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Chapter 3

Harmonica

Hermione awoke with a start as she heard chattering and loud noises coming from the Common Room. She groaned, and kicked the blankets off of her. Grabbing her wand, she opened her door angrily and stormed down the stairs. Coming into view she saw Pansy and Draco laughing at a retarded Crabbe and Goyle. They were walking around like zombies, knocking into each-other with their hands straight forward and there head parallel. Hermione let out a bit of a laugh, but quickly catched herself.

She walked over to Malfoy and tapped him on the shouldar. He turned around with a huge smile that changed into disgust once he saw who touched him. He motioned for Pansy to shut up and she did. It was really quite astonishing to see how dumb some girls can get.

"I guess blondes aren't always the bimbos". Hermione thought. She then caught Malfoys eye and gave him a questionable glare.

"Who the hell do you think you are making all this goddamn racket?" Hermione said, arms folded over. A certain mysterious confidence exploding in her which was very rare seen as she was face to face with a man who can often make her feel like she's the lowest form of nothing that has ever walked the earth. But, somehow, after what she had endured over the summer. She knew that she could handle whatever he threw at her. She mentally prepared herself to hear a cloud of verbal retailation. The normal "Mudblood" or "Potty's Biatch".

The kind of insults only Malfoy could get away with, cause if any one else said it. It would just sound silly. But, Malfoy had a way with people, he could manipulate them into doing whatever he wanted them too do. She saw Malfoy look her up and down then break into a smirk.

"Sorry, Granger. We were being inconciderate. We will try to keep the noise down for you." Malfoy nodded, satisfied with his response and tried his best not to laugh outloud. The expression on Hermione's face was priceless. It was a mix of shock and disappointment. It was natural to think Malfoy had gone crazy, saying something like that. Actually, apologising, for his behaviour. On the other hand the disappiontment really bugged her, she had worked herself up for a full out blow and Malfoy was just sitting there smiling at Pansy and laughing at Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione was furious, she wanted to kick some ass. As Malfoy turned around too her and raised his eyebrows, she pulled her head to the side a bit.

"Are you on drugs, Malfoy? You been drinking the kool aid" Hermione said, she tried to say something nasty or intelligent but she couldn't think of anything. She was so confused. Malfoy was suppose to be making her life a living hell. Annoying her at every opportunity and here stands a perfect opportunity to push her buttons but he isn't doing anything. Just apologising for his 'inconciderate behaviour'. Why couldn't he apologise for tormenting her over the years. She remembered him last night, he wasn't being nice at all. He was being, well, he was kinda being nice. Didn't put much effort into insulting them. He could have said a million things about Harry and Ron with them in that state. But, he didn't. All he did was talk about sex.

That reminded her, she needs to find out what happened between Harry and Ron. Without waiting for an answer she rushed upstairs and bolted into her room. Grabbing her bookbag, throwing everything out of it onto her bed, she opened her trunk and pulled out her Potions book, Arithmency, Care for Magical Creatures etc etc. She jumped into the shower, washing her hair and face, she turned off the water and threw on clean robes, she did her hair then grabbed her bag and just when she was about to leave she spotted the letter. She had no time to read it and threw it in her bag. Racing down the stairs, she flew right into someone and fell on top of them. As she opened her eyes, she was staring at none other than...Crabbe. She jumped up and brushed herself off. Malfoy and Pansy were laughing their heads off and Goyle was helping Crabbe up.

"Watch where your going, Mudblood" Goyle growled, Hermione didn't care what he said and walked past him. She then turned around and pushed him onto the floor on top of Crabbe. Pansy and Malfoy squealed with laughter, they fell off there chairs and onto the floor. Hermione laughed as well and made her way out into the corridor. Strolling down the hall on the way to Gryffindor Common Room, Hermione passed a number of first year students who cowered when they saw her, but as she smiled they relaxed and said, 'Good Morning'. She finally made it to the Gryffindor tower and said the password. "Accio Rependo".

The fat lady opened the door for her, and Hermione walked in. No-one was awake yet so she decided to sit down on the chair and wait for someone to come out. Opening her book bag, she pulled out her Potions book and begun to glide through it. She had read it a million times over summer but was just having another quick look. When she was finished, she put it back in and was just about to close her bag when the letter she recieved last night came into view. She looked around, seeing noone was in there yet. She decided to read it.

"Hmmm...Wonder who it is from." She said, to noone in particular. She dropped her bag on the couch and picked up the letter and ripped it open. Pulling out a simple bit of parchment she untangled it and begun to read.

Hermione Granger,

I will not detail my real identity in this letter. You will know me as Harmonica. I want you to understand, first of, I mean you no harm. I am here to warn you. For dark times lay ahead. For you and your friends. Someone is planning some evil things and they are already at work acheiving them. Someone who you do not associate with is trying to befriend you in an emerciful way. He is trying to get you to feel comfortable around him. So, that he can somehow learn more about the boy who lived. Harry Potter. I know what you may be thinking. Why am I telling you this?. Well, it's because I too care for young Mr Potter. He's safety means alot too me. I am watching him very closely and I am observing his actions and surroundings. I will continue to update with you my process, as too will you. My owl will be at your window every Thursday night. With a new letter. If you please. I know how your mind works Miss Granger and I know that after this letter you will be doing a lot of detective work to find the culprit. I can not tell you who it is. You must find out on your own. This is not a test. This is so you can make your own mind up about this person. So that you can understand the reasons and hopefully do whatever you can to stop this person from harming Harry. I will in the near future let you know who I am exactly. But, for now, keep your eyes open. Don't make new friendships and keep the old one's intact. It is your choice of whether you want to inform Mr Potter or Mr Weasley of this letter and/or of the evil that someone, who will remain annoymous, is planning. That is all I will leave you with. If you have any questions, please write them down and my owl will mail them too me when she returns to your room next Thursday.

Take care, and stay alert.

Harmonica.

Hermione's eyes widened throughout the whole letter. She read it and re-read about six times before she jumped up and ran up the Marble staircase that led to the girls dormitories. Banging on the prefect door. Where Ginny shared a room with Lavender. She heard cursing and then someone opened the door quite suddenly. Ginny stood there with sleep in her eyes and staring at Hermione with utter rage.

"Hermione. You said you were getting up early, but this early." Ginny groaned, leaning on the door. Hermione shoved her inside and shut the door. She pushed her on the bed and with no words she handed her the letter. Ginny read it then re-read it three times. She looked at Hermione and then back at the letter.

"Do you know who sent it?" Ginny asked, now wide awake and staring at the letter in utter shock. Hermione shook her head and sat next to Ginny.

"I have absolutely no idea. I wanted to show you before I even thought of showing Harry or Ron. What are we going to do?. Harry is already stressed enough thinking about how you-know-you will get to him. Should we tell him about this?" Hermione asked, taking the letter from her and folding it back up into her book bag.

"Who knows, Hermione. Maybe we should do some research before we decide to tell Harry. We should make a list of people who are treating you differently. But, it's only the second day of school who could be treating you differently?" Ginny asked, with confusion. Hermione's eyes widened and she remembered this morning. Malfoy. Malfoy was changing. He was being nicer, he wasn't annoying her as much as he did. He had completely changed. It made perfect sense. But, how could it be this easy.

"Ginny. Malfoy has been acting very different towards me. This morning he was in the Common Room with Pansy and his goons They were making a whole heap of noise and when I confronted him about it, he apologised and said he'd keep it down. That's not like Malfoy at all, is it?" Hermione said, raising her eyebrows at Ginny. Ginny nodded and thought about it for a minute. It did make sense.

"Well now we have a suspect, what are we going too do about it?" Ginny asked, standing up and walking over to her dressing table.

Hermione thought about it for a minute. It was all so sudden. What could she do, confront Malfoy. Tell him she knows his little plan and he won't get away with it. Should she go straight to Dumbledore and see if he knows anything about it. Or should she just tell Harry and let the Trio deal with it togeather. For the first time in a long time she didn't know what to do. Then it hit her. It was perfect. It was sheer brilliance.

"I've got it Ginny. I will play along with it." Hermione said, smiling broadly and waving her hands as she discussed her plan with Ginny. Ginnys confused stare broke into a mischievious grin and she laughed.

"That is brillaint. After you have done that can we tell Harry and Ron?" Hermione nodded and jumped up and down. She had a lot of planning too do and any ounch of worry was gone once she formulated just how she would go about exposing Malfoy to the whole world. She would play along with him and make him believe she is falling for it then BAM. He won't know what hit him.

He'd be so shocked that the expression on his fce would overtake his smirk as his trademark. Malfoy was going down.

Malfoy was going to get it.

And, boy, will he get it good.

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