That afternoon was Care of Magical Creatures. It was a nice day out-
warm, with hardly a cloud in the cool blue sky. The weather was like this
the day Hermione got her first letter from Hogwarts. She had gone on a
picnic with her parents that day. Her parents had planned a quality summer
with her before they sent her off to secondary school. She didn't want to
leave even though it was the best school in the country. She felt an
apprehension about it- like she just wouldn't belong there, just like she
hadn't ever belonged anywhere. But at least she had a great summer to look
forward to.
When they arrived back home late in the afternoon, an owl was waiting for them on the front porch, with a letter for her. Hermione read the letter with her parents peering over her shoulders. She felt rooted to the spot until she had soaked up every last word. The she turned around and faced her parents, smiling, but determined. "This is where I belong," she had said. They beamed at her. Her mother shrugged, "Well, it certainly does explain a lot."
Hermione looked across the Hogwarts grounds toward the Forbidden Forest, where Hagrid was waiting by his cabin. She stopped walking and surveyed Ron and Harry who paused to see why she wasn't moving.
"They're going to be all right," she told them, but she was also speaking to herself. "They have to be. And there is nothing we can do at the moment to help them, so we should concentrate on school. But they're going to be all right."
Harry nodded at her purposefully. Ron smiled like he was relieved. Hermione felt determined. She couldn't quite explain the feeling. It was as if her parents would recover only if she stopped letting her worries rule her life. Maybe it didn't make any sense, but at the moment, she was so sure of herself to bother questioning it. She nodded and started her way toward Hagrid again.
Neville came running up behind them. When Ron turned, they collided. Ron stumbled backwards and tripped on the hem of his robe. He landed with an uncomfortable thud. Hermione turned and looked at him, and before she could help it, burst out laughing.
Ron looked up from the ground at her, but far from looking offended, he started laughing too. Harry and Neville looked at each other and smiled, but didn't seem to find it near as funny.
Ron began, "Well at least you hav-"
But a sneering drawl came from behind him, overriding his words. "Smooth, Weasel." Crabbe and Goyle chuckled stupidly from Malfoy's sides.
"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Harry.
"Watch that temper, Potter. You don't want to upset the mudblood, do you?" He gestured to Hermione and shot, "How are your parents, anyway? Still moaning at St. Mungo's-"
But Malfoy's mouth shut before he could finish. He looked around, panicking, with his fingers scrambling over his lips, as though he were trying to pry them open. He looked from Crabbe to Goyle, who stared back like confused gorillas. Malfoy shot them one more nasty look before taking off to the infirmary, Crabbe and Goyle on his tail.
Hermione turned around. "Neville! Was that you?" The others looked around, and sure enough, Neville was the only one with his wand out.
Neville smiled. "Yeah. I've been waiting to try that one on him for ages."
Harry clapped him on the back. "Boy are they going to be sorry they ever picked on you. Good one, mate."
"Yeah, good one," grumbled Ron as he got to his feet. He was looking at Hermione. "That Malfoy, saying those things. If I hadn't been on the ground." He balled his fists and stalked off toward Care of Magical Creatures.
The others followed, and then managed to look around innocently when Hagrid asked the class where Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were.
"Righ'. T'day we're goin' over wood nymphs, so come with me ter the edge o' the forest."
The lesson was pretty interesting, and particularly safe for one of Hagrid's lessons, so Hermione threw herself into learning with a new vigor. Everyone kept saying her parents would be fine. They would want her to keep her grades up, despite what had happened. While she didn't feel completely calm again, she was feeling better, being on the familiar footing of academia.
At the end of the lesson, she, Ron, and Harry hung back with Hagrid to see what the latest word was from the Order.
But he just shook his head. "Listen. 'S not summat fer yeh ter worry over. Yer back in school and Dumbledore wants yeh ter learn."
"But how are we supposed to concentrate with everything that's going on outside?" demanded Harry.
"Well 's the point, in' it?" said Hagrid. "Ter much on yer minds. Speakin' o' which, Hermione, how're yeh doin'?" He looked down at her kindly.
"All right, Hagrid," she said softly.
"Well, I got summat ter cheer yeh up a bit. Grawp's bin askin' about yeh. Think e's got a bit of a crush on yeh." He chuckled fondly. "Ye can come ter see 'em tonight. E's doin' righ' fine." Hagrid beamed down at them as though this were a really tempting offer.
"I don't know, Hagrid. We've got a lot of homework already," Ron began nervously.
"I'll come."
Harry and Ron gaped at Hermione. She shrugged. "I'm not so far behind as you guys. Can I use your invisibility cloak, Harry?"
When they arrived back home late in the afternoon, an owl was waiting for them on the front porch, with a letter for her. Hermione read the letter with her parents peering over her shoulders. She felt rooted to the spot until she had soaked up every last word. The she turned around and faced her parents, smiling, but determined. "This is where I belong," she had said. They beamed at her. Her mother shrugged, "Well, it certainly does explain a lot."
Hermione looked across the Hogwarts grounds toward the Forbidden Forest, where Hagrid was waiting by his cabin. She stopped walking and surveyed Ron and Harry who paused to see why she wasn't moving.
"They're going to be all right," she told them, but she was also speaking to herself. "They have to be. And there is nothing we can do at the moment to help them, so we should concentrate on school. But they're going to be all right."
Harry nodded at her purposefully. Ron smiled like he was relieved. Hermione felt determined. She couldn't quite explain the feeling. It was as if her parents would recover only if she stopped letting her worries rule her life. Maybe it didn't make any sense, but at the moment, she was so sure of herself to bother questioning it. She nodded and started her way toward Hagrid again.
Neville came running up behind them. When Ron turned, they collided. Ron stumbled backwards and tripped on the hem of his robe. He landed with an uncomfortable thud. Hermione turned and looked at him, and before she could help it, burst out laughing.
Ron looked up from the ground at her, but far from looking offended, he started laughing too. Harry and Neville looked at each other and smiled, but didn't seem to find it near as funny.
Ron began, "Well at least you hav-"
But a sneering drawl came from behind him, overriding his words. "Smooth, Weasel." Crabbe and Goyle chuckled stupidly from Malfoy's sides.
"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Harry.
"Watch that temper, Potter. You don't want to upset the mudblood, do you?" He gestured to Hermione and shot, "How are your parents, anyway? Still moaning at St. Mungo's-"
But Malfoy's mouth shut before he could finish. He looked around, panicking, with his fingers scrambling over his lips, as though he were trying to pry them open. He looked from Crabbe to Goyle, who stared back like confused gorillas. Malfoy shot them one more nasty look before taking off to the infirmary, Crabbe and Goyle on his tail.
Hermione turned around. "Neville! Was that you?" The others looked around, and sure enough, Neville was the only one with his wand out.
Neville smiled. "Yeah. I've been waiting to try that one on him for ages."
Harry clapped him on the back. "Boy are they going to be sorry they ever picked on you. Good one, mate."
"Yeah, good one," grumbled Ron as he got to his feet. He was looking at Hermione. "That Malfoy, saying those things. If I hadn't been on the ground." He balled his fists and stalked off toward Care of Magical Creatures.
The others followed, and then managed to look around innocently when Hagrid asked the class where Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were.
"Righ'. T'day we're goin' over wood nymphs, so come with me ter the edge o' the forest."
The lesson was pretty interesting, and particularly safe for one of Hagrid's lessons, so Hermione threw herself into learning with a new vigor. Everyone kept saying her parents would be fine. They would want her to keep her grades up, despite what had happened. While she didn't feel completely calm again, she was feeling better, being on the familiar footing of academia.
At the end of the lesson, she, Ron, and Harry hung back with Hagrid to see what the latest word was from the Order.
But he just shook his head. "Listen. 'S not summat fer yeh ter worry over. Yer back in school and Dumbledore wants yeh ter learn."
"But how are we supposed to concentrate with everything that's going on outside?" demanded Harry.
"Well 's the point, in' it?" said Hagrid. "Ter much on yer minds. Speakin' o' which, Hermione, how're yeh doin'?" He looked down at her kindly.
"All right, Hagrid," she said softly.
"Well, I got summat ter cheer yeh up a bit. Grawp's bin askin' about yeh. Think e's got a bit of a crush on yeh." He chuckled fondly. "Ye can come ter see 'em tonight. E's doin' righ' fine." Hagrid beamed down at them as though this were a really tempting offer.
"I don't know, Hagrid. We've got a lot of homework already," Ron began nervously.
"I'll come."
Harry and Ron gaped at Hermione. She shrugged. "I'm not so far behind as you guys. Can I use your invisibility cloak, Harry?"