A/N: Efin! These chapters are finally up!! Go me! And Carleen! W00t!
Draco's body fell in a small heap on the floor. Instinctively, Crabbe and Goyle got out of their seats to pound the shit out of Ron for attacking Draco.
Ron let out a sigh as the two boys neared him. He was just too pissed off to let anyone beat him up. But Ron wasn't as strong as he thought and he was only able to throw two punches before Crabbe and Goyle started wailing him with their rock-hard fists.
Soon Ron was lying on the ground next to Draco with a broken nose and a bleeding lip. Ron got up and wiped the blood off this mouth. He threw another punch but Goyle caught it in one hand and twisted it so he cried out in pain.
"Let this... uh.... Be, like, a lesson for all you kids out there who try to beat up either Draco or us." Crabbe threatened the horrified Gryffindors, as Goyle started kicking Ron in the stomach.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Professor Vera Sprice stood in the threshold of the classroom wearing a sparkling silver robe that almost blinded the children who looked right at it.
Vera walked elegantly into the room and started to tap her foot when she reached the two unconscious boys lying in the middle of the room. "What is the meaning of this?" the professor almost shouted.
** In Snape's office **
"You fools!" Snape snapped at Harry and Dean. "Fighting over a stupid little girl!"
The three Gryffindors and the very frustrated and annoyed Snape occupied the teacher's office. Snape was pacing back and forth, and kept flipping his greasy black hair behind his ears. Ginny sobbed silently and picked at her nails while Dean just sat there, showing no sympathy what-so-ever. Harry's anger was over-flowing within him, making him shake and his knuckles turn white. If only Snape hadn't had shown up... Then, he could have finished him off. Harry had never felt so much hatred in his whole life.
"She's not stupid!" Harry spat at the frowning and obviously on the verge of a mental break down teacher. "She never has been! You don't even know the whole story!"
"I know that you were fighting to kill, Potter!! That is good enough to get you expelled!!"
"YOU IDIOT! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LISTEN!?!?" Harry exploded and stood up violently, making his chair smash to the ground.
Snape growled at him, "Fifty points from Gryffindor!"
"You think I care about the stupid points? It's just a lame contest which makes everyone hate each other even more! Look, Professor, I don't care if I get expelled. Hell, I don't care if I never get to do magic ever again! The point here is, is that... God... I just can't say it...." Harry slumped to the back of the room and put his forehead against the wall. He bit his lip, fighting back tears of rage and love.
"I think I can explain, Professor," Ginny whimpered.
Snape eyed her suspiciously. Ginny wiped the tears from her eyes and explained to Snape what Dean had done to her and for once in his life, Severus Snape had a heart.
"Mr. Thomas, you disgust me!" he yelled in Dean's face. "A poor innocent girl! God!" He shook his head and started to pace around the room again. "Potter, I owe you an apology. What you did... It was right. The bastard deserved it."
******
A frequent activity of Hermione Grangers, after everything that had happened, was skipping class. This time it was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Whenever she skipped she stayed away from the common room and went outdoors instead.
Since it was mid-winter, Hermione had bundled up in a heavy wool sweater, a scarf and replaced her usual pleated skirt with boot-cut low-rise jeans. She walked briskly across the grounds, towards the Forbidden Forest. Of course, it was forbidden but it was the only place where she could be alone. Just as she reached the edge, a tall lumbering figure appeared out of the shadowy foliage.
"'ermione! Long time no see, eh?" the rough voice of Hagrid spoke to her.
"Yes... It has been awhile. Where have you been all this time Hagrid?"
Hagrid's face turned very serious and he looked longingly at his hut. "Bin 'round, that's where I've bin!" He turned back to look at Hermione. "Just deliverin' a message to Dumbledore, then I'll be goin' again."
"Can I come over for some tea sometime?"
"Not this year 'ermione. I've bin very busy and...," Hagrid trailed off then remembered about his message. He bid goodbye to Hermione and clambered off towards the castle.
Hermione turned and watched as he neared the castle. "Funny," she thought to herself. "Hagrid's never this vague unless..." She gasped. It couldn't be! He could never be on Hogwarts grounds! Especially while Dumbledore was Headmaster!
"He knows," she whispered, "and he's not doing anything about it!"
Her head snapped back to Hagrid's hut. It had a menacing look to it. It looked as though no one occupied it, yet something was there. Hermione turned on her heel and sped off as fast as she could towards Dumbledore's office.
******
When she reached it, Hermione had to rack her brains for the password.
"Clodhoppers?" she suggested, remembering her favourite over-the-summer treat.
Sure enough, the gargoyle stepped aside and Hermione stepped onto the staircase. She walked up to the door that separated her from Dumbledore, and then realized that the office was already occupied.
"I am most disappointed in you, Mr. Thomas," the muffled voice of Dumbledore came from beyond the door. "I will have to alert your parents of this and you will be expelled. As well, I am recommending that you go to Nakalna, Juvenile Detention Center for Troubled Young Wizards."
"And for me?" Hermione heard Harry speak up. He sounded depressed.
"I will see that you get a detention, Mr. Potter. Though I do not approve of your fighting, I believe that you couldn't control your feelings for Ginny. Speaking of Ms. Weasley, she will be spending a week in a recovery centre, of which I will not disclose the name of. If you wish to send her a letter or some sweets you may give them to me and I will see that they make it to her."
Hermione knocked sheepishly on the door. "Um, Professor, if you're not too busy, I would like to talk with you for a moment."
The door creaked as it opened to reveal Albus Dumbledore, with his usual twinkling eyes a dull blue. "Yes of course, Ms. Granger. Dean, you may leave. Go pack up your trunk, I will be speaking with you later."
Dean reluctantly left and glared at Hermione on the way out.
"I know why you're here Hermione," Dumbledore spoke softly as he returned to his desk. "And I fear that I have made wrong choices about what is going on."
Harry looked at Hermione and then Dumbledore. His expression was puzzled. "What is going on?" Harry asked them.
Dumbledore answered first, "Voldemort is at Hogwarts. I cannot deny it anymore. Already one girl has been killed."
"WHAT??!" both students yelled at the same time.
"I'm afraid we had to keep it secret from the rest of the students. Only one girl besides yourselves knows about this. Ginny was with her when Connie died."
"Connie? NO! She can't be dead! I just got a letter from her describing what it's like at Drumstrang!" Hermione burst into tears. The shear fact that Dumbledore had been lying made her nauseous.
Dumbledore bowed his head solemnly. "I'm sorry, Hermione. Her parents have been sending those. The whole wizarding world is in an uproar. A war has begun and only the people with outside communications know about it."
"But I get the Daily Profit everyday!" Hermione protested. Harry nodded in agreement.
"In order to keep everyone from chaos, the Daily Profit has been only printing articles that have nothing to do with what is actually happening."
"So," Harry interjected, "We're all in deep shit?"
Draco's body fell in a small heap on the floor. Instinctively, Crabbe and Goyle got out of their seats to pound the shit out of Ron for attacking Draco.
Ron let out a sigh as the two boys neared him. He was just too pissed off to let anyone beat him up. But Ron wasn't as strong as he thought and he was only able to throw two punches before Crabbe and Goyle started wailing him with their rock-hard fists.
Soon Ron was lying on the ground next to Draco with a broken nose and a bleeding lip. Ron got up and wiped the blood off this mouth. He threw another punch but Goyle caught it in one hand and twisted it so he cried out in pain.
"Let this... uh.... Be, like, a lesson for all you kids out there who try to beat up either Draco or us." Crabbe threatened the horrified Gryffindors, as Goyle started kicking Ron in the stomach.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Professor Vera Sprice stood in the threshold of the classroom wearing a sparkling silver robe that almost blinded the children who looked right at it.
Vera walked elegantly into the room and started to tap her foot when she reached the two unconscious boys lying in the middle of the room. "What is the meaning of this?" the professor almost shouted.
** In Snape's office **
"You fools!" Snape snapped at Harry and Dean. "Fighting over a stupid little girl!"
The three Gryffindors and the very frustrated and annoyed Snape occupied the teacher's office. Snape was pacing back and forth, and kept flipping his greasy black hair behind his ears. Ginny sobbed silently and picked at her nails while Dean just sat there, showing no sympathy what-so-ever. Harry's anger was over-flowing within him, making him shake and his knuckles turn white. If only Snape hadn't had shown up... Then, he could have finished him off. Harry had never felt so much hatred in his whole life.
"She's not stupid!" Harry spat at the frowning and obviously on the verge of a mental break down teacher. "She never has been! You don't even know the whole story!"
"I know that you were fighting to kill, Potter!! That is good enough to get you expelled!!"
"YOU IDIOT! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LISTEN!?!?" Harry exploded and stood up violently, making his chair smash to the ground.
Snape growled at him, "Fifty points from Gryffindor!"
"You think I care about the stupid points? It's just a lame contest which makes everyone hate each other even more! Look, Professor, I don't care if I get expelled. Hell, I don't care if I never get to do magic ever again! The point here is, is that... God... I just can't say it...." Harry slumped to the back of the room and put his forehead against the wall. He bit his lip, fighting back tears of rage and love.
"I think I can explain, Professor," Ginny whimpered.
Snape eyed her suspiciously. Ginny wiped the tears from her eyes and explained to Snape what Dean had done to her and for once in his life, Severus Snape had a heart.
"Mr. Thomas, you disgust me!" he yelled in Dean's face. "A poor innocent girl! God!" He shook his head and started to pace around the room again. "Potter, I owe you an apology. What you did... It was right. The bastard deserved it."
******
A frequent activity of Hermione Grangers, after everything that had happened, was skipping class. This time it was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Whenever she skipped she stayed away from the common room and went outdoors instead.
Since it was mid-winter, Hermione had bundled up in a heavy wool sweater, a scarf and replaced her usual pleated skirt with boot-cut low-rise jeans. She walked briskly across the grounds, towards the Forbidden Forest. Of course, it was forbidden but it was the only place where she could be alone. Just as she reached the edge, a tall lumbering figure appeared out of the shadowy foliage.
"'ermione! Long time no see, eh?" the rough voice of Hagrid spoke to her.
"Yes... It has been awhile. Where have you been all this time Hagrid?"
Hagrid's face turned very serious and he looked longingly at his hut. "Bin 'round, that's where I've bin!" He turned back to look at Hermione. "Just deliverin' a message to Dumbledore, then I'll be goin' again."
"Can I come over for some tea sometime?"
"Not this year 'ermione. I've bin very busy and...," Hagrid trailed off then remembered about his message. He bid goodbye to Hermione and clambered off towards the castle.
Hermione turned and watched as he neared the castle. "Funny," she thought to herself. "Hagrid's never this vague unless..." She gasped. It couldn't be! He could never be on Hogwarts grounds! Especially while Dumbledore was Headmaster!
"He knows," she whispered, "and he's not doing anything about it!"
Her head snapped back to Hagrid's hut. It had a menacing look to it. It looked as though no one occupied it, yet something was there. Hermione turned on her heel and sped off as fast as she could towards Dumbledore's office.
******
When she reached it, Hermione had to rack her brains for the password.
"Clodhoppers?" she suggested, remembering her favourite over-the-summer treat.
Sure enough, the gargoyle stepped aside and Hermione stepped onto the staircase. She walked up to the door that separated her from Dumbledore, and then realized that the office was already occupied.
"I am most disappointed in you, Mr. Thomas," the muffled voice of Dumbledore came from beyond the door. "I will have to alert your parents of this and you will be expelled. As well, I am recommending that you go to Nakalna, Juvenile Detention Center for Troubled Young Wizards."
"And for me?" Hermione heard Harry speak up. He sounded depressed.
"I will see that you get a detention, Mr. Potter. Though I do not approve of your fighting, I believe that you couldn't control your feelings for Ginny. Speaking of Ms. Weasley, she will be spending a week in a recovery centre, of which I will not disclose the name of. If you wish to send her a letter or some sweets you may give them to me and I will see that they make it to her."
Hermione knocked sheepishly on the door. "Um, Professor, if you're not too busy, I would like to talk with you for a moment."
The door creaked as it opened to reveal Albus Dumbledore, with his usual twinkling eyes a dull blue. "Yes of course, Ms. Granger. Dean, you may leave. Go pack up your trunk, I will be speaking with you later."
Dean reluctantly left and glared at Hermione on the way out.
"I know why you're here Hermione," Dumbledore spoke softly as he returned to his desk. "And I fear that I have made wrong choices about what is going on."
Harry looked at Hermione and then Dumbledore. His expression was puzzled. "What is going on?" Harry asked them.
Dumbledore answered first, "Voldemort is at Hogwarts. I cannot deny it anymore. Already one girl has been killed."
"WHAT??!" both students yelled at the same time.
"I'm afraid we had to keep it secret from the rest of the students. Only one girl besides yourselves knows about this. Ginny was with her when Connie died."
"Connie? NO! She can't be dead! I just got a letter from her describing what it's like at Drumstrang!" Hermione burst into tears. The shear fact that Dumbledore had been lying made her nauseous.
Dumbledore bowed his head solemnly. "I'm sorry, Hermione. Her parents have been sending those. The whole wizarding world is in an uproar. A war has begun and only the people with outside communications know about it."
"But I get the Daily Profit everyday!" Hermione protested. Harry nodded in agreement.
"In order to keep everyone from chaos, the Daily Profit has been only printing articles that have nothing to do with what is actually happening."
"So," Harry interjected, "We're all in deep shit?"