*~* Chapter ten "I'm Sorry" *~*

DISCLAIMER: I STILL don't own anything at all. Wait yes I do... this animal! I own that! :)

"I did and I'm so sorry," Harry said, Hermione thought he sounded near to tears.
"It's okay, no one blames you," Hermione said.
"Speak for yourself," Lavender retorted, "just wait until Ron knows!"
"Lavender NO, you can't tell him yet. Plus, it should be Harry who does."
Harry was grateful for Hermione saying that, but she was his girlfriend what else would she say? What would she say if she was just his friend? These kinds of thoughts went thorough Harry's head all day until Care of Magical Creatures that afternoon.
"Today we will be workin' with these here Double-ended Chinlings."
"What? Potter has you oaf of a friend been doing illegal breeding again?" came the drawl of a voice that belonged to none other than Draco Malfoy. Who else?
"Thought yeh wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Malfoy?" Hagrid's voice boomed.
"What these creatures, these things, could not possibly be legal!"
"In fact they are, if yeh all would either open er share with someone a copy o' the newest version of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to page 10. Here you will find a description and picture of these Double-ended Chinlings. Once you all have read the paragraph please come over to me."
Harry sat down next to Hermione as she opened his book to page 10.
"Harry? What's this?" Hermione asked holding a piece of parchment.
"Huh? What, let me see it." Harry looked down at the paper and he saw this:
I looked towards the barrier between platform 9 and 10 and was ready to start my fifth year at Hogwarts. I had not yet seen Ron or Hermione; this caused me to be nervous. I hadn't even seen Malfoy. Uncle Vernon had already driven off with a screech, there was no way home. Today September 1st wasn't it? So Hedwig, me and all of my stuff went up to the ticket booth to make sure that I wasn't loosing my mind. When I reached the front of the line I was reminded that it wasn't just my family that is composed of rude Muggles.
"Yeh?" said the ticket booth worker with a tone of voice that made me take a double take and say: "Ugh, Snape?"
"Whad ya say? You can't find snakes here. You stupid little boy."
"I'm not stupid and I'm not little," I said, and under my breath, "I may be able talk to snakes but that's besides the point."
"See thas crazy talk, talkin' to snakes, has anyone ever told you need to be in an institution?"
"No, I'm just wondering what day it is."
"See I told you that you was stupid. Everyone knows that it's July 31st."
Then I saw a flash of green light and heard the words for the killing curse. And then I realized that the words were coming from my mouth and my wand was pointed at the man behind the window. Then I heard that laugh, it sounded just like Voldemort's, but it was once again coming from my mouth.
"Oh my gosh Hermione, I totally forgot about this!"
"How can you forget about killing someone?" Hermione choked.
"No, I didn't kill anyone, Hermione you know me better than that. That was a dream I had on my birthday."
"Would yeh all go to a box? Two per box." Hagrid boomed. He was standing next to some wood boxes that made Harry feel uneasy. They reminded him of last year. Hermione gave him a look, like she wanted to talk. Harry knew that she thought school was more important, and Harry was relieved.
Harry looked down into the crate and saw the ugliest thing he had ever seen, worse than the Blast-Ended Skrewts from last year. They seemed to have two heads and long spiky bodies that had four legs. The head that Harry was looking at had a very evil expression on his face and looked ready to kill. As it paced around in the box the other head came closer to Harry, it was wearing a very happy expression so happy it was a little unnerving.
"Harry would yeh help me up here?" Hagrid said. Harry walked reluctantly up towards Hagrid, he hadn't really talked to him recently, and he felt bad. "Harry where have yeh been?"
"Hagrid, I'm sorry, please could we not talk about it? I'm not feeling so good."
"It's okay Harry, it's just I get lonely in me hut by meself."
"Sorry Hagrid."
"Stop apologizing Harry. Now class, yeh need to be nice to the Double-Ended Chinlings. They need respect, yeh don' want the mad end facing yeh, ye'd be in a world o' hurt. Malfoy, you won' be participating with these animals. Yeh probably ain't listening either." Hagrid was right, Malfoy wasn't listening… he was standing next to Hermione telling her something, but Harry couldn't hear what he was saying.
Harry once again apologized to Hagrid and ran over to Hermione and Malfoy. "What's going on here?"
"I was jus-" Malfoy started but Hermione cut him off, "Nothing worth talking about."
"With a Malfoy? I'm not so sure," Harry said.
"Harry stop it," Hermione pleaded, she knew that the whole class was watching them.
Harry gave her a look and decided he'd never win, plus she'd probably get mad at him for doing anything more than he had, and he really didn't want that.
"Potty, you've sunk to a lower level. Look everyone, the Mudblood's got Potty whipped."
"WHAT!" Harry demanded, getting in Malfoy's face.
"Harry don't...." Hermione pleaded again, "I don't need you smelling like that Slytherin." {A/N: Mind you they all do... Don't hurt me!} Harry automatically pulled away.
"Huh?" Malfoy and Harry said, apparently neither of them got what she said. {A/N: And neither do I}
Malfoy seemed to just notice that Ron was missing. "Hey where's the Weasel? Oh, was he killed by "You-know-who" too? What a shame," Malfoy said unconvincingly.
"Malfoy!" Harry yelled while trying to get near Malfoy once again. But Hermione beat him there. For the rest of his life Harry would call that 'the slap heard round the world."
"HERMIONE!" Hagrid boomed.
"She was provoked Professor Hagrid," said Lavender, she too looked ready to slap the brains out of Malfoy.
"Professor?" drawled Draco. {A/N: Draco? Since when have I called him Draco? Why did I call him Draco? Why am I asking these questions without going back and fixing it? I don't know, I think I'll keep this here, it's funny to me even if it isn't to anyone else.}
"Yes, I'm a Professor," Hagrid said, "and for your disrespect, you get a detention."
"Yes!" Hermione breathed.
"Shhh!" Harry scolded her, for once.
At the end of the lesson Harry learned a lot about Double-ended Chinlings, for example they could smell danger and sense evil. Definitely not the pet for Voldemort Harry thought.
Harry and Hermione hung around at the end of class to help clean up, but really they wanted to check up with Hagrid. And find out what he had done this summer.
"How was your summer, Hagrid?" Hermione asked as soon as she knew that everyone was out of hearing range.
"As uneventful as de last," Hagrid tried lying, but they both saw through that.
"Yeah right Hagrid, you didn't write a letter even at my birthday," Harry said.
"Sorry but I couldn' it might a got intercepted." Hagrid was trying not to looked pleased with himself, but he didn't do that well either. "All I can say is tha I'm 'appy to be back at Hogwarts."
"And were happy your back, too," Hermione said. Harry nodded his head in agreement.
"So what's so important tha yeh two haven' come ter see me all year. I mean, wha' can be tha important that yeh don't talk te me 'til October?" Hagrid said. Harry doubted that Hagrid knew what was coming. Harry looked at Hermione and opened his mouth...

~Ron's POV~
I was being pulled through the fireplaces until I reached the Burrow. I got out, feet first, thank you, and saw my parents crying on the couch. Bill was coming over with a box of tissues, they must have ran out already. Boy I could tell this was going to be a sad week. McGonagall probably would have let us stay longer if it hadn't been for the fact that one week and two days from now was our first Quidditch match and she knew what a valuable asset that Fred, George and I were. Though thinking about this didn't cheer me up.
"Where's Percy?" I asked noticing that he was the only Weasley missing, wait no I take that back... Charlie's missing... Oh no could Percy be missing too, not that I'd miss hearing about cauldron bottoms all summer. But still he's my brother. But my fears were cleansed {not the word I'm looking for, but bear with me}.
Percy came through the door with a huge grin on his face. He looked at Fred, George, Ginny and I. He had a look of confusion on his face, shook his head and started talking. "Well you four have perfect timing, I've got wonderful news!"