Disclaimer : T'isn't mine.
A/N : Ok, yay for me, I did this all today. Ok so it's not that long, and doesn't deserve real praise, I'm proud. Anyway, I wanted to get this up before I left. So, now I need opinions, which chapter is better? The first #9 or this one?
Chapter 9 : Surprise
The silence that flooded the air of the Dursley house at dinner was almost too much for Petunia. She felt the icy stares of her husband and son, but when she looked at them, they turned away. They chewed their food in complete and utter silence. The men felt betrayed, and she…she felt betraying. Not to them, but to her nephew. How had she let it happen? She couldn't bear to think of him by himself. Although through the years, Petunia had never shown the slightest bit of affection to Harry, it was there. Hidden away, for so long, she had almost forgotten about it. Only when he left, had she finally found it. But she paid dearly for locking it away now. And she knew what she must do. Leave.
***
Hermione woke up groggy, late in the morning Saturday. She hadn't slept well the night before. Her conversation with Malfoy had played over in her mind. The exhaustion, too, had kept her from sleep. Her body ached, but her mind had stayed alert. She wondered, what the purpose of Draco's continued tormenting was. She knew that he hated her, of course she knew that. She was a Mudblood, staining the purity of wizards. At least, that's how he saw her. But was that it?
She slid from the warm covers, and settled her feet on the contrastingly cold ground. She shivered as she reached for her robes and, tying them loosely round her waist, hurried out of the room. She found Harry and Ron waiting for her in the common room, as usual. She smiled at them blearily when they turned around in their seats. As she reached the last step, they stood up and went to meet her at the portrait door.
"Morning, Hermione," Ron said as he stepped out into the cold hall.
"Mornin' Ron, Harry," she said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. As she stumbled along behind them, the two boys began talking.
"So Lavina's the new Keeper, eh Harry?" Ron acknowledged.
"Yeah. She's small, but pretty fast. I reckon she'll be good. We've got a practice Monday morning if you want to come watch. First match isn't even until November, but Alicia wants to get started right away. Training Lavina, I guess," Harry explained.
The rest of the short walk to the Great Hall was spent talking about Quidditch techniques, new brooms and the best Quidditch players. All of which, Hermione found deathly boring and reason for almost falling over asleep.
As they entered the large room, they found their seats and began heaping food onto their plates, all with similar voracity. They had all shirked dinner the evening before to study. A rather unusual thing for Ron, but Harry had convinced him that since Hermione was 'going to the library to study alone,' as she told them, they would be better off doing it as soon as possible.
Hermione didn't know why she'd lied to them the night before. She hadn't wanted to tell them that she was getting help from Lavender. That she was getting help at all was bad enough. And so she had evaded their questions by telling them that she was just spending a usual night in the library and she wanted to be alone. She looked over at Lavender, who was sitting a few seats down. She was giggling with Parvati about something. Hermione smiled. That's the Lavender we all know.
Suddenly, Hermione shivered with a cold feeling that someone was watching her. She looked over at the Slytherin table and met an icy, grey stare. Malfoy.
"Hermione? You there?" Ron waved an oatmeal clad spoon in front of her face.
She pulled her gaze from Malfoy, a little unnerved by his blatant watching, and looked at Ron.
"What? What'd you say?"
"I said I'm going to visit Hagrid after this. Do you want to come with me?" Ron answered giving her weird look.
"Of course. Aren't you coming, Harry?"
"No, I want to talk to Dumbledore," he told her, forking a piece of sausage into his mouth.
"Oh. What about?" Hermione wanted to know.
"Erm…nothing important. Just a few…er…things I want to ask him about the…uh…new Dark Arts professor," Harry answered nervously.
"Oh really? Do you want me to come? I'd like to ask him about…" Hermione was cut off forcefully by a loud, "No," from Harry.
"I mean…no. I'd rather go alone. You know. So it doesn't look like we think there's something completely off about her," he reasoned lamely.
"Oh," Hermione said dejectedly, "Yeah. You're right, I suppose."
Harry shifted uncomfortably on the bench. What he really wanted to talk to Dumbledore about was where he was going to live next summer. But as Ron and Hermione didn't technically know yet, that he had been thrown out, he couldn't tell them the truth just then.
Ron and Hermione left shortly after and walked through the halls to the corridor that led outside into one of the small courtyards, and also, down to Hagrid's. (A/N Ok I have no idea how they actually get out of the school. I hardly think they use massive wooden doors that students can hardly open…so I reckon I'll just keep it the way I have. Any problems, tell me.)
"Do you, do you think Harry's hiding something?" Ron asked hesitantly.
"Yes! I didn't want to say anything in the Hall, but I knew he was lying," Hermione breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Ron grinned, "What do you think it was?"
Hermione shook her head as they stepped onto the stone path, "I don't know. It could be anything. You know how Harry is."
***
Harry watched his friends leave. As soon as they were out of sight, he got up from the table and went out into the hall. He started down the way he'd seen the headmaster go when he'd left. He passed the Girl's bathroom just as Ron's cousin, Susan was coming out.
"Harry!"
"Susan!" Harry exclaimed with much less enthusiasm than the young first year.
"How are you?" Susan asked with fervour, as if Harry's well-being was all that mattered in life.
Harry was rather surprised by her vehemence. She had seemed quite the opposite when he had met her at the sorting. He hadn't really paid attention to her since. She seemed to have found a bosom friend in the second year Dennis Creevey. They appeared to be quite inseparable, after only knowing one another for a week and a half or so. And true to it, Dennis came sauntering up moments later and took a spot next to Susan while violently shaking Harry's hand.
"Harry! Good to see you! Would you mind signing this for me? I've got a little cousin who adores you. Doesn't shut up. You can't imagine what it's like. I can't stand him sometimes. Not that I don't like hearing about you, Harry, but he just goes on and on, and, well surely you know how annoying little kids are," Dennis smiled and handed Harry a small autograph book.
Harry returned Dennis' smile painfully. He knew quite well how annoying some people could be. Dennis was a lot more talkative that Colin, if it was possible. Harry opened the book, which was empty except for a small, illegible signature on the first page.
"That's Mildred Tingle's signature. Fantastic, isn't it?" Dennis told Harry as he wrote his own name in the top right corner.
Harry nodded, having absolutely no idea who Mildred Tingle was. He gave the book back, a little anxious to get away from him. He hated when people asked him to do dumb things, like show them his scar or sign an autograph, but he had learned to just do it as quickly as possible and they usually went away content.
"Hey, Harry. Is it true you can do a Patronus? Like a real one?" the youngest Creevey boy wanted to know. Susan's eyes widened at this, and she leaned forward to hear his answer.
Adjusting his robes in discomfort, Harry told them he could.
"Wow! That's amazing. I heard that it was really advanced magic," Dennis said.
"It is. I just had to study for a long time. It's not like I could do it right away," Harry tried to make it sound like he wasn't that great. Anything for a bit of normalcy.
"Right, right," Dennis nodded, not believing him, "Listen, I was wondering…would you mind tutoring me and a couple of friends in Defence Against the Dark Arts? We're all having a bit of trouble, and well, since you're so good…we were just wondering."
Harry was completely taken aback. Teaching one class, once, was enough. Now someone wanted him to tutor them? Harry Potter? That was usually Hermione's department. But Harry was desperate to get away from the two over eager students.
"S-sure, Dennis. I've just got to go now. Meeting Dumbledore. Bye." he smiled nervously, and took off down the hall at a fast pace.
He approached the statue, hoping the password was still the same.
"Bouncing Bellyflots," Harry commanded. Almost instantly, the gargoyle sprang open to reveal the stairs leading to the headmaster's office. Harry ascended them quickly, still quite anxious for some reason. As if Dennis' friends were just lurking around the corner to jump on him and drag him away to teach them some spells right then. As soon as he reached the top, he let go of the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Dumbledore sat at his desk, while a woman in a pale green dress sat across from him, with her back to Harry. The headmaster looked up at his student, and paused in the middle of what he was saying to greet him.
"Harry, splendid that you came. I was going to send someone after you, but as you're here now, I won't have to do that, eh?" Dumbledore's wrinkle surrounded eyes, twinkled brightly.
"Em….yes, Professor. But you've someone here," Harry noted. The woman hadn't yet turned around, but somehow, her short, curly brown hair looked familiar.
"Tut, tut. She's here for you, Harry," Dumbledore told him.
Harry's brown furrowed in confusion. But as the woman turned around, his expression changed into one of intense shock.
"Aunt Petunia?"
Von : Thanks again, mate for that flame. Although I don't know if it can be really considered that, because, well you weren't really making me sound bad. But anyway thanks for it. It was majorly helpful and I hope you like the revision better. Yes, Petunia is here. But I have decided to create a loophole. I mean, she know's about magic, so why shouldn't she be allowed at the school. What about all the other Muggle born's parents? What if they wanna see there kids? Does hat make sense? Hope it does anyway. And, I thought about what you said about Lavender, and yeah I agree, so I booted her outta this chapter. I don't really have any plans for her quite yet. I've got them for Dean…he's about the only one. I have something, hopefully, really good for him, that I hope you don't guess till it happens. But if you have any suggestions for the other characters, let them be known, but preferably in a private email, so it doesn't ruin it for the other peoples who read my story, yeah? Thanks again. Oh and wow, I can't believe you mentioned that I update fast. That's one of my strange qualities. I have leaving people waiting. Like on Msn and stuff, I always answer quickly. Weird quirk of mine. Oh well. I'll try to keep it up.
princess55 : Vernon didn't leave her and Dud, she left them! But yeah, how could she do it eh? I know it's a bit far-fetched but I figure I'm entitled to something like that every once in a while. Anyway, tell me what you think of this chapter. For character development, it isn't all that different, except from Lavender. So, oh well. Thanks for the reviews!
Samantha : Hey new reviewer, Samantha! Sorry I changed this chapter. I tried to get rid of the haziness, better? Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you like this story. That makes me happy.