Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix- Chapter 7
" Please! Can we please have order! Yes, the news has shocked us all. Cornelius Fudge made a grave mistake, a mistake that will make this even harder." Dumbledore's cheerful voice now sounded subdued and even angry.
"I don't see how such an idiot could become Minister of Magic. Albus even told Fudge to take the Dementors out of Azkaban, but did the prat listen? No." Snape's voice was loud and furious. Several more voices shouted out their agreement.
"Please, please everyone. It was obvious that the Dementors would rejoin the Dark Side. It has just happened a little sooner than we anticipated. We will deal with this like we did fifteen years ago. As a team." Dumbledore's reassuring voice carried out to the landing. Hermione was gaping wide-eyed at Ron and Harry. Harry felt sick at the news that the Dementors had joined Voldemort's side.
"What are we going to do?" A voice, that the three didn't recognise, asked.
"Well, Fudge has been removed from his position. They asked me to be the next Minister. However, I feel that I am more needed here. I suggested that they appoint Richard Rockman. They have taken up this suggestion and are waiting for his reply. We have sent out feelers to the giants by means of a very reliable source, and we have our spies in position. In fact, one of our spies have been accepted back into the circle of the Death Eaters even after fifteen years of absence." The room was silent.
"I suggest that each of you go back to your houses and do your appointed jobs. If anything at all seems out of place contact me immedietly. I feel that this is just the beginning of another long, hard battle." Dumbledore said wearily. Harry and Ron shared a look; Dumbledore sounded so old and worn out. Hermione tugged on their arms. They just realised that there was movement inside the office and that at any moment wizards would come pouring onto the landing. They were just getting up when a familiar voice made them stop.
"Wait a moment Albus. I do believe that there are three someones outside the door, listening to us." Harry, Ron and Hermione shared a terrified look.
The door flew open and a wizard they didn't know was staring out into the, apparently, empty hall. He turned back around, looking quizzical. There was thunk, step, thunk, step and Harry knew immedietly who it was.
"Why, it's Potter and his friends." Harry would have given anything to not be there at that moment. Very slowly, infront of the room full of people, Harry took the cloak off them. The surprised looks they received were nothing compared to the disappointed and hurt look Sirius was giving them.
"Harry, Ron and Hermione." Harry glanced up, Dumbledore looked just as disappointed and there was no twinkle in his eyes.
"It was my idea, professor." Hermione said quickly. Harry battled with himself for a second.
"No, Hermione. Don't. Professor, Ron and I went along with it, we're sorry." Hermione shot him a look.
"We know we shouldn't have done it." Ron said. Everyone just continued to look at them.
"Why?" That one word from Dumbledore left the three staring at him, trying to think of a good answer, any answer.
"Ummmm," Hermione thought.
"Ahhhh," Ron siad with a frown of concentration.
"Err," Harry studied the ground.
"We were worried." Hermione's voice was shaking and on closer inspection Harry noticed that her hands were trembling.
"About what?" Sirius burst out. Hermione surveyed him for a moment.
"About everything." She said softly. Harry and Ron were now watching her closely. She continued, "I mean, suddenly all this stuff is happening, Harry being brought to Hogwarts for "closer watch" and more people are missing and being killed. Then Professor Snape is calling Professor Lupin and Sirius away because of an emergency and we were concerned. I know that we probably wouldn't be any help if something happened, but we wanted to be there, just in case. We're sorry, really we are." Hermione glanced over at Harry and Ron who nodded in agreement.
"Miss Granger, you realise that this excessive curiosity that you three share could have put Mr. Potter in danger." Snape's eyes were narrowed and cold, his voice bitter.
"After everything that we do to keep Harry Potter safe and here he goes, breaking rules left, right and centre. Oh yes, with his friends accompining him every step of the way." Snape took a step forward and Harry and Ron took a step back. Hermione, on the other hand, kept her ground and glared right back.
"With all due respect, professor. Our curiosity has come in handy in the past, has it not?" Her eyes glinted dangerously.
"Miss Granger, how dare you-"
"How dare you, you mean! To dare even suggest that we have put our best friend in danger! We would never, we knew that we were perfectly safe in Hogwarts. We have never, nor will never put Harry into any danger, and if you EVER accuse us of doing so, I swear I'll-"
"Hermione!" Ron yelped in shock, leaping forward and grabbing her arms to pull her back. Snape swelled up and was about to say something when Professor Dumbledore interrupted.
"Maybe you three could go back to Gryffendor Tower. I'll be up shortly to talk to you." Hermione was still glaring daggers at Snape and Ron and Harry had to drag her out of the room.
"Hermione! What is wrong with you!" Ron demanded as they headed up the stairs. The only other time they had seen Hermione this angry was when she slapped Draco Malfoy across the face. Suddenly Hermione stopped.
"I don't know, I just, I mean. I don't want to lose you both too!" She wailed. Ron and Harry looked alarmed.
"What? Lose us? Why would you lose us?" Harry asked, thoroughly confused.
"I don't want You-Know-Who to get either of you, like mum and dad. You're all I have and I can't lose you! Then Snape accused us of putting you, Harry, in danger and I felt scared. We had put you in danger. Many times. The only way I could react was to deny it. I was angry with him, at the whole world. I thought I was getting over this but I was wrong! I hoped that by burying ourselves in a mystery I could forget what had happened, but it just doesn't work!" Hermione began to cry and Ron quckly put his arms around her. Harry felt upset, he hated seeing his best frind like this, but there was nothing he could do. Add that to the guilt he was already feeling from getting caught spying, he felt pretty awful. He looked down the stairs and saw Remus, Sirius, McGonagall and Dumbledore. They all had expressionless faces. Harry's shoulders sagged and he turned to Rona nd Hermione.
"Come on, they're here." By then the grim group had caught up with them and Hermione quickly dried her eyes. Remus nodded towards his office.
"Let's talk in there." Harry followed, feeling like his legs were made of lead.
"Take a seat." Everyone sat down. Harry studied the floor, Ron was staring at the wall, but Hermione was looking Dumbledore right in the eye. Dumbledore sat forward.
"Do you have any idea of what we were doing in that room?" Harry, Ron and Hermione shook their heads.
"I see. Do you know why we were there?" Again they shook their heads.
"Let me tell you something. Listen carefully. Our story begins here, in the castle, thousnds of years ago. It begins with four people: Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor-" .
" Please! Can we please have order! Yes, the news has shocked us all. Cornelius Fudge made a grave mistake, a mistake that will make this even harder." Dumbledore's cheerful voice now sounded subdued and even angry.
"I don't see how such an idiot could become Minister of Magic. Albus even told Fudge to take the Dementors out of Azkaban, but did the prat listen? No." Snape's voice was loud and furious. Several more voices shouted out their agreement.
"Please, please everyone. It was obvious that the Dementors would rejoin the Dark Side. It has just happened a little sooner than we anticipated. We will deal with this like we did fifteen years ago. As a team." Dumbledore's reassuring voice carried out to the landing. Hermione was gaping wide-eyed at Ron and Harry. Harry felt sick at the news that the Dementors had joined Voldemort's side.
"What are we going to do?" A voice, that the three didn't recognise, asked.
"Well, Fudge has been removed from his position. They asked me to be the next Minister. However, I feel that I am more needed here. I suggested that they appoint Richard Rockman. They have taken up this suggestion and are waiting for his reply. We have sent out feelers to the giants by means of a very reliable source, and we have our spies in position. In fact, one of our spies have been accepted back into the circle of the Death Eaters even after fifteen years of absence." The room was silent.
"I suggest that each of you go back to your houses and do your appointed jobs. If anything at all seems out of place contact me immedietly. I feel that this is just the beginning of another long, hard battle." Dumbledore said wearily. Harry and Ron shared a look; Dumbledore sounded so old and worn out. Hermione tugged on their arms. They just realised that there was movement inside the office and that at any moment wizards would come pouring onto the landing. They were just getting up when a familiar voice made them stop.
"Wait a moment Albus. I do believe that there are three someones outside the door, listening to us." Harry, Ron and Hermione shared a terrified look.
The door flew open and a wizard they didn't know was staring out into the, apparently, empty hall. He turned back around, looking quizzical. There was thunk, step, thunk, step and Harry knew immedietly who it was.
"Why, it's Potter and his friends." Harry would have given anything to not be there at that moment. Very slowly, infront of the room full of people, Harry took the cloak off them. The surprised looks they received were nothing compared to the disappointed and hurt look Sirius was giving them.
"Harry, Ron and Hermione." Harry glanced up, Dumbledore looked just as disappointed and there was no twinkle in his eyes.
"It was my idea, professor." Hermione said quickly. Harry battled with himself for a second.
"No, Hermione. Don't. Professor, Ron and I went along with it, we're sorry." Hermione shot him a look.
"We know we shouldn't have done it." Ron said. Everyone just continued to look at them.
"Why?" That one word from Dumbledore left the three staring at him, trying to think of a good answer, any answer.
"Ummmm," Hermione thought.
"Ahhhh," Ron siad with a frown of concentration.
"Err," Harry studied the ground.
"We were worried." Hermione's voice was shaking and on closer inspection Harry noticed that her hands were trembling.
"About what?" Sirius burst out. Hermione surveyed him for a moment.
"About everything." She said softly. Harry and Ron were now watching her closely. She continued, "I mean, suddenly all this stuff is happening, Harry being brought to Hogwarts for "closer watch" and more people are missing and being killed. Then Professor Snape is calling Professor Lupin and Sirius away because of an emergency and we were concerned. I know that we probably wouldn't be any help if something happened, but we wanted to be there, just in case. We're sorry, really we are." Hermione glanced over at Harry and Ron who nodded in agreement.
"Miss Granger, you realise that this excessive curiosity that you three share could have put Mr. Potter in danger." Snape's eyes were narrowed and cold, his voice bitter.
"After everything that we do to keep Harry Potter safe and here he goes, breaking rules left, right and centre. Oh yes, with his friends accompining him every step of the way." Snape took a step forward and Harry and Ron took a step back. Hermione, on the other hand, kept her ground and glared right back.
"With all due respect, professor. Our curiosity has come in handy in the past, has it not?" Her eyes glinted dangerously.
"Miss Granger, how dare you-"
"How dare you, you mean! To dare even suggest that we have put our best friend in danger! We would never, we knew that we were perfectly safe in Hogwarts. We have never, nor will never put Harry into any danger, and if you EVER accuse us of doing so, I swear I'll-"
"Hermione!" Ron yelped in shock, leaping forward and grabbing her arms to pull her back. Snape swelled up and was about to say something when Professor Dumbledore interrupted.
"Maybe you three could go back to Gryffendor Tower. I'll be up shortly to talk to you." Hermione was still glaring daggers at Snape and Ron and Harry had to drag her out of the room.
"Hermione! What is wrong with you!" Ron demanded as they headed up the stairs. The only other time they had seen Hermione this angry was when she slapped Draco Malfoy across the face. Suddenly Hermione stopped.
"I don't know, I just, I mean. I don't want to lose you both too!" She wailed. Ron and Harry looked alarmed.
"What? Lose us? Why would you lose us?" Harry asked, thoroughly confused.
"I don't want You-Know-Who to get either of you, like mum and dad. You're all I have and I can't lose you! Then Snape accused us of putting you, Harry, in danger and I felt scared. We had put you in danger. Many times. The only way I could react was to deny it. I was angry with him, at the whole world. I thought I was getting over this but I was wrong! I hoped that by burying ourselves in a mystery I could forget what had happened, but it just doesn't work!" Hermione began to cry and Ron quckly put his arms around her. Harry felt upset, he hated seeing his best frind like this, but there was nothing he could do. Add that to the guilt he was already feeling from getting caught spying, he felt pretty awful. He looked down the stairs and saw Remus, Sirius, McGonagall and Dumbledore. They all had expressionless faces. Harry's shoulders sagged and he turned to Rona nd Hermione.
"Come on, they're here." By then the grim group had caught up with them and Hermione quickly dried her eyes. Remus nodded towards his office.
"Let's talk in there." Harry followed, feeling like his legs were made of lead.
"Take a seat." Everyone sat down. Harry studied the floor, Ron was staring at the wall, but Hermione was looking Dumbledore right in the eye. Dumbledore sat forward.
"Do you have any idea of what we were doing in that room?" Harry, Ron and Hermione shook their heads.
"I see. Do you know why we were there?" Again they shook their heads.
"Let me tell you something. Listen carefully. Our story begins here, in the castle, thousnds of years ago. It begins with four people: Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor-" .