8. The arrival of the Slytherins.
"Harry! Ron! Neville!" Hermoine hurried over to them and hugged them all in turn, although Ron was the only one who appeared at all uncomfortable with this. Harry, for his part, was uncomfortable with the fact that many eyes in the room were on him. It seemed that they hadn't forgotten what the "boy who lived" had done for them on two occasions! "Have you noticed that no Slytherins are here?"
"We noticed it on the bus." Harry replied. "We can't work out why though."
"Well guess who is here? Snape!" Hermoine said.
The three boys exchanged looks. Snape, the potions master when they had been Hogwarts students, and Harry had never gotten along. It turned out that Snape hated Harry because he had been at school with his father, James, and James had saved his life once. On various occasions they had suspected Snape of doing certain things, and for a little while during the dark times when they were in fifth year and Voldemort had returned, they were also convinced that Snape was in league with Voldemort. Of course Dumbledore had assured them that Snape was completely on their side, but they weren't convinced. At least not until they found out that the new DADA teacher had been the one who was in league with Voldemort-not Snape. And of course when Harry had defeated Voldemort again in his final year Snape had been the only one not to congratulate him or make a fuss over him. Not because he wasn't glad that Voldemort was gone, but because he couldn't stand the idea that Harry was getting more publicity!
"Did he speak to you Hermoine?" Neville asked.
"He did. He came over and said 'Miss Granger, I read about your appointment in the Daily Prophet. I must say I am not surprised. Now you have a chance to be a know-all and get paid for it! Do try and let your students answer your questions though!' I was speechless of course!" Hermoine said.
Harry laughed. It sounded exactly like Snape! Snape had left the school at the same time as they had, and had taken up a position at Azkaban, where he could terrorize criminals instead of students! At that moment Fred and George came over, both armed with tarts and cupcakes.
"Want one?" Fred offered, seeing Neville eyeing them.
"Um.no thanks." Neville replied.
"Your loss then." Fred replied, taking a huge bit out of the chocolate one. Neville watched him swallow it and nothing happen to him sadly.
"Did you see Snape?" George asked. "He was glaring at you Harry. I guess he still hates you!"
Harry laughed. "I didn't see him, but I could imagine. I haven't noticed the headmistress yet either Hermoine?"
Hermoine looked distressed. "She got an owl from the Ministry this morning and headed off to London. She didn't say what it was about, but she looked worried. She did say she'd try to get back in time for the feast though!"
"Was it-" Ron began, but Hermoine glared at him, and he realized that his brothers, and Neville, didn't know what was happening.
"So, I saw Lavender before Harry. Didn't you have a fling with her?" Fred asked.
"I didn't!" Harry protested. "She had a crush on me sixth year, and followed me round all the time. It was awful!"
"I bet he wouldn't have minded if it was Cho!" George said, and Harry went red again.
"Funny you should say that!" Ron replied. "Cho came over before, she and Harry are going to go on a date when we're back in London!"
Harry went even redder. "I told you it's not a date!" He argued.
"Ignore him!" Ron told his brothers. "It's a date! It seems like Cho wasn't the only one who was waiting for a special someone. Harry could have had heaps of girlfriends after the world cup!"
"At least I know what I want!" Harry snapped, and then he sighed. "Anyway, how about Percy? Is he here?"
"Ah yes, Percy." Fred and George exchanged smiles.
"What have you two done now?" Hermoine demanded.
"Nothing.." George said.
"Nothing really..." Fred said.
"Where is he?" Ron asked, craning his neck around the room crowded with Griffyindoors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws.
"He and Penelope have gone for a walk outside. Poor Penny is getting over a nasty separation with her husband, and Percy obviously hopes to cheer her up with all his dribble about how he will soon be running the Ministry of Magic." George explained.
"We were eavesdropping." Fred explained.
"What exactly did you do to him though?" Hermoine persisted.
The twins exchanged a look, and then Fred held out chewing gum. "We tried this out on Mum the other week-who went crazy when she worked it out-it makes you sprout hair. When Percy comes back in here he'll look like he hasn't shaved in weeks."
"Are you stupid?" Ron asked, shaking his head. "Percy's going to flip. And he's not head of the misuse of magic department for nothing. He's still convinced you two were behind those growing sweets the other week!"
"Well we're actually innocent with the chewing gum." Fred admitted. "We bought it from Zonkers, although I wish we could take the credit for it."
Harry noticed they conveniently forgot to mention the growing sweets, but he didn't say anything. Even if he had known it was them there was no way he'd dob them into his boss!
All of a sudden there was a loud commotion outside, and the six of them hurried out to see what was going on. Three luxurious looking buses had drawn up in front of the hall, and from them the Slytherins alighted, looking pleased with themselves.
Hermoine groaned to herself. "Had to make an entrance didn't they? What's the bet Malfoy's behind this!"
That reminded Harry that he didn't think that was the only thing that Malfoy was behind, but between himself, Ron and Hermoine they'd been unable to come up with a plan to get the information from Malfoy. They'd decided that the only thing they really could do was keep an eye on him. And if the problems with the Dark Mark on the papers kept going then they knew the Ministry would find out and investigate themselves. Harry, however, hoped that Malfoy was just causing mischief, not planning something terrible, because as he well knew there was not much that they could do about it at the moment!
Malfoy got out of the bus, surrounded by members of his house. He was dressed in a very expensive looking suit, but he didn't appear to have changed much from when they went to school. His eyes were still cold, and he still held himself in a manner which suggested that he thought he was better than everyone else!
"Look at the git." Fred muttered.
"I don't want to. I'm going back inside. I'm not going to let the Slytherins cheat me out of that food!" George responded, and he went back inside. The others trooped in after him, although Hermoine whispered in Harry's ear as they went "Keep an eye on him! We know he's up to something!"
"Harry! Ron! Neville!" Hermoine hurried over to them and hugged them all in turn, although Ron was the only one who appeared at all uncomfortable with this. Harry, for his part, was uncomfortable with the fact that many eyes in the room were on him. It seemed that they hadn't forgotten what the "boy who lived" had done for them on two occasions! "Have you noticed that no Slytherins are here?"
"We noticed it on the bus." Harry replied. "We can't work out why though."
"Well guess who is here? Snape!" Hermoine said.
The three boys exchanged looks. Snape, the potions master when they had been Hogwarts students, and Harry had never gotten along. It turned out that Snape hated Harry because he had been at school with his father, James, and James had saved his life once. On various occasions they had suspected Snape of doing certain things, and for a little while during the dark times when they were in fifth year and Voldemort had returned, they were also convinced that Snape was in league with Voldemort. Of course Dumbledore had assured them that Snape was completely on their side, but they weren't convinced. At least not until they found out that the new DADA teacher had been the one who was in league with Voldemort-not Snape. And of course when Harry had defeated Voldemort again in his final year Snape had been the only one not to congratulate him or make a fuss over him. Not because he wasn't glad that Voldemort was gone, but because he couldn't stand the idea that Harry was getting more publicity!
"Did he speak to you Hermoine?" Neville asked.
"He did. He came over and said 'Miss Granger, I read about your appointment in the Daily Prophet. I must say I am not surprised. Now you have a chance to be a know-all and get paid for it! Do try and let your students answer your questions though!' I was speechless of course!" Hermoine said.
Harry laughed. It sounded exactly like Snape! Snape had left the school at the same time as they had, and had taken up a position at Azkaban, where he could terrorize criminals instead of students! At that moment Fred and George came over, both armed with tarts and cupcakes.
"Want one?" Fred offered, seeing Neville eyeing them.
"Um.no thanks." Neville replied.
"Your loss then." Fred replied, taking a huge bit out of the chocolate one. Neville watched him swallow it and nothing happen to him sadly.
"Did you see Snape?" George asked. "He was glaring at you Harry. I guess he still hates you!"
Harry laughed. "I didn't see him, but I could imagine. I haven't noticed the headmistress yet either Hermoine?"
Hermoine looked distressed. "She got an owl from the Ministry this morning and headed off to London. She didn't say what it was about, but she looked worried. She did say she'd try to get back in time for the feast though!"
"Was it-" Ron began, but Hermoine glared at him, and he realized that his brothers, and Neville, didn't know what was happening.
"So, I saw Lavender before Harry. Didn't you have a fling with her?" Fred asked.
"I didn't!" Harry protested. "She had a crush on me sixth year, and followed me round all the time. It was awful!"
"I bet he wouldn't have minded if it was Cho!" George said, and Harry went red again.
"Funny you should say that!" Ron replied. "Cho came over before, she and Harry are going to go on a date when we're back in London!"
Harry went even redder. "I told you it's not a date!" He argued.
"Ignore him!" Ron told his brothers. "It's a date! It seems like Cho wasn't the only one who was waiting for a special someone. Harry could have had heaps of girlfriends after the world cup!"
"At least I know what I want!" Harry snapped, and then he sighed. "Anyway, how about Percy? Is he here?"
"Ah yes, Percy." Fred and George exchanged smiles.
"What have you two done now?" Hermoine demanded.
"Nothing.." George said.
"Nothing really..." Fred said.
"Where is he?" Ron asked, craning his neck around the room crowded with Griffyindoors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws.
"He and Penelope have gone for a walk outside. Poor Penny is getting over a nasty separation with her husband, and Percy obviously hopes to cheer her up with all his dribble about how he will soon be running the Ministry of Magic." George explained.
"We were eavesdropping." Fred explained.
"What exactly did you do to him though?" Hermoine persisted.
The twins exchanged a look, and then Fred held out chewing gum. "We tried this out on Mum the other week-who went crazy when she worked it out-it makes you sprout hair. When Percy comes back in here he'll look like he hasn't shaved in weeks."
"Are you stupid?" Ron asked, shaking his head. "Percy's going to flip. And he's not head of the misuse of magic department for nothing. He's still convinced you two were behind those growing sweets the other week!"
"Well we're actually innocent with the chewing gum." Fred admitted. "We bought it from Zonkers, although I wish we could take the credit for it."
Harry noticed they conveniently forgot to mention the growing sweets, but he didn't say anything. Even if he had known it was them there was no way he'd dob them into his boss!
All of a sudden there was a loud commotion outside, and the six of them hurried out to see what was going on. Three luxurious looking buses had drawn up in front of the hall, and from them the Slytherins alighted, looking pleased with themselves.
Hermoine groaned to herself. "Had to make an entrance didn't they? What's the bet Malfoy's behind this!"
That reminded Harry that he didn't think that was the only thing that Malfoy was behind, but between himself, Ron and Hermoine they'd been unable to come up with a plan to get the information from Malfoy. They'd decided that the only thing they really could do was keep an eye on him. And if the problems with the Dark Mark on the papers kept going then they knew the Ministry would find out and investigate themselves. Harry, however, hoped that Malfoy was just causing mischief, not planning something terrible, because as he well knew there was not much that they could do about it at the moment!
Malfoy got out of the bus, surrounded by members of his house. He was dressed in a very expensive looking suit, but he didn't appear to have changed much from when they went to school. His eyes were still cold, and he still held himself in a manner which suggested that he thought he was better than everyone else!
"Look at the git." Fred muttered.
"I don't want to. I'm going back inside. I'm not going to let the Slytherins cheat me out of that food!" George responded, and he went back inside. The others trooped in after him, although Hermoine whispered in Harry's ear as they went "Keep an eye on him! We know he's up to something!"
