We Held Hands

05

Round One

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Isis' POV

Previously…

'Miss Black! Stop that this instant! You are not allowed to use your magic inside the school campus!' Their Headmistress, Galadriel Montgomery, came running inside the Hall.

The woman beside her drew her own wand out as if of precaution. 'Stop all of this! Isis.'

'I am not Isis.' The raven-haired girl snapped. She cast an indifferent stare at the two elder witches. 'I am Eris.'

With a scream, Isis woke up. She woke up in the middle of the night, sat up, looked around and sighed that her roommates was still asleep. It's okay. It's just a nightmare… She glanced around, trying really hard to convince herself. It won't ever happen again. Ever. After that, she lay back to her bed, sobbing until sleep claimed her again.

Morning…

After checking her image in front of the mirror, making sure those unwanted features are left hidden, Isis went straight to the Great Hall. She took her usual place at the near middle of the Slytherin table expecting Draco to show up after her. It had almost been a month and she finally managed a handful of friends from the Slytherin House. Well, that is to say if it wasn't for Draco. Isis sighed and took her first helping, thinking of her next classes…

Herbology with the Ravenclaws, great I've wanted to talk to Summers after that incident. Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration with the Gryffindors, Isis groaned. It had felt as though that Hermione Granger was on fire, literally. It was like she transformed from the gentle girl she met together with Harry Potter to a harsh contender on fire. Isis shivered and instantly knew why. Hermione Granger is threatened. Not that Isis minded it at all, it's just that. I don't want those things-horrible things-to happen again. Ever.

"Good morning to you too, Isis." Blaise Zabini said, waving his hands at her.

"Oh, hey, sorry didn't see you there. Good morning too." Isis smiled at her fellow Slytherin. Unbeknownst to her, Blaise had harbored a small-tiny, even-feelings towards her. Of course, when Draco talked about Isis, Blaise knew, whether his best friend admitted it or not, that the cold-hearted Slytherin Prince is starting to harbor something towards the girl.

"So, have you seen Draco? He hasn't come here yet." Isis started. She drank a few pumpkin juice before having her second helpings.

"No, I haven't. And he was the first to wake up, mind you. I was about to rouse him when I found his bed already empty." Blaise continued, "I reckon he's out at the Quidditch Pitch."

"Why?" Isis said.

"Oh, didn't you see what was posted at the common room?" Blaise raised one perfectly shapped eyebrow, "Draco's the Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch. Wouldn't ask for anyone else actually, heard he's been training straight from her mum."

"Really? I didn't know Draco's that enthusiastic about Quiddicth." Isis inquired. She really didn't hear the word Quidditch often from her first friend at Hogwarts. She and Draco had some time together, him giving tour around the castle and a few stories here and there. "Actually, he did mention he is sure to beat Potter--" She emphasized on the last word, as if determined to mimic the way Draco spits the word. He always mention that Gryffindor. "-Next time he meets him. I wonder, is Harry Potter really that bad? Last time I heard he's against this Voldemort, right?"

Blaise's eyes widened and almost choked to death on that one. "You are a strange one Isis. Didn't Draco tell you aren't really err… sort of allowed to speak the Dark Lord's name?"

"Why?" Isis' brown eyes seemed to be worth drowning into yet her companion battled with his wits on that one. Isis continued, "You forgot. I'm from another continent. This kind of issues has just reached me after it had happened mere months ago. I just know this Harry Potter survived the killing curse when he was just a mere-what was his age?-one-year-old baby and this Dark Lord just vanished. But he's back, Professor Dumbledore informed me. He said Professor Montgomery must've mentioned that to me already. Hmmm…"

"Well, you see, it's all about the House rivalry and well, we, Slytherins are looked upon as the cunning, conniving, self-centered, rich, egoistic, advantageous bunch here. Oh, and Draco added the word obnoxious on that one." Blaise smiled as if reminiscing something that has happened to his own liking. "And then, there's the Gryffindors, the ever brave, warm-hearted bunch. Or so they say." He smirked at that and looked at a certain red-haired girl sitting a few chairs away from Harry Potter himself.

When Isis was about to look away, she caught a glimpse of Hermione Granger. She gave Isis a one-of-a-kind smile. As if she knew something Isis didn't. And all Isis did was… smile. Well, that put Hermione into a very impressive grimace.

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Harry's POV

Almost two and a half weeks already and his scar haven't ached that much. Even if Harry was supposed to be happy, he couldn't. It felt as though it was that calmness before the storm. It made him all jumpy all the time, he doesn't know why.

He's up to something. He's up to something. That same mantra keeps on going on and on through his mind. But, what is he up to?

Harry isn't allowed any information inside the Order of the Phoenix unless the information came from Dumbledore himself. Even Hermione, Ron and Ginny aren't allowed. Harry kept on thinking of anyways in which Voldemort could get a hand of a copy of their prophecy. He tried to ask Remus one time. He waited 'till Remus finished talking with Tonks and then he asked him. So far, all that he could tell Harry was that Voldemort was still after the prophecy. And so far, the only way he could get another copy was if he could abduct the two living persons to have heard the whole prophecy-Dumbledore and Harry himself. Professor Trelawney was of no exceptions, Remus said, but getting the prophecy out of the Divinations Teacher was a sure challenge. Even Dumbledore himself said it. That was all Remus could tell Harry so far. But somehow, at the back of Harry's mind a voice kept on telling him that something would happen. Something he wasn't really sure that could happen. And he doesn't even know what. Harry shrugged and went to the Great Hall for breakfast. He found Ron and Hermione already bickering as he sat down with them, greeting a sleepy Ginny.

"Mornin' Ginny." Harry greeted and sat down beside Hermione who was in a heated conversation with Ron.

"Mornnn… Oi, Harry, will you keep those two down? I'm trying to eat in peace." Ginny asked Harry drowsily. She really did try to eat in peace though could quite use her spoon and fork because of the fact that she was holding it on the other way around.

Harry chuckled. "Sure, Ginny." He looked sideways and flinched as Hermione said…

"Look at her! I told you Ron, there's something weird about her! I think she's hiding something!" Hermione insisted. "It was at our last Defense class! I swear, I just succeeded on disarming her and she just-" she gestured a quick flick of her hand in a wave way "waved her wand and in an instant, her wand flew back and on the same time she disarmed me. I even put up a Shield Charm on myself! It's not normal to just do three spells all at once!"

"Oh, really Hermione? Maybe you really didn't disarm her? Come on, she can't be that bad. She's a Slytherin, yeah, but she's not yet influenced by that ferret. Parvati told me that Mandy told her that Isis was really nice! She even apologized for that incident at their Herbology lesson.

"Oh yeah? What if she did it on purpose eh?" Hermione quipped as she tried to slice her bacon.

Am I imagining this or is Ron protecting a Slytherin and Hermione being biased? I must be really dreaming. Harry thought to himself.

"Hey, what now guys?" He asked.

"Well, Ron here can't really see that this girl, Isis Black, has been hiding something to all of us here." Hermione said.

'Well, I think every one of us has a right to hide something we don't want anyone to know, eh, Hermione?" Harry said.

"See? I told you!" Ron said.

"But---you…"

"And Ron, I didn't really said it was right. I saw what happened at the Defense Class too." Harry added. "Guys, can you just drop it? Look at Ginny. She can't eat in peace. Actually she can't eat at all, literally. Still asleep, I reckon." Harry chuckled.

"Fine, I'll stop. I have to finish reading this book anyways." Hermione finally said, propping her newly delivered '99 legendary potions and spells'.

"And what's that for?" Ron asked.

"If you might remember Ron, Professor Snape said I could start reading this book and then he'd test me at the end of the month if I could qualify as his Apprentice." Hermione said smugly. Apparently, by the fact that she didn't find Potions as a very difficult subject annoyed Ron. Well, the fact that she didn't even find any subject difficult annoyed Ron.

"But you said he didn't agreed on that!"

Harry let them be. It was hopeless to ever stop the two of them. When will they finally get it over with? He knew that his two best friends have feelings for each other. Even the whole population of Hogwarts are itching to just wait when Ronald Weasley would finally ask Hermione Granger to even a mere date. Suddenly, he felt the back of his hair stand. Someone's looking at me. Harry could just feel the stare. He looked around and found Blaise Zabini looking at him and beside him, Isis Black, who was just smiling back at-well, at least this one wouldn't surprise him-Hermione glaring at the girl. Isis looked away from Hermione and then she too, smiled at Harry. And Harry felt as though his stomach did triple flips. He'd never felt this thing before since his crush on Cho Chang. This is odd. He thought. Surely he was expecting to already have a crush on the new girl. She was really intriguing and he even wondered how come she could tolerate the company of Malfoy.

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Defense Class

Hermione swiftly turned around just in time to dodge the two Stunnig spells that Isis had just launched on her. Harry could see Hermione's wall being penetrated be Isis. But Hermione's Shield Charm is really hard to penetrate. Harry thought.

"Diffindo! Stupefy!" Hermione shouted, as she stepped unto her left foot duck another spell-Harry didn't even know what that violet spell could do-and launched two spells at Isis. Harry thought Isis would loose this one but she didn't. Apparently, Hermione's perfected Diffindo and strong Stupefy couldn't penetrate Isis' Shield. This is unbelievable! How can Isis keep up with those strong charms?

At the beginning of the Class, Professor Chaffconham informed them that he provided a specialized dueling stage just for the final duel. Obviously, Hermione and Isis' duel. Some admitted it was a cert that it was for Harry and Malfoy but then again, they admitted they have observed the silent war between their batch mates. Just then, as the violet spell penetrated Hermione's Shield and even if it didn't hit Hermione, the spell dropped and hit a part of the stage. The stage emitted blinding series of flashes of light and everyone screamed.

What happened? Harry thought.

"Look!" Seamus pointed up. And everyone gasped. The stage hovered above them. And they could tell the two were now casing some serious spells.

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Hermione's POV

above the class

"Sectusempra!" Isis said.

"Furnunculus!" Hermione said as she kneeled to her right knees to dodge the nasty curse. She almost fell from the hovering platform,. A moment's look and her heart almost stopped, she almost fell. The platform was way high for her to jump.

"Protego!" Isis said, she could feel the curse bouncing off her Shield. Hermione dodged her own curse and felt the wall at the far of her left shatter some of its parts. Debris fell back to her batch mates but she instantly knew their Profesor would be there to vanish them.

"Serpensortia! Engorgio!" Hermione said, a snake came and in an instant, her skin crawled with fright.

Isis seemed to have frozen when she heard the familiar hiss of a snake. Then as if she was on trance, her brown eyes point blank, Isis hissed… "Sssaaahayeishacreivatrim… Sssaayaaahashasii…" The snake turned from her to Hermione.

"Protego! Protego!" Hermione said, casting another two Shield charm over her original one, making it a Triple-series Shield. It was obvious that Hermione was in the edge of her wits, shocked with this new revelation and frightened because of the fact that an engorged snake that she conjured just turned against her.

"Evanesco." Hermione heard Isis mutter and instantly, the large snake vanished. "End it." Isis hissed. Somehow, Hermione understood her hiss. Was she speaking Parseltongue or English? Or was it just imagination that Isis was speaking Parseltongue? She didn't really know.

"Hermione, end this game. I don't want to continue." Isis said, her eyes pleading. She sat down as if worn-out and looked up at her opponent.

"But…" Hermione started. Hermione's hair was even wlider and bushier by the time the two stopped moving so much.

"Please. You wouldn't want to know what I could do." Pleading was definitely new to Hermione if it was from a Slytherin. Maybe not all of them are like… him. Hermione was sure there was something dead frightening as she heard that kind of tone out of the new student. "Please, don't tell anybody I'm a Parselmouth, will you?"

"Of course." Was all Hermione could say. She raised her wand slowly and shouted, "Finite Incantatem." Almost in slow motion, the stage that was once hovering slowly drifted down to the floor of the Defense classroom. Everyone backed to the wall and waited for the platform to fully lay flat on the floor. Before their very eyes, they held the debris of the platform and duel.

"Well, I think I got carried away and forgot to add that Hovering Charm on the Defense Classroom's floor eh? We didn't catch the final part! So, who won?" Professor Chaffconham asked the two silent girls. He seemed to have wanted to lift off the tension but he failed, obviously.

"Hermione did, Sir." Isis said, still in a sitting position. While Hermione, who had just stood up a while ago to cast the charm, was shocked. She can't just say that! Hermione was angry again with Isis. She wouldn't accept victory this way!

"Great job, Hermione! 50 points to Gryffindor then, eh? Well, 20 to Slytherin too, for the effort." Professor Chaffconham said. "Too bad you didn't activate the second and third charm of the stage!"

"Sir, can you just, give Gryffindor erm… 40?" Hermione said. Everyone looked peculiarly at Hermione and then Ron asked.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

"Well, we can't do that, Miss Granger. Anyways, class is soon to be finished anyways. Might as well end it now, eh? So you can have sometime to enjoy." The Professor chuckled. "Class dismissed."

On the way out, Hermione ignored Ron's protest as to why had she just said what she said back at the Defense Class.

All Hermione said was…

"I'll keep my promise but Round One isn't over yet."

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Isis' POV

Oh my god…. I can't take this. She can't come out. She can't everything's going smooth now, she can't come out. Isis told herself over and over again. You can't go out, I won't let you!

Isis clutched her emerald-stoned pendant. She won't come out, she won't.

"Hey, Isis, are you alright? You shouldn't have lied to Professor Chaffconham." Draco said. Isis looked sideways at Draco.

"How did you-"

"Well, really, come to think of it, was I the only one who noticed how that Mud-" Draco stopped as he caught sight of Isis' face. "Sorry, I mean, that Granger's face twitched? You surprised her. Hell, you surprised me!"

Isis shrugged. "Well, she found out something. She used the truth spell on me so there. I told her I'd let her win but she disagreed. I performed Finite Incantatem and well there you go. Before she could say anything else, I said she won."

"What did she---" Draco inquired.

"I'd rather keep that to myself, thank you." Isis' eyes sharpened. Both Draco's hands went up as if in defeat. "Come on, we got to be prepared, it's Transfiguration next.

Hey, that Hermione Granger won't stop, you know. You even angered her more. A voice said to her.

Don't go out or I'll… Isis started.

Or you'll what? I know you considered suicide but even Death couldn't save you!

With a huff, Isis walked faster than she normally did with Draco, quite surprised by her action, in tow.

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Draco's POV

"I'd rather keep to myself, thank you." Isis' eyes sharpened. Both Draco's hands went up as if in defeat. "Come on, we got to be prepared, it's Transfiguration next.

Damn, it's like she's got me on the leash! I got it so bad. Draco said to himself.

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Hours Later at the Great Hall

"Albus. Did you know?" Professot McGonagall asked. All of the teachers, including Professor Trelawney, were at dinner.

"Know what, Minerva?" Albus inquired. He was happily choosing between Treacle Tart and Lemon Drop.

"Hermione won! And the stage Joshua used didn't activated at its second and third level!" Professor McGonagall muttered the last sentences looking sideways at Professor Chaffconham, who was animatedly talking with Professor Trelawney. They talked majorly with stars and the planets.

"That's great!" Professor Dumbledore said, absently picking up the Lemon Drop and smiling as he looked at his students.

"Yes, a victory for Gryffindor at the practice duel, you know?" Professor McGonagall said. "Sybill here said Isis would win. But well, I think her Inner Eye must've been worn out now."

"No, Minerva. Sybill is doing great as our Diviner." Albus looked sideways at his Deputy Headmistress. His eyes twinkling as if he had something else in mind.

"Well, whatever do you mean by that, Albus?"

"Miss Isis won Round One." The Headmaster said.

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Author's Note: This fanfic is inspired to my latest dream that has pushed me to the front of the computer screen and made me type it with enthusiasm…

Author's Note 2: Argh! Okay, okay. I know. Another stupid cliffie. I might add I'm getting used to this rather cheesy way of ending a fanfic chappie. Anyone want to suggest any ways of having at least a more odd way of ending a chappie? Give me a review! Speak your mind!

Hehe, I'm not complaining on that one!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! So it might shut those plot bunnies for other fanfictions in my mind. OH AND PLEASE READ MY OTHER FANFICS! -

E-mail me if you want to ask some questions regarding this fanfiction or any other fanfiction of mine. Oh, and PLEASE, PLEASE REVEW!