Chapter 14
"What happened this time?" Madam Pomphry asked as Draco led Hermione into the hospital wing. Blood was dripping all over the flood. Hermione's nose was slightly crooked.
"Got punched by Ron Weasley."
"Dear you must stop getting into fights," Madam Phophry said as she cast a spell setting Hermione's nose and healing the break. Hermione started to protest but was quickly interrupted by Draco.
"Hermione didn't start to the fight Weasley did."
Hermione and Draco were late for lunch and Draco's shirt was still covered in blood. Draco had an arm around Hermione's back as they walked into the Great Hall.
"Why did you have to start a fight Black?" spat a Gryffindor. Before long the Great Hall was erupting with students shouting abuse at Hermione. It seemed that the whole school was turned against Hermione in only one period. Suddenly the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff point counters started to empty. Finally, they stopped. Three of the Hogwarts houses had lost two hundred points. Everyone sitting at Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff collectively looked towards Professor Snape.
"Students of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, I am incredibly disappointed in you. In all of you," Professor Sprout said, her eyes lingering on the Hufflepuff table for just a second longer than the others. "You take everything at face value, Gryffindor is good, Slytherin is bad!" Professor Sprout's voice rose. "Did you even think for a second that what you heard was wrong. That Miss. Black was the victim not, Mr. Weasly?" Many Hufflepuffs looked ashamed. "Hogwarts is divided into houses, but a person's house doesn't define them, people are defined by their actions, not by an old enchanted hat."
A silencing spell was thrown up by one of the teachers when Dumbledor started arguing with Professor Sprout. The Great Hall was silent until many of the Slytherins started clapping.