Chapter Ten
Insults and Comfort
Outside the classes two groups of students who did NOT get along where converging and the results would probably be violent spells or words as usual. The school's rich kid snob Draco Malfoy and his two "goons" Crabbe and Goyle strolled confidently towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione who stood discussing the day's events and Harry's return to his favourite wizard sport, Quidditch.
"Guess what, Potter." Malfoy began in his usual drawl, "I'M the Seeker for the Slythrin team!" He smirked superciliously at Harry and his friends, the Seeker was the most important player on a Quidditch team and Harry was the Seeker for the Gryffindor team.
"What you?!" Ron gasped.
Malfoy began his usual taunts about how poor Ron's family was and how dead Harry's family was and Hermione felt herself getting angrier and angrier, "Well at least he's on his team because of talent not because his Daddy bought his way on!"
Malfoy looked like he'd just bitten into a sour fruit, his eyes flashed furiously. A crowd of students was gathering around them and waiting for his comeback. "What would YOU know, Granger, you stupid little Mudblood?! No matter how much you study and brown nose you'll never be a good wizard with your mudblood!" He snapped at her, the crowd gasped shocked, Harry didn't understand but it had obviously been a very big insult because Hermione's eyes filled with tears and he'd NEVER seen her cry, she was a tough girl and she'd helped them defeat Lord Voldemort never once seeming scared of anything other than expulsion. Suddenly, she spun around and ran back inside the school, no one could see her face, but it was clear she was crying.
"You son of a-" Ron shouted furiously, he pulled out his wand, but it had been broken when he and Harry had crashed his father's flying car into the Whomping Willow tree. He shot a slug eating spell at Malfoy only it backfired and he ended up puking up slugs as the Slytherins laughed and laughed.
Harry helped Ron to the nurse's and then went to search for Hermione. He found her back in the Gryffindor common room, lying on the couch face down and crying. He wasn't sure what to do, so he went to her quietly and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hermione . . .?"
"I'm fine! Leave me alone!"
"What did Malfoy say to you, exactly?" Asked Harry, confused.
"Nothing!" She sat up, wiping her eyes, "It doesn't matter."
"Maybe we should . . . um, go pay Hagrid a visit?" Harry suggested, trying to think of something to lift her spirits.
In a few moments they had crossed the grounds to the small shack where Hagrid lived, to their surprise when they went in he was talking happily with their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Rinoa Heartilly. Most people were afraid of Hagrid and his huge and often dangerous "pets" such as three headed dogs and dragons, but Rinoa was petting his big dog, Fang and looked really happy. There was also another dog Harry and Hermione didn't know and Hagrid was beaming while imparting all of his knowledge on dangerous beasts to her.
He looked up and saw Harry and his smiled widened, "Hi Harry, 'Ermione! What a nice serprise! I was jes' talkin' to your new teacher, Professor 'Eartilly 'ere and I reckon she's a darn good teacher for yuh guys!"
Harry and Hermione politely greeted Professor Heartilly. "Hey, hey, no need to be so polite around me, save that stuff for pricks like Snape, kay?" They both laughed out loud, this was a cool teacher. "So do you two like MY dog, this is Angelo." The other dog, a large and beautiful wolfish looking dog barked and greeted them, wagging its tail.
"Ain't he a beaut'?" Hagrid added. Suddenly his smile faded, "Eh, Hermione, yuh' don' look so happy there, what's wrong."
"I-It's nothing, Hagrid." She said softly, but her eyes had filled with tears again.
". . . Hargid, Malfoy said something to her." Harry explained.
"Eh, Malfoy!" Hagrid snorted.
"I'm . . . I'm not quiet sure what he said, but . . ."
"He said-he called me a mudblood." Hermione said shakily, "It's not a polite term, it's an insult, it means 'dirty blood' for someone who has muggle parents, someone who's not a pure witch or wizard, someone like me."
"Now listen here!" Hagrid bellowed, "The Malfoys are arrogant lil' pricks, they don' have a spell you can't do, Hermione!"
"That's right!" Rinoa said quickly, "Don't you listen to that Draco Malfoy, you're the best student I've ever seen, and in fact I'm a bit scared you know more than me and both my parents were magical!"
Hermione smiled a bit at this.
"And also, look at this way, Hermione, you have the best of BOTH worlds now because you already know all about being a muggle and you're so smart you'll know everything about being a witch in no time and you'll be able to shift through both worlds seamlessly and be an even BETTER witch then those without your advantage!"
Hermione thought about what Professor Heartilly had told her for the rest of the day and she began to feel better, she didn't think about what that jerk, Malfoy had said to her anymore, why should she be ashamed of where she came from and who her parents were, they were muggles but they were family!
"Hermione!" Harry interrupted her thoughts, "I wanted to tell you and Ron about something earlier, but I never had a chance." He had the yearbook in his hands and he quickly told Ron and Hermione what he knew about the two students being killed at the school when his parents were in their seventh year and the mysterious thing called "The Sorceress War."
Outside the classes two groups of students who did NOT get along where converging and the results would probably be violent spells or words as usual. The school's rich kid snob Draco Malfoy and his two "goons" Crabbe and Goyle strolled confidently towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione who stood discussing the day's events and Harry's return to his favourite wizard sport, Quidditch.
"Guess what, Potter." Malfoy began in his usual drawl, "I'M the Seeker for the Slythrin team!" He smirked superciliously at Harry and his friends, the Seeker was the most important player on a Quidditch team and Harry was the Seeker for the Gryffindor team.
"What you?!" Ron gasped.
Malfoy began his usual taunts about how poor Ron's family was and how dead Harry's family was and Hermione felt herself getting angrier and angrier, "Well at least he's on his team because of talent not because his Daddy bought his way on!"
Malfoy looked like he'd just bitten into a sour fruit, his eyes flashed furiously. A crowd of students was gathering around them and waiting for his comeback. "What would YOU know, Granger, you stupid little Mudblood?! No matter how much you study and brown nose you'll never be a good wizard with your mudblood!" He snapped at her, the crowd gasped shocked, Harry didn't understand but it had obviously been a very big insult because Hermione's eyes filled with tears and he'd NEVER seen her cry, she was a tough girl and she'd helped them defeat Lord Voldemort never once seeming scared of anything other than expulsion. Suddenly, she spun around and ran back inside the school, no one could see her face, but it was clear she was crying.
"You son of a-" Ron shouted furiously, he pulled out his wand, but it had been broken when he and Harry had crashed his father's flying car into the Whomping Willow tree. He shot a slug eating spell at Malfoy only it backfired and he ended up puking up slugs as the Slytherins laughed and laughed.
Harry helped Ron to the nurse's and then went to search for Hermione. He found her back in the Gryffindor common room, lying on the couch face down and crying. He wasn't sure what to do, so he went to her quietly and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hermione . . .?"
"I'm fine! Leave me alone!"
"What did Malfoy say to you, exactly?" Asked Harry, confused.
"Nothing!" She sat up, wiping her eyes, "It doesn't matter."
"Maybe we should . . . um, go pay Hagrid a visit?" Harry suggested, trying to think of something to lift her spirits.
In a few moments they had crossed the grounds to the small shack where Hagrid lived, to their surprise when they went in he was talking happily with their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Rinoa Heartilly. Most people were afraid of Hagrid and his huge and often dangerous "pets" such as three headed dogs and dragons, but Rinoa was petting his big dog, Fang and looked really happy. There was also another dog Harry and Hermione didn't know and Hagrid was beaming while imparting all of his knowledge on dangerous beasts to her.
He looked up and saw Harry and his smiled widened, "Hi Harry, 'Ermione! What a nice serprise! I was jes' talkin' to your new teacher, Professor 'Eartilly 'ere and I reckon she's a darn good teacher for yuh guys!"
Harry and Hermione politely greeted Professor Heartilly. "Hey, hey, no need to be so polite around me, save that stuff for pricks like Snape, kay?" They both laughed out loud, this was a cool teacher. "So do you two like MY dog, this is Angelo." The other dog, a large and beautiful wolfish looking dog barked and greeted them, wagging its tail.
"Ain't he a beaut'?" Hagrid added. Suddenly his smile faded, "Eh, Hermione, yuh' don' look so happy there, what's wrong."
"I-It's nothing, Hagrid." She said softly, but her eyes had filled with tears again.
". . . Hargid, Malfoy said something to her." Harry explained.
"Eh, Malfoy!" Hagrid snorted.
"I'm . . . I'm not quiet sure what he said, but . . ."
"He said-he called me a mudblood." Hermione said shakily, "It's not a polite term, it's an insult, it means 'dirty blood' for someone who has muggle parents, someone who's not a pure witch or wizard, someone like me."
"Now listen here!" Hagrid bellowed, "The Malfoys are arrogant lil' pricks, they don' have a spell you can't do, Hermione!"
"That's right!" Rinoa said quickly, "Don't you listen to that Draco Malfoy, you're the best student I've ever seen, and in fact I'm a bit scared you know more than me and both my parents were magical!"
Hermione smiled a bit at this.
"And also, look at this way, Hermione, you have the best of BOTH worlds now because you already know all about being a muggle and you're so smart you'll know everything about being a witch in no time and you'll be able to shift through both worlds seamlessly and be an even BETTER witch then those without your advantage!"
Hermione thought about what Professor Heartilly had told her for the rest of the day and she began to feel better, she didn't think about what that jerk, Malfoy had said to her anymore, why should she be ashamed of where she came from and who her parents were, they were muggles but they were family!
"Hermione!" Harry interrupted her thoughts, "I wanted to tell you and Ron about something earlier, but I never had a chance." He had the yearbook in his hands and he quickly told Ron and Hermione what he knew about the two students being killed at the school when his parents were in their seventh year and the mysterious thing called "The Sorceress War."