Prologue
To go to the Hogwarts that way was really odd. Like nothing had happened. There were the same soft seats. There was also the same scenery throw the window: firstly was London, then there were large green fields and mountains of Scotland over the horizon. Even the people in their compartment were the same. But this time there were no chats about the quidditch, summer holiday or classes. After Dumbledore's death last year Harry swore that he wouldn't go back to school. At first Hermione didn't believe him. It was insanely to her to stop studying. Even because of war. At first Hermione thought that Harry said that because he was angry, without thinking. And really – when the Hogwarts-express left London, The-Boy-Who-Lived sat near the window, embracing his girlfriend. Granger was happy that he hadn't left school but she still didn't know why he had changed his mind at the very last moment. After the revolution in the Ministry of Magic last summer, Thickness became the Minister. Hermione suspected him to be the man of the Dark Lord. If it wasn't so he wouldn't have ordered to find Harry Potter for killing him and proclaimed the Order of Phoenix to be the terroristic organization. Because of that Hermione hadn't had even a single opportunity to see her friends during that summer. Harry didn't come back to Dursley's, he was somewhere with the Order, actually. Ron was with his family and Hermione's parents took her to France for the rest of the holidays.
So, only three days ago she managed to meet Ginny and learn all the news. After the first shock there was panic –Ministry was now openly against the muggleborns, many of them were already without their wands, even more people became insane after the endless Cruciatus'. Mudbloods were dying. Harry and Ginny tried to persuade Hermione to leave the school with them, too, and she had almost agreed on this proposition when the salvatory letter from Professor McGonagall had come. The head of her house strongly advised – no, even pleased – to all the members of the Golden Trio to return to school, no matter what was happening around, and she said she could guarantee their safety. The words of her favorite teacher were stronger than all the suasions from Harry and Ron. So, 31 August the Golden Trio was gathered together, sitting in the Hogwarts-Express.
Two days before that in the "Daily Prophet" was released an article, announcing that the new Headmaster of Hogwarts became Severus Snape, former Potion's Professor and one of the strongest wizard of today's modern world. There was no information about the fact that Snape was actually the one who killed Dumbledore. Hermione barely glanced at the article before throwing it away. She always agreed with her father when he said that journalists were state's whores, ready to lie with any government if they were paid well enough for their eulogies. Of course, Mr. Granger outspoke it in a softer form, but the sense was all the same.
Ron was the one who resented the most. His angry shouts were heard even in the Ginny's room, where Hermione went in the heat of the conversation, not wanting to argue with friends. Though, nobody understood what Ron wanted to prove and for whom exactly those proofs were adressed, anyway, therefore Ron was shouting in the emptiness.
"No, Hermione, you can't return to school!" he screamed, while girl he screamed at was sitting in the corner of the Burrow's living-room. "Snape can't stand you, he hates you! And what will be now? And you know how Ministry treats the ones like you! Slytherins will just eat you up and won't even notice that!"
"Ron, I made a decision," Hermione started to hide her Arithmancy textbook for seventh years in her bag. "Unlike you, guys, I don't want to become a hero and besides, McGonagall guaranteed my safety. Furthermore, I'm the Head girl!"
"Hermy, you Head's badge won't help you when you meet Malfoy. And he'll certainly get back if Snape is the bloody Headmaster now!" Ron whipped away her textbook. "You know perfectly well that nowadays the murder of Muggleborns is not even considered as a crime, so that Malfoy'd surely get away with it!"
"Ron, give me my book!" Hermione stood up from her chair. "Nor Malfoy, neither Snape are any of my business, I just want to get a diploma!"
"What are you arguing about?" Mrs Weasley entered the room, probably, having heard something from the kitchen. "One can hear you from the opposite end of the house."
"Mom, at least you must tell her that returning to school is a pure suicide!"
"Suicide, young man, is to go on Death Eaters, being half-taught person!" she shouted on her son. "And Hermione is acting perfectly right, wanting to go to school! A pity you're not like her. Go and pack your stuff, now!"
"But mo-o-om, I'm another case! And Hermione…"
Granger didn't hear the next part; she just jumped up from her chair and went upstairs with the speed of the shot. The closest friends didn't understand her and she wasn't able to understand them either. Even Harry agreed that they needed to return to school – after Dumbledore's death Minerva McGonagall became an unofficial head of the Order and Harry decided to keep closer to her to be the first one to learn all the important news. Hermione was against it – the one who must have not gone to school was Harry, especially now, when Snape was leading everything.
Probability that the Boy-Who-Lived would be killed in the very moment of leaving the train was higher than hundred, no, even two hundreds percents. But nobody was able to persuade Harry Potter – something had changed significantly in him during those few summer months, it seemed as if he had grown up for several years.
Ginny changed, too – she became calmer, more judicious; she didn't interrupt the conversations, but always listened for them attentively, memorizing the slightest details. There was a stubborn determination in her eyes - never to leave Harry alone anymore, go with him side by side through all the scrapes, support him in the difficult moment. That determination scared Hermione to shivers. The same thing was with Ron – no way that he would leave at home if his best friends went to school.
And now they were all sitting in their compartment. An unpleasant aftertaste from those arguments several days ago hadn't yet disappeared and Hermione felt herself completely exhausted as she never did before. Harry was staring at the fog outside the window, pretending not to notice anything. Ginny was sitting near him, cross-legged, her head on his shoulder. Ron was writing something in his notebook, holding it in a way that nobody was able to see it. And Hermione herself was sitting in the corner and reading a book, or rather hiding behind it, not saying a word.
Neville entered the compartment for several times but, not able to stand a deathly silence, always left almost immediately. Lavender ran to them, kissed everyone and rushed away again, saying something like "Parvati searched me for something".
Finally, Hermione felt herself fed with it, so she threw her book away, not caring for putting the bookmark, and stood up.
"I'll go to the machinist. Want to know if we'll arrive soon."
Of course, it was a lie – everybody knew perfectly well when the train would arrive in Hogsmead, it was enough to look at the clock to know exactly when. Perhaps, her friends had understood that she lied because she wasn't able to stand sitting in the silent compartment with them anymore, thus, nobody said anything to her. Hermione left the compartment and went down the corridors, entering other carriages. She greeted with Dean Thomas and two other girls from Ravenclaw – she didn't know them but they cast her indifferent "hi" so she had nothing to do but to nod at them indifferently in return. Granger really went to the machinist and greeted him but she didn't ask when they would arrive, leaving him to conjecture about the purpose of her emerging.
The girl stopped in tambour, turning to the window and titling her head on the cold glass. She thought idly that she had better to sleep while she was in compartment so she wouldn't feel herself so broken in that moment. But it was already late for sleep – they were really approaching Hogsmead. And again everything would fall on her head – lessons, studying and now there were also the Head Girl's duties. For the first time in her entire life Hermione didn't feel happy about her achievements. It would've been better if the Head Girl was Hannah Abbot so she would've had an opportunity to be with her friends – they needed her more than school did, after all.
"Well, Granger. Want a cigarette?"
Hermione nearly jumped on the spot and turned around quickly, already knowing who was talking with her. That person was standing near the opposite window, clutching the cigarette in his fingers, gloves on. He was looking down at her with his superior height. That guy was already one of the tallest boys in school and after summer he grew up even more. Blond hair was nearly shoulder-length now and was collected in the tail. Black cloak over expensive suit, black silk shirt. Hermione smirked - Malfoy was always a Malfoy.
"I don't smoke."
"Hm, and I thought it's the Mudbloods' habit."
Why then are you smoking yourself? – She almost said that, but Granger managed to bite her tongue just in time. She didn't feel like arguing with Malfoy.
"It's not allowed to smoke there," that was everything she said.
"And what will you do? Take points from Slytherin? Will make me to go to the detention?" he delayed slowly and then released a plume of smoke at the ceiling in a rather sophisticated movement. "Academic year, it has not started yet, after all."
"Get used to get away with anything, don't you?" Hermione smirked. "And if someday there will be no rich daddy to hide behind his back, what will you do? I'm sure he'll get himself into Azkaban more than once…"
In one swift movement Malfoy appeared at her side, pressing her against the cold wall.
"Don't talk about what you don't know, Mudblood," he hissed through gritted teeth. "Soon, very soon, Azkaban will turn out to be the place for those like you…"
"And the most important thing, live up to this moment, Malfoy."
"For such an occasion I'll surely live up. And just dare to disturb me…" Malfoy, in full force, hit the wall with his fist right next to her head. She shivered because of the loud noise. "Am I clear?"
"Yeah-yeah, why are you yelling, I'm not deaf…" Hermione wasn't afraid at all, though something in Malfoy's eyes told her that if she was any closer – and he would wring her neck right in that very tambour. Just like that, with naked arms, without magic. One of the most muggle-like ways of murdering.
"Are you going to appear in the Heads' carriage or what?" he said scornfully. "I was asked to remind you about that."
"Shit…" Hermione swore, looking at Malfoy's retreating back when he closed the doors o the tambour. Though, she wasn't able to decide what she really was angry about – about her forgotten duties as a Head Girl or about the fact of Draco Malfoy being the Head Boy. But there was no place to think properly about it. Breathing in deeply, Hermione went for Ron and Ginny – a hundred to one they would also want to see the Prefects on their meeting, too.
