AN/DPP: YAY!!!! Hi everyone. OK so I'm DPP. I've been doing the fanfic thing since 2002.
Muse: *cough*old*cough*
DPP: Anyways… not on here but other places. So forgive me if I seem a bit odd, or some things in my stories seem a bit silly and OOC. I TRY not to go too far with it, I still want my stories to be enjoyable and readable to my readers. So this story is a bit AU, HBP and DH did not happen. They are in their 7th year now. So enjoy… am I forgetting anything…
Muse: Miss forgetful over there doesn't own Harry Potter. At all. Not even a tiny bit.
DPP: Oh yes and reviewers get cookies! YAY COOKIES!!!!!
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Hermione Granger had not had the perfect summer. One could almost say she had a horrible summer. Oh sure, there were perks here and there; staying with the Order at Grimmauld Place, getting to do research on ways to defeat Voldemort, getting the letter from Hogwarts that informed her she would be the new Head Girl, and getting all of her summer homework done in during the first week off. Those had all been wonderful perks that she would have been happy to give up. Each and everyone.
In exchange for all those things she only asked that her parents not be attacked in only a few days after she had hid them in Australia. She knew what it was. It was a message to her. "Back off. Leave Harry Potter. Leave the Magical World." It had said quiet clearly. She snorted at the very thought. But how the Death Eaters had found them she would never know. Only the Order knew what she had planned, it had taken a few of them to help set everything up. In the back of her mind there was a nagging that something was very wrong.
But Hermione was tired. And for the first time in the Wizarding world she felt defeated. She didn't want to think. She didn't want to find a traitor in their ranks. She didn't want to lose anyone else, as irrational as she knew it was. But after all that's what the adults were for. She shook her head. She was already feeling the pain of the War, a War most Wizards and Witches refused to believe had started yet. She shook her head again, and checked the watch around her wrist. She had five minutes before she was due for her meeting with the Head Boy, and Prefects.
She dragged her head off of the Hogwarts Express window she had been resting on, and looked around her compartment that she shared with Harry, Ron, and Ginny. They were all fast asleep, having been up late getting in some last minute Order business she had not been included in. She huffed silently, and crept out shutting the sliding door quietly behind her.
She made her way to the front of the train, chiding first years as they ran up and down the walkways. She opened the door with a minute to spare, and was greeted warmly by Nevil, the new Gryffindor Prefect, and Luna, the new Ravenclaw Prefect. She gave them a soft smile, trying to not show how much strain her parents near death experience had put her under.
Sure she had Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys to comfort her. She even had a long talk with Harry, during a break he had talked her into taking from her research. But she still felt empty. She still felt the guilt, the sadness, and the burning pain. She had put them there for their own protection, and she had only managed to get them hurt. They were currently in critical condition in a hospital in Australia, with an Order member keeping watch at all times.
She sat down next to Nevil, and slipped into her serious mode. She pulled out the letter sent to her by Dumbledore explaining what would need to be done during the first meeting. It was all small things such as picking patrol partners, and going over the expectations of the positions. It would prove for a very dull meeting.
The door slid open and in strode Blaise Zabini who gave the three of them a collective, curt nod and sat opposite them near the window, his Prefects badge glinting in the light streaming in from the window. Behind him had been Susan Bones, the Prefect of Hufflepuff, who sat on the same side as Blaise.
"Hello everyone, how was your summers?" She asked pleasantly. Hermione clenched her hands.
"Oh it was lovely." Luna replied dreamily.
It was then the Head Boy, Theodore Nott entered and sat himself between Blaise and Susan. Then the meeting began. Hermione paid attention to the conversation best she could but she kept having to scold her mind to keep it from wondering.
At the end of the meeting it was set that the patrol partners would be Nevil and Susan, Blaise and Luna, and Hermione and Theodore. Head Boy and Girl not having a choice in the matter. Everyone one had also been informed of their duties, and the next meeting time that further detail would be given concerning said duties.
Hermione had a splitting headache and was glad to escape back to the compartment with Ginny, Ron, and Harry. As she left, bidding Susan, Nevil, and Luna a goodbye she noticed Blaise speaking in hushed tones with the High Git himself, Draco Malfoy.
She walked past them, thinking she had gotten away.
"Hey Mudblood. Heard you had a rough summer." He sneered. Hermione swiftly turned around and glared at the pair.
"I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about Ferret." Hermione turned up her nose and turned to walk off again.
"Mind telling me who it is that ruined your summer? I'd love to send them a nice fruit basket."
Hermione felt tears start forming in her eyes, she wouldn't dare turn around and let them see. "No one ruined anything Malfoy. My summer was wonderful. How about yours? Daddy enjoying his stay with the Dementors?" She stormed off to the compartment she shared with Harry, Ron, and Ginny missing Malfoy's fit of rage and very loud promise to make her pay for that statement.
When she opened the door to the compartment she found her companions were all still sleeping. She sank back into her seat by the window and let herself stare out the window. She woke the other a while later so they could get dressed in their robes in time to exit the train. The group piled into the carriage, three of them rubbing sleep from their eyes while their companion stayed silent.
"Mione…Oy Mione." Grumbled Ron.
"Huh… oh sorry. Yes Ron?" Hermione had been spacing out since she had been informed of the attack on her parents, and while her friends were sympathetic they needed her alert. Constant vigilance, as Moody would say.
"Hermione, you shouldn't dwell on it. It's only going to drive you mad. Your parents wouldn't want you to be distracted like you are. They'd want you to keep your focus." Harry had cut off Ron, knowing he would have said something insensitive, and brash.
Hermione sighed knowing Harry was right, and she nodded. The rest of the carriage ride was uneventful. Hermione decided not to tell them about her spat with Malfoy. It would only upset them, and her, probably ending up with hexes flying and detentions being served. Besides she's Head Girl, and she has an example to set. At least that's what she told herself.
They arrived and headed into the Great Hall, egger for a good meal. The sorting went by uneventful and soon after the students greedily began piling food onto their plates. Hermione was eating her potatoes when she happened to look up and find Malfoy, Blaise and Theodore whispering together. Blaise raised his eyes slightly and noticed her looking at them, and then lowered them as if her noticing was nothing to take note of.
She quickly returned to her food, trying not to look over at Ron, who was shoveling it in like he was a man that had been without food for weeks. Harry was catching up with Dean, and some of the others. A while later, after dessert had came and gone, Dumbledore stood and began his speech, if was full of the regular rules and warnings, and at the very end a special announcement was made.
"Now, we are all aware of the current happenings in our world. And I fear that we shall be facing hard times rather soon. So, it has been agreed upon by both your teachers and myself that you should all be allowed time to have fun and be children while you can. So I am announcing that there will be a Halloween Dance, and a Christmas Ball this year, along with more opportunities to travel to Hogsmeade. And while it is not my wish that you stray from your studies, it is my wish that you take the time given to you and you make the best of it today, because tomorrow you may find it has vanished." The Hall was silent, the younger ones looked a bit afraid, and the older ones looked at each other wondering what they would have to face in the coming year. "Now, off to bed with you all." With the final word spoken everyone rose from their respective tables and headed off to their dormitories.
"I'll see you later guys." Hermione waved goodbye to Harry, Ron, and Ginny, an headed for the shared Head Common Room, and her new, private room. She was first into the Common Room that served as a study room for the Heads, and an area they could hold Prefect meetings in. It was done in deep grays, wine colors, and white accents. She smiled and found a door with her name spelled out on a golden plaque. She whispered the password that had been sent along with her badge, and entered. She entered her room and found it to be very calming. The room was done is a dusty lavender color with dark blue and tarnished gold accents. She had a huge bookshelf where her books had already been placed, a desk for doing homework, and a four-poster bed. Hermione twirled around her room enjoying the space and the quiet, until a harsh knock sounded from her door.
She opened it and found Theodore Nott has caused the noise. "Yes Theodore. Did you need something?" She asked evenly.
"We need to set a time and date for the next Prefect meeting, and work out the patrol schedule." His eyes left hers and peaked into her room. "I would have thought Red and Gold." He muttered.
"What was that?" She looked back into her room, and noticed that he had been right, the Gryffindor colors were no where to be seen.
"I guess they didn't use our house colors for our rooms. Any way, shall we work this out now or later?"
Hermione had opted for sooner rather than later, and after a half hours work they had everything set and arranged for owls to send the notices to the four Prefects at breakfast the following morning. Hermione bid Theodore a goodnight, and got ready for bed falling asleep almost as soon as she hit the sheets.
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Meanwhile in the nearly empty Ravenclaw common room a group of boys were huddled around a chair where one of their own sat.
"Can you really do it?" A boy on the floor asked desperately.
"Certainly." The boy in the chair replied.
"And can you really make her fall for me?" Another asked.
"Yes of course." At this answer from the one in the chair the rest started to mutter to one another in excitement.
"So… what's the catch?" One, rather small boy, asked timidly. The others looked apprehensive for a moment.
The student in the chair laughed. "A fair question. Really I ask for nothing in return. Nothing much when you think about it. Now my friends a toast." With a wave of his wand a line of glasses appeared in the air in front of him and a jug of liquid floated from an open door and down to his waiting hand. Each boy took a cup as it was filled, the last being taken by the boy in the chair. "A toast my friends, for a better future!"
They all lifted their glasses and drank deeply from their glasses. The boy in the chair however did not, but was content is studying those before him each fall to the floor. He chuckled to himself. "Rise." He said, and they all did. "Now go to bed. I'll have things for you to do in the morning." At this they muttered an identical and collective answer and then all walked off single file to their respective dorms.
The boy in the chair studied his glass, and sighed. He was pulled from his thoughts when someone entered the room a few minutes later. It was the girl who had a twin in Gryffindor, Padma Patil.
"Oh, hello Jeremy." She smiled. He smiled back at her as she came to the side of the chair.
"Care for a drink?" He turned to the side and held the glass out to her. "It's Pumpkin Juice. I'm afraid I've lost my taste for it suddenly."
"Sure I'd love some." She took the glass and he turned back, staring straight out. Padma fell to the floor like all the boys had. He left her there for a few moments, lost in his thoughts.
"Rise." She did and he studied her. He had never really looked at her, the way he had never really looked at most of the people in his year. Jeremy found them to be below himself. He was smarter than them, new things they didn't, and well he was just always a little bit ahead of the curve. But not that he actually studied her he found Padma to not be entirely unpleasing. She was no great beauty, but there was something about her that sparked his baser interests. He was suddenly grateful for her interruption of his thoughts. She would do nicely. Oh yes, he had plans for her already. "I have a task for you."
"What is your wish my Master?" He smiled, and then began to explain.
Jeremy sent Padma off to bed a little while later. He had directed her to fulfill his whims the next morning. He grinned, still sitting in the chair, and still staring out at the now dim common room. The stars on the ceiling gave off a dim glow that did not hinder Jeremy's thoughts. Though, after a time, the grin he wore faded into a frown, and finally to a hateful sneer.
No matter what he did, no matter how are he worked there were two people in his way, one smarter, and one more powerful. They both held what he wanted, and he hated them for it. He loathed the very ground they walked on. They would pay. Their very lives were going to be twisted into the web he was weaving. He would make them into fools and nobodies. Hermione Granger the 'brightest' of their year, and Draco Malfoy who had influence, money, and best of all, power. It was meant to be his. The fame, the control, the glory. And he had the means to get it now. It would all be his/
He clenched his fist, and the grin, now a bit more mad than before, returned to his face. Tomorrow was going to be a good day for Jeremy Stretton. A damn good day.
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Severus Snape sat in Dumbledore's office and had just finished informing him of Voldemort's current plan to kill Harry, take over Hogwarts, kill Dumbledore himself, and take over the entire world. Not all in that order mind you, but those were the main bullet points on Voldemort 'long term goal' list. Snape sighed and folded his hands staring straight at the older wizard who had sat back in his chair, popped a lemon drop in his mouth, and shut his eyes.
Dumbledore spent a good minute in thought before opening his eyes and leaning back forwards to privy the potions master to his decided counter move against Voldemort's. Snape often thought of it as a chess game between the two, granted the only way they knew what piece the other had moved, and to what square was because he told them so. It was like dealing with bratty five year olds playing for keepsies. No matter what happened one was going to yell 'no fair,' take it out on him, then the brats were going to get in a silly little slap fight, and run off to go cry. Only their silly little slap fight was going to get hundreds, if not thousands, of people killed, one of those probably being himself. Snape pinched the bridge between his nose as he felt a headache come on.
"Severus this is most serious. Voldemort wants you to take down the wards protecting the Castle to sneak in Death Eaters so they can kill me. Then I won't be here then." Snape could see his mind making plans already.
"Sir?" Snape was definitely getting a headache now.
"Severus I have done a great many things in my life. Some I am very proud of, some I am not. But one thing I have not done, one thing I feel I should do now while I still have time is write a book." Dumbledore stood and began walking to his book shelves.
"Sir? A book… I'm afraid I don't understand." Snape gazed at the Headmaster in utter confusion.
"Of course a book needs to be properly researched. And that will take a great deal of time, and a lot of effort on my part. Maybe I could have Miss Granger help." Dumbledore looked back at Severus as he rolled his eyes at the very suggestion.
"But how does this solve this problem?"
"In fact I believe I will have Miss Granger help me. She can work here in my office, I'll have to make a space…" At this point Dumbledore seemed to be muttering to himself more than at Severus.
"I'll just take my leave then." Severus Snape rose from the chair as Dumbledore ignored him and continued on with him mutterings for plans. Severus began his walk down to the dungeons in a foul mood. His headache had become a migraine and he was already planning out how he would take it out on his first class on the day the following morning. Oh yes a pop quiz was in order.
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AN: I hope you liked it. Now while you're down here at the bottom of the page, go ahead and review.
Muse: Do it, it shuts her up. Please if not for her, for me.