Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling
Hey! So, I'm binge reading Harry Crow by robst, and you all should too! R&R!
BlueSkyKittyKat: They will not be officially resorted, just pushed into the house.
Guest: I'm not plagiarizing. As BlueSkyKittyKat has made it clear, this is fanfiction! I'm sorry for a few mistakes but this story is relatively cannon in terms of descriptions and games. The ending and climax will be different of course, but I'm insulted you call it plagiarism.
Guest again: I actually didn't know that compartments only held 6. I'm so stupid! For my story just think that they expanded the !
Hermione was watching Professor Snape try to teach Potter Occlumency again, though he was hopeless.
Snape's office door banged open and Draco Malfoy sped in.
'Professor Snape, sir-oh-sorry-'
Draco was looking at Snape and Potter in some surprise. He grinned at Hermione.
'It's all right, Draco,' said Snape, lowering his wand. 'Potter is here for a little remedial Potions.'
Draco looked gleeful.
'I didn't know,' he said, grinning rather cruelly at Potter.
'Well, Draco, what is it?' asked Snape.
'It's Professor Umbridge, sir-she needs your help,' said Draco.
'They've found Montague, sir, he's turned up jammed inside a toilet on the fourth floor.'
'How did he get in there?' demanded Snape.
'I don't know, sir, he's a bit confused.'
'Very well, very well. Potter,' said Snape, 'we shall resume this lesson tomorrow evening.'
Hermione followed them out. There they found Abraham shivering in some blankets and muttering about the Weasley Twins. After a diagnosis Professor Snape looked at them grimly.
"He'll have to go to St. Mungos. It appears that the Weasley Twins stuffed him in a Vanishing Cabinet, and he was stuck in limbo until he got enough magic to apparate out. He has splinched his leg off and I'm afraid that in the Vanishing Cabinet we won't be able to retrieve it. You will have to get a magical one."
"Abraham?" Hermione asked softly, leaning down. "I'm sorry. I'll get the Twins. Promise."
He gave a fleeting grin, and Hermione wiped a lone tear away before spinning around and marching to the Common Room.
"Listen up!" she yelled, getting the attention of everyone. "I just found Abraham Montague." There were cheers in the room, especially from the Quidditch Team because they had a game coming up. "Wait. He won't be back. He has to go to St. Mungos to get his leg replaced. He was stuck in a Vanishing Cabinet and managed to apparate out, but he lost his leg in the process. And it's because of the Weasley Twins."
"We need to get revenge!" said Miles. "A game is coming up and he won't be able to play. I know that Abraham wanted to play professional, but he won't be able to! He's also our friend."
"Leave that to me." Hermione gave a devilish smirk.
Hogwarts Student Admitted to St. Mungos!
By Rita Skeeter
Hello my friends, and I have more word from Hogwarts. Yesterday Slytherin 7th year Abraham Montague was found in a toilet after having been missing for nearly a month. Where was he you may ask?
"The Weasley Twins stuffed him in a Vanishing Cabinet." says Hermione Granger. "He was forced to apparate out, but he lost a leg that can't be retrieved."
Just who are these Weasley Twins? My sources confirm they are none other than 7th year Gryffindors Fred Weasley and George Weasley. They were part of an attack on young Draco Malfoy 2 years ago as many of you will recall. Maybe they don't realize, but they have done serious damage.
"I know that Abraham wanted to play Professional." says his friend Miles Bletchely. "Now he can't because he has to get a prosthetic. Those Twins have crushed his dream."
Just what do the Twins have to say about this? Should they continue endangering the rest of the school, or will they be punished? Yours truly, Rita Skeeter.
The backlash of the article was amazing. The Weasley Twins were hustled off by Umbridge, and weren't seen for the rest of the day. Many of the school were glaring at them, and Hermione knew their chances of getting a job had been severely reduced.
"You never did tell us." Daphne said absently a few days later at breakfast. "What happened at Viktor's wedding?"
Hermione grinned.
Flashback.
"I'm very glad you could come Hermione." Viktor told her as she sat down with Draco. Hermione wore a deep purple dress with golden designs and a beaded neckline. Her hair was pulled back into a bun with a few strands framing her face. Draco wore black dress robes.
"I'm glad I could come too." she smiled, before taking a seat. Soon the wedding started. Viktor stood up front with traditional Durmstrang red robes and furs. Then his bride Ana came in. She was resplendent.
It had lacy half sleeves that were edged with diamonds and a sheer neckline that was also edged with diamonds. The dress had a tight bodice and flowed out to the floor. It was edged in white lace. Her face was pale and her auburn hair pulled back. She was gorgeous. She went up to Viktor.
"Recite your vows." said the Preacher, all in Bulgarian of course.
"I bind myself to you in heart, soul, and mind. I will be with you in times of trouble, prosperity, and anguish. I will never waver, but stay firm."
Viktor said the same thing. Hermione smiled. The two were obviously in love.
"If there is no person who objects to this marriage, and then I now announce you man and wife! Foedere in caritate!"
The two shared a kiss and were showered in the silver glow of a bonding before they ran off like a normal wedding. Hermione grinned during the reception and danced with Draco to an English Song.
And I'll love you for a thousand years,
"You know, this is a beautiful song." Draco breathed in her ear. "We should have it at our wedding."
"Are you proposing to me?" Hermione asked cheekily.
"Maybe." he said softly, and Hermione wrapped herself in his arms, feeling very warm.
Flashback End.
"That sounds fun." said Pansy dreamily. That evening in Professor Snape's lesson he was angry.
"Miss Granger, I expect you to teach Potter Occlumency now. He is such a dunderhead that I can not teach him."
Hermione sensed that something had angered him, but chose not to ask. "Very well sir." she replied. Soon it was time for her first lesson teaching him.
"Close your eyes." she instructed. "Blank your mind out and find your mindscape. Legilimens!"
And Hermione was going down, down, flashes of memories she didn't really understand, and his mindscape. Bloody hell it was unorganized! It was just a spiderweb of magic with memories floating here and there. She made a speedy exit.
"Bloody hell!" she yelped. "Potter, you mindscape is so disorganized! And unprotected! Come back when you organize it!"
He glared a t her before slouching out. "Sorry professor." she muttered. "But that is a horrible mindscape."
"Don't worry Miss Granger." he saw drolly. "I expected it of Potter."
Soon it was time for the Easter Holidays. Since the Manor was still loaded with Azkaban Escapees who were healing, they were told to stay at Hogwarts.
The weather grew breezier, brighter and warmer as the Easter holidays passed, but Hermione, along with the rest of the fifth- and seventh-years, was trapped inside, revising, traipsing back and forth to the library. She had found her own little corner surrounded by books and was busy reviewing for all the tests. She planned to do well on all of them, but would drop History of Magic, Astronomy, and Care of Magical Creatures.
Hermione enjoyed her time with Draco, as did he. They both studied together along with other activities and would also wander around Hogwarts.
As though to underline the importance of their upcoming examinations, a batch of pamphlets, leaflets and notices concerning various wizarding careers appeared on the tables in slytherin Dungeon shortly before the end of the holidays, along with yet another notice on the board, which read:
CAREERS ADVICE
All fifth-years are required to attend a short meeting with their Head of House during the first week of the summer term to discuss their future careers. Times of individual appointments are listed below.
Hermione was listed for COMC next Thursday, and was glad to get a chance to skip that class. Once her friends were back she spent her time pouring over pamphlets with them.
"Well Hermione will easily get healing." said Blaise proudly. He was immersed in a leaflet that carried the crossed bone-and-wand emblem of St. Mungo's on its front. 'It says here you need at least "E" at NEWT level in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts. Hermione has them all."
"Thanks!" Hermione beamed at her friend. "But I was hoping to go more into the research area. Making potions and keeping healing more as a volunteer thing."
"Hey, listen to this: Are you seeking a challenging career involving travel, adventure and substantial, danger-related treasure bonuses? Then consider a position with Gringotts Wizarding Bank, who are currently recruiting Curse-Breakers for thrilling opportunities abroad ...They want Arithmancy, though; you could do it, Zachary!" Tracy Davis exclaimed.
"I was more interested in the Department of Magical Relations." he said, not really paying attention. Soon it was Tuesday, and time for Potions. The rest of the class was brewing an Invigoration Draught while Hermione took a break from her research and absently mixed in ingredients.
Then she got it. Quickly she added some Erumpent Horn Fluid and Jobberknoll feathers. The potion turned a bright blue. She mixed it a little and it went to the color she needed: a deeper royal blue. This was it! The Jobberknoll feathers centered the potion in the mind, and the Erumpent Horn fluid would explode the shields! The information transmutation was already done with some Boomslang Skin, Demiguise tears, and some leeches. She was so close! All she needed was to center it now so it didn't kill the person. That was going to take the longest, and she still had to mix the two serums.
A few days later Hermione found herself entering Professor Snape's office for her career advice.
"Hi Professor." she said. "You probably already know my chosen career of Potions Mistress, though I do want to work in Healing somehow too."
Before she could continue someone sniffed in the corner. Umbridge was sitting there, a clipboard on her knee, a fussy little pie-frill around her neck and a small, horribly smug smile on her face.
"Sit down." Professor Snape commanded. Hermione sat down. "Now, I already know that you aspire to become a Potions Mistress and work in Healing?"
"Yes Professor." Hermione replied.
"Well, as you might know, for both of these you need Potions, and the extra Herbology, Defense, Transfiguration, and a few others. I have no doubt you read the pamphlet."
"Of course Professor."
She heard a little cough from the Pink Toad and suppressed a sigh.
"Yes Dolores?" Professor Snape asked in his droll voice.
"Well, I was wondering if Miss Granger has the right temperament for this." she gave a little giggle. "After all, with the display a few months ago, it brings into question her anger issues and whether she can be trusted around explosive cauldrons while actually testing a potion. Add to that Healing in which Miss Granger will have to work with people and I don't know if she'll be able to get what she wants." the woman gave a sickly sweet smile.
Hermione felt her anger bubbling up and quickly pushed it all into a chest in her mindscape. She would let the anger out later. That horrible excuse for a human! How could she do this? Hermione knew that her display would get her in trouble, but for it to actually affect her future was more than she bargained for. She stayed quiet.
"You'll find, Dolores," Professor Snape started, his voice loaded with sarcasm and contempt on her name, "That Miss Granger has already shown aptitude in Potions. As you may recall, she is already working on her Mastery, and her healing of students such as Zacharias Smith and her hobby as Healer for the Quidditch Team no doubt shows that she can accomplish the goals she has lain forth."
"Yes" Umbitch gave a little giggle, "But that was at school. We're talking about the real world!"
"And she's already gone to a potions master convention and lived to tell the tale." Snape returned.
"You'll find that some of us," she put emphasis on the some of us part, "won't stand by and let a girl of such disgusting breeding and anger issues take such a high spot when a proper noble wizard can take it."
Hermione glared at her, wishing that she could evaporate the bitch. This was about blood status!
"You'll find that your word doesn't count for much in the proper echelons of society." Snape returned, and Hermione sensed the barely hidden anger. "Miss Granger, please leave before you witness something unsatisfactory."
"What the hell was that?" Hermione wondered after one of her DADA lessons with the Pink Toad. She ran down the marble staircase and found what looked like most of the school assembled there. Quickly she shuffled to her friends.
It was just like the night when Trelawney had been sacked. Students were standing all around the walls in a great ring (some of them, Hermione noticed, covered in a substance that looked very like Stinksap); teachers and ghosts were also in the crowd. Prominent among the onlookers were members of the Inquisitorial Squad, who were all looking exceptionally pleased with themselves, and Peeves, who was bobbing overhead, gazed down at Fred and George Weasley who stood in the middle of the floor with the unmistakeable look of two people who had just been cornered.
Draco grinned at her from the Inquisitorial Squad, and made a motion to the Twins. Hermione smirked viciously. Finally some payback.
'So!' said Umbridge triumphantly. 'So-you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?'
'Pretty amusing, yeah,' said one of the twins, looking up at her without the slightest sign of fear.
Filch elbowed his way closer to Umbridge, almost crying with happiness.
'I've got the form, Headmistress,' he said hoarsely, waving a piece of parchment. 'I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting ... oh, let me do it now ...'
Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. Whipping? That had to be illegal!
'Very good, Argus,' she said. 'You two,' she went on, gazing down at the two troublemakers, 'are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school.'
'You know what?' said the same twin as before. 'I don't think we are.'
He turned to his twin.
'George,' said the one who had to be Fred, 'I think we've outgrown full-time education.'
'Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself,' said George lightly.
'Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?' asked Fred. Hermione decided to call them by their real names to take confusion away.
'Definitely,' said George.
And before Umbridge could say a word, they raised their wands and said together:
'Accio brooms!'
Hermione heard a loud crash in the distance. Fred and George's broomsticks, one still trailing the heavy chain and iron peg with which Umbridge had fastened them to the wall, were hurtling along the corridor towards their owners; they turned left, streaked down the stairs and stopped sharply in front of the twins, the chain clattering loudly on the flagged stone floor.
'We won't be seeing you,' Fred told Professor Umbridge, swinging his leg over his broomstick.
'Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch,' said George, mounting his own.
Fred looked around at the assembled students, at the silent, watchful crowd.
'It anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley-Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes,' he said in a loud voice. 'Our new premises!'
'Special discounts to Hogwart's students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat,' added George, pointing at Professor Umbridge.
'STOP THEM!' shrieked Umbridge, but it was too late. As the Inquisitorial Squad closed in, Fred and George kicked off from the floor, shooting fifteen feet into the air, the iron peg swinging dangerously below. Fred looked across the hall at the poltergeist bobbing on his level above the crowd.
'Give her hell from us, Peeves.'
And Peeves, who Hermione had never seen take an order from a student before, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset.
"10 points to Gryffindor." she murmured with a small grin as she watched Umbitch turn purple with fury. Anything was worth seeing the toad that angry.
The story of Fred and George's flight to freedom was retold so often over the next few days that Hermione could tell it would soon become the stuff of Hogwart's legend: within a week, even those who had been eye-witnesses were half-convinced they had seen the twins dive-bomb Umbridge on their brooms and pelt her with Dungbombs before zooming out of the doors. In the immediate aftermath of their departure there was a great wave of talk about copying them. Hermione frequently heard students saying things like, 'Honestly, some days I just feel like jumping on my broom and leaving this place,' or else, 'One more lesson like that and I might just do a Weasley.'
Both Flora and Hestia had raided the castle and taken every single one of the Weasley's hidden prank items and were setting them off slowly, leaving no traces, and keeping Umbridge furious.
Fred and George had made sure nobody was likely to forget them too soon. For one thing, they had not left instructions on how to remove the swamp that now filled the corridor on the fifth floor of the east wing. Umbridge and Filch had been observed trying different means of removing it but without success. Eventually, the area was roped off and Filch, gnashing his teeth furiously, was given the task of punting students across it to their classrooms. Hermione was certain that teachers like McGonagall or Flitwick could have removed the swamp in an instant but, just as in the case of Fred and George's Fireworks, they seemed to prefer to watch Umbridge struggle.
Then there were the two large broom-shaped holes in Umbridge's office door, through which Fred and George's brooms had smashed to rejoin their masters. Filch fitted a new door and removed Potter's brooms, relocating it to the dungeon and setting a security troll to guard it. Hermione thought that was overboard.
Inspired by Fred and George's example, a great number of students were now vying for the newly vacant positions of Troublemakers-in-Chief. In spite of the new door, somebody managed to slip a hairy-snouted Niffler into Umbridge's office, which promptly tore the place apart in its search for shiny objects, leapt on Umbridge when she entered and tried to gnaw the rings off her stubby fingers. Dungbombs and Stink Pellets were dropped so frequently in the corridors that it became the new fashion for students to perform Bubble-Head Charms on themselves before leaving lessons, which ensured them a supply of fresh air, even though it gave them all the peculiar appearance of wearing upside-down goldfish bowls on their heads.
Flora and Hestia were constant, and everyday at least one box of fireworks would be set off in the castle and stay whizzing until late at night. The Carrow Twins had changed the charms slightly so the fireworks spelled 'ALL HAIL UMBITCH!'
Filch prowled the corridors with a horsewhip ready in his hands, desperate to catch miscreants, but the problem was that there were now so many of them he never knew which way to turn. The Inquisitorial Squad did nearly nothing to help him, and delighted in watching him struggle.
Meanwhile, it became clear just how many Skiving Snackboxes Fred and George had managed to sell before leaving Hogwarts. Umbridge only had to enter her classroom for the students assembled there to faint, vomit, develop dangerous fevers or else spout blood from both nostrils. Shrieking with rage and frustration, she attempted to trace the mysterious symptoms to their source, but the students told her stubbornly they were suffering from 'Umbridge-itis'. After putting four successive classes in detention and failing to discover their secret, she was forced to give up and allow the bleeding, swooning, sweating and vomiting students to leave her classes in droves.
But not even the users of the Snackboxes could compete with that master of chaos, Peeves, who seemed to have taken Fred's parting words deeply to heart. Cackling madly, he soared through the school, upending tables, bursting out of blackboards, toppling statues and vases; twice he shut Mrs. Norris inside a suit of armour, from which she was rescued, yowling loudly, by the furious caretaker. Peeves smashed lanterns and snuffed out candles, juggled burning torches over the heads of screaming students, caused neatly stacked piles of parchment to topple into fires or out of windows; flooded the second floor when he pulled off all the taps in the bathrooms, dropped a bag of tarantulas in the middle of the Great Hall during breakfast and, whenever he fancied a break, spent hours at a time floating along after Umbridge and blowing loud raspberries every time she spoke.
Hermione just laughed through it all. Umbridge was angry and she was able to skip out on the periods with the Skiving Snackboxes that she had Owl Ordered through special mail under a secret name from the two.
None of the staff but Filch seemed to be stirring themselves to help her. Indeed, a week after Fred and George's departure Hermione witnessed Professor McGonagall walking right past Peeves, who was determinedly loosening a crystal chandelier, and could have sworn he heard her tell the poltergeist out of the corner of her mouth, 'It unscrews the other way.'
Abraham still hadn't recovered from his sojourn in the toilet, though he was getting there. It was obvious he would have to repeat a year, though he wouldn't be playing Quidditch any time soon.
Potter had come back for Occlumency nearly a month later after the incident, and Hermione found that his mindscape was barely organized; most of his memories had just been stuffed into cupboards and chests. He continued to fail rapidly at everything in that branch.
The final game of the season, Gryffindor v Ravenclaw was approaching. Slytherin had narrowly beat Hufflepuff last game, and they were looking forward to taunting Weasley in the Gryffindor Ravenclaw Game.
Lee Jordan, who had been very dispirited since the Weasley Twins had left, was commentating as usual. As the teams zoomed out on to the pitch he named the players with something less than his usual gusto.
'... Bradley ... Davies ... Chang,' he said.
Hermione grinned to Pansy and they got organized for their singing.
'And they're off!' said Lee. 'And Davies takes the Quaffle immediately, Ravenclaw Captain Davies with the Quaffle, he dodges Johnson, he dodges Bell, he dodges Spinnet as well ... he's going straight for goal! He's going to shoot-and-and-' Lee swore very loudly. 'And he's scored.'
'Weasley cannot save a thing
He cannot block a single ring ... '
The game continued in much the same manner. Weasley's broom was old, and he was a bad player. Even though Gryffindor caught the Snitch Ravenclaw won 200-180. This meant that Slytherin had won the Quidditch Cup.
As Miles hoisted the cup into the air and every Slytherin cheered, and Hermione danced and cheered with them.
"We did it." said Draco roughly in her ear, kissing it softly.
"We did it." Hermione echoed with a giddy laugh, kissing him hard. Hermione knew only one thing- she had made another Patronus Memory. One of Draco, and happiness, and dancing, and victory, and pure sweet peppermint.
