Chap. 2
"Before
we began, there is something you ought to know," Professor Mallony cleared
her throat and surveyed the room. "I am a strict teacher, I am a fair teacher,
I am not a very nice teacher and you do not want to get on my bad
side. Also, my job is to teach you how to defend yourself against
the Dark Arts. I will do that but defending yourself is not easy.
No, you must be very precise if you are defending yourself in any
situation concerning Dark Magic. The Dark Arts are very powerful. Oh, very
powerful indeed and are very hard to defend your self against, but
you must learn how, otherwise there will be absolutely
no hope for you. None whatsoever. Do you all understand me?" She stared challengingly
at Hermione. "Girl, tell me your name."
"Hermione professor."
Hermione quivered under her Professors glare.
"I don't
suppose you have a last name now, do you?"
" Granger, Professor.
Hermione Granger."
"Well, Miss Granger,
do you know any defense against the dark arts?" Professor Mallony
raised one eyebrow.
"I think so,
Professor" Hermione glanced up at Professor Mallony meekly.
"You think so, do you. Don't you know so?"
"Well, we haven't
exactly had very good Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, Professor,
so I don't know whether what I've learned is valid or not." Hermione gained
courage with every word.
"Very good answer. For a second I thought that you wouldn't recover." Professor
Mallony gave a queer sort of laugh, if you could call it a laugh. With
her low, raspy voice it was more like a cough.
"Very good. Now
shall we began our lesson for today? Yes, we shall..." the professor paused
for a moment and ran her fingers through her long, fiery auburn hair. "Where
to start, where to start.... Ah, yes. We shall start with some basic defense
techniques. I assume that you all know how to disarm someone? Yes, Miss
Granger, how do you?"
"Expelliarmus"
"Very
good, Miss Granger, well done. Now you will learn how to expel a curse.
Listen well, when an opposing wizard raises his wand you-" What you
do nobody found out because at that moment the door opened and Professor
McGonagal entered.
"Excuse me for
interrupting, Julia, but I really must speak to Miss Granger." Professor
McGonagal gave a distracted glance at Julia Mallony and turned her attention
to Hermione." Can you come with me, Miss Granger. It's very important."
Hermione looked questioningly at Professor Mallony. The latter nodded and
Hermione left with Professor McGonagal.
The two walked
in silence until they reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Professor
McGonagal gave a sharp rap on the door.
"You may enter.."
Dumbledore's voice echoed from behind the door. "Ah, yes. I'm glad you
were able to make it. You may leave Professor." Dumbledore hardly even
acknowledged Professor McGonagal's presence. "Miss Granger, I believe?"
"Yes, sir." Hermione
gave him a baffled stare.
"I suppose you're
wondering why you're here, aren't you?"
"Yes, sir. Could
you please tell me?"
"Of course, of
course. Sit down child." Hermione sat in a fuschia, overstuffed arm chair
with a rather alarming thump. She glanced at it doubtfully. "Yes, I've
been meaning to get a new chair for a while, but it is so hard for one
to find the time to do such things, is it not." Dumbledore gave a hopeless
sigh.
Hermione not
sure what to say to that just sat there, somewhat uncomfortably. Obviously
Dumbledore didn't expect an answer.
"Something very
important has come up. Oh, yes, something very important. You are the one
for this task I believe, yes, yes, I think you are." Dumbledore gave her
a disconcerting, appraising glance. " I wasn't quite sure, but yes, you
are the one."
"Um, excuse me
Professor," Hermione started, and continued after an acknowledging nod
from Dumbledore, "But, if you wouldn't mind, could you please tell me what
the, um, task is?" She looked at the maroon carpet and back up at Dumbledore's
astute face.
"Of course, child,
of course, " He smiled kindly at her. "I'm not sure if you know yet, but
there have been certain rumors, there is a new threat to the magical world."
He paused and solemnly continued. " This threat is far worse than it seems,
but you must realize that even the great wizard's are sometimes lacking
in some logical methods. It was you, I believe who made it through Snape's
enchantment guarding the Sorcerer's Stone?" Hermione nodded and blushed
while he continued. "Yes, I thought so... Someone, no one knows whether
it is a wizard, a witch, or a muggle has been causing trouble. Yes, unfortunately
the key to finding out who exactly it is needs logic. What's more
is that it needs the simple reasoning of a child. Adults minds are too
cluttered up for them to figure out anything. Why someone hasn't invented
an unmindboggling potion or enchantment I don't know." At this last sentence
Dumbledore shook his head and gave an exasperated sigh as if the
world was hopeless.
"If it's not
a problem, Professor, would you please tell me what I have to do?" Hermione
felt bad for asking but Dumbledore was starting to aggravate her a little
bit.
"My deepest apologies.
How stupid of me." Dumbledore shook his head again." You must, for now
at least, watch for any unusual signs, in our world, and perhaps more importantly
in the Muggle world."
"But, how? In
the Muggle world.... I know my parents are Muggles but I really don't have--"
"--much communication
with the Muggle world." Dumbledore finished her sentence for her. "I know,
that's why I'm going to give you this." He held out a small golden tube,
shaped somewhat like a telescope.
"What is it?"
Hermione stared with wonder at the somewhat whimsical object.
"Ah, that is
the question, is it now?" Dumbledore smiled and continued, "It is a televiewer.
Through it you can view parts of the Muggle world. The only catch is that
you have to be slightly familiar with that part of the world... That's
one of the reason's that I chose you, you lived in the Muggle world for
a fair part of your life...."
"I see, " Hermione
didn't really see, but she felt that would be the best response. "Uh, how
do you work it?"
"I'm afraid,
my dear girl, that you'll have to figure that out for yourself. I don't
quite have time to explain it, " a loud, urgent knock sounded on office
door, "As you can see, I have some urgent business to attend to. I trust
you can find you're way back to your dorm?" He paused and glanced at her.
"Of course, Professor."
Hermione picked up the televiewer, rolled it around in her hands lost deep
in thought. Then she snapped back to the present and started towards the
door.
"Just go to the
great hall, supper time is about to began." Dumbledore called after her
as she exited. Professor Mallony burst into his office as she left,
and she could hear the murmur of voices behind her.'
"I wonder
what urgent business Professor Mallony had with Dumbledore, and what just
went on in there?" Hermione sighed to herself and shook her head with
bafflement. She became so absorbed with her thoughts that she didn't even
see Ron, until she bumped into her.
"Oh, no! I'm
so sorry! I honestly didn't see you!" Hermione gave an apologetic look
at Ron, and picked up the televiewer.
"It's okay, honest."
Ron paused then gesturing at the telescope, "What's that?"
"Oh! It's a televiewer.
Dumbledore gave it to me. I'll tell you and Harry about it after supper."
She gave Ron a friendly smile. "Are you on your way to the great hall now?"
"Well, I can
be. Actually I was coming to find you." Ron paused and grinned. " I was
afraid you'd gotten lost or a troll had gotten you." Hermione smiled ruefully
at this mention to their first year at Hogwarts.
"That seems like
such a long time ago, " She sounded almost wistful.
"It does, doesn't
it." Ron smiled at her and seemed to be about to say more, but they had
arrived at the great hall. They walked in and sat next to Harry and the
Weasly twins.
"Hey, Hermione.
Where've you been?" The twins and Harry looked up as she sat down.
"In Dumbledore's
office. I'll tell you all about it, later." Hermione stated this with a
slightly secretive manner. No more was said for a long time because the
food appeared, and everyone busied themselves with devouring the various
delicacies.
After dinner,
everyone went to their respective common rooms. Harry, Ron, Hermione, George
and Fred all sat themselves around the cozy fire.
" So, Hermione,
what did old Dumbledore want with you?" Fred asked the question which was
on everyone's tongue.
"Well, since
he didn't ask me to keep it a secret, I guess that I can tell you." She
paused, "Do any of you know of the new threat to our world?" everyone shook
their
heads no, "Well, I guess they've been trying to hush it up. The thing is,
they don't know whether it's a muggle or a wizard..." she proceeded to
tell them all of what Dumbledore had told her. She showed them the televiewer
also.
"That's a fine
piece of work!" The twins gazed at the small golden tube with awe.
"How do you make
it work?" Harry looked up at Hermione.
"I don't know!
Dumbledore didn't have time to tell me. He said that I'd have to figure
it out by myself. Mallony burst in when he was going to tell me." She looked
around at her friend's faces.
"What did Mallony
want, I wonder." Ron's face had a look of extreme confusion. "Oh, well..."
he shrugged and left it alone.
"Fred and I'd
better be off to bed, you too, Harry. Quidditch practice at 4 am tomorrow."
George stood up and started to the dorm.
"4 am!!! For
once I'm glad that I'm not on the Quidditch team! " Ron stared unbelievingly
at the three.
"Yeah. See you
all at breakfast." Fred, George, and Harry climbed the stairs to there
dorms.
"Um, Hermione,
can I ask you something? " Ron glanced at Hermione with a slightly guilty
manner.
"Of course!"
Hermione smiled at him.
"Um.....areyoustillgoingoutwithKrum?"
He said that so fast that Hermione had to ask him to repeat it. "Are you
still, um,...you know, going out with Krum?"
