Disclaimer: All the characters, etc

Disclaimer: All the characters, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling

Chapter 11 – The Dark Mark

Harry had just come back from his last class of the day. He was exhausted.

Even though it was the first day of classes, the teachers seem to ignore that, and piled them with more homework then ever. Of course, Hermione got down to work at once.

"We have until Friday to finish our assignments, don't you think you should get working?" Hermione picked at the two boys who were sitting at a game of chess. Ron sighed.

"Hermione, I'm worn out, I'm not gonna work on my homework right now okay?" Hermione shook her head in disappointment. "Do you want me to say that again?" Ron snapped.

"Ron's right." Harry agreed. "We're a little tired, maybe tomorrow. I mean, we already finished one of them." Ron nodded. "Yeah Hermione."

Hermione shrugged in indifference. "Whatever."

Harry and Ron finished their chess game (and Ron won). They both headed down to the Great Hall for dinner. The meal contained some pasta, a Muggle kind of food called "cheeseburgers," and a salad.

The desert was also delicious, but Hermione left before it was served to go to the library for further studying.

When Ron and Harry were alone, Harry started a conversation. "Um… Ron, you know today, when Professor Trelawney made those weird predictions?"

Ron nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah? What about it?" He was staring out the window distractedly.

"Well, I think what she meant was… um… er, well, my mother." Harry gulped. Ron spat out his water. "Your mum? Yeah, right!"

"No, I mean it, Ron." He explained what Sirius had said to him, leaving out the parts that Sirius was a spy for Dumbledore.

He clarified all the evidence, and when he had seen the Grim, twice. Once at Ron's house, the other time was at Hogwarts.

Ron listened quietly, nodding at all the right times, and gasping in all the right places. Harry whispered. "I don't think I should tell Hermione right now. I mean, she'll probably tell Professor McGonagall, and I don't want to be put in the infirmary when I just started, and anyway, Malfoy and the whole Slytherin house will make fun of me when they find out."

Ron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's not tell her until a while later." They both agreed immediately.

Hermione came in about half an hour later.

Both of the boys were reading. Harry's nose was stuck in a Quidditch book, and Ron's freckled face was in a chess book.

She sighed. Harry knew what she was thinking. She was probably thinking that they should read something worthwhile, but she hardly knew how exciting Quidditch could be to the Gryffindor's seeker. And Ron loved to play chess, probably because he was so good at it.

When Hermione came in, Harry and Ron looked up. "What did you do at the library today Hermione?" Ron asked.

Hermione looked stupefied. "For Heaven's sake Ron. What do you think?" She shook her head in sheer amazement.

"Sorry!" Ron grumbled.

* * * * *

A couple of days later, after third period, something strange happened…

"Hey Ron, Hey Harry!" Hermione called out to them. Seamus Finnigan was with her, along with Neville Longbottom. They also called out to Harry and Ron, and joined them.

As they were walking to Herbology with Professor Sprout, Neville dropped his bag and his books fell everywhere.

He whimpered ands stooped to pick them up. Harry, Ron, and Seamus tried to help him, but he just became red in the face.

Hermione told them to go and she would help him with his bags.

They nodded and went to class. But the strange thing was, Neville nor Hermione ever showed up for class, and everyone knew that Hermione would never miss a class, and Herbology was Neville's best class, so nobody had an explanation for this occurrence.

When class was dismissed that day, everyone went looking for Hermione and Neville, well, most everyone.

Harry overheard Malfoy talking, "Maybe father came to finish that Mudblood and clumsy blockhead off, serves them right." Harry had to do everything to keep Ron from jumping on his and "kicking serious Malfoy ass."

Harry, Ron, Lavender, Parvati, Dean, Seamus all went looking for Hermione and Neville. First they searched the restrooms, then they checked the dorms.

Finally, they looked in the place where Neville had dropped his books, though they doubted that they would still be there.

But, sure enough, Neville and Hermione were there. Both were lying on the ground. They were motionless, though still alive, as Ron proved by feeling their pulse.

Harry ordered Seamus, and Dean to go get help, while he and Ron stayed with them.

They sat there for about five minutes before Professor McGonagall came running up the corridors, followed by Dumbledore, who had never before escaped a walk in front of his students.

Madam Pomfrey lagged behind, but reached the two fainted people just after Dumbledore.

Harry stuttered. "Neville dropped his b-books and then Hermione h-helped him pick them up and told us to go to class, and they n-never came." Ron nodded with a grieved look on his face.

Dumbledore furrowed his brow. "I see. Madam Pomfrey, please take these two to the infirmary. And you two," He pointed to Ron and Harry. "Go back to class. I don't think your friends will be in too much trouble. Nothing that Madam Pomfrey here can't mend."

Harry and Ron nodded silently and continued on their way to their dorm. Before they had even gone down the hallway, they heard Madam Pomfrey gasp. They turned around and went to see what the problem was.

They looked down on at Neville and Hermione and saw something that made their blood curl.

On the back of Hermione's neck was the Dark Mark, and in a silver liquid (which was unmistakably unicorn's blood) someone had written "The Dark Lord has returned." The letters shone and sparkled evilly as the shiny, shimmering fluid ran down the back of Hermione's robes.

Author's Note: Ooh, creepy. Hehe. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, it's a little weird, but oh well.