Hermione Granger

By: Df^Witchblade

nakiinfante@yahoo.com

Chapter 3: Detention and

the Felicitious potion

Dinner in the Great Hall

Nothing new. People chattering. Hermione still doesn't speak to Ron. Malfoy has a bandage thing on his nose as Pansy kept cooing to Draco. Draco on the other hand was ignoring Pansy's idiotic actions as he rested his head on his palm with his elbow on the table and drumming his fingers. Oh! and Neville was still looking at Hermione dumbfounded. After much eating and talking of the students in all four houses Dumbledore stood up and everyone became quiet.

"As you all know, we will still have our Yule ball this coming month. But, before that, we will have a talent show,"

The Great Hall was then filled with whispers and excited comments. Dumbledore held up both his hands to mention silence. And continued,

"A talent show, for any year to enter. But, first you need to write down your name and place it in the box that Professor McGonagll will provide. After all the students have written down and placed their names in a box, we will announce it by tomorrow at dinnertime so you can prepare any talent you wish to perform. There will also be prizes that would be given to the best performance the person or group for that matter, will present. After that there will be a dance, just an ordinary one. No fancy clothes. Now, as all have been said, you may proceed with your dinner and have fun with your weekend."

At that moment, the Great Hall was filled with cheers and laughter as they all stood up and went out of the Great Hall to their houses.

*                        *                       *

Ron waited in the common room for the time to strike 7:50 on his watched that Hermione gave him last year. Of course Hermione taught him the hour hand, minute hand and the seconds. It was tough though. He never got it until Hermione called Fred and George to do something for her. It only took Ron 5 seconds to figure it out as the twins both held spiders that were enlarged to be the exact size as their hands. Ron chuckled at the thought then looked at his watch again. It only said 7:30. He needed the time anyway, to think. He just sat there looking at the blazing fire as he thought about Hermione. Although they fought countless times he still cared about her. Especially, when she said those things to Malfoy. It wouldn't be a surprise if Malfoy hexed her to the day she died. He must admit though, she did say some harsh things to Malfoy. But there's one thing he is sure of, he really missed the old Hermione. Being bossy and sometimes annoying, well, that made her different. That made her Hermione.

Ron looked at his watch again and left.

*                        *                       *

"Harry, may I speak to you for just a minute?"

Harry recognized that voice as he turned to face Ginny who was still at the door.

"Sure. Come on in." Harry said smiling at her as he placed his book down and patted the bed beckoning her to sit with him.

Ginny hesitated for a moment as she looked around.

 "No one's here. They're all in the common room." Harry reassured her.

Then she nodded and went to his bed and sat.

"So what's the problem?"

"Well, it's Hermione."

*                          *                         *

"Oh for the love of--!"  Hermione spat as she looked at her digital watch that said 8:01. She was running through the corridors to find the room that she was supposed to be in. Well, the rooms in the dungeon all look the same. No one could blame her really, if she was found wondering there, lost. She looked and looked until she came into a screeching stop and found the red headed Ron. As she entered the room, she walked over to where he was. She tapped him on the shoulder. Nothing. She tapped him again only harder. Still nothing.

"Ron! Wake up!" She shouted in his ear. Well that got his attention. Unfortunately, he was too far off on his chair that he fell backwards with a loud THUD.

Hermione was shock for a moment but started to laugh. Ron sat up with his hands on the floor as he shook his head.

"What was that for, Hermione!" He looked up at her as he shouted. Hermione was stifling a laugh as she held out her hand. Ron took it, but pulled her down and she dropped on his side. She was quite speechless for a moment then looked at him.

"See how you like it." He said smiling. Then laughed.

"Well, you could have seen your face. It was priceless!"

Then they both laughed.

*                    *                 *

"I see. So you also know about the 'Hermione and Ron' Problem."

Ginny nodded in reply. Harry was thoughtful for a moment as he paced back and forth while Ginny just watched him still sitting on Harry's bed.

"What else do you know?"

" Well, after I overheard you and Ron talk. I decided to tell Hermione tomorrow. But then I thought I'd go to her dorm first because she might still be awake. As I tiptoed to her bed, I heard her muttering about forgetting my brother and making a new start or something. After all that I didn't have the heart to tell her the next day."

"Mm Hmm," Harry said still pacing around.

"I just can't stand them fighting anymore. It's like the term muggles use, fighting like cats and dogs." Ginny said partly to herself as she frowned facing the sheet of the four-poster bed. Then he stopped, looking like he just saw Voldemort in a girl's nightie. Ginny gave him a weird expression then stood up a bit scared and confused.

"What? What is it?"

Harry looked at her with a twinkle in his eye and a wide grin. Suddenly, he scoped her up as he twirled her around and hugged her tightly then let her down.

"You're a genius, Ginny!" Then ran out of his dormitory. Leaving a very bewildered Ginny.

As Ginny walked out the door with a really weird look and a smile no one could understand. She made her way to her Dormitory. Whatever I did. I hope I can remember doing it again and maybe I can get more out of that guy. She thought with a sigh as she closed the door to her dormitory.

*                        *                       *

"Where the hell is he?! He's twenty minutes late!"

Hermione threw her hands over her head. Ron was just sitting on the table looking at her.

"Well, you're awfully quiet tonight? What's up?" Hermione asked looking at him in concern. Then sat beside him.

He looked down and shrugged as he lazily stood up. " It's just that… Um… You're talking to me now… You know…"  Did that make sense?

She cocked an eyebrow. Okay… that answered it. Then snape entered which was a relief for Ron with that awkward moment. He was muttering something as he glided toward his desk.

"… open your books to page 387 and do as it tells you. You are allowed to get the potions needed. I expect everything to be cleaned when I come back. I will also expect your potions to be perfectly made as you will be drinking it."  He said and glided out of the room. Both students just looked at him in astonishment.

"Well that was fast. Wonder what happened… do you?"

"Beats me but we better get started before he comes back. I don't want points to be reduced from our house and he isn't defined as 'fair' either. " She shrugged as she walked over to the table and got her book.

"Okay, you get the potions as I read them to you." She said as she sat on the table looking at the book.

"Ay, ay capt'n!" He said completed with a salute and went to get the potions as Hermione read.

Hermione just rolled her eyes then smiled, covering her blushed cheeks with her book held with both hands.

*                  *                 *

"I see your starting to do a bit of reading." Hermione said as she walked over to their table bringing the cauldron. Ron had a quite understandable expression of confusion on his face as he pointed to where he was reading. Hermione leaned forward and furrowed her eyebrows as she read.

"Felicitious Mentalis," She read aloud as Ron got the cauldron she was holding and placed it on the table.

"Is this what we're gonna make?" She asked taking her eyes of the book and looked at Ron.

"Afraid so."

"But this is advanced magic! No one can perform this unless a person with great knowledge or power." She said as she looked back at the book then at Ron in disbelief. Ron just looked at her with the guess-who's-the-smart-one look. But Hermione left it aside and read the book over again.

"Well, all I know is Felicitious Mentalis isn't all as it's thought to be. Some people might think about it being Felicitous-Feline and Mentalis-about thought or something. But it's quite difficult to say that, it's the quite confusing at times." He said and shrugged arranging the potions in order.

"How did you know that? About the Felicitous magic?"

"Hermione, don't you remember? My Dad's with the Ministry of Magic also my brother Percy of course…" He looked thoughtful for a while then looked up to see Hermione's confused expression.

"Okay, I'll tell it to you. But first we better make the potion 'cause Snape might be back soon and give us double detention or something." Hermione nodded in agreement and they worked quietly for sometime. I just hope that this wouldn't be the last potion I'd make…

*           *            *

"The first time I heard of Felicitious Mentalis was last summer. My Dad and Percy were in a very serious conversation about it and I can't help but listen to them…"

-A bit of flashback-

" Another one of those incidents, dear?"

"Yes, Molly. I'm afraid to say this has been the terrible one we have ever had."

Arthur Weasley sighed as he gave his cloak to his very concerned wife.

"Dad had to do it double time and had to make a memory charm and all!" Percy Weasley said as he entered after his Father. Arthur slumped into a chair feeling really tired.

"I'll make tea as you tell me all about it." She said as she placed the cloak in on the rack and made tea. Ron gave a really big yawn as he and Harry entered the kitchen and sat opposite Ron's father and Percy.

"Thanks, Molly, dear."

"So why don't you tell us about it."

Mr. Weasley took a sip of his tea then put it down.

"Well, a wizard who lived with this muggle people placed a potion on their kettle instead of tea. He was a weird one actually. We never really know why he did it. Was a crazy one he is…"

"Yeah, we figured he was experimenting on them muggles." Percy chimed and sipped his tea.

"But what was the potion he made?" Asked Mrs. Weasley as her eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.

"You wouldn't believe it, Molly, even if I told you. It was--," He stopped a bit unsure if he should tell them. Then he looked at both Harry and Ron.

"Boys, I think you better not be in this first… Your not old enough…"

Ron wanted to say something but thought better of it as Harry put a hand on his shoulder. They stood up and went. Mr. Weasley made sure they were out of earshot then continued.

"It was the Felicitious Mentalis."

Mrs. Weasley gasp with her hand covering her mouth. Having the impression like hearing the most dreadful thing aside from Voldemort.

"Could-could it be? How did you know it was the felicitious potion?"

"Well, Felicitious Mentalis. Affects Muggles and wizards differently. Basically, they might think that it has to do with cats and mental-mind or thought. If humans drink it sometimes they become cats and others well… some are very fatal and too gruesome to talk about it… No one really understood what that potion really does. Well, if a muggle drank it and became a cat they could never turn back to what their original form and any contact with it, any scratch, any bite, anything out of it would spread to the other person and either die or become a cat too." He stopped and took another sip of his tea.

" And some people might think it's nothing if you're a cat," Percy continued. "But that certain type of cat doesn't eat rat's or birds… It eats its kind. It eats other cats, carnivores!"

"Yes, and it's such a sad thing too. We had to kill 12 muggles because of him. Poor people…" Mr. Weasley said shaking his head as he looked down. Silence fell upon them then he continued. "We trapped that wizard but he put up a fight and drank some of it. Unfortunately he wasn't strong enough so-he died. Chocked to death." Both Percy and Mr. Weasley shook their head and looked down. Mrs. Weasley was quite shaken about it.

-End-

"So that's how I knew all about it."

"That's terrible! All those muggles who were innocent… But wait! What if wizard or witches drank it? You know, who were stronger?"  She asked as her voice trembled a bit.

Ron shrugged. " I never heard some of it then because they stopped."

"Is Snape gonna murder us?!" Hermione said a bit shrilly now as she was terrified of the thought of what was going to happen if they drank it.

So how was the come back? Is it long enough? Hope ya like it… Oh!  Love cliffhangers. Hope that wasn't to lame… Read the next chapter to what's in store for the. Is this plan for good or for their graves…