Chapter 8
Around 11:30 Harry, Ron, and Hermione decided that they had best be getting to bed. Hermione had trotted up the stairs that led to the girls' rooms, leaving the two to trudge up the stairs to the boys' rooms. The boys found that the others were already asleep. The two pulled on their nightclothes, and Ron started whispering to Harry about Quidditch, how Gryffindor was going to beat the Slytherin team this year in the house cup for sure. Harry grinned agreeing with his friend. Before jumping into bed though, Harry looked out the window. Across the grass moved a silent shadow, he looked up with his bright green eyes and saw a bird of some sort flying across the grounds. He leaned closer to the window, the bird wasn't an owl, and it wasn't carrying a parcel. Suddenly though, two rather cold sets of fingers gripped his neck from behind. Harry jumped in surprise and whipped around.
It was Ron, grinning and waggling his fingers. "What's so interesting out the window?"
Harry turned back to the window, "Some bird outside." he lifted a hand to point out the bird, but it was no longer there. The night sky was empty again, except for the tiny sliver of a moon, signifying that a new moon would be on its way. Looking at the moon, no matter how thin and small it appeared this evening made him think of Lupin. Remus Lupin was a former Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and also a childhood friend of his Father's.
Ron was leaning on the window ledge, "Maybe you were seeing things, it is rather dark out." He paused "Come on, let's get to bed."
Harry paused, watching the skies for another glimpse of the bird, but he saw none. Perhaps he was imagining things; after all he was rather tired from the practice and the long day they had been through. Assuming so, Harry gave up and took Ron's advice, to go to sleep.
* * *
The night passed into morning without a single event to disturb the students' slumber. The next morning, the boys awoke refreshed and ready to get started on their day. They dressed into their uniforms: gray slacks, white dress shirt, gray sweater with Gryffindor patch and colors, black cloaks and simple black shoes. After dressing they started downstairs to find the common room occupied. This morning there were a few stragglers left behind who had not headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. A boy around their age, with dark brown hair was trying to round up a group of Gryffindor first years.
"Alright, First Years! I'll be showing you to the Great Hall today, due to the fact that some of you got lost on the way last time." He said above the chatter of the first years.
"Hey Fenton, have fun." Ron said jokingly to the boy. He was in the same year as they were, but they had never gotten close to the boy whom they shared the house with (Whose full name was Fenton Bourne). He obviously had smarts though, because he was a Prefect.
Fenton managed a grin and then started out, turning around constantly to make sure that none of the first years strayed off.
"He reminds me of one of those. sheep dogs." Ron said, watching the Prefect count each first year as they left through the hole that was the common room's door.
"And the first years are his flock, right?" Harry said, grinning.
Ron and Harry both had a good laugh over that one, imagining the first years all as bleating sheep while picturing Fenton as a barking sheep dog, trying to herd the 'sheep' to the Great Hall.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked as she stepped over.
"Nothing." Harry assured her. "Ready to get some breakfast?"
"Definitely." Hermione said, quickly gathering her books. "Oh by the way, I picked up the advanced spell books from the library this morning."
"It is morning now. Geez how early did you get up?" Ron asked, a bit of bewilderment to his freckled face.
"5:30 ish." Hermione said, handing a rather thick book too each of them.
"Advanced Spells for the Modern Duelist." By Harold T. Weber" Harry read.
"Nice!" Ron said, blowing dust off of his copy.
"It's supposed to be very informative, or so I hear." Hermione said proudly, pleased with herself for making such a good find.
* * *
As they walked down the wide corridors of the castle, they passed by a few friends who had either finished up breakfast or were just going to. They passed past a group of Slytherins who glared as they passed, Hermione recognized Meredith among the crowd, towards the back casually reading a small book. She trotted over, asking to speak with the older girl privately. Some of the Slytherins snickered and murmured amongst themselves.
Harry and Ron stood to the side, watching warily. The looks the other Slytherins were shooting Hermione's way were definitely not comfortable.
But to their surprise though, the girl stepped from the crowd, not saying a word, not really showing much expression either. They came far enough from the Slytherins that Harry and Ron were able to catch the conversation.
"I'd like to thank you. you know for the other day." Hermione said. Meredith made no reply, just stared at Hermione, scrutinizing the younger student. "When you stood up for me, when Malfoy was being rude. I just appreciate it, that's all." Hermione continued.
There was a long pause and for the first time, they caught a smile forming on the lips of the Slytherin Prefect. Harry and Ron were stunned, while Hermione looked ecstatic. But that smile contorted into a nasty smirk. The girl answered coldly, a faint trace of an accent to her words. "How amusing. a little Gryffindor thought that I stood up for them. therefore dishonoring my own house."
Hermione was taken aback, she stared at the girl, who was glaring with her golden brown eyes (Now that appeared rather cold and frightening) and bore the same smirk on her face. "Run along brat, I have no time for your meaningless words." Meredith turned on her heel, laughing to herself as she strode off down the hallway, passing by her Slytherin companions, who by now had realized what had happened and found it to be quite hysterical. Malfoy was among them, he nodded his head in acknowledgment to the Prefect but she didn't respond, she just kept walking down the corridor.
Hermione was left standing in the corridor, staring after the girl, her lips parted slightly, but no words coming out.
"Stupid Mudblood." Malfoy called out. And the other Slytherin's cracked into laughter. "To think that a Slytherin would ever stoop so low as to assist a Gryffindor!"
Harry and Ron sent a warning glare to the Slytherin group and ran over to Hermione, leading her off. Trying to be at least some comfort. But Hermione said nothing, and the boys dropped the subject, continuing on to the Great Hall.
Around 11:30 Harry, Ron, and Hermione decided that they had best be getting to bed. Hermione had trotted up the stairs that led to the girls' rooms, leaving the two to trudge up the stairs to the boys' rooms. The boys found that the others were already asleep. The two pulled on their nightclothes, and Ron started whispering to Harry about Quidditch, how Gryffindor was going to beat the Slytherin team this year in the house cup for sure. Harry grinned agreeing with his friend. Before jumping into bed though, Harry looked out the window. Across the grass moved a silent shadow, he looked up with his bright green eyes and saw a bird of some sort flying across the grounds. He leaned closer to the window, the bird wasn't an owl, and it wasn't carrying a parcel. Suddenly though, two rather cold sets of fingers gripped his neck from behind. Harry jumped in surprise and whipped around.
It was Ron, grinning and waggling his fingers. "What's so interesting out the window?"
Harry turned back to the window, "Some bird outside." he lifted a hand to point out the bird, but it was no longer there. The night sky was empty again, except for the tiny sliver of a moon, signifying that a new moon would be on its way. Looking at the moon, no matter how thin and small it appeared this evening made him think of Lupin. Remus Lupin was a former Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and also a childhood friend of his Father's.
Ron was leaning on the window ledge, "Maybe you were seeing things, it is rather dark out." He paused "Come on, let's get to bed."
Harry paused, watching the skies for another glimpse of the bird, but he saw none. Perhaps he was imagining things; after all he was rather tired from the practice and the long day they had been through. Assuming so, Harry gave up and took Ron's advice, to go to sleep.
* * *
The night passed into morning without a single event to disturb the students' slumber. The next morning, the boys awoke refreshed and ready to get started on their day. They dressed into their uniforms: gray slacks, white dress shirt, gray sweater with Gryffindor patch and colors, black cloaks and simple black shoes. After dressing they started downstairs to find the common room occupied. This morning there were a few stragglers left behind who had not headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. A boy around their age, with dark brown hair was trying to round up a group of Gryffindor first years.
"Alright, First Years! I'll be showing you to the Great Hall today, due to the fact that some of you got lost on the way last time." He said above the chatter of the first years.
"Hey Fenton, have fun." Ron said jokingly to the boy. He was in the same year as they were, but they had never gotten close to the boy whom they shared the house with (Whose full name was Fenton Bourne). He obviously had smarts though, because he was a Prefect.
Fenton managed a grin and then started out, turning around constantly to make sure that none of the first years strayed off.
"He reminds me of one of those. sheep dogs." Ron said, watching the Prefect count each first year as they left through the hole that was the common room's door.
"And the first years are his flock, right?" Harry said, grinning.
Ron and Harry both had a good laugh over that one, imagining the first years all as bleating sheep while picturing Fenton as a barking sheep dog, trying to herd the 'sheep' to the Great Hall.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked as she stepped over.
"Nothing." Harry assured her. "Ready to get some breakfast?"
"Definitely." Hermione said, quickly gathering her books. "Oh by the way, I picked up the advanced spell books from the library this morning."
"It is morning now. Geez how early did you get up?" Ron asked, a bit of bewilderment to his freckled face.
"5:30 ish." Hermione said, handing a rather thick book too each of them.
"Advanced Spells for the Modern Duelist." By Harold T. Weber" Harry read.
"Nice!" Ron said, blowing dust off of his copy.
"It's supposed to be very informative, or so I hear." Hermione said proudly, pleased with herself for making such a good find.
* * *
As they walked down the wide corridors of the castle, they passed by a few friends who had either finished up breakfast or were just going to. They passed past a group of Slytherins who glared as they passed, Hermione recognized Meredith among the crowd, towards the back casually reading a small book. She trotted over, asking to speak with the older girl privately. Some of the Slytherins snickered and murmured amongst themselves.
Harry and Ron stood to the side, watching warily. The looks the other Slytherins were shooting Hermione's way were definitely not comfortable.
But to their surprise though, the girl stepped from the crowd, not saying a word, not really showing much expression either. They came far enough from the Slytherins that Harry and Ron were able to catch the conversation.
"I'd like to thank you. you know for the other day." Hermione said. Meredith made no reply, just stared at Hermione, scrutinizing the younger student. "When you stood up for me, when Malfoy was being rude. I just appreciate it, that's all." Hermione continued.
There was a long pause and for the first time, they caught a smile forming on the lips of the Slytherin Prefect. Harry and Ron were stunned, while Hermione looked ecstatic. But that smile contorted into a nasty smirk. The girl answered coldly, a faint trace of an accent to her words. "How amusing. a little Gryffindor thought that I stood up for them. therefore dishonoring my own house."
Hermione was taken aback, she stared at the girl, who was glaring with her golden brown eyes (Now that appeared rather cold and frightening) and bore the same smirk on her face. "Run along brat, I have no time for your meaningless words." Meredith turned on her heel, laughing to herself as she strode off down the hallway, passing by her Slytherin companions, who by now had realized what had happened and found it to be quite hysterical. Malfoy was among them, he nodded his head in acknowledgment to the Prefect but she didn't respond, she just kept walking down the corridor.
Hermione was left standing in the corridor, staring after the girl, her lips parted slightly, but no words coming out.
"Stupid Mudblood." Malfoy called out. And the other Slytherin's cracked into laughter. "To think that a Slytherin would ever stoop so low as to assist a Gryffindor!"
Harry and Ron sent a warning glare to the Slytherin group and ran over to Hermione, leading her off. Trying to be at least some comfort. But Hermione said nothing, and the boys dropped the subject, continuing on to the Great Hall.