Chapter 7

A/N: (February 19, 2006) Hey guys! Well, you're probably wondering why I am re-updating Chapter 7. Well, a reader said my A/N's were ruining the story because of their wording, so I took it out to please her… Even though I really didn't have to. While I'm at it though, I might as well go back and fix this chapter, eh?

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A House Elf woke up Hermione at 8:00. You have to remember there are no alarm clocks in the wizarding world, so they needed some way of being woken up on time. Using a House Elf was one of the most common practices at the school. She had given up S.P.E.W. long ago, due to the lack of enthusiastic supporters. If no one was going to help her out, why should she put in the effort? To make any kind of impact would take some kind of back-up support, and that was something she was lacking.

After dismissing the elf, whose name was Refee, she got up and stumbled to the teak armoire. The school uniform policies had changed in the last few years due to many violent student protests, and once a week, on Wednesdays, a student could wear casual clothes, rather than the hot itchy uniform.

At the moment, Hermione was trying remember if it was Wednesday. After a few minutes of mental agony, she looked in her homework planner and saw that it was only Tuesday. She sighed and donned the uniform. The grey wool pleated skirt, the knee-high stockings, the crisp white ironed dress shirt, brown leather clogs, and the red and gold striped tie. The whole hot, almost torturing ensemble.

After pulling her hair back into a red ribbon and curling the tips, then brushing her teeth to rid herself of the horrid morning breath she tended to get, she went down to breakfast, where Ron and Harry were waiting impatiently for her.

"Good morning loves." She said, seating herself on the hard wooden bench and grabbing a poppy seed bagel, spreading it with boysenberry jam.

"Good morning Hermione." Harry replied cheerfully. He was a morning person. It had been very irritating when the Trio first formed, but everyone was used to it now and no one made a big deal anymore.

"Morning." Ron's face was pale and puffy. It was clear that he had had a late night last night.

"Oh, Herm. Hedwig came back early this morning, with a letter." Harry dropped the news like a bomb.

Hermione's reaction was just like one in the muggle movies she had seen when she was younger. She dropped her bagel, her mouth hung open, and she stared at him, making odd noises in her throat. When she was finally able to articulate her words properly, she was on the verge of yelling. "You didn't open it did you?" Her voice was very high.

Harry shifted himself on the bench uncomfortably. "No. You know I would never open your mail. Here." He handed her the yellow roll of parchment.

"Then why is the bloody seal broken?" She growled at Harry.

Ron glanced at Harry, and then looked back at his eggs, fiddling with a piece of undercooked bacon. Unfortunately, Hermione caught the glance, and immediately knew that Ron had opened her mail, and that he had spent the night trying to understand it.

"I see," she said coldly. She read the note.

Dearest Hermione-
You do not know how wonderful it is for me to hear from you, even on a matter as grave as you make it out to be. You may not know this, but at my school, we do not have mirrors. Supposedly, they are a link to lost souls, and the Headmaster does not want any of them roaming around at our school. So, you see, it would be very hard for me to find this mark that you speak of if it were in a place that one cannot see on one's self. Unless someone here were to point it out to me, which no one has. I have not seen anything unusual on any visible skin. I don't believe I have it, but then again, I can not be entirely sure. May I ask why it is you are questioning me about it? Is it for a school project, or just something you are working on on your own? Well, please reply soon. Just the thought of an owl from you gives me something to look forward to.
-Viktor

"So, Ron. Did you find out anything good?" Hermione asked icily. This letter put her in a bad mood; it neither confirmed nor denied the presence of the mark on Viktor.

"We-e-e-ll... I think I may have an idea." He said with hesitation, tapping his fingers together. "But it doesn't seem to make sense to me. Because, after all... you're a-a-a-a Gryffindor."

So you know my secret apparently, Hermione thought sarcastically. But she sat with a placid smile on her face, waiting for his version of the story.

"What do you think, then, Sherlock?"

"We-" Harry glared at him. "I mean, I, think that you are seeing Malfoy."

Hermione stared at him, and then burst out laughing. She wheezed, with tears in her eyes, "Ron, darling, how do you get that from a letter that I received from a boy living in Bulgaria? I don't think I've heard anything that random come out of your mouth in…" she thought, "ever! Nothing could be farther from the truth." While, in fact, it was almost true. In a way. But not to dwell on that.

"See Ron, I told you th-" Harry's words were cut off by the school bell. It was time to pass to their first period; double potions with the Slytherins.

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Review! Sorry this chapter was soooo short... But I couldn't really think of anything else to go in... LoL... I had to put in a cliffy!