Everyone Has a Dark Side
A/N: Okay, my longest chapter yet. Thank you all of you for your reviews, I'm glad you had faith I'd continue this story. I already have the next chapter or two written, so I just have to type them up. Here's chapter 8.
Chapter 8: It's True?
After breakfast, the 6-year Slytherins traipsed up a few staircases to the History of Magic classroom. Some of Hermione's peers were more attentive than the Gryffindors normally were during Professor Binns lecture on troll oppression in the 9th century. However, others, namely Crabbe and Goyle, vegetated. When Binns gathered his notes in a folder and floated through a wall, the class quickly formed a scrum at the door, eager to get outside into the summer air for Care of Magical Creatures Class. Hermione put her thick stack of notes into her bag and realized she would probably have to lend notes to her new friends during exam time.
They arrived at Hagrid' cabin on the lawn to find the Gryffindors already assembled in front of a pen of Krups, creatures very similar to Jack Russell terriers, except for their forked tail. Hagrid smiled kindly at Hermione while he explained the day's lesson. His then divided them into pairs to work.
Evidently unaware of the recent developments, Hagrid paired Hermione with Ron. Ron led an excited Krup out of the pen to an empty patch of grass. He scowled at Hermione as she walked up and said, "Shut up and just let me take care of this. Got it?"
Hermione pointedly ignored him and instead snatched the Krup's leash and began measuring its as Hagrid had instructed. Ron fumed, "Drop that! NOW! Stop it Lavinier, I'm warning you!."
Hermione remembered that Ron got angry easily, especially when dealing with the Slytherins. She looked down at her green and sliver skirt and tie. Ron was shaking in anger. Suddenly her yelled, "Impedimenta!" and his wand let out a bang. Hermione was thrown backward by the spell and landed hare on the ground. She shrieked, so did Pansy, Pavarti, and Lavender.
All at once, Draco was by her with his wand aimed at Ron. "Petrificus Totalus". His spell immobilized Ron, who fell down like a telephone pole.
Hermione gasped. Harry yelled an indistinct phrase, pointing his wand at them both. Draco simply deflected the spell with "Protego" . The jet f red light hit Crabbe who collapsed with little change in his expression.
Hagrid yelled "Stop!" very loudly. The Gryffindors and Slytherins, many with raised wands, froze. Hagrid was really angry.
Draco helped Hermione to her feet and turned towards Harry, looking mildly amazed. "What way is that to treat you best friend, Potter, Weasley? You are disgusting." Draco put his arm around Hermione's shoulders, since she was shaking.
"Thanks for saving me, " Hermione whispered.
"No problem," said Draco quietly, smiling.
Hagrid stared in disbelief at the miscreants, Ron and Harry, then looked at Hermione and Draco who were surrounded by a comforting group of Slytherins. All Hagrid could do was to mutter "Bloody hell."
In the end, no lesson really took place. Ron, Harry, Draco, and Hermione all ended up being delivered up to the headmaster's office by Hagrid while the rest of the class gossiped and wandered aimlessly around.
When they reached the stone gargoyles, those were the entrance to Professor Dumbledore office, they fond Dumbledore ushering the most unlightly person out of the office: Professor Trelawnly, who was very rarely seen out of her tower room, let alone on the other side of the castle. She looked at the teenagers with plenty of curiosity, but hurried away. Dumbledore took in the situation immediately: there had been yet another argument between these four students.
"Sir, what happened was Ron here attacked Hermione. Malfoy froze him and Harry tried to stun them both, but Malfoy deflected the spell." Said Hagrid uncertainly. "I think Hermione's okay, though."
"Well, I don't see any problem with Mr. Malfoy's actions in protecting Miss. Lavinier. However, it is not all right for Gryffindors to attack fellow students. Especially you friends." Said Dumbledore slowly. He was amazed that Ron and Harry had turned on Hermione-they had always been such good friends-but tried to act as though this was a common occurrence. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, you will both do detentions and talk with your head of house. Miss. Lavinier, I'm most sorry you were attacked and hope you will not have to experience such coarse behavior again. Mr. Malfoy, thank you for protecting Miss. Lavinier, that was most honorable behavior."
Dumbledore looked intently over the top of his half moon glasses at them. Hagrid led them out and sent Harry and Ron to Professor McGonagall's office. He told the remaining two to go on to Potions class.
Draco and Hermione looked at each other as they walked down the stairs to the Great Hall. "Goodness! That was an eventful morning." She said tiredly.
"True, true." Agreed Draco.
Hermione smiled at him "That sounds so odd! "True, true." She mimicked him and laughed.
He grinned crookedly. "It's just a random phrase, I suppose. We'd better hurry, though," Draco said looking at his watch. "We have to be in potions class in about a minute."
They arrived at the door to the dungeon classroom just as Professor Snape shut it. "Just on time Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Lavinier. Please go and sit down." He attempted to close the door again only to find Neville Longbottom arriving. "You are late, Longbottom! How many times must I tell you to BE ON TIME!"
Neville, who was terrible afraid of Snape, trembled and stuttered, "B-but Professor Snape, s-sir, I was-was just be-behind Hermione and M-Malfoy."
"Don't argue with me, Longbottom. They were on time and you are late! Fifteen points from Gryffindor. Now go and sit down." Snarled Snape. Neville slunk to a dark table as far from Snape's desk as possible.
Snape explained the Potion they would make and the students copied down notes for 45 minutes. Then he put hems into pairs. "Brown, Goyle, over there; Thomas, Moon, that table. Lavinier, Longbottom, by the door; Malfoy, Patil, this way." Snape ordered them to various tables.
Hermione sat down at her table and got out her ingredients. "Neville, could you put a couple beetle legs and a cup of Dingup jelly in the cauldron. Stir it until the mixture turns gray and oily. I'll mix the Polypledarus juice with some powdered snakes skin, okay?" Hermione looked up to find Neville staring at her uneasily. "Neville, what's wrong?"
"You're a Lavinier. They were Death Eaters." Mumbled Neville. He had had some rather unpleasant experiences with Death Eaters the previous June in the Department of Mysteries. Also, his parents were both in St. Mungo's Hospitals for Magical Maladies and Injures due to Death Eaters use of the Cruciatus curse on them. His fear of Death Eaters was understandable.
However, Hermione was not a Death Eater. She recalled many evenings when she had helped Neville in Transfiguration and many potions classes when she had muttered instructions to Neville so he could fix his potion mistakes. Hermione was not very happy to learn about Neville's sudden change of face. What had she done to him? Nothing!
Angrily, Hermione responded. "So what? Neville, you have known me for six years. Have I ever done anything mean?"
"Well, no, you haven't, but Ron said his Dad's friend saw you with Malfoy in Knockturn Alley." Neville said in a rush.
Hermione glared at him furiously. "Shut up!" she hissed.
"Just forget about it, doesn't matter." said Neville quickly, cowering. He began trying to start on the potion and wouldn't look at Hermione.
'Oh my God! Gryffindors are such turncoats." Hermione thought, as she began piling Polypledarus juice into the cauldron.
The rest of Hermione's day was quieter. After her classes, she went to work in the library. She was nearly done with the History of Magic essay when Ginny Weasley suddenly sat down at the end of the table.
"Uh, hi Hermione, I wanted to talk," she said quickly. "Ron told us what your letter said. At first, we all couldn't believe it. Dad told us about the Laviniers and then he talked to the Ministry and asked about you. They finally told us that it was true. But you were still Hermione Granger to me, I don't know why my brothers were so mean in Diagon Alley. But a few days later, a friend from Dad's office who knew about you, Harry, and Ron being great friends and stuff commented to Dad that he'd seen Ron's friends Hermione in Knockturn Alley. He said that you had been walking with Malfoy and talking to some Slytherin girls. We were shocked, which I suppose is why everyone was rude when you came to stay. Is it true though? Did you really hang out with Malfoy?" poured out Ginny.
Hermione wasn't quite sure how to answer, but she couldn't lie. Ginny had been her good friend for years. She sighed. "Ginny, I really can't lie to you. Here's what happened: When I went to get my stuff in Diagon alley, I ran into Draco in Gringotts. He stared insulting me, as usual, and I was really angry, so I told him to shut up and I told him who I was. He was actually nice and he took me to see his parents so they could meet me and I could ask them about my family. We ran into Pansy and Blaise on the way. You dad's friend must have seen me then. I just said hi and talked a little, then I left, that's all." Hermione finished.
Ginny looked horrified. " You mean it's true? I've been hoping that it was all just a mistake, that dad's friend was wrong, that you could still be my friend Hermione Granger. But you really are a Lavinier, you really were with that git Malfoy in Knockturn Alley. You're a regular Slytherin now. I don't think I or any of the other Gryffindors can associate with you anymore." She said harshly.
Hermione watched in mixed horror and revulsion as Ginny got up and flounced out of the library.
A/N: Okay, coming up, interesting conversations with people and Hermione and Pansy decide to attend a meeting where they defiantly won't be welcomed. Please click on the SUBMIT REVIEW button now. You know you want to.
I don't know what I'm going to do for the DADA teacher, whether they will be a Ministry person, or one of the Hogwarts staff. I don't want them to be a big part of the story, but I can't just leave the subject out. I'm also not sure if I want them good, mean, idiotic. Please tell me when you review what you think would be best.
Also: This is quite funny, but if you think about it, the students all buy their robes and stuff before they start school and are sorted. However, each house had slightly different uniforms, since the tie and sweaters are different colors. How can they buy the right colors before they are sorted? Perhaps the magically change color when the kids are sorted.