CHAPTER 1
Hermione walked into the great hall surveying the four tables before her. Seeing Harry and Ron, she sashayed down to where they sat halfway down the Gryffindor table with Ginny and Neville. "Don't you two ever stop playing chess?" Hermione said as she sat down between Ginny and Neville, looking at Harry and Ron.
"Yeah, when I lose I do" Retorted Ron as his Bishop beheaded Harry's knight. "Check".
Harry surveyed the board before flicking his king over, the chess piece squawked before getting up brushing itself off, throwing its crown at Ron's king and storming off the board.
"Tada, I've stopped playing chess" Ron made a little bow of his head then proceeded to heap his plate with toast and sausages. "Good morning to you too by the way".
She was about to answer when McGonagall appeared, handing out timetables. "Fifth years have to stay behind after breakfast, so we may speak to you about classes" She called as she gave each student a card and tapped it with her wand. She handed one to Ron and tapped it, "Double potions first! On a Monday! That's torture" he cried after looking over it.
"That's enough complaining Mr Weasley, just remember it could be worse," She looked at him before moving on.
"I don't see how." He muttered when she was gone. Harry laughed, but Hermione was too engrossed to notice the sarcastic remark. She looked over her timetable, tapping the squares with her wand, colour-coding her different classes and highlighting her free time for study. It was OWL year and she planned for a lot of extra work. Just as she turned Charms hot pink, something hit her in the head, bouncing off and landing in the porridge pot. She looked up to see a guffawing Draco Malfoy sitting between his two gorillas that were chortling and congratulating Malfoy on his aim. Ron ladled the wad of paper out of the porridge and threw it back, hitting the side of Malfoy's head, "I think you lost something Malfoy!" he yelled. The Slytherin boy turned and glared at Ron, porridge dripping from his cheek. Hermione let out a giggle, and Malfoy scowled at her. She returned his gaze with a smirk.
"What are you laughing at mudblood; this porridge is still cleaner than the dirt in your veins!" His gorillas laughed. Neville and Ron stood up on either side of Hermione, her smirk faltered and she glared at him. Malfoy then stood up, grabbed his bag and strutted out. They watched him go, before packing up themselves and waiting for the rest of the school to leave. The bell went, and there was a mad shuffle and scraping as benches were pushed back and many students hurried to their first classes. The fifth years remained seated, some still eating what was left before it disappeared back to the kitchens.
McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick and Sprout, checked their houses off a scroll of parchment, Snape's eyes searched the Slytherin table, searching for a blonde head.
"Malfoy left already", Harry called from the Gryffindor table. Snape's eyes flicked over to stare at him.
"Why didn't you stop him Mr Potter?" He asked, his eyes drilling into Harry's, "5 points from Gryffindor". He smirked before continuing down his list. Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to stop himself from retaliating. McGonagall glanced at Snape, and then turned to see five rubies disappear from the hourglass behind her. She whispered something and five emeralds disappeared from Slytherin, unnoticed by Snape, who was rolling up his parchment.
McGonagall then stood at the front of the hall and cleared her throat. "Students, your attention please", she waited for the last whispers of conversation to cease before going on. "This year is your OWL year, and that means a lot more work. You will notice that in your timetable, there are blank periods, these are for study..."
Ron sighed, "I thought they were for relaxation!" Hermione glanced at him before pointedly looking back to the front, her prefect badge gleaming.
"...Use them wisely. Also, this year will be a bit different in how classes are set out. There is no set house groups being together, any house could be in your class. Your teachers will let you know more when you get to them. That is all for now, see your house noticeboards if there are any questions. You may now make your way to class." She started walking towards the door as the scuffle of many students getting to their feet began. Hermione leaped up with her bag and hurried out the door, she had places to be and things to do.
"Hermione, where are you going?" Harry called from behind her.
"Library!" She yelled back.
"Already? It's the first day back!" His voice was lost as she turned a corner. She hurried up the marble staircase and through a tapestry; she arrived on the second floor. She ducked into the last door in the corridor to wait for her tutor student. She walked into the abandoned bathroom, planning on saying a quick hello to Moaning Myrtle. She heard sobbing coming from the end stall.
"Myrtle?" Hermione called, carefully stepping towards the last loo. The sobs ceased and there was motion behind the closed door. Hermione carefully pushed the door open, averting her eyes.
She saw his feet first, and then looked up at the Slytherin robes, and then the green prefect badge, she was standing in front of Draco Malfoy. She dropped her bag and pulled out her wand, he did the same, but a lot smoother. His eyes were rimmed with red and his translucent skin blotchy, a shocked expression on his face. Her eyes widened as she looked into at his face, her wand lowered and she took a step towards him. A scowl entered his looks and he glared at her. Her step faltered and she froze. He pushed past her roughly, she tripped on her bag and fell, hitting her head on the stone wall. She watched a blurry set of green lined robes exit the bathroom.
She was found ten minutes later, sitting up with her back to the wall. Natalie McDonald, her tutor student hurried into the bathroom and found her sitting very still.
"Hermione, are you alright?" said the younger girl as she rushed to her side.
"I'm a little dizzy," Hermione replied, sounding like she was confunded. Natalie then pulled Hermione's arm over her shoulder, hoisting her up and practically dragging her from the bathroom and up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey saw them coming and hurriedly got her wand out and waved it at Hermione. Hermione floated into the hospital wing and was deposited on a bed. Natalie rubbed her shoulder and neck as she sat down next to the bed. Madam Pomfrey collected a bottle from the storeroom and hurried back to the bed, conjuring a spoon and filling it with the blue liquid. She waved it under Hermione's nose before tipping it into her open mouth. They waited for a few seconds then Hermione suddenly woke up, she sat bolt upright and looked around her with confusion. Madam Pomfrey gave satisfied nod and returned the bottle to the little storeroom.
"Hermione are you ok?" Natalie asked with concern, her eyes appraising the newly awake Hermione.
"Why am I in the hospital wing?" Hermione asked.
"Don't you remember what happened?"
"No" she paused and thought hard then all of a sudden it came back, the sobs, the Slytherin robes, the red rimmed eyes and the shove that sent her flying into the wall. She let out a soft "oh".
"What do you remember?"
"Walking into the bathroom to say hello to Myrtle and then I...I tripped... into the wall...headfirst..." She looked at Natalie gauging her response to the obvious lie. Her face showed concern but showed no hint was disbelief. Natalie had believed her, Hermione smiled at the younger girl before looking around for Madam Pomfrey.
"Madam Pomfrey," she called as the woman walked out of the storeroom. "Am I able to leave?"
"Of course, but be careful not to overdo it today Miss Granger." She watched as Hermione carefully swung her legs off the bed and stood swaying ever so slightly. Hermione grabbed the bedside table to catch her balance before taking a baby step. Her balance held so she took another step, she shook her head and waited for the room to stop spinning before stumbling out of the hospital wing with Natalie in tow.