Chapter 4
"George!" Adrianne excitedly exclaimed.
"George, what are do here?" Adrianne asked him grinning.
"I aperated here. There is something I have to tell you," George said looking up at Adrianne who was standing on the step of the train.
"Adrianne, I think I may love you," George said as he gazed into her emerald green eyes.
"George I-," But then at that moment Adrianne was then interrupted by a jerk of the train. They both knew the train would be out of the station in any second. So George smiled, gave Adrianne's hand a squeeze and said, "I'll see you soon, Potter," as let go of her and the Hogwarts Express disappeared into the distance.
Adrianne turned and walked into the train. She peered into the first compartment she came to so she could see who was inside. Ironically enough if contained Ginny, and Adrianne's friends Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood.
"Oh, my gosh, Adrianne did I just see one of the Weasley twins just holding your hand?" Luna asked with a beam.
"Yeah, it was George," Adrianne said in a dreamy voice as she took a seat next to her.
"So what did George tell you?" Ginny asked desperate for new information.
"He told me that he-," Suddenly the compartment door flew open and in stepped Adrianne's loathsome enemy, Draco Malfoy.
"A Weasley loves you, Potter! How disgusting! You must be so ashamed." Draco sneered as he closed the door.
"Oh, shut up, Malfoy!" Ginny said.
"You know, Adrianne, I am a prefect this year. So I would watch what you and your little friends say to me because I could give you or them detention with Snape for months!" Malfoy said with a smirk.
"Malfoy, just leave nobody wants you here!" Adrianne sneered.
"Adrianne, why won't you date me?" Malfoy whispered towards Adrianne.
Then Adrianne stood up, opened the door and said, "Malfoy you are the biggest arse I have ever met in my entire life! I will never ever date you! And you better leave us alone immediately!" But Malfoy didn't move he kept on starring at Adrianne. Then Neville stood up, too.
"Malfoy, you git, leave!" Neville shouted at him. But he still stood there starring at Adrianne. So Neville grabbed hold of the front of his robes and shoved him out of the compartment and onto the ground of the hallway. Then he slid the door back shut and locked it.
"You rock, Neville!" Ginny cheered.
"Er- thanks," Neville said blushing.
"Jeez, what do you have to do to get him to leave you alone?" Adrianne said sitting back down.
Then a knock came at the door. It was Ron and Hermione. Neville unlocked and opened the door.
"Is it true? Neville did you really throw Malfoy out of the compartment?" Ron asked as he walked into the compartment.
"Whoa! News travels fast here!" Luna exclaimed.
"I didn't really throw him out. I just grabbed the front of his robes."
"Neville, whatever you did was brilliant!" Hermione said with a huge grin.
"It was rather brilliant! I wish you guys were here to see it. Neville was great he totally shoved Malfoy onto the ground," Adrianne said smiling.
"Hey! Look, you can see Hogwarts!" Ginny yelled turning her head from the window.
"Finally! I am so glad to be back here!" Luna exclaimed happily.
"Yeah, I think we all are glad to be back," Adrianne said softly.
Adrianne, Hermione, Ron all took seats next to each other inside the Great Hall with Ginny and Neville across from them to watch the sorting ceremony. After the last student was sorted Dumbledore stood to make his annual beginning of the year speech:
"Welcome back, everyone. Another year has begun. I see some familiar faces and some new ones. As you all know times are changing here in the wizarding world with Lord Voldemort in it once more. With times changing it seems only fit that Hogwarts changes with it. Therefore, this year Hogwarts will be extra protected. Professors will patrol the hallways for your safety. Also, most of the time in the evening you head of house will be in your dormitory. Further more… some of you may have realized that no new professors are seated amongst us. No, you're not getting out of taking Defense Against the Dark Arts… I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. Now with that being said I believe we may begin the feast. Enjoy!"
"Dumbledore is going to be our teacher! What do you think of that," Neville exclaimed excitedly.
"I think it will be great! Finally, we have someone who will really be able to teach us!" Hermione said.
"I think it'll be alright but, professors in the dormitories? This is going to be awful! How are we going to talk rubbish about them if they are right there?" Ron said sarcastically with his mouth full of mashed potatoes.
"Ugh! Ron, chew your food! But, I know! I mean we Gryffindors can take care of ourselves," Ginny sated, "but it also helps if you have a big, strong protector to save you," Ginny said to Adrianne with a grin.
"Ginny, what are you talking about?" Adrianne asked completely clueless.
"George, silly!" Ginny answered.
"George isn't here to protect me." Adrianne said.
"He isn't here yet," Ginny said grinning.
"W— What? Ginny, what are you talking about?" Adrianne asked excited.
"I've said too much already… I'll ruin the surprise," Ginny said with an enormous grin.
"What do you mean? What surprise is there? What is George going to do? George and I aren't even—are we? Am I dating George?" Adrianne said thinking over what she was saying.
"We all think you're dating George and I'm pretty sure that George thinks he's dating you," Ginny said exasperated.
"So then what's this surprise that George is doing?" Adrianne asked grinning.
"Adrianne, we wish we could tell you, really, but George made us swear not to tell! Oh, it'll be so romantic!" Hermione said dreamily.
"You all know about this!" Adrianne said eager to find out more.
"I don't know what they're talking about," Neville chimed in. Then Ginny who was sitting next to him whispered something in his ear.
"Oh, wow." Neville said looking a small bit envious as he turned to look at Adrianne.
"Telling secrets are we?" Came a cold voice from behind Neville and Ginny. It was Severus Snape.
"Miss Granger, this is for you," Snape said curtly as he handed Hermione an envelope. Then he turned and walked off.
"Hermione, what is it?" Adrianne asked. Hermione quickly opened it to find a letter from Dumbledore:
Miss Granger,
Will you please see me in my office once you are finished with your meal? Thank you.
Professor Albus Dumbledore
P.S. I do enjoy snapping, sweet slugs.
"What could he possibly want? I mean it only is an hour into the school year. You couldn't have possibly done anything wrong yet. Moreover, what is with the snapping, sweet slugs? Those things are gross!" Ron said. Adrianne who knew it must be the password explained what the P.S. was all about from previous knowledge.
I don't know what it is, but I think I'll go now and find out. I'll see you back in the dormitory," Hermione said nervously.
Hermione stood outside Dumbledore's office door about to knock, but it was suddenly opened by Professor McGonagall, "You're here, Miss Granger… please come in." Hermione walked into his office and took a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore was seated at his desk with Snape standing next to him. McGonagall moved to stand behind Hermione, her hands placed on the back of her chair.
"Ahh, Miss Granger… I do have something of importance to tell you," Dumbledore said, "I assume you paid attention to the speech I made prior to this evening…" Hermione nodded.
"Well, then you heard about how professors will be in the hallways and common rooms…" Hermione nodded again.
"Well, there is something you should know. Professor Snape recently received an owl from Lord Voldemort. The letter explained how he is certain to bring Miss Potter to her death, before the end of this term." With that being said Hermione gasped and clasp her hand to her mouth. Dumbledore continued, "Yes, I had the same reaction. We all know that the wizarding world will get into disarray if anything happens to Miss Potter. So... Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, and I decided that she sadly must be watched over at all times."
"I think I know where you're going with this… teachers are going to be patrolling the hallways mainly to watch Adrianne, and teachers are going to be in the common rooms, again, to mainly watch Adrianne."
"You are the brightest witch of your age…" Snape sneered.
"Exactly. I alerted the entire school so that she will think that it is happening to everyone. I will watch her between classes. That is the reason I am this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. If I weren't then it would seem curious for me to be in the hallways so much. Now I can wander them and students will suppose I am going to or from my office and classroom."
"Good idea…" Hermione said softly.
"And Professor McGonagall will watch her in the common room because since she is Gryffindors' head of house she may enter your dormitory… and Professor Snape will watch her in the evenings and after classes. Basically whenever Miss Potter is not in her dormitory at night." Dumbledore continued.
"And you want me to watch her while she is sleeping?" Hermione guessed.
"Once again you are right!" Dumbledore said glad the Hermione was catching on. "You don't have to do it, but you are the only person I could ever trust with this idea."
"Oh, of course I'll do it!" Hermione said at once.
"And one more thing, Miss Granger… you always seem to know when Miss Potter is up to something… so if she is planning on tiptoeing off somewhere you need to alert one of us so that Severus can follow her…" Dumbledore said hoping she would also agree to that.
"I—I will," Hermione said hoping that she could keep up her promise. "But why don't you just tell Adrianne about the letter and what you are planning on doing?"
Dumbledore sighed before continuing on… "I don't want to tell Adrianne about the letter because I think that will truly frighten her and I don't want to tell her about our plan because she will feel an invasion of privacy. Because this is an invasion of privacy. I am utterly sorry that I must resort to this, but I care too much about her to see something happen when I could have prevented it."
"I completely understand," Hermione said.
"Well… that is all I have to say, do you have any other questions?" Dumbledore asked.
"No, I think that's it… but what shall I say this meeting was about when Adrianne asks?"
Dumbledore paused to think about this. Then he finally answered, "Say that I was inquiring if you would help assist me in teaching this term and then once you agreed we got into a lively conversation about… snapping sweet slugs…"