Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I do own a Hermione Granger coin bank, if that counts. I also love listening to Deathly Hallows PArt One's soundtrack. So Exhilarating.
Chapter Six: Quidditch and Hagrid
November first greeted Hermione Granger like daggers. She was still in the common room, and she was still tangled in Nate's quilt.
Nate's quilt. If he hadn't transfigured the troll at all, the four of them would probably be dead. Nate. Hermione lost her thoughts for a split second as she remembered where Nate was.
"The bloody hospital wing!" Hermione cried out and jumped off the couch and out of the common room, headed to the Hospital wing. She arrived there to see Madam Pomfrey tending to another patient.
"Excuse me," Hermione started, somewhat out of breath, "Where is Nate? Nate Harrison?"
"Last bed on the right. Be quiet though, he is still sleeping," Pomfrey responded.
"Thanks," Hermione replied before running/jogging over to his bedside.
Nate was sleeping peacefully, but inside he was exhausted. He was slowly recovering his strength back after casting the spell, and he wasn't able to awake. He did, however, sense Hermione's worried presence.
Hermione felt drained when she saw Nate. He was almost pale, stiff as a rock, and as quiet as a mouse. She quickly sat down and grabbed his hand. She then felt a sort of wave going through her body. She felt strong waves of happiness, worry, anger, and calmness.
Upon the touch of Hermione's hand, energy briefly flowed through Nate's body. He then felt a massive wave of anger, sadness, worry, and blame. He did not awake, however, he was closer than he had been before.
The two remained in that position, unmoved, until Madam Pomfrey shooed Hermione out of the Hospital Wing and to her class. When inquired when Nate would wake up, Madam Pomfrey had responded, "By Lunchtime, if not right after." With a pep in her step and a new motivation to look foreword to, she hurried her way to Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class. She had arrived two minutes late, and some Slytherins sneered at her when she entered the room, but McGonagall had waved it off and only docked two points from Gryffindor.
Hermione was too focused on her wandsmanship to notice that the bell had rung and the class was dismissed. The determination in her to transfigure the rock into an oval piece of glass had not worked, and it took McGonagall several attempts to get the young witch's attention. Flushed with embarrassment, Hermione hopped out of the class and proceeded to head to Charms.
Hermione had been able to pull off the Levitation spell perfectly, but as Nate's awakening time drew nearer and nearer, she kept losing focus and continually levitated her feather into Professor Flitwick's face. The cheery Professor didn't mind though, after learning about the ordeal with Hermione and Company the night prior, he was giving Hermione leeway. However Hermione, at that point, was so worried about Nate that she accidentally over powered her levitation cast and the feather flew right past her desk and slammed into the ceiling. Draco and his goons laughed, as Flitwick looked at Hermione apologetically. Hermione was the first one out of the room when the bell rang.
Potions was next on Hermione's schedule. And the third class in a row with the Malfoy git and his boyfriends. Hermione made her way into the Potions classroom and Snape was ever so polite to Hermione, Harry, and Ron. Apparently Snape was bad at letting things go, as for the entire class period lashed out at Harry for the simplest of things and directed excess anger towards Hermione, Neville, and at one point, Ron. Hermione assumed that he only picked on Ron because Nate was still asleep in the Hospital Wing. Nevertheless, Hermione perfected the potion Snape was teaching about, it was some sort of "basic" healing potion. And Snape, for the first time in a while, took the mickey out on Malfoy, sneering remarks at him like, "Why can you not make this potion Malfoy? Granger has done it already," and, "Do you not have pride for you House? Your family?" Draco used this as an opportunity to scowl at Hermione, but she brushed it off. Again, she was the first one out of her seat, and the first one out of the class. After ignoring Ron and Harry's constant yelps to stop running, they finally caught up with her on her run to the Hospital wing.
Nate was awake and being checked over by Madam Pomfrey when a bushy brown-haired missile plowed through the doors of the hospital wing and into the side of a tired Nate.
"Hermione!" Nate yelped and Harry and Ron ran in, labored breathing.
"God, she is fast," Harry stated.
"Bloody Hell," Ron agreed.
Hermione was still hugging Nate's side as Madam Pomfrey shooed Hermione off of him so she could finish clearing him.
"You are fine to go. But no magic for the next two days," Pomfrey stated.
"Two days?!" Nate replied, flabbergasted.
"Yes. Here is a slip, it will excuse you from using magic. If there is a problem, tell them to talk to me." Madam Pomfrey had handed Nate a thin slip that excused him from using magic in class. Nate groaned, but felt immensely better when Hermione sat next to him again.
Nate and Hermione's eyes locked, and Nate noticed her chocolate eyes glimmering with happiness again. They both smiled before leaving the hospital wing. The walk to the Great Hall was simple, and Hermione never let go of Nate's robes. By the time Nate and Hermione got in the Great Hall for lunch, Harry and Ron were already admiring his new broom, the Nimbus 2000. But that mood was smacked out as soon as Snape walked over.
"Good luck today, Potter, though I doubt you will need it," Snape sneered coldly, before whisking his robe and limping away.
"What in Merlin's beard was that about Harry?"
"Quidditch is today, Nate, don't you remember?"
"No sorry I've only been in the hospital wing most of today and last night after almost killing myself with that spell," Nate replied. The quartet burst into fits of giggles, and Hermione edged herself closer to Nate.
"My hero," she said sweetly.
"Hey! We helped too," both Ron and Harry stated simultaneously.
"I know. But Nate did the magic!"
"I'm not taking all the credit 'Mione," Nate replied, "If Ron and Harry hadn't knocked it out while it was mostly lion, the troll woulda killed us all." Nate finished that statement and the four got shivers in their spines.
"Well, we are all safe and sound, even if it did mean one's actions were uncalled for," Harry stated, looking at Ron.
"I'm sorry I said those bad things about you, Hermione, I was angry, I didn't mean it. Can we still be friends?" Ron asked nervously while Nate was eating, Hermione was thinking, and Harry was staring at him.
"You did help in saving me, so yeah, I'll forgive you," Hermione replied. This made Ron exhale and relax easier.
Harry was focused on something else. He suddenly clicked when he started talking rapidly.
"Guys, remember when we accidentally saw that three headed dog?"
"Yeah, that scared the pants outta me Harry," Ron replied. Hermione nodded.
"Yeah, I remember..." Nate was deamily remembering how Hermione hugged him after pissing off Harry and Ron. Hermione pinched his ear and giggled.
"Ow 'Mione!" Nate grabbed his ear and winced, "why is that so important Harry?"
"It was on something, like a door."
"The bloody hell are you talking about Harry," Ron pushed.
"Let me explain. The break-in at Gringotts was from a vault Hagrid pulled something from when I was there. He said it was for Dumbledore. If something that valuable did warrant it having to be with Dumbledore, here, probably at Hogwarts, then what better place to keep whatever it is where the dog is?"
"So your saying," Nate started.
"That that dog is guarding whatever Hagrid took."
"What is it though?" Hermione chirped in, for once not focused on her studies or clinging to Nate.
"I don't know, but I think someone was trying to steal it."
"And how do you know Harry? You can't exactly waltz the hallways claiming someone wants to steal something from somewhere that is very dangerous," Ron explained.
"I am getting there," Harry started, "Last night, Snape came into the bathroom with the other Professors late. He had a gash and blood from his leg."
"Wait, you don't mean to say that Snape tried to get past that, that, thing?" Nate was lost for words at this point.
"It's exactly what I am saying Nate! Look, whatever that dog is hiding, Snape wants it. He tried to steal it from Gringotts but it wasn't there. He probably set the troll in the school to distract everyone while he tried to steal it!"
"That is a very serious accusation, Harry," Hermione pointed out, then thinking carefully, "But it makes sense. Snape did leave the Great Hall after Dumbledore ordered everyone to head to their dormitories, and he was the last teacher to find us, and he was exhausted, well, a lot more than the other teachers, that is. Also explains his limp."
The four left the Great Hall with the lingering thoughts of what Harry had stated. After an uneventful class of History of Magic and an easy-ish lesson in Herbology, Harry went off to change, while Ron, Nate, and Hermione walked to the Quidditch Pitch to get good seats. It wasn't long after the trio got in their seats when the school started filing their way to the stands.
The first match of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, was a popular game. It was also Harry's first game as seeker. Hermione was worried sick though, she hated heights and even more Harry on a broomstick hovering fifty feet above the ground. When the game started though, Hermione's doubts left instantly. Harry was a natural flier.
The match was going well, Gryffindor scored twenty points. However, Slytherin had gotten angry, and one of their chasers intentionally sent a bludger at Keeper Oliver Wood, knocking him off his broom unconscious. This allowed Slytherin to start scoring without offense. Slytherin was up twenty points when Harry sighted the snitch. He propelled his broom, the Nimbus 2000, at the snitch, when suddenly his broom was shaking violently and jerking in all directions. Nate only had to look for a split second to see that Harry was almost knocked off his broom.
In that split second, Ron looked over to the Teacher's stand and saw Snape muttering something. "Snape's jinking Harry's broom!" Ron cried out.
"Let me handle it," Hermione stated, before hopping out her own seat and making her way over to the Teacher's seats.
"Hold on Harry!" Nate was yelling it loudly as the Slytherins kept cheering. They scored another goal, and the score was now twenty to fifty, Slytherin.
Hermione had made it under the seat that Snape sat in, and she muttered, "Lacarnum Inflamari," which promptly set Snape's robes on fire. Concentration broken, Harry regained control of his broom just as Slytherin scored its sixth goal, leading by forty points.
Harry had a long battle against the Slytherin seeker before Harry almost swallowed the snitch and won the game. With his first victory and a win for Gryffindor, all but the Slytherins cheered for the win.
When Harry was finally released from the party of their victory, The Quartet headed to the Great Hall for some much deserved food. And after that and some brief discussion about the game (which ended with Hermione blushing so red you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between her and a tomato), they retired to their dorms.
November Second awoke Gryffindor with the reminder that they beat Slytherin the day prior. Harry was still beaming, and Nate was constantly telling Hermione's "heroic" tale of saving Harry from Snape. The dorm was filled with laughter, and Harry, Ron and Nate decided they would talk to Hagrid about the dog, the object Harry had known of, and Snape's attempt to get whatever it was.
For the first time all year, Nate managed to beat Hermione to the Common Room. When the sleepy missile wandered down the stairs to her normal spot, she was surprised that it was already occupied by none other than Nate Harrison. Hermione smacked Nate in the arm until he surrendered the seat to Hermione, and the pair just laughed. Surprisingly, Harry and Ron were still dawdling in the dorms, and Hermione was really hungry. So, as reluctant as Nate was to leave until Ron and Harry were ready, he allowed himself to get dragged out of the common room to the Great Hall.
As Hermione happily dragged Nate to the Great Hall, he could feel that she was excited and worried simultaneously, and she could feel that he was happy and anxious simultaneously. They made it to the Great Hall, and ten minutes later two messes flopped into the Great Hall. Ron and Harry.
"Why didn't you wait for us?" Harry asked while sitting down. Ron was already inhaling sausages.
"A certain girl who's seat I stole dragged me down here," Nate replied. Hermione kicked him and he yelped.
"Anyways," Nate continued, "I know exactly how to get our best friend, Hermione, back!" Nate smirked at the young girl before eating his breakfast and making their way to where Madam Hooch's flying lessons were. Nate ran ahead and whispered some things to the teacher, and after a few minutes returned to the group with a smirk plastered on his face.
"What are you planning, Nate?" Hermione asked while trying to not smile.
"You'll see in a bit," came the reply from Nate.
Soon, all of the first years were assembled. Madam Hooch had rearranged the schedule so all forty or so students would get taught at the same time, instead of two classes.
Madam Hooch had started the lesson the same way she always did, ordering the students to command their brooms to their hands. Once that was done, Everyone mountain and pushed off. Hermione had only taken off on a broom once, and that was during their second flying lesson. She was shocked when Nate clambered onto her broom with her and roughly pushed off. Hermione yelped in fear, and started hitting Nate backwards.
"You pathetic Git! Take me down now!" Hermione was trying to suppress giggles, but she miserably failed as Nate took them higher than she had flown before. Once Nate had started doing wide laps, Hermione became more comfortable on the broom with Nate on it.
"Nate, once we get down, i am going to strangle you!"
"What's the fun in that Hermione? I'm only alleviating you of your fear to fly more than ten feet off the ground!" Nate smirked after the phrase and Hermione simply huffed at him but stayed calm.
"Can you take me down please?"
"Okay, but did you like your punishment for dragging me to breakfast?"
"Oh, Punishment? I'm gonna have to be mean more often then!"
"I won't be so nice Hermione!"
The two giggled before Nate landed the broom and Hermione hopped off. Everyone was cheering and clapping, including Pansy and Daphne. Draco was horror struck at that.
After the calamity that was the cheering after class, Hermione hugged Nate tightly then proceeded to jump Nate and hit him over and over while the pair laughed. Madam Hooch simply smiled and chuckled. "Kids these days."
After Flying lessons, the Quartet found Hagrid and were walking with him when Harry started talking.
"Hagrid, Snape tried to kill me yesterday!"
"No way 'Arry, teachers ar' 'ere to protect you."
"But Hagrid, Harry's broom was about to toss Harry off, and it only stopped once Hermione set Snape's robes on fire!" Nate stated loudly as Hermione semi pinched semi smacked his arm.
"I don't believe that for one sec'nd, Nate."
"But Hagrid, Snape tried getting past the dog! I think it's trying to steal what you took from Gringotts!" Harry pushed slightly, and that seemed to spike something in Hagrid.
"Yer' shoudn't be snoopin' there. It's dangerous! And Fluffy could hurt ya'!"
"Wait, the dog's name is Fluffy?" Hermione had asked it so suddenly, Nate giggled a little.
"Yer, thats it. She's a beauty! And stay away from there! What Fluffy has is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel!"
"Nicholas Flamel?" Harry noted, but looked up questionably at Hagrid.
"I shouldn't a said that. I shouldn't a said that." Hagrid mumbled before rushing away from the Quartet.
The four students looked at each other with suspicious looks. Nate and Hermione instantly ran towards the Library, while Harry kept muttering, "Where have I heard that name before?" Ron just tagged along with Harry, not knowing what to do or where to go.
Nate and Hermione instantly entered the library and searched for anything to do with Nicholas Flamel. Soon after, Harry and Ron joined, and the Quartet spent the rest of the afternoon in the library, scanning all the books in the Biographies section and anything that could do with Nicholas Flamel. There was noting about Flamel anywhere, not in the Biographies, but between the four of them, they got through a small dent of books. When dinner came around, the Golden Quartet lumbered into the Great Hall, defeated. They sat down and were greeted by Neville Longbottom, who, until recently, got out of his cast after breaking his wrist.
Daphne had subtly walked to the Gryffindor table, to Nate specifically, and slipped him a note and walked away.
Meet me at the lake, 8:00 PM.
DG
Nate hadn't the slightest idea why Daphne wanted to meet up with him that night, but he went along with it. The Quartet split up after time in the Library, with Hermione staying to study, Ron and Harry to the Common Room, and Nate to the lake to meet with Daphne.
"Daph?" Nate arrived where she had asked him to be a few minutes early.
"Nate!" Daphne's voice was heard as she walked over to him.
"Hey Daph, and… Pansy!"
Pansy emerged behind Daphne, nervous but standing still.
"Hi Nate," she said sheepishly.
Nate waved and Daphne started.
"Nate, I asked you here because, well me and Pansy want to ask you some questions."
"Shoot."
"I know when we were on the train we became friends despite us being in different houses, but what's your blood status? Draco keeps calling you a mudblood, but we want to know if it's true," Pansy added.
Nate was silent for a moment.
"Look, we aren't going to judge you regardless of your blood type" Daphne assured.
Nate took a deep breath. "I'm muggle-born. I have two muggle parents." He looked down, ashamed.
"Why did you never tell us?" Pansy asked politely.
"Well, assuming Malfoy was being Malfoy, you guys in Slytherin think that anyone who is of muggle-born decent should be squashed. Hermione deals with Malfoy's remarks every bloody day."
Daphne was silent for a moment, then hugged Nate. Pansy followed suit.
"I'm sorry about Hermione, Nate," Daphne started, "But Draco thinks that he is the head of Slytherin."
"And Draco basically forces me to be his girlfriend," Pansy added, " It's so that the Parkinson line can be associated with another of the Sacred twenty-eight. But I don't like what Draco tells me to do."
"I remember, when I visited your Common Room the other day, you looked uncomfortable," Nate stated.
Daphne sighed, "If Pansy 'breaks up' with Draco, his goons will make life for Pansy a living hell. And since me and her are best friends, they will also make my life a living hell."
"And let me guess, because you associate with a muggle-born, you are practically enemies in Slytherin?"
"Yeah, sorry Nate" Pansy begun, but Nate cut her off.
"If you didn't want to be embarrassed in your house, why are we friends?"
"Because," Daphne started, "Because your an actual friend." Pansy nodded in agreement, and Daphne continued. "Everyone in Slytherin House are nice to Pansy because of Draco, and everyone is nice to me because if I tell Pansy I'm being given crap then Draco's goons will hurt them. But you, well, you're an actual friend. You don't judge us based on our colours, you judge us based on us. And well, I for one am willing to take the pain in involves to be your friend Nate, because you share actual emotions, not emotions which are pre-selected or anything." Daphne was shaking in fear at this point.
Nate hugged Daphne tightly, and Pansy hugged the both of them as well, and the girls broke down into tears. Nate kept whispering, "It's okay," and "Thank you" over and over.
When the girls collected themselves again, they were about to walk off when Nate called out, "You're always welcome to join me and my friends in the library and at meals, if you want?"
Both girl's heads nodded and the girls walked back to the Slytherin Common Room while Nate hopped over to the Library. Fortunately, Hermione was still hard at work looking for anything about Flamel to no avail.
"'Mione?"
"Mmhm?"
"Is it okay if Pansy and Daphne join us when we do study sessions?"
"You mean the girls from Slytherin?"
"Yeah. Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass."
"If they mean it, i'll be willing to give them a chance."
"Great, Thanks Hermione! Also curfew is in fifteen minutes so lets go back to the dorms."
"Okay!"
As Hermione finished reading her page in the book, Nate packed all her things up and slung her bag over his shoulder, along with his bag, before staring at Hermione for a good long minute. When she finally looked up, she saw a smiling Nate holding all her things. The two hopped out of the library and to the Common Room. Nate knew that Hermione would stop at nothing until she figured out who Nicholas Flamel was. The two parted at the stairs and went into their respective dorms, and slept peacefully through the night, despite Hermione's roommate's constant giggling and silent laughter and Ron's annoyingly loud snoring in Nate's shared dorm.
Author's Note: I am excited now, because I am just about done with the extra fluff I put in this story to introduce Nate. I also got a lot of references for Hermione from an older fanfic I read a while ago. It's called "Strangers on a Train" or something like that. But yeah. Credit given where credit is owed. However I will always imagine 11-12 year old Emma Watson looking like a missile in action. Enjoy guys!