Chapter 38: The Antithesis of Harry Potter
Kayla looked up at Umbridge with a predatory grin on her face. "Well, the answer obviously is that we must study the spell more so that we will be prepared for the standardized Ministry testing. Without studying we won't be able to perform these spells." Umbridge bobbed her head up in down in an apt imitation of a wood pecker. She was certainly not going to disagree with the poster child for the Ministry even if Umbridge personally didn't like the girl at all. Of course she detested her brother much more. Kayla preened herself in the afterglow of the correct answer. Seamus Finnegan was her current boyfriend and he congratulated her with enthusiasm.
Kayla raised herself above it all with a smug look on her face. Draco Malfoy growled from across the classroom where he was flanked by his two dimwitted bodyguards. He and Kayla were rivals for the most pretentious student attending Hogwarts. Draco suddenly had a thought of how he could possibly get to Kayla. He would get to her through her trouble causing brother. No doubt he would help Malfoy against the poster child of the Ministry. He filed the thought away in his mind so that he could remind himself to go find one Harry Potter.
"We shall end on that successful note. Class Dismissed!" Umbridge announced from her pulpit at the head of the classroom. Kayla got up arm and arm with Seamus. As she left eh classroom she was assaulted by a crowd of fans and well wishers. This caused Draco to snort once more as he let his bulky brutish bodyguards plow a way through the crowd for him. He couldn't believe the girls arrogance. He had heard rumor that her mother had been a mudblood. How could such filth be worshipped? He asked himself as the trio made their way down to the Slytherin Dungeons.
()()()()
"Will you please hurry up, Ron?" Hermione questioned with hand on her hip as she waited for her friend to put away his books so they could leave for the Order meeting. The red head began to frantically shove textbooks into the trunk at the end of his dormitory bed. The Gryffindor boy was just as eager as Hermione to attend the meeting. He had enjoyed being part of something that Kayla was never going to have. The Order was like a family while Kayla's treatment at the Ministry was more like god worship. The Ministry served her only because they felt that they had to. It wasn't something that either Ron or Hermione wanted anything to do with.
Soon the two were on their way to the Order's meeting place to begin spell practice. Hermione enthusiastically explained to Ron what they were going to work on tonight. Ron listened dutifully he had learned to do so even if he really didn't care about the subject. It made Hermione feel better. Merlin knew that Kayla had listened to her practically as well as any hearing-impaired individual would. He was ecstatic that he and Hermione were no longer the Girl-who-lived's best friends.
They quickly found themselves entering the headquarters of the Order of the Thestral. Some members were already there throwing their own cocktails of spells at the dummies amassed in the room. Harry was trying to teach a younger Ravenclaw how to cast an explosive spell. Luna and Terry were dueling with each other in a specified area set aside for such. It looked like Luna was about to gain the upper hand to Ron's untrained eye. Then Terry sent a stream of sparkling blasts in Luna direction. She successfully dodged the majority but two hit her and she fell to the floor unconscious. Harry leaped towards her and cast the revival spell himself. By the time he was done most of the Order had shown up and he stood up to explain the day's lesson. "We are going to begin practicing the Patronus charm tonight. Now do any of you know how to perform it already?" None of the members spoke up. "Okay then we will begin with the basics."
Then he proceeded to explain the incantation, "You must say Expecto Patronum." then he explained that one had to think of happy thoughts for it to work, "You must be thinking about the happiest memories that you have. If you do this you will summon a powerful Patronus." Everyone nodded as he explained. Then Luna started a chant for him to demonstrate. Finally Harry acceded to the request. He stepped into the firing range for the dummies. Then he paused for a moment with his arm outstretched wand in his hand. Then he only seemed to whisper the words to the spell. Then out of his wand sprang a pure white raven. It glided lazily around the room and finally faded away.
Everyone murmured in awe at the show of magical prowess by Harry. Even Hermione was shaking her head in disbelief beside Ron. Then they all began to make their own attempts at creating a Patronus. Only Hermione and Terry were able to conjure up corporeal forms. Hermione's ability didn't surprise Ron but Terry's did. Then Ron assumed that Terry must have been practicing with Harry. That would explain his sudden prowess over the other Order members. Harry went around the room trying to help those that couldn't succeed in the endeavor.
Then he yelled out over the crowd to announce the end of the meeting and that they would be practicing the same spell in next week's meeting. Some people groaned but others approved of the decision. The spell would be important if the group ever had a run in with Dementors. The people began to migrate toward the exit slowly as they chatted idly with friends. Ron ended up standing next to Luna and Terry. The Ravenclaw boy was apologizing to Luna for the result of the duel. "Don't say that you're sorry. That was what you were trying to do. That's what we were doing. We were dueling to practice our skills. Now we know that yours are just a little better than mine."
"I wasn't that much better than you. You had the upper hand and I just happened to succeed in a desperate gambit." He said as the two came to the door and waited to leave until Harry was ready. Ron decided to approach Terry to ask him if he was getting one on one training sessions from Harry. He walked up to the brown haired youth just as Susan Bones broke away from the crowd and latched onto Terry's arm.
Ron shook his head and turned to leave Terry alone to carouse with his girlfriend. He soon caught up to Hermione who was making her way upstairs to the Gryffindor Tower. He had a sudden urge to put his arm around her. Wait do I have romantic feelings for my best friend? He asked himself as he followed her up. He shook his head and tried not to answer the question knowing what the answer would turn out to be.
When the two entered the Common Room Kayla suddenly seemed to rocket off of her perch on a plush armchair. "Where were you Hermione? Just when I need help the most you run off to who knows where." Kayla yelled at her classmate. "I needed help on this essay and guess who wasn't here to do it?" She said almost trembling in rage.
"For Merlin's sake Kayla will you calm yourself down?" Ron said "It's not Hermione's fault. Besides you should do some of your own work once in a while." He said in defense of Hermione.
"How does hard work help the Girl-who-lived? It doesn't is the answer. Now you're going to help me get this essay done Hermione." She said as she paced in fury.
"You know it would help you a lot if you did some hard work. Maybe then you wouldn't be such a spoiled rotten bitch!" Hermione yelled back even startling herself in vulgarity.
"Oh, you'll regret that you whore!" Kayla said as she pulled out her wand. As he began to send a curse Ron slammed her with a stunner. She fell to the ground unconscious.
"No, she isn't going to regret this. She most certainly is not a whore." Ron said looking down at Kayla's non moving body. He then wrapped his arms around Hermione in a vice like grip.