Girl at Hogwarts
Chapter 2: This is a good plan and Harry will help me.
Hogwarts, in my opinion, is a very funny name. I mean, think about it, HAGwarts was sort of acceptable, because hags were kind of like witches and some of them did have warts (*wincing at a memory I'd rather not say*), but HOGwarts? Okay, so hogs did have warts from time to time, that is true, but how did hogs get into the equation of witchcraft or wizardry, unless there used to be magical, talking pigs that could use magic wands. Whoever named our brother school must've had a fascination with hogs…and whoever named ours must've had a fascination with hags, or more likely, she was one. Now could you imagine if I had named this school; it'd be called Pugwarts after my very dear Pansy Pugkinson. *sigh* I must really have a death wish because yes, that is sarcasm in my tone and I'm not afraid to use it, even if it always had an adverse effect on my person. Anyway, forget I said anything at all, I just really felt the need to relate.
Waking up the next morning, I felt refreshed once again. It was another Saturday, one of the best days of the week. Saturdays were great because I got to finish all my homework, study for the next lessons, and stay away from Slytherin killing sprees, most of which had only one potential victim, me. But this Saturday, things were much more important. I just cannot tolerate another day with Pansy, which was just sick and wrong.
"Hermione, why don't you just move to another all-girl school, or a mixed school?" Ginny said, walking with me as I paced right and left inside our room, thinking out my plan "Why does it have to be a boy's school?" I stopped and looked at her.
"Because girls everywhere are the same" I explained "It doesn't matter which school they're from" Ginny shrugged, and I continued pacing.
"I suppose you're right" she sighed, making me stop in my tracks once again "You're really going through with this, are you?" I nodded and walked to her, patting her back.
"Yeah, I really, really want to…" she looked at me and I shrugged "What if the next time she locks me somewhere, you don't find me in time?"
"I always have" she argued.
"Yeah, I know that" I said "which is why she must hate you as much as she hates me, but you're different, you've got friends here, Pansy can't bother you—I, on the other hand, well, girls are too afraid of Pansy to talk to me…so, yeah…a boy's school would be a great new start"
Ginny sighed, but she didn't contradict me any longer, for which I was so very grateful "So, how are we going to do this, Mione?"
Ah, finally, change topic. Believe it or not, leaving was getting harder to do when I thought about leaving Ginny. We had this talk yesterday; she can't leave just because of me, so she stays, and I leave, and it's making me want to cry. Okay, Change topic…Change Topic…
"Well, do you know anyone inside Hogwarts—she grinned wolfishly, and I rolled my eyes—that isn't your brother, you little witch"
She seemed to think it over "Hmm…" and a wider grin swept through her face, making me shake my head at her "There's Harry, he's a nice guy" ding ding ding, we have a winner. Harry was a perfect candidate. I met him last year and we took off right away; more importantly, he likes *ahem ahem* Ginny…
"Harry's perfect!" I cried. Then, looking at the time from the wall clock in our room, I figured it was time to go get cleaned up "Okay Gin, meet you outside after I take a nice, long shower, okay?"
Ginny nodded and left the room. She had showered earlier, and I was sure she would go straight to the grand hall for some breakfast. For a girl, Ginny had a monstrous appetite, but don't tell her I told you that.
We sat at the Three Broomsticks and ordered ourselves mugs of butterbeer. Ginny was somewhere—I mean, I told her to go somewhere for a while, and Ron was in the place he'd always be expected to go, Honeydukes. Harry looked at me with a confused expression from across the table, sipping his butterbeer.
"So, what's so important that you had to talk to me alone and I couldn't let Ron tag along?" He asked, and though it looked sarcastic, he was actually smiling. I stared at the rim of my butterbeer, wishing he wouldn't laugh at me.
"Umm, Harry…" I started, and chickened out. Ugh. I drank a large gulp of butterbeer "I-I—
"What?" he prompted "Oh, and you've got some stuff on your face" He said, pointing to the spot above my mouth. Ahh, that was so embarrassing. I wiped it off with the cloth that had come with the beers, giving him a sheepish look.
"I want you to help me with something" there I said it.
"With what?" he asked.
"I want you to help me get into your school, to Hogwarts" I said, and his eyebrow raised a small inch. Wow, he and Ginny did make a good match. Harry looked like it was taking him all his face muscles not to laugh at me, which was making me quite pissed again. In the end he did laugh, although he did try to make it look like he was having a nasty fit of coughs.
"You're serious, aren't you?" he asked me awhile later, when he saw that I wasn't laughing along with him, and I nodded.
"Yep, dead serious, Potter" I quipped, but calmed down almost immediately. I still needed his help. Now, his face changed to an expression of confusion.
"And why would you want to go to a boy's school, Hermione?" he asked. Oh, I knew just the answer to that. It was only one word anyway, 'Pansy'.
"Oh, that's because I'd die early in a girls' school" I said, giving my butterbeer another sip. Harry looked at me incredulously, but he didn't say anything. Is it really hard to believe that my life may be at jeopardy at the hands of stuck-up Slytherin girls?
"And who's to say you wouldn't die at an all-boys' school?" He argued, and I snickered.
"It couldn't be worse than Pansy"
"Says you…" he said, shaking his head. I've had just about enough of this; I just wanted to change to an all-boys school, is that so hard!
"Look, let's make a compromise out of this" and I could tell he was listening intently "If you help me, I'll help you with that little thing you might need helping with" I could feel my face smirking. Harry looked at me like he didn't understand what I meant, which is one more reason he and Ginny made a totally perfect match; they were both oblivious to everything at most times.
I could tell, even in the dim light, that my guy friend had blushed. "And just what is this thing that you think I need helping with?" uuu…defensive. It was cute, and it made me snicker again to myself. Harry was twiddling with his fingers.
Ahh, saved by the red head, Ginny entered The Three Broomsticks right on cue, smiling at us as she walked to our table. My bestfriend's face shone in the dim light, highlighting her red hair and her pale blue eyes. "Hi, was there something I missed?" she said, smiling dazzlingly for the boy across the table. Harry could barely smile back; too dazzled to care that he was gaping openly at my bestfriend.
"Yes" I said, smirking to myself at the scene my two friends were making in front of me "I just asked Harry here to help me" Ginny turned to me with a knowing expression, smirking before looking back at Harry.
"Oh?" Ginny said, making me scoot over so she could sit down beside me. Then she drank some of my butterbeer, which should've bothered me but didn't, because I was too busy chuckling at them "Are you going to help her, Harry?" oh I just love Ginny. Harry looked to me. He seemed to have gotten back to reality, though some part of him was still busy looking at Ginny. He shrugged.
"I can help you get ready and stuff," yay! "But I seriously don't know how to get you in" he said, making me sigh.
"Can't you talk to the headmaster? Tell him I'm a transfer student?" I said, wishing with all my might that there was some way this crazy plan of mine could work.
"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry said, scratching the back of his head "Well…I could ask him to give you an interview…" that was all I needed, I squealed *very girlishly, ugh* and stood across the table to give him a big hug. Ginny looked peeved, Harry looked surprised, but I just grinned. Ginny knew better than to let that get to her. She knew who I really liked…I mean, she used it on me every single day.
"So you'll help me?" I said, drinking the last of my butterbeer.
"I said I'd try" Harry corrected
I squealed again, making Ginny laugh at me, which made me pout, which made Harry snicker. Then, like Merlin had decided that I was having too much fun, two people entered the three broomsticks. "Oh my Merlin, If it isn't the mudblood and her friends" It was Pansy, and a blond haired boy I had never met, though I didn't have to. Ron and Harry had explained enough about him already. Turns out he's a male version of Pansy.
"That's the mudblood you were telling me about? Why Potter, you like mudbloods too?" he smirked. Harry glared at the newcomer with a hate I didn't know he had.
"Shut up Malfoy!" he said, standing up to cover us. Ginny held the sleeve of his jacket, pulling him back. I stood up, helping Ginny to pull him back even more. When I could reach his ear, I whispered
"Come on, let's just leave, Harry" I said, giving Malfoy a glare of my own "He's not worth it" yes, he wasn't. He's just another prick. Ginny and I stood up, dragging Harry out of the bar.
"Yes, leave!" Pansy said, turning to smile sickeningly at the boy she was with, who smirked back. Talk about crazy one and crazy two.
"Ugh, that's like a match made in git heaven" Ginny said as we trudged back to Hagwarts, and I nodded in total agreement with her. It was a good thing they weren't in one school. That would've been—unspeakable. Harry had gone to meet up with Ron, promising to inform me when he gets the permission from Professor Dumbledore. No matter, I could wait another week. Other than that—I'd rather not think about it. "Good thing Harry agreed quite fast, right?" that called for another grin on my face.
"I had good incentive" I said, but it took her awhile to figure it out. What'd I tell you? Oblivious…she blushed when she understood, which was ten seconds later.
"You used me?" she said, and I shrugged. She may look offended, but come on; I know she's totally jumping for joy right now. She is my bestfriend.
"Yep, wasn't that hard when I added you to the mix, Gin" I said, and she smiled in spite of herself "I told him I'd help him get to you" I smiled knowingly, and Ginny shrugged, but her smile continued to shine on her face.
She puffed "It's not like he needs your help to get to me" she snickered when I did.
"It's not you I'm worried about" I explained "He's the one that needs some pushing"
"True" and we laughed some more, until she sighed "I'm going to miss this when you leave" oh crud. Way to open the water wells when we were having so much fun. I felt a tear prick in my eye, but I wouldn't allow it to get out, which is why I looked up at the sky, so my tear would go back in.
"Ahh, don't worry Gin, I'm not even sure Harry could help me out yet" I patted her hair, and she smiled. Ginny wasn't one for water wells too. She sighed, but nodded.
"But even if Harry didn't help you, you'd find a way to get in, right?" she asked me sheepishly. Crud, crud, crud. I nodded a small nod, and looked apologetically at her. Crud. She shrugged, making me feel crappier than I've felt in weeks.
"Oh Gin—
"Let's not think about it, Mione" She waved it away, and grinned a big, goofy grin. I put an arm around her and gave her my own big, goofy grin.
"Yep, let's not" I said back, and she started giggling, which made me look at her to see if my bestfriend had to be towed away to the mad house. "Gin?"
She shook her head "Harry gaped at me" I rolled my eyes.
"Yes he did"
"And when you get to Hogwarts you better make sure we get to go on a date" she said—well, more like ordered "Or else…"
I smiled and nodded my head "One date coming right up"
See, this is why I loved Ginny, there never was too much drama between us and we're friends no matter what. I wished she could come with me, but I'd made her life crappy enough as it was. Besides, I think it was time I started looking out for myself, and Ginny would just have to understand.
"Do you think dinner's going to have that pudding I totally loved last week?" I laughed at my friend's very man-ish appetite.
"Who knows, Gin?" I answered, seeing that the tower of Hagwarts had come to view "Who knows"
As we walked back, a peaceful silence went over us—and believe me, that rarely happens as we are both jabber mouths—and we just enjoyed what may be one of the last times we'd ever walk like this together in a long time. Then I had to break the silence with my stupidity.
"Umm, Gin…what's going to be my alibi for Professor McGonagall?" crud. Yes, the others wouldn't care that I was gone, but not the headmaster. I looked to Ginny, but she had the same blank expression.
"I have no idea" she said truthfully, and I sighed.
Preview:
"What'd you wake me for?" and looking at the nearest source of time "at this obscene time?"
"Someone just tried to kill me" I muttered quietly, for fear of being heard.
More Girl at HOGWARTS in the next chapter, but you already know that.. keep 'em reviews coming because they keep me movin'. just me showin' some love. ~Asha Rose
