DISCLAIMER:
Maybe somewhere in another universe Harry Potter belongs to me.
Unfortunately, in this one, it doesn't.
Thank you so much for reviewing my story.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Hermione's eyes widened, in amazement.
"Professor?" she said softly, not really believing that he was standing next to her.
He cleared his throat.
"If you would excuse me," he said coldly, and walked away, towards the castle.
After staying outside for another half hour, Hermione went inside again. The party had ended soon after Hermione's encounter with Professor Snape. She looked around but he wasn't in the Great Hall. For a moment, Hermione began to doubt herself.
Did I really see him? She thought for a moment.
She didn't have much time to think about Snape any longer, however because Professor McGonagall came towards her.
"Miss Granger, will you please help me escort the students back to their houses?" she asked the Head Girl.
The task was harder then it sounded. In the end, Hermione took care of the first and second year students that were in Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, while her head of house took care of the older Gryffindor students. Damien and the rest of the teachers took care of the other students.
Finally, after Professor Sprout had made sure that there were no students outside, the Great Hall was empty, save for all the teachers except Professor Snape. The Head Girl and Boy were allowed to go back to their dormitory as the heads of houses went to check if all the students were in their dormitories. As she went to bed, Hermione, meanwhile, was still wondering if she had really seen Snape.
Christmas vacation started the next morning and many of the students went home. Since Harry and Ron were both staying at Hogwarts, as usual, Hermione decided to stay as well. Together with Ginny, they were the only Gryffindors that stayed at Hogwarts during the holidays. It was weird to see Hogwarts abandoned once the Hogwarts Express had left.
The night after the other students had left Hermione was sitting in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny and Ron were playing Wizard's Chess while Harry and Hermione talked about Christmas.
"So what are your New Year's resolutions?" Harry suddenly asked Hermione.
"I don't have any," she answered, a bit surprised. "Why?"
Harry had never asked anybody about their New Year's resolutions, nor did he talk of his own, if he had any.
He shrugged. "Just wondering."
"Do you have any?" Hermione asked him.
"No, not really," he said a bit too quickly.
Hermione sat down next to her friend. "Harry what's wrong?" she demanded to know.
She could see Harry doubting whether or not he should tell her.
"Nothing," he replied.
Hermione merely nodded her head and quickly changed the subject.
Ginny asked Hermione to spend the night in the Girls Dormitory with her. All of the other Gryffindor girls had left Hogwarts and Ginny admitted that she had felt a bit lonely the first night. Hermione agreed to stay with Ginny, but only for the one night.
The two girls went to Hermione's rooms to pack a small overnight bag. After making sure she had everybody's presents, Hermione settled down in one of the four-poster beds. It was a bit weird being back in the dormitory she had slept in, just a year ago.
The next morning was Christmas Day; Hermione and Ginny entered the common room together as Harry fed some treats to Hedwig. They greeted him, wishing him a Happy Christmas. Ginny then announced that, since Ron wasn't up yet, she was going to meet Luna in the Great Hall, to exchange presents with her first and promptly left.
"Is Ron still asleep?" Hermione asked. It wasn't like Ron to sleep this late on Christmas morning. They had already missed breakfast.
Harry shook his head. "He went to meet Simone," he explained. "He wanted to give her her presents in person."
Before he had gone, Ron had left his presents for Hermione, Harry and Ginny on the table in the common room. On the presents was a little note, explaining where he was.
"He had already left when I woke up," Harry said sounding disappointed.
After waiting for more than an hour for Ron, the two friends decided to open their presents, without him. Hermione had gotten Harry and Ron the same present: a book that she had found in Hogsmeade, about all the famous Quidditch players from the last five centuries.
From Harry she received a book about the history of house-elves, while Ron got her some chocolate and a gift certificate from Flourish and Blotts. The Head Girl didn't even know that Flourish and Blotts sold gift certificates.
"He didn't have enough time to get us presents," Harry explained when he saw Hermione's surprised look. Harry had gotten a gift certificate from Quality Quidditch Supplies.
An owl flew into the room, carrying a few packages. It was Errol with four lumpy packets that were immediately recognized as Weasley sweaters. Aside from the sweaters, in the packages were also Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans for them. The other small presents, for Ginny and Ron, were placed on the table.
Harry glanced at his watch, a present from Hermione for his birthday, and announced that it was time to go to the Great Hall for lunch.
"You go ahead, I'll be there in a minute," Hermione told Harry.
She put her presents carefully in her bag. When she was about to leave for lunch, another owl flew into the room carrying a large brown parcel with a card attached.
To Hermione Granger, it read.
She put the parcel on the table and opened it. It was an old and worn copy of Hogwarts: a History. That's weird, Hermione thought, why would someone send me a book I already own?
As she looked inside the book, she saw that it was different than the copy she had. It was a first edition, at least a few hundred years old. That explained why it was so old and worn. Who would send her something like this? Surely it wasn't Harry or Ron, they would have just given it to her in person. Hermione checked the card again; the name of the sender wasn't on it.
But if Harry and Ron didn't give it to her, then who did? It certainly wasn't from Ginny; she couldn't keep it a secret that she had found the perfect present for Hermione. It was an enchanted book bag, so that it would only weigh as much as a feather. Plus, the bag could fit twice the amount of books then a normal book bag, while remaining the same size. Not that Ginny couldn't keep a secret, she was just making sure Hermione wouldn't buy herself one when they were on sale in Diagon Alley.
Hermione's mind wandered off to consider the wizards she knew. Surely none of the other students would buy something this expensive for her but she couldn't think of any other witches or wizards that would buy something like that for her.
She had no time to think any further; lunch in the Great Hall was waiting for her. Making sure she wouldn't damage it, she put the book in her bag and left the common room.
There were only eleven students who had stayed at Hogwarts during the Christmas break, so Professor Dumbledore thought it would be a good idea to have lunch at one big table. Hermione was late and there was only one free seat left at the end of the table, across from Professor Snape.
Carefully Hermione sat down, trying hard not to look at her teacher. At the other end of the table Ron and Simone were whispering to each other. Next to them, Harry and Ginny were sitting, discussing Quidditch. Luna meanwhile, was sitting next to Hermione, reading The Quibbler. The other five students were second years, three Hufflepuffs and one from Ravenclaw.
After a lunch eaten in silence, Ginny and Harry asked Hermione if she wanted to come with them to the Quidditch Pitch. It had snowed for a couple of days and the grounds were now covered with it. When Ginny asked Ron if he wanted to come with them, Ron announced that he and Simone wanted to spend the day together.
"Oh no you don't," Ginny snapped at her older brother. "Christmas is a time for family, and you're spending it with me!" She looked remarkably like her mother when she did it, maybe that was the reason why Ron listened to her.
Hermione put her new bag away in her dormitory and went outside to the Quidditch Pitch. Ginny, Ron and Simone had already gotten their broomsticks and were playing air tag. Harry, looking sad, had his broomstick as well but stood waiting with a school broom for Hermione, on the ground.
"Harry, what is wrong with you?" Hermione asked.
Harry just looked at Ron and Simone.
"Never mind," he said.
"Are you jealous that Ron has a girlfriend and you don't?" Hermione asked when she noticed him staring at the happy couple.
"No, it's just that Simone..." Harry stopped in the middle of his sentence.
"You like Simone?" Hermione asked, unsure.
"No, I meant that Ron…" Harry began.
"You like Ron?" Hermione asked, getting a bit confused now.
"Of course not!" Harry exclaimed. "I never had a best friend before I met Ron," he continued softly.
Hermione suddenly understood what he meant.
"You never had to share your best friend with anyone besides me," she said.
Harry nodded and suggested that they should join the others in the air.
Hermione had a hard time keeping her broom straight. Flying wasn't exactly one of her strongest points. She wasn't the only one though. Simone, who was also using a school broom, was having difficulties keeping control over her broom. Her broom kept shooting from left to right every once in a while.
Hermione tried to tag the others, but it was difficult for her. Harry, Ron and Ginny had more experience riding brooms and were faster than her. Finally Hermione had managed to tag Simone, who also had a slower broom.
Simone started to chase Ron and Ginny, but they were too fast for her as well. After trying to catch up with Harry, she started chasing Hermione. The two witches were flying next to each other when suddenly Simone's broom shot to the left, into Hermione.
Hermione fell off her broom, onto the ground below. Immediately the others were at her side.
"Hermione, I'm so sorry!" Simone exclaimed. "Are you alright?"
"I think you broke your leg," Ginny said, pointing at Hermione's leg.
"I'll get someone," Simone said, and ran back to the castle.
A few minutes later, she returned with Professor Snape. Harry and Ron groaned. They couldn't believe that, out of all the teachers in the school, Simone had to run into Snape.
"What has happened?" he wanted to know.
"She fell off her broom," Simone explained.
Snape looked angry. "You've been flying on the Quidditch Pitch without permission?" he asked sharply.
"We're sorry," Ginny said. "We were just…"
"Silence," Professor Snape interrupted her. "Ten points from Gryffindor, each, and ten points from Ravenclaw." He turned to Hermione. "And I would have expected more from the Head Girl," he snapped at her. "Two weeks of detention. Mobilicorpus."
The spell lifted Hermione into the air and floated her inside the castle to the infirmary. After Madam Pomfrey had healed her leg, which took only twelve minutes, Harry and Ron escorted Hermione back to her dorm.
They sat down on the couch, Croockshanks purring at Hermione's feet.
"How's your leg now?" Ron asked.
"It's fine," Hermione responded. Madam Pomfrey had healed the broken bone, but Hermione's leg was still a bit stiff. The mediwitch had assured her that it would only last for a few hours.
"Simone is really sorry," Ron continued.
"It's alright. It was just an accident," Hermione said.
"It's just too bad that she ran into Snape instead of someone else," Harry said. "It's unbelievable. He's been back for a few days and he's already given you detention."
"I know," Ron said, "he even took points from Ravenclaw!"
"Why is that so weird?" Harry asked. "He takes points away all the time. He also took points from Gryffindor remember?"
"But Simone is a Hufflepuff!"
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A/N
First of all, I want to apologize for my mistake in the previous chapter.
Neville wasn't the second student who died, but the third.
Sorry, but I forgot all about Cedric.
I'm not British, so I don't know if people there say Happy Christmas or Merry Christmas.
But in the movies, they wish each other a happy Christmas, so I to chose to use that phrase.
"Christmas is a time for family"
Taken from PS (or, if you're American, SS), where Fred or George says it to Percy on Christmas morning.
A Perfect Lie:
I know what you mean … it was a typical Neville way to die.
Larthawyn:
This chapter is longer, just like the following chapters will be.
Thanks for the review!
iSpeekyGreeky:
Thank you, I'm glad to hear that you like it.
LariLee:
Lol, he sure is back!
ShilviGrl/Amyjencl:
Haha, you're not the only one who's happy that he is back.
After all what's Hogwarts without Snape??
Anarane Anwamane:
Thank you!!!
Rawiya Prabhakar:
I KNOW! Isn't it great!
Blackdragonflyofdeath13:
Thank you, it's so nice to hear that you like my story.
Natsuyori:
Aaah thank you so much.
Ashes Kittyhawk:
:-) You're not the only one who's happy that he's back
Mysticalfairy-05:
I'm sorry for killing of Neville.
And I'm not telling you who the 2 mystery guests are!
(but to answer your question … you're wrong)
Sweetytweety013:
Thanks for you review.
I'm glad you like it.
Mirjam:
You were right … sorry, I forgot all about Cedric when I wrote it.
Semicharmed:
Thanks for pointing the Arithmancy error!
The conversation-error was mentioned to me before.
It has been changed after a few chapters, but the first few chapters still have that error.
I'll be sure to change them as soon as possible.
Mysticdarkraven:
Thank you … I'm sorry that I couldn't post earlier.
I hope you liked this chapter too.
Lana Manckir:
Sorry, you know me … I like cliffies!
Thanks for pointing out the Cedric-mistake.
Pathatlon:
LOL, alright … here's more :-)
Uruviel, Lorien's Maid:
Thanks for reviewing.
I know, to be honest I've based Damien's character a bit on of one of my ex boyfriend who was also a stalkerish type.
Kail Ceannai:
I have to be honest with you. I suck at making up passwords.
Honestly, I've been thinking of one for about 30 minutes before I came up with Gryffindor.
So that's why poor Hermione is stuck with them LOL.
But if you have a better one … just let me know :-p