Chapter Five
-
You Only Get One Face
All morning, Professor Trelawney was full of energy. From whispering in student's ears to jumping around wailing with glee, everything she did was the extreme. She stopped every now and then to make sure Ginny was keeping up. Ginny responded with polite, dimpled smiles, and soft replies.
Everyone else was on their best behaviour too. People who rarely answered in class waved their hands to be recognized, and everyone remembered to stand up when called on without being reminded.
Hermione, usually one of the first with the answers, didn't have the chance to recite at all. After a while, she didn't bother to raise her hand. Professor Trelawney didn't seem to notice. Instead, she commented favourably and often on everybody's participation and on the amount the class was accomplishing as a result.
o-o-o-o-o
Ginny stayed in the common room during lunch with Ron.
Still, she was present in Harry and Hermione's minds as they took their usual table near the entrance to the Great Hall. They were all so quiet it was as if the new girl had cast a spell over them.
Attempting to bring them back to themselves, Hermione said what she had said yesterday, "I can't wait till next year."
No one responded.
"I just can't wait," she repeated. She glanced at her friends expectantly, waiting for the customary responses.
Nevile was pressing a forefinger into his cheek. Harry was scrutinising his sneakers. Parvati and Padma were examining their sandwiches as if they thought they might be poisoned.
Across the room at the Slytherin table, Malfoy and his cronies seemed strange. They were eating their lunches in slow motion, sappy looks in their eyes.
"What's wrong with everybody?" Hermione asked.
"The question is, what isn't?" replied Padma.
"I think I need a new pair of shoes," said Harry.
"You got those last week," Hermione reminded him.
Harry shrugged. "Yeah, well, things change."
"That's for sure," agreed Hermione.
"At least you can buy shoes," Padma put in.
Everyone nodded. Except Hermione. She had never seen her friends act like this. The class had been together since first year. They had shared much, but nothing had ever affected them like this.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked, knowing the answer.
"Padma means you only get one face," Nevile explained, leaning closer to the group.
"And one body," added Parvati.
"What I think we should do," announced Padma, glancing around the table to be sure she had everyone's attention, "is… ignore her."
"And what?" Hermione scoffed. "She'll just go away?"
Padma's dark eyes flashed with excitement. "You know, she might. I mean if she doesn't like it here, maybe she'll be moved somewhere else."
Hermione pilled the corners of her mouth back into her most effective I-can't-believe-this! expression.
"Mary's got them just like her!" Nevile exclaimed. He mimicked Hermione's expression.
Parvati and Padma copied Nevile.
Harry leaned close to inspect Hermione's face. "Those are just… creases," he said.
The others relaxed their faces.
"What are we talking about?" Harry asked.
"You know," Padma said impatiently.
"I guess we're talking about… dimples," Harry admitted. "I just don't know why."
"Because we don't have them and she does," Nevile said.
Parvati sighed. "And she's so… tiny."
"You always liked being the tallest girl," said Hermione.
"That was before," Parvati replied.
"Who says dimples are so great?" Hermione asked. "I mean we're acting like she's something special and we don't even know her." No one responded.
"You know what Professor Dumbledore always says," she added.
Everyone knew. Dumbledore always said that what counted was on the inside: a good heart and a curious mind.
Remembering that seemed to make everyone feel better until Nevile said, "What if she has those, too?"
o-o-o-o-o
That afternoon, a brief tension temporarily altered the mood during potions. Professor Snape, who always ambled up and down the aisles as he dictated the instructions, hesitated beside the desk covered in vials and beakers.
In the long silence that followed, Hermione had the urge to spring to her feet and confess. When heads turned in her direction, issuing mute warnings, she decided to remain silent.
Trying to concentrate on taking down the instructions, Hermione drew some new dots for her notes.
Finally, Snape muttered "Reparo," and turned back to the class.
"Add a square of boomslang skin to your cauldron. The squares have been measured out for you. As you shouldknow if you completed your research, the boomslang skin will help to give the mixture its powdery texture when cooled. It's positively… smashing."
Snape's eyes focused on Hermione accusingly. Then he continued speaking. "Then, you add the newt's eye to the pot and stir vigorously until the mixture thickens. I must warn you, do not, under any circumstances, stop stirring until the mixture thickens."
DO NOT stop stirring, Hermione noted down. In her hurry to stress the rule, she broke her quill. Her last quill. Snape turned and whipped away her piece of paper.
"Miss Granger has suggested that I collect your notes for marking. I assume you have all been taking notes, of course."
The class groaned in unison. Some people shot death glares at Hermione. She fumed silently.
"Now, I want you all to make a start on an essay about the myths and facts about the properties of newt's eye. It will be set for homework."
Hermione whispered, "Can I borrow a quill?" across to Harry.
Before he could respond, Ginny turned in her seat and presented Hermione with a second hand, worn out pigeon feather. And a smile.
"Thanks," Hermione said, "but you might need it."
Ginny shook her head. "I have a whole bunch." She held up an old pencil case made from spare fabric filled with old quills and fountain pens. "They have my name on them."
At the blackboard, Professor Snape stopped giving instructions and focused on Hermione. "Is there a problem, Miss Granger?"
Hermione shot to her feet. "Not exactly," she said.
"I broke a quill yesterday when we were doing the famous witches and wizards fair list and I forgot to get a new one. Then I broke my last one just before so I asked Harry if I could borrow one" – Harry pulled at the edge of her robe. She knew he was trying to tell her to be quiet, but she couldn't seem to stop. – "but Ginny said I could have one of hers" – Malfoy dropped his head to the desk and pretended to have fallen asleep – "but I thought she might need it so I said" –
"Do you have a quill now, Granger?" asked Professor Snape interrupted exasperatedly.
Hermione shifted from one foot to the other. "Well, no, because" –
Five hands reached out toward her, each holding a quill.
Hermione hesitated, not knowing which one to accept.
Harry grabbed them all and dropped them on her desk.
"That should take care of the problem," Snape concluded. "Class dismissed. Be sure you all have functioning quills next lesson."
Usually, someone would have teased Hermione about her habit of giving long explanations when asked a question, especially by anyone in authority. But today, no one said a word. Instead, they all crowded around Ginny's desk.
Hermione was relieved. And disappointed.
o-o-o-o-o
"Wait up!" Harry called.
At the end of the corridor, Hermione stopped and turned. Harry came loping towards her, his books tucked under his arm.
"What's your hurry?" he asked as he approached.
Hermione had left the classroom quickly without stopping to talk to Ginny as everyone else had.
Hermione shrugged. "No hurry."
"You sure disappeared fast." It sounded like an accusation.
"I didn't disappear; I just… left." Hermione resumed walking.
Harry said, "Whatever," and scuffed his shoes on the clean floor. Seeing McGonagall walking down the hall, he walked normally again.
"How'd you do in the potions essay we did last week?" Hermione asked.
Harry shrugged. "B minus. How can anybody remember the discovery of the uses in beetle's eyes anyway?"
"You just have to keep revising that stuff, Harry," Hermione replied.
"And all of the properties too."
"There aren't that many."
"It's all pretty stupid if you ask me. Potions," he scoffed. "Who cares?"
"If you can't do basic potions, Harry, what will you do when you leave Hogwarts?"
"Hire a secretary," Harry said.
"Someone like Ginny Weasley?" Hermione teased, surprising herself. She had had no intention of bringing up Ginny's name.
"Naw. She probably can't do potions either."
Now that the subject of Ginny was out in the open, Hermione decided to pursue it. "So what do you think of her?" she asked, trying not to sound too interested.
"What do you think of her?"
"I asked first," Hermione objected.
"I think you don't like her," Harry said.
"I didn't ask you what I think, Harry."
"Well, do you?"
"How do I know? I mean I don't even know her."
"You're never going to get to know her if you keep running away."
Hermione halted abruptly. Her hands flew to her hips. "I did not run away." The teasing twinkled in Harry's green eyes made her feel silly. Murmuring, "Oh, Harry," she swatted at him with her hand. "Why do you tease me all the time?"
He danced away, laughing. "Because you make it so easy."
"Very funny," she said. "Besides, how can anybody get to know anybody with everybody trying to get to know somebody?"
"It was kind of a crowd," Harry agreed.
"How come you didn't stay with everybody else?"
Harry bent over and picked up a small, smooth piece of tile. "It was getting ridiculous," he said as he tossed it into the air. "Goyle and Malfoy actually got into this big thing about who was going to carry Ginny's books."
"She didn't have any books," Hermione said.
Harry smiled. "I told you, the whole thing was stupid."
"How'd Ginny react?"
"She just kept smiling," Harry said, "but I think she's smart enough to know what's going on.
That was more than Hermione knew. She glanced at Harry out of the corner of her eye. "You think she's smart?"
"Smart enough."
"For what?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't know for what – for anything!"
"School?" Hermione persisted. "You just said she probably can't" –
"Don't worry, Hermione, you'll still be the smartest," Harry interrupted, an amused edge to his voice.
"Oh, I didn't mean…" her voice trailed off. She didn't know what she meant. "It was such a… crazy day. Everybody was so strange. All Ginny had to do was walk into the room and everybody wants to be her friend."
Harry laughed. "It's no big deal, Hermione," he said. "In a couple of days, Ginny'll just be another third year, and everybody will go back to being their obnoxious selves."
Although Hermione thought everyone was being obnoxious now, she knew what Harry meant. "I hope you're right."
