Chapter 11 – Hexing a Teacher

I almost felt like Hagrid was purposing trying to lose his job. Despite H planning out his lessons for him, he chose to teach us thestrals the day the toad decided to come in for an inspection. If that wasn't worst part, the toad misconstrued everything that Hagrid did and said as something else. I found solace in the fact that Dumbledore will not let Hagrid leave Hogwarts.

She moved around and asked some of the students about Hagrid's teaching methods. She asked Draco and Pansy first. As expected, Draco made Hagrid look like a fool and Pansy accompanied him in his rant. Then she moved on to Neville. It's good thing that Neville could see thestrals. But somehow, the toad managed to turn even Neville's favourable answers against Hagrid. I was so close to hexing her but H stopped me and Draco shook his head discreetly.

At the end of the horrendous class, when the toad started moving towards the castle, I shot her with a leg-locker curse (locomotor mortis). She fell face first on the snow with a yelp. Most of the students laughed out loud when she fell. While she was trying to get back up, I quickly cast a warming charm around us in case she decided to check who cast the spell. Hagrid went to help her. She knows that Hagrid is not allowed to do magic so she can't blame him.

"Who did this?" She screamed at us.

The students sniggered but no one said anything.

"I know, it was one of you. If you come forward now, you will not be punished badly. But if I find out later on, you will have the worst detention of your life." She warned us. After a few minutes, "Have it your way then." She turned around and walked away, fuming.

"You didn't have to do this." H said agitatedly.

"I didn't do it." I feigned innocence.

"Don't use the puppy dog eyes on me." She said quickly.

"You did that?" Ron whispered. He looked very impressed.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about."

"Nat, enough of your games. Hagrid could get into trouble."

"No. Everyone in the Ministry knows he is not supposed to use magic. I really couldn't help it. She was really annoying me. She came here with the intention of firing Hagrid. She never even gave him a proper chance to prove himself."

"Well, she was being really unfair." Harry said. I shot him a smile. Then I remembered that we broke up and my smile faltered. It's still pretty difficult to be around him but we are trying hard to be friends. Besides, this is the time that friends need to stick together.

"Come on, Hermione. Loosen up." Ron said.

She huffed, "Tell me again why am I still friends with the three of you."

"Cause your life wouldn't be so much fun without us." I said.

"Cause you wouldn't be happy without us." Ron said.

"Cause we're your best friends." Harry said.

"I seriously have to find some new friends. Friends who don't have a penchant for trouble and danger."

"You don't mean that, H. That is the meanest thing you've ever said."

"Let's just hope no one else gets in trouble for this one." H said.

I could see Draco giving me the look, which means he wants to see me now and probably yell at me for my display. I didn't feel like getting yelled at, so I ignored him.


I excused myself to go to the washroom. I finished my business and came out of the cubicle and Draco was putting locking and silencing spells the washroom door. I was shocked to see him here. I was washing my hands, deep in my thoughts. Draco looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to say something.

"Did I come into the boys' washroom by mistake?" I asked finally.

He looked like he was just about to burst, "That's the first thing you want to say. No, you're not in the boys' washroom. What the hell was that? I told you not to do it."

"She deserved it!" I defended.

"I'll not be able to protect you if you deliberately throw yourself into trouble." He said.

"She was being unfair, Draco."

"What part of not attracting attention don't you get? You're already running an illegal 'study group' and now you're throwing curses at professors."

"I cursed one professor. And I wouldn't hex other professors. You're blowing this way out of proportion."

"Am I? She suspects it's one of you. Now she wants the Inquisitor Squad to keep a closer eye on the four of you. Now how am I going to make the others not notice you?"

"You forget we have the map."

"Someday this overconfidence that you and your friends possess is going to get you into trouble." He said harshly. He removed the spells on the door and stormed out of the washroom.


"I knew this was a bad idea." H shouted at me after I told her about my conversation with Draco.

"I didn't know this was going to happen. I sort of forgot about the Inquisitor Squad."

"There's no use talking about this anymore. We'll have to lay low for a short while." H said with a sort of finality.

Harry and Ron came through the portrait hole. Harry's happy smile faltered when he saw me. Ron was looking smug but after seeing me he was not sure what to feel.

"What's going on?" I asked them as they sat on the empty armchairs.

"Ummm…" Harry opened his mouth but couldn't say anything.

"Harry's got a date." Ron said. Poor guy, he thought he was helping Harry out.

"Does he now?" I looked at Harry hoping to get an explanation.

"Yes. Cho said that there was a Hogsmeade visit on Valentine's Day. So, I had to ask her if she wanted to go." He said nervously.

"I was not aware that people make Valentine's Day plans so much in advance." I said icily. "I hope you have a great day."

"You do?"

"Yeah! You should have fun." This time I meant it. He deserves to have some fun. He is so serious all the time.

"Thanks." Harry seemed relieved. "I've to go to meet Snape now…for…uh…remedial potions."

He left. Ron started speaking with the Seamus and Dean.

"I'm not sure if you're all right with this." H said when she was sure we wouldn't be overheard.

"Oh, I'm not. I want to strangle him. We just broke up and he is already planning Valentine's with someone else. I expected there to be some block period in which none of us dates someone else."

"Then why didn't you say something?"

"I wanted to. But then I look into his green eyes and I'm so lost. You have no clue how difficult it was to tell him that I couldn't be with him with his green eyes looking at me. It's like he has some power over me. Something that gets my heart beating faster every time his eyes are on me. What am I going to do, H?"

"We have to find you a date."

"That's really sweet, H but I don't want to date someone else right now. Maybe, I can ask Draco to help me study. That is if he doesn't have a date."

"Are you sure? You could use a date."

"I'll have to pass now. But if near Valentine's Day if I feel desperate enough, I'll ask you for your help and then you can find me someone. Maybe we can double date."


Harry's session with Snape did not go very well. He was feeling weak when he came back. He told us that the windowless corridor he has been dreaming of for months is the corridor leading to the Department of Mysteries. He also mentioned that Voldemort wanted something from the Department of Mysteries. Harry kept rubbing his scar so H asked him to go sleep. She even sent Ron to check up on him. When Ron came back he told us how he found Harry. Apparently he had been laughing like he was a mad man.

"He says You-know-who is happy." Ron told us

"Why would You-know-who be happy?" H asked.

What if that big thing has happened? What has happened? What if the event that Draco and I have been anticipating has happened? Should I ask mom and dad what happened?

I got my answers the next day. There was a mass breakout in Askaban. The Daily Prophet reported that Sirius Black was responsible for the breakout. The next page reported that Broderick Bode had been found dead in the hospital. When Harry mentioned seeing him at the Ministry, Ron said he was an 'Unspeakable'. Unspeakables are ministry workers work in the Department of Mysteries. The timing of everything seemed so suspicious. Draco and I exchanged tensed looks.

Hermione suddenly got up from the table saying she had an urgent owl to send. I wish I knew what she is planning to do. Then Hagrid mentioned to us that he is on probation. This day just keeps getting worse. Now, I was more than ready for DA to restart. There was change in almost everyone in DA after the breakout. Everyone was putting in more effort, trying harder. Neville was more focused than ever. The air around Hogwarts had changed. Draco was doing his best to deflect the Inquisitorial Squad.


Soon, it was Valentine's Day. Yuck!

H got an owl while we were having breakfast. After reading it, she insisted that Harry must join her later in Three Broomsticks. H didn't have a problem if he brought Cho along as well. Boy, this is going to be one crazy date.

Then she whispered to me, "Are you sure you don't want to come? Trust me, you'll like it if you come."

"Ya, right! Harry, Cho and I at the same table, that's not weird at all." I whispered back.

"Trust me you don't want to miss this." She tried again.

"Trust me I want to miss this. Besides, I already told Draco, I'd study with him."

"I still can't believe you'd rather study with him than me." She screwed up her face like she smelled something bad. I shrugged.

"What are you two whispering about?" Ron asked.

"Girl stuff." That's the easiest way to get the guys off our backs.

H took off and Ron complained about how he couldn't go to Hogsmeade because of Quidditch practice. Harry looked like he would give anything up to get back out there and practice. After breakfast, Harry went up to the Ravenclaw table and met Cho. The air of awkwardness was so thick around that I could cut it with a knife if I wanted to.

I snorted before I could hold myself back.

Ron followed my line of sight and asked, "Are you really okay with him going out with Cho?"

I considered his question for a moment. Honesty or Dishonesty? "I'm not okay. But if he doesn't feel the same way that I do, then I can't force him to stay with me. We will begin resenting each other if we don't do our thing."

"Your thing?"

"You know, him being the saviour and me being the aide to the saviour." I snickered at my own statement.

He chuckled. "So, you're just letting him be so we all can be friends."

I thought about what he said, "Partially, yes. Partially because I hope that someday he'll realise he loves me and he'll come back to me when he is ready."

"How is it that you can say all this with so much conviction?"

"I've read some romantic novels secretly. Most of the books say, if you really love someone, you have to let go and if that person comes back to you then he or she is yours forever. Or something crazy like that."

"Okay. I have to go now. You could come to the quidditch pitch if you want. You don't have to be alone in the common room." Ron suggested.

I'm so touched by his offer, "Nah, you go on. If I get bored studying I'm come to the pitch." I made a mental note to go down to the pitch as soon as I was done.


Draco was analysing my mood. He answered me appropriately when I had a question.

He huffed, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm tired of talking about it. I'm tired of thinking Voldemort's going to do next. I'm tired of thinking if what the death eaters are going to do now. I'm tired of thinking who's going to be attacked next. I'm tired of thinking who is going to die next." I ranted.

"I was actually asking about Pothead and Chang. But I guess, I was making the wrong assumptions."

"What can I say about that? Going by the awkwardness around them, I think, the date may not go as well as they want it to."

He raised his eyebrow at me, "So, you're not at all worried that there's at least an iota of possibility that they may have a good date?"

"Of course, I'm worried. But I want to think that good things do happen to good people. Actually, I'm in two minds about this. On one hand I want to see Harry happy and on the other I was to see myself happy. Am I being really selfish for hoping that their date doesn't go well?"

He chuckled, "Nat, its human tendency to want happiness for ourselves first and then others. So, I don't think you're being selfish. You are just being human." He mumbled something.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."


In the evening, when I got back to the great hall with Ron and Ginny, Harry and H were talking to Dean and Seamus. They quickly filled us up on what they did in Hogsmeade. I must say I'm impressed by H's style. She's like 'femme fatale'. Harry gave an interview to Rita Skeeter about everything that happened last June. The interview is going to be published in the Quibbler.

"Look H, you finally found the Quibbler useful." I teased her.

"Oh shut up! I had to do something. The breakout made me feel like we had to do something."

"Good move, Hermione." Ron complimented her.

"Harry, it must have been hard for you to talk about that night." I told him softly.

He looked at me gratefully, "Ya, it was. But it helped that Hermione and Cho were there with me."

Punch to the gut. "I'm glad."

"It was tough to convince her to come with me. But I assured her that Hermione wanted to her to come along with me." Harry told us.

"She needed closure. She began crying with Harry told Skeeter how Cedric was murdered." H added. "It was good you managed to bring her Harry."

"Looks like you guys had a fun day then." I said.

At this H looked at me sadly. She only just realised that this is difficult for me. "How was you day?"

"It was horrible! This was one of the worst practices ever." Ron said before I could answer.

"I studied a little bit and then went to the pitch to cheer for Ron and the team while they were practicing."

"I've no idea how we'll win this match. I hate to say this but we're not a good team." Ron said.

"Ron, don't say things like that. Believe and you shall be able to do it." I said cheerfully.

"Ya, ya." Ron said.

Rest of the time that we were in the great hall, Harry kept throwing looks at the Ravenclaw table. Now, I was nervous. Maybe, Harry will never come back to me.


"Rookwood was telling Voldemort that Bode wouldn't have been able to do it though he was under Malfoy's Imperius curse. Rookwood used to work in the Department of Mysteries." Harry was telling us about the dream he had last night. "Bode tried hard to fight the curse off but he was not very successful. Avery is going to be killed or punished severely for giving Voldemort the wrong information."

"Bode? As in Broderick Bode?" I asked.

He nodded, "He was in the Department of Mysteries trying to get something for Voldemort."

"It has to be some sort of a weapon." Hermione said. "But I guess the weapon must have some sort a curse on it which may have lead to the condition that Bode was in."

"That sounds very much like it." Ron said thoughtfully.

"But Harry you were not supposed to have this dream. You were supposed to close your mind before sleeping." Hermione frowned at him.

"I'm trying. It's not working. It's not like I can control it." Harry shouted.

"H is right, you need to be more careful." I told him.

"But what if Snape is not trying to help?" Ron asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What if Snape is leaving him vulnerable so Voldemort can find out things about him. He used to be a death eater." Ron explained.

"Dumbledore trusts Snape. And if he trusts him then I trust him." Hermione said.

"Besides, we've been wrong about Prof. Snape in the past. Remember, in the first year, we thought Snape was the one who wanted the Philosopher's Stone. He was, in fact, one of the professors trying to save it. I don't want to doubt his loyalties."


H, Ron and I were studying in the library when we heard a screaming voice coming from the outside. Harry was with Prof. Snape for a session in Occlumency. We rushed out with the crowd. Harry came up with Prof. Snape from the dungeons. Everyone was wondering what was going on. Then I saw it. And what I saw broke my heart. In the middle of the Entrance Hall, Prof. Trelawney was standing with her wand in one hand and a bottle of sherry in the other, two trunks next to her. She looked like she was in shock. I never took up Divination but I still felt bad to see her this way.

The toad announced that the Ministry has sacked Prof. Trelawney. Prof. Trelawney said Hogwarts was her home and that she can't leave it. The toad was enjoying her plight. Prof. McGonagall walked up to Prof. Trelawney and comforted her and told her she didn't have to leave.

Just then Dumbledore announced that Prof. Trelawney could stay at Hogwarts. Dumbledore reminded the toad that he was still the Headmaster of the school. While she may have the power to dismiss teachers, she however doesn't get to decide who stays and who doesn't stay in the castle.

Dumbledore then announced he already found a replacement. The toad didn't like this and tried to interrupt him by saying something. Again, he had to remind him he was the headmaster. I wonder how he does everything with a smile on his face. The new teacher came through the door. It was Firenze. The centaur who saved Harry back in the first year.

I was enjoying the look on the toad's face. She was angrier than I've ever seen her before. Since, I was covered by a lot of people, I pulled out my wand and put a 'Trip Jinx' on her. This made everyone laugh at her. Dumbledore let out his hand to help her.

"I will not tolerate such behaviour from my students." Dumbledore's voice was angry though he looked pretty calm. "Come forward." When no one went forward, he said, "Very well, I want the person who did this to meet me in my office later. We will discuss your punishment after then." He looked at me as he said the last part of his sentence.


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Neepa :-)