~*You were only waiting for this moment to arise, Blackbirds singing in the
dead of night. Take these sunken eyes and learn to see*~
Hermione poured over the large textbook, pausing to take notes every so often. She had four big exams the next day, and she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She hadn't slept at all last night, it was past midnight and it was beginning to catch up with her. Her hair had been put in a messy bun, and every so often a stand of hair would slip out annoying her to no end. Quill poised, she read the next page, hoping it wasn't about Uric the Oddball, she already knew most of what he did. "Grindewald was the most powerful dark wizard of his time, he is best known, however for his hatred of Muggle-borns. Grindewald was responsible for many deaths of Muggle- borns, justifying this to his supporters by saying they were inferior." Hermione sighed, and closed her eyes for a minute. Then shocked that she had wasted valuable time, she ripped open another book and started searching desperately for more information.
"Hermione?" She jumped and let out what could only be called a squeal.
"Ron, you scared the-, I really need to study, I can't do badly on this, I'm still a little fuzzy on the Cheikidum Curse, and I need-, I can't, there's so much-," Hermione ran a hand through her hair, looking very frantic and very stressful.
"Hermione, you have got to calm down," said Ron, looking into her eyes.
"No, I can't, I need to study,"
"Why? You're the smartest witch in the year, you just need to relax,"
"I can't!" she said, her voice breaking. Tears filled her eyes, and she tried to blink them back.
"Hermione, what's wrong? You know you'll ace them! It's alright." His blue eyes filled with concern, and he gently shut her book.
"I have to pr-p-prove them wrong," she gasped, tears now falling freely.
"Who?" Ron didn't know what do to, he had never known what do to when people cried, when he was little he always hugged his Mum, but now, he hadn't the slightest on how to comfort one of his best friends.
"The-them,"
"Hermione, who's them?" He felt so helpless; he didn't know how to make her stop, stop crying.
"Them, Wha-when they say Muh-muggle-borns are inferior and, b-before that, I wa-was always just weird, a- and ," she gasped and put her arm around Ron, crying into the folds of his robes, " They ne-ever thought I was g- good enough, I need t-to prove them wrong, I need to-,"
"You'll always be tops to me,"
"Oh Ron!" said Hermione looking up, and wiping away her still falling tears, "Youre just so-, so you," He laughed.
"Is that a good thing?"
"Yes, Ron, it is." They sat like that for a long time, Hermione's head buried in Ron's robes, still crying softly, while Ron comforted her the best he could.
~*~
Harry stood on the top of the hill, watching, the wind brought the acrid burning smell into his nostrils. The town below him was entirely engulfed in flames, people were screaming. He watched, his legs unwilling to move, the hooded wizards cackling and pointing their wands at small children, and then there was more shrieks of pain. A tall dark figure appeared from the midst of the flames and advanced on a cowering women. Harry tried to run, tried to help, but he was rooted to the very spot. The tall figure lowered it's hood, and grabbed the bawling woman by the neck. "No!" Harry shouted, but it did not help. The dementor had already preformed it's fatal kiss. More killings, more crucitus curses, more destruction. Harry looked around for a sign, where was this? Finally he spotted a sign, flames licking it's edges, "Platibella". Above the town, the Dark Mark shone and glinted in the smoke filled sky, but in it another Death Eater raised his wand and simultaneously four toddlers were killed by a jet of green light. Behind him, he heard a voice. He turned quickly, and behind him he saw none other than Lord Voldemort. Harry's scar felt like it was on fire. Voldemort turned to a fellow death eater, sounding pleased with himself. "This was pleasant wasn't it? Oh, but Hogsmeade will be much more fun, Dumbledore won't know what hit him. Then we'll move on to that Muggle loving fool's precious school." He let out a cold high laugh.
Harry woke with a start. The dreams had been occurring more frequently now. His head felt as if someone had just plunged a dagger into his forehead. He leaped out of bed, holding his scar, and raced down the spiral stairs. He didn't even notice Ron and Hermione who had fallen asleep in each other's arms. Running through the common room, pushing open the portrait hole, and continuing down the hallway, Harry had but one thought, Get to Dumbledore.
Hermione poured over the large textbook, pausing to take notes every so often. She had four big exams the next day, and she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She hadn't slept at all last night, it was past midnight and it was beginning to catch up with her. Her hair had been put in a messy bun, and every so often a stand of hair would slip out annoying her to no end. Quill poised, she read the next page, hoping it wasn't about Uric the Oddball, she already knew most of what he did. "Grindewald was the most powerful dark wizard of his time, he is best known, however for his hatred of Muggle-borns. Grindewald was responsible for many deaths of Muggle- borns, justifying this to his supporters by saying they were inferior." Hermione sighed, and closed her eyes for a minute. Then shocked that she had wasted valuable time, she ripped open another book and started searching desperately for more information.
"Hermione?" She jumped and let out what could only be called a squeal.
"Ron, you scared the-, I really need to study, I can't do badly on this, I'm still a little fuzzy on the Cheikidum Curse, and I need-, I can't, there's so much-," Hermione ran a hand through her hair, looking very frantic and very stressful.
"Hermione, you have got to calm down," said Ron, looking into her eyes.
"No, I can't, I need to study,"
"Why? You're the smartest witch in the year, you just need to relax,"
"I can't!" she said, her voice breaking. Tears filled her eyes, and she tried to blink them back.
"Hermione, what's wrong? You know you'll ace them! It's alright." His blue eyes filled with concern, and he gently shut her book.
"I have to pr-p-prove them wrong," she gasped, tears now falling freely.
"Who?" Ron didn't know what do to, he had never known what do to when people cried, when he was little he always hugged his Mum, but now, he hadn't the slightest on how to comfort one of his best friends.
"The-them,"
"Hermione, who's them?" He felt so helpless; he didn't know how to make her stop, stop crying.
"Them, Wha-when they say Muh-muggle-borns are inferior and, b-before that, I wa-was always just weird, a- and ," she gasped and put her arm around Ron, crying into the folds of his robes, " They ne-ever thought I was g- good enough, I need t-to prove them wrong, I need to-,"
"You'll always be tops to me,"
"Oh Ron!" said Hermione looking up, and wiping away her still falling tears, "Youre just so-, so you," He laughed.
"Is that a good thing?"
"Yes, Ron, it is." They sat like that for a long time, Hermione's head buried in Ron's robes, still crying softly, while Ron comforted her the best he could.
~*~
Harry stood on the top of the hill, watching, the wind brought the acrid burning smell into his nostrils. The town below him was entirely engulfed in flames, people were screaming. He watched, his legs unwilling to move, the hooded wizards cackling and pointing their wands at small children, and then there was more shrieks of pain. A tall dark figure appeared from the midst of the flames and advanced on a cowering women. Harry tried to run, tried to help, but he was rooted to the very spot. The tall figure lowered it's hood, and grabbed the bawling woman by the neck. "No!" Harry shouted, but it did not help. The dementor had already preformed it's fatal kiss. More killings, more crucitus curses, more destruction. Harry looked around for a sign, where was this? Finally he spotted a sign, flames licking it's edges, "Platibella". Above the town, the Dark Mark shone and glinted in the smoke filled sky, but in it another Death Eater raised his wand and simultaneously four toddlers were killed by a jet of green light. Behind him, he heard a voice. He turned quickly, and behind him he saw none other than Lord Voldemort. Harry's scar felt like it was on fire. Voldemort turned to a fellow death eater, sounding pleased with himself. "This was pleasant wasn't it? Oh, but Hogsmeade will be much more fun, Dumbledore won't know what hit him. Then we'll move on to that Muggle loving fool's precious school." He let out a cold high laugh.
Harry woke with a start. The dreams had been occurring more frequently now. His head felt as if someone had just plunged a dagger into his forehead. He leaped out of bed, holding his scar, and raced down the spiral stairs. He didn't even notice Ron and Hermione who had fallen asleep in each other's arms. Running through the common room, pushing open the portrait hole, and continuing down the hallway, Harry had but one thought, Get to Dumbledore.
