Man of the House
JaneFumm
Chapter Two - Of Old Books
"And this is where Misses Wealsey, Granger and Lovegood well be staying." Snape growled at the group of six teens as they walked down the dark hallways on the second floor. The boys, having already been shown their living quarters, backed away from the girls and their room and started to walk down the hall to their own room. However, Snape had other ideas. "Where are you three going?"
"Ah, er, nowhere." Neville squeaked, gripping Trevor a little to hard.
"Thought so. Now stay right there, I'm about to go over the rules. I hope your small brains can handle such information. Do not go anywhere were I've not previously stated is appropriate. Do not leave this house. Do not make to much noise. And do not bother me while I'm experimenting." Smirking at Hermione he said, "I do happen to have a large library which you may use for school work only."
Hermione, who had looked so happy at the mention of books, now looked crestfallen. She only had so much homework.
"Now you may leave." Snape growled with a glare at six of his least favorite people. They didn't need to be told twice.
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"Harry, how are you feeling?" Hermione asked quietly as the other boys busily arranged their things.
"Fine." Harry said, putting down his small stack of shirts. He looked quizzically at the shorter girl. "Why?"
"It's just, with Sirius' death and the prophecy and everything, I was... well, Harry, I'm a bit worried about you, is all." She blurted out quickly, biting her lip.
She braced herself for Harry's raised voice. But was a bit shocked to hear laughter.
"No, really, I'm fine. Well, no, I'm not. But I will be." Harry said patting his friend on the shoulder. "Thanks though, Hermione."
"All right then." Hermione looked deep into his face, searching for the truth and found it had been given to her. "All right, well, I'm going to go finish unpacking."
Hermione hurried off down the hall to see if Luna was still okay. Hermione didn't trust Ginny to really notice if her friend had a break down or not. Ginny really wasn't that observant.
A lot like Ron, really, Hermione thought to herself.
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Neville sighed as he paced the boys room. He had protested coming here with the most passion. Snape hated him and he preferred a starved hippogriff to the greasy man.
But now he had to live in the same house. Eat his food. Bathe in the same shower. Neville shuddered.
The chubby boy sat down on his bed and scanned his new room. He noticed Ron and Harry must have gone downstairs to eat, and that Harry had left his trunk wide open.
Thinking about Harry made Neville think about what he'd recently told Neville and his other four friends about Voldemort and himself.
Kill or be killed.
Neville shuddered again.
Time to do Homework. He decided, to keep his mind off unpleasant things.
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An hour later Neville was about to scream. How could he not know? How? He was the Herbology king! The freaking king! Not that he would openly admit to something so egotistical. He often gave off a false sense of modesty.
But he couldn't figure out what plant was a cross between a lilac and a mandrake.
He had to ask Hermione. Surely she would know.
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Hermione looked up from her homework when the door to the girls room opened.
"Yes?" She asked as soon as Neville hurried in.
"Hermione, what plant is a cross between a mandrake and a lilac?" He asked, voice full of worry.
Hermione set down her quill and thought. When no answer came to her she began to worry as well.
"I don't know Neville." She said sadly. Then she smiled. "We could find out though."
The bushy haired girl set out down the hall, Neville following closely behind. They stopped outside a door Neville remembered having seen on the 'grand' tour of Snape's ugly house. It was the library.
"In you get." Hermione said, pulling the taller boy in with her.
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"Find anything yet, Neville?" Hermione asked, poking her head up from behind a tower of books. Neville, coughing from the dust coming off his book, shuck his head 'no'. Hermione sent him a worried glance, but ducked her head back down and continued to read.
A few moments later Neville yelped when a thick, lather bound book fell on his foot as he tried to take 'Herbology; A Novice Guide' off the shelf.
"Neville, are you all right?" Hermione asked, actually walking out from behind her stack of books.
The irritated boy bent down and picked up the offending text. Out of sheer curiously he flipped the book open to the dead middle. Neville scanned the page as Hermione went back to the fort of books.
A minute later Neville was showing the old book to his friend.
"Hermione, look at this! It's a way to become twins with someone!" Neville said in a joyous voice. Hermione looked at the taller boy as if he'd lost a head.
"Why, Neville, is this of any use?" She asked, folding her hands under her chin.
"Because, it means they share power."
"So?"
"So, we could help Harry!"
A/N: Ah, the start of more plotyness! And a cliffy! Well, kinda... Anyway, hope you like it! Review! I'll have a new chapter by next Sunday!