Disclaimer: Whatever seems new, well, Sheli, (that's Ivrit - Hebrew for mine) The rest is all JK's
A/N : Well, I don't know if I'll keep my word about only posting this after seven reviews. I'll see. Now, I just posted Chapter Four. I'm grabbing all the time now, 'cause schoolwork just keeps on piling in.
Chapter Five: The 'Bang of fun'
"Hey Hermione, did you ever end up speaking to Malfoy?"Ron queried. It was two weeks into the school year, and the entire Hogwarts was filing into the Great Hall for the "interesting surprise" Dumbledore had told them about. It was right after breakfast. The students figured that they were doing this to take their mind off Dumbledore, and to promote unity in the school.
"Nope, Ron, I didn't. He said some other time, remember?" Hermione scowled fiercely. "I thought he didn't hate me. He said, 'If someone knows magic, they should be accepted', or something like that."
"Maybe he doesn't, Hermione," Harry said seriously. He had hardly ever seen Cho since the first night, but he had seen her yesterday. She had given him a broad grin, and then turned slightly red. "Malfoy can't suddenly change his outlook to you. That would be quite suspicious. Voldem- er . . . , You Know Who could be watching. Well, I guess that is unlikely, but still his fellow Slytherins might make fun of him. I mean, Herm, you know how it is to be made fun of."
"I'm so excited for this 'bang' we're doing today. We get to miss tons of classes. And today we'd have had double potion." Liza was walking alongside them. Their trio had turned into a foursome. Liza, besides for being very pretty, was smart (Hermione meets her match - finally), and fun to hang around with. She was cool, well dressed, and was very sweet and caring.
"And here comes Potty, and the Weasel, along with their two sidekicks, Beauty and the beast. Oh sorry, it's Granger, is it not? Well I wasn't so far off. You sure look like a beast to me."
"Draco Malfoy, and his two guards," Liza returned sarcastically. "So afraid of his own shadow, Malfoy, is forced to have two ugly looking henchmen, who are so gruesome people turn at the sight of them."
"Wow, so Beauton is able to host a muggle radio show."
"What do you know about muggles Malfoy? Just because they aren't magic, you think they are inferior? So they're not like us. So they can't learn a spell for the life of them. Does that make them second-class humans? They are, but they, and we are we. So we were given an extra gift of magic. Don't abuse it, use it!" Hermione's face was bright red with anger. Malfoy looked at her as if really noticing her for the first time. His face was a little pale, as if he was ingesting what Hermione had just said.
"Ah, Granger. You wanted to talk to me two weeks ago. Well, I . . ."
"Will all students please take a seat." Dumbledore was standing at the head table holding a clear glass box. " Before anyone picks, I'd like to explain the rules to you. Each pair will be getting a Parchment with either a wizard, or a spell, or something of the sort. You have to take each thing, look it up to find out what it is. All over the castle, we made sure there were at least six things that you can think of, there are items. They were not hidden, at least most of them weren't put there specifically. You have to see each thing, and find an item in any part of the castle you are allowed to go into. We have decided that since it is daytime, you may go into the forest until the boundary that was put there. Any student found, crossing so much as a toenail over the boundary will be punished. You may use any object you might have, to help you, as long as you don't do anything forbidden. I'll give you an example. An easy one, I must say. Let's say you have 'Imperious curse'. You look it up, and find that it is one of the forbidden curses that can force someone to listen and do what you want. You can choose to get a picture found in a book, and copy it magically, of a death eater, and near the question write that you chose this because death eaters used this curse. Or for those of you who remember Professor Moody's class last year, he did it on a spider. So take a spider, and write that. I'm sure you are all more creative than me, and you can figure it out. The winner is not by the one who finishes first but by the most creative. Don't worry if you don't get it all. I'm sure you are all wondering how to keep so much stuff all together neat. You will get a box, and when you put the object in, trace the number of the question with your wand on the bottom of the box, and it'll put itself in a little cage. You have the whole today and tomorrow. When you wish to eat come in here, pick up a menu and say what you want out loud. Now some motivation. The winner/s of this treasure hunt will be getting a free top box ticket to the next Quidditch Game wherever it may take place. You will also get to go during a Hogsmeade weekend, to the Tower of Power, the ministry's headquarters. I'm sure you all know, how much goes on there, and plenty will. No George, or is it Fred? You do not have to visit Percy if you don't want to. Yes, I will tell him to stay away. So that's it. Sound good? Hope so. Now, we will start the drawings." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.
The names were called out, and people began to get up when they were called. Whomever the partner was, went to join the other in a line at the head table. Even the Slytherins looked excited.
"Pansy Parkinson." Everyone looked up, and saw that it said, NONE. "I guess you'll be the single partner." Pansy looked mad, but didn't say a word.
"Hermione Granger." DRACO MALFOY.
"Wow, is that some coincidence," Harry whistled softly.
"Oh, I forgot to add." Dumbledore's long hair seemed to shake merrily as if giving over some secret. " The box has the ability to sometimes pair two people up with thinking. If they need to talk, or desperately want to be with them. Then again sometimes it's a coincidence. So don't start any rumors."
"That was no coincidence," Liza muttered to Harry. Hermione went to join Malfoy looking excited. "I guess her wish came true."
"Liza Beauton." RON WEASLEY. Ron turned red again.
"No coincidence there," Harry said laughing.
"Cho Chang." HARRY POTTER. This time Hermione, Ron, and Liza all burst put laughing from their places in line.
"NO COINCIDENCE THERE EITHER, HARRY." Harry just grinned happily and turned to join Cho who was giggling with her envious friends.
"I'm sorry those of you who are upset with whom you got," McGonagal said as she passed out the parchments and boxes. "But remember, it was the luck of the draw."