Chapter Four
Three Dreams
Hermione stared up at Professor Callon, half expecting her to say "Hem hem," as Professor Umbridge had done on countless occasions.
"Thank you for your warm welcome!" Professor Callon started. "I only wish to say that I am very proud to be here at the finest school for the finest young witches and wizards, under the best Headmaster in the land!" She held up her arms, and the Great Hall erupted, again, in clapping hands. Hermione clapped, only out of common courtesy.
"How weird is that?" Ron whispered to Harry. "She looks just like Umbridge."
"I know." Harry said, staring at the Professor as she talked to McGonagall.
"Well," Hermione said as the feast appear on the table, and Ron dug into a bowl of chicken legs. "I certainly hope she doesn't act like Professor Umbridge did. One more like her, and Hogwarts just might go under."
"Hi, Harry!" Neville Longbottom appeared between Ron and Harry. "How are you?"
"Fine, Neville. Are you okay after last year?"
"My gran was a bit upset, but I'm fine now." Neville said, and went to sit with the Weasleys and Jordan Lee.
"He really was quiet active in D.A.," Hermione said, "But hopefully, if Professor Callon isn't anything like Umbridge, we won't have to organize another secret Defense Against the Dark Arts class."
"Yeah," Ron piped, "Besides, we'll be too busy with S.A.G.W.D.I.."
"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione turned scarlet in the face from anger.
"What? You fight for Elfish Welfare, won't you fight for shelters for gits? We know for sure you'll at least have ONE client."
"Ron I am this close," She held up her thumb and index finger, hardly any space between them. "to going to Azkaban for using the Cruciatus curse on you!" Ron swore under his breath and sighed. Hermione looked around to see the Slytherin first years standing, and Draco and Pansy Parkinson leading them away from the table to their common room. "Well then," Hermione said, standing. "I suppose we'll show the first years their way?"
Ron mumbled and stood up.
After getting the Gryffindor first years safely to their dormitories, Hermione and Ron split up in the hallways to make sure no one had gotten lost. As Hermione neared the Slytherin common room, she heard a loud commotion. Going to check it out, she discovered the entry way to the common room had been left open. She went up to it, and took a peek inside. All of the first years were jumping up and down on the couch, and hurling things across the room. Pansy was backed against the wall, her pony tail falling out, hair in her face. Draco was turning red with anger. "For crying out loud!"
Hermione gingerly stepped into the common room and went up to Draco, Pansy eyeing her every move. "Trouble?" She asked him.
"You tell me." He said, glaring at the first years.
"May I?" Draco shrugged. Hermione stood on a table and turned around. "First years!" No one noticed her. She growled and cupped her hands around her mouth. "SLYTHERINS!" All of them stopped short, and stared at her. "Now that someone finally has your attention, there are, believe it or not, rules in this school. And, you are expected to follow those rules! I am Hermione Granger, and this," She said pointing to Draco. "is Draco Malfoy. And this," She pointed to Pansy. "Is Pansy Parkinson. They are your house prefects and you will obey their orders. Understood?"
Some of the children nodded meekly. "Now, that won't do at all. Understood?!" She asked again, firmly. She reminded herself of McGonagall.
"Yes, Miss Granger." The first years called to her.
"Thank you. Now if you'll wait, these two will tell you where your dorms are." Hermione climbed down off the table and looked at Malfoy. "You just have to know how to handle them." She smiled and walked out of the Slytherin common room, closing the entry behind her.
"What were you doing in there?" Ron popped up beside her.
"Ron! You scared me. I was helping Malfoy."
"Excuse me? Helping Malfoy do what?" Ron crossed his arms.
"Well, the Slytherin first years had gotten out of control, see, and neither Malfoy or Pansy could control them, so I."
"So you just stepped right into the Slytherin house and helped?" Ron's face was turning a light purple.
"Ron what's wrong with you? I was just helping so that none of the first years would get in trouble. Lay off." Hermione pushed past him and went to the Gryffindor tower, ready for sleep.
~Dream Sequence~
Hermione crept along the dark, empty hallway, wand at the ready. She felt fear.anger.a sense of being very weak and lost. "Master!" She heard someone say.
"Help me." The words escaped from her lips as she fell to the floor. "I need you to find that potion so I can be stronger and go after the Mudblood."
"Yes, Master." Someone took her by the arm, leading her to a chair. "We will find the potion, soon."
"How long?" She heard herself say.
"I'm not sure, Master. But we are getting close. We think it's hidden in Hogwarts with Gene Callon."
"Callon is in Hogwarts?" A surprised feeling came across Hermione. Yet at the same time, a smile crept across her face. "Give me time to get stronger, and then we will fetch Callon and my potion!"
^New Dream^
Hermione stood at the top of a long spiral staircase, looking down on two figures talking. "How could he do such a thing, Lucius?" Lucius? She was at the Malfoy's?
"I'm afraid I do not know, Narcissa." Lucius's voice rang out. "But I do know that we must not allow him to be soft like that if we wish him to become a Death Eater."
"Yes, you're right."
Who to become a Death Eater? Draco? Would Draco really follow in Voldemort's path? Would he really help kill countless, innocent people?
^New Dream^
Hermione stepped meekly up to Malfoy. "Draco, I want to thank you for not.insulting me."
Draco turned sharply. "I might not have said it out loud, but I was thinking a million insults."
"What?" Hermione felt her eyes sting with tears. Why was she crying over this?
"Get away from me, Granger."
"You're such a...a.snake, Malfoy!" She cried out.
Malfoy turned and looked at her. "A snake?" He smiled evilly. A long, forked tongue slipped out between his lips. "A snake, is that what I am?" He leaped out for her.
~End Dream Sequence~
Hermione sat upright in her bed, her forehead glistening with sweat. What all had she just seen? Why had she seen it?
Three Dreams
Hermione stared up at Professor Callon, half expecting her to say "Hem hem," as Professor Umbridge had done on countless occasions.
"Thank you for your warm welcome!" Professor Callon started. "I only wish to say that I am very proud to be here at the finest school for the finest young witches and wizards, under the best Headmaster in the land!" She held up her arms, and the Great Hall erupted, again, in clapping hands. Hermione clapped, only out of common courtesy.
"How weird is that?" Ron whispered to Harry. "She looks just like Umbridge."
"I know." Harry said, staring at the Professor as she talked to McGonagall.
"Well," Hermione said as the feast appear on the table, and Ron dug into a bowl of chicken legs. "I certainly hope she doesn't act like Professor Umbridge did. One more like her, and Hogwarts just might go under."
"Hi, Harry!" Neville Longbottom appeared between Ron and Harry. "How are you?"
"Fine, Neville. Are you okay after last year?"
"My gran was a bit upset, but I'm fine now." Neville said, and went to sit with the Weasleys and Jordan Lee.
"He really was quiet active in D.A.," Hermione said, "But hopefully, if Professor Callon isn't anything like Umbridge, we won't have to organize another secret Defense Against the Dark Arts class."
"Yeah," Ron piped, "Besides, we'll be too busy with S.A.G.W.D.I.."
"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione turned scarlet in the face from anger.
"What? You fight for Elfish Welfare, won't you fight for shelters for gits? We know for sure you'll at least have ONE client."
"Ron I am this close," She held up her thumb and index finger, hardly any space between them. "to going to Azkaban for using the Cruciatus curse on you!" Ron swore under his breath and sighed. Hermione looked around to see the Slytherin first years standing, and Draco and Pansy Parkinson leading them away from the table to their common room. "Well then," Hermione said, standing. "I suppose we'll show the first years their way?"
Ron mumbled and stood up.
After getting the Gryffindor first years safely to their dormitories, Hermione and Ron split up in the hallways to make sure no one had gotten lost. As Hermione neared the Slytherin common room, she heard a loud commotion. Going to check it out, she discovered the entry way to the common room had been left open. She went up to it, and took a peek inside. All of the first years were jumping up and down on the couch, and hurling things across the room. Pansy was backed against the wall, her pony tail falling out, hair in her face. Draco was turning red with anger. "For crying out loud!"
Hermione gingerly stepped into the common room and went up to Draco, Pansy eyeing her every move. "Trouble?" She asked him.
"You tell me." He said, glaring at the first years.
"May I?" Draco shrugged. Hermione stood on a table and turned around. "First years!" No one noticed her. She growled and cupped her hands around her mouth. "SLYTHERINS!" All of them stopped short, and stared at her. "Now that someone finally has your attention, there are, believe it or not, rules in this school. And, you are expected to follow those rules! I am Hermione Granger, and this," She said pointing to Draco. "is Draco Malfoy. And this," She pointed to Pansy. "Is Pansy Parkinson. They are your house prefects and you will obey their orders. Understood?"
Some of the children nodded meekly. "Now, that won't do at all. Understood?!" She asked again, firmly. She reminded herself of McGonagall.
"Yes, Miss Granger." The first years called to her.
"Thank you. Now if you'll wait, these two will tell you where your dorms are." Hermione climbed down off the table and looked at Malfoy. "You just have to know how to handle them." She smiled and walked out of the Slytherin common room, closing the entry behind her.
"What were you doing in there?" Ron popped up beside her.
"Ron! You scared me. I was helping Malfoy."
"Excuse me? Helping Malfoy do what?" Ron crossed his arms.
"Well, the Slytherin first years had gotten out of control, see, and neither Malfoy or Pansy could control them, so I."
"So you just stepped right into the Slytherin house and helped?" Ron's face was turning a light purple.
"Ron what's wrong with you? I was just helping so that none of the first years would get in trouble. Lay off." Hermione pushed past him and went to the Gryffindor tower, ready for sleep.
~Dream Sequence~
Hermione crept along the dark, empty hallway, wand at the ready. She felt fear.anger.a sense of being very weak and lost. "Master!" She heard someone say.
"Help me." The words escaped from her lips as she fell to the floor. "I need you to find that potion so I can be stronger and go after the Mudblood."
"Yes, Master." Someone took her by the arm, leading her to a chair. "We will find the potion, soon."
"How long?" She heard herself say.
"I'm not sure, Master. But we are getting close. We think it's hidden in Hogwarts with Gene Callon."
"Callon is in Hogwarts?" A surprised feeling came across Hermione. Yet at the same time, a smile crept across her face. "Give me time to get stronger, and then we will fetch Callon and my potion!"
^New Dream^
Hermione stood at the top of a long spiral staircase, looking down on two figures talking. "How could he do such a thing, Lucius?" Lucius? She was at the Malfoy's?
"I'm afraid I do not know, Narcissa." Lucius's voice rang out. "But I do know that we must not allow him to be soft like that if we wish him to become a Death Eater."
"Yes, you're right."
Who to become a Death Eater? Draco? Would Draco really follow in Voldemort's path? Would he really help kill countless, innocent people?
^New Dream^
Hermione stepped meekly up to Malfoy. "Draco, I want to thank you for not.insulting me."
Draco turned sharply. "I might not have said it out loud, but I was thinking a million insults."
"What?" Hermione felt her eyes sting with tears. Why was she crying over this?
"Get away from me, Granger."
"You're such a...a.snake, Malfoy!" She cried out.
Malfoy turned and looked at her. "A snake?" He smiled evilly. A long, forked tongue slipped out between his lips. "A snake, is that what I am?" He leaped out for her.
~End Dream Sequence~
Hermione sat upright in her bed, her forehead glistening with sweat. What all had she just seen? Why had she seen it?
