A/N: Hi again, I decided to update again, after I had a sudden idea. Please enjoy.

Title: Moondance

Author: hpjkrowling4ever

Chapter Eleven

Hermione's hand tapped anxiously against the desk, but otherwise she was as still as a rock on her chair. Her face was impassive but her brain buzzed furiously, running through everything she was going to say. Having listened carefully to Luna's impromptu lesson on pureblood manners, Hermione felt herself ready to confront Malfoy.

Just as the bell rang signaling the end of the day's study time, the door flew open and Malfoy stalked in, followed by Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Daphne Greengrass and Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione tried not to look surprised, and gathered from her meager information on Slytherin that this must be the highest-ranking Slytherins in the house.

Malfoy pulled a chair towards him and sat down. Beside him, Blaise sat down on a chair, ignoring the angry glances he was getting from Malfoy and the other Slytherins, who had pulled out a chair each. Nott sat slightly back and to the side of Blaise and Greengrass sat slightly back and to the side of Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle remained standing behind them.

"If I may address her correctly, Heir Malfoy? Of course with your permission?" Blaise asked. A curt nod was all he received, and seemingly unperturbed, Blaise turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger, Heir Malfoy has seen fit to join together the trial judges of Slytherin to put forward their suggestion for your loss of the duel."

Hermione bit her tongue and took a deep breath.

"With all due respect, Heir Malfoy, Heir Zabini, Heir Nott, The Honourable Miss Greengrass, Crabbe, Goyle," Hermione hesitated slightly, having no idea how to address Greengrass thus using Muggle peerage systems, but otherwise succeeding in getting their rank correct. "I do not see why this is any concern of any person here other than Heir Malfoy. None of you came to observe the duel, and it is apparent that as you are all here, you must already have an idea of what Heir Malfoy wishes to ask of me."

The Slytherins apart from Malfoy looked mildly impressed at Hermione's wording and her deductions. Malfoy simply looked quite frustrated, like he usually did in Hermione's presence. She did not know that he found being around her incredibly challenging, for not only had she punched him but also she was a Muggle with a perfect grasp of pureblood traditions and speech, and a very talented witch to boot. She defied every label the aristocratic Malfoy Family had placed on muggle-born witches.

"Heir Malfoy, how do you wish to proceed?" Greengrass asked. She actually quite liked Hermione, having shadowed her on occasion at Malfoy's orders (He made various Slytherin girls shadow her in hope that he would manage to find out Quidditch tactics from Harry) and heard her witty comments towards her friends and wished she had a friendship like Hermione did. Like Malfoy, though, she was confused at Hermione's disarming knowledge and respect of pureblood culture and had often heard her talk to her friends about respecting their culture.

"Granger is in debt to me." Malfoy started. Sitting on her desk, looking quite informal compared to the Slytherins in perfectly tailored robes, Hermione rolled her eyes. "Thus I demand a service from Granger."

Hermione tapped her nails against the desk, a common pureblood gesture that was perfectly polite but demonstrated boredom. Greengrass and Nott looked surprised that she knew it, and Malfoy looked incensed.

"You will defer to me the respect that I am due, mudblood, and not ignore my words!"

Hermione stood up gracefully, slowly. Her robes slipped off the desk and she walked quietly towards Malfoy, who had stood up.

"Why, Heir Malfoy, I will defer to you the respect that you are due –of course I will, if you so command it." Behind Malfoy, Blaise smirked.

Hermione took another step forward, looked up and down Malfoy, who was breathing heavily, raised her arm and in a perfect imitation of her third year, swung her fist towards Malfoy's face. Malfoy being too slow to avoid it, Hermione's perfectly aimed punch hit Malfoy in the cheek with a satisfying 'smack!'

"That is the respect you deserve, you prick." She wiped her hand on her robes, took out her wand and lifted it towards Malfoy. "Stupefy!"

Malfoy, too surprised to react, crumpled to the floor. Contrary to Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle reacted instantly and ran to attack Hermione, but were restrained by Blaise.

"You foolish trolls! Get away from her before she spells you two to the floor as well as Heir Malfoy." Crabbe and Goyle stopped in their tracks at that and recoiled from Hermione, who looked viciously at the other Slytherins.

"Talk to me sensibly and I'll listen."


While Hermione was defending her honour against Malfoy and his council, Harry and Luna were walking around the Lake, their hands intertwined and their heads close together. Their steps matched each other's perfectly.

"You know," Luna murmured, smiling. "It is said that if you walk long enough with someone at the same pace and same steps, your hearts start beating in tandem."

"I would be honoured to have my heart beat in tandem with yours, Luna." Harry said seriously. Luna chuckled and leant closer to Harry to kiss him. Harry stopped to enjoy the kiss further, and ran his fingers softly through Luna's long hair. She put her hand on his and twirled them together, her hair wrapping around both their hands. They broke apart breathlessly, their chests heaving for air.

"Merlin, it catches me every time." Harry grinned and unraveled his hand form Luna's hair. Luna grinned at him before becoming more serious.

"Harry, why were you and Heir Zabini talking together?"

"You saw us?" Harry exclaimed in surprise.

"I heart from Hermione what had transpired." Luna looked dreamy. "Everyone sees something of what happens."

Harry's hand snaked around Luna's waist and he pulled her closer.

"What do you mean?"

"Hermione looked extremely concerned and asked me for some advice on pureblood cultures. She could be a pureblood, the way she took to the advice. However, though I did not know of what Heir Zabini was planning, it disturbed Hermione enough to attract the Wrackspurts –and knowing Hermione that is quite a serious thing."

Harry's breath ghosted over Luna's cheek as he spoke.

"Malfoy has been shadowing you."

"I know." Luna said simply. "Is that all Heir Zabini had to say?"

"Hang on, how do you know?"

It was Luna's turn for her hand to snake around Harry's waist and pull him closer.

"I did. As one does when someone shadows you. The DA taught me to recognise shadowing when it happens." Luna kissed Harry gently. "What else did Heir Zabini say, Harry?"

"Malfoy will ask Hermione to tell him what you like so that he can woo you into agreeing to be with him, or something along those lines."

Luna whirled around and stalked away from Harry, who stood staring at her in confusion. She paced around for a bit before walking back to him.

"There's something there which is different to the simple explanation that he's trying to get power over my dad's magazine. There's something else there and I don't know what it is!"


Hermione, after locking Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle out of the classroom and the other Slytherins in the classroom, listened carefully to what they had to say.

"Miss Granger, you know you cannot avoid doing what Heir Malfoy wishes you to do." Nott said uncertainly, not quite sure how to act in front of the Muggleborn.

"Malfoy is a piece of scum as far as I am concerned, and I think that I reserve the right to challenge him again to a duel if I don't wish to follow his orders."

Greengrass shifted uncomfortably on her chair.

"We can't discuss the failures of Heir Malfoy, he is the leader of Slytherin."

"I do not care if Malfoy is the Queen of Sheba, Greengrass, he insulted me when he saw that I was trying to make an effort with your ridiculous pureblood cultures. And in case you've failed to notice, I'm in Gryffindor, not Slytherin, thus Malfoy is not my leader."

"Let's all calm down, shall we? Heir Malfoy is not here, and acting as his second-in-command in Slytherin, I reserve the right to make decisions concerning the welfare of our House without Heir Malfoy's consent. I suggest we listen and answer Miss Granger's questions." Nott and Greengrass both nodded and they all turned to look expectantly at Hermione, who coughed.

"Well, though I know exactly what Malfoy has planned due to his boasting of it in the hearing of some select Gryffindors, I revoke his right to order me around on the basis of assault and instead I think it is now my right to ask any question I feel is within your power to answer. Am I correct?"

Greengrass hummed under her breath, whispered something to Nott, who then looked to Blaise, who nodded. Nott stood up.

"According to the Law of Those of Pure Blood made in the year of 1677 under the authorship of Camelopardalis Black, Section Seven Duelling Rights Miss Granger is correct."

"Then I'd like to ask a few preliminary questions before the big one, if I may?" she asked politely.

"Granted, Miss Granger." Blaise said.

"Where do you find these Laws? Do you have to know them off by heart? Are you three, excluding Malfoy, the highest ranking in Slytherin?"

Blaise put up a hand to stop Hermione's flow. Looking sheepish, she quieted down but looked expectantly at them.

"In the Law & Order section in the library you can find a complete copy of these Laws. Yes, we are told to know them off by heart from a young age. It comes in handy when you're trying to turn a situation to your advantage to quote one of the most obscure laws and know that it's true. Anyone in the Wizarding World is subject to these laws, even the highest-ranking Death Eater, because they are the basis for the laws of the Wizarding World. Only the Dark Lord is not subject to these laws as he rules in the guise of an absolute monarch." Blaise paused. "But this is sidetracking –it is what we purebloods have grown up knowing and is of no use to you, no offence intended, unless you end up in court or duelling someone and you wish to turn the situation to your advantage."

He took a deep breath, struggled to remember Hermione's next question, remembered it and then looked very serious indeed.

"Slytherin is a house built on the rank of others. Heir Malfoy is top of the pile, even above the seventh years because there is no one from the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black in Slytherin and the Malfoy Family is next in the pecking order after the Black Family. By rights, therefore, Heir Malfoy is the highest ranking and his father backs him up. We cannot oppose Heir Malfoy in any way, shape or form. Following Heir Malfoy, it is a battle to see who will be the second-in-command after him. It is mostly a battle of wits, but also of the knowledge of pureblood customs, the power of one's parents and your skill in duelling. I succeeded in coming second, and though I barely take part in the justice battles in the House, I am granted immunity from most attacks because of my rank."

"It's the same with Heir Nott and me," Greengrass said, "Unless Heir Malfoy orders our company in the justice battles, we stay out of the way and the three of us make sure that we stay well out of sight and of mind."

"I have two important questions and you can choose between either of them as the question I demand as retribution from Malfoy's attacks." Hermione thought carefully. "Do you three support Lord Voldemort? What is Malfoy up to, do any of you know?"

There was a dead silence and it weighed heavily in the air until Nott took a deep breath.

"I think we owe Miss Granger the right to have an answer to both, in retribution for the many attacks on her, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. I will answer your first question." Before he did so, Nott double-warded the room with Silencing Charms, Locking Charms and then Detection Charms and made sure there were no Tracking or Listening charms, devices or otherwise in the room. Finally he sat down and looked carefully at Hermione, who was bristling with excitement and what she was about to hear. "It is treason for us to admit what we are about to admit. We do not, any of us, carry the Dark Mark on our arms." He, followed by the other two, bared their arms. "We firstly, are not of age to do so in the eyes of the Dark Lord, and nor do we feel the urge to. The age of Purebloods is long over and we do not hold the power we once did. None of us here believe or support in the Dark Lord's cause."

Hermione felt triumphant. Firstly because she was right and Ron and Harry were wrong: the Slytherins weren't all bad and weren't all supporters of Malfoy. Secondly because she had information no one else apart from these three Slytherins had. She sat back on the chair she had pulled forward and listened to the answer to her second question.

"Heir Malfoy boasted earlier this term that he was given a vitally important task by the Dark Lord which would turn the tide of favour and of power towards His Cause. We pressed him for details, but he said that only his parents and the Dark Lord knew."

"It's a lie! He can't be telling the truth." Hermione leant forwards, convinced that she was right.

"Well," Greengrass said, glancing anxiously at Blaise, "That's what we thought. Until recently, actually. Usually, Heir Malfoy adores lauding over the whole of Slytherin how powerful, how incredible, how magnificent he is and organises duels and debates to show us his power. However, this term he's been withdrawn and has steadily gotten paler and paler until even we were worried for his health. Heir Malfoy disappears for hours and hours on end, and even leaves Crabbe and Goyle, his staunchest supporters, behind. He's, in a way, left Blaise, myself and Theo to run Slytherin –not that we mind, we can destroy some of the more barbaric laws he's set down." She chuckled at Hermione's interested look. "You're the only person I've met who's more interested and fascinated then horrified at Slytherin's politics. It's run like the Ministry and everything."

There was a quiet, comfortable silence for a few minutes and then Hermione stood up.

"Thank you very much for your time, and your understanding."

The Slytherins stood up as well and bowed their heads in her direction.

"There will come a time when we are asked to choose. Hopefully you will prove to us that your side is the right side to choose." Blaise said, smirking.

Hermione closed the door and after checking for Malfoy and not finding him, made towards the Gryffindor Common Room.


Harry and Luna had made haste towards the Gryffindor Common Room, an idea suddenly occurring to them by the Lake.

As they reached the Portrait, they ran into Hermione, who was also making her way towards the Common Room. After glancing at each other, Hermione muttered the password, stuck her head through the portrait hole and yelled for Ron, who came running out.

"What?" he grumbled, seeing the other three there.

"Hurry, follow us." Luna said, leading the way to an empty classroom.

"If this gets us killed, I'm never forgiving you!" Ron called out as he struggled to keep up with his friends.

Closing the door of a Transfiguration classroom after everyone, Ron followed them in and sat down on one of the desks. Hermione told them what the Slytherins had told her and they all had a good laugh at Malfoy's expense, before musing about how they could exploit the alliance of these Slytherins. Then, at a glance from Luna, Harry started voicing what he and Luna had thought of suddenly.

"It makes sense what you're saying, Hermione." Harry paused, unsure of how to voice what he and Luna had found easy to talk about. "What Luna and I thought is that Dumbledore ("Professor." Hermione murmured automatically) is giving me lessons on Voldemort's character, but there's also got to be another reason why Professor Dumbledore –okay, Hermione, okay!– is telling me all this. There's got to be a weakness of Voldemort's that might clue us into destroying him. What Hermione is saying corroborates. Malfoy is really doing something to aid Voldemort and it's got something to do with the school. It's no coincidence that Dumbledore is giving me lessons in the year Voldemort decides to make Malfoy do something within the school."

Harry looked around at his friends.

"Voldemort has something to hide and it's in the school." Harry waited for the kicker. "And Dumbledore knows what it is."

A/N: This may be your last update for another two weeks, I'm trying to settle in before some exams crop up for me. This is the longest chapter I've written to date but in comparison to other authors, it's not that long! Thank you for favourites and follows and reviews! Reviews of course, keep me going and if you're an author, I'm sure you love reviews as well!