The Loveletter
Chapter 7
The next morning at breakfast, Hermione, Ron and Harry were not speaking to each other. Harry thought that this was the worst breakfast he ever had and left early saying that he had to go to Quidditch practice. That left Hermione and Ron sitting, cautious not to look at the other.
"Ronald can you please pass me the jam," Hermione asked in a cold voice.
"I think that Miss Granger should get it herself," Ron said not moving a muscle.
Hermione 'hmph'ed and pointed her wand. "Accio Jam," she said in a cold voice while glaring at Ron.
The jam flew to the side of her plate. Ron put down his spoon. "Are you really going out with Neville?" he asked suddenly.
"I wasn't really considering it as a date," Hermione said. "He asked me to go with him and I said yes."
Ron thought about this for a moment. "Well I--,"
The lights went out. "What the?" Ron asked.
People were shouting, some girls were screaming. "This can't happen," Hermione said. "What's going on…Lumos,"
Her wand glowed giving off an eerie light. People saw the light and remembered about their wands. Soon the hall was filled with little specks off light.
"Umm…Hermione?" Ron asked.
"Yes?"
"I've been such a nutter lately, and I'm sorry for messing up yesterday,"
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you I was going with Neville,"
They looked at each other faces glowing with that light of their wand. "Ron?" Hermione asked.
"Hermione?"
The lights came back on and Professor McGonagall walked in obviously mad. The hall became silent and all faces were turned to her. "There is nothing to worry about!" she said to the nervous faces.
That didn't console anybody. "What happened?" Neville blubbered.
"Maybe the magic on Hogwarts isn't working," Harry suggested having no idea what he was saying.
"Who could have done that?" Ron asked Harry.
"Err….I dunno maybe Volde—I mean You know who,"
Ron looked at Harry eyes wide. "Well it does take really powerful magic to mess with Hogwarts' stream of magic," Hermione said.
"What?" Harry asked caught off guard.
Hermione thought for a moment. "I think I read somewhere, maybe in the History of Hogwarts that the magic surrounding Hogwarts is connected like a bunch of wires like a phone network or the internet,"
Harry nodded, but Ron stared at her blankly. "Well, what I think is someone's trying to break the connection, but…no…"
"Hermione do you know something you're not telling us?"
"That's anchient magic, it can't but…" she trailed off again.
Ron and Harry exchanged looks. "I have to check A History of Hogwarts," Hermione said hastily walking away.
"What was she talking about?" Ron asked blankly.
"I have no idea," Harry said blankly.
"They're doing it again," Seamus said to them across the table.
"Who doing what?" Ron asked.
Seamus nodded at Professor McGonagall and Snape, who were holding each others hands staring at each other with mushy looks.
"I don't even want to get started on that," Harry said.
"I know where you're coming from Harry," Ron said. "Those two are the last people I'd have thought would get together,"
"Hey it's a Friday, let's go visit Hagrid later," Harry said.
"Yeah good idea, maybe he knows what's happening."
* * * * *
Professor Flitwick was teaching them the basics for a simple Anicommunis charm. "This charm if learned will give you the ability to "speak" to tame animals," he said. "It's very useful when you're lost in the woods and need directions."
"Not everyone can learn this, so I will not be grading you, but extra credit will be given for people who successfully learn it,"
Then after a short session of notes, they started to try it on some squirrels. "Hey Harry, maybe being a parselmouth will help," Ron whispered.
Harry pointed his wand at the middle of his forehead. "Communis," he said.
Nothing happened. "Oh well I guess I can't do it," Harry said slightly disappointed that it didn't work.
The squirrel on his table was eating a nut not paying attention to the two. Ron pointed the wand to his forehead. "Communis," he said.
The squirrel stopped eating the nut and looked at Ron. Ron was staring at the squirrel. "Ron?" Harry asked.
Ron payed no attention to Harry. "No I don't really want a nut," he said.
Harry thought that Ron had gone mad, but suddenly he realized what was going on…
"Ron, you got it!" he said.
Ron snapped back to reality. "Whoa, that squirrel wouldn't shut up," he said.
"You can speak to animals," Harry said.
"Wow, I can," Ron said.
"Very good Ron," Professor Flitwick said.
Ron beamed for the rest of the class.
* * * * *
"Good Ron," Hermione said a little irritated.
Ron had been talking nonstop about his new found ability, which was getting on everyone's nerves especially Hermione. She wasn't able to do the charm, in fact only two people were able to do the charm (Paprika Wimber a Hufflepuff) and Ron's constant bragging was getting to her.
They went in the classroom where Professor Binns was waiting for the students to come in. Finally, when the students had come in and settled down he started his lecture on the aftermath of the Fairy Rebellion. He didn't get far when Hermione raised her hand. "Proffessor I'm really sorry to interupt but can you tell us any information on the structure of Hogwarts?" she asked.
Proffessor Binns was taken aback. This was the second time Hermione had done something like this think back on the Chamber of Secrets crisis. "Well Miss Granger, I'll tell you but I will only go into it a little bit, you'll learn it in sixth year," he said clearing his throat.
"The founders of Hogwarts needed a way to keep the magic continuous. As you know, magic cannot last forever if not renewed. So they devised a clever way that when they were gone the magic will last. They used anchient magic to form a magical network each piece of magic a single strand, like a spider web. Each strand supported each other and the magic would be able to last a long time."
Hermione raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Granger?" he asked a little miffed at his speech being interupted.
"What happens when someone—something tries to break a strand?" she asked.
"Ravenclaw had thought of that, he added a little spell that would replace the broken strand and everything would be back to its normal state," he replied. "But if someone would destroy the core of the network the magic will escape and chaos will ensure."
He left it at that. "Damn," Hermione said annoyed.
Ron and Harry exchanged looks.
* * * * *
"Hey! I haven't seen yeh in a while," Hagrid said cheerfully as the three walking in his cabin. "How come yer not comin' like yer used to?" he asked.
Harry grinned. "Homework, we have OWL's coming up,"
OWL's, Ordinary Wizarding Levels were coming very soon and the professors were making sure that they were ready. It seemed that the relationship that Professor Snape and McGonagal were having didn't change their amount of homework at all.
"Guess what Hagrid!" Ron said beaming. "I can do the Anicommuns charm!"
Hagrid's eyes brightened up. "I've always wanted to learn that," he said wistfully. "Never got to though."
Ron went into a highly exaggerated explanation on how he did it. "I thought my mind was going to burst but I did it!"
"Oh brother," Hermione said rolling her eyes.
Ron was about to finish the story when there was a knock at the door. It was a very miffed Parvati. "I thought you'd be here," she said gasping for breath. "It's horrible!"
"What happened?" Hagrid asked.
"I don't know but the lights have gone out and the suits of armor have been attacking people!" she said wiping sweat of her forehead with her sleeve.
"It's happened!" Hermione said.
"What's happened?" Ron and Harry asked at the same time.
"Nevermind that," Parvati snapped. "Everyone's trapped inside the common rooms!"
She ran out. "We have to go," Harry said running out behind her.
"Well don' just stand 'ere," Hagrid said lumbering out.
Ron and Hermione followed suit.