"Honestly! A good-looking girl comes
along and he goes all funny."
-Hermione
Harry sadly found the next day was not one of his best. Usually the first day back wasn't too bad. Teachers were pretty much settling in as were the students. But that day, Harry had never gotten so much homework in all his life. It irritated him, as he would be spending the first night away from the Durlsey's on homework. But, as usual, Harry got the most homework from his least favourite potions teacher. Snape.
Snape appeared to have required new levels of malice over the summer, and relished taking as many points from Gryffindor as possible. He started of course with Harry and Ron who were foolishly using his demonstration of Acne Potions as Duelling Fights with their wands under the table. Snape wouldn't have seen them if Malfoy hadn't taken the opportunity to say very loudly,
"Oh DO grow up, you two! Professor is trying to help us with future exams and you're disrupting my learning."
Snape thanked Malfoy with his eyes and took a nice round fifty points from Gryffindor before the bell rang.
"Must be on minus points now," said Ron gloomily as they passed Nearly Headless Nick on the way to lunch. "Must be some kind of record."
Hermione shot him a 'you-were-messing-around' look that Ron ignored. "Exams aren't for moths yet!"
Just as he said that, Harry touched shoulders with someone lightly as he passed, but the effect was amazing. He felt a sharp blast of cold air travel down his spine and a flash of blinding light danced across his pupils. He screwed up his eyes and he thought he could see a figure in front of him. He tried to see who it was, but his vision had become foggy and he wasn't aware of anybody around him, even Ron or Hermione. As quickly as it had happened, as though someone had thrown cold water over his head, he was brought back to his senses.
"Watch where you're going! You stupid." it was Cadence. She stopped at the sight of him and reached down to pick up her dropped bag and smashed quills on the floor.
"I'm sorry, I.I only touched you. How did."
But Ron was poking him in the back. "It's only a Malfoy, Harry. Come on!"
Harry shook his head. "No, something weird happened then. Did you feel anything weird, Cadence?" he asked her.
"Only a searing pain in my arm thanks to you. My brother was right, you are a klutz!" and she stormed off, leaving Ron to chuckle heartily.
"It's not funny, Ron. Something really odd just happened. I saw a person, like a flash of light, but I couldn't see who it was. And didn't it just get really cold in here or is it just me?"
"Once again Harry, its just you!" said Hermione. "Honestly, a good looking girl comes along and he goes all.funny."
"Her? Good looking?" shouted Ron as they continued moving once more. "She's a Malfoy!"
"Just because HE'S not all that handsome, doesn't mean she isn't. Besides, his mother was quite pretty, do you remember?" said Hermione matter-of-factly.
"What, the one at the Quidditch World Cup? Well, maybe but."
"Hey! I haven't gone all funny!" said Harry, suddenly realizing what Hermione had said.
That evening was boring for all. Homework had returned in magnum force and Harry felt miserable and troubled at what had happened earlier with Cadence. For some reason, he didn't want her to think that he was a klutz. He hated Malfoy for telling her so as well, but he didn't let on to Ron and Hermione. He suddenly felt a fresh surge of hatred towards Malfoy. Why did he have to be such a jerk? Harry would never understand or be able to express to anyone how much he loathed Malfoy. Not even his best friends. His thoughts of Malfoy being mutilated by a giant Basilisk were disrupted by.
"Hiya, Harry!"
It was Colin and Dennis Creevey. Ron was smirking and Harry wished he would stop.
"Can we have a picture? First day back and all.I've only got two years left at Hogwarts you know.odd isn't it?"
Harry was thinking silently to himself how hard it was to believe that Colin Creevey was only a year younger than him but brought himself back to his senses to avoid any more embarrassment; some people were beginning to look over with amused expressions on their faces. Dean Thomas did an impression of a book signing whilst Shamus Finnegan fell about with laughter. It was all Hermione could do not to join in.
"Tell you what, Colin. Instead of a photo, why don't I help you with your homework?"
The Creevey brothers looked like Harry had just offered them a million Galleons.
"Wow! Really? Are you sure? D'you hear that, Dennis? Harry Potter help us with homework?"
Harry was forced to spend the entire evening sitting with the Creevey brothers, helping them with Astronomy. It became more bearable when Ron, putting down his Potions textbook, came to join in. Both Harry and Ron amused themselves by giving Colin and Dennis tragic predictions to write down for Professor Trewlany, as they themselves had done in their fourth year. It was actually rather good fun.
Harry and Ron trudged up to bed late that night, leaving the only person still working alone. Hermione.
"She's insane," muttered Ron as they climbed the steps to the dormitories. "We haven't even been here for forty eight hours!"
That night, Harry had a very strange dream. He was riding on the back of a familiar stag, "must be Prongs" Harry thought as they swept across the misty Hogwarts grounds in the middle of the night, (how Harry knew it was the middle of the night, he did not know.)
Ahead of him was a strange silvery mist. At first he thought it was a Patronus, but then realised it was a person. The person was emitting that strange silvery light. As they drew closer, Harry was aware of a great danger, but whether it meant that the figure was a danger to him or that she herself was in danger, or even both, Harry wasn't sure. She. It was definitely a girl; woman in fact.
Suddenly there was a large bang behind him and Harry sensed the danger even more. Prongs was fading beneath him, he wasn't riding anything at all. Harry was suddenly aware of the height he had achieved whilst aboard the stag. But now he was going down.down into darkness.
"ARGH!"
He sat up in a sweat. Thankfully, his cry had been muffled by his pillow and no one had woken up. He suddenly felt very thirsty and decided to go down to the Common Room.
As he descended, the fire had almost burnt itself out and there was a dull red glow about the room. He suddenly noticed Hermione was still there. She had fallen asleep, her head resting on an Arithmacy book, her hands spread out peacefully, her breathing lifting a strand of hair off her face every two seconds. Harry suddenly realised how beautiful she was. Then he felt disgusted with himself! It was Hermione for Christ sake!
He carefully went over to her sleeping spot and lifted the book out from under her head. He had tried not to wake her, thinking that his eyes would give him away, but he had failed. She stirred, and Harry actually considered hiding; but that would be petty.
"Oh, Harry. It's just you. What are you doing here?" she asked groggily.
"Oh, I just had.a nightmare. I was coming to get a drink," he said truthfully.
"Was it about.about."
Harry didn't really know what she was talking about but when he had figured out, he let her continue to encourage her to say the name.
"Voldemort?" she whispered.
"No," Harry said.
"We haven't heard anything about him for a while now, have we?" she said incredulously.
"No. But that's a good sign I guess," Harry said, thinking aloud in his head.
"Oh well. I'm really tired now, Harry. I think I'm going to bed."
"It's only the first night back, and you're still going to have bags around your eyes tomorrow," he commented.
Hermione laughed. "Like anyone would notice."
Harry paused for a moment. "I would," he said seriously. Why had he said that?
But Hermione didn't seem to think anything of it. "Good night, Harry," she said sleepily and left the Common Room up to the girls' dormitory leaving Harry feeling cross with himself, uneasy about his nightmare and wishing that Hermione hadn't brought up the subject of Voldemort. Now he really would have nightmares and he would see whom the face belonged to in them.
Harry sadly found the next day was not one of his best. Usually the first day back wasn't too bad. Teachers were pretty much settling in as were the students. But that day, Harry had never gotten so much homework in all his life. It irritated him, as he would be spending the first night away from the Durlsey's on homework. But, as usual, Harry got the most homework from his least favourite potions teacher. Snape.
Snape appeared to have required new levels of malice over the summer, and relished taking as many points from Gryffindor as possible. He started of course with Harry and Ron who were foolishly using his demonstration of Acne Potions as Duelling Fights with their wands under the table. Snape wouldn't have seen them if Malfoy hadn't taken the opportunity to say very loudly,
"Oh DO grow up, you two! Professor is trying to help us with future exams and you're disrupting my learning."
Snape thanked Malfoy with his eyes and took a nice round fifty points from Gryffindor before the bell rang.
"Must be on minus points now," said Ron gloomily as they passed Nearly Headless Nick on the way to lunch. "Must be some kind of record."
Hermione shot him a 'you-were-messing-around' look that Ron ignored. "Exams aren't for moths yet!"
Just as he said that, Harry touched shoulders with someone lightly as he passed, but the effect was amazing. He felt a sharp blast of cold air travel down his spine and a flash of blinding light danced across his pupils. He screwed up his eyes and he thought he could see a figure in front of him. He tried to see who it was, but his vision had become foggy and he wasn't aware of anybody around him, even Ron or Hermione. As quickly as it had happened, as though someone had thrown cold water over his head, he was brought back to his senses.
"Watch where you're going! You stupid." it was Cadence. She stopped at the sight of him and reached down to pick up her dropped bag and smashed quills on the floor.
"I'm sorry, I.I only touched you. How did."
But Ron was poking him in the back. "It's only a Malfoy, Harry. Come on!"
Harry shook his head. "No, something weird happened then. Did you feel anything weird, Cadence?" he asked her.
"Only a searing pain in my arm thanks to you. My brother was right, you are a klutz!" and she stormed off, leaving Ron to chuckle heartily.
"It's not funny, Ron. Something really odd just happened. I saw a person, like a flash of light, but I couldn't see who it was. And didn't it just get really cold in here or is it just me?"
"Once again Harry, its just you!" said Hermione. "Honestly, a good looking girl comes along and he goes all.funny."
"Her? Good looking?" shouted Ron as they continued moving once more. "She's a Malfoy!"
"Just because HE'S not all that handsome, doesn't mean she isn't. Besides, his mother was quite pretty, do you remember?" said Hermione matter-of-factly.
"What, the one at the Quidditch World Cup? Well, maybe but."
"Hey! I haven't gone all funny!" said Harry, suddenly realizing what Hermione had said.
That evening was boring for all. Homework had returned in magnum force and Harry felt miserable and troubled at what had happened earlier with Cadence. For some reason, he didn't want her to think that he was a klutz. He hated Malfoy for telling her so as well, but he didn't let on to Ron and Hermione. He suddenly felt a fresh surge of hatred towards Malfoy. Why did he have to be such a jerk? Harry would never understand or be able to express to anyone how much he loathed Malfoy. Not even his best friends. His thoughts of Malfoy being mutilated by a giant Basilisk were disrupted by.
"Hiya, Harry!"
It was Colin and Dennis Creevey. Ron was smirking and Harry wished he would stop.
"Can we have a picture? First day back and all.I've only got two years left at Hogwarts you know.odd isn't it?"
Harry was thinking silently to himself how hard it was to believe that Colin Creevey was only a year younger than him but brought himself back to his senses to avoid any more embarrassment; some people were beginning to look over with amused expressions on their faces. Dean Thomas did an impression of a book signing whilst Shamus Finnegan fell about with laughter. It was all Hermione could do not to join in.
"Tell you what, Colin. Instead of a photo, why don't I help you with your homework?"
The Creevey brothers looked like Harry had just offered them a million Galleons.
"Wow! Really? Are you sure? D'you hear that, Dennis? Harry Potter help us with homework?"
Harry was forced to spend the entire evening sitting with the Creevey brothers, helping them with Astronomy. It became more bearable when Ron, putting down his Potions textbook, came to join in. Both Harry and Ron amused themselves by giving Colin and Dennis tragic predictions to write down for Professor Trewlany, as they themselves had done in their fourth year. It was actually rather good fun.
Harry and Ron trudged up to bed late that night, leaving the only person still working alone. Hermione.
"She's insane," muttered Ron as they climbed the steps to the dormitories. "We haven't even been here for forty eight hours!"
That night, Harry had a very strange dream. He was riding on the back of a familiar stag, "must be Prongs" Harry thought as they swept across the misty Hogwarts grounds in the middle of the night, (how Harry knew it was the middle of the night, he did not know.)
Ahead of him was a strange silvery mist. At first he thought it was a Patronus, but then realised it was a person. The person was emitting that strange silvery light. As they drew closer, Harry was aware of a great danger, but whether it meant that the figure was a danger to him or that she herself was in danger, or even both, Harry wasn't sure. She. It was definitely a girl; woman in fact.
Suddenly there was a large bang behind him and Harry sensed the danger even more. Prongs was fading beneath him, he wasn't riding anything at all. Harry was suddenly aware of the height he had achieved whilst aboard the stag. But now he was going down.down into darkness.
"ARGH!"
He sat up in a sweat. Thankfully, his cry had been muffled by his pillow and no one had woken up. He suddenly felt very thirsty and decided to go down to the Common Room.
As he descended, the fire had almost burnt itself out and there was a dull red glow about the room. He suddenly noticed Hermione was still there. She had fallen asleep, her head resting on an Arithmacy book, her hands spread out peacefully, her breathing lifting a strand of hair off her face every two seconds. Harry suddenly realised how beautiful she was. Then he felt disgusted with himself! It was Hermione for Christ sake!
He carefully went over to her sleeping spot and lifted the book out from under her head. He had tried not to wake her, thinking that his eyes would give him away, but he had failed. She stirred, and Harry actually considered hiding; but that would be petty.
"Oh, Harry. It's just you. What are you doing here?" she asked groggily.
"Oh, I just had.a nightmare. I was coming to get a drink," he said truthfully.
"Was it about.about."
Harry didn't really know what she was talking about but when he had figured out, he let her continue to encourage her to say the name.
"Voldemort?" she whispered.
"No," Harry said.
"We haven't heard anything about him for a while now, have we?" she said incredulously.
"No. But that's a good sign I guess," Harry said, thinking aloud in his head.
"Oh well. I'm really tired now, Harry. I think I'm going to bed."
"It's only the first night back, and you're still going to have bags around your eyes tomorrow," he commented.
Hermione laughed. "Like anyone would notice."
Harry paused for a moment. "I would," he said seriously. Why had he said that?
But Hermione didn't seem to think anything of it. "Good night, Harry," she said sleepily and left the Common Room up to the girls' dormitory leaving Harry feeling cross with himself, uneasy about his nightmare and wishing that Hermione hadn't brought up the subject of Voldemort. Now he really would have nightmares and he would see whom the face belonged to in them.