Slytherin Attitude
Chapter 1
Day of celebration and sorrow - June 13, 1998
The few remaining students in the Gryffindor common room scattered as she approached the stairs to the Gryffindor boys' dormitories. The Head Girl was obviously furious.
"Everybody out! You should all be in the Great Hall. The Minister has already started his speech." And after a pause"Seamus, have you seen Ron" asked Hermione Granger.
"In our room" answered a blanching Seamus. But she was already gone and he barely heard her muttering "I knew it" before the door of the seventh years dorm slammed shut.
"Ron, what are you doing" asked Hermione to Ron Weasley who was sitting on his bed.
Ron was obviously concentrating on the letter he was writing because he hadn't even looked up when she had entered. But hearing her, his head whipped up and he started rather guiltily to gather all the parchments and letters scattered haphazardly on his bed.
"You should have been in the Great Hall for twenty minutes. We need to be there. The Minister has already started his speech and all the aurors are present. We need to meet them…" loudly continued Hermione.
Suddenly, Hermione's tirade stopped in mid sentence. As the same time she had been reprimanding her boyfriend, she had started looking at the mess on his bed. Among them, a letter had caught her eyes. It was written in orange ink with a header she immediately recognised. After all, she had seen this orange logo on many of Ron's clothes for the past seven years. As Ron was trying to pick up all his documents and hide the letter he was writing, she picked the letter and started reading in more details.
"Chudley Canons - Personnel Department – Professional Trials Schedule… What is this, Ron? You are trying out for a Quidditch team? Why didn't you tell me" she asked slowly.
Looking very sheepish, Ron didn't answer immediately. He was seemingly trying to find an answer that wouldn't set off his temperamental girlfriend of sixteen months. "Well, I just got their letter and I was going to tell you about it tonight…"
"Ron, the letter is dated may 7th; you can't tell me you have just received it" said a reddening Hermione.
Arms crossed below her chest, Hermione eyes were glinting and Ron immediately recognized the danger signs. He definitely didn't want to set off an explosion tonight and tried to reason her. "Hermione, You Know Who has only been gone for two days. That's why I did not tell you before. As he is gone, there is no need for us to become Aurors. I have this great opportunity; I don't want to miss it"
"But Ron, we were supposed to go through Auror training together. If you go Quidditch, I'll be alone there. I don't want to be without you." said Hermione with what looked like a mix of hurt and anger in her eyes. She definitely didn't want to go through that without her boyfriend, especially since to be with him was one of the reasons that she had chosen that specific path.
"As a matter of fact, Hermione, I think it's actually a good idea that we do things separately." Ron stood up and walked behind Hermione. He took her into his arms and continued "Since … well you know, for almost two years, we have done everything together. We are not fifteen anymore. I believe that we do need to be apart. We don't want to get attached by the hip. I mean … I love you but we need to meet other people, to have different activities and interest… "
While Ron rambled on, Hermione tuned him off and started thinking. She could see Ron in the full length mirror situated to the right of his four poster bed. Ron had a guilty look. She knew him better than he knew himself but she had the feeling that she was missing something … and suddenly it clicked … the guilt, the rambling, the obviously rehearsed speech, she stepped out of his embrace and turned around to face him.
"Ronald Weasley, are you dumping me" she asked, cutting him off.
"No, no … but … I mean He is dead… there is no need for more Aurors and I want to try out …" stuttered Ron, but he was as red as his hair while he mumbled his answer and his eyes did not meet hers.
"OK Ron, if you say so! Let's go! We are already very late. We will discuss later" said Hermione angrily, taking is hand and pulling him toward the door. Little did she know that she would never have the occasion to really pursue this conversation.
The Great Hall of Hogwarts was filled to the brim. The Hall itself had had its size increased threefold and all tables had been removed by the House elves to accommodate the gathering. Only one small platform remained where usually dined the Hogwarts' staff so that everybody in the Hall could have a good look at the speaker. It seemed that the whole wizarding world was present that evening to hear of the previous days momentous events. Reporters, students, members of the Ministry, of the Wizengamot, everyone that counted was present that evening to hear about the demise of the Dark Lord, once again at the hands of the Boy-Who-Lived.
A seething Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley in tow, entered the Great Hall, dead last of all Hogwarts students, as the Minister concluded his speech and what she heard did not help to improve her already battered feelings.
"… so, now that you know the facts, I will not take more of your time tonight but I will let the hero of the hour speak for himself. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honour to introduce tonight the Boy-Who-Lived or maybe should I say the Man-Who-Won-Again, Harry James Potter." finished the minister stepping down from the platform.
As soon as he was down, a young man in ample black dress robes covering him completely from neck to toe gingerly stepped on the stage. All were shocked by his appearance. Harry moved with difficulty, having clear balancing problems. His face had been recently singed. He had lost most hairs on the top of his head, his trademark scar had almost disappeared under a fresh burn on most of his forehead and he had no eyebrows left. But the most shocking were his eyes. His ordinarily bright emerald eyes were that night a dull sea green. Only people who knew him well could see it, but for them it was obvious that Harry Potter was deeply troubled and the looks his helper was sending his way could only reinforce that impression. The young woman dressed in the strict midnight blue dress uniform of the Aurors was making sure he would not fall while climbing on stage. She would have looked striking if not for her spiked pink hairs.
The crowd went dead quiet when Harry Potter started to speak in a flat low voice.
"You know, the end of June has always been the worst part of the year for me. Leaving Hogwarts, my home, to go back to the Muggle world was a real blow… and something terrible always happened… well except for last year, which was actually one of the best times of my life…"
As he said that, his eyes stopped wandering and met those of a blushing Katie Bell, but soon, he continued in a stronger tone.
"But I'm rambling. Three years ago, almost to the day, Voldemort came back. Even if the Ministry did not want to believe it at the time and Cedric Diggory died. Two years ago, my Godfather Sirius Black was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange during a fight inside the Ministry and at that occasion I learned of a prophecy relating to Tom Riddle and myself. What did it say"
Not a sound was heard in the Great Hall of Hogwarts as everybody waited to hear and understand the relation between the former Dark Lord and their saviour, Harry Potter.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches … born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives … the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies …"
"Everything I have done since then was aimed at destroying Voldemort. I have trained secretly and I made sure not to appear more dangerous than any regular student. My goal was to make sure that when we would meet next, he would be sure of my innocuousness. We have been very lucky, it worked and Voldemort headless body is now stashed in the Ministry morgue. I have done my part, people. He is gone. Now it's time you do yours. You can't let corrupted officials such as Cornelius Fudge or influential Death Eaters families like the Malfoys or the Notts dictate our policies .You can't let dark wizards gain such power as Voldemort's…"
And suddenly, Harry stopped his tirade, looking at his audience as if seeing them for the first time.
"Damn, I am still a student. What do I know of politics? The only boon I ask from you, people, is what I have tried to do myself for the past few years: Do what's right not what's easy… "
After a long pause, the crowd started to stir; their hero was silent, looking at the floor as if he was struggling with himself on how to continue. Most of the attendance had started to think that he was done when he resumed his speech and as he talked, his eyes were constantly roaming the room with what seemed to be a mixture of fear and hope in them until they stopped on a pretty brunette with hairs which were no longer bushy but rather curly.
"And that's also the real reason why I am here tonight. To do what's right, … to apologize… publicly. Some time ago, I said terrible things in this very same place to people that were very dear to me. There was a reason to the madness. You know who you are and tonight I beg you to give me a chance to explain my actions, a chance to redeem myself. Your friendship meant and still means everything to me. The only thing I ask is a few minutes of you time …"
With that said, Harry Potter started climbing down the platform. The young auror approached to make sure he was okay and murmured to his hear
"Are you okay, Harry? Are you sure that's the right time to do it? She doesn't seem to be in a particularly forgiving mood."
Harry looked in front of him. The crowd between him and Hermione Granger seemed to have magically melted away. Hermione looked thunderous. He shivered but said to his cohort
"I'm fine, Tonks! Shaky and fearful but fine. I need to do this and hope for the best. For years, I have been waiting to explain my actions. I have rehearsed a thousand times what I would say to her"
Nymphadora Tonks just shook her head and followed him.
As Harry Potter approached her, Hermione Granger's blood was boiling 'How dares he? I can't believe the gall. For two years, he did not speak to me but to insult me? I am going to rip him apart!' As soon as Harry was in front of her, he started to open his mouth but Hermione did not let him start. She was enraged. She wanted to repay him for her humiliation. She wanted him to suffer for the pain he had caused her. She wanted to see him cry as she had cried. She wanted to yell at him, she wanted to fight with him.
"Potter, do you really think that killing Voldemort gives you any right to talk to me? After you humiliated me in this same Hall in front of several hundred students? Anyway, what do you want Potter? Another notch on your bedpost? Another round in the Head Girl's room? Well dream on! Conceited, egocentric, macho, mean, self-centred and that's only your better qualities. You are so full of yourself, it's a wonder you are not floating around. You talk about friendship but you don't have any idea what it means. You know what Harry, your parents and Sirius did not deserve to die for someone like you but somehow I am glad they are dead because if not they would be ashamed of what you have become. I can't stand you. How was it already? Oh Yeah! I don't want to listen to you! I don't want to talk to you! Get lost, Potter"
Harry was rooted in place. He could not move. He could not think. She had cut him off at the knee. At that instant, he realized that she wouldn't ever forgive him and that his penance for killing Tom Riddle would be the loss of the friendships that meant the world to him. He was lost, with nothing to live for…
Hermione could not believe it. His face didn't register anything. He didn't seem to care. She wanted him to fight back and he was just looking at her as if she was a child ranting her ire, looking at her and waiting for her to stop, so she continued, yelling.
"What is it that you don't get, Potter? The words I'm using are too complicated for your small brain. Let's make it simple then … Fuck off and die, Potter"
She stopped then, most of her anger spent and he continued to look at her, saying nothing. Only his eyes registered his inner turmoil. For the first time since she had started yelling at him she looked in his eyes and she suddenly understood that he did care. A lone tear came down his face. He looked at her a last time and turned around, without a word, leaving her alone among the crowd. She couldn't understand what had just happened.
Like in a dream, she saw Tonks getting to Harry, talking to him, trying to stop him. He answered softly. She could not hear his words but Tonks let him go and Harry Potter left the Great Hall of Hogwarts with thousand of eyes locked on his stumbling back.
As soon as he had left the Hall, Hermione started to get very uncomfortable. It seemed that everyone in the hall had reported their attention on her. She barely noticed that Ron had distanced himself from her at some point. A stray thought crossed her mind 'He doesn't want to be associated with the girl who shattered the Boy-Who-Lived, he doesn't want to mess with his Quidditch dream'. She didn't get the chance to muse further upon it as a younger girl with slightly protuberant eyes stepped in front of her, visibly extremely upset.
"Hermione you may have received the best grades in a century but you can be a dumb bitch. Mark my words, you will regret your little speech to Harry… I almost pity you, your so comfortable life is going to be so upset..."
Hermione was dumbfounded. Never had she seen Luna Lovegood so incensed. The usually dreamy blond seemed definitely ready to punch her when Professor McGonagall stepped in.
"Miss Lovegood, that will be enough. Miss Granger, please come to my office"
"But, Professor …" started to answer Hermione. She did not get a chance to go any further as Minerva McGonagall draped an arm over her shoulders and started to direct her to her office, gently saying.
"Hermione, I believe you have said enough for tonight. Now shut up and come with me."
Hermione was so shocked by the Headmistress tone and use of her given name that she followed her without a word, not even noticing the surprising group of people in her wake. They all were reflecting on the past years and they all had one common thought"How in Hell did it come to that"
