Disclaimer: The characters, settings, and world of Harry Potter do not belong to me. The Harry Potter series belongs to JK Rowling.
A/N: I want to give a quick shout-out to a friend of mine, who helped me through a serious bout of writer's block with this chapter.
Chapter Three: The Hog's Head
"All I'm saying is to give it a try. We can arrange a meeting at the Hog's Head-no one from Hogwarts goes there, anyway-with some friends, put up a notice in the Gryffindor Common Room, and see how other people like the idea." Hermione said excitedly over breakfast. Harry and Ron looked skeptical.
"Where would we even hold the meetings?" Harry asked, and Hermione gave him a sly smile.
"Leave that bit to me." She smirked.
"I guess it's worth a try," he shrugged.
"Next Hogsmeade day is on Saturday." Ron said. "Think we can get a group together by then?" He asked, the doubt in his voice barely concealed.
"I'm sure of it." Hermione said, and when Harry and Ron finally acquiesced, she grinned. "Just give it a try," she repeated her words from earlier. "Wouldn't you rather be prepared than unprepared?"
Hermione had been busy.
She'd made a list of the people outside of Gryffindor who would be invited, found them in class or during meals, and told them about the meeting the upcoming Saturday at the Hog's Head. Most people liked the idea, and said they would be there. She had left the Gryffindor notice to Harry and Ron, who eventually had to admit it was a good idea.
There was only one problem: the problem of who would teach. They couldn't just learn the spells from books, like Professor Umbridge had them doing every day.
Hermione thought that Harry should, seeing as he was respected, and had defeated Voldemort.
Harry had fervently contradicted that idea, saying that Hermione should lead, since she knew more than anyone else.
Ron had suggested Lupin, which would have been a good idea, except for the fact that they couldn't sneak him into the castle.
They decided to leave it and see what other people thought on Saturday.
"I wouldn't drink that if I were you,"
Hermione looked up into the grinning face of George Weasley. She pushed her honey gold curls over one shoulder, and raised her eyebrows. "And why is that?"
"Let's just say the last time these glasses have been cleaned was probably long before you were born." Fred said, and Hermione laughed. Nearly everyone she'd asked to come was there, besides a couple of people who Hermione hadn't counted on coming anyway. One person who Hermione was surprised was not in attendance was Neville. He showed a lot of potential as a wizard, and seemed to be passionate about learning.
There were hardly any other people in the pub, besides a wrinkled hag in one corner who looked to be chewing on a piece of greenish meat, a short, filthy man counting the same five coins over and over again, and the bartender, who was cleaning glasses by hand, despite the fact that his efforts were not doing much to get rid of the grime. Satisfied, Hermione turned to the group gathered around a large table, stained with Merlin-knew-what. She sat down between Harry and Ron, and cleared her throat, waiting as everyone fell silent.
"As I'm sure you all know, our current Defense teacher is… much less than satisfactory." She began, smirking, and watched at her classmates nodded their assent. "She is, as you probably know, from the Ministry, who is trying to shelter us from the fact that there are still Death Eaters out there, doing Voldemort's bidding." She tried not to sound exasperated at the fact that some people still flinched at the name. If there was one thing she agreed with Dumbledore about, it was that a name was just a name, and fear of that name encouraged fear of the person. "In class, we are not using magic, only reading a useless book about using magic.
In light of this, I propose that we form a secret… club if you will, where we learn, practice, and teach ourselves defensive magic. At least for us fifth years, O.W.L.s are this year, and there will be a section on using magic. Even if you don't give a bloody damn about O.W.L.s, it's important to know how to protect yourself, especially at an unstable time like this." She took a breath, taking in the faces around her. "So?" She asked. "What do you say?" George gave a wolf whistle, and everyone at the table voiced their unquestionable approval, clapping and cheering. Hermione grinned widely. But before she could say anything, the door was thrown open, and a gust of bitter autumn wind blew in, along with a panting Neville Longbottom.
"She's… she's coming… she heard about the meeting, don't know from who-" He gasped for air, looking like he'd run all the way to Hogsmeade from the castle.
"Who's coming?" Cedric Diggory asked, and, being nearest to the door (and therefore Neville) stood and patted the wheezing Gryffindor on the back. "Umbridge?" Neville said nothing, but nodded. The table erupted in chaos, students pushing away from the table and out the door as fast as they could.
Hermione frowned as Harry turned to her. "'Mione…" He only ever called her that when he thought she was going to blow up at him. "Maybe it's for the best." He winced, as if expecting a blow. "I mean, we can still practice once in a while, but if Umbridge catches us… I don't know."
Her face was a mask of calm, but Harry and Ron knew better. This was the face that came before her temper erupted, the calm before a storm.
"I mean, we can try but I don't think-" Ron began, but Hermione turned to him.
"Go."
"I-what?" He stuttered, and her nostrils flared.
"I said, go."
The boys needed no further instruction as they fled the Hog's Head, the door slamming shut behind them. "You're bloody Gryffindors!" She cried after them. The only sound was the faint chuckling of the bartender, who held up his hands when she turned on him. "You shut up," she growled, drained one of the Weasley twins' glasses of Firewhiskey, and stalked out of the dingy pub into the biting wind.
She had no one she could talk to. No one who would listen and sympathize as she took her rage out on her vocal chords-and anything around her.
There was no way in hell she was going back to the castle, so she decided to climb up the hill on the other side of Hogsmeade. She sat there for the entire afternoon, rage simmering through her veins. She was furious. Furious at her classmates' cowardice, the way they all just left, without a second thought.
Furious at how in that one action, they somehow managed to make her feel ashamed.
Whether it was purposeful or not, she knew she'd probably murder someone if she went back to the castle.
Eventually, Hermione pulled her icy mask back on, settling her features into a countenance of cold disinterest. She slipped through the castle while everyone else was at dinner; she had no appetite. She pulled the curtains around her bed shut, and feigned a deep sleep when everyone else came in from dinner.
Hermione was not prepared to face them yet.
Besides, she didn't think they were prepared to face her.
"So the Granger girl had this idea?" Blaise asked. "And how did you find out?"
"I heard her talking to a couple people the other day about yesterday's meeting at the Hog's Head. I figured I'd go, just to see what was going on. Turned out to be the right thing to do." Draco smirked. "It looks like we'll be the only ones, though. Umbridge heard about it-not from me, I swear on Salazar's grave, Theo, don't give me that look-and the Longbottom boy heard and told everyone before she got there."
"So they all just… left?" Theo asked incredulously.
"Yep." Draco nodded.
"How'd she react?" Blaise asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Who, Granger?"
"No, I actually meant Umbridge, but now I'm curious."
"Umbridge shrieked at the bartender some, waved her arms and her wand around like she'd been cursed or something, then stomped out. Granger… she was scary."
"Scary?" Pansy asked, entering the Slytherin common room where Draco, Blaise, and Theo were seated. "Draco Malfoy is scared? Of what?"
"Not of what, of who, Pansy." Theo laughed as Draco seethed.
"Fine, of who." She amended.
"None other than our favorite witch, Hermione Granger." Blaise drawled, and Draco let out a mock cry, placing a pale hand atop his heart.
"What are you two good for other than giving away my most deepest secrets?" He asked, and Pansy frowned as Blaise and Theo rolled their eyes at his dramatics.
"I thought I was your favorite witch?" She asked, dropping into Draco's lap. He snorted, tapping her nose.
"Of course you are, Pans." He reassured her. They'd been friends for as long as he could remember-hell, their mothers had probably arranged to have their babies in the same place just so their children could grow up together. It had been the hope of both families that the two would eventually marry, but Draco and Pansy had both vehemently denied any feelings beyond friendship for each other.
"That's what I thought," she said, smiling brightly. "Now tell me why Granger scared you. Did she bite you or something, with her big beaver teeth?" Draco laughed.
"No, she got Pomfrey to fix those last year. You remember that meeting I was telling you about?" Pansy nodded. "Umbridge found out about it, and everyone but Granger turned tail like their lives depended on it." He frowned. "Even Potter and Weasel left."
Pansy's eyes widened. "They are Gryffindors, right?"
Blaise nodded. "Exactly. They like to think they're all brave and loyal, but when it comes time to test that bravery and loyalty, very few of them actually are."
"So… are we still taking Granger's idea?" Pansy asked, and Draco nodded. Theo looked mildly offended.
"You told Pansy your plan, but not us?" He asked, and Pansy grinned smugly.
"Well now you know, don't you?" Draco said, and Theo rolled his eyes. "The only thing we have to figure out is where we'll hold our meetings, and who's going to lead." His friends turned to him expectantly. "Hell no. There's no way I'm leading this thing."
"Get Granger to do it, then." Blaise shrugged.
"Yes, I'm sure now that she's been rejected by her own housemates, she'll just come running to us, won't she?" Draco said sarcastically.
"She's supposedly the 'brightest witch of her age'." Theo reminded him. "It's always worth a try, mate."
"Let her prove it, then." Draco said stubbornly, still not acknowledging that his friends were probably right. "But until then, I think we'll be just fine without her."
A/N: I hope you guys like Draco POV, because there will probably be at least one or two Draco POV sections in each chapter from now on! I love writing the Slytherin gang so much.