Chapter Two*~~ A Change For The Best*~~
Petunia and Vernon glared at their nephew, but Harry hardly noticed. His eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the girl. Dudley was looking at the glass that had cut Harry's pants and the small speck of blood that trickled down his ankle. She girl's eyes sent him a warning signal and he snapped out of his shock.
"Clean up that mess!" hissed Aunt Petunia. Harry nodded and stopped down to take care of it. Then Petunia turned to their guest. "Hello, dear, welcome to our home. I'm Petunia and this is Vernon, my husband." They shook her hands and she smiled.
"And this is our son Dudley!" Vernon proclaimed proudly as Dudley waddled forward to shake her hand. Her smile flickered for a second but only Harry who glanced up at that moment had noticed. "And what is your name?"
"I'm Hermione Granger," she said happily and her smiled grew. Harry noticed again the reduction in his good friend's teeth. Her usually very bushy brown hair was calmed. Her eyes twinkled happily and he saw the corner of a glossy book in her shoulder bag. Harry had rarely seen his friend out of her school robes but she donned a pleaded black skirt and a red tank top with blue and yellow beads on the thin spaghetti straps.
Her shoes seemed that bottom was made of cork and the top of her satrapy sandals were jean. "Oh yes," Petunia said looking back at her nephew. "This," her voice was filled with disgust. "Is my nephew, Harry Potter. He lives here as well." Hermione hid the annoyance in her eyes quickly but Harry smiled and was about to shake her hand when Dudley hissed something into his ear.
"You're holding glass," he muttered softly. Harry wondered quickly why Dudley was being so nice, but when he looked in his face he saw the expression Ron's elder twin brother wore when he looked at one of the chasers, Angelina Johnson. Harry wondered why Dudley had a crush on Hermione but when he looked back it was apparent. As Hermione was one of his best friends he had never looked at her in the eyes of a young teenager, but Hermione was quite pretty.
"Uh, I'd shake your hand but I'm afraid I'm holding glass," eh said softly. Hermione smiled.
"That's all right, Harry. Oh you're cut!" she pointed to his leg. Harry glanced down. He hadn't noticed as he was used to pain. He had knocked himself unconscious for three days in his first year when he had saved the Sorcerer's/ Philosopher's, he had fallen fifty feet from a broom and had all of his bones re-grown overnight, he had later that year had his arm pierced by a poisonous fang of basilisk, in his third year fallen once again -thanks to the dementors- from an air born broomstick, later that year been slashed up by the Whomping Willow, then almost drowned in a lake during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, later in his fourth year he had been stabed in his arm and moments later put under an unforgivable curse.
Harry stooped down and pressed the bottom of his shirt on the thin cut. He cursed softly. Luckily his aunt and uncle were too busy leading Hermione to the couch to notice. Harry stood quickly and leaned on the door frame as he watched them, still trying to process the fact Hermione was in his home and the Dursleys didn't realize she was a witch.
"You boy," his uncle said jerking Harry from his thoughts.
"Yes uncle Vernon?"
"Go set everything out for our guest so we may eat!" Harry nodded and the boy walked swiftly into the kitchen and began to get everything ready. His mind, however, was on Hermione. 'That's what Sirius and Lupin- MOONY- had meant! They knew about it!' Harry suddenly cursed softly.
"That would be what the letter is about! I knew I should have read it!" he said softly out loud.
"You're right you should have!" Harry whirled to see Hermione grinning at him. "Hey Harry! I better get back! They think I just went to the bathroom but I heard you curse," Harry scowled and Hermione rolled her eyes. "and decided to see what you were up to. Meet me by the steps at midnight, got it?" Harry nodded and Hermione moved swiftly away.
Moments later Hermione and the Dursleys walked in. They sat down around the table and loaded Hermione with questions about her parents. Until..
Vernon set his fork down and turned to the pretty teenager. "Hermione?"
"Yes Mr. Dursley?" she said in a sweet tone.
"Where is it that you go to school? I mean to say we were never informed." Harry froze and his eyes flew to his friend. Hermione looked immensely calm.
"Well, my school is very private and doesn't like telling people where it is located but I ca tell you the name! Intellectual Brilliance Academy of the Arts and Law. Its is a top school," Hermione smiled as she saw the impressed looks pon Petunia's and Vernon's faces. Harry had to fight to keep his laughter hidden. Dudley was looking at Hermione with a slightly dopier look than usual.
"Well, I believe that it is time for desert!" Petunia said cheerfully. "Harry, get it." Harry had an according urge to mention his godfather but kept his mouth shut and opened the freezer to take out the ice cream bowls that were filled with a pretty pattern of ice cream and toppings. There were four. He handed one to each of the seated people.
"Oh but you don't have one!" Hermione chirped. As the Durlseys exchanged dark glances Hermione winked at him and he grinned back.
"H-he can have m-mine. I n-never p-planned on eating i-it," Petunia said with a forced smile and a straining voice. Hermione smiled cheekily at her.
"That's very kind of you Mrs. Dursley!" she chirped. The dinner was quite fun after that as Dudley hopped up and offered to show Hermione to the room she would be using. Harry walked slowly up the stairs behind the jabbering Dudley as he hauled Hermione's things up. Then he went down to get the rest. Hermione smiled as he entered.
"Oh I almost forgot! Thank you Harry," she said briskly as he set a suitcase on the bed. She opened it and pulled out a package wrapped in gold. Then she turned it over to Dudley.
"Thank you Hermione!" Dudley's eyes were dancing as he ripped it open to reveal a box of chocolates (non-magic and containing sugar) Dudley bounded from the room leaving Harry and Hermione alone.
"Here Harry!" Hermione tossed him a parcel identical to Dudley's except un wrapped. "Consider this an early birthday present. There are Honeydukes sweets inside! You better leave oytur aunt and uncle said they would be up to see me as soon as they had finished cleaning the kitchen. Harry nodded and smiled then wal;ked off, thinking about that night when they would meet.
Harry cam e to the conclusion that having Hermione here would be a change for the best.
Petunia and Vernon glared at their nephew, but Harry hardly noticed. His eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the girl. Dudley was looking at the glass that had cut Harry's pants and the small speck of blood that trickled down his ankle. She girl's eyes sent him a warning signal and he snapped out of his shock.
"Clean up that mess!" hissed Aunt Petunia. Harry nodded and stopped down to take care of it. Then Petunia turned to their guest. "Hello, dear, welcome to our home. I'm Petunia and this is Vernon, my husband." They shook her hands and she smiled.
"And this is our son Dudley!" Vernon proclaimed proudly as Dudley waddled forward to shake her hand. Her smile flickered for a second but only Harry who glanced up at that moment had noticed. "And what is your name?"
"I'm Hermione Granger," she said happily and her smiled grew. Harry noticed again the reduction in his good friend's teeth. Her usually very bushy brown hair was calmed. Her eyes twinkled happily and he saw the corner of a glossy book in her shoulder bag. Harry had rarely seen his friend out of her school robes but she donned a pleaded black skirt and a red tank top with blue and yellow beads on the thin spaghetti straps.
Her shoes seemed that bottom was made of cork and the top of her satrapy sandals were jean. "Oh yes," Petunia said looking back at her nephew. "This," her voice was filled with disgust. "Is my nephew, Harry Potter. He lives here as well." Hermione hid the annoyance in her eyes quickly but Harry smiled and was about to shake her hand when Dudley hissed something into his ear.
"You're holding glass," he muttered softly. Harry wondered quickly why Dudley was being so nice, but when he looked in his face he saw the expression Ron's elder twin brother wore when he looked at one of the chasers, Angelina Johnson. Harry wondered why Dudley had a crush on Hermione but when he looked back it was apparent. As Hermione was one of his best friends he had never looked at her in the eyes of a young teenager, but Hermione was quite pretty.
"Uh, I'd shake your hand but I'm afraid I'm holding glass," eh said softly. Hermione smiled.
"That's all right, Harry. Oh you're cut!" she pointed to his leg. Harry glanced down. He hadn't noticed as he was used to pain. He had knocked himself unconscious for three days in his first year when he had saved the Sorcerer's/ Philosopher's, he had fallen fifty feet from a broom and had all of his bones re-grown overnight, he had later that year had his arm pierced by a poisonous fang of basilisk, in his third year fallen once again -thanks to the dementors- from an air born broomstick, later that year been slashed up by the Whomping Willow, then almost drowned in a lake during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, later in his fourth year he had been stabed in his arm and moments later put under an unforgivable curse.
Harry stooped down and pressed the bottom of his shirt on the thin cut. He cursed softly. Luckily his aunt and uncle were too busy leading Hermione to the couch to notice. Harry stood quickly and leaned on the door frame as he watched them, still trying to process the fact Hermione was in his home and the Dursleys didn't realize she was a witch.
"You boy," his uncle said jerking Harry from his thoughts.
"Yes uncle Vernon?"
"Go set everything out for our guest so we may eat!" Harry nodded and the boy walked swiftly into the kitchen and began to get everything ready. His mind, however, was on Hermione. 'That's what Sirius and Lupin- MOONY- had meant! They knew about it!' Harry suddenly cursed softly.
"That would be what the letter is about! I knew I should have read it!" he said softly out loud.
"You're right you should have!" Harry whirled to see Hermione grinning at him. "Hey Harry! I better get back! They think I just went to the bathroom but I heard you curse," Harry scowled and Hermione rolled her eyes. "and decided to see what you were up to. Meet me by the steps at midnight, got it?" Harry nodded and Hermione moved swiftly away.
Moments later Hermione and the Dursleys walked in. They sat down around the table and loaded Hermione with questions about her parents. Until..
Vernon set his fork down and turned to the pretty teenager. "Hermione?"
"Yes Mr. Dursley?" she said in a sweet tone.
"Where is it that you go to school? I mean to say we were never informed." Harry froze and his eyes flew to his friend. Hermione looked immensely calm.
"Well, my school is very private and doesn't like telling people where it is located but I ca tell you the name! Intellectual Brilliance Academy of the Arts and Law. Its is a top school," Hermione smiled as she saw the impressed looks pon Petunia's and Vernon's faces. Harry had to fight to keep his laughter hidden. Dudley was looking at Hermione with a slightly dopier look than usual.
"Well, I believe that it is time for desert!" Petunia said cheerfully. "Harry, get it." Harry had an according urge to mention his godfather but kept his mouth shut and opened the freezer to take out the ice cream bowls that were filled with a pretty pattern of ice cream and toppings. There were four. He handed one to each of the seated people.
"Oh but you don't have one!" Hermione chirped. As the Durlseys exchanged dark glances Hermione winked at him and he grinned back.
"H-he can have m-mine. I n-never p-planned on eating i-it," Petunia said with a forced smile and a straining voice. Hermione smiled cheekily at her.
"That's very kind of you Mrs. Dursley!" she chirped. The dinner was quite fun after that as Dudley hopped up and offered to show Hermione to the room she would be using. Harry walked slowly up the stairs behind the jabbering Dudley as he hauled Hermione's things up. Then he went down to get the rest. Hermione smiled as he entered.
"Oh I almost forgot! Thank you Harry," she said briskly as he set a suitcase on the bed. She opened it and pulled out a package wrapped in gold. Then she turned it over to Dudley.
"Thank you Hermione!" Dudley's eyes were dancing as he ripped it open to reveal a box of chocolates (non-magic and containing sugar) Dudley bounded from the room leaving Harry and Hermione alone.
"Here Harry!" Hermione tossed him a parcel identical to Dudley's except un wrapped. "Consider this an early birthday present. There are Honeydukes sweets inside! You better leave oytur aunt and uncle said they would be up to see me as soon as they had finished cleaning the kitchen. Harry nodded and smiled then wal;ked off, thinking about that night when they would meet.
Harry cam e to the conclusion that having Hermione here would be a change for the best.