Chapter 2: The start of Classes
After Hermione woke early and got ready for the day, she decided to write to her parents. When it was seven all the other girls were starting to wake up so she left to wait in the common room for Harry, Ron and Ginny. She pulled out her book to keep herself occupied and just as she was about to turn the page, she felt a tap on her shoulder so she turned around to see who it was; Harry, Ron and Ginny were standing behind her.
"Hermione, what classes do we have after breakfast?" asked Ron as they were walking to the Great Hall.
"We have Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration, if that helps," Hermione replied as they walked into the large room.
They didn't seem to notice that Snape was watching them but when Hermione looked up, she locked eyes with Snape. When Hermione finely looked down, she felt a little weird because her friends were now looking at her.
"Hermione, are you OK?" asked Harry as he looked up at the Head Table.
"I'm fine Harry," Hermione replied as she looked at Harry.
As she was filling her plate with breakfast food, she felt eyes on her but she ignored it and just sat down. Hermione put her attentions to eating and reading the last of her current book. As breakfast was coming to an end she closed her book, grabbed her stuff and headed off to her first class of the day. She turned a corner and ran in to something. Just when she managed to gather all of her things up off the floor, her eyes flicked up to find herself face-to-face with Professor Snape.
"I'm sorry for running into you professor," Hermione said as she continues to stare up at him.
"It is fine, just watch where you're going next time Miss. Granger," he stated as he looked into Hermione's eyes.
"Professor, can I ask you something?" asked Hermione as she pulled herself up from the floor before averting her graze from the Professor's.
"Yes what is it?" asked Snape as he backed up away from Hermione.
"Why were you watching me in the great hall?" she asked having walked closer to him.
"I will explain in time, Miss Granger. Now if you do not mind, I have to go get ready for class," Snape told her before he walked off to the dungeons. Hermione couldn't help but watch him walk away and just as Hermione finally made it to her first class, she realized that she was late.
She walked to her seat when Harry handed her a note, thank goodness that Professor Flitwick put them together.
"Miss Granger, nice of you to finally show up," said Professor Flitwick as he walked over to Hermione.
"Sorry I was in the library and lost track of time," answered Hermione as she sat down in her seat.
"I will let it slide this time Miss. Granger but, next time there will be a detention. Am I clear?" said Professor Flitwick.
"Yes Professor Flitwick," responded Hermione dutifully as she pulled out her Charms textbook for class.
Fifteen minutes later, the class was let out. As the Golden Trio was making their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry said, "Hermione you never wrote back."
"I haven't read the note yet Harry," answered Hermione as she kept walking.
"I suppose not," Harry replied as they continued making their way to their next class.
When they walked into the classroom, Professor Lupin was getting set up for the lesson.
"Welcome everyone. So, today's lesson is with a Boggart" said Professor Lupin as he was walking to the front of the class. "Can anyone tell me what a Boggart is?"
Hermione raised her hand to answer.
"Yes Miss Granger?"
"Well, a Boggart is a shape shifter it will take the form of whatever you fear the most," replied Hermione as she looked around at the other students.
"That is correct Miss Granger twenty points to Gryffindor," Professor Lupin said before turning to the class, "Now who wants to go first?" The whole class raised their hands. "How about you go first Miss Granger? Do you remember the spell to change it?" asked Professor Lupin as he motioned to her.
"Sure, I will go first and yes I remember the spell. It is 'Riddikulus,'" said Hermione as she walked up to the front of the class.
"Good, now what are you going to do?" asked Professor Lupin.
"I'm not going to say or else it won't be funny at all."
The door started to open and out stepped Draco Malfoy. The real one was not happy at all, especially when she did the spell and he turned in to a girl when the spell was done the whole class was laughing and Draco was so embarrassed that he ran out of the class. Hermione saw him run out and ran after him to apologize, when she found him he was crying.
"What do you want?" asked Draco in a miserable voice when he looked over at Hermione.
"I came to talk to you," Hermione answered as she sat down next to Draco.
"Why did you do that to me?" asked Draco as he sat there trying to understand why Hermione feared him of all people and then had to humiliate him in front of their year.
"Draco I'm sorry it's just that you have bulled me since first year. That's why," said Hermione as she went to stand up.
"Thank you for coming and talking to me, for telling me the truth," Draco told her as he got up to walk back to class, Hermione beside him. When she walked back into room, she saw that it was Ron's turn to face the Boggart. All of a sudden the Boggart turned into a spider. Ron was trying so hard to concentrate on saying the spell and trying not to pay attention to the spider in front of him. Then when he finally cast the spell, the spider went rollerblading.
That's when Professor Lupin dismissed the class for the day. "Hey Hermione, what do we have next?" asked Ron as they were walking out of classroom and into the now busy hallway.
"We have Transfigurations next," Hermione replied and then stopped to look at them, "Where are your class lists at?"
"I forgot to grab mine this morning," Ron answered as he started continued walking to class with Hermione and Harry following him.
As Hermione walked to Transfigurations she was thinking about how this year is going to be different. Just as they were walking into class, they saw that Professor McGonagall was getting the class ready by putting glasses on their tables. When both houses got to their seats, she started telling us what we are doing today.
"You are to re-transfigure the glass and turn it in something else," said McGonagall as she walked to the front of the class to start the lesson.
A few minutes into class and Hermione was the first to get her assignment done; by the time there was only 10 minutes left of class only eight people had accomplished that day's work.
"Okay, for homework I want three rolls of parchment on how you change things and it is due tomorrow," Professor McGonagall said as she dismissed the class for the day.
As Hermione was getting up to leave the classroom, Ron started complaining about how we already have homework on the first day.
"Hey Hermione, what class do we have next?" asked Harry as they were walking up to Gryffindor Tower, where they were dropping their books off from that morning's classes and to grab the ones need for after lunch.
"We have lunch now and then we have double Potions," Hermione answered as she walked up to the girls dormitory to grab her Potion textbook for class. When she went back down to the common room, Harry and Ron were not there.
As she walked down to the Great Hall, by herself, she started thinking about how Professor Snape had been acting different since school has started. When she entered the Great Hall, Harry and Ron were down there already. She sat down in her usual spot and felt eyes on her. However, when she looked up Snape had looked down. Shrugging off the feeling, she went back to filling up her plate.
"Okay Hermione, what is going on?" asked Harry as he looked at both Hermione and Snape.
"Nothing is going on," Hermione replied as she kept her attention on her food.
"Are you sure? Because he's watching you again," Harry said as he continues to look at Hermione.
"Yes, I'm sure Harry," answered Hermione as she continued to eat.
"Okay Hermione, if you say so," Harry said when it was clear Hermione wasn't going to say anymore.
While Hermione was finishing her lunch, she noticed that Snape had left the Great Hall. She hurriedly finished her lunch and told the boys that they have Potions next, not to be late.
As she walked to the dungeon, it was quickly noticed that she forgotten her bag in the Great Hall in her haste to get out. Despite that bout of forgetfulness, she just kept walking hoping that Ron or Harry would bring it when they came to class. When she entered the classroom, he was sitting at his desk grading papers. Professor Snape heard the door open and looked up to notice that it was Hermione.
"What are you doing down here, Miss Granger?" Snape asked as he turned his attention back to grading papers.
"I came down here to talk to you sir," said Hermione as she took a seat at one of the desks at the front of the room.
"Talk about what I may ask?" Snape responded as he stopped grading papers, putting his quill down and turning his attention to her.
"Why do you keep looking at me? And don't say I will find out in time," Hermione asked in determination.
"I will tell you later when I feel it is the right time," said Snape as Ron and Harry ambled into the room.
"Hermione you left your bag in the Great Hall, I grabbed it for you," Harry told her as he handed over the bag.
"Thank you for grabbing it, Harry," said Hermione as she went to sit in her usual spot. Just when she sat down Harry passed her another note, this one asked if she found anything out. She wrote back saying that she'll find out when the time is right and passed it back to him which is when Snape got up to start the class.
"Today you are going to be making a Sleeping Draught. The ingredients are up on the board, get started," Snape tells them as he looked at the class. As Hermione was gathering her ingredients, she saw that he was watching her yet again. When she got back to her seat she saw that Harry had written back. The note read:
'What does he mean by that?'
Hermione started working on her potion as she wrote back:
'I don't know Harry.'
Shortly after, Harry's cauldron boiled over.
Which is when Snape noticed that Hermione and Harry were talking rather than paying attention to what they were doing.
"What happened here?" asked Snape.
"I added too much Flobber Worm mucus to the potion by accident," Hermione responded.
"Detention tonight 7'o clock, now clean this mess up," yelled Snape before adding,"I want three rolls of parchment on the dreamless potion due tomorrow from you two," as he pointed at Harry and Hermione.
The rest of the class continued to make the potion, Harry and Hermione were in the back of the classroom working on the newly assigned essay. Half of the class was ether done or almost done as Snape was making his rounds to see how everybody's potions turned out. When he got to the table that Harry and Hermione were working on, he noticed Hermione was almost done with her's and Harry was half way done.
"You two have about twenty minutes left before class is over," Snape informed them as he made his way back to the front of the classroom.
"I'm done," Hermione announced as she looked over to Harry.
"I'm done too," said Harry.
"Do you want me to hand them in?" asked Hermione as she looked at Harry.
"If you want to," Harry answered with a shrug as he handed his to Hermione.
"Okay," Hermione said as she got up from the desk and headed toward the front of the room, where Snape's desk is positioned.
Snape noticed that it was time to dismiss the class just as Hermione reached his desk. He stood up to see that Hermione was bringing both essays up to him.
"Here, professor," said Hermione as she handed him their essays.
"Thank you Miss Granger," Professor Snape replied as he dismissed the class for dinner. When she grabbed her things he was right behind her, they walked to the Great Hall together. As they entered the room, everyone turned and looked at them. He walked up to the Head Table and she walked to her spot at the Gryffindor table to be with Harry and Ron.
"Why were you walking with the git?" asked Ron when he looked at Hermione.
"We both left at the same time, so we just walked together. Is that okay with you?" retorted Hermione as she filled her plate and started eating.
"Oh okay, sure I guess," said Ron with a mouth full of food.
"Hermione, he is still watching you," Harry tells her as he ate his own food.
"I know I can feel it," Hermione replied as she looked over at Professor Snape who suddenly looked away.
"Severus, you should tell her how you feel rather than keep watching her," said Dumbledore as he looked at Snape.
"I don't know if she has the same feelings for me," Snape replies as he looked down at his plate.
"Severus, I just received some bad news from The Order today, it was reported that Miss Granger's parents were killed last night by Death Eaters. I am asking you, if you would inform her tomorrow." Dumbledore tells the Potion Professor in a grim tone of voice.
"I will tell her tomorrow night," Snape said as he turns his attention back to his plate.
"Thank you Severus," Dumbledore replies.
"Maybe I will tell her then as well," said Snape.