To limit the confusion, in the chapters about the Harry Potter books, Lyra's name will be changed to Hermione. Veralidaine is Lavender. In the normal chapters, their name is back to being Lyra and Veralidaine.
After Hermione realized that she was actually meeting the Harry Potter, she became uneasy. She wanted to leave but her feet wouldn't let her. Rooted to the spot, she began talking quickly and blurting things out. Luckily she caught herself when she said she knew everything about him, and covered it up by saying she got the information from books. She almost revealed to him that she and her uncle had researched all they could about him. She left the compartment shortly after asking them about which house did they think they would be in, and didn't wait for them to answer. Her mine finally won the battle over her feet and she raced away the first chance she got.
Hermione pretended that she had left. She was actually hiding close by and listening to their conversation. While there she heard Draco, along with his bodyguards, trying to intimidate Harry and Ron. She didn't want Draco to get into trouble before they even got to Hogwarts - it would embarrass the family! When she heard someone yelling and screaming, Hermione threw her voice, making it higher, to prevent the incoming duel, and greeted an imaginary prefect. Draco heard her and commanded Crabbe and Goyle to leave.
She watched as Draco retreated, followed by Crabbe, and Goyle, who was nursing his wounded hand. Crabbe's and Goyle's mothers brought them over to play with Draco a month before they entered Hogwarts. Draco thought of the two as toys rather than playmates and treated them as such. To him, they were one level above the house-elves in their manor.
Back in her compartment, Hermione waited for to leave before talking to Lavender. She didn't have to wait long. Neville excused himself and left for the lavatory.
"We will be in Gryffindor House." Hermione told Lavender point blank.
"Gryffindor House?" Lavender repeated, "Why?"
"I saw him."
"Him?" Lavender asked, arching her eyebrow at Hermione.
"Him."
"Him? - Oh HIM!" Lavender gasped, "As in him, him."
"Yes him as in Harry Potter and he's with a Weasley."
"Isn't that the name your uncle's always complaining about?"
"Yes and I saw him sitting in a compartment with a Weasley. They look friendly."
"Oh?"
"I think Potter will want to be in Gryffindor with the Weasley. All Weasleys are in Gryffindor. The Weasley is the first friend he's made. I'm sure he would want to stay with his friend." Hermione was basing her theory on her experience with Lavender. They met on the boat and Lavender became her shadow.
"How did you come to that conclusion?"
"He turned down other offers of friendship, though I don't blame him." Hermione sighed, "Draco..."
"What about Draco?"
"Draco offered his hand to Potter in friendship, but Potter turned him down." Hermione told her, "What did Draco expect after acting so arrogant and superior?" she said more to herself.
"What's he like? The Boy Who Lived?" Lavender wanted to know if he was like what the books she had read about him said.
"Half-blood."
"No. I mean his personality."
"Odd."
Lavender wrinkled her nose at this. "What do you mean as in odd?"
"He seems surprised by almost everything."
"And that makes him odd?"
"Yes." Hermione replied. "I suppose the Muggles who raised him didn't enlighten him of our world."
"How do you know he was raised by Muggles?"
"Once you meet him, it'll be obvious."
The Hogwarts Express train finally reached its destination and came to a stop. Lavender stood behind and watched as Hermione led Neville away. Hermione told Lavender, when they were in the storage room, that they should keep their distance in the presence of other people while they're lived their double lives. Hermione said it would aid in her plan in destroying her Uncle Lucius's scheme. If something went wrong, no one could tie them together.
Lavender understood Hermione's reasons for them not being together. It showed that Hermione truly cared about her. The thought made her swell with emotions of overwhelming joy, but the joy was equally mixed with sadness. She was depressed. She felt like she was losing her best friend in the world. It wasn't fair... She met her first!
Was it not she, who stayed by Hermione's side ever since they first met. She stayed with her against her father's objections and frightening rumors flying around. It was she who made Hermione finally smile – before she barely showed any emotions!
Hermione didn't see Lavender outside. She went back to the compartment in search of her friend. Lavender's face was pressed to the glassed window as she sobbed. Hermione entered the compartment and locked the door. Taking Lavender in her arms, Hermione patted her back to soothe her.
"I'm an - an - an AWful perSON!" Lavender sobbed.
"You're not."
"Ye-ye-yes I am!" Lavender stuttered, "A...mo - me - ment ago - I - wish we never m - et Ne-Nevi-Neveille! He - he's taking you from me!"
"Veralidaine, listen to me. Hermione is Neville's friend, for now, but Lyra will always be yours. Always."
Lavender ceased her melancholy thoughts and was ready to enjoy the experience of living a double life. Maybe this time around, she might be more popular than when she was at Drumstrang. Last year, Lavender knew that she was disliked by many people - besides the teachers - and the only reason why anyone would ever acknowledge her existence was because she was Lyra Lestrange's friend. But, now she's not the four eyed bug, people use to call her behind her back anymore. She got rid of her large glass and charmed her dark skin light, changed the color of her eyes to brown, and her hair to waves of blonde. She was beautiful! And she knew it. She wiped her face. They walked out of the train separately.
As Hermione stood in the entrance hall waiting for the sorting ceremony to begin, she couldn't help but laugh at the rumors fly about how they were going to be sorted and into which house. Some said they had to perform a number of spells successfully, while others thought they had to do battle with a troll. She and Lavender shared a smile; they already knew how they were going to be sorted in their house from her Uncle Lucius.
The Sorting Hat was a sentient Hogwarts artifact which magically determines which of the four school houses each new student was to be assigned to. During the welcoming ceremony, first-year students are lined up as the Transfiguration professor read their names aloud, alphabetically form a list. Each then, takes a seat on a stool and the dirty, old hat - with a horrible smell - was placed on their heads. Depending on their personality and best traits, the dirty, old hat announces its choice aloud for all to hear, and the student joins the selected house. The hat has the ability to read its wearer's thoughts, which was why Lucius made Hermione and Lavender take out their memories and put them in a pensive before they left the manor.
Students were in amazed by the sight of the ceiling of the Great Hall as they entered. Though, Hermione wasn't surprised at the scene at the least bit since her uncle and aunt already told her what to expect; but she was still in awe at the beauty of the enchanted ceiling.
"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside." Hermione whispered to Lavender, "I read about it in Hogwarts a History."
While Professor McGonagall prepared the hat and stool, everyone stared at the elder witch with curiosity; Hermione pulled on Lavender's sleeve to get her attention.
"Do whatever you can. Make the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor." Hermione whispered to her.
Lavender nodded as they waited with the rest of the first years for their names to be called. Since her last name was Brown, Lavender would have to go before Hermione.
"Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor," Lavender chanted in her head, trying to pursue the hat, and forget about its disgusting smell. "Please, Mister Hat, put me in Gryffindor." she begged it.
"Gryffindor? Hmmmm..." said the hat. "Are you sure? You're more suited for Ravenclaw, with your thirst for knowledge and -"
"Gryffindor! Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryff -"
"OH! All right! Gryffindor!"
Lavender smiled, and took her place at the Gryffindor table.
"If you'll please be so kind, would you put me in Gryffindor?" asked Hermione, when it was her turn to be sorted.
"You're more suitable on Slytherin…hmmmm...Since you asked so nicely."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Hermione smiled, pleased with herself. While walking down from the stool, to join the rest of the Gryffindor at the table, Hermione thought of Hogwarts and how different it would be from Drumstrang. With the desire to know more about the school and schoolwork, she seated herself next to a wizard, obviously a Weasley, with a prefect badge to inquire about her upcoming lessons. She cleared her throat to get his attention.
"Excuse me, sir." Hermione said politely. "I'm new here and I'd like to ask you about the school's lessons to see how they differ from Du - the Muggle school I use to attend." Hermione ended her question by smiling. What was wrong with her? Why does she keep forgetting that she's supposed to be a Muggle-born?
"I'm a Muggle-born you see." Hermione confessed, then she repeated the words she had said to Harry and Ron when she met them on the train, "Nobody in my family has magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean. Hogwarts, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard -" She paused as she heard Neville's names be announced and turned her attention to him.
Hermione pressed her lips together in a frown, while everyone laughed at Neville as he ran off the stool, still wearing the hat. After he jogged back and gave it the Professor McGonagall, Neville took his seat next to Hermione, where she reassured him that it was perfectly normal and everyone gets nervous while being sorted. Hermione comforted him with a warm smile and completely forgot what she was asking the prefect, since her full attention was now on Neville. She asked him about his family and how he felt about being in Hogwarts. Neville shyly answered her, and then went silent as did everyone else in the Great Hall, when they heard Harry Potter's name announced.
Hermione took deep breaths and placed her hand over her racing heart to calm it.
"I do hope they start right away," Hermione continued her conversation with the prefect, where she had left off after, "there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be difficult -"
"You'll be staring small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing." Percy, the prefect, told her.
At the end of the first day at Hogwarts, Hermione was in her dorm room. Lavender was her room mate like before. Hermione composed her letter to her uncle as Lavender closed the curtains around her four poster bed for privacy. The other girls were too busy sorting through their belongings to notice them.
Dear Dad,
My first day of school was very exciting.
I got to meet the Harry Potter on the train, along with his mate Ronald Weasley.
They seem quite close.
I spoke to him once before, while we were being fitting for our new school robes in Diagon Alley.
Which I smartly reminded him of.
I tried to be nice and extend my hand in friendship to him, but he was hostile towards me and my two friends and ignored us.
His rejection upset me greatly, but hopefully I could redeem myself in his eyes.
Seeing as we are in the same House.
Love Always,
Hermione
After Hermione finished her massage, she rolled it up and tied it to a school owl and sent it off. Her message was simple enough for her uncle to understand that she was telling him about Draco's behavior. She left hints about meeting Potter in the robe shop, which Draco did, because after returning home he whined about the odd boy who traveled with Hogwarts Gamekeeper. And with the clue about her two friends, it was obviously Draco, since Hermione only had one friend with her. She also informed her uncle of Potter's dislike of Draco and that Potter was now in Gryffindor House, with Weasley being the clue.
Hermione and Lavender's days in Hogwarts were what they thought were déjà vu, since they already learned these subjects. But unlike at Drumstrang, Lavender didn't boldly flaunt her intelligence to the class, seeing as it made people prone to pull cruel pranks on her. Until Lyra put a stop to it. This time around, Lavender decided to sit back and pretended like she didn't know what she was doing, like the rest of the first years. But it seemed Hermione had other plans.
Was I really that annoying? Lavender asked herself as she watched Hermione franticly wave her hand up and smugly answered the professor's questions. For a brief moment, she forgot that Hermione was actually her best friend, Lyra, and felt the sudden urge to slap her hand down from the air. No wonder they bullied me! She thought. I was soooo irritating!
In their potions class, Lavender, and the rest of the class, couldn't help but notice their professor's dislike or hatred - was more like it - of Harry Potter. Professor Snape was throwing numerous questions at him - only him - without mercy! And when Neville messed up on his potion, causing boils to appear on his skin, Snape blamed it on Potter? Lavender glanced at Hermione who mouthed the word, later, indicating that she will tell her after they are done with class.
Hermione wanted to volunteer to go with Neville to the Hospital Wing to make sure he was okay, but didn't. By the looks of Snape; he would say no to everything and anyone. And her uncle told her that Snape was not one to provoke when angry.
"He hates him. A lot." Hermione told Lavender, after the class was over and they hid in a dark alcove in the corridor. Being cautious, Hermione casted a silencing charm around them, even though the corridor was near empty.
"We all can see that." Lavender said. "Why?"
"From what I heard: Potter's father stole Professor Snape's girlfriend, during their Hogwarts days."
"And he's been harboring a grudge ever since?"
"As you've witnessed."
"He must've really loved her...after all these years..." Lavender said, thinking back to Snape's icy glare directed at Potter. "Did you know how she was like? What kind of woman would a person like Snape fall in love with?"
"A red headed Muggle-born, my uncle says." Hermione said, translating from what her uncle actually said. The red headed, Mud-blood whore shattered Snape's heart to bits.
"And her personality?"
"I wasn't told much else. But..."
"But what?"
"I heard, it was Potter's mother."
"Ooooohhhh!"
"Granger!"
Both witches jumped at the sound. They looked up and spotted their Herbology professor advancing towards them.
"Leave." Hermione said.
Without a word, Lavender disappeared down the corridor before Sprout reached Hermione.
"Yes, professor."
"Something came up and I need you to give this to Professor Quirrell." She said, handing her bucket of garlic.
When Hermione went into Quirrell's classroom, she couldn't help but cover her nose from the offending odor and it wasn't just the garlic. Wait, was the garlic's scent meant to cover up something in the room? There was a rumor that Quirrell stuffed his classroom, as well as his turban, full of garlic to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania. He was afraid the vampire would come back to get him one of these days.
Hermione closed the door behind her and placed the bucket on his desk. She stayed to find out Quirrell's secrets. She hid herself under a desk and waited for him to come and receive the bucket. After waiting a few minutes, Professor Quirrell appeared from the door of his private quarters. He spotted the bucket and grinned.
Hermione watched as his hands reached for the bucket and then his entire body still. Right before that, Hermione thought she heard something, a voice maybe?
"C-Come out, I k-know y-you're the-ere."
Caught, Hermione crawled out from under the desk and patted the dust off her robes.
"Sorry, sir." She apologized, staring at her feet. "I was curious."
"No – no h-harm do-done." He said, smiling down at her, and waving her off. "N-Now off you go." He told her as his eye twitched.
Hermione left the room, but returned seconds later when she realized she had forgotten her school bag.
"Who was it?" Hermione heard a high pitch voice asked, more like hissed.
"A nosy little Mud blood." Quirrell answered clearly, without his usual stutter.
Hermione opened the door just a little to see who Quirrell was speaking too, but the angle she was at didn't allow her the view.
"You fool! She's at the door!" Shouted the voice.
Hearing the voice, Hermione shut the door and tried to make a run for it. But Quirrell caught her by the sleeve and pulled her into the room and violently threw her on the floor, slamming the door shut. He took out his wand.
"Kill her!" screamed the voice, but no one else was in the room and it seemed to be coming from Quirrell himself.
"You're a Death Eater, aren't you?" Hermione asked as she sat on the floor.
Her eyes fell on his wrist for confirmation. He didn't bare the tattoo as Hermione's parents and uncles did, but Quirrell's cold, amusing eyes reminded her very much of her Uncle Barty's whenever they played Hangman.
"Yes, I am." He replied, his wand never wavering from her small form. "Very clever of you Mud bl-"
"Pure-blood." Hermione corrected him. She had to tell him the truth or risk dying.
Quirrell inclined his head and stared at Hermione. She lifted herself off the floor and causally dusted her robes as if she was used to being in the presents of a Death Eater, which she was.
"Pure-blood?" Quirrell repeated. "How are you a pure-blood, Granger?
"My surname is Lestrange." Hermione stated.
"Slippery Lucius." The voice chuckled. "Very sneaky..."
"Master?"
"It's true. She's a Lestrange."
"Lestrange?" Quirrell said as the voice continued to laugh. "I-I didn't know!" he stuttered, quickly putting his wand away. "Your parent!" he exclaimed as he took her hand and shook it. "Wow! A Lestrange!"
Oh, wonderful. A Death Eater, who was a fan of her parents.
"I-I can't believe this! I got to meet a Lestrange!"
Hermione pressed her lips together and studied the professor. He was excited at having met a person of the Lestrange family. Hermione took a step back, since he looked about ready to do cartwheels. I hope he doesn't... She'd raced out of this room in a heartbeat if he does.
"I-I'm sorry about earlier. I-I didn't know!" He said, giving her a toothy smile.
Hermione smiled back to be polite and she didn't want to provoke him. For she knew that if she were to ever meet anyone, anywhere, who's a fan of her parents; he or she was dangerous.
"I should have known - you're so intelligent and -"
"Couldn't have come at a better time." said the voice.
"Yes, master, yes!" Quirrell said excitedly, "She can help us."
Quirrell wanted Hermione to lead Potter to a chamber on the third-floor. Dumbledore was hiding an item on the third-floor and he was planning to get it. She wasn't told what the item was; only that she had to take Potter there. Sighing, Hermione sat on her bed, waiting for Lavender. Earlier, Lavender had signaled to her from across the classroom that she needed to talk to her.
"I saw them - Potter and Weasley - walking to the hut, the Gamekeeper's hut, near the forest, and I followed them." Lavender told her. "They were complaining about Professor Snape at first – I think the Game keeper knows about Professor Snape and Potter's mother and didn't want to tell them. Towards the end, Potter was talking about a piece of parchment he found on the table. Then he said, 'That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might have happened while we were there!' Got any ideas what it means?"
"None yet." Hermione answered honestly. "But I think these things are connected."
"What's connected? What are you talking about?"
"Professor Quirrell is a Death Eater."
"Quirrell is Death Eater? How?"
"I don't know." Hermione shrugged. "But he is. Tried to kill me earlier, when I caught him talking to..."
"He tried to kill you?!"
"Yes. But as soon as he knew my surname..."
"Why? What did he do?" Lavender grabbed Hermione's arms and examined her for injuries.
"He's a fan of my parents."
Lavender released Hermione and stared at her. "HE'S DERANGED!" As soon as she said it, the witch covered her mouth and apologized. She was insulting Hermione's parents in saying what she did.
"He is." Hermione agreed.
Lavender didn't dwell on her slip up. "And then what happened?"
"He wants me to help him and...The Dark Lord...in retrieving an item in the third-floor for him."
"The third-floor? You mean the forbidden corridor there that Professor Dumbledore told us not to go to?"
"Yes. That one." Hermione said, "You should leave this school."
"What?" asked Lavender. She thought she heard her wrong.
"I want you to leave this school."
"NO!"
"You-Know-Who is here. He's in the school, hiding somewhere."
"So?" inquired Lavender, anticipating what Hermione was about to say.
"No one, except us, knows about you. You can leave without suspicion and return to your life." Hermione held up the empty flask and offered it to Lavender to put the memory, of what she just revealed to her, in. This was so that if ever someone tries to see into their mind by using Legilimency he or she could not, because the memories were already taken out.
"NO!" Lavender declared, "LY, LY PLEASE!" she sobbed, hugging her, "I want to stay with you! Please don't make me leave! I'm not leaving you. I can still help you."
"Veralidane." Hermione's eyes soften for a moment before they were cold and emotionless once again, "You can stay, but remember this. Things are more dangerous than they were before. From now on, you must be more cautious than before and don't let anyone find out what you know."
As Hermione made her way to her first flying lesson, she thought of where the darkest wizard who lived was hiding. Where was he when Quirrell was speaking to her? Hermione vividly remembered hearing the high pitched voice coming from Quirrell but that couldn't be. You-Know-Who might be hiding in Quirrell's private quarters.
Pushing the thought away, Hermione turned her attention to Draco. He was excited at the chance to fly and show off his abilities. Currently, he's upset because his father owled him and ordered him to return the broom he had sneaked into Hogwarts, home. Lucius claimed it was because he didn't want Draco to get caught and given detention, but in truth he was punishing Draco for his ill behavior with Potter and the fact that he wasn't able to make him his friend. Hermione felt bad about tattling on Draco, but it was all she could do to distract her uncle from the lack of information on Potter. But, as of now, Hermione could give her uncle non-Potter related information that she was sure he would want to know. The Dark Lord had returned.
"Well, what are you all waiting for?" barked Madam Hooch. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."
Hermione did as she was told and glanced at her fellow schoolmates.
"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"
Lucius Malfoy always complained about Hogwarts' broomsticks, saying that they were used by the ancients and was of poor quality. Hermione could see what he meant, her broomstick rolled over on the ground when she tried to direct it up. Her Uncle Lucius had wanted to purchase a new broom for Hermione to take with her, in case the old brooms cause accidents, but he changed his mind and told her to not use the broomsticks there at all. She was supposed to be a poor Muggle-born, who knew nothing of good quality magical broomsticks.
Lavender gasped as she saw Neville fall face down on the ground. She looked to Hermione who appeared to be in shock. Hermione eyes were opened and staring at Neville's battered form. Lavender was worried. She had never seen that look on Hermione's face before. It was a look of pure terror and disbelief. As soon as the look appeared it disappeared.
"No!" Hermione caught herself before she got lost in her outburst and reveal herself. "Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble."
But no one seemed care what Hermione was saying, except Lavender. Everyone was too distracted by Harry's and Draco's aerial flight to listen to her. Lavender made her way to Hermione and took her hand.
"I'm fine." Hermione whispered to her.
Lavender shook her head. She doesn't believe her. "Was it about your parents?" she guessed.
"Yes," Hermione replied. "I'll tell you about it later." she promised her and signaled for her to return to her spot on the grass as Professor McGonagall ran toward them and took Harry away.
After Professor McGonagall left the Slytherins began wondering out loud about how she would punish Harry. Hermione was far lost into her own thoughts to listen, as did Lavender, who was trying to figure out what Hermione was thinking.
That evening, Hermione and Lavender were inside their dorm room. None of their roommates were present. It gave them privacy and allowed them to speak freely.
"I envisioned them. Neville's parents." said Hermione.
"What happened in the past has nothing to do with you. You are not them."
"I cannot bear to face him..."
"You did nothing wrong." Lavender kept reminding her.
Hermione was silently, forcing herself to forget the image of her parents and uncles, torturing nameless faces out of her mind. Hangman was what Uncle Barty called it. Her father and uncle called it target practice
Hermione took her new violin out of its case and begin drawing the bow across the tightly tuned strings. She concentrated all of her emotions into the musical instrument. She had to let it all out through this method so it wouldn't linger in her mind. This was how she controlled it. If she didn't do this, she would wake up to slash marks on her bed. Or worse, the walls. She didn't know if her uncle and aunt could cover it for her like before. They were trying to hide it from her but she knew. She was aware of the things she had done. It wasn't as if it was intentional. She saw her mother perform the hex so many times and it remained with her. It was embedded in her retinas, in her brain, and it came out when she slept but not anymore. The slash marks were no more or else her uncle wouldn't have sent her to Hogwarts.
Lavender wrapped her blanket around her body. She shuddered as the hair in the back of her neck rose. The feel of cold, icy winds brushed past her spine as the music echoed through the room. She didn't have much knowledge of music, but Lavender could tell that Hermione was channeling her emotions through her violin. It was eerie, frightening, and chilled her to the bone. Hermione constantly focus her mind on other things to force thoughts of her parents away – no normal child could play instruments so well like Hermione could. Lavender wished she could help Hermione in this predicament of hers. She thought their stay in Hogwarts was going to be temporarily. Things have become complicated by the appearance of the darkest wizard who ever lived.
"I have to find a way to make Potter go to the third floor." Hermione said as she neatly placed the instrument back in its case.
Lavender knew that Hermione was powerful witch, but she never imagine her having such magic. Just by playing her violin, Hermione was able to decrease the temperature in the room. Lavender could see her breath in the air and the room was blanket in a thin line of frost.
"Y - Y - Yes," squealed Lavender, trying desperately to rub some warmth back in her arms.
At first, Hermione couldn't think of any way to make Harry go to the third-floor, but as dinner approached she was met by an out of breath Lavender in the middle of the corridor. She had some very interesting bit of information to tell Hermione.
"Potter…is…a…Seeker." Lavender said, trying to catch her breath, "I... just... heard..."
"Draco will be jealous when he hears this." Hermione said the first thought she had at this news, and then, a sudden idea popped in her head. She took out her quill and a piece of parchment and began drafting her letter to Draco.
"What are you doing?" asked Lavender.
"I found a way for Potter to go to the third-floor." Hermione said as she moved aside for Lavender to see what she was writing.
Dear Draco,
Hello my dear little cousin. I hope you are well in your new school.
Tell me, how are you enjoying that Comet Two Sixty – your trophy - uncle purchased for you?
I am quite enjoying my new Moontrimmer – my trophy. It does fly higher than any one on the Quidditch team here, as promised.
Auntie Cissy wouldn't let me join the dueling club that just opened. She fears the wizards here would accidently injure me. How unreasonably unfair of her to love me so much!
I'm very distressed that I have nothing to do but sit around and polish my Moontrimmer, my trophy, and fly it around the castle.
Love you always, my future husband
Lavender giggled as she read the last line. "He's going to have a fit for sure."
"That's what I'm hoping for." Hermione said as she folded the parchment.
Every sentence in her letter was meant to provoke Draco in one way or another. The first line was an obvious indication. Draco hates it when she calls him little, just because he was a hair shorter than her. She reminded him of how scared he was of going to Hogwarts, and his Comet Two Sixty, which was recently taken away from him, was sure to put him in a bad mood. And she made certain to rub in the fact that she was enjoying her new broom and how much his mother cared for her. She wrote of a made up dueling club to plant the idea in his head to challenge someone to a duel. She also used the word trophy multiple times to make him think of the trophy room, which is on the third-floor.
Draco had never disappointed Hermione. Draco argued with Potter and challenged him to a duel in the third-floor. An appointment, he wouldn't keep because he was going to bait Potter into getting detention. She and Lavender watched as everything went according to plan. Now, all that's left was for her to make sure Harry goes to his appointment.
"Excuse me." Hermione said, getting Harry and Ron's attention.
"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron, but Hermione ignored him, focusing her attention on Harry.
"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying -"
"Bet you couldn't," Ron muttered.
"- and you mustn't go wondering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's selfish of you." Hermione said in the bossiest and whining tone she could muster.
The boys rudely departed and left her at the table. Hermione's eyes light up at the determined look on their faces. If Draco ever taught her one thing; it was that the more you try to stop a boy from doing something, the more he'll want to do it. She was going to have to go with them to know for sure.
"A three-headed dog?" Lavender gasped.
Hermione nodded.
"So that's why it was forbidden."
"The dog is kept to guard something." Hermione said, bring out a cut off article of the Daily Prophet from her bag, "I believe it has something to do with this."
Lavender took the parchment and read the article. "The break-in in Gringotts!"
"Nothing was missing because the vault was emptied right before the robbery. I believe the item was placed in Hogwarts and it is what the dog is guarding. This is what he wants."
"I don't understand. Why would the greatest dark wizard," Lavender quoted from most of the articles she had read about him, "can't get the item himself? Why does he need Potter?"
"I think Potter is meant to be back up. In case he can't get the item, he uses Potter as a hostage and threatens Professor Dumbledore to give it to him or he kills him." Hermione finished nonchalantly.
Lavender would have been unsettled by this, if she wasn't so use to Hermione's nonchalant tone, when speaking of unusual subjects.
"By the way, I received a reply from Draco." Hermione said, giving Lavender the parchment.
Dear Evil cousin,
Why are you owling me?
Stop it.
D
Lavender laughed at Draco's words. "I bet it took him all night to come up with this!"
"Probably." Hermione shrugged, "Think I should reply?"
"Please do!" Lavender loved how easily Hermione could rattle Draco up.
Hermione took out a quill and began composing her reply.
Dear Draco,
Do you really want me to start calling you that? D?
If that's what you want, from this day forward I shall call you Little D, or do you prefer Big D?
Reply soon,
PS: I prefer Supreme Evil cousin, if you'll please.
Minutes after Hermione owled her letter, she received Draco's reply.
Dear Supreme Evil cousin,
I HATE YOU!
Don't reply,
PS: Call me Draco.
Hermione and Lavender held their sides as they laughed.
"End of lesson, class dismiss." announced McGonagall, waving the students out.
Hermione waited until she saw the last person leave before she approached her professor's desk.
"Granger?" said McGonagall, looking up from her paperwork.
"Professor..." Hermione hesitated, "Is it all right if I..."
"Speak up, I can barely understand you." McGonagall said, gazing at Hermione over her glasses.
Hermione flushed and stuttered her words, "May-may I sp-speak to you about...about what had - has re-recently happened -"
"Yes, out with it. What is it that has happened to you?"
Hermione took a deep breath and asked, "Professor, I have some questions I would like to ask you, may I?"
"Yes." McGonagall answered her, "Lessons or homework?"
"Neither...I have questions of a...a feminine nature." Hermione murmured.
McGonagall stared at Hermione for several minutes before she began blinking again after she understood her meaning. She looked at the timid young witch and said, "I..." she coughed, "I think Madam Pomfrey - you should see Madam Pomfrey for those - um - questions of yours. She can explain them better than I."
"But professor...I want to ask you...I've come so...so far from home...my mother...I want to ask her...but she isn't here - if only she were here. I can ask her but she's not - I don't want to ask her over an owl - I – you're the closet thing that I have to one." Hermione finished slyly.
McGonagall soften at Hermione's words. She took out piece of parchment. "Would you like to speak with your mother in person, dear?"
"May I?"
"Of course you may." McGonagall said, signing the parchment and handing it to her.
Hermione thanked her professor before she left the classroom. With the permission from her Head of House, Hermione could arrange a meeting with her Uncle Lucius.
Sitting across from his desk, Hermione studied her uncle's impassive face after she had revealed to him that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was not dead, and was hiding out in Hogwarts.
"He's back?" asked Lucius.
"Yes," Hermione answered. "I didn't see him in person, but I heard his voice."
"How did you meet him again? Are you certain it was him?"
"I didn't meet him in person, but I heard his voice." Hermione repeated, "He was in the room with me, yet I couldn't see him… And he knew about you."
Lucius flinched at this knowledge.
"He knew, before I even said anything. Also, he wants me to help him retrieve an item."
"An item? What is it?"
"He has not given me anymore information."
"Do as he says." Lucius ordered her, without showing a hint of worry for her wellbeing, "I am confident, he shall inform you of all the information you need, soon enough."
Notes:
Quirrell and garlic, honestly it took me the second time reading it to figure that out. And let's not forget about Harry's dream about the talking turban telling him, he's better off in Slytherin. I think Voldemort was doing things to him, or their connection was manifesting, or subconsciously the – sorry spoiler – Voldemort's soul that's in Harry's scar was subconsciously trying to communicate with Harry but it came to Harry as a turban, because subconsciously Harry knew something was not right with Quirrell and his turban. But Snape's attitude towards him threw him off. That's what I think.