Black Rose
Devora McCovington
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Chapter 1
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As her luck had it, Potions was Hermione's last lesson of the first term. The dungeons, being nicer-looking versions of grottos, were freezing. Harry, Ron and Hermione had to crowd around Hermione's cauldron, which was the only one in the entire seventh year that wasn't somehow damaged by now, in exception of Draco Malfoy's. That however, was probably owing to the fact that his parents had bought him a new one every time his old one started to tarnish. Hermione privately wondered why they didn't just send him one every week, along with his rations of sweets. This day however, was unusual. Snape wasn't there. Rumour was running that Lupin's potion hadn't worked effectively the night before and he had bitten Snape when he saw him gathering halcherweed by the lake. Even though Hermione had never really liked Snape, she found herself hoping the rumours weren't true. Exactly why, she had no idea.
Madame Pomfrey was covering for them, being the only adult in the school apart from Dumbledore who had a knowledge of potions to match Snape's, and everyone in the class could tell she'd much rather be looking after sick, spluttering patients in the hospital wing, no matter how disgusting their case. She did; however, seem to have a knack for shouting over her cauldron things like:
"BULSTRODE, STOP THAT RIGHT NOW! SEE ME AFTER CLASS TO ARRANGE YOUR DETENTION."
So far, the ones who were sentenced to two weeks of scrubbing bedpans in the Infirmary were Millicent Bullstrode, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, and (to Hermione's delight) Draco Malfoy and Belladonna Nott, when Madame Pince caught them 'fooling around' (in her own words) under the table. No doubt Malfoy and Nott would have their parents complain loudly to Madame Pomfrey about her ideas of rules and regulations. Hermione doubted it would make a difference. After Voldermort's downfall two years ago, by Harry's hand, it became clear to anyone with a half a brain that the Malfoys and the Notts were no more respectable than Lord Voldemort himself.
"Stupid gits." Ron murmured as he stirred the solution. "Tell me, honestly Hermione, that we were certainly not that bad."
She opened her mouth to speak but Harry beat her to it.
"Actually, I think you were worse."
Hermione spluttered indignantly and kicked Harry in the shins.
"Shut up Harry. You weren't better off with my sister. And with Cho Chang! Oh don't even get me started with her." Ron stabbed a finger at him
Harry turned beet red and busied himself with his sea urchin spines. Hermione snorted ungracefully and watched as Ron struggled to pull the cauldron away from the fire. She watched in amusement and waited until he had managed to push it over next to the wall.
"You know," she said slowly. "We do have a wand for something."
Ron turned to look at her, and blinked. It took him a second to figure out what she meant, then he slapped his hand against his forehead, hard.
"Stupid." He muttered.
Hermione grinned.
Madame Pomfrey stood up and bellowed over the usual monotonous drone of the classroom.
"I expect everyone to be finished with their potions by now"
Neville looked like he was about to faint.
"I want all of you to use the pairs working directly to your left as test subjects. Please hurry up, I really don't have any time to waste."
She grumbled something about incompetent help at the hospital wing and not being surprised if three of the patients were dead by the time she got back and shuffled the papers on her desk.
Hermione didn't need to look. Judging by the looks on Harry and Ron's faces, the people working directly to their left just 'happened to be' Draco Malfoy and Belladonna Nott.
"Surprise, surprise, surprise." Nott said, her voice cool and composed.
"The three musketeers. Potter, Weasley and Granger. I should have known you'd work together. Absolutely inseparable. Even, I daresay, in Death."
Her eyebrows, already unnaturally shaped, stretched up like arrows as her eyes glinted in Hermione's direction. Malfoy wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Don't waste your time, Belle. You couldn't get anything passed their thick skulls, even if you wanted to."
Ron sneered.
"Shut up Malfoy. Let's get this over and done with."
He grabbed the silver goblet from the tabletop, scooped out some of the potion from the cauldron and thrust it violently in Malfoy's direction.
"No need to be so aggressive Weasley." Malfoy said, as he took the goblet from Ron's grasp. "After all, you wouldn't want to spill anything on the floor would you?" He smirked as he remembered the incident in potions in their fifth year when Ron had spilt gogorna potion all over the dungeon floor, and completely burnt away the stone tiling. Harry sighed.
"Get on with it." He muttered at Malfoy, and took the goblet from Nott's grasp. He eyed the potion suspiciously.
"Are you sure you haven't chucked in anything poisonous Malfoy?"
"That's for me to know, and you to find out." Malfoy said, as he twisted
Nott's hair around his wrist. Hermione sighed impatiently
"Oh this is ridiculous." She snapped, and took the goblet. She dipped her wand into the potion and muttered.
"Veritas venenare."
The potions, at least to Ron's eyes, glowed for a moment then turned blue. Hermione sighed.
"It's fine."
Belladonna clapped her hands slowly, the odd smile still on her face.
"Bravo. Very impressive."
Harry rolled his eyes.
"I'll try it first."
Hermione glanced at him.
"Are you sure?"
"It's hardly life threatening Hermione."
"You can never be too sure with them." Ron muttered as he eyed Malfoy and Nott, who smiled sarcastically and turned away. Harry sighed again and took a gulp of the potion.
He gasped and grabbed the table for support.
"Christ Harry, you all right?" Ron said, as he took a step towards his friend. Hermione grabbed him by the sleeve and shrugged.
"Side effect." She said. "A bit like pollyjuice."
Ron opened his mouth.
"Shut your mouth Ron. A moth will fly into it."
Ron glared at Hermione and folded his arms. Harry stumbled, then stood up.
"I don't think it worked." He muttered.
"Strange." Hermione said, already flipping through the pages of her book. "Normally, you're supposed to feel it if it changes you. It reverses your personality after all"
"Oi! Malfoy! Stupid git, your potion didn't even work!" Ron shouted. Madame Pomfrey tutted and scribbled something down in her book
"Pardon?" Malfoy said, turning his head towards them.
"I said your potion didn't even work! Promising! I wonder what will happen to those full marks you keep getting?"
"I'm so sorry! Would you like me to make another one for you? By the way, I saw that painting you made of Hagrid and Fang. It's absolutely spiffing! Really, you must teach me how you do that! And Hermione I must say, that hairstyle does wonders on you"
"Give up. At least we know our potion worked." Hermione grunted, untying her hair from the high ponytail it was in. Belladonna sneered at Hermione and pulled Draco possessively to the side, who at once started to praise her on the eye shadow colour she was wearing.
"How long does it last?" Ron said, biting his lip to stop from laughing.
"Three hours." Hermione answered.
"Brilliant! Does anybody mind if I follow Draco around all day? I wonder if I can persuade Colin to lend me his camera? Oh if this isn't blackmail I don't know what is!"
Harry and Hermione laughed.
"Year 7, class is finished. Have a good holiday." Madame Pomfrey muttered un-enthusiastically. If anything, this did nothing but promote Ron's elation. Hermione grabbed her bag and waited for Harry and Ron. The trio walked through the darkened corridors of the school, the portraits, good and bad, chatting about the upcoming holidays hung twisted by the wind on the walls.
"You have packed haven't you Ron?" Hermione asked, smiling as she waved to Hannah Abbott.
"Erm…Well… not exactly."
"WHAT?" She almost screamed. She stopped dead in her tracks and jumped straight in front of him.
"YOU HAVEN'T PACKED?"
"Erm…you see… Neville and me were having a game of erm…chess
and…well it turns out he's pretty good."
"That's not an excuse! You're leaving tomorrow morning and I PROMISED your mother I'd make sure all your things were neatly packed! You KNOW she wants to make a good impression! It's the first family reunion she's ever been to! Ron how could you be so selfish?"
"I was…sort of hoping you'd help me." Ron said, pulling on the shoulder strap of his bag.
"What? Ron! No! This is your problem! You told me you'd spend the evening packing yesterday and you didn't!"
"Hermione really! What difference is it going to make? You'd take one look at my trunk and start ranting and raving about neatness and organisation, throw everything out and pack it again, teaching me how to fold my robes in the process, which by the way, you should write a book on!"
"Hermione, I'll side with Ron with this. You really are never ever happy with the way we fold our clothes or, for that matter, anything else."
"Fine! Absolutely fine! But don't expect me to be in your dormitory at three o'clock in the morning helping YOU fold your clothes!"
***
"Ron! That's completely wrong! You fold the sleeves inwards to the back! How many times have I told you-"
"What did I tell you?" Ron muttered in Harry's direction. "I knew the sight of clothes thrown anywhere and everywhere would get her started."
"You are nothing but a pig-headed idiot who does not understand the art of packing!" Hermione slammed her fist furiously on the floor, rattling a jar full of keys.
Harry laughed as he slid some blank parchment paper into a portfolio Hermione had leant Ron "To do your essays. They count for one third of our final N.E.W.T results you know!". The round top desk was cluttered with bits and pieces. An autographed copy of the Chuddley Canons lay opened and dog-eared on top of numerous open ink bottles, random pieces of homework were torn and scribbled on, and several quills were unusable in one way or another. Harry found himself tutting, and shut his mouth before Ron heard him. He pulled open a drawer and pulled out a revision planer Hermione had drawn up for both of the boys. Of course neither of them had followed it, and the box at the bottom that Hermione had charmed to comment on the way their revision was going was flashing Hermione's neat handwriting at him "APPALING! STOP CONCENTRATING ON QUIDDITCH TACTICS AND START WORRYING ABOUT THE DEVELOPEMENTS IN ALCHEMY OVER THE LAST TWO HUNDRED YEARS!"
Harry smirked and slid the timetable into the portfolio 'just in case.'
He was about to close the drawer when something caught his eye. It looked like a very old family picture of the Weasleys. He picked it up gingerly and peered at it closely. It was sepia, and he could see the Weasley's house in the background, towering over the family. Arthur Weasley was playing with what looked like a younger Charlie, and Molly Weasley was shouting at Fred and George, who were pointing accusing fingers at one another other. Bill and Percy were sitting on the steps of the front porch of the Burrow, sharing a copy of Advanced Transfiguration for 10-15 year olds, and Ron was playing cat and mouse with Ginny. Harry blinked and drew the picture closer to his face. No, he was right, and it definitely wasn't a trick of the light. There was not one, but two Ginnys. He glanced over at Ron, who was looking very bored with Hermione's explanation on why bed sheets went at the bottom of the trunk, and not at the top, complete with furious pointing fingers.
"Ron," Harry said, the picture still in his hand. "Why are there two Ginnys in this picture?"
"Eh?" Ron asked, looking glad to finally have an excuse to escape from Hermione's nagging.
"Look here. There are two Ginny's running."
Ron leaned over and looked curiously. "No idea." He said finally. "It must have been one of her friends or something. There used to be a lot of wizarding folk living in Wattenshire."
"Ron, SHUT UP, AND GET ON WITH YOUR BLOODY PACKING!"
Hermione shouted, spinning a book dangerously around her head. Ron let out an angry sigh.
"Hermione, give me that book."
She flung it at him, and he caught it easily. He flicked through the pages, and jabbed his fingers at one of the lines. He grabbed his wand from his pocket and flicked it at the pile of clothes on is bed.
"Purgare" He muttered, and to Harry's amazement, the clothes flew into the trunk, and folded themselves perfectly. Hermione's jaw dropped.
"I can't believe you didn't know that one Hermione" Ron taunted, as he flicked his wand at he pile of books in his desk.
Hermione sniffed and stuck her nose in the air.
"Sometimes the muggle way is best."
Harry snorted.
"Excuse my asking Ron, but exactly why didn't you do that in the first place?"
"Because, my good friend, Hermione enjoys packing. And I am a good friend, so I treat her to a night long festivity of packing my trunk. But when Hermione starts hurtling books at me, I draw the line."
Hermione looked like she'd just swallowed a 12 inch blast-ended skrewt.
"I do not enjoy packing!" She spluttered indignantly.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances.
"I do not!"
"Of course you don't Hermione." Harry said, in mock sympathy. "Ignore Ron. After all, he is nothing but a pig-headed idiot who does not understand the art of packing."
Ron laughed, and Hermione turned beet red.
"Well, what? He is pig-headed. And he doesn't understand the art of packing."
"I've heard about many strange arts Hermione, including the art of repairing glasses, but I've never, ever, heard of the art of packing." Harry said, leaning against the wall.
"Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist! You've never heard of Kinkapungus Byrronslater and he exists! He was the first person ever to successfully charm a cauldron so that it wouldn't over boil!"
"Now you sound like Percy." Ron said.
"That's not bad! Percy is extremely successful in his career! I wish you would take a leaf out of his book, Ron, and start taking your education seriously!"
"I do take education seriously Hermione. Why, education is a great friend of mine! If it weren't for education, I would never have read about the Chuddley Canons, or figured out how to expand Malfoy's head to the size of a rather small whale."
"That's not taking education seriously. Taking education seriously does not involve a revision schedule that had a comment flashing at the bottom telling you to get your rear end off the quidditch pitch and into the library!"
"I'll live without my rear end being portrayed in the library thank you very much Hermione."
"That's not what I said!"
" I know."
"Then why on earth did you say it?"
"Because Hermione, I have great fun winding you up."
"You were not winding me up!"
By this time Harry was sure Hermione's constant yelling had woken up half of Gryffindor House.
"Do us a favour Hermione." He hissed. "Shut up!"
Hermione opened her mouth and closed it several times. Finally, she sniffed violently and sauntered proudly out of the room.
"Barking, raving mad." Ron sighed. "That's what she is."
" As opposed to you, because you are perfectly sane and in control of your mind all the time."
Ron looked at him and blinked.
"I think it's getting late."
And with that, he flicked his wand at his desk, and the essays, parchment rolls, quills and letters came flying into the trunk.
"Good night."
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Good night."
He left the room with half-closed eyes, feeling desperate for sleep.
Harry Potter fell asleep on his bed that night, surrounded by the red drapes of his four poster bed. He didn't wake up the next morning to say good bye to his best friend. He spent Christmas with Hermione, and read Ron's post cards as they came from Alderly Edge.
He didn't do any revision, and Hermione nagged. He didn't do any of his essays, and Hermione threw an ink well at him. He didn't care for the outside world until Hermione came stumbling into his room one snowy afternoon, holding a newspaper clipping that looked like it had been dragged through hell, tears cascading down her cheeks.
And when Harry Potter looked at the headline of the article, he realised that fate never took the path it was told to.