"Do you notice something odd about Cecily ?"
"What do you mean ?"
'Well , Hermione , you can't say you haven't noticed. She enchants the guys
left and right , she is as bad as Fleur. I mean , come on ! Enough is enough.
And she acts like she is everyone's friend , but she isn't. She's HORRIBLE ! I
hate her !"
"Why ? Because you aren't the only gorgeous one around anymore ?"
"No. I just , just think that there is something weird about her."
"You are judging her a bit to early , Parvati."
"I'll judge who I want , whenever I want."
"All right , all right , don't get in a huffy. Calm down."
"Fine. Why do you like her so much , anyway ?"
"Well , I think that in a way she sort of made me see the mistake I was
making wasting my time on Harry and Ron."
"Do you really consider it a waste ? All those years , best friends ... you just
consider it a waste ?"
"Yes." She said , tensely , and then turned to walk away.
"Hermione ... Hermione wait. I'm sorry. I just ... just don't agree. I think
that you miss them. You really do. You don't just to have us ... you know
that ... right ?"
"Thanks Parvati , but I like my friends now."
"Alright. Thanks. Just , remember what I said , alright ?"
"Sure . But ... can I ask you something ? Why are you saying this ? After 6
years , I am friends with you , and you are telling me I should go back to
my old friends ?"
"Wow. That sounds pretty bad. I didn't mean it that way. I just ... well ,
something like this happened to me a while ago , so I know how it feels ,
and I a just don't want you to make the same mistakes that I did."
Hermione smiled at her , and they started to walk towards Transfiguration ,
chatting quietly. When they arrived , McGonagall wasn't there yet , and
Cecily was talking quietly to Harry. Harry was laughing hysterically at
whatever she had said , and Hermione felt anger build up inside her. She
hated this girl ! Wait , did she just say that ? She had just told Parvati that
she didn't hate her ... some things were so confusing. McGonagall whisked
into the room , and sat down. She looked incredibly worried , and tense ,
and as soon as everyone was quiet , she stood up.
"I'm afraid I have some very bad news. Our ... Our minister ... has been ...
oh , Ron , I'm so sorry !"
Ron turned white. He looked scared and lost , as though he knew what had
happened , although she hadn't said .
"What happened , professor ?"
"Last night , our minister was found in his house , along with 12 other death
eaters , who quickly disapparated. He was dead. They had killed him."
Ron bounded out of his chair , and shaking his head slowly , backed out of
the room.
"No. You're wrong. You are wrong."
And he fled the room , Harry getting up to go after him. Hermione stood up
to follow , but Harry shoved her back down.
"Don't you think you have done enough ?" He snarled , and Hermione
backed down. She had never seen Harry so mad. Professor McGonagall left
the room soon after , and Dumbledore came in.
"Doubtless , you have heard the bad news. I am sorry to say that it is true ,
and that many of you will be greatly affected by it. However , the fact still
remains that we no longer have a minister."
He let the silence fall over the room like a suffocating blanket.
"And , as I refuse to leave the school , we are faced with a predicament. Of
massive proportions. I , personally , cannot think of any one to place this
highly important and challenging job on. If anyone has any ideas , please
contact me. We will all be attending his funeral later today. Many people are
very emotionally disturbed by this , I am sure you could see it in Professor
McGonagall. Not only did our minister die , but he is the second one. No one
her , I hope , knows what Voldemort is playing at ; he is certainly beginning
to show some of his old power ... well , that will be all. I must go. You will
not have classes for the rest of the day. Please go back to your dormitories ,
and ... please don't talk about this around Mr. Ronald Weasley. I think this
is going to be hard enough for him already ..."
Hermione nodded dumbly , and she and Parvati stood up to leave.
Lavender had turned completely white , and she was almost crying. She had
dated Ron the year before , and had been really close with Mr. Weasley.
She loved him like a father. And he , his daughter. And that's what is
hardest about these things. It affects more people than the obvious ones.
"What do you mean ?"
'Well , Hermione , you can't say you haven't noticed. She enchants the guys
left and right , she is as bad as Fleur. I mean , come on ! Enough is enough.
And she acts like she is everyone's friend , but she isn't. She's HORRIBLE ! I
hate her !"
"Why ? Because you aren't the only gorgeous one around anymore ?"
"No. I just , just think that there is something weird about her."
"You are judging her a bit to early , Parvati."
"I'll judge who I want , whenever I want."
"All right , all right , don't get in a huffy. Calm down."
"Fine. Why do you like her so much , anyway ?"
"Well , I think that in a way she sort of made me see the mistake I was
making wasting my time on Harry and Ron."
"Do you really consider it a waste ? All those years , best friends ... you just
consider it a waste ?"
"Yes." She said , tensely , and then turned to walk away.
"Hermione ... Hermione wait. I'm sorry. I just ... just don't agree. I think
that you miss them. You really do. You don't just to have us ... you know
that ... right ?"
"Thanks Parvati , but I like my friends now."
"Alright. Thanks. Just , remember what I said , alright ?"
"Sure . But ... can I ask you something ? Why are you saying this ? After 6
years , I am friends with you , and you are telling me I should go back to
my old friends ?"
"Wow. That sounds pretty bad. I didn't mean it that way. I just ... well ,
something like this happened to me a while ago , so I know how it feels ,
and I a just don't want you to make the same mistakes that I did."
Hermione smiled at her , and they started to walk towards Transfiguration ,
chatting quietly. When they arrived , McGonagall wasn't there yet , and
Cecily was talking quietly to Harry. Harry was laughing hysterically at
whatever she had said , and Hermione felt anger build up inside her. She
hated this girl ! Wait , did she just say that ? She had just told Parvati that
she didn't hate her ... some things were so confusing. McGonagall whisked
into the room , and sat down. She looked incredibly worried , and tense ,
and as soon as everyone was quiet , she stood up.
"I'm afraid I have some very bad news. Our ... Our minister ... has been ...
oh , Ron , I'm so sorry !"
Ron turned white. He looked scared and lost , as though he knew what had
happened , although she hadn't said .
"What happened , professor ?"
"Last night , our minister was found in his house , along with 12 other death
eaters , who quickly disapparated. He was dead. They had killed him."
Ron bounded out of his chair , and shaking his head slowly , backed out of
the room.
"No. You're wrong. You are wrong."
And he fled the room , Harry getting up to go after him. Hermione stood up
to follow , but Harry shoved her back down.
"Don't you think you have done enough ?" He snarled , and Hermione
backed down. She had never seen Harry so mad. Professor McGonagall left
the room soon after , and Dumbledore came in.
"Doubtless , you have heard the bad news. I am sorry to say that it is true ,
and that many of you will be greatly affected by it. However , the fact still
remains that we no longer have a minister."
He let the silence fall over the room like a suffocating blanket.
"And , as I refuse to leave the school , we are faced with a predicament. Of
massive proportions. I , personally , cannot think of any one to place this
highly important and challenging job on. If anyone has any ideas , please
contact me. We will all be attending his funeral later today. Many people are
very emotionally disturbed by this , I am sure you could see it in Professor
McGonagall. Not only did our minister die , but he is the second one. No one
her , I hope , knows what Voldemort is playing at ; he is certainly beginning
to show some of his old power ... well , that will be all. I must go. You will
not have classes for the rest of the day. Please go back to your dormitories ,
and ... please don't talk about this around Mr. Ronald Weasley. I think this
is going to be hard enough for him already ..."
Hermione nodded dumbly , and she and Parvati stood up to leave.
Lavender had turned completely white , and she was almost crying. She had
dated Ron the year before , and had been really close with Mr. Weasley.
She loved him like a father. And he , his daughter. And that's what is
hardest about these things. It affects more people than the obvious ones.