As Julia was leaving for Divination, she bumped into someone heading
toward the dormitories. "Hermione, are you okay?"
She was about to ignore her, but Hermione had another idea. She spun around and looked Julia in the eye. "How I'm doing should be of no concern to you," she shot. "I know you're up to something, Julia Andrews, and I'm going to find out." With that, she started to storm off.
"Hermione, I'm sorry about what Ron said. It's not true, you know. And anyone can tell you that."
Hermione felt mocked. She whipped around once more. "How are you to know what Ron said? You were nowhere in earshot when we were talking. And even if you were, there was nothing that was stated that's you can say is true or not in your defense."
Julia seemed unmoved. "You still don't believe me, do you. I was referring to your honor, not mine. Think about it for a bit. I'm sure it'll come to you soon enough. You're clever like that."
At this last statement, Julia headed off for class, leaving Hermione to wonder about what Julia said. As she sat on her bed, she thought of what Ron had said, then what Julia had said. ". . .she could just be really hot." She had to admit, Julia was pretty. But a love potion most likely made you physically beautiful. And Julia said she was comforting Hermione's confidence, not her own. ". . .you're thinking she's some powerful witch bent on winning us over and then killing us all." It was true, too. She did think that Julia was a powerful witch. And she was beginning to wonder if she was in the service of Voldemort himself. She seemed to get along with Snape surprisingly well, for a Griffindor. But Harry had said that Snape was a former agent of the Dark Lord who eventually became a spy for those who opposed him. That didn't make sense at all. Hermione started to rack her brain for a clue as to what Julia had said. As she thought, she recoiled at how everyone seemed to follow her around like a mother duck with such admiration. Hermione knew she was a better witch. She had to be. Suddenly, she remembered one other thing that Ron had said: ". . .you're just jealous because she's getting all the guys and you have no one . . ." His last words rang in her ears like a horrible gong. ". . .you have no one . . ." At this reminiscence, Hermione began to cry. Despite the fact that they were always arguing, Hermione liked Ron in a way much different than she liked Harry. She wasn't sure as how she could explain it, but she tried not to let it bother her too much - she would never tell anyone anyway.
As she sat on her bed crying silently, she abruptly remembered what Julia said: "It's not true, you know. And anyone can tell you that." Then came the dawn. Even if that wasn't what Julia meant (after all, she wasn't there - how would she know?), it was a comforting thought. But if it was. . .then what did she mean anyone could tell her that? Hermione consulted her watch: she had Defense Against the Dark Arts in seven minutes. Hermione gathered her things and forced the last hour out of her mind for now - it was irrelevant to finding out who this Julia Andrews girl really was.
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She was about to ignore her, but Hermione had another idea. She spun around and looked Julia in the eye. "How I'm doing should be of no concern to you," she shot. "I know you're up to something, Julia Andrews, and I'm going to find out." With that, she started to storm off.
"Hermione, I'm sorry about what Ron said. It's not true, you know. And anyone can tell you that."
Hermione felt mocked. She whipped around once more. "How are you to know what Ron said? You were nowhere in earshot when we were talking. And even if you were, there was nothing that was stated that's you can say is true or not in your defense."
Julia seemed unmoved. "You still don't believe me, do you. I was referring to your honor, not mine. Think about it for a bit. I'm sure it'll come to you soon enough. You're clever like that."
At this last statement, Julia headed off for class, leaving Hermione to wonder about what Julia said. As she sat on her bed, she thought of what Ron had said, then what Julia had said. ". . .she could just be really hot." She had to admit, Julia was pretty. But a love potion most likely made you physically beautiful. And Julia said she was comforting Hermione's confidence, not her own. ". . .you're thinking she's some powerful witch bent on winning us over and then killing us all." It was true, too. She did think that Julia was a powerful witch. And she was beginning to wonder if she was in the service of Voldemort himself. She seemed to get along with Snape surprisingly well, for a Griffindor. But Harry had said that Snape was a former agent of the Dark Lord who eventually became a spy for those who opposed him. That didn't make sense at all. Hermione started to rack her brain for a clue as to what Julia had said. As she thought, she recoiled at how everyone seemed to follow her around like a mother duck with such admiration. Hermione knew she was a better witch. She had to be. Suddenly, she remembered one other thing that Ron had said: ". . .you're just jealous because she's getting all the guys and you have no one . . ." His last words rang in her ears like a horrible gong. ". . .you have no one . . ." At this reminiscence, Hermione began to cry. Despite the fact that they were always arguing, Hermione liked Ron in a way much different than she liked Harry. She wasn't sure as how she could explain it, but she tried not to let it bother her too much - she would never tell anyone anyway.
As she sat on her bed crying silently, she abruptly remembered what Julia said: "It's not true, you know. And anyone can tell you that." Then came the dawn. Even if that wasn't what Julia meant (after all, she wasn't there - how would she know?), it was a comforting thought. But if it was. . .then what did she mean anyone could tell her that? Hermione consulted her watch: she had Defense Against the Dark Arts in seven minutes. Hermione gathered her things and forced the last hour out of her mind for now - it was irrelevant to finding out who this Julia Andrews girl really was.
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