Chapter Two-Time Breaks
As Hermione ran, her hair flowed in back of her like a wave of chocolate. Her eyes shone with desperation. I'm late, all because I was weak and cried. Damn it! Hermione Granger was not one to be late for a class, though Defense Against the Dark Arts wouldn't be so bad. The teacher was kind to her, and let her get away with certain things.
"I'm so sorry Professor Lupin. I was held up," apologized the bookish girl.
You see, Professor Dumbledore begged Remus Lupin to come back for his post, and to ignore what had happened last time. These were times of war, and during times of war, things were desperate. Besides, the poor man barely had enough to feed himself. With the werewolves on the side of Voldemort, prejudice against those with lycanthrope ran higher than usual.
"It's not a problem Hermione," said the worn-out teacher.
Hermione made her way to where Ron and Harry were sitting, passing Malfoy. He caught sight of her puffy eyes, and smirked. Good to know I got to her. Stupid mudblood. Hermione saw that Malfoy saw her post-crying eyes, and looked away. She couldn't let him see her that way. She couldn't let him know that he had gotten to her.
"What's the matter, Hermione?" asked Harry, one of her best friends in the entire world.
"Nothing. Why are you asking?"
"Malfoy's looking at you funny, and your eyes look puffy and red."
"Malfoy's a git with an obsession over me, and I have allergies. Care to ask some more questions?" She smiled to herself at her little sardonic joke.
"Today we will be learning about the Patronus Charm. Who here can do one?" asked Lupin.
Many hands in the class were raised, such as Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ernie MacMillan, and Seamus Finnegan. "Who here has produced a Patronus Charm will Dementors around?" asked the teacher. Only Harry's hand remained in the air.
"I though so. I'm aware that Harry here has taught how to produce a Patronus in the D.A, though only he has produced a Corporeal Patronus. I have a Bogart here, and I would like to ask Harry to demonstrate how it would look with a Dementor present."
Harry started to make his way up to the front of the room. "I know that this is going to be easy for you, but please make it kind of a show for their sakes. There's nothing worse than a boring class."
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" yelled Harry, forcing the Bogart/Dementor back into his dark trunk. The majority of the class broke out into applause. He seems so much like James, but if this was James, he would be bowing and acting like a git. "That was magnificent Harry, but class, you must remember that if this was a real Dementor, things would be much more difficult, though this Bogart produces similar results as a Dementor."
Harry made his way back to his seat, next to Ron and Hermione. "Good job, mate," said the redhead.
"You know how I hate the attention," said Harry.
Hermione chuckled to herself. She knew only too well how much he envied Ron and his normalcy. He envied his large, sprawling family and loving parents. He envied that fact that he had siblings to argue with, and a sister to be protective over. And if Voldemort hadn't killed his parents, he would have had that blessing too. It only made Harry want to fulfill the prophecy – his destiny – all the more. Even if it meant an addition to his self-hated celebrity.
"Now class, today we are going to be learning how to do the Patronus Charm, and are going to practice it. We won't be using the Bogart today, but will just be creating the Patronus in itself." The professor paused for affect before saying, "Now repeat after me: Expecto Patronum." He said the charm slowly and clearly, making it easier to replicate.
"Expecto Patronum," repeated the class.
"Good, class. Now say it with feeling."
"Expecto Patronum," said the class again.
"The trick to performing a Patronus Charm is a memory. Select the happiest memory you could think of and focus on it. Think of just your memory and the spell. Then say it. Expecto Patronum."
The class seemed to wait a moment before saying a memory, and shouts of "Expecto Patronum," were heard in the class at assorted times. The results also varied; some had produced a Corporeal Patronus, other had a puff of silver smoke, while other s had nothing at all. Hermione's silvery otter floated around her, making her smile. Neville's elephant stayed shyly around his conjuror, to everyone's surprise. Barely anyone expected Neville to have produced a puff of smoke, never mind a full Patronus. Even Lupin was surprised.
Ron, who never performed well under pressure had naught but the haze of silver so many of the class had. "A little help here, mate," he called out to Harry. Malfoy sniggered, then looked with pride at his serpent, which slithered around the class, hissing at the few other Patronesses that were in the room.
Then, the most astounding thing happened. It went to Hermione's otter, and tried to intimidate it. It hissed, snapped and tried to intimidate the happy otter, to no affect. The otter just looked at the snake with utter disgust and distain, not intimidated in the least. But when the snake went away, it sunk down lower and floated dully; not happily gliding around the room, as it did before. And the snake slinked to Malfoy, slithering around the blonde Slytherin. It was as if their conjurors were exactly like their Patronesses, and not just in the look.
oXo
"That was an odd lesson, wasn't it?" remarked Hermione. "Interesting, fun, but odd."
"How so?"
"He taught the Patronus Charm precisely as you did in the D.A. Am I the only one who noticed that?"
"I saw it too," agreed Ginny, coming from behind.
"Whoa! Where did you
come from?" asked Ron, surprised to see his sister just pop up like
that. "And how would you know?"
"He taught Patronus to our
class. Great lesson, might I add."
"But you guys are only in your sixth year," said Harry, astonished.
"So? He and Dumbledore both thought that it's necessary."
"Whatever," said Ron. "What did you just have?"
"Potions. Drought of the Living Death is so played out," said Ginny, laughing.
"You know, you should hang out with people your own age more often,' remarked Hermione.
"I would, but I have to protect you from Ronald here who-" At that point, Ron slammed his hand over his sister's mouth, glaring daggers at her. Harry started hysterical laughing right then, smiling at Ginny.
"Yeah, I'm going to go now," said Hermione, walking ahead, followed by Harry.
"Nutters, aren't they?" said Harry jokingly.
"Completely insane. Kinda makes you wonder why we're friends with them in the first place," said Hermione smiling. They were like siblings, the four of them, the way they bickered and joked. Except for the whole Ron/Hermione thing. That would be incest, the way Ron loved Hermione. But she wasn't sure that she felt the same.
oXo
"Minerva, Filius, Pomona, Severus, I'm going to get down to the point," started Albus Dumbledore. "There's going to be a crack in time tomorrow. It will exist for five minutes, before healing itself and returning the world to normalcy."
AN: Okay, so I couldn't stop myself! I HAD to update, even though I didn't get my 10 reviews. Please review people! It gives me inspiration, and lets me know what you guys think. If you have an opinion, SEND IT TO ME! I can then edit the chapter, or put your idea in.
Madeline: This isn't going to be one of those crazy-erotic-make-me-horny sex stories. No to disappoint you or anything.
Casey- Aww thanks!
ButterflyRei- Well that was kind of the point, but I'm glad you enjoyed it.
:) () – Wow, you're enthusiastic…well it's great to know you love it!
Also, do you think that either Hermione or Draco should lose their memories when they go SPOILER back in time? I can't seem to decide, and my beta-dude is being stupid.