Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and situations are
property of J.K. Rowling.
~Chapter 2~
Feasts and Announcements
Scene: Hogwarts, Great Hall
Harry and Hermione eventually found Ron sitting with Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown.
"Go away you backstabber!" Parvati yelled at Hermione.
"Yeah, get out Hermione, we don't want to talk to you." Lavender was visibly mad.
"Fine, I'll leave." Hermione turned on her heel and strode back to her compartment.
"Go after her why don't you Harry," spat Ron.
"Ron, what the hell is the matter with you?" Harry was now extremely mad.
"Oh, like you don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, come on Harry. I know why she broke up with Krum!"
"Well I'd appreciate it if you'd fill me in!"
The two boys were screaming at the top of their lungs.
"Harry, she has no interest in me. She like you!"
"What do you mean, we're just friends!"
"Oh, god Harry, you're thick! Don't you remember what happened in June?"
"Ron that was just a friendly good-bye kiss on the cheek."
"Oh, well then, how come I didn't get one too? Huh? Answer me that!"
"I don't know why Ron. I'm sorry, but you're wrong about Hermione, she doesn't see me as more as a friend."
"Get out Harry!"
"Fine, I'm leaving!" Harry turned and almost ran into a first year that looked terrified, because of the booming of their voices.
Harry made his way back to the compartment only to find Hermione with her knee's tucked to her chest sobbing.
"Herm, are you okay?"
"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to get you involved."
"Hermione, like you said to me earlier, I will always be there for you."
"Thank you Harry," Hermione sniffled.
"It's okay." Harry gathered Hermione into a hug as Draco Malfoy came back.
"Hello all!" He said cheerily. "How's the train ride? Can I get you anything? Anything at all?"
"Oh, god, this is going to be annoying."
"Draco, why don't you go ask Pansy if she'd like anything."
"Okay!" With that Draco skipped off, humming 'I feel pretty' to himself.
"I've created a monster!" cried Hermione as she burst out laughing.
"Well, his timing was good, you seem to be cheered up."
"Yeah."
Just then a voice boomed throughout the train. "WE WILL BE ARRIVING AT HOGSMEADE MOMENTARILY. PLEASE CHANGE INTO YOUR ROBES IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO. THANK YOU."
Hermione stood up and grabbed her robes off the hanger on which they were hung.
"I'll be right back." She told Harry that she would only be a minute.
Harry pulled his robes over his head and said, "Good enough."
As Hermione returned dressed in the school uniform the train began to slow. Soon it came to a halt and the students began to file from it.
Harry and Hermione got a carriage to themselves, as Ron didn't want to look at them, let alone sit in an enclosed area with them.
"Hermione?"
"Hmm?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure. What?"
"Well, Ron seems to think that you broke up with Viktor because of me. Is that true?"
"Do you want to know the truth?"
"It would be nice."
Hermione took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she stared out the window.
"All right Harry, the answer is yes. I don't know why, but."
"Herm, it's okay, I just wanted to know. But, don't tell Ron, okay?"
"Yeah."
"Come on, we're here. If we hurry we'll get good seats."
"I'm right behind you."
Harry and Hermione walked into the Entrance Hall to find a group of second year girls huddled in a corner, as Peeves was throwing stones at them.
"Peeves, I'll get the Bloody Baron if you don't leave them alone," cried Hermione, she had been made a prefect so Peeves took her threat seriously. But before he left he made a rather obscene gesture with his finger and stuck his tongue out at her.
"Come on Harry, let's go." Hermione and Harry were getting quite a few queer looks from the population of Hogwarts who had heard about the fight.
As the Great Hall became peaked in noise Dumbledore's voice sounded above the chatter.
"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. We will now begin the sorting of the new first years. Professor McGonagall, if you please."
Professor McGonagall strode to the front of the Hall with a train of scared looking first year behind her.
The sorting lasted for almost a half hour. Slytherin gained five new boys and 4 new girls. Ravenclaw gained 4 new boys and 5 new girls. Hufflepuff gained 3 new boys and 7 new girls. Gryffindor gained four girls and 8 boys. Each of the new students was met at their table amidst tremendous applause.
Mainly Draco Malfoy, who was still under Hermione's spell, greeted the new Slytherins. One of his famous greetings consisted of the latest version of Mary J. Blige's 'Family Affair' and white cheddar cheese.
Professor Dumbledore then announced that there was to be a 'Welcome Back Ball' for all students fifth year students because Professor Lupin has returned to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. "It will be next month on the first Saturday. All should attend."
After the feast was over, the prefects were to take the first years to the dormitories and common rooms. Hermione led the new Gryffindor students to the entrance of the Gryffindor House. "The boys Dormitories are up the stairs and to the left, and the girls to the right. As you will find, your belongings have already been placed inside your rooms."
As soon as the first years had gone to their rooms, Harry came into the Gryffindor commons. "Hermione," he called, "I want to talk to you."
"Sure, Harry." She sat down, and Harry beside her.
"I'm not sure where to start. Ahem. Umm." he looked her intensely with his deep green eyes.
"What?"
"W-Would you like to go to the ball with me?" Harry was visibly nervous, even though he knew that she would say yes.
"I-I-I.well." she blushed, "Yes, I would, Harry." They smiled at each other.
"Well, I have to go. Dumbledore wanted to see me about something. Bye." With that Harry headed out the door to Dumbledore's office. He had a feeling that something wasn't right when he had spoken to Dumbledore in the Great Hall, but now he was sure of it. But what could it be?
~Chapter 2~
Feasts and Announcements
Scene: Hogwarts, Great Hall
Harry and Hermione eventually found Ron sitting with Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown.
"Go away you backstabber!" Parvati yelled at Hermione.
"Yeah, get out Hermione, we don't want to talk to you." Lavender was visibly mad.
"Fine, I'll leave." Hermione turned on her heel and strode back to her compartment.
"Go after her why don't you Harry," spat Ron.
"Ron, what the hell is the matter with you?" Harry was now extremely mad.
"Oh, like you don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, come on Harry. I know why she broke up with Krum!"
"Well I'd appreciate it if you'd fill me in!"
The two boys were screaming at the top of their lungs.
"Harry, she has no interest in me. She like you!"
"What do you mean, we're just friends!"
"Oh, god Harry, you're thick! Don't you remember what happened in June?"
"Ron that was just a friendly good-bye kiss on the cheek."
"Oh, well then, how come I didn't get one too? Huh? Answer me that!"
"I don't know why Ron. I'm sorry, but you're wrong about Hermione, she doesn't see me as more as a friend."
"Get out Harry!"
"Fine, I'm leaving!" Harry turned and almost ran into a first year that looked terrified, because of the booming of their voices.
Harry made his way back to the compartment only to find Hermione with her knee's tucked to her chest sobbing.
"Herm, are you okay?"
"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to get you involved."
"Hermione, like you said to me earlier, I will always be there for you."
"Thank you Harry," Hermione sniffled.
"It's okay." Harry gathered Hermione into a hug as Draco Malfoy came back.
"Hello all!" He said cheerily. "How's the train ride? Can I get you anything? Anything at all?"
"Oh, god, this is going to be annoying."
"Draco, why don't you go ask Pansy if she'd like anything."
"Okay!" With that Draco skipped off, humming 'I feel pretty' to himself.
"I've created a monster!" cried Hermione as she burst out laughing.
"Well, his timing was good, you seem to be cheered up."
"Yeah."
Just then a voice boomed throughout the train. "WE WILL BE ARRIVING AT HOGSMEADE MOMENTARILY. PLEASE CHANGE INTO YOUR ROBES IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO. THANK YOU."
Hermione stood up and grabbed her robes off the hanger on which they were hung.
"I'll be right back." She told Harry that she would only be a minute.
Harry pulled his robes over his head and said, "Good enough."
As Hermione returned dressed in the school uniform the train began to slow. Soon it came to a halt and the students began to file from it.
Harry and Hermione got a carriage to themselves, as Ron didn't want to look at them, let alone sit in an enclosed area with them.
"Hermione?"
"Hmm?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure. What?"
"Well, Ron seems to think that you broke up with Viktor because of me. Is that true?"
"Do you want to know the truth?"
"It would be nice."
Hermione took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she stared out the window.
"All right Harry, the answer is yes. I don't know why, but."
"Herm, it's okay, I just wanted to know. But, don't tell Ron, okay?"
"Yeah."
"Come on, we're here. If we hurry we'll get good seats."
"I'm right behind you."
Harry and Hermione walked into the Entrance Hall to find a group of second year girls huddled in a corner, as Peeves was throwing stones at them.
"Peeves, I'll get the Bloody Baron if you don't leave them alone," cried Hermione, she had been made a prefect so Peeves took her threat seriously. But before he left he made a rather obscene gesture with his finger and stuck his tongue out at her.
"Come on Harry, let's go." Hermione and Harry were getting quite a few queer looks from the population of Hogwarts who had heard about the fight.
As the Great Hall became peaked in noise Dumbledore's voice sounded above the chatter.
"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. We will now begin the sorting of the new first years. Professor McGonagall, if you please."
Professor McGonagall strode to the front of the Hall with a train of scared looking first year behind her.
The sorting lasted for almost a half hour. Slytherin gained five new boys and 4 new girls. Ravenclaw gained 4 new boys and 5 new girls. Hufflepuff gained 3 new boys and 7 new girls. Gryffindor gained four girls and 8 boys. Each of the new students was met at their table amidst tremendous applause.
Mainly Draco Malfoy, who was still under Hermione's spell, greeted the new Slytherins. One of his famous greetings consisted of the latest version of Mary J. Blige's 'Family Affair' and white cheddar cheese.
Professor Dumbledore then announced that there was to be a 'Welcome Back Ball' for all students fifth year students because Professor Lupin has returned to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. "It will be next month on the first Saturday. All should attend."
After the feast was over, the prefects were to take the first years to the dormitories and common rooms. Hermione led the new Gryffindor students to the entrance of the Gryffindor House. "The boys Dormitories are up the stairs and to the left, and the girls to the right. As you will find, your belongings have already been placed inside your rooms."
As soon as the first years had gone to their rooms, Harry came into the Gryffindor commons. "Hermione," he called, "I want to talk to you."
"Sure, Harry." She sat down, and Harry beside her.
"I'm not sure where to start. Ahem. Umm." he looked her intensely with his deep green eyes.
"What?"
"W-Would you like to go to the ball with me?" Harry was visibly nervous, even though he knew that she would say yes.
"I-I-I.well." she blushed, "Yes, I would, Harry." They smiled at each other.
"Well, I have to go. Dumbledore wanted to see me about something. Bye." With that Harry headed out the door to Dumbledore's office. He had a feeling that something wasn't right when he had spoken to Dumbledore in the Great Hall, but now he was sure of it. But what could it be?