4. Dumbledore's Malice

Hermione was lying on her bed, thinking about what Dumbledore had said.

"You're one of the 7 people on Earth that can open the gate that determines Earth's fate for eternity"

His voice echoed around her head and repeated itself again and again until Hermione became so disturbed that she went to the bathroom and put her head in the toilet.

Why me? She thought weakly. Hermione knew it was a great honor to be one of the 'chosen people', but she had SPEW to deal with and was looking forward to a very peaceful life. Being one of the 7 people predicted hardships, angst, darkness... and who knows what else.

It was then that some sort of vision crossed her mind. Hermione was standing in complete darkness, alone. Rotten smell was mingled in the hot, humid air, and she was shuddering horribly. Darkness was approaching, laughing slyly. It came closer and closer, until a cold, gruesome hand reached out slowly and grasped Hermione's shoulder. A shrill, sharp whisper filled her ears, and then there was a flash of green light. When Hermione opened her eyes, she was standing on the lifeless bodies of Death Eaters.

"Agh!"

Hermione led out a short shrill scream, fell backwards, bumped her head on the bathroom floor, and became unconscious.

The next morning, Hermione woke up warm and safe in her cozy bed in the dormitory. A fresh golden light was flowing in through the translucent curtains, and the birds outside were chirping peacefully.

Hermione sighed with relief. That whole gate thing must have been just a dream, Hermione convinced herself. She had yet to find out how she ended up safely in her bed in Gryffindor dormitory though. Maybe she fainted while climbing upstairs and dreamed the whole thing about Dumbledore telling her lot to follow him and blah blah blah, and Ginny picked up her unconscious body and put it safely in the bed. Yeah! That made sense. Hermione giggled and stretched out giddily, breathing in the fresh, peaceful air.

"Hey, Hermione! You okay? You fainted yesterday, remember?"

Ginny asked.

"Oh, yeah. I'm okay. Thanks, Ginny!"

Hermione smiled broadly, thinking triumphantly that her guess was right. The whole thing was a dream.

"Yee-Haaa!!"

Hermione was so happy that she shouted out weird cowboy noises and rushed down to the Great Hall, ignoring people staring at her.

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!"

Harry and Ron saw her being hyper and looked at each other confusedly.

"What's up with you, Hermione?"

Harry asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just had a really creepy dream last night, and just found out that it wasn't real."

"Really? What kind of dream?"

Ron asked kind of anxiously. Hermione wondered why.

"Oh, you'll laugh when you hear it and find out I was almost scared to DEATH about it. Ha ha! I think I fainted on the stairs yesterday and dreamt. Did I faint yesterday?"

Hermione asked.

"I... I'm not sure. Did Hermione faint yesterday, Harry?"

Ron asked dazedly. Harry shrugged confusedly.

"I don't know. I don't know what happened to me after I got to Hogwarts. Actually, I had a dream too."

"YOU had a dream, Harry?"

Hermione exclaimed fearfully. Something was wrong here.

"Yeah... I think... We were all climbing up the stairs when Dumbledore called us to a dark room and then he talked about a gate. It was a strange dream... like it was really happening. I can remember every single moment of it."

At that Hermione and Ron's eyes widened with shock.

"I had that dream too!!!!!!"

They both yelled at the same time. Then the three of them all looked at each other and froze.

"No no no no no, it can't be. I fainted on the stairs yesterday and Ginny put me in my bed. It was all a dream. Right, Ginny? Ginny!! Ginny!!!"

Hermione shouted out frantically. Ginny was chatting with her friends at the far end of the Gryffindor table.

"Ginny! I fainted on the stairs yesterday, right?"

Hermione yelled.

"Yeah!!"

Ginny yelled back. Hermione sighed and turned to Ron and Harry.

"See? It was all a dream. We all had the same dream, how wei......"

"You didn't faint on the stairs, though!! You fainted in the bathroom!!!"

Ginny added, making Hermione freeze.

"So it wasn't a dream, then???"

Ron exclaimed unbelievably. Harry nodded weakly, and went back to eating. Ron dropped his jaw.

"Miss Granger, can I have a word with you?"

Someone tapped on Hermione's frozen back and said. It was professor Mcgonagall. Hermione gave Ron and Harry an anxious look and cautiously followed professor Mcgonagall to the teachers' table. Oh no, she thought. I've had enough. What's more? Hermione slumped her shoulders and looked at the floor as she followed.

"Miss Granger, look up."

Professor Mcgonagall demanded after a while. Hermione obeyed, and saw the teachers' table, Dumbledore, and... Malfoy?

"Hi, Granger."

Malfoy smiled scornfully. Hermione glared.

"Good morning."

Dumbledore broke the silence.

"Now, I'll be brief and up to the point. I believe you two know that you are now head boy and girl of Hogwarts."

Malfoy and Hermione both dropped their jaws with disbelief.

"YOU are head boy?"

"I can't believe it! A mud......"

They both exclaimed angrily, even though Malfoy couldn't finish his sentence because there were two professors in front.

"Stop, you two. You are in 7th grade now, so please show some maturity."

Professor Mcgonagall said exasperatedly. Dumbledore continued.

"There are many things you have to get done, so you will probably have to spend a very minimum of one hour every day together to discuss and complete the school projects. I trust that you will do a splendid job."

"Being head boy and girl means great responsibilities. I know how you feel about each other, but you will just have to learn to get along. Mr. Malfoy, you may go."

Malfoy opened his mouth to say something, but then just got red and left angrily. Hermione was furious. Get along with him? MALFOY? Impossible.

"Professor Dumbledore, it can't be! What about Harry? Why is Malfoy the head boy? We all know Harry is the boy that defeated Voldemort. Harry's the most powerful wizard in the school! He's better at Quidditch than Malfoy, too! Harry's got character! He's nice, funny, honest, hard working..."

"Yes, I know."

Dumbledore sighed. Hermione stopped for a second with disbelief.

"You KNOW? Then why didn't you make Harry the head boy? Please make Harry the head boy! That way everyone will have a friendlier and less tiring day! Which will result in better school project results! Which will result in better school! Which will result in your happiness! Please, please, please!!! It doesn't have to be Harry, then. It can be Ron, Simon, Lavender, Cedric, Viktor..."

"Miss Granger, please get a hold of yourself. Viktor Krum is not in our school. And Cedric... Well, you know. Anyways, you will be working with Mr. Malfoy, no other."

Professor Mcgonagall said firmly. Hermione was close to crying.

"Ms. Granger, it is not because Draco is better than Harry. It is because we don't want both head boy and girl to be from Gryffindor."

"Then I give up my head girl status!"

"You can't. It is already decided. Besides, Hogwarts has always chosen students with highest grades for head boy and girl. Mr. Malfoy does get the highest grade besides you, Miss Granger. So don't complain."

"There is also another reason."

Dumbledore suddenly said.

"I think you know that..."

Dumbledore lowered his voice to the extreme.

"Lucius Malfoy is one of the followers of Voldemort."

The name dried Hermione's throat instantly. She stared at Dumbledore.

"Professor Dumbledore... You... want me to spy Malfoy?"

Dumbledore smiled faintly.

"Yes."