FANTASY. BY THE PERSON WHO WROTE THE OTHERS.
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. Please don't sue me, and enjoy the fanfic!
Chapter Two: The Bloated Squid
Hermione lay tossing and turning in her bed. She could not sleep at all. Her mind was filled with negative thoughts about her two best friends. When she had entered the common room, Harry and Ron had obviously been talking, but they had stopped the moment they had noticed her. It was obvious that they have been talking about her.
She sighed and closed her eyes, hoping that morning would come soon. She needed to busy herself – to keep her from her own paranoia.
"You know, I went to the lake this morning and I couldn't see the squid anywhere!"
"Couldn't you? I wonder what happened to it? You don't think . . ."
"No, he couldn't of. Could he? I mean what could he do with a giant squid that's practically tame?"
Hermione listened to the two first-years' conversation. It was either that or sitting by herself and doing nothing but wait for her lessons to start. She looked at her watch and decided to finally start waiting in the classroom. Besides, the conversation between the two first-years was beginning to get dull.
It was a Monday, which meant double potions with the Slytherins (as usual). She went to the dungeons and prepared herself for the lesson to begin. It didn't take long for the other students to arrive – in fact, the last person to enter the room was the Potions Master himself.
"Now can anyone tell me what is needed to make a Healing Potion into a Death Potion?" Professor Snape drawled, diving straight into the day's topic as he walked briskly to the front of the classroom. He glared at all the Gryffindor students. His eyes landed on Harry. "Perhaps, Mr Potter, has an answer for me?"
As Harry was about to answer, he was saved from the trouble by the voice of a small boy. Hermione recognised him as one of the first-years she had been eavesdropping on earlier that day.
"Yes?" Snape snapped, glaring at theboy that had dared to interrupt his lesson.
"Erm - I'm – I'm sorry, Sir – but – but I – I – I have a message - from – from Professor Dumbledore," said the first-year (a Gryffindor). Hestared intently at the dungeon floor, his entire body shaking.
"Well?" Snape asked, his voice echoing around the silent dungeon, "What is it then? We haven't got all day!"
"Professor Dumbledore wishes to see Miss Hermione Granger and Mr Draco Malfoy in his office immediately." The young boy gabbled, his ears turning bright red. Snape turned to Hermione, then to Draco, waving a hand towards the door, gesturing for them to leave. Hermione got up cautiously, as did Draco.
"Oh, and before you two leave," Snape stared at the boy by the door, "Ten points from Gryffindor for disrupting my class."
As soon as Hermione and Draco left the room and the dungeon door was firmly closed behind them, the boy let out a sigh of relief.
"Sheesh, I only came because of Professor Dumbledore and he still takes points off me." The boy grumbled as he began to walk up the stairs, closely followed by Hermione and Draco. Suddenly he stopped and turned to face the two seventh-years, causing them both to stumble, and nearly fall. He stretched a hand out towards them.
"Hello, I believe we haven't met properly."
He smiled at them and began ascending the stairs once again after Hermione and Draco had shook his hand.
"My name's Conner Flewington. My brother should be in your year, but he's a Slytherin." He glanced at Hermione and saw the look on her face. "But don't worry, he's a nice Slytherin. Father made him promise not to do anything that would help You-Know-Who." Conner paused at the top of the stairs and waited until Hermione and Draco had reached the main floor. "Anyway, I'll leave you here. I expect you know how to get to Dumbledore's office. His password is 'Rumplestiltskein'!"
Conner turned and walked through a door leading to the Charms classroom, leaving Hermione alone with Draco. They walked silently along the corridor until they came to the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office, where they both said the password simultaneously. The door was already open when they arrived at the top of the stairs.
"You asked to see us, Professor?" Hermione asked politely, peering around the door to find Dumbledore sitting calmly at his desk.
"Yes, Miss Granger, indeed I did." He gestured towards the loveseat in front of his desk. "Do sit down - the both of you."
Hermione and Draco obeyed reluctantly, both sitting as far away from each other as they possibly could.
"Well, I guess you're wondering why I have called you two here today?" He paused, "And don't worry Miss Granger, you aren't in trouble. Nothing too serious at least."
"What did I do, Professor?" Hermione asked worriedly. In her opinion, she had done nothing wrong.
"Don't worry, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said calmly, "You, alone, did nothing wrong."
"Are you blaming this on me?"
Hermione jumped. Draco had not spoken since they had left the Potions classroom, and his sudden interruption was a shock to her. She was surprised to see that Dumbledore was not the slightest bit angry at his rudeness.
"No, Mr Malfoy, I am not blaming anything on anyone."
"Then why the hell are we here?" Draco leant forward in his seat and stared at Dumbledore, his cold grey eyes meeting Dumbledore's warm blue ones.
"Mr Malfoy, I believe that you were serving your detention yesterday at 7:56pm precisely, when Miss Granger appeared?"
Draco nodded, sitting back in his seat again.
"Well, do you remember how many rats you were supposed to give to the Giant Squid?"
Silence.
"Eleven, I think." Draco finally answered.
"And do you know how many you actually threw in, Mr Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Draco looked away from Dumbledore. "The whole bucket."
"Correct, Mr Malfoy and there were at least twenty-five rats in that bucket. Of course, Miss Granger's crackers also added to the squid's . . . feast. By now, being the talented students that you are, you should have realised what I called you here for. Madam Pomfrey has just found what is wrong with the squid and it seems that he has an extremely bloated stomach." Dumbledore paused to see the two students' reactions. Hermione appeared to be deeply ashamed, whereas Draco, appeared to be deeply amused.
"We're so sorry, Professor," Hermione began, "I didn't realize that it could get a bloated stomach and I hope it does get better. I know it goes a long way back - it said so in Hogwarts: A History."
Draco rolled his eyes. Trust Granger to mention books at a time like this.
"So . . . what are you going to do to us?" Draco asked suspiciously. Dumbledore couldn't have just wanted to tell them that the squid had a bloated stomach. There had to be some kind of punishment.
Dumbledore couldn't hide the smile that crept across his lips. "Do you happen to know why you two were throwing food into the lake without counting?"
"Because . . . we were arguing . . ." Hermione mumbled.
"Exactly," Dumbledore smiled, giving her an approving nod. "And that, is what we must improve on."
"So, what you're saying is that our punishment is . . . to be friends?" Draco raised an eyebrow and laughed in disbelief. "Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, but I refuse to even try and make friends with . . . this . . . thing!"
"Well, Mr Malfoy, seeing as you two are not . . . able . . . to be friends willingly, I'm afraid I shall have to force you."
Hermione and Draco sat, staring at Dumbledore with wide eyes that showed exactly how they felt. Petrified.
"And how do you propose to do that?" Draco hissed. His voice was very quiet, barely louder than a whisper.
"I have arranged for you two to meet a few members of staff - one at a time of course - to give you a task to complete together," Dumbledore replied calmly, stressing the word 'together'. "It will be like . . . detention, except much more fun, I assure you. These events will happen every Monday – including today of course - and every Thursday after lessons end at four thirty. You shall meet your member of staff at the library, is that clear?"
It took a while before Dumbledore's words sunk in properly. Hermione gulped as she replied, "Crystal clear."
Edited Version: 25th July 2005