I do not own any of these characters. They all belong to a genius named J.K. Rowling. However, the plot is MINE!!! ~*Lily Shouk*~
The Messenger and the Dragon
Chapter One: Inky Encounters
"Oh, no! Not SNAPE first thing in the morning!" Harry groaned as he slapped his fifth year schedule down on the Gryffindor house table. All of his fellow fifth years turned quickly and let out similar groans and shrieks.
"Oh, c'mon, it won't be that bad, you guys." Hermione said this to everyone's astonishment, then hurriedly continued, "after all, it's not only Snape. McGonnagal will be there too. So, Snape can't completely favor Slytherin. Plus, it'll be really interesting, learning how to combine Potions and Transfiguration!"
A few Gryffindors sighed in relief, but most of them remained looking at Hermione as if she had gone mad.
"Yea, but 'Mione, McGonnagal WON'T favor us! She will be *fair*...so it's still gonna be absolute hell..." Ron was mushing his Weetabix into his breakfast bowl. Muggle breakfast cereal had been introduced that year at Hogwarts, at the urging of Professor Trelawny, who said the fates had informed her that it would be good for the students. However, everyone knew that Trelawny just missed her Weetabix.
"Ron, how can you! It's going to be so *interesting*! I've already read our textbook---or pamphlet, rather, since this is just a two-day class---and you wouldn't believe what we're going to be doing! We get to combine..." Everyone tuned her out.
Hermione sighed. Why did everyone always ignore her right when she got to the most interesting part? If they would have listened, they would now know that today, they would learn the most fundamental steps in becoming an animagi. They would learn the first half of the potion, and they would learn how to start transfiguring human body parts. Of course, this would not enable them to complete the process to becoming an animagi. It was no easy process. No wands would be allowed. It all had to do with the mind. And everyone would be lucky if they could so much as change an eyelash!
Now Ron, Harry, Dean and Seamus were engrossed in their favorite topic - Quidditch. Hermione had nothing against Quidditch; she really did like to watch it, and Harry really was amazing---but that seemed to be all that they ever talked about. She decided that maybe she needed to go find another girl to talk to. Her first thought was Parvati and Lavender, but decided that she had heard enough gossip for one day (they were her dorm mates, after all) and headed instead to where Ginny was sitting, talking to Colin Creevey, who had, over the summer, finally gotten over photographing Harry, and was now preoccupied with photographing *everything*.
"Hey Ginny! Hey Colin!"
"Hi!"
Hermione sat down opposite the two of them, and soon picked up what they were talking about---the unbearably hot and consistently horrible Draco Malfoy. Hermione noticed that Colin's camera was missing.
"Er, Colin, where's your camera?"
Ginny spoke for him. "That's why we're talking about Malfoy in the first place! Colin has been going around and documenting the school. He's been doing a wonderful job of it, not just getting Gryffindor, but *everyone*. Anyways, this morning, on his way to breakfast, he, well..."
"I tried to document the Slytherins. And Malfoy...I dunno...I guess he was being his usual nasty self. He tripped me, and I fell. My camera broke, and he-he TOOK it!"
"Colin, that's awful! You really should go to Professor McGonnagal about it! I'm sure she can insure that you get it back, and hopefully your film too!"
With a smile Hermione noticed that Ginny was staring off into space. Not just any space...specifically, she was staring starry-eyed at Harry. Hermione wondered how long Ginny had liked him. As long as Hermione had known her. As far back as she could remember. Harry really was being an idiot. He was still hung up on Cho, and felt awfully responsible for Cedric. Malfoy, of course, didn't help matters by rubbing lies in Harry's face daily.
Waving her hand in front of Ginny's face, she said, "C'mon, Gin. It's time for first hour." Ginny went crimson, and quickly gathered her stuff up.
"Thanks, Hermione...um, well, I guess I'll see you at lunch. Good luck in Potions, I heard you had it first!"
"Yeah. Thanks! Bye Colin!" Hermione waved goodbye and went to catch up with Harry and Ron, who were still talking about Quidditch.
"-didja see how Krum did that amazing flip dive and managed to get going in the opposite direction in a matter of ten feet?"
"Yeah. It was truly awesome. I've been working on it, but twenty is best I can manage. Hey, 'Mione. Where'd you go?"
"Hey Harry! I just went to talk to Ginny and Colin. Colin was all upset because Malfoy tripped him and broke his camera. Then he *took* it!"
"Well, can't say I mind having the camera gone, although he finally seems to have found a, um, wider range of photography interest-thank God."
The trio went down the dank dungeon steps, listening to their footsteps echo off of the walls.
"D'you think we're late?" Ron asked nervously.
"No. The opposite, luckily!"
And into the dungeon they stepped.
Snape and McGonnagal were at the front of the class, discussing something quietly. Draco was sitting on the right side of the room, where the Gryffindors usually sat. He was twirling his quill lazily with one hand, his hair shoved messily off of his face. Hermione noticed that he had grown a lot taller over summer break. His shoulders were wider, too. She wasn't embarrassed at noticing. It was common knowledge that the ferret was hot. It was also common knowledge that he was a complete jerk.
"Malfoy. You're in MY seat." Ron's ears were tinged pink in anger.
Draco didn't even glance up. "McGonnagal's got us a seating chart." He drawled. "The chairs are labeled."
Why was he being nice?
Oh.
Hermione was sitting in front of him. Harry and Ron were next to each other, across the room.
She plopped her bag down, and sat down gingerly. She didn't like this, not one bit. Slowly, the rest of the class filed in. At first people snickered, thinking that maybe Hermione was mad at Harry and Ron. Then their snickers turned to looks of shocks and outrage. Someone mimicked Hermione, saying, "Oh, c'mon, it won't be THAT bad, you guys..." She felt her cheeks burning. How was she to know?
Pansy was behind Ron. Neville was stuck in between Crabbe and Goyle. Lavender and Parvati were across the room from each other, but they were at least near one or two Gryffindors. Hermione was completely isolated. Malfoy was in the back right corner of the room. She was in the second desk, and large, sour looking Slytherins surrounded her.
Professor McGonnagal stepped forward.
"Welcome to your first day of classes in your fifth year. Today we are starting an intensive two-day program. This is the only class you will have for two days. We will be studying a certain, er, spell that involves the use of both Transfiguration and Potions. We will be learning the fundamentals of becoming an Animagi. As you all know, I am a registered Animagi. And, over the summer, Professor Snape joined us. So, for the first time, we decided to collaborate and teach our fifth year students about the process. Welcome."
Everyone clapped. Snape stepped forward, looking as sour as ever. "This morning we will start with the fundamentals of the potion involved. You will be working in pairs. As Professor McGonnagal made the seating arrangements, I will be partnering you up." His eyes glinted evilly. He surveyed the room, and Hermione felt him sneer directly at her.
*Draco's POV*
Fifth year sucked. He was still stuck with that simpering bitch, Pansy, following him everywhere. And the two goons. Now, he was in his first class, a combination of Potions and Transfiguration, and he had to sit next to the Mudblood. If it weren't for her, he would be top of his class. She was always in the way.
The least he could do to make up for this fact was torture her for two days straight. She tended to be good at holding her temper, but maybe he could get her to give in...which would mean, of course, detention for her. She probably had never had detention before. Probably talked herself out of it. Girls were good at that. All girls seemed to be the same: stupid and boring, all like Pansy. They had looks, and liked to fool around. But they didn't grasp anything. They were, essentially, idiots. Then there was the Mudblood. But she wasn't really what one would call a girl.
So. They would be learning about becoming an Animagi. Fun. His father could always teach him sometime, if he wanted to know. Obviously, he wasn't the least bit interested. However...if Granger got a B...HE would be top of the class...
*Hermione's POV*
"... Neville Longbottom will be with Pansy Parkinson. Harry Potter with Vincent Crabbe. Lavender with Goyle. Granger with Malfoy. Weasley with Bulstrode..."
WHAT did he mean? Malfoy? Was the man insane? Oh, wait, of course he was. There went HER grade. Malfoy wouldn't help her if his life depended on it. Well, maybe if it was HIS life...
Hermione sighed, and bent down to get a piece of parchement and a quill out of her bag. It was covered in thick, black ink. She pulled two black hands away from her bag, and turned around, to look directly into the face of a satisfied, smirking Malfoy.
"Is this your ink, on my bag?" She asked in a deadly whisper.
"My ink? Couldn't be mine. My ink bottle is full. Wouldn't want to waste perfectly good ink on a Mudblood's bag, now would I?"
Hermione looked up to hear Ron screaming, "Where's my bloody ink bottle? It's new, dammit!"
"You didn't!" She was shaking with rage. "Accio, Malfoy's bag."
*Draco's POV*
"You didn't! Accio, Malfoy's bag."
Draco had been perfectly calm. Now he was staring at the Mudblood, mouth hanging a little too far open. She was digging through his bag, taking out about five sheets of his good, high quality parchement, two quills, and a full ink bottle.
"Accio bag!" It flew back to him. "What do you think you're doing, that's mine!"
"True, but you spilt ink all over mine, and I certainly can't write down the potion ingredients without parchement. Plus, you spilt Ron's ink. So I'll just give him yours."
She got up and started walking across the room.
"Accio, Mudblood!"
Nothing happened.
"Accio, Granger!" She came tumbling backwards, with his ink spilt all over her face and robes. Now the whole class was watching. The Slytherins were snickering. Then he felt the rest of his ink on HIS beautiful Malfoy face. Ooh. Now she was in for it. He didn't really notice the Gryffindors laughing. Or Snape and McGonnagal storming towards them.
Slowly he wiped the ink off of his face. Granger stood up. She was shaking with fury. He just had to push her...one more push...
"Ooh...did the little Mudblood fall at such a power? Couldn't stand it, could you? Because, you see, I've got hundreds of generations of power behind me. And all you've got is...you and your big buck teeth!"
Weasley came rushing forward, always ready to get a black eye. The guy was like a loyal puppy dog. Granger shoved him back. Then she was right up next to him, not less than a foot away. She stood there for a second, shaking, and then she said in a shaking whisper which didn't fail to give away the fact that he had gotten to her, "Ah, yes. I'm a mudblood...and it just kills you...to see, that this 'mudblood' is outwitting even you, you pureblooded, coldhearted Malfoy, in your schoolwork! You just can't catch up!" Then he felt the sting of her hand across his cheek, and watched her step back, into Snape's arms. He had made her break. His smile grew a little wider...and then he felt a tap on his left shoulder.
Voila! Chapter One! Obviously, you can see where this is heading! Please review, and tell me what you think!