Chapter Five

Sisters

"Good morning, class!" Professor Callon said, a little too cheery. "Well, I've heard the unfortunate disasters of your previous Dark Arts teachers, and I'm sorry to hear that you couldn't keep Professor Lupin. He's very kind."

Hermione, for once in her life, found herself not paying attention. All she could think about was her dreams, (especially the one with Draco) and how much Callon looked like Umbridge, and what she could possibly have to do with a potion to make Voldemort stronger. Clearly, that's who it was in her first dream. Who else would it be?

She glanced over at Draco, who was scribbling notes on a piece of parchment. She looked at Lavendar Brown. Her parchment was full of notes. Oh, no.Hermione thought to herself. She raised her hand meekly in the air.

"Yes, Miss Granger? Can I help you?"

"I." She felt her face turn bright red as the whole class stared at her and her blank parchment. "I sort of didn't.I kind of spa.I."

"Are you not feeling well, Miss Granger?"

She glanced quickly at the class. Draco was staring at her, then her parchment, then her. "I'm fi.No I'm not feeling well, Professor.do you mind if I go to the hospital wing?"

"Not at all, dear. You may copy someone else's notes when you feel better." Professor Callon said, and Hermione dismissed herself.

She ran to the girls' bathroom, locked herself in a stall, and leaned against it. What's wrong with me? I haven't been paying attention in class, I've been having dreams about Voldemort, and not to mention Draco Malfoy. Why am I always so happy when he looks at me? Why am I always finding an excuse to be near him? Why? Hermione took a deep breath, wiped her eyes, brushed back her hair, and unlocked the stall. "Okay, Hermione." She told herself. "You can do this. All you have to do is pay attention for the remainder of the class, and then you have the rest of the day off to copy notes and read up on Advanced Charms before Monday."

She walked gingerly back into her classroom, and Professor Callon smiled up at her. "Better, Miss Granger?"

"Yes, Professor." She said, avoiding Callon's gaze. She looked too much like Umbridge.

Hermione was allowed to spend the rest of the class copying Lavendar's notes, and Professor Callon said she would excuse her from that day's lesson on account of illness.

When class was over, despite her attempt to avoid them, Harry and Ron caught up with her in the hallway. "Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry asked, sounding concerned.

"Oh, I was just feeling sort of dizzy, and I spaced out. That's all. I'm fine now." Hermione lied.

"That's all?" Ron raised an eyebrow. "Hermione, you never space out. What's going on with you?"

Hermione sighed. "I was just.wondering why, and how weird it was, Professor Callon looked so much like Umbridge."

"Because," Ginny Weasley said from behind her. "She's Umbridge's twin sister."

"What?" Harry's eyes grew wide.

"Yep." Ginny said. "Well, I have to go. Have a study group to get to."

Hermione felt her own eyes wide, yet she said, "Yes, me as well. I mean, not a group, but I have to get on with reading my Advanced Charms book. The class starts on Monday and I'm not even through chapter forty-five." She bounced off towards the library, Ron and Harry left blinking after her.

Instead of going straight to the library, however, Hermione stopped at Professor McGonagall's classroom. She knew she had to tell somebody. About her dreams. She wouldn't mention her feelings for Malfoy, though. She knew better. "Professor?" Hermione asked, standing in the doorway.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"I wonder, may I have a word with you?"

"Of course. Come, sit." McGonagall said, nodding to a chair in front of her desk. Hermione sat slowly. "What is it?"

"I.well, I don't know if I should be saying anything, because this sort of thing might be normal after what happened last year, but.last night I had three dreams. One was of Malfoy growing a snake tongue, another was that I was at the Malfoy's and."

"You were at the Malfoy's?" McGonagall asked. Clearly, Hermione had caught her attention.

"Yes." Hermione said slowly.

"What happened there?"

"Well, Mr. & Mrs. Malfoy were talking about Draco becoming a Death Eater." She said, failing to mention details.

"Ah," McGonagall said, scribbling on a small piece of parchment. "Go on with your third dream, please?"

"Well." Hermione hesitated. "I think.I was V-Voldemort."

McGonagall's eyebrows shot up. The only other person who had had one of these dreams was Harry. "You were? Where were you? Do you know? What happened?"

"I.I don't know a lot!" Hermione said, not being able to take all of the questions. "Someone kept calling me 'Master', and I kept asking about.about how close we were to finding a potion that was linked to.Callon. All the other man said was 'We are close.'"

"What kind of Potion?" McGonagall asked, scribbling on the parchment once more.

".A potion to make me stronger. I said that after I got a little stronger, I would get both Callon and the potion."

"I see." McGonagall said. "Come with me, Granger. We're going to see the headmaster."

Hermione hoped that it wouldn't come to this. Then, she remembered something. "Professor, I think there's something else you should know." McGonagall looked at her. "Umbridge and Callon are twin sisters."