Pandora's Box
Kneazle
DC: I do not own Harry Potter or afflictions to Warner's Bros. or J.K. Rowling's. I merely use the characters for entertainment purposes only. Anything mentioned in this story is afflicted only to its rightful produces. I own nothing but the plot.
AN: Prefer listening to "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" soundtracks or songs which lyrics have been inserted while reading. Also, later on, the Renaissance become teachers. Think of this story to be like X-Men: they fight and teach!
PS: many qualities that the Renaissance has is what the X-Men have too (ex, Hermione = Kitty Pryde) [Feb. 18, 02]
**-**
Been
there before, but not like this
Seen it before, but not like this
Never before have I ever
Seen it this bad
– Nickelback, "Never Again"
**~**
Chapter Five
Hermione walked slowly with Oliver, unsure of what he was thinking. She had wished a few seconds ago that she had Ginny's mind-reading powers, but then she realized that she'd probably abuse them, and didn't want that. She wanted people to trust her.
"What are you thinking?" Oliver asked. Hermione let out a tiny laugh.
"To know what you're thinking," she replied, grinning at him. Then, she let the smile slip off her face. "Are you… are you upset or scared because of what I am?"
Oliver was quiet for a bit before he answered. They had walked through the gardens and to where he had told her that he fancied her. "Hermione, I love you. I do, really… and I would never think badly of you in anyway. I love who you are, what you stand for and everything like that. I could care less if you were blue, green or purple."
Hermione's eyes burned with tears, and she hugged him tightly. "Thank you. I was so worried that you wouldn't understand… understand my new mutated powers."
Oliver grinned cheekily at her. "I think they're great, actually. Nice to sneak up on people, especially if they're sleeping."
Hermione grinned back at him, and they continued walking, closer together than before. As they walked back into the school, they realized dinner had started already. Oliver walked slightly ahead, as Hermione had to put the book back in her room.
Oliver sat in his seat, which was next to Hermione's. He watched as the food magically appeared on his plate.
"Where's Herm?" asked Harry, leaning towards him slightly. Oliver looked up, and was about to reply when she appeared through the wall behind them. She jumped up on the slight platform, and sat down in her seat, knowing but not showing that everyone's eyes were on her.
"And you came from?" asked Draco wryly.
"Behind," replied Hermione easily, grinning. The students quickly whispered amongst themselves. "Gin?"
Ginny looked up from a few seats down. "Mm hmm?"
"What are they thinking?" she asked, smiling as she put her hair up in a ponytail. Two long strands framed her face.
Ginny looked ahead, staring. A spasm of concentration passed her face and she then brightened. "They think your powers are cool and wonder if you're going to teach them that."
"That all?"
"Uh-huh. A few scattered thoughts about you being freaky, but in general they like it," she replied evenly. Draco kissed her on the temple and she beamed at him. "I'm getting better!"
The rest of dinner was uneventful, until a lone owl swept through the mess hall, cooing as it found Harry.
Harry took the letter, offering some of his food to the owl that shook its beak and was flying again through an open window high above.
Harry's face darkened as he continued to read. Finally, Hermione and Ron leaned over Harry's two shoulders' to read it. Their eyes widened.
Harry looked up, and said sharply, "meeting immediately in the King Arthur room." He then stood, tossed his linen napkin down and stalked angrily out of the room.
The rest of the table shared quick looks before all following him out. Arabella announced that the students shouldn't worry and they will get to the bottom of it right away. If they wanted, they could go where they wanted and any problems should be reported to them right away.
With that, she quickly followed the retreating backs of Remus and Mundungus.
**-**
"Okay, Harry," said Cho, "you've got us riled up and now you can tell us what's so bloody important!"
"Death Eaters," he muttered, rubbing his temples with his two hands. The letter lay facedown in front of him.
"Where?" asked Neville.
"Outside London." Replied Harry, his voice tight. "There's been a few rowdy… I guess, deserters. They started their own band. Leeches."
The hate in his voice reached a high. Hermione took charge.
"So who is going in?" she asked, looking at him. "I, for one, am not going to sit around and watch them do –" she glanced at the paper "—horrendous things. Who's coming?"
Harry looked up, grateful and nodded. "Me."
Ron and Draco also nodded. "We'll come."
Hermione nodded back and looked at everyone else. "Then you can all stay here and take care of the school? I'm sure the four of us will be okay."
The group nodded, and Harry stood. "Oliver? Can you and Sirius run the school while I'm gone? Reply to letters, lead the classes and excuse ours? Thanks."
With that, Harry looked at the three who volunteered to go. "We leave tomorrow morning. Right away."
The meeting was dismissed and the group left. Hermione went straight to bed; tomorrow was going to be a long day.
**-**
The sun was just rising as Hermione, Harry, Ron and Draco mounted their broomsticks. Oliver, Lavender and Ginny stood outside with them, and Sirius was just a little behind, watching with careful eyes.
"If we're not back by the end of the week," began Harry in a low voice to Oliver, "then assume the worst, all right?"
Oliver nodded, praying that that wouldn't happen, and moved over to where Hermione double-checked her clothing, items and other magic.
"Be careful, will you?" he asked, kissing her on the cheek. She nodded, biting her lip, but hugged him tightly back and watched Harry raise his arm. That was the signal; they were off.
Soon, Bingingham Castle, the people seeing them off, and the grounds were a tiny speck in the distance, the mist swirling in around before it disappeared all together.
Harry whistled, and the group lined up around him. "Okay, they're in London, so we need to keep our profiles low and down, okay? We want people to think we're muggles, like them."
The group nodded, and kept their eyes straight ahead, on their destination. All too soon, the Tower of London appeared, and then a little further away Big Ben. They landed in a courtyard near the clock tower, shrinking their brows and invisibility cloaks in their pockets. Harry nodded once and they began walking down the street.
It was quiet for the morning, as no one was out.
"What's going on?" muttered Ron to Hermione. "Where are all the people?"
She fidgeted, "I don't know."
Harry's emerald gaze swept across the street, and almost instantly people began appearing as they turned the corner. There were stalls, stands, people were bargaining and selling items of all sorts.
"Now this wasn't expected," said Draco huffily. Hermione fully agreed but said nothing. The Salvation and Old Crowd hadn't told the Renaissance about anything like this. They began walking down the middle of the stands, listening to the people all around them ask if they wanted to buy a watermelon, how about this necklace for a pretty lady? Or perhaps they would like a VISA pass to get out of England? Hermione's head swam with all their talk, and she began to feel dizzy.
"Ron," she called weakly. He was at her side instantly, his blue eyes shown with concern. He tried to grab her arm but she slipped through; she was dematerializing right there in the courtyard.
"Harry! Draco!" he shouted, as they were a few stalls ahead of them. They turned and came back to where Ron was kneeling on the ground with Hermione, her head in his lap.
"Is the young lady all right? Shall we call a doctor?" asked a few of the stall personal.
Ron shooed them off, saying that she hadn't been home for years and was overwhelmed and she needed space.
Harry placed a hand behind Hermione's head. "Can you walk?"
"I think so," she murmured, and tried to stand. Ron helped her from behind, pushing on her back. Harry placed an arm around her and together she and her best friends walked linked towards where Draco was.
"Spotted them?"
"Yeah," he replied, growling. "They're over there, in that bar. Drinking."
"What else is new?" muttered Ron, still holding on to Hermione. He turned his attention to her. "Can you stand now?"
"Yeah," she smiled at him and Harry, standing fine. "I was just… surprised of all this, that's all."
Harry and Ron nodded, understandingly. Draco asked, "Should we go in? Bust them?"
"Not until dark. Now, we wait and we watch," answered Harry, his emerald eyes burning darker. The group nodded and sat down across from the bar at an ice cream shop, eating a banana split, waiting.
And watching.
**-**
Twilight settled soon, and the group of young rowdy Death Eaters walked out of the bar, laughing and slurring their talk.
They began to walk down the street, towards the darker and nightlife part of the city. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco followed quietly behind, their eyes dark and their moves fluid.
Soon, the Death Eaters were talking to a plump man wearing expensive clothing. His suit was custom-made, obviously, to fit his large body.
Harry followed her gaze and watched the man talk with the Death Eaters, looking nervous and his beady eyes traveling from side to side. Soon, the Death Eaters entered the building behind him, once they saw a gaudy-dressed women step out from the doorway.
"A whore house," snorted Draco, "what a fine example they set for the Dark Lord's men."
Harry grinned and nodded. "Well, after you, gentlemen."
"Excuse me?" asked Hermione, her hands on her hips. "I think you're forgetting that you're in the company of a lady, Potter."
Harry bowed, "many apologies, my dear, would you care to join us in this evil building?"
"Thought you'd never ask," she replied, and together they began to walk closer to man. "Harry," giggled Hermione, "doesn't he remind you of Dudley?"
Harry looked the man over once they were close enough and nodded. "He does. Why, he'd be a splitting image of Dudley."
As they got closer, Ron swore and whispered harshly, "That is Dudley!"
The three who knew the man gapped openly when they reached him. Draco was the only one who looked cool and reformed.
"Why, hello," the man said as they got closer to him. "How can I help you gentlemen tonight? Perhaps… someone to tango with?"
Harry stared at the man in horror. "Dudley?"
The man's eyes widened as he looked over Harry, his gaze settling on Harry's lightning-bolt scar.
"H-Harry?" he stammered. "W-What are you d-doing here? In L-London? I thought that y-you and your friends were somewhere else. What are you doing for income now, huh?"
Harry's gaze fell past Dudley towards the building. Dudley followed his gaze and coughed.
"Dudley… you're a pimp," stated Harry dryly. "I don't think you should be talking."
Hermione stifled a laugh.
"H-Harry…" coughed Dudley. "D-Did you come here for a reason?"
"Actually, we did," stepped up Ron, stepping beside Harry. Dudley cowered beneath Ron's tall presence, his flaming red hair, and piercing blue eyes. Hermione and Draco also stepped up. Dudley visibly shook under Draco's steely stare, and his hard features. However…
When he spotted Hermione, he went to goo. "Why, hello there, how do you do?" he asked, extending a hand with many rings on it.
Hermione raised an eyebrow in disgust. "I've been better," she replied, eyeing him. Dudley looked unfazed, and asked, "would you like to come in?"
"Not really," said Hermione, "But there's someone in there I would like to speak to."
"Really?" Dudley's interest perked up. "Who? Claudia? Marie-Anne? Madelyn? Lisa?"
Hermione's cool gaze hardened. "Not one of your whores, Dudley, the men who just went in. I wish to speak to them."
"Well," he gave a cocky grin, "you might have to wait a bit. At least an hour."
Hermione's hand stretched out and slapped Dudley on the round cheek before any of her friends realized it. "Do not get all superior on me, Dudley Dursley!"
Harry caught her hand and pulled her to him. "Dudley, let us in. I'll… calm down my friend here," he said and winked. Dudley nodded, his mouth a wide grin.
"Right this way," he said, opening the door. They stepped through.
"Harry, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Hermione hissed. Harry turned to stare at her.
"Herm, you could've gotten our plan spoiled. I know that you have some… err… issues about this particular plan but you need to keep in focus, okay?" said Harry, his voice low. To anyone else, it would've looked like he was whispering sweet nothings in her ear.
"Harry… they're in there," said Dudley. "I introduced you as my cousin, because well… you've changed. You're not the scrawny"—he choked—"wizard you used to be."
Harry nodded, verbally thanking him but mentally thinking, wonderful. They know a Harry is coming now. But they think he's a muggle. Ah, what a surprise they'll have.
"Ready?" he asked the others. They nodded.
Dudley pushed open the door and said, "I'll be walking around, the upstairs floors. If you need me, send one of my girls to come fetch me. I won't bother you." He finished by leering at Hermione, who shuddered.
Again, Harry thanked him and stepped into the low-light room. The Death Eaters had shed their robes and masks.
"Nott," growled Draco, whispering it so quietly that Hermione thought she imagined him speaking. "And Avery's kid… Moon… and Parkinson… PANSY??"
Hermione turned to look around the room, and saw Pansy Parkinson there, lounging by a fireplace, eating Lindor chocolates.
"Hello," she purred. "That Dursley man said that you wanted to talk to us? And you're his cousin Harry?"
Because the four were in the shadows, the Death Eaters could not see their faces, their expressions. Their wands were already out, ready to kill.
Harry nodded at Ron, Hermione and Draco who were all lined up on his right.
"Accio!" they cried, using their free hands, palms outstretched. The Death Eater's wands flew into their waiting hands, which they promptly snapped in two.
Pansy, Christopher Nott, Jonathan Avery and Madison Moon all stood, their faces dark and growling.
"Do you know who you're dealing with you rogue wizards?" growled Nott, his square-faced pushed up to look like a wolf snarling.
Again, Harry nodded and the group stepped into the light. The looks on the Death Eater's faces were priceless.
"H-Harry Potter?" stumbled Moon, his handsome features scared and eyes wide. "H-Hermione Granger and R-Ronald Weasley… and Malfoy!"
"That's right," said Draco in his usual Slytherin drawl. "I'm here and so are the others. And we're going to kick your asses back to Voldemort himself."
Pansy shrieked, "No you're not! You've been frozen for four years! Your magic is gone, like everyone else's! You don't know how to use magic anymore!"
"Oh?" asked Hermione, smirking slightly. It was a look that not many lived to see. "You're mine Parkinson," she grinned, the fire's light making her cinnamon eyes look dark and threateningly.
"Then bring it, Mudblood!" she screamed back, tossing her straight brown hair behind her shoulder.
Instantly, she screamed in pain. Hermione's left palm faced Pansy, her eyes glittering in the dark. At this, Harry went straight for Avery, landing a punch square in the jaw. Draco moved off to spar with Nott, and Ron grinned happily at Moon, before dodging a punch to his head.
"Enjoying this much, Parkinson? This is what it feels like for all those innocents you and your Death Eaters kill!" snapped Hermione, stepping closer with each word. She dropped her hand, and Pansy's screams stopped. She panted heavily, lying on a bunch of pillows by the fireplace.
"You can't have… all that power… for someone in… status," whimpered Pansy in pain. Hermione's face looked positively livid as she knelt as Pansy's level, the flames of the fire licking up against the wall in a seductive dance behind Pansy.
"I can and I do," she whispered. "And I know how to use it to my advantage," she added, grinning. Pansy suddenly lashed out at her with her long nails, but they went right through Hermione.
"Witch!" she screamed, backing up as far as she could away from Hermione. Hermione, though, laughed.
"Yes, dear, I've been one since I was born and so have you," she laughed. "What? Afraid of your own kind now?"
Pansy's lowered lip trembled. "Are you going to kill me?" she whispered.
"I don't know," answered Hermione honestly. She turned her head and called over her shoulder, "Harry, do we kill 'em?"
However, as she did so, Pansy charged at her and pushed her away, slamming Hermione's body into the wall across the room.
She moaned in pain, but got up holding her head lightly. Pansy was staring at her, and for a moment, Hermione felt as if time had slowed. She watched Harry point his wand at Avery, and a jet of green flashing light appeared out of it. Avery fell to the ground dead. Ron slammed his iron-fist into Moon's cheek, blood and spit flying away from Ron's fist. His checked swelled immensely and within seconds he too was on the ground dead. Draco looked as if he hadn't even broken a sweat; Nott was already down and dead.
Time sped up, and Hermione's face felt the contact of a fist and nails rake her cheek. Gasping, she blinked and saw Pansy glaring at her.
"We thought you were dead. We thought you were all dead," she snarled. "I hate you, I hate you Hermione Granger! Not only do you stand for good and purification, you turned the only person I ever loved against me and my friends – Draco Malfoy!"
Hermione shot a glance at him. He looked merely bored.
"I hate you to death," she whispered darkly. "Your new magic and your new image… I will personally kill you one day – one day, Granger. Watch your back."
"As do you," she snapped. Her palm again was out and Pansy withered on the ground, screaming in agony. "Have a nice life."
A flash of green came from her wand, and Pansy's screams stopped. Her lifeless eyes stared up at Hermione in shock.
At first, Hermione didn't realize it until the weight of it all collapsed on her. They had killed.
"That was wrong," she whispered suddenly. "It was all wrong. No matter what they did, what we did was wrong."
"Come on, Herm, let's go back to Bingingham," cooed the voice of Ron. Hermione felt someone lifting her, placing the invisibility cloak over her, enlarging her broom.
And then she fainted.
**-**
Hermione opened her eyes and nearly had a heart attack. Instead of seeing her star-twinkling sky-look-a-like ceiling, she was looking up at a pasty off-white one.
"She's awake!" said Harry's voice. Hermione groaned, rolled onto her side and brought a large handful of a comforter with her. Seconds later, she heard someone swear obscenely and a thump.
Draco laughed. "Potter! What a nice position you're in! You should lie on the floor more often!"
Harry growled something back in return, and Draco rolled off the other motel bed, his feet in the air as he was caught between the wall and the bed.
"Hello? Can someone help me?" he called weakly out. Ron laughed.
"Okay, what happened?" murmured Hermione, tossing the comforters away from her warm body.
"You passed out after we… err… 'disposed' of some Death Eaters," explained Draco from the floor. Harry sat down back on the bed.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"Like shit, Harry, what do you expect? I can't believe we killed people." She sighed, close to tears. "We are no better than them!"
"Hermione," said Harry softly, "they hurt many more people. They killed without a thought. We save a few people now because they're dead. It was for the better."
"We shouldn't play with people lives that way!" she wailed, sobbing. "I want Oliver…"
Harry, Ron and Draco all sighed. Ron helped Draco out from behind the bed and they stared at the sobbing girl in front of them.
"Well, I suppose we should head back," said Ron. "We're not too far from Bingingham. And if Herm wants to be with Oliver, we should get back before she goes PMS on us."
"I heard that Ronald Isaac Weasley," came a low voice.
Ron gulped and laughed weakly. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
**-**
Hermione was subdued for the rest of the trip home, staring ahead and answering questions in "yes", "no" and in the softest voice.
The three men traveling with her knew that something was wrong and that she needed Oliver immensely at that moment.
The second they touched down at Bingingham castle, they were greeted by students, by Sirius and Remus, and Oliver. Oliver had raced down the steps, seeing Hermione.
He stopped short of her. "Hermione?"
She was pale and tired; her cinnamon eyes a dull brown. "It was wrong," she whispered, before Oliver darted forward and caught her in his arms. Her students, and little Lindsay murmured, "what's wrong with Professor Granger, Professor Wood?"
Oliver's face was stricken with worry as he looked at Harry. "We're talking."
Harry nodded and followed the worried Oliver into Hermione's room. He set Hermione down on her bed, and turned to face Harry, a snarl on his face.
"What happened to her?"
"We killed them," said Harry simply, staring at his best friend's form on the bed.
"And?"
"She thinks it was wrong. How we shouldn't kill them," sighed Harry. "She kept repeating, 'this is wrong, it's all wrong' and crap like that. I can understand… but… there's still the fact that if we hadn't killed them they'd be out there killing someone else… another innocent."
Oliver nodded, wearily, and sat on the edge of the bed, running his hands through Hermione's hair. "Thanks," he said. "I'll take care of her from here."
Harry nodded and told him to take as long as he needed, and that if they wanted anything, he'd have Dobby and Winky personally see to them.
Oliver stayed by Hermione's side until she woke up, smiling at the sight of him worried sick over her.
"Are you okay? Do you need anything? Hot water? Some salt water to gurgle with or pizza? Anything?" he fretted, fluffing her pillows and smoothing her hair down.
She giggled. "Oliver… I'm fine. Really… I just… got freaked."
"I know," he whispered, his eyes looking downcast now. "I don't know how you feel, but… I want to share the pain… the horrible thoughts of it all with you."
Hermione's eyes welled up as she sat up, leaned forward, and wrapped her slender arms around Oliver's broad shoulders. Laying them flat on his back, she pulled him close.
"Just hold me," she whispered, her voice choked with tears. Oliver nodded, mutely, wrapping his strong, muscular Quidditch arms around his love.
"I'd do anything you ask, love," he whispered into her hair, as they sat holding each other close, for the rest of the evening.
**-**
A few days later, Hermione emerged from her room, Oliver still fretting over her, but not as much as before. They went back to teaching their classes, knowing sooner of later subconsciously that she – and Oliver – would have to fight and kill again.
"Looks like you've decided to visit us for once, Hermione," said Draco, and Hermione shot him an "eat me" look. Oliver also glared at him, but before the room could become any tenser, Harry spoke up.
"Herm? Any new theories?" he asked quietly.
"Basically, if you want your new powers, don't think about them. Let them come when they think you're ready for them," she said. "We're just special, okay? I don't know why we have them and I really couldn't care less." In a huff, she slouched in her seat, crossed her arms and glared at everyone from underneath her bangs.
What's wrong? Ginny's voice ventured into Hermione's "happy place".
I don't want to talk about it, but basically, I hate this. I hate living in hiding and not taking out Voldemort right now, she replied, her eyes at a spot fixed on the wall above Ron's head. I hate the killing. We're no better than those Death Eaters.
He kept glancing at her, and Ginny, somehow guessing they were talking to each other. Those two had always been a bit closer than Hermione had been with Lavender and Parvati, or her twin, Padma.
I know what you mean, but we can't go to Hogwarts right now, you know. You've barely mastered some control over your mutations, and what about the rest of us? I've been talking and reading animal minds for the past three days, how the bloody hell do you think I feel? Came Ginny's sarcastic reply. Hermione stifled a snort and sank lower in her chair when Oliver glanced over at her.
Gee, someone didn't take her daily requirement of Prozac this morning, did she? Asked Hermione humorlessly. Ginny's eyes glittered in the light dangerously.
Two words for you later, Granger: DEAD MEAT, said Ginny, glaring at Hermione in mock-anger poise.
Ron choked as he caught the last frame of thought beside his sister, and Seamus, on the other side of her paled. Both men turned to snap at Ginny, only to realize no one else seemed to care about what she said – wait, thought, they finished in their minds. She had thought that and sent that message to Hermione, who was battering her eyelashes innocently at Ginny.
Only if you can catch me, Ginny dear, replied Hermione, before verbally saying, "Excuse me, I feel a migraine coming on from all this circled opinions." With that, she sank into the ground, disappearing.
"What room is below this?" demanded Ginny instantly.
"Transfiguration, Advanced," replied Fred instantly, staring at his little sister confused.
"Thanks," she said, but as she got up, Seamus pushed her back down.
"You are so not going after Hermione, Ginny. Besides, I doubt that Oliver would like the fact that his girlfriend might become 'dead meat' if you catch her," he quipped. Ginny stared agape at him.
"Y-You heard?" she stuttered, before pulling him out of the room after Hermione.
George and Fred shared bemused glances. "Well, I wonder what's between them," said a sinister looking Fred, a cocky WWW-trademark grin on his face. George had an identical one on his identical face to his brother's.
Harry and Ron groaned. This meeting was not going the way they planned, so it was adjourned.
**-**
Ron hurried down the hallways after his sister and Seamus, wondering if she [Ginny] was really going to shish kabob Hermione.
He began wishing for more speed to search the many hallways, and before he knew it, the gray slab concrete was whirling by in a swirl of colors. Ron was traveling faster than a normal human eye could handle, blurring every edge he came to, making airwaves as strong as a gust of wind.
He found Ginny, Hermione and Seamus arguing, and stopped inches sort of colliding with Hermione, practically throwing her into the wall; though he doubted it would've hurt, she'd just go through the wall and come back slapping him senseless.
"Hey," he said coolly. "Don't even think about making Hermione into a steak, Ginny."
Hermione stared at Ron crazily, and Ginny promptly asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"
Before he knew it, Seamus was briefing him in on the "talk" in the King Arthur room, saying that Ginny was trying to evoke Hermione into materializing out of the room so she could go after her, and then have a girl-to-girl talk.
Ron felt silly right about then, and he knew his cheeks were burning. "Ah. I see."
"But, something good came out of it," pointed Seamus.
"Oh, what?" Ginny snorted. "That Ron finally is getting some sense into his thick head?"
"You know, everyday you start to sound more and more like Malfoy," said Ron darkly, glaring down at his little sister.
"That," stressed Hermione, "you found your mutation."
Ron's jaw dropped, and so did Ginny's.
"Him?" she shrieked, just as Ron yelled hoarsely, "Me?"
Seamus and Hermione laughed. Hermione said, "quite so. Ron's mutation, I suppose, is super speed. Great job. Now you can move at the speed of sound, Ronniekins."
Ron blanched before he fell to the ground in a dead faint.
"Well, I didn't think he'd take it that badly," he heard Ginny comment before he knew nothing.
**-**
"…Well, as we were all frozen at the same time, it's safe to say that our mutations will start to appear at the same time, appearing when we need them for unknown reasons. In Ron's case, to stop Ginny from murdering me, if that had truly been her intent," Ron heard someone say above him. He knew that voice.
It was the bossy know-it-all from his first year, oh yeah, Hermione Granger. She was his best friend, and girlfriend for two hours before they broke up (mutually) in fifth year.
Ron's eyes opened and his saw Lavender's head first. She stroked his cheek and said, "Ron, you're not going to like this."
"Tell me about it," he moaned, sitting up. "Why does everything have to happen to me?"
"Er," Harry said, looking uncomfortable. "Ron…"
"What?"
"While you were sleeping—"
"Fainted you mean, Harry," imputed Ginny.
"—Fainted, Ron," Harry choked.
Hermione took over, "Lavender, Harry and Draco all received their mutations. Harry has super magical abilities, it's absolutely crazy. Lavender has these weird Trelawney moments and can predict things. Actually, you're supposed to faint at the end of my sentences. Oh! And Draco can fly without a broom, much like his bouncing ferret self back in fourth year. So, what do you think?"
True to Lavender, Ron fainted again. Ginny grinned cheekily, "For someone with super speed, his brain sure is slow."
**-**