Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Fear - chapter 1

Hermione's POV

I barge into my room in the Gryffindor tower slamming the door behind me. Fortunately none of my roommates are here. I'd probably kick them out otherwise. That is how angry I am right now, for I have just been expelled from Hogwarts, and for something that wasn't my fault. If only there was a way to prove it, I'll have to consider that before I give into despair which is already overwhelming me.

My heartbeat is slowing down as the feelings of injustice and anger is being replaced by realisation that I will probably never see this place again. I sit on my bed and stare at the ground. So suddenly, just like that, my whole plan has changed. I was to find a job, maybe as an auror like my fiends Harry and Ron had planed as well, but instead I'm being kicked out in this 5th year of Hogwarts. I won't be able to do anything now. I'll have to go live as a muggle.

I hop over to my trunk at the bottom of my bed. I rummage trough stacks of books and old scrolls, mostly junk I didn't have the heart to throw away as long as there's room. At last I spot a bright red cork in the corner. I pull out the heavy bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey. It's been here a while, I can't recall when or how I got it either, but I've used it mostly for wounds. Not today.

I drop down on my bed and take a long sip from the bottle spilling some on myself. I can feel the firewhiskey burning my throat as it goes down and the aftertaste is god awful, but it will be worth the trouble if it knocks me out. I don't wanna be awake right now. I look around and realize I don't wanna be in here either when the others return. I want to be alone. I put on my jeans and my long sleeved flannel shirt. I tie my hair in a ponytail 'cause I'm just sick of it getting in my way. I grab the bottle of the bed and stumble over to the exit. I hold onto the wall as I feel a little bit dizzy already.

"Hi Hermione, where are you going?" My roommates Parvati and Lavender ask me as I rush trough the Gryffindor common room.

"Just going for a walk." I reply unable to hide how annoyed I am with their question.

I try to hide the bottle behind my thigh as I walk, but they spot it anyway and look at me wide-eyed. They must have not heard what happened, that's ok, they'll learn soon enough.

Do Harry and Ron know? I wonder as I descend down the long staircase. I'm sure they'd make some futile attempt or plea to headmistress McGonagall. I sure she wouldn't change her mind anyway. I rush out of the front gate onto the fresh air. It's sunset, I can see the blood coloured sky in the horizon, how appropriate. I feel a light breeze on my skin as I walk down to the lake, and it's the only thing making me feel good right now.

Pansy's POV

I don't know what brought me here, before the portrait of fat lady, before the wall so far. Any Gryffindor I asked refused to tell me the password, as expected. What was I thinking anyway? That they'd just welcome me? Most of them hate me for all I know. To the rest I am just another Slytherin with dubious motives.

I sit down on the stairs and rub my tired brow.

"Hey!" I hear someone and feel a hand on my shoulder.

"What?!" I snap, spinning around. It is one of the Gryffindor girls. I think I made fun of her once. She sure has no reason to be nice to me, but seams she's just like that.

"What's the matter?" She asks me with a caring voice.

"Could you do me a favour?" I ask quickly, before she changes her mind. "Could go in there and call Granger for me, I need to talk to her."

The girl looks at me surprised. "You want to talk to Granger?"

"Yes." I reply frowning. "So will you call her for me or not?!"

"Hmm… I pretty sure I just saw her walking down the hill." She says.

"Thanks." I reply and waste no time. I rush down the stairs and trough the empty corridors of the castle. I fall down on the stone tiled floor scraping my bare knee. "Fuck!" I cry out and rub some spit on my knee, just to quickly clean the wound. I keep on going. Second time today, I realize feeling the cut on my lower lip. But that was nothing, could have been a lot worse.

It all started with a stupid idea of mine, I was full of them actually, they kept me going trough those boring classe. That and making fun of anyone basically, even Slytherins were on the menu were they fat like Millicent Bulstrode or had some other easily detectable flaw.

I was bored one afternoon, so I snooped around the library, than I got and idea. I stole a book from the forbidden section, and who better to plant it on than annoying know-it-all Granger. She'd get busted for taking it and get detention or something and I could have a laugh about the prank with my so called friends, whatever, there's nobody smart as me around here, even if they are pureblood.

Only problem with my whole plan was, it didn't go as planed. That book I picked up was especially nasty. In fact I couldn't have picked the worse. I put it Granger's bag. She didn't notice a thing. Seams she found it in her bag only later, in potions class, -50 points for Gryffindor would be a nice bonus, I thought, only Snape wasn't looking her way. He gave us a task and was deep in thought over some parchment he was writing. All the while Hermione struggled to get the ropes off.

I faked a coughing fit trying to get Snape to look on the class, but that didn't work. "Sick again Miss Parkinson?" He asked lazily, not lifting his gaze from the parchment.

"No sir!" I replied quickly. I guess I had no credibility after faking sickness so many times to get out of class.

I looked over at Granger. Seams she got so intrigued, that she stopped making her potion and used her dagger to cut the ropes binding the book.

That's when all hell broke loose. When she opened the book some ghostly creature jumped out of it. It was ugly with a skull shaped face and horns sticking out the back of its head and shoulders, the lower part of the body was sort of non-existent. The thing looked like some evil genie from hell, only the sight of it could kill. Though it was transparent like a ghost it had claws that made very real cuts in the flesh.

In an instant the room was filled with screams and total panic. I got pushed as the crowd came running for the door. I fell on the corner of the desk thus cutting my lip. Blood come gushing out of it, but I felt no pain at that moment.

Unfortunately not everyone was as lucky, some people got hurt pretty bad. They were chased down by the creature before Snape managed to hit it with a spell. It flew away and up into the air, presumably in the direction of dark forest.

I sure hope everyone will be ok. Several students were now under the care of madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing.

Now I gotta find Granger and find out what's gonna happen to her, I heard she was called into Headmistress's office. I sure hope nobody can trace the book back to me.

End of ch1-