Chapter 3
By: Dreamer
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat on the plane headed for America. Grawshots sent their plane over that takes the kids back and forth to school each year. Harry thought it was quite comfy on the plane. Ron, and Harry didn't tell Hermione what they heard the previous night. But Ron decided to change that.
"Hermione,"
Hermione put a finger on the spot she was reading. "What now Ron?"
"Um, at the library last night, uh, were you with anyone?"
Hermione looked very annoyed at this question. "Maybe I was Ron, Maybe I wasn't. I don't possibly see how it is any of your business." She looked back down at her book. "And besides you already know the answer to that I know you and Harry were down in the library last night under the invisibility cloak so please, don't ask questions you already know the answer too."
Ron was stumped. He turned around and faced Harry. "How on God's green earth did she know?" He mouthed so Hermione didn't hear.
"As the muggles would say Ron I have a sixth sense. I could, how do you put it, 'sense' your presence. And don't talk about me behind my back when I'm sitting right next to you."
"Scary," Ron said while twiddling his thumbs and waited for the stewardess to come with the snack cart.
"Nyomi! Cleo! Theresa! Get down here you are meeting your pen pals not the queen of England come on!" Luis, Jason, and Bobby screamed through the dorm's door. The three girls finally came out, after three hours, looking perfect.
"Come on guys you don't think we wake up like this do you?" Nyomi asked rhetorically.
"I know you don't," Booby said, "I've seen you in the morning!"
Nyomi walked over and hit him in the head, and headed downstairs and towards Great Hall. The rest fallowed her.
They walked into Great Hall and it was packed. Some kids that they have seen before and some they haven't seen before.
"Excuse me," a kid with fiery red hair and a British accent asked, "I'm looking for a seventh year named Brian Wicks. Do you know where I can find him?"
"Umm, I don't see him yet sorry," Cleo said.
"That's alright. Have you guys got any trouble makers in this school?" He asked
Theresa and Luis smiled. "That would be us!"
"Awesome my name is Fred, and my twin brother George are the trouble makers over at Hogwarts. So watch out" With that he walked away.
"Wait a sec, Fred? George? Those are the names of my pen pals' brother!" Bobby rushed off.
A girl with bushy brown hair tapped Jason on the shoulder. "Are you Jason Clark?"
"Depends on who's askin,"
"Hermione Granger"
"Oh hi! Yep I'm Jason. These are my friends, Luis, Theresa, Nyomi, and Cleo. Bobby ran off somewhere."
"Theresa, Luis, Tu habla espanol?"
"Si senorita." Theresa answered.
"Cool." Hermione said smiling.
"Look we're gunna go find our pen pals k?" Luis said walking off with Theresa.
"Do you know where me and Nyomi can find Harry Potter and Lavender Brown?" Cleo asked curiously.
"Sure Lavender and Harry are over there by that tapestry," Hermione said. She was pointing at one of the most beautiful tapestries she had ever seen. It was of a lovely woman sitting on top of a full-grown unicorn, with a large flowing waterfall behind her that flowed slowly down of the tapestry into a little pool underneath it. Hermione slowly lowered her finger and stared at the tapestry.
"That's our headmistress, Carla Thomas."
"Huh, what?" Hermione had lost hold of reality. Coming back, she noticed it was Jason who just told her that information.
"She is beautiful, a LOT better looking than our headmaster, Albus Dumbledore," Hermione said still staring at the picture.
"Yeah, she's a hell of a teacher too, I mean sure she's the same teacher as everyone else, but She has let me and Bobby off the hook more times that I can count," said Jason smiling, "Same with Luis and Theresa." He added.
"She sounds so nice I can't wait to meet her. Do you know where I could find Natasha Slate?" Hermione asked.
Jason looked like someone told he just drank poison. "Natasha?" He asked confused.
"Yes, Natasha, she is my friend's pen pal and he wanted to introduce me to her. But Draco ran off somewhere so…"
"I sure hope your friend Draco is a pure-blood." He said cautiously
"Well yeah he is, but what does that have to do with anything?"
"Well the fact that Natasha HATES half-bloods could be it."
"Oh well I'm friends with Draco, so maybe she'll accept me."
"I doubt it, but I'll take you to her any way."
Jason and Hemione weaved their way though all the people to a corner of the room where she saw Draco talking to a girl who Hermione assumed to be Natasha. Draco saw them and waved them over. Hermione looked out for Ron and Harry although she knew they knew. With no sight of them she rushed over to them.
"Hello Draco, this is my pen pal, Jason Clark," Hermione started up the introductions.. Draco and Jason shook hands and said quick 'hellos'.
"Is this Natasha?" Hermione said eyeing the girl next to Draco who was giving a death stare to Jason, who was returning it. Natasha realizing the question was for her opened her mouth but it was Draco who answered.
"No Hermione, this is a giant strawberry, dressed up like Natasha."
Natasha and Draco looked at Draco curiously. "I am VERY sarcastic." Draco said explaining.
"Yes I am Natasha Slate, rich, pure-blood, Slycerin. You poor thing you got stuck with Clark here as your pen pal." Natasha gave Jason the look Draco used to give Hermione.
"Actually, no, he is very nice. I'm Hermione Granger, it's French, and you are very lucky that Draco is your pen pal."
"Yes I am. Are you a pure-blood?" At this Hermione bit her lip and looked at Jason who was giving her an 'I told you so' look. Then looked at Draco who mouthed 'go ahead.'
"No, Natasha, I'm a half-blood and if you have a problem with that I'm sorry."
"Uh, Draco you told me in your letter you hated mudbloods," Natasha said half angry, half confused.
"Well I used to but then me and Hermione just started talking and well, Natasha she's not that bad."
"All right, just for Draco, and ONLY you I will be nice. Clark, don't think I'm going to be nice to Moondust." She grabbed Draco and took him out the door of the dining hall. Now that she thought of it a lot of people were leaving. She saw Harry and Jason's friend Cleo approaching.
"Hi J! We should take these up to the common room. I asked Professor Hopkins and she said that it was ok to give them the password." They walked up the stairs towards the Growlyn common room.
They walked up to a large portrait of a handsome young man. "Password, Por favor," He said in a Spanish accent.
"Hungarian Horntail," Jason said and the portrait swung open. Cleo noticed the confused look on Harry and Hermione's face.
"Our animal mascot is a Dragon so all our passwords are dragon names." They all walked into the common room, which strangely looked exactly like the Gryffindor common room only with a few differences. One was instead of red and gold there was purple and gold. And instead of a large lion banner hanging over the fireplace there was a dragon.
"Come on guys we'll take you ya to our dorms," motioned Cleo.
They decided to go to Jason's dorm first, where Hermione would stay. She was hoping she wouldn't be the only girl there. When they walked in they saw Dean Thomas and a boy sitting on a bed talking.
"Hello, Dean," Hermione said cheerfully. Harry told he is ok to live with.
"Hey Hermione you staying here too?" Hermione nodded agreeing. The boy sitting next to Dean looked extremely familiar to her but she couldn't put her finger on it. Dean seemed to read her mind.
"Hermione, Harry this is my pen pal, Darien,"
"Hi," Darien said faintly. He had a touch of a British accent in it. Memories flooded back to her. Darien had been her best friend since they were born. He lived next store to her. Their parents were best friends. They did everything together. They were always in the same class in their muggle elementary school. She didn't know he was a wizard! Why hadn't he told me? She thought. Oh she thought, I never told him I was a witch She wondered if he remembered her.
I can't believe its Hermione! Darien thought. I mean what were the chances she was a witch. I bet she doesn't even remember me. Oh well, at least she is staying in my dorm.
"See ya guys, and Hermione, I'm gunna take Harry over to my dorm night," Cleo said.
"Night Cleo," Jason and Darien replied.
"Do either of you know how to get to the kitchen? I'm starved," Dean said after Cleo and Harry had left.
"I know it better than Darien, I'll take you down. Do you two want anything?" Jason said looking from Hermione to Darien.
"Yeah, the usual J," Darien said.
"I'll just have some pumpkin juice please," Hermione replied.
"Aight, D, Hermione, We'll be back," Then Jason and Dean left leaving Darien and Hermione alone in the room. Hermione decided to use the spare time and unpack.
She unlocked her trunk and started taking out her desk pictures, Harry and Ron's school picture, Her family, of Darien, and of Phoenix and Daffodil. Daffodil and Phoenix were her best friends that were muggles. They were brother and sister. Darien knew them. She could feel him looking over her shoulder at the pictures.
"How are those two doing?" He asked. Half surprise Hermione turned around.
"What?"
"I said, how are Phoenix and Daffodil doing?"
"You remember?"
"Of coarse, how could I forget my best friends?"
"They're doing great, Phoenix is still going to military school and Daffi is still going to private school."
"That's cool. I can't believe you're a witch and I'm a wizard, I mean what were the chances to that?"
"Slim to none."
"Yeah, are those two your new best friends?" Darien said staring at the pictures of Harry and Ron.
"Yes, they are, can I ask you something Darien?"
"Sure, Emmi, what is it?" That is what Darien had always called Hermione. It brought comfort to her when she heard it again.
"Why does everyone in America refer to their friends with the first letter of their name?"
"Well, It's kind of complicated. It is sort of like a nickname. But, you see, if the letter doesn't sound good you don't use it. Some letters that wouldn't work would be a's or h's or s's. Ya know?"
"Yeah I guess so." Just then Bobby, Ron, Luis and Seamus walked in.
Ron stopped dead in his tracks. "You aren't staying here are you?"
"Yes Ron," said Hermione amused. "But don't worry I left Crookshanks with your sister…"
Ron breathed a sigh of relief, "Well, I still don't want to live with you," he said teasingly.
She continued unpacking. She was about to take the picture of Draco out but quickly remembered Seamus, Dean, and especially Ron. She took out all of her stuff and placed the picture of Draco at the bottom of her trunk, closed the lid, and locked it.
"But why?" Hermione asked. "I can't kill Harry he is my best friend!"
"You must it is for the good of the world," The dreary, cold, serious voice. "If you won't kill him I will kill you." The figure pulled back its hood. She saw the face of Draco, emotionless. He raised his wand, "Avada Kadavera!"
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" she screamed, and sat up straight in bed. She was a little damp from sweating. None of the boys woke up. She crawled out of bed and put her fuzzy slippers. Not intending to run into anyone down in the common room, she didn't fix up. When she walked down the stairs, it was dimly lit, but she could see a figure sitting on the couch. When she walked closer she saw it was Harry. He was staring blankly into the dying fire.
"Couldn't sleep either?" Hermione asked kindly.
Harry didn't respond. Hermione repeated the question. He still didn't answer her.
Hermione shrugged. Probably preoccupied. She thought, and walked back upstairs.
"Maybe," Harry said after she had left, "If you and Malfoy didn't want me dead I'd answer you."
What is Harry talking about? Did he have a dream too? Who will win the tournament? Who will go with whom to the dance? Will Natasha ever leave Draco alone? Find out next chapter.