Do my eyes deceive me?
311 hits but no reviews?
hmmm...
A major character is introduced in this chapter. Judge him as you will, he will play a controversial character later on.
He's just about the only thing I own, so far.
Hermione snuck into her seat next to Harry just as the Headmaster cleared his throat. The simple gesture caused silence in the entire Great Hall, except for a few disrespectful Slytherin seventh years, who were immediately reprimanded by a gaze from Dumbledore.
"Attention, students. I do not mean to interrupt the most important meal of the day, as this will start off your classes, but we have an announcement."
When he finished this, he gestured to Minerva, who was standing near the Great Hall entrance. She promptly went behind the doors and, after a moment, strode back into the Hall with a tall, rather handsome boy behind her that had longish brown curly hair.
Not that Hermione noticed the 'handsome' part.
Hermione blushed and remained attentive.
But she noticed that some other girls, with less tact, happily sighed and giggled to each other.
He seemed to hear them, and smile charmingly at them, but still looked nervous. The latter caused even more lusting than his appearance, ridiculously enough.
His eyes scanned the Gryffindor table, at which many girls smiled or waved. At one point he stopped, even stopped walking, as something caught his eyes.
Hermione slighted her eyes and saw that he had caught vision of Ginny, who was blushing gently and waved quickly at him to keep walking.
He grinned, slowly, and jogged to catch back up with McGonagoll.
Hermione turned to her friend, who kept her gaze on her hands in her lap, but a smile on her face just the same, as many surrounding girls gave either jealous glares or nudges and winks.
She looked up and caught Hermione's gaze, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Ginny was naturally attractive, more so than physically. Boys and girls alike were drawn to her, interested in her, intrigued by her. After a summer away from her closest female friend, Hermione noticed Ginny's natural appearance more than ever, and was voluntarily unaware of the fact that Ginny may be becoming a woman.
"We have yet another eager young mind to add to our ever growing community. I hope that, whatever house he is sorted upon, you will treat him with as much courtesy as can be summoned. And, as soon as he is sorted, you may return to your feast." Dumbledore finished with a twinkle in his eyes.
There was a minor burst of whispering until McGonagoll revealed the stoic Sorting Hat.
"ORCANIL, MAXMILLION!" startled, the young man was promptly told what to do by McGonagoll and he sat upon the tiny stool, looking rather ridiculous, as he was pretty tall.
There were a few snickers from the boys, either for his uncomfortable figure or for his ludicrous name- but he seemed to be laughing good-naturedly at himself, so it wasn't considered malicious.
After several minutes, there was still silence… ten minutes went by…
Whispering had already broken out upon the students.
Fifteen minutes…
The teachers themselves were whispering, but Dumbledore looked placid…
Twenty minutes had passed and McGonagoll whispered something into the Headmaster's ear, who shook his head and continued to watch the young pupil.
Max himself wasn't fairing too well.
At first, he had looked very nervous and sweaty…
By now he was starting to look bored… It also looked like he seriously needed to use the restroom.
Finally, when it had been an entire half hour, Dumbledore called the students to attention.
"Breakfast is dismissed. Please attend your classes, and remember to be-"
What the heck? What's going on?
But McGonagoll had rushed over to her, and whispered that the two Heads should meet her in her office, then rushed off to Malfoy, who looked rather bored with the entire procession.
Hermione turned to her two friends, who were waiting for her a few feet away from the table.
She explained that she would see them later so she could show them around her new dorms, then gave them hugs.
The fact that Ron held the hug for too long did not go unnoticed by Hermione nor Harry.
Hermione walked away feeling uncomfortable.
Ugh… lingering hugs are the worst…
-
As Hermione waited patiently across from a scowling Malfoy in McGonagoll's office, she was startled when the door finally opened and in walked the man who was the topic on everyone's mind that day.
He looked a little lost. "The old lady with the dick up her ass told me to wait in here."
Hermione instantly frowned. Draco laughed. Hermione frowned harder. The young man was taken aback by Hermione's glare and, at this, Draco laughed harder.
"Perfect, just bloody perfect… like we need another asshole…"
"Oh shut up, Muddy." Draco held his hand out to the clueless boy and smirked. "Draco Malfoy."
"Max. Call me Zeus." 'Zeus' shook his hand but frowned. "And I don't think you should be talking to a lady like that."
Draco laughed once, bark-like. "Look who's talking!"
"Perhaps, but that woman emanates a stern, 'I'm evil' aura. This miss here seems to be charming, if a bit stern." He glanced at Hermione and suddenly apologized. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? I apologize for speaking poorly in your presence and, well… for speaking poorly of another. Do forgive me and tell me your name."
Hermione, despite his previous words, found herself blushing slightly. She straightened instantly. "It's quite forgivable. As a new student, I'm sure you're unaware who we all are. The… 'old lady' is professor McGonagoll, professor of transfiguration, and we are Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, your Head Boy and Girl, respectively." Hermione, at last, held out her hand.
Zeus smirked. He bent on one knee to kiss her hand. "An honor, oh eloquently linguistic one."
Malfoy sneered at their behavior but faced their new companion. "Speaking of new students, what the heck was going on back there?"
Zeus shrugged and plopped into a chair. "I'll be cursed if I know. I'm supposed to be in a new House, or whatever they call it, and the rotten hat didn't say one word to me."
Hermione paused. "Don't they have houses where you come from? ...and where do you come from?"
Zeus smirked. "I highly doubt you've ever heard of it," Draco snorted and whispered something along the lines of 'know-it-all bookworm probably would', "but it's in Scotland, goes by the name of Hiemland's Academy. We don't have enough students to be separated like that."
Hermione straightened, doing her best to remind herself that she should be setting an excellent example for a new pupil, "Well then as Head Girl I properly welcome you to Hog-"
But she instantly stopped and the three of then turned their heads to the doorway, where voices could be heard.
"…preposterous, he's only 17!"
Another, rougher sounding voice answered the shrill call. "I will be the judge of that, Minerva. If any Dark Magic occurs here-"
"Which there hadn't!"
"-then I shall be the judge of the culprit. That was a powerful magical object and, much like the Goblet of Fire three years ago, it would take a powerful dark wizard to confuddle it."
"Exactly! So how can you hope to interrogate a seventeen year old boy that grew up in the middle of nowhere?"
"The same start as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!"
"That's absolutely ridiculous! Voldemort himself couldn't have overpowered that hat without some work, at least, I don't know, a wand at hand?!"
"Minerva, back away from the doorway. This is one of my many trips to this institution, and it is not the first that I have been held away from 'innocent' pupils. You cannot hide what goes on this school."
After a moment of hesitation and some curious looks between them (well, between Hermione and Zeus and between the latter and Draco) the door finally opened to reveal a disgruntled looking Cornelius Fudge.
Minerva McGonagoll followed his stroll into the office, although her stroll was more akin to storming, and Fudge plucked his thumbs from his suspender-straps and instead removed his bowling hat, which he presently fingered in his hand.
Hermione decided to act professional in the moment of silence.
"Good morning, Minister."
"Yes, yes, bloody perfect…" Fudge muttered and Hermione looked a little insulted. Fudge turned to Max, opening and closing his mouth several times before deciding what to say.
"Young man, I'll have you know-"
"That this is the last time that you will ever hope to incriminate a student while he is under my care, Cornelius," Dumbledore finished for him from the doorway.
Fudge took a deep, tired breath and didn't open his cringed eyes, nor did he turn to him. "With all due respects, Headmaster, I have any right to interrogate the student as much as I may damn well please. I did not apparate into the middle of the forest and run all the way here so that you could tell me that this isn't my business! Any suspiciously dark magic should be notified to me immediately-"
"Which, somehow it was… mind explaining that one to us, Cornelius?"
"Minerva, calm down. If the Minister would like to visit to check up on affairs, then he should ask beforehand and schedule an appointment-"
"An appointment?! This school is under my jurisdiction! I have every right to visit whenever I want! What have you got to hide?"
Dumbledore replied calmly, "Nothing, I would never dream of hiding anything from you, Minister. As I have stated before, we are on the same side-"
"How can I be so sure! I-"
"Minister! How dare you?!"
"Control yourself, professor! I'm not touching upon any idea that your Headmaster here is conspiring on the other side, but he cannot be entirely sure of his students!"
There was a stiff, uncomfortable silence in the room.
Fudge sighed. Oddly, Hermione noticed that he glanced at Malfoy, briefly. "You know just as well as I do that many Death Eaters started in their teen years, and, although I myself cannot walk, student to student, and check their arms, we all know that there is a small population of your students that do have that blasted mark."
Dumbledore breathed in, and also sent a glance towards Malfoy. Not Zeus, Malfoy…Could he really have given it up already? Hermione felt fear and, momentarily, loss, for the most truly disturbing thing about her scholastic counterpart was that he was just as prosperous as she, if not more, when it came to raw potential. "I will say one thing, Minister, and then I will ask you to leave this office. Despite any students here that have the misfortune of owing to that mark, this school is not a conspiring institute for them! Although they may not entirely wish it upon themselves, students are here to learn! What they do away from their studies, though I would wish to help steer them from dangerous and disturbing associations such as of the ones you speak, is nothing that I can control. It is not something I have power over. It is nothing that I force upon them. This is a free institute, and whatever their beliefs are, when they are here they are here to learn…I had approached this young student weeks ago, and he seemed keen to learn. Therefore, whatever his pretenses are, that is what we shall give him. The notion that the situation back there was an act of dark magic is inconceivable. We shall work around it, so as to enlighten his experience here… Now, minister, if you would kindly leave this office, and don't ever come back to touch upon this subject, especially if you are hoping to confront a student while I am not present… if you feel the need to continue this ridiculous idea, I will meet you in my office in just a few minutes."
Fudge twirled his hat once, sent a final glance towards the students, each receiving a unique emotion, "In your office, then," placed the hat upon his head, and walked firmly out of the office.
"Headmaster…"
"Not now, Minerva. We have other subjects to press upon."
Dumbledore turned to the flabbergasted students, and, as if seeing them for the first time, clasped his hands together and began to speak.
"Now, as for the matter of young Mr. Orcanil's orientation. While, at the moment, we are unable to present him with a house, we have come to the sudden conclusion that he shall take residence with yourselves, if only temporarily. He will take classes with you, and I'm sure the both of you have noticed your identical schedules." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, if only for a glance, when the two students made the same face of disgust. "You will eat together, at your own table in the Great Hall, as prepared for Heads of recent years. In a way, you will be your own house. When you have your Head duties, he is not required to participate, but it would be appreciated. Considering your background, perhaps you could bring some new, cultured ideas for our many extracurricular shin-digs this year. Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger, your task is to display companionship to Mr. Orcanil. Show him the community that is our institution, and display to the rest of the institution that it does not matter your previous preferences, you are able to work together. Any conflicts will be resolved amongst yourselves, but should you travel to a level that is out of your control, you can always, always come to my office… please, I know you will do your best to show him a good home. For now I want you to-Ms. Granger please do not be so rude as to check your pocketwatch again, I know as well as you do that it is the first day of classes. You two may feel free, should I hint ever so bluntly, to give Mr. Orcanil a tour of our castle, though try not to do so in the later hours, hmm? If this should work out between the three of you, then this should stay a permanent situation… Now, if you will excuse me, I must travel to my own quarters to confront a rather disgruntled Minister of Magic… Well, I forgot to tell him the password, didn't I?" Dumbledore chuckled. "If you are in the need of my assistance, the password is 'twizzler.'" That being said, Dumbledore pulled one of these candies out of midair and walked out of the office.
Minerva looked absolutely shocked at what had just occurred.
"Well… you should best be along to your classes, I do believe you three now have History of Magic to begin your mornings, correct? Mr. Orcanil I will bring you a copy of your schedule tomorrow morning, but until then I'm sure your two examples" McGonagoll looked pointedly to Hermionem whose spine straightened upon eye contact, "will be happy to share with you… I must be off, run along now."
As the three left the office and traveled along the hallway to Professor Binn's classroom, Zeus inbetween the two adversaries, Hermione felt drawn into herself, absorbed into her thoughts-about whether or not Malfoy would hide his true colors, whether or not she should confront him, how it was going to be possible to parent the child Dumbledore left in their care.