Make Some Real Magic 9

Gryffindor or Slytherin?

Disclaimer: We all know who created Harry Potter and it wasn't me!

Hermione roamed the halls, not sure where to go.  She didn't have a destination in mind just yet.  She was going over Ron's words.  He really did love her.  He was right under her nose the whole time.  Why did she go to Draco Malfoy?  Was she losing it? 

She found herself in the great hall where they had the sorting each year.  The sorting sat untouched on a table.  She walked up to the table and picked up the hat.  She remembered what Ron had told her.

"Go ahead and put the sorting hat on again.  Prove me on."

Hermione's hands began shaking and tears blurred her visions.  "Maybe it did make a mistake.  Maybe I really do belong in Slytherin and not Gryffindor."  Her hands grew heavy all a sudden but she pulled the hat up and held it over her head for a moment or too.  Tears rolling down her cheeks, she began to bring the hat down to her head very slowly.  Just before the sorting hat touched her hair, Hermione choked on a sob and threw the sorting hat down. She didn't have to put the hat on again.  She knew where she belonged.  She knew the whole time, she just realized she had always known all along.  But Hermione still felt confused.  She didn't know what she wanted.

Hermione ran out of the sorting room, wiping her tears away.  She still wasn't sure were to go so she wandered around.  She stepped on a suitcase and it changed on her.  It took her to a dark corridor and she took the path it led her.  Hermione looked behind her to make sure no one was there.  So far she was lucky.  Hermione found a heavy door and she pulled on it to open it.  She stepped inside and it closed on her.  The room was unmistakably cold and she put her arms around herself.  There was a glinting in the corner and she walked to it.  It was a mirror.  She saw her reflection and she walked closer.  The words at the top were no mistake.  She recognized it.

"I know this," she whispered, "The Mirror of Erised.  Harry saw his parents here…I wonder what I'll see."

The mirror began to show her an image and Hermione gasped in anticipation.  In the middle, stood a young woman standing alone.  But Hermione could not make out her face.  It was blurry.  She could only make out her brown, shabby hair, that looked so much like hers.  Hermione touched her own hair and stared at the image.

"Is that me?"

Then the young woman in the mirror was not alone anymore.  Two people appeared on both sides of her and she had her arms hooked into theirs.  Their faces were blurred out too, as if a fog was right in front of their faces. They were dressed like the middle ages.  The young woman looked like a princess.  The one on her right looked like a knight, clad in shining armor, sword and a helmet that he held in his right hand, and the one on her left was dressed as a bishop.  Their faces began to clear up and Hermione leaned closer for a better look.   Hermione gasped.  They were the faces of her two best friends.

"Ron?  Harry?"

Hermione's heart began pumping like a steady base drum.  She cried.  The mirror had showed her what her deepest desire was. She couldn't figure it out on her own because she was so confused.  Hermione could not deny it.  The mirror was right.  She missed Harry and Ron desperately.  She pushed them away from her as if they meant nothing to her.  If it weren't for her, Harry wouldn't know what potion to drink  to stop Voldemort from taking the Sorcerer's stone and if she wasn't with Ron and Harry when she bought Crookshanks, Ron wouldn't have found out that his pet rat was actually a spy for Voldemort too. If it weren't for Ron and Harry, she would have been another mountain troll victim. They needed her and she needed them.

Hermione smiled through her tears.  The three people in the mirror smiled too. They looked so happy.  "Ron…Harry!"  Laughing to herself, Hermione turned to leave the room.  She just hoped that Ron and Harry would still be there for her, that they'd forgive her for her mistakes and the mean things she said to them.

*****

Ron was in the common room stroking Crookshanks when Hermione came back.  "So, what did the sorting hat say?" he demanded.

"I didn't even have to put it on," she whispered.  "I already know where I belong."  She nodded to the girl's dorm.  "Here…"

Ron smiled, took Crookshanks off his lap and stood up with his arms out wide.  "Well, welcome back to Gryffindor."

Hermione choked back a sob and laughed lightly as she stepped into Ron's arms.  "Oh Ron…I'm so, so sorry!  The awful things I've said to you.  I didn't mean any of it!"

Ron patted her head and rocked her. "Hey, it's all right.  It's all over now.  I forgive you.  I'm just glad that the old Hermione's back."

Ron's kindness made her cry and she sobbed into his shoulder. "I've been just so confused…" She leaned into Ron.  It felt so good to be held by him.  She could stay here forever.  Why did it take so long for her to realize this?

"Hermione, what's wrong?" asked a concerned Harry.  He had heard her crying and was walking down the stairs to see what was the matter.

Hermione let go of Ron and turned around.  "Oh, Harry!"  she ran to him and flung her arms around his neck and sobbed on his shoulder.  Harry's glasses almost slid down his nose.  "Harry--I'm so sorry I called you a Mr. Potty Brain!  I didn't mean it!"

"It's all right," he told her, "I forgive you."

"Oh…thank you!  I promise not to insult you ever again." She said. 

Crookshanks looked up at Hermione and mowed.

"Crookshanks!" she gasped and picked up her cat, "I owe you an apology too, don't I?  I'm so sorry!"

"Yeah," Ron said, "Professor Trelawny told us to be there for you when you realized what you were doing was wrong.  It was just a learning experience you were going through.  You had to find out for yourself and when you came back to us, we'd forgive you, which we did."

"I should've talked to Professor Trelawny," Hermione admitted.  "But…I didn't' know you could do that."

"Well, she's the closest thing to a school counselor," Harry said.  "We literally had to carry Ron to her office because he was falling apart."

"And all because of me, oh, Ron…I'm so sorry!"

"Hey, Harry had to talk to her too," Ron said, "he was in denial of everything."

"I was not!" Harry barked.  "I was just trying to stay optimistic."

Hermione bit her lip and threw her arms around her best friends' neck.  She pulled them to her in a big group hug.  "Oh, I missed you guys!" she cried.  "I hope we'll never fight again!  We're supposed to be friends and we need to stay close."

"Yeah," Ron said, "just like what Professor Trelawny said, 'Keep your friends close and--'"  he really didn't want to finish the last part. 

"'never let them go!'" Harry finished and winked.  He didn't want the last part to be spoken either.  For all he knew, it couldn't made Hermione cry again.

They all laughed and embraced each other.  It felt so good to be best friends again.

The End…No, I'm kidding!  There's some more left!

*****

Hermione woke up early.  She gave herself a mission and she accepted it.  She was back with her best friends and she had forgotten how good it felt to have them back.  She missed them desperately and Draco Malfoy was trying to shatter her friendship with them.  Ginny, Ron, Harry, Myrtle, Sirius, everyone was right.  They were trying to warn her that Draco was setting her up.  Why didn't she listen to them?  Ron and Harry was all she had. 

Hermione picked up her bracelet, her pendant, her earrings, shoes, her cloak--every fancy gift Draco showed her with and placed them on her bed.  She placed her pendant, earrings, bracelet and other small tokens of what money could by in a pocket of the cloak.  Then she sat down next to her trunk, took out a sheet of parchment and quill.  She inked her quill and glanced at the empty bottle next to the one filled with ink.  She picked it up.  It was the one Ron gave her, what he thought had invisible ink.  It was really empty, a practical joke from his twin brothers.  However, Hermione believed now it wasn't exactly empty.  There was something in the ink bottle.  It was Ron's love for her.

Smiling, Hermione put the empty ink bottle down and began to write on her blank sheet of parchment.  Her smile disappeared as her face screwed up in concentration and anger.  She began a letter to Draco.

Draco,

I know the truth.  You've been using me.  You don't care about me.  You were only trying to brainwash me into becoming one of you! Well, it won't happen.  I belong in Gryffindor.  I'm needed there.  I don't want your petty gifts.  You can have everything back. Why don't you give them to Pansy Parkinson instead? She's the only girl in the whole school that thinks you're really something?

Hermione paused and looked at her fingernails.  They were still painted silver. She had to get it off as soon as she was finished with the letter. She couldn't stand to have anything silver or green on her.

I've had enough, Draco.  I'm not falling for your little scheme.  You were taking me away from Harry and Ron.  They're my best friends, but you wouldn't know about anything about friendship, now would you? You just stay away from me.  I don't want to have anything more to do with you.
 Hermione

Hermione folded the letter and placed it in an envelope, licked it and shoved it in the other cloak pocket.  She used her wand to remove the silver nail polish off her fingers.  Her arms laden with the dress, shoes, the cloak and broom other money-bought processions, Hermione set out to return the items back to Draco. Her fellow Gryffindor classmates gawked at her and asked if she needed any help with the heavy load, but she simply smiled, told them that she had it handled and continued to fill out her mission.

She stopped at the trapdoor leading to the Slytherin House and dropped her load next to it.  "Goodbye, Draco," she said and turned to leave.

"I was wondering when you'd come to your senses," Pansy hissed behind her.

"I don't want to talk to you, Pansy," Hermione said over her shoulder, "I just came to return everything to Draco.  You can have it if you want."

"Good, I was getting tired of pretending to be nice to you," Pansy sneered, "he paid Crabbe and Goyle 20 galleons and took me out if we'd be nice to you.  Oh…I'm sorry…did I hurt your feelings, Granger?  Are you going to cry now?"

"No, Pansy," Hermione muttered, "I'm not.  I'm going to be with my friends."

"Yeah, go on to your little poor boy and freak," Pansy said nastily. "You have no friends here."

"You don't even know the meaning of the word, Pansy," Hermione grunted and left the Slytherin House.

Pansy rolled her eyes then bent down to look at all the treasures her Draco wasted on Hermione.  "I can't believe I helped her in that dress…ugh!"

"Pansy, what are you doing with that?" Draco demanded.  "That stuff belongs to Hermione!"

"Well, not anymore," Pansy said, finding the letter in the cloak pocket and holding it out to him.  "I guess she doesn't want to be your girlfriend anymore."

"No, I don't believe this!" Draco gasped, taking the letter.

"Oh, you poor baby…but I'm still available if--"

"I don't want you, Pansy," he sneered.  "You…you bother me!"

Pansy gasped and walked away, "well, if you don't want my love then I'll go to someone who will treat me right!  Whaaa!"

Draco looked over the note, twice, thrice.  He couldn't' believe what he was reading.  Hermione had it all wrong.  He wasn't just trying to turn her into a Slytherin.  That's the lie he fed to his classmates so they'd be nice to her.  There was another reason, a more sensitive reason and he was going to tell her everything today.

"Hermione…" he mumbled.  Draco tightened his hand in his fist and went to find Hermione.

*****

"Harry, Ron, wait for me!" Hermione cried after her two best friends. 

"Hermione, hey!" Harry said.

Hermione slid her arms through theirs, just as she saw herself do in the mirror of Erised last night.  "Let's go visit Hagrid!"  she suggested, "I miss him!"

"Yeah, we told him what was up," Ron said, "and he was in more denial than Harry was…"

"I never saw Hagrid cry so hard," Harry added.

Hermione frowned, "I made him cry? I just hope Fang still remembers me…"

"Well, isn't this cozy!" Draco shouted.

Ron, Harry and Hermione turned around.  "What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry demanded.

"I have to talk to Hermione," Draco said.

"Haven't you done enough to her already?" Ron questioned, moving in front of her protectively.

Draco didn't have to explain himself to Ron or Harry.  He kept his gaze on Hermione, "Hermione, listen, I--"

"Shut up!" she shouted, putting her hands on her ears, "I don't want to hear it!  I'm tired of you lying to me, Malfoy!"

"I swear to you, Hermione, I'm not going to lie to you this time!" Draco yelled. 

"Everyone was right, I should've believed Sirius, he warned me about you!"  Hermione cried.  "Everyone did!  They told me everything!"

"Sirius knew about it?" Harry asked, "but….we didn't tell him."

"He saw us," Hermione said hesitantly.

"Hermione, please…just listen to me!"  Draco pleaded. 

"We know what you were up to, Malfoy," Ron said.  "Just leave Hermione alone!"

"Stay out of this, Weasley," Draco sneered.  "You too, Potter!  This doesn't concern either of you!"

"Of course it does!" Harry snapped, "Hermione's our friend!"

"What everyone told you wasn't true," Draco said, "I was DESPERATE!"

"Yeah, you're a desperate, diluted little snake, Malfoy!" Ron shouted.  "So leave Hermione alone!"

"I said stay out of this, Weasley," Draco said, "and you should've listened to me!  Just chill all right?  I have something to say to Hermione and I won't leave until it's said!"  he reached for his wand and pointed it at Ron.  "Freezio!"

A cold, blue mist shot out of Draco's wand and made it way to Ron. Everything seemed to move in slow motion.  Ron gasped, Harry reached for his wand and Hermione went to a drastic measure.

"Ron…Draco….No!" she put herself in front of Ron and took the shot.  Ice firmed up over Hermione's body.  She stood as a frozen statue of ice.  Her eyes were closed and her mouth was caught in a wince.

"Hermione!" Ron and Harry shouted together.  Ron moved in front of her and said her name a few times.  Harry tried to remember the counter spell.  Draco stared in disbelief.  His hand loosened up around his wand and he almost dropped it.

"No," he whispered. "No…I…"

"What did you do to her, Malfoy?" Ron demanded, "Just look what you've done!"

Draco swallowed, "I didn't' know she was going to move.  Here, let me change her back…"

"NO!  You've done enough damage already!" Ron cried.  He lunged at Draco but Harry grabbed him.  It was hard to keep him from moving since Ron was taller than he was.

"Ron, no!"  Harry shouted.  "This isn't the right time.  Hermione needs us right now!  Let him go, he's not worth it!"

Draco stayed where he stood.  "I didn't mean it, Potter."

"Just get out of here, Malfoy!" Harry shouted.  "Beat it!"

Draco took a few steps back, tightened his hand around his wand ad fled to his house.

"She just…jumped in front of me, Harry," Ron said.  "Why would she do that?"

"You'd do the same for her," Harry reminded.  He let him go and turned to Hermione.  He remembered the counter spell and used it to melt the ice.  Hermione dropped an Ron caught her.

"She's so…cold," Ron whispered, picking her up in his arms.

"Let's get her to the hospital wing," Harry said.  "We have to get her warm."

With Hermione in his arms, and Harry right beside him, Ron made haste to the hospital wing.

Next Chapter: Hermione's Knight