Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do I know Devil May Cry 4.
Challenge accepted from Gin no Kaze
Note: I was listening to Supertramp, hence the title of this chapter. You my find references and word choices influenced by the song. Roger Hodgson's voice shall remaining eternal for composing such a lyrical universal truth of childhood experience and adulthood!
The Logical Song
All her life she lived by rules of observation, Hermione has gathered most of her knowledge through simple observation. It is observation that helped her to understand the complexities of human nature and it is observation that taught her about the social injustices of the Wizarding World. Never had she thought that she, who has lived the better part of 11 years as a free-individual, would have the most basic of human liberties robbed from her upon entering the Wizarding World. She is, by all definition, a second class citizen by the majority of the population – she, who would have never have been anything but the majority, has been downgraded to a minority. There were certain things that she couldn't do or knowledge that she will never access to because she was not pure enough to access that information. (At least, not without cutting off a limb to do so.) Sometimes she would lie at night remembering the first few days shopping in Diagon Alley, it was beautiful – magical. Now older and wiser she sees the lies for what they really are. And she could have said no! She could have opted not to go, she could have forgotten and continued on obliviously. She was fed lies, propaganda – they cheated her.
Nobody…she would have never experienced what she saw that dreadful Halloween night.
As she watched Nero – Harry Potter – being dragged away by Susan Bones, she wonders how he was cheated.
"Psst, psssst! Hey, hey, big hair!"
Gritting her teeth, she turned away pretending that she hadn't a word. "Hey, you! Bookworm! Psst! Raveclaw-Gryffindor!"
"Ron, have you gathered all the first years?" Her voice terse and sharp as her wit.
"Yeah, every little midget accounted for all twenty of 'em. There sure is shortage of 'em this time around, figure it has somethin' do with y'know…" he trailed off oblivious to her already growing irritated state or maybe he was fully aware and simply ignoring it. Either way, he going to hear her ire if didn't stop with his annoying antics. It is bad enough that she now has to deal with his general existence more so than usual, she didn't need to hear his stupidity vocally as well.
Luckily Ronald was saved by unfortunate Ernie Macmillan who found himself at the other end of her wand after grabbing her by the shoulder to stop her from leaving.
"Granger wait – woah!" He instantly removed his hands off of her and lifted them in the air comically grinning. His eyes, however, were tensed – calculating her stance. No doubt, Hermione thinks, seeing each possible way he could take her down. She is no fool, these are times of war. They are children of war, every year there is one student that has mysteriously disappeared from the term.
"Don't touch me!" Hermione gave Macmillan the most venomous look she has in her arsenal. In the background both Ronald and all the Gryffindor looked on wide at violent display their fellow peers. Here, there is only, in the words of last year's professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts: CONSTANT VIGILENCE! Anyone can be the enemy or anything as proven to her these last few years.
"Hey, now I'm just the messenger." He grinned, all teeth but no smile. "Fellow Perfect, 'member? Cedric Diggory, our glorious Hufflepuff Head Boy and all time badass, has called for a meeting. The meeting will take place the bathroom," he winked with a heavy amount of obscurity. "You'll know where soon enough, now if ya' don't mind, my people need me to spread the word of our better than thou Head Boy."
"What you s'pose he meant by 'the bathroom'?" Ronald murmured to Hermione.
"Do I look like I know," she glanced at Ronald. "But I will find out."
Why was he making such a fool of himself, it was bad enough that she thought little of him and his intelligence. The little respect she held for him had to do hard work in his studies, at least she acknowledge that much. If he keeps taking like an obnoxious idiot in front her they both will have the rest of their years as perfect as miserable duo. It's best he be at his utmost behavior.
"Alright you lot, the name's Ron Weasley, and I, as fifth year's perfect will be guiding you and making life in Hogwarts as comfortable as possible! This here, is the lovely Hermione Granger she is my fellow peer as Perfect. We will be the ones that you will go to if you have any questions about the school. If you cannot find then you can seek help from sixth year's Perfect, the duo over there," he points at the general direction of two sixth year Perfect that seemed to have entered a hissing match. "Or, you can go to the head boy and girl – our superiors – feel free to go them if you are being harassed or bullied by classmates as they have more authority then us perfect got it?"
Like all children who are steaming with question but too shy to ask, they all nodded their head pretending to understand. Ron knew that the little midgets would be asking questions later. "Alright, let's get going!"
"Another thing that you feel I must warn you," Granger started. "The rules are meant to be followed. Should I see you breaking any such rule I will punish with the utmost severity, understand? Good."
"Yes, rules! Well go over those as we go and you will learn the unspoken ones as year goes along. First things first, the Slytherin House is not to be trusted," Ron started as he lead them to their dormitory.
"Ron, do not spread propaganda not all Slytherin are bad. They are simply ambitious and cunning making them appear like self-serving people."
"Ambitious and cunning, she says." Ron muttered. "People with that type of personality will push you in front of the Knight Bus if so it suits them well! But that was not my point in the making, as I was saying they are not to be trusted. While the first years that you lot met in train were nice, once sorted into that house will manipulated into thinking that you are the enemy. Now, I am not saying that there aren't any good Slytherin, it's just they are exceedingly rare to find."
"One such a Slytherin, is my good friend whom I meet up with…"
And so the two go on introducing their ducklings the rules of engagement amongst the halls of Hogwarts.
Ron wondered though who Granger was referring to, his stomach burns uncomfortably.
It two hours later when he finds himself alone with her, debating if he should ignore the subject or not so as to avoid any proclivities of her self-imposed agenda. Her agenda being, in his honest opinion, the butchering of childhood innocence.
Why shouldn't they enjoy the allusion of freedom? Why shouldn't they have good memories of times since passed? Why make them cynical so soon?
He knew that thing's weren't the same since the boy-who-lived was pronounced missing. He also knew that there twice as many restrictions since he started four years ago.
But Ron was no coward, they had this discussion upon discovering their new status the following year. ("Ron, they are being cheated! Ignorance will lead to mistakes that they cannot afford to make!")
"So are going to gather all muggle-borns and half-bloods?"
"Of course."
"Why would you ruin their first magical experience like that?" He blurted not understanding her crusade for the truth. ("You'll never understand Ron, because you're a pureblood!")
"It's a lie, Ron." She snapped.
He winced but opened his mouth to advocate for his perspective. ("You're right, but my family are also blood traitors.")
"Hey!" The sixth year perfect interrupted their argument. "Meeting's gonna start in 10 minutes, let's get move on."
Review.
A/N:Oh wow year, I didn't even realize it had been so long since my last update. I'm sorry u.u
Also I must thank the following recent reviewers, if it wasn't for our reviews I would have continued not to notice my neglecting this particular fic:
CoreFinder
Guest #1, 07/10/2014
Guest #2, 07/10/2014
And many thanks to those that are still following, and/or have added my fic to their favorite/alerts(followed). I wish I could name all of you, but then I would be giving false expectations on how long this chapter would be - which ironically I'm doing just that right now. SIG out!