Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and the rest of the
characters are all property of JKR. Please do NOT sue me! Thanx a bunch! =
)
A/N: Ahhhh, okay, this is going to be a real creepy chapter. Ohhh, not really.
This is where it gets into Dark Arts stuff though, and we all know that that
means it's going to be close to the end of the first part!
Chapter Eight ~ Unexpected News
Parvati and Hermione turned their corners at the same time.
When they bumped into each other they were both shocked and surprised.
Did she hear?
Did she hear?
No, it's not possible. This nail is really killing me!
No, it's not possible. Now, what does McGonagall want from me?
"Step aside Hermione. I have to talk to the Professor," Parvati snapped.
"Did she call for you? For she called for me. We may as well go in together,"
Hermione suggested with a forced smile.
Parvati rolled her dark brown eyes and tossed her head.
"She didn't call for me. I came up here from my own will. Now, excuse
me!" Parvati exclaimed.
She opened the door and entered McGonagall's office.
Hermione stood outside, listening.
"Hello Professor," Parvati said in her sugary voice.
"Er, hello Parvati. Have you seen Hermione lately?" McGonagall inquired.
"Why... no, not at all. She was in class, but I never saw her at lunch.
I just got out of lunch. I thought I'd come up here to ask you for a favor,"
Parvati asked sweetly, batting her long eye lashes rapidly.
"Of course. What is it?" McGonagall asked.
"Well, you see... Lavender and I were wonder if we could set up a decorating
committee for the dance. Perhaps the seventh year Gryffindors?" Parvati
inquired.
"I don't see why not. Heavens know that I have enough on my desk already
without worrying about some dance," McGonagall agreed.
"Thank you so much Professor. We'll take care of everything. You'll have
nothing to worry about!" Parvati exclaimed as she ran out the door.
As she passed by Hermione she had a smirk on her face and said, "Your
turn loser."
Hermione made a face at Parvati as she disappeared down the hall and took
a deep breath as she entered her favorite teacher's office.
"Professor? You called for me?" Hermione asked.
"Yes. Yes, I have something very important to say to you," McGonagall
said.
Then she collapsed in her chair.
"Hermione, do you have any Earthly idea on why we're doing this dance?"
McGonagall asked.
"No, most of the students are wondering," Hermione replied.
"Voldemort has returned, whether we want to face up to that or not. He
has returned," McGonagall said.
"I - I - I," Hermione stammered.
"There's more," McGonagall stated. She cleared her throat. "You might
want to sit down for this."
Hermione slowly sat down on a cold hard chair and braced herself for the
worst.
"For years we've been preparing Harry for Voldemort's return, and now
it's finally come full blast. We thought that in your fifth year we had
gotten rid of Voldemort for good..." McGonagall trailed off.
Just hearing the Dark Lord's name put shivers through Hermione's back,
but she knew she needed to be strong for this.
"But still, why this dance?" Hermione persisted.
"Because this might be the last time all of us are together. Voldemort
has killed many people recently. With Christmas holidays coming around
the corner, more may die..." McGonagall spoke hesitantly again.
"Who has died Professor?" Hermione asked trembling.
"People," McGonagall stated with closure. She wasn't going to tell Hermione
the names of those who had already died, not just yet.
"Well... what do you mean by preparing Harry for Voldemort's return.
We've all been prepared," Hermione inquired curiously.
"What I meant by that was that Harry's been learning Dark Arts," McGonagall
forcefully said.
Hermione gasped.
"Dark Arts?!" she asked.
"Well, Voldemort knows himself, that he will never be what he once was.
And either, he kills Harry and gets all his power back, or he has another
choice."
"What's the other choice?" Hermione asked flatly.
"Harry has to go join Voldemort," the professor said quietly.
"What?" Hermione exclaimed.
She gasped loudly.
Professor McGonagall looked towards the ground.
"Yes, we couldn't tell anyone. It's much too risky, having everyone find
out. It does seem that our best students always turn evil," Professor
McGonagall said with a bitter laugh.
She stood up, began pacing the room, and looked Hermione straight in the
eye for a long time.
"This is where you come in. I must ask that you spend no more time with
Harry," McGonagall said with forceful eyes, but a broken heart.
"What? Why though?" Hermione cried out.
"Be - be - because Harry will change. He'll become a raving Dark Arks
monster!" McGonagall exclaimed.
"I don't believe it! Harry's different! He's special!" Hermione retorted
sharply. A tear slipped down her cheek.
"Hermione, lower your voice. We can't have the whole school hearing us,"
McGonagall said softly.
"Why will you keep me away from Harry though?" Hermione inquired.
"Harry can't be with the ones he loves. He'll always danger them. They
could die. Why do you think we left him at his relative's house for all
these years? Simply because of the protection. For not only him but everyone
else..." McGonagall trailed off.
No! It couldn't be! It made perfect sense but was so impossible!
"I'm sure," McGonagall continued. "That Harry told you that in your third
year Professor Trelawney made a prediction. It was a real prediction,
nothing like her usual bogus statements."
"Yes, she did. It was about the Dark Lord returning and such... What is
your point?" Hermione asked.
"She made another one of those predictions," McGonagall informed Hermione.
"What did she say Professor?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"She said... she said... Well, she said that if you and Harry fall in
love - of course you already have -, get married, and have a future together,
Voldemort will come and ruin everything, kill all, you, Harry, and your
children, your one son and one daughter..." McGonagall said softly.
"Well, of course you know that Professor Trelawney's bogus! You and I
have always believed that no matter what anyone else has said! Harry and
I aren't in love! We won't get married, and we certainly won't have kids!
So, she's wrong from the beginning. We're nothing but friends!" Hermione
protested.
With a bitter chuckle McGonagall turned backwards and faced the wall.
"That's not what he thinks," she said.
"What do you mean Professor?" Hermione asked.
"He loves you. He's made it clear enough. And I know you love him too.
You just won't admit it Of course, if you can resist each other at the
dance, then I know you'll go your separate ways... That is all I can hope
for," McGonagall said.
"Professor! You can't be serious!" Hermione protested again.
"Oh, but I am. Harry's life is at great risk, and if you choose to join
him, yours will be as well," McGonagall replied patiently.
"I don't believe it!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Oh, is that so? Well, take a look at this then," McGonagall said, handing
Hermione a newspaper.
"What? What is this?" Hermione asked.
"Just read it," McGonagall order Hermione.
The Boy Who Lived Shall Not Live Much Longer
Harry Potter, who is known as the boy who lived, shall not be living much
longer. Our Dark Lord is gaining his strength quicker and quicker, and
more Death Eaters are coming out and showing their true colors. In no
time, we will have gathered enough supporters to start war, and kill the
one who postponed our ruling of the Wizard and Muggle Worlds...
"I don't believe this! So it's true? They really are out to get Harry,"
Hermione replied.
"Yes, they are," McGonagall said. "And that's why you can't spend anymore
time with him or anything. Because I know you Hermione, and I know that
you are in love with him."
"Professor McGonagall, I can't promise you anything," Hermione replied
as she left the cold office, leaving McGonagall standing by herself.
Hermione was walking back to Gryffindor Tower when she
bumped into Harry.
There was no warmth in his eyes like there normally was. Instead, the
usually shining green eyes were empty and depressed.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, although she was thoroughly through
with bad news for the day.
"McGonagall... She told you everything, didn't she?" Harry exclaimed.
"Harry! I don't know what you're talking about!" Hermione replied.
"Don't lie to me Hermione! People have been doing nothing but lie to
me, and I'm sick of it!" Harry shouted.
He muttered a curse outloud and a nearby window smashed to bits.
"See what Dark Arts have made me? I'm becoming a raging monster like
Voldemort. It's making me scared too. You'll see. This is only the beginning.
I am Voldemort. I've been Voldemort ever since he got some of his blood
and soul into me. Ever since I became famous. Ever since I was the boy
who lived. I'm absolutely insane, and I don't know how I can indulge
it. I'm crazy. I'm absolutely mad! They want me to go find Voldemort
and fight him. I don't even know where Voldemort is! I'm mad! I haven't
said it enough times. It will never be enough. I've gone crazy. I'll
be crazy forever. Or at least until Dumbledore is removed from his post.
So there isn't anything we can do now. We'll have to put a smile on
our faces and go to Gryffindor common room and pretend like nothing
happened or will happen. That's what I've been doing for a long time
now. Three years, okay? It's been a long time. I can handle it. Well,
everyone expects me to handle it. Isn't that the way it is? Everyone
expects me to be able to do anything. The only reason I lived was because
my mother died for me. There isn't anything special about me anymore."
"Don't say that Harry. You're special. You pulled Godric Gryffindor's
sword out of the hat. You are truly an amazing person. You're Quidditch
captain, the youngest seeker to play in one hundred years. You're amazing,"
Hermione said.
"Don't lie Hermione. I'm a fake. I'm a phony. They want me to defeat
the Dark Lord or die in the process!" Harry exclaimed.
Then suddenly he broke down on the ground and started crying.
A/N: Well, what did you think? Just tell me in the little box down there! Thanx!
