Hermione woke up the next morning and her stomach dropped. She
remembered that she had a hearing today, but was happy because she would
see Viktor there and Dumbledore was going to do his best to help her out.
She pulled on her black skirt and gray sweater and her robes. Hermione made sure she looked professional for this hearing, so instead of just pulling her hair back she put the gel she had used two years ago in her hair, which smoothed it down a lot.
Hermione walked down the stairs from her dormitory, which the past year Harry and Ron had slid down. She passed Harry and Ron without a wave or 'hello'. Her nervousness got to her and she got weak in the knees and almost passed out. Luckily, Ron had gotten up and followed Hermione after she ignored his wave and when she collapsed, he was there to catch her. "Hermione? Are you okay?" asked Ron. "What?" said Hermione in a daze. "Oh gosh! I must have been nervous and passed out." "It's okay, I think you're fine," Ron said sweetly. "I'm not fine. I have to have a hearing in less than," she checked her watch, "Thirty minutes!" "Harry and I have faith in you, Hermione. You've never failed at something you set your mind to," Ron said as he gently kissed Hermione's forehead and pulled her to her feet. But this time, he didn't blush. "Go get 'em, Hermione."
Hermione walked up to the Head Table where Dumbledore sat and waiting for him to address her. Unfortunately, he never noticed Hermione and she had to speak up for herself. "Professor?" asked Hermione. "Oh, Hermione! I'm sorry, yes your hearing is in fifteen minutes, let's get going," Dumbledore said.
They headed down corridor after corridor; through numerous doors which Hermione had stopped counting. Each turn seemed to take Hermione and Dumbledore deeper into Hogwarts, and where Hermione had never been before. They finally reached a brown door in which Dumbledore let Hermione go in first.
Hermione stepped in to see only three people, which was a definite surprise to her. She saw the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, her previous teacher, Umbridge, and her boyfriend, Viktor Krum. "Welcome, Miss Granger, Albus," said Fudge. "Nice to be here." Replied Dumbledore. "Well, let's get to the hearing. Miss Granger, please take a seat." Said Fudge in a commanding tone.
Hermione sat down in the chair that Harry sat in a year ago and put her hands in her lap instead of on the arms of the chair. "Hermione Granger, charged of using the Patronus Charm on September 1, 2003 at 10:19AM although you are an underage witch. Did you know that magic was prohibited out of Hogwarts?" said Fudge. "Yes, sir, I did," replied Hermione. "So why did you use the Patronus Charm if you never it was not allowed?" "Because my father was in danger. There was a dementor in our house and he was trying to kill him," said Hermione, very coolly. "Dementors, you say? Well, that is believable this time. Dementors just left Azkaban this summer and no one could stop them," Fudge said sounding nervous. "Hem hem," interrupted Umbridge. "Yes?" Said Fudge. "Are you not forgetting that it is illegal? How do we know she saw a dementor?" asked Umbridge.
Before Fudge could answer Hermione said, "I saw one! He was about to kill my father! What was I supposed to do? Sit back and watch?" "Excuse me, but do not get that tone with me, young child. I don't see her fit to staying a witch if she cannot follow the rules."
Fudge ignored Umbridge and said, "If that is your reason, then it is a very valid one at that, and you may get back with you studies." He then ushered to Umbridge and left without ever speaking a word with Dumbledore.
Hermione then left the room, feeling exhausted and shaking a little bit. She was glad it was finally over. Dumbledore walked passed her and said, "Good job" and walked off. Then, Viktor came to meet her, but he did not look very happy. "Viktor! Are you glad I'm not going to be expelled?" Hermione said, very excited. "Ecstatic," he said with a glum expression. "Viktor? What's wrong?" asked Hermione. "Oh, nothing. I just found my girlfriend kissing some other guy. No problem." "What are talking about? I never kissed anyone!" "Really? That kid, with the red hair, he didn't kiss you? I just magically saw his lips touch you? Hermione, I'm not going to play your games, kiss or not. This just isn't working for me, and I'm going to be a teacher and I need to focus on that," Viktor said and turned and walked away.
Despite what Hermione wanted to say, she couldn't. Her voice had gone away and she felt like she was choking. But she walked alone slowly up to the common room, tears streaming down her face.
She entered the common room to find Harry, Ron, and Blair sitting near the fire. Hermione was about to walk up the stairs to her room when Ron came up behind her and turned her around. He saw the tears in her eyes and immediately went into shock. "Hermione? Oh no! You got expelled!" he shouted, embracing Hermione in a hug.
Hermione stayed in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck and pulled back and looked into his eyes. "No," said Hermione wiping away a tear. "Viktor broke up with me today, because he said you kissed me." "He did?" asked Ron, his eyes opening in excitement. But as he saw how much it was hurting Hermione, he knew that his happiness didn't matter at all. "I'm sorry, Hermione. This is entirely my fault. I'll tell him that it was me." Ron was hurting inside but all Hermione cared about, in his opinion, was Viktor. "But the thing is, he said it wasn't just that. It must be me, is there something wrong with me, Ron?" asked Hermione. "No, there is nothing wrong with you, Hermione. So, you think I could kiss you without getting in trouble?"
Hermione laughed and thought, "Is Ron coming on to me? I don't know, I guess he could, but I'm still getting over Viktor. I am so confused." "Well?" requested Ron. "I don't know," said Hermione. "Good enough," said Ron as he placed his hands on Hermione's chin and lifted her up and tenderly kissed her. "Hermione, I really like you. I think I even love you." "Ron," said Hermione. "That is the sweetest thing someone had ever said to me. But, regardless of me breaking up with Viktor, we are still friends, and I want to keep it that way for now. But I thank you for your comforting words and I guess I'll see you at dinner." "Yea," and said Hermione began to walk away. "Hermione! Here's your time table. We actually have Defense Against the Dark Arts together before dinner. So I guess I'll see you there." "Maybe."
She pulled on her black skirt and gray sweater and her robes. Hermione made sure she looked professional for this hearing, so instead of just pulling her hair back she put the gel she had used two years ago in her hair, which smoothed it down a lot.
Hermione walked down the stairs from her dormitory, which the past year Harry and Ron had slid down. She passed Harry and Ron without a wave or 'hello'. Her nervousness got to her and she got weak in the knees and almost passed out. Luckily, Ron had gotten up and followed Hermione after she ignored his wave and when she collapsed, he was there to catch her. "Hermione? Are you okay?" asked Ron. "What?" said Hermione in a daze. "Oh gosh! I must have been nervous and passed out." "It's okay, I think you're fine," Ron said sweetly. "I'm not fine. I have to have a hearing in less than," she checked her watch, "Thirty minutes!" "Harry and I have faith in you, Hermione. You've never failed at something you set your mind to," Ron said as he gently kissed Hermione's forehead and pulled her to her feet. But this time, he didn't blush. "Go get 'em, Hermione."
Hermione walked up to the Head Table where Dumbledore sat and waiting for him to address her. Unfortunately, he never noticed Hermione and she had to speak up for herself. "Professor?" asked Hermione. "Oh, Hermione! I'm sorry, yes your hearing is in fifteen minutes, let's get going," Dumbledore said.
They headed down corridor after corridor; through numerous doors which Hermione had stopped counting. Each turn seemed to take Hermione and Dumbledore deeper into Hogwarts, and where Hermione had never been before. They finally reached a brown door in which Dumbledore let Hermione go in first.
Hermione stepped in to see only three people, which was a definite surprise to her. She saw the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, her previous teacher, Umbridge, and her boyfriend, Viktor Krum. "Welcome, Miss Granger, Albus," said Fudge. "Nice to be here." Replied Dumbledore. "Well, let's get to the hearing. Miss Granger, please take a seat." Said Fudge in a commanding tone.
Hermione sat down in the chair that Harry sat in a year ago and put her hands in her lap instead of on the arms of the chair. "Hermione Granger, charged of using the Patronus Charm on September 1, 2003 at 10:19AM although you are an underage witch. Did you know that magic was prohibited out of Hogwarts?" said Fudge. "Yes, sir, I did," replied Hermione. "So why did you use the Patronus Charm if you never it was not allowed?" "Because my father was in danger. There was a dementor in our house and he was trying to kill him," said Hermione, very coolly. "Dementors, you say? Well, that is believable this time. Dementors just left Azkaban this summer and no one could stop them," Fudge said sounding nervous. "Hem hem," interrupted Umbridge. "Yes?" Said Fudge. "Are you not forgetting that it is illegal? How do we know she saw a dementor?" asked Umbridge.
Before Fudge could answer Hermione said, "I saw one! He was about to kill my father! What was I supposed to do? Sit back and watch?" "Excuse me, but do not get that tone with me, young child. I don't see her fit to staying a witch if she cannot follow the rules."
Fudge ignored Umbridge and said, "If that is your reason, then it is a very valid one at that, and you may get back with you studies." He then ushered to Umbridge and left without ever speaking a word with Dumbledore.
Hermione then left the room, feeling exhausted and shaking a little bit. She was glad it was finally over. Dumbledore walked passed her and said, "Good job" and walked off. Then, Viktor came to meet her, but he did not look very happy. "Viktor! Are you glad I'm not going to be expelled?" Hermione said, very excited. "Ecstatic," he said with a glum expression. "Viktor? What's wrong?" asked Hermione. "Oh, nothing. I just found my girlfriend kissing some other guy. No problem." "What are talking about? I never kissed anyone!" "Really? That kid, with the red hair, he didn't kiss you? I just magically saw his lips touch you? Hermione, I'm not going to play your games, kiss or not. This just isn't working for me, and I'm going to be a teacher and I need to focus on that," Viktor said and turned and walked away.
Despite what Hermione wanted to say, she couldn't. Her voice had gone away and she felt like she was choking. But she walked alone slowly up to the common room, tears streaming down her face.
She entered the common room to find Harry, Ron, and Blair sitting near the fire. Hermione was about to walk up the stairs to her room when Ron came up behind her and turned her around. He saw the tears in her eyes and immediately went into shock. "Hermione? Oh no! You got expelled!" he shouted, embracing Hermione in a hug.
Hermione stayed in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck and pulled back and looked into his eyes. "No," said Hermione wiping away a tear. "Viktor broke up with me today, because he said you kissed me." "He did?" asked Ron, his eyes opening in excitement. But as he saw how much it was hurting Hermione, he knew that his happiness didn't matter at all. "I'm sorry, Hermione. This is entirely my fault. I'll tell him that it was me." Ron was hurting inside but all Hermione cared about, in his opinion, was Viktor. "But the thing is, he said it wasn't just that. It must be me, is there something wrong with me, Ron?" asked Hermione. "No, there is nothing wrong with you, Hermione. So, you think I could kiss you without getting in trouble?"
Hermione laughed and thought, "Is Ron coming on to me? I don't know, I guess he could, but I'm still getting over Viktor. I am so confused." "Well?" requested Ron. "I don't know," said Hermione. "Good enough," said Ron as he placed his hands on Hermione's chin and lifted her up and tenderly kissed her. "Hermione, I really like you. I think I even love you." "Ron," said Hermione. "That is the sweetest thing someone had ever said to me. But, regardless of me breaking up with Viktor, we are still friends, and I want to keep it that way for now. But I thank you for your comforting words and I guess I'll see you at dinner." "Yea," and said Hermione began to walk away. "Hermione! Here's your time table. We actually have Defense Against the Dark Arts together before dinner. So I guess I'll see you there." "Maybe."
