The end of September was there and Harry couldn't believe how fast the past month went. He had a Quidditch practice that night and was looking forward to it. It would be a change to play real Quidditch. He had played at home of course but this would be different. He would be playing with completely different people and he would only be playing the Seeker position. Usually he played chaser since his father had wanted him to be a chaser but he had tried the other positions out as well. He was thankful the Weasley twins were on the Gryffindor team. He had of course played with them. They were Beaters on the Gryffindor team.
Harry watched his Quick Quotes Quill feeling lazy in History of Magic. He just wished he could do this in the rest of his classes, but the teachers actually paid attention in those classes. He knew Hermione disapproved of it but she didn't say anything about it. Although they weren't very good friends; Harry, Ron and Neville often talked to Hermione and Tiffany. Hermione was very useful when it came to homework and would often check over their essays for them. Ron soon learned to like her when he realized she really wasn't bad at all.
"But I'm not spending every night in the library like they do." Ron had said, which was fine because neither Neville nor Harry had any interest in spending as much time in the library as the girls did.
"I need to get one of those for myself." Ron muttered now watching the Quill dancing across the roll of parchment.
Harry raised a finger to his lips. But Ron ignored him and continued talking about how much his wrist hurt from so much writing and he wished he had more money.
"Would you shut up?" Harry finally whispered accidently.
"What's the big deal?" Ron asked. "Binn's won't hear us, we could duel right now and he wouldn't notice."
Harry pointed at the Quill on the parchment but Ron didn't seem to get the point and continued whispering. Neville watching them, looked at the Quill and let out a snort of laughter. Harry quickly grabbed the Quill in case Professor Binn's looked up, but the ghost continued his lecture. Harry let the go of the Quill and pointed again for Ron to see. Everything they had said now appeared on the parchment.
-now in 1668-
-I need to get one of those for myself-
- and then the wizards continued to look for-
-My wrist hurts so much by the end of class. How much did yours cost anyway? I don't have any money, I wish I did and mum would wonder why I am asking for one. She would probably guess-
-Would you shut up?-
-What's the big deal?Binn's won't hear us, we could duel right now and he wouldn't notice-
-Anyway, are we still sneaking out Saturday night? We've got to try out the cloak again and maybe this time we can find the kitchens. I asked Fred and George and they showed me the staircase we go down and-
-now the witches didn't understand the new law about-
Ron gave Harry an apologetic smile and looked away. Harry couldn't feel angry though, he would just have to see if maybe Hermione would let him borrow her notes to get what he had missed, if not Tiffany would. Ever since he had gotten the Quick Quotes Quill, Neville didn't bother writing at all while Ron tried but most of the time he just relied on Harry. The other two boys in Harry's dorm sometimes approached him now to duplicate his notes. He wondered how long it would take before they all decided to buy one.
Shortly after, the bell rang and Harry rolled up his History of Magic parchment as Professor Binn's announced that he wanted a twelve-inch long essay on what they had talked about in class. Ron let out a groan as they left the classroom. They had finally caught up on their homework, courtesy of Hermione and now they were assigned more.
"Hopefully none of what you interrupted is important." Harry muttered with a grin at Ron.
"Can't you make those so that it only writes down what a certain person says?" Neville asked with a smirk at Ron.
"You could," Harry answered, "I don't know how though."
"You shouldn't be using it anyway," Hermione said as she walked with them. "Those are banned you know."
"Just from exams or tests." Ron told her, "Doesn't say anything about note taking."
"Anyway, I didn't see you complaining when you had to borrow my notes the other day." Harry said. "You told me that mine were probably more accurate."
Hermione didn't say anything to that. Instead she changed the subject about Harry's Quidditch practice that night and whether or not he was nervous.
-
Harry entered the Quidditch Pitch carrying his new Nimbus two thousand with Fred and George Weasley. The twins were both explaining to Harry that Oliver Wood had long boring speeches about Quidditch. Harry was barely listening, despite the fact he had told his friends that he wasn't nervous he really was. He had never played on a real team before and if Oliver was as strict as the twins say he was, Harry was scared of making a mistake.
They entered the changing rooms where the team was already assembled. Oliver Wood greeted Harry before telling him who the rest of the team members were.
"You already know Fred and George," He said with a nod. "They are our beaters and these ladies-" He said pointing at the three girls sitting on a bench together "-are Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson. They are our three chasers. I am the Keeper for the team. I expect you know each of the team positions."
Harry nodded and Fred laughed. "Of course he does. We've been playing with him for years."
"Good, good." Oliver said and he pointed to a board with a drawing of a Quidditch pitch on it and a number of lines. "Now, I just want to go over our tactics first before we practice."
Harry tried to listen to it attentively but it was as Fred and George told him, boring. He pointed out the different tactics the Chaser's should use to distract the other team while where the Beaters should be during this. He told Harry that he should try to do a few fake outs so that when he really did spot the Snitch the other Seeker may not believe him.
When it was finally done Oliver handed Harry a red and gold jersey that had Potter on the back of it with the number seven. Harry examined it closely wondering if his father at one time had worn it before putting it on. It said Seeker on it but it could have been a Chaser's at one point.
"It's brand new." Oliver told Harry with amusement when he noticed what he was doing. "The uniforms from when your father was here looked different then they do now. They were all red with a large gold lion on the front. I'll show it to you sometime."
In Harry's opinion that would have looked better instead of a red jersey with gold outlines on it and a gold Gryffindor crest on it. He slipped it quickly on and followed the team out. He was the only one on the team with a Nimbus two thousand which seemed to please Oliver immensely. He thought it was good. They had the fastest broom stick in the world on their team.
"All right, first we are going to practice throwing the Quaffle to each other." Oliver told the team.
Oliver took the Quaffle out of the box the Quidditch balls were kept in while the rest of the team flew into the air. Harry noticed with a sinking heart that the Slytherin first years had come to watch the practice. His friends were also watching and he felt nervous having to perform in front of others, especially the Slytherin's. Well, I guess this is the time to prove to Malfoy. He decided, hoping he wouldn't do anything that Malfoy could taunt him with later.
He did all right as they started to throw the Quaffle to each other. This was, after all something James and Sirius had taught them as well. He guessed his father had done this when he was at Hogwarts too.
"Don't drop it Potter!" Malfoy yelled as the Quaffle came sailing over to him from Katie Bell.
Harry ignored him and tossed it to Alicia who tossed it to Fred. It kept going for a few minutes with Draco yelling out butter fingers and Potter arrogance. It was easy to tune him out though. Draco stopped after a while yelling out but the Slytherin first years continued to watch. After tossing the Quaffle around for a bit Oliver finally decided to let the other balls out.
"Good job ignoring them." Oliver told Harry as he flew over to him after letting the balls out. "Just keep doing it. I'm going to be talking to Madame Hooch about this. This happens at least once or twice a year. The Slytherin's do it to all the teams."
Harry didn't doubt it, but he knew why these particular Slytherin's were here. He glanced at them to see that Draco was whispering to Crabbe and Goyle, no doubt planning something. He looked over at his friends to see that they were also whispering and he guessed they were planning on doing something if the Slytherin's kept it up. Ron and Neville caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up while Hermione and Tiffany waved. He grinned and started looking around for the Snitch.
"Oh look, a bludger!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked. "Look out Potter!"
"Hey! I see the Snitch!" Draco yelled. "Those glasses must not be working too well for you Potter!"
"Hey Potter, don't fall off your broom."
"Are you sure you can handle a Nimbus Potter?"
On and on they went but Harry kept looking for the Snitch. Harry glanced at George Weasley who was grinning at him. He gave him a wink before hitting a bludger that was about to hit Katie Bell straight over to where the Slytherin first years were sitting. The girls screamed loudly and flattened themselves down while Malfoy ducked. Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini ran in separate directions shoving Goyle to the side as they went. Crabbe, who wasn't fast enough as the others, took it full on in the side of the head. It didn't knock him out but he sat down quickly looking dazed.
"You'll pay for that Weasley!" Pansy yelled angrily.
George just laughed and continued flying around, hitting the Bludgers when he had to. The Slytherin's didn't say another word. Daphne Greengrass and Millicent Bulstrode had taken Crabbe away, no doubt to the hospital wing. Harry looked around for the Snitch ignoring the rest of the team members. Oliver had told him during a game that he should always wait until they have scored a few times before catching the Snitch so it was good to fake out the other Seeker if he did spot it before they did, but it was too early in the game to catch it.
When he finally did spot it, it was close to the ground. He dived quickly ignoring the Slytherin's taunts. He caught it just a few feet from the ground and flew back up showing the team members that he had caught it. They played for a while longer before wrapping it up. The Slytherin's left the stands disappointed that they didn't have anything to taunt Harry with later.
"Great job." Oliver told Harry. "You'll do well at a the games."
After he had changed, he met with his friends who were waiting outside the changing rooms for him. They all congratulated him.
"George shouldn't have hit Crabbe." Hermione said disapprovingly. "He could have really hurt him."
"Well he deserved it." Ron said. "They shouldn't have come to the game."
"They could have found another way." Hermione said shaking her head.
"Relax, Hermione." Tiffany said. "I agree with Ron. He deserved it. They were trying to distract Harry."
"That doesn't mean hurting someone." Hermione said. "You did play really well though, Harry."
-
The boys walked very slowly, trying to keep their footing together as they walked through the corridors. It was very dark and Harry wished he could light his wand just to see where they were going but he knew he couldn't. It was late Friday night and they were exploring once again. They were headed for the kitchens for Ron's benefit. Neville and Harry had decided that they would have to do it so Ron would quit nagging them about it.
They were walking down the marble staircase slowly. Once at the bottom, Ron pointed to left and they went that way toward a doorway, beyond them was a stone staircase. They were careful to go down the steps because either one of them could trip. At the bottom they were in a broad brightly lit stone passage way. There were colourful paintings of food along the corridor. Harry knew that it definitely was the kitchens and he had at times seen some of the Hufflepuffs go through the doorway and wondered if their Common Room was beyond one of the paintings.
"Fred told me it's a painting of a silver fruit bowl." Ron whispered.
"I can't believe how easy this is. You know. We could have brought Hermione and Tiffany." Neville said.
"I don't know if all five of us would have fit." Harry said.
He hadn't wanted the girls to come, even though Tiffany had begged them to let her come too. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, even though he did wonder about Hermione, it was just that it had been something he, Neville and Ron had always planned to do. It had never occurred to them that Hermione and Tiffany would join them. Neville had been all for it while Ron and Harry had both said no. Tiffany had been very disappointed that she had went up to the dorms to sulk, while Hermione had spent the night trying to tell them that it wasn't a good idea.
"You might get caught and lose points for Gryffindor." She was saying. "And it's dangerous. What if you fall down the steps. I expect it's awkward walking under the Cloak. Please don't go."
"We shouldn't have told them about the Cloak." Ron said irritably. "I noticed Hermione talking to Percy, what if she told him?"
"I don't think she did." Neville said, "Or else he would have stayed in the Common Room to catch us."
"Knowing Percy he'll tell the teachers to be on the look out." Ron muttered.
"Well never mind that now." Harry said hoping it wouldn't happen. "Keep on the look out for this picture."
"There it is!" Neville whispered excitedly pointing at a large painting of a silver fruit bowl.
They hurried over to it and Ron reached out and tickled a large pear. Harry guessed the twins had told him to do this. The pear was laughing and squirming, then it turned into a large green door handle. Ron grasped it and pulled open the door. They hurried inside, Harry pulling the Cloak off of them. The sight in front of them made Ron gasp in pleasure. The room was as large as the Great Hall with lots of pots and pans all around the room. Several House Elves were running around preparing food.
"Don't they ever sleep?" Harry asked noting that it was midnight and knowing the House Elves probably did a lot more around the castle as well as make food.
"They take it in shifts." Ron said. "Fred said there is usually a lot and I only see about a dozen."
"Hello sirs." A squeaky House Elf said bowing. "It is Reffer at your service."
"Could I get some Pumpkin pasties?" Ron asked the elf.
Harry and Neville also put in their orders surprised at how easy it was. Harry felt a little disappointed that they hadn't done more exploring to find the kitchens. It was his turn next time to pick what they were doing and he was planning for them to find the secret passages outside of the school. It would be great to find one so they could go out to the grounds at night. Neville was curious about where the other Common Room's were so he guessed they would be doing that after they looked for the secret passages.
"The Hufflepuff Common Room is down here somewhere too, you know." Harry told Neville. "I always see them going through that doorway."
"I wonder what the rest of the Common Room's look like." Ron said thickly as he bit into a cauldron cake. "Imagine what the Slytherin Common Room is like."
"We should follow the Hufflepuffs sometime to get the password." Neville said. "I think they change once a month."
"We'll have to do it in October then." Harry told him. "Since next week we're looking for Secret passages."
"Do you think we should do it every weekend?" Neville asked nervously as they slipped the cloak back on the leave after eating everything they could. Harry had some food to take back to Tiffany and Hermione as well. "Maybe every other weekend. I only say that because if we get caught one time the teachers could be on the look out for us to try again."
"Yeah maybe." Harry said wondering, "But then again if we do get caught, we could just wait a month before trying again. That will give them the time to think we aren't coming back."
"Hope they don't confiscate the Cloak" Ron said.
Harry was worried about that too. But his father had told them that he and his friends had been caught under the Cloak and the teachers had never taken it away. He hoped they wouldn't this time around either. But Harry figured they would just try not to be caught. The hurried down the corridor and hurried back up the steps. In the Entrance Hall they hurried to the marble staircase just as Filch was walking up from the Dungeons. He froze when he heard their footsteps and looked around suspiciously.
"All right, I know you are there." He said looking in their direction. "Come out of your hiding place."
The boys stared at each other and tried to walk toward the marble staircase, but Filch was hurrying toward them. As if he knew there could be a Cloak, he started grabbing at thin air. When he couldn't find them, he hurried away. Sighing with relief, the boys hurried up the staircase. As they got to the top, they ran straight into Professor Snape from behind who looked around in the dark suspiciously. Knowing they had no choice, Harry made them walk around Snape. He hadn't realized it was someone invisible yet, at least Harry hoped.
"Keep going." He muttered to Ron and quickly handed the food to Neville.
He slipped out from under the Cloak before and stood just behind Snape as he turned to face him. Snape stared at Harry in shock, looking at his robes and hands to see if he was hiding the Cloak. Harry knew Snape knew about the Cloak. He also knew Snape would likely confiscate it.
"Ah, I knew you'd be out here." Snape said. "Thought you could trust friends did you? Your father made that same mistake . . . come with me Potter. Where is the Cloak?"
"My father didn't give it to me." Harry answered. "So I don't have it."
Snape stared at Harry as they went back down the marble staircase. He didn't look as if he believed him and Harry hoped Snape hadn't thought it was an invisible person who had hit him. He had been looking at something though, Harry thought, I came out from under the Cloak before he could really think about it. Harry stared back, wondering why Snape was staring into his eyes so intently. He looked away wondering if Snape knew Occlumency. His father did, he had learned it shortly afterPettigrew had died. He hadn't wanted to put trust in the wrong person ever again. It was how he knew Harry or his siblings were lying to him.
If Snape did though, he didn't say anything. He led him down the staircase that took them to the dungeons. Harry shivered wishing Snape wasn't taking him down here at night. He wasn't scared, but he knew he'd get lost when it was so dark. He took his wand out and lit it. Snape didn't yell at him to put it away. He figured Snape's office must be down here somewhere.
Harry had guessed right, Snape led him into a room that had a desk in it. The shelves had several slimy revolving objects in jars. Harry looked around at them feeling revolted. Snape walked around the desk and sat down.
"Sit down Potter." He said pointing to the chair in front of his desk.
Harry sat down trying to keep his mind off of Neville, Ron and the Invisibility Cloak so that if Snape could read minds he wouldn't be able to figure it all out. He probably already has, Harry thought keeping his eyes from Snape. Snape had been staring into his eyes as they walked down the corridor.
"So, after your parents came here to tell me you were a good boy and wouldn't misbehave I catch you out in the corridors." Snape said. "Now, what were you doing Potter."
Keeping his mind off of the others Harry tried to think of an excuse but couldn't. He stared at Snape's desk as The Potion's Master got up and started pacing behind the desk throwing Harry a look once and a while.
"So, your father didn't give you the Cloak?" Snape asked staring at Harry in a determined way but Harry kept his thoughts off of it.
"No sir, he didn't think I should have it in my first year." Harry answered.
"Really?" Snape asked. "Didn't encourage you to sneak out then?"
"No," Harry said. "Mum told me not to and dad agreed."
"Of course." Snape said with a sneer as if he understood something. He nodded as if he believed this and Harry hoped he would. He continued to block his mind of his friends and the Invisibility Cloak.
"Your father always do what your mother tells him?" Snape asked.
Harry looked up at him surprised. Snape looked like this information please him. But he also knew that Snape had been in love with his mother years ago. He also knew, according to Sirius that Lily hadn't wanted anything to do with James until their seventh year. He guessed this was why Snape seemed too pleased that his father would do anything that his mother wanted. He had often heard Sirius tell James that he was whipped.
"Er . . . I dunno." Harry said with a shrug not wanting to give Snape something to gloat about.
"Well Potter, I guess you are a lot like your father. He too liked to break the school rules. He also put trust in friends he shouldn't have."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked. "What does Pettigrew have to do with this?"
"Because Potter, one of your friends told me that you and some friends would be wandering the corridors tonight. Now where are Weasley and Longbottom?"
"Back in the Common Room, sir." Harry said feeling anger toward Hermione. "Neville didn't want to do it and he told us not to. I-I waited until they were asleep and I came out on my own."
Snape studied him again and Harry quickly made an imagined memory of him and Neville arguing about not going out. It seemed to work (or at least he hoped it did) because Snape nodded. He continued to pace the office some more before turning on Harry.
"Well then Potter, I think twenty points from Gryffindor and detention with me for a week should stop any night time wanderings from now on." Snape said. "Now get to your Common Room."
Harry was about to leave as Filch burst in the office looking excited.
"Professor Snape, there is a student or student's out-" He began but stopped when he saw Harry coming out.
"Yes, Filch I know." Snape said. "I have caught the culprit. Now why don't you walk Potter back to the Gryffindor Common Room to make sure he gets back."
-
Harry, Ron and Neville had stopped speaking to Hermione who kept insisting it hadn't been her. Harry had hurried back to the Common Room, leaving Filch behind and found Neville and Ron waiting up for him with Tiffany and Hermione. Harry glared at Hermione before sitting down and explaining everything. He flung himself in an armchair. He had turned on Hermione who said she didn't do it. When Ron told her he didn't believe her and Neville glared at her she ran up to the girls Common Room in tears. Tiffany apologized to them for Hermione before heading up herself.
"Why didn't you stay under the Cloak?" Neville asked a few days later after Harry came back from a detention where he had to clean dead spiders from the floor. He was grumbling about it and Hermione in anger.
"We wouldn't have gotten away quickly enough. He knew someone was there. It was better me getting caught then all three of us." Harry answered.
"Neville wanted to show we were there too." Ron said.
"So did you." Neville retorted. "You were more for it then me."
"If three people appeared out of no where he would have known we had the Cloak. But it was so dark and he didn't notice that it was someone invisible when I came out." Harry explained. "Just that someone had run into him. I think he knows Occlumency though, he kept trying to read my mind. I think he knew I was lying though, so we're going to have to wait a while until we can go again."
"I knew Hermione would tell." Ron said. "I knew it."
Tiffany had told them that Hermione was really depressed lately. She kept saying it wasn't her and barely did her homework these days. Harry had noticed she didn't show up to dinner and had wondered if it was because she didn't want to face them. She spent her time in the girl's dorms so Tiffany was usually with them, trying to make up excuses for Hermione. Harry didn't think that it was right to betray a friend though.
Harry had to stay up later then anyone else so he could get his homework done because of his detentions. Neville and Ron usually went to bed before him and that night was no exception. He was busy working on a Potion's essay not wanting to give Snape a reason to give him more detention when Hermione sat down with him.
"Harry," She said her eyes were red so he figured she must have been crying earlier. "Will you listen to me please? Then I'll never bother you again after tonight."
Harry sighed. "Hermione, why would you tell? We weren't going to be caught. I thought you didn't want points lost for Gryffindor."
"But I didn't tell." Hermione said. "I wouldn't do that. Look, after these past couple of weeks I have come to think of you, Neville and Ron as my friends. I had hoped you felt the same way."
"I did." Harry answered angrily.
"Then as a friend, listen to me." Hermione said. "You told Tiffany and me you were sneaking out Friday night after dinner in the Common Room. I was with you all night. I didn't leave you once, so how could I have told Snape? The only way I could have was to sneak out after you left after curfew, but then Snape would have given me detention too."
"You were talking to Percy." Harry said. "Ron saw you."
"I was asking him about Transfiguration. I was wondering about that essay we had to write because I didn't understand the theory. Percy had told me I could talk to him about homework anytime. I wanted. Anyway, Harry don't you remember how surprised he was that you had snuck out?" Hermione said.
Harry remembered now thinking about it. Percy had overheard people talking about it and had lectured Harry at the dinner table about it. He had thought that since Harry was on the Quidditch team he wouldn't want to sneak out and was glad that his brother hadn't snuck out. Percy was never good at acting. His shock had been sincere.
"So you see, it couldn't have been me." Hermione continued. "I wouldn't do that to a friend. I didn't want you to do it, but as you said I didn't want points taken from Gryffindor. I decided since you were under the Cloak, you wouldn't be seen."
"But then whom else could have?" Harry asked. "We only told you and Tiffany about it."
"I don't know." Hermione said, "Maybe someone overheard you talking about it. Ron and Tiffany were arguing loudly about it because she wanted to go remember?"
"But Snape said one of my friends." Harry said. "Unless he means any of the Gryffindors. In that case, I have no idea then."
"I'm glad you believe me Harry." Hermione said with relief. "Sometimes I wondered if you were just hanging out with us because I helped you with your homework."
Harry wanted to laugh but he knew it took a lot for her to admit that. Hermione wasn't the type to say things like that. He reassured her that none of them would do that. She stayed up with him working at his Potion's essay until it was finished as if to prove her loyalty. Harry felt a lot of respect for her and knew right then and there that she was definitely a good friend now and no longer just a friend who helped him out.
He told Neville and Ron what happened the next day in class. Ron was reluctant to believe it at first but after he spoke to Percy about it, he realized that she had indeed been asking about her essay. She had not left their side that Friday night so he had no choice but to believe her and began pointing out different Gryffindor's who could have done it.
"I saw your friend Tiffany talking to Professor Snape." George told him. "Maybe it was her. She was talking to him right before curfew."
"No." Harry said shaking his head. "It couldn't have been. She wouldn't because she wanted to go with us. And she was angry with Hermione too."
He thought about it more in detention with Snape though. She had disappeared up to the girls dormitories. What if she had snuck back down to tell him? But why would she do that? She let Hermione take the blame all week for it. She had sympathized with Harry all week and joined Ron with Hermione bashing. So how could it have been her? He was confused and hoped she wouldn't, she seemed too nice to do that. She was also Hermione's best friend.
After detention he hurried back to the Common Room to ask Neville and Ron what they thought all of this. Luckily neither Hermione nor Tiffany was around when he got back. He was glad to get out of it, Snape had made him scrub the desks for two hours and he knew the Gryffindor Quidditch team was angry with him since he had to miss a practice.
"Tiffany?" Ron asked. "Maybe she was just asking Snape something. She seems too - well cool."
But he looked unconvinced even as he said it. Neville looked upset at this. He got a long with Tiffany the most, she was the only one who shared his love for plants. She wasn't as good at it as he was but she was very interested in them. The two of them could go on about plants while Ron, Hermione and Harry wanted nothing to do with it except in Herbology.
"Well," Neville said. "She was angry we wouldn't let her come and if the twins saw her talking to Snape . . . I just can't believe she would. She seems like the type who would want to break rules. She is always encouraging us while Hermione tells us not to."
"Maybe she just wanted to get back at us. She knew we wouldn't suspect her." Harry said angrily.
"And she knew we'd blame Hermione." Ron said. "Then when we found out it wasn't Hermione, she figured we'd never blame her."
Harry sighed and stared at the portrait hole, it was nearly curfew or at least he figured it would have to be. Snape had kept him for so long. A few minutes later they did enter, Harry looked at Ron and Neville and muttered for them to let him do all the talking. They didn't need to jump down her throat yet.
"Hi," Hermione said happily.
Ever since they had forgiven her, she had been very open and friendly. She never mentioned anything about their rule breaking even though she still disapproved of it. Harry could tell that very morning when Ron had asked when they should do their next night adventure. She had started eating her food fast looking angry but she stayed perfectly friendly.
Harry wasn't sure what to say to Tiffany. They hadn't been very fair to Hermione, so he figured there was no need for her either. He had thought about beating around the bush, but why bother? If she had betrayed him then she should suffer the consequences.
"Did you tell Professor Snape about us sneaking out, Tiffany?" Harry asked as they sat down.
Hermione's mouth dropped open as she stared at Harry in disbelief. "No, Harry, of course she didn't. She was in the girls dormitories. You did the same to me and quite frankly-"
"Yes." Tiffany said interrupting Hermione.
Harry was shocked and evidently so were Ron and Neville as their mouths fell open now. Hermione stared at her friend in hurt and shock.
"You wouldn't let us come too," Tiffany answered with a shrug. "I just figured it wasn't fair you three could go explore but we had to stay behind just because we're girls."
"That wasn't why-" Harry began to say.
"You let me take the blame all this time?" Hermione asked huffily, there were no tears in her eyes now, just anger. "Once they blamed me, couldn't you have told them it was you and why?"
"You kept telling us we shouldn't hate her for wanting to follow the rules." Neville said, "When it was you all along. You kept saying she was depressed and wouldn't even admit it to you."
Tiffany didn't say anything she was looking at Hermione who looked hurt and betrayed. She glanced at each of them, muttered 'sorry guys I didn't know what to do' before running toward the girls dormitories. None of them were sorry to see her go. Harry felt surprised when Ron looked directly into Hermione's eyes and touched her hand.
"I'm really sorry, Hermione." He said. "Friends?"
"Friends." She said with a sad smile, her mind likely on Tiffany still.
A/N: I know it looks bad what Tiffany did, but don't hate her quite yet. She had her reasons and she is going to be friends with Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione. I added her because I figured Hermione should have a girlfriend. It wasn't a big deal in J.K. Rowlings story because it was two boys and one girl. But now it's three and one girl. So I decided to balance things out by giving Hermione a girl friend as well. Since there are two unmentioned girls in the Harry Potter series in Gryffindor, I made Tiffany one of them. The other girl since she isn't friends with Tiffany like she likely would have been in JK Rowlings story is now friends with Parvati and Lavender and will be mentioned as they get older. But the three girls don't really have much significance in the early years. So they'll be mentioned just for character introductory so you know who they are later in the series.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed. If you have any questions let me know and I'll answer if I can.
