed it and it – it hit me!" she gasped. She touched her left eye hesitantly, wincing as her fingers brushed the swollen skin.

"Don't worry," Ron sputtered. "Mum'll fix that, she's good at healing minor injuries."

"Oh, well, never mind that now!" Hermione said hastily, sitting down on Harry's bed again. "We wondered, after we got back from the Ministry…obviously we didn't want to say anything to you, but from what Lucius Malfoy said about the prophecy, how it was about you and Voldemort, well, we thought it might be something like this…oh, Harry…" Hermione stared at him. "Are you scared?" she whispered.

"Not as much as I was," he replied. "When I first heard it, I was…but now, it seems as though I always knew I'd have to face him in the end..."

"When we heard Dumbledore was collecting you in person, we thought he might be telling you something, or showing you something to do with the prophecy," Ron added excitedly. "And we were kind of right, weren't we? He wouldn't be giving you lessons if he thought you were a goner, wouldn't waste his time – he must think you've got a chance!"

"That's true," agreed Hermione. "I wonder what he'll tech you, Harry? Really advanced defensive magic, probably…" Hermione said, drifting off in thought. "…powerful counter-curses…anti-jinxes…and evasive enchantments generally."

The thoughtful look in her eyes disappeared. "Well, at least you know one lesson you'll be having this year, that's one more than Ron and me. I wonder when our O.W.L. results will come?"

"Can't be long now, it's been a month," said Ron.

"Hang on," said Harry. "I think Dumbledore said our O.W.L. results would be arriving today!"

Hermione shrieked.

"Today? Today? But why didn't you – oh m God – you should have said-" She jumped off the bed and dashed towards the door. "I'm going to see whether any owls have come."

Hermione ran out of the room and continued to hurry down the narrow stairs. She nearly collided with Ginny who was on her way up in her haste.

"Hermione? What's going on?"

"Harry – O.W.L.'s," She tried to explain as she continued to run down the stairs. When she burst into the kitchen Mrs. Weasley was buttering bread while Fleur set the table. "Mrs. Weasley," she said breathlessly. "Have any owls come?"

"No, I'm afraid the post isn't in yet, Merlin what happened to your eye?"

"Oh, just some joke of Fred and George," said Hermione as she anxiously peered out the window, scanning the sky for any sight of a bird.

"Well let me have a look at it." Mrs. Weasley gestured her to sit at the table while she looked for her wand.

"Reverum selectico," she chanted pointing her wand at Hermione's eye; after a few moments she frowned. "Strange."

Mrs. Weasley repeated the spell to no avail.

"It just won't budge. This has always worked before, I just can't understand it."

It'll be Fred and George's idea of a funny joke, making sure it can's come off," offered Ginny as Harry and Ron emerged from the hall.

"But it's got to come off. I can't go around looking like this forever!"

"You won't, dear, we'll find an antidote, don't worry, soothed Mrs. Weasley.

"Bill told me 'ow Fred and George are very amusing," smiled Fleur, setting down the last plate.

"Yes, I can hardly breathe for laughing," retorted Hermione frostily. She stood up and began to pace, twisting her fingers again. "Mrs. Weasley, your quite, quite sure no owls have arrived this morning?"

"Yes, dear, I'd have noticed. But it's barely nine, there's still plenty of time."

Hermione continued to pace, muttering to herself.

"Hermione, will you shut up, you're not the only one who's nervous," growled Ron. "And when you-" But Hermione barely heard him.

"Don't, don't, don't! I know I've failed everything!"

"What happens if we fail?" asked Harry.

"We discuss our options with our Head of House, I asked Professor McGonagall at the end of last term." I've failed! There was that one Runes translation that was wrong and Defense Against the Dark Arts was hopeless, Hermione cried mentally. She looked out the window and her knees nearly gave out. Flying towards the house were three distinct owls. She screamed and pointed towards them. "One for each of us. Oh no…oh no... oh no…" Hermione grabbed Harry and Ron's arms. "Oh no!"

The three owls flew through the window and landed on the table. The one on the right had a letter addressed to Hermione tied to its leg. She lurched forward and tried to untie it with shaky hands. She opened the letter and read her results.

Ordinary Wizarding Level Results

Pass Grades:

Outstanding (O) Fail Grades: Poor (P)

Exceeds Expectations (E) Dreadful (D)

Acceptable (A) Troll (T)

Hermione Jean Granger

Astronomy O

Care of Magical Creatures O

Charms O

Defense Against the Dark Arts E

Arithmacy O

Herbology O

History of Magic O

Potions O

Transfiguration O

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, ten Outstandings and one Exceeds Expectations. She could live with that. She glanced up at Ron and Harry, smiling brightly.