* Last time: Hermione went to a dance in the dark, and due to her lack of
energy and the humid weather, she fainted in a stranger's arms. The last
thing she heard was the stranger shouting "Hermione!" *
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione saw something overhead. A big black ball with a big red one? She shook her head slightly and opened her eyes all the way. "Hey Harry! Hey Ron!" She said, smiling when she realized who they were.
"Hi Hermione! How are you doing?" Harry asked anxiously.
"Oh, I'm fine." Hermione looked around her at the hospital wing. "How long have I been here?" She asked uncertainly.
"From what I heard, some weird masked dude carried you in here after you fell unconscious in his arms," Ron answered.
"Any idea who it is?" Hermione asked. "I want to thank him properly." She made an effort sit up, but Madam Pomfrey, coming out of nowhere, pushed her back down into her bed.
"No way, young lady! You are going to have a good rest! You guys, OUT!" She shooed Harry and Ron out of the hospital wing. "Oh I hate those stupid in the dark dances, it's just not safe," Madam Pomfrey muttered while dusting a vase.
"Um, Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione asked timidly.
"Yes, dear?"
"If you don't mind, who was that who brought me in here?"
Madam Pomfrey sighed. "I'm sorry Miss Granger, I cannot tell you. He wishes that his identity remain a secret and I have never broken a promise to my students."
"Oh." Hermione sighed dejectedly. "Thanks anyway."
A few days later, Madam Pomfrey allowed Hermione out of the hospital wing. Hermione wandered around the school, looking for anything new that might have come up while she was gone. She found Harry and Ron in the Great Hall, having breakfast.
"Hermione!" They both cried in unison when they saw her.
"Hey Harry, Ron. Anything new?" She asked as she sat down to have some bacon.
They're reinstating the dueling club," Ron said, smiling a little and remembering the events of the second year when Snape blasted Lockhart up. "This time, everyone is required to join. Especially now that everyone knows You-Know-Who is back."
"Call him by his proper name, Ron! For the last time..." Harry said, stuffing a piece of toast into his mouth.
"Oh, well, that might be fun, I guess, as long as I don't get Millicent Bulstrode's cat hair again," Hermione laughed. "When is the first meeting?"
"Today," Harry replied. "Oh no! We're sorry we didn't tell you! We were kind of busy with homework and Quidditch and all that..."
"It's okay, at least now I know." Hermione said, shrugging her shoulders. "When is it today?"
"In about ten minutes..." Ron said uneasily.
"Okay," Hermione replied cheerfully. "Do you want to go now?"
"Let's move!" Ron jumped up and they headed towards the grassy outdoors, where the club was being held.
A couple minutes later, Ron, Harry and Hermione were on the soft, green grass with the rest of Hogwarts. Lockhart was not teaching this time, the demonstrators were Snape and the new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, Professor Corduan. Professor Corduan was a young, middle-sized witch who loved to teach. You could tell by the sparkle in her eyes when she saw the students. Snape looked extraordinarily mean today, probably due to the fact that his rival in teaching had the job that he wanted.
"Okay, Professor Snape and I are going to show you some stuff for dueling." Professor Corduan said once everyone had arrived. "Professor Dumbledore told me that some of you have had some experience dueling..." She looked directly at Harry when she said this. "But, nonetheless, everyone will participate. Okay, find a partner. Do simple spells only!"
There was a mad scramble. "Okay, how what about this? Harry, you work with Hermione and I work with Neville," Ron suggested.
"Not so fast," a cold voice drawled. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville turned to see Snape with Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson. "I think that it would be appropriate if I chose the partners, and not you, Weasley. Ah yes. Potter, you're with Malfoy. Longbottom, Crabbe. Weasley, Goyle. And I'll leave you two girls to work it out." Snape left with a smirk.
Hermione saw Harry and Malfoy throwing nasty spells at each other. Crabbe had Neville in a headlock, and Ron kept missing and hitting trees instead to Goyle. Suddenly, Hermione felt her feet leave the ground. She turned to see Pansy Parkinson, looking sickeningly triumphant and raising her wand. Hermione whipped out her wand and screamed, "Furnunculus!"
Pansy Parkinson dropped her wand, her face covered in boils. She started crying. Snape came over and looked at Hermione with the deepest loathing. "10 points from Gryffindor," He whispered. "What part of simple spells do you not understand?"
Hermione started to argue but then dropped it. It was obviously pointless. She looked over at where Malfoy and Harry were still dueling.
"I'm taking you down, Potter," Malfoy breathed, looking at Harry through slitted eyes. "You put my father in Azkaban and now you will pay."
"Is it really my fault Malfoy? I mean, if your father hadn't been stupid enough to work for Voldemort in the first place you could have avoided this..."
"That's it Potter! No one insults my family! INCARCEROUS!" Malfoy yelled, pointing his wand at Harry.
Thick, binding ropes came out of nowhere and trapped Harry to the ground. Harry struggled on the ground for a minute, then fainted.
"Harry!" screamed Hermione. Ron and Neville had wrestled free from Crabbe and Goyle to see if Harry was all right. Professor Corduan ran to Harry. She conjured up a stretcher to send him to the hospital wing.
"Well, Malfoy, you're with Granger." Professor Corduan said and walked away.
Hermione and Draco faced each other. It was impossible to tell which face showed more hatred. Both raised their wand and Hermione cried "Relashio!" as soon as Malfoy shouted "Reducto!" Their spells met in midair and exploded lightly. Hermione smiled at that. This duel was going to be a piece of cake. She will have Malfoy pay for what he did to Harry. She raised her wand to stun Malfoy, but before those words came out of her mouth, she felt something like a blunt knife cut across her face and she felt to the ground with a slight "oh".
"Hermione!" She heard Malfoy shout as she lay on the ground. Wait! She heard that voice before! She pulled herself up straight. That was the voice of the stranger who had danced with her and saved her at that dance! But Malfoy? No way! It couldn't be. He would never dance with her, right? Maybe she was hallucinating.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Ron asked shakily as he ran over to help her up. "I am so sorry, I was aiming for Goyle but, you know, I kind missed..."
"I'm okay, Ron." Just then, the bell rang, which meant that the club was over for the week. "Ron, do me a favor?"
"Sure Hermione. What is it?"
"I need to be alone for a while. If you really need me though, I'll be in the common room. Thanks Ron!" And before Ron could say a word, Hermione headed down the hallway to the portrait of the Fat Lady.
A/N: Yes, this is a long and boring chapter too : ) But, tell me what you think! I should have the next chapter up within the next two days. Adios!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione saw something overhead. A big black ball with a big red one? She shook her head slightly and opened her eyes all the way. "Hey Harry! Hey Ron!" She said, smiling when she realized who they were.
"Hi Hermione! How are you doing?" Harry asked anxiously.
"Oh, I'm fine." Hermione looked around her at the hospital wing. "How long have I been here?" She asked uncertainly.
"From what I heard, some weird masked dude carried you in here after you fell unconscious in his arms," Ron answered.
"Any idea who it is?" Hermione asked. "I want to thank him properly." She made an effort sit up, but Madam Pomfrey, coming out of nowhere, pushed her back down into her bed.
"No way, young lady! You are going to have a good rest! You guys, OUT!" She shooed Harry and Ron out of the hospital wing. "Oh I hate those stupid in the dark dances, it's just not safe," Madam Pomfrey muttered while dusting a vase.
"Um, Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione asked timidly.
"Yes, dear?"
"If you don't mind, who was that who brought me in here?"
Madam Pomfrey sighed. "I'm sorry Miss Granger, I cannot tell you. He wishes that his identity remain a secret and I have never broken a promise to my students."
"Oh." Hermione sighed dejectedly. "Thanks anyway."
A few days later, Madam Pomfrey allowed Hermione out of the hospital wing. Hermione wandered around the school, looking for anything new that might have come up while she was gone. She found Harry and Ron in the Great Hall, having breakfast.
"Hermione!" They both cried in unison when they saw her.
"Hey Harry, Ron. Anything new?" She asked as she sat down to have some bacon.
They're reinstating the dueling club," Ron said, smiling a little and remembering the events of the second year when Snape blasted Lockhart up. "This time, everyone is required to join. Especially now that everyone knows You-Know-Who is back."
"Call him by his proper name, Ron! For the last time..." Harry said, stuffing a piece of toast into his mouth.
"Oh, well, that might be fun, I guess, as long as I don't get Millicent Bulstrode's cat hair again," Hermione laughed. "When is the first meeting?"
"Today," Harry replied. "Oh no! We're sorry we didn't tell you! We were kind of busy with homework and Quidditch and all that..."
"It's okay, at least now I know." Hermione said, shrugging her shoulders. "When is it today?"
"In about ten minutes..." Ron said uneasily.
"Okay," Hermione replied cheerfully. "Do you want to go now?"
"Let's move!" Ron jumped up and they headed towards the grassy outdoors, where the club was being held.
A couple minutes later, Ron, Harry and Hermione were on the soft, green grass with the rest of Hogwarts. Lockhart was not teaching this time, the demonstrators were Snape and the new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, Professor Corduan. Professor Corduan was a young, middle-sized witch who loved to teach. You could tell by the sparkle in her eyes when she saw the students. Snape looked extraordinarily mean today, probably due to the fact that his rival in teaching had the job that he wanted.
"Okay, Professor Snape and I are going to show you some stuff for dueling." Professor Corduan said once everyone had arrived. "Professor Dumbledore told me that some of you have had some experience dueling..." She looked directly at Harry when she said this. "But, nonetheless, everyone will participate. Okay, find a partner. Do simple spells only!"
There was a mad scramble. "Okay, how what about this? Harry, you work with Hermione and I work with Neville," Ron suggested.
"Not so fast," a cold voice drawled. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville turned to see Snape with Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson. "I think that it would be appropriate if I chose the partners, and not you, Weasley. Ah yes. Potter, you're with Malfoy. Longbottom, Crabbe. Weasley, Goyle. And I'll leave you two girls to work it out." Snape left with a smirk.
Hermione saw Harry and Malfoy throwing nasty spells at each other. Crabbe had Neville in a headlock, and Ron kept missing and hitting trees instead to Goyle. Suddenly, Hermione felt her feet leave the ground. She turned to see Pansy Parkinson, looking sickeningly triumphant and raising her wand. Hermione whipped out her wand and screamed, "Furnunculus!"
Pansy Parkinson dropped her wand, her face covered in boils. She started crying. Snape came over and looked at Hermione with the deepest loathing. "10 points from Gryffindor," He whispered. "What part of simple spells do you not understand?"
Hermione started to argue but then dropped it. It was obviously pointless. She looked over at where Malfoy and Harry were still dueling.
"I'm taking you down, Potter," Malfoy breathed, looking at Harry through slitted eyes. "You put my father in Azkaban and now you will pay."
"Is it really my fault Malfoy? I mean, if your father hadn't been stupid enough to work for Voldemort in the first place you could have avoided this..."
"That's it Potter! No one insults my family! INCARCEROUS!" Malfoy yelled, pointing his wand at Harry.
Thick, binding ropes came out of nowhere and trapped Harry to the ground. Harry struggled on the ground for a minute, then fainted.
"Harry!" screamed Hermione. Ron and Neville had wrestled free from Crabbe and Goyle to see if Harry was all right. Professor Corduan ran to Harry. She conjured up a stretcher to send him to the hospital wing.
"Well, Malfoy, you're with Granger." Professor Corduan said and walked away.
Hermione and Draco faced each other. It was impossible to tell which face showed more hatred. Both raised their wand and Hermione cried "Relashio!" as soon as Malfoy shouted "Reducto!" Their spells met in midair and exploded lightly. Hermione smiled at that. This duel was going to be a piece of cake. She will have Malfoy pay for what he did to Harry. She raised her wand to stun Malfoy, but before those words came out of her mouth, she felt something like a blunt knife cut across her face and she felt to the ground with a slight "oh".
"Hermione!" She heard Malfoy shout as she lay on the ground. Wait! She heard that voice before! She pulled herself up straight. That was the voice of the stranger who had danced with her and saved her at that dance! But Malfoy? No way! It couldn't be. He would never dance with her, right? Maybe she was hallucinating.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Ron asked shakily as he ran over to help her up. "I am so sorry, I was aiming for Goyle but, you know, I kind missed..."
"I'm okay, Ron." Just then, the bell rang, which meant that the club was over for the week. "Ron, do me a favor?"
"Sure Hermione. What is it?"
"I need to be alone for a while. If you really need me though, I'll be in the common room. Thanks Ron!" And before Ron could say a word, Hermione headed down the hallway to the portrait of the Fat Lady.
A/N: Yes, this is a long and boring chapter too : ) But, tell me what you think! I should have the next chapter up within the next two days. Adios!