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CHAPTER 29.
The girls were up at half past four on monday morning, unable to lay in bed any longer. They went grumbling to shower, taking their time, enjoying the quiet, and then to change, pulling on ther uniforms, and carrying their robes over their arms.
Reaching the comon room, they found the others that had been at slughor's party to be in a similar state to them, grumpy and hungry. Breakfast didn't start until six. They were at he great hall as the doors opened, greeted by the smirking staff, who had seen Slughorn wreak this havok for years.
Professor Snape looked particulally dower this morning, and she pittied those poor studants who incured his wrath that day.
Hermione forwent her tea that morning, in favour of coffee so black, that Sirius would have been impressed. Ginny earned quite a few amused looks that morning, but didn't even blush at her anttics. That girl had no shame!
"Muhuuu." Harry grumbled, shoveling bacon repeadedly into his mouth, gesturing to the enchanted ceeling. It looked gray, but dry, perfect for his and hermione's first lesson of the day, care of magical creatures, with the slytherins, oh joy.
Neville semmed to be struggling to stay awake, resting his head dangeroulsly close to his porrage, eyes drooping, Ginny put a large mug of tea infront of him, letting the fumes revive him. It baffled them all how they could have slept for so long, and still be tired. "We slept for too long." Ginny had intoned grouchily.
"Thanks." Neville yawned, rubbing his eyes, and sipping his tea.
"Why wouldn't he let us leave?" Ginny complained loudly, causing many teachers to smirk knowingly, and giggle amogst themselves.
Hermione just shrugged, "Didn't want to lose Harry I guess." She said, finishing her second mug of black coffee, and finally feeling strong enough to manage food.
"Im exsausted," the red head continued, "And i've got DADA first, snape's gonna be foul." Hermione winced sympathetically, Ginny had deffinatley drawn the short straw subject wise that morning.
"I just hope we don't hve anything dangerous with Hagrid." Harry nearly begged, making Hermione groan, that would be just their luck, to fall asleep in front of an acromantular or something.
Their breakfast was interupted by a throat clearing, turning around on her bench, hermione saw a terrified looking second year hufflepuff boy, Mark? Max? Matt! She remebered sleepily.
"Terry said you have a tattoo?" he blurted out far too loudly, causing many heads to turn curiously in his direction , and all those who had been up early that morning to wince. Hermione sighed, nodding.
"Can we see?" he asked on behalf of the dozen or so young boys who had materialised from thin air, (or the huffleuff table). Harry and Ginny where laughing, and Neville seemed to be shaking his head in mock disspaire.
Chuckling, Hermione climbed from the bench, pulling her hair over her left shoulder, unbuttoning the top few buttons of her shirt, and pulling down the collar, baring her right shoulderblade to the young boys, who all "Ohhhhhhh'd."
"What is it?" Asked a curious gryffindor girl, who had stood up to see more clearly.
"It's a protection rune." Hermione explained.
"Her boyfriend did it for her, he has one too!" Ginny said, much to loudly, watching in sattsfaction as Brown and Patil heared and proceeded to talk at high speed. Ron scowled at her from his posission at the other end of the table, but she ignored him.
"You should see him." Lavender heckled from down the table.
"Yeah we saw a picture, he is...unf..." Parvati tacked on, making hermione cringe, highly uncomfortable, and Ginny scowl scathingly.
The young gryffindor was facinated, "Are you the one with the patronus?" She questioned eagerly, making the young boys eyes widen, and the others at the table laugh, as Hermione blushed embarressed, nodding.
"Thats so sweet." She simpered, "You must really love him." Hermione grinned down at her, and nodded again, making Ginny crowe quietly in triumph.
"Will you show us...?" She asked tentativley, 'this girl is brave, not affraid to ask for what she wants, a deffinate griffyndor', hermione thought, apparently the hufflepuff boys agreed, for they were all saring at her in awe.
Standing, she summoned Dracarys, who flew the length of the hall, circling the younger students, making them whoop joyously.
The bell rang, signalling the start of lessons, and the four lions shuffled to their feet, dragging their monstrously heavy baggs with them, before sepparating in the entrance hall, ginny of to the second floor, whilst the other three headed to the grounds.
Arriving at Hagrid's hut, to find half of the class already there, and talking was unusual for Hermione, but then again, so was being stuck in a dungeon for ten hours in a ball gown listening to chamber music played by an orchestra of ghosts.
"Mornin'." Hagrid bomed to them, Hermione saw Neville wince next to her, Hagrid laughed loudly.
"Slughorn's par'y, eh?" He said, eyes twinkling, the three nodded dourly, scolwling.
"Not ter worry, got a real trea' for yeh today!" Identical looks of fear crossed the faces of the students, all remebering Hagrid's idea of a treat. The blast ended screwts, and the hippogryphs to name but two.
Things only got worse when he started to lead them in the direction of the forbiden forrest, really, Hermione thought, was the name not enough of a clue?
They came to a stop, next to a river, not that far from the forrest path, but far enough to make everyone cling together in a slightly tighter group than usual, and looked expetntly at Hagrid.
Just then something large and slimy looking splashed out of the water. "Can anyone..." Hagrid began, Hermione's hand shot into the air, she looked teffirfied.
"Fuaths; These creatures live in the waters of Scotland. They are generally green and have the mane and tail of a yellow horse. Fuaths have no noses, but they have very keen eyes, which they use to find humans lurking in their watery homes. They will pull the unsuspecting swimmers underwater to their deaths using their webbed hands and feet."
Hermione recited perfectly, sounding paniked, she wasn't the only one either, upon hearing about the Fuaths' hunting habbits the students took a collective step away from the water.
"Excellent, ten points ter griffyndor." He said, grinning widly.
"Aren't they dangerous then?" Piped up Malfoy from as far away from the river as he could get. Nobody even botherd to be annoyed with him, they were all worried themselves.
"Nahhhh," Hagrid began, sounding blasse, "Seriously missunderstood creatures." He said matter of factly, heading towards the river side, Hermione cought his arm, "Maybe we should stay here...?" She suggested tentativley. Hagrid only laughed.
The Fuath let Hagrid approach, not taking any notice, probably, Hermione thought, because of his giant blood, the Fuath only hunting humans. Hermione spent the entire lesson waiting, for somebody to get too close to to the waters edge, or to stumble at the wrong moment.
The unlucky victim was Ron, who was pushed in the back by Zabini at the wrong moment, and went hurtling towards the river.
To make matters worse, the only two people capable of saving him where Hagrid and Hermione, neither of whom being fully human.
As Ron toppled precariously over into the water, giving a strained scream, Hermione and Hagrid ran forward, as the rest of the class moved away, per Hermone's instructions. It was widley agreed that you always listned to Hermione in a crisis.
As Hagrid wrestled the Fuath down the river, Hermione wandlessly created some fire birds, just as she had in the kitchen of Grimauld place with Charlie all those months ago.
The fire birds formed a protective circle around her as she dived into the ice cold water, and pulled a sodden, shivering, but otherwise unharmed Ron from the river's depths.
The class all watched Hermione in amazement, none of them having seen her create these birds, in smoke or flame, from nothing before. Hermione, shivering and soaking wet, helped Ron regain his footing on solid ground.
"Get your hands off me you filthy halfbreed." He screamed, yanking himself from Hermione's grasp, pushing her roughly away from him. She stumbled over her sodden roabs, falling to the ground.
The fire birds were in the process of vanishing when Ron shouted, leaving only one.
When Ron yelled at her, the bird came to hover protectivley on her shoulder. Hermione kept him there, comforted by it's presance, knowing Ron wouldn't come near her with it there.
Silence fell throughout the clearing, all eyes on Ron, in utter shock. Everyone had known that the three were no longer the best of friends, but nobody had thought the trio where this far gone.
Hermione got to her feet, her fire bird coming to hover by her side, spreading his wings wide, in protection of it's creator.
Harry walked forward in silence, glaring, and punched Ron square in the face, leaving him uncontious. The griffyndors turned their backs on him in disgust, whilst the slytherins continued to watch in fascination, wondering what had happened to the famed 'Golden Trio'.
Harry wrapped a soaked and shivering Hermione in his cloak, pulling her towards the hospital wing, telling Hagrid what he was doing. The class had dissapated now, some very angry griffyndors putting the still out cold Ron on a stretcher, and floating him behind Harry and Hermione.
The entire class seeming to want to see the rest of the soap opera, followed in an animated prosession behind the trio back the the castle. When they reached the entrance hall, Ron came too, and started screaming bloody murder, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceeling.
"YOU HALF BREED BITCH, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?"
Hermione's fire bird seemed to swell, it's wings spreading wide as it hovered protectivley over her head. The students took a collective step back, not sure what it would do. But the bird mearly hovered, there to protect, not attack.
Ron's shouts had attracted the attention of several teachers, all of whom came running, as did many other students from their respective classrooms. Mcgonagall being the closest, was the first to arrive. She stood in silence, taking in the scene before her.
Harry had his arm around a crying, soaking wet Hermione, who was being protected vehemantly by an increadible fire bird.
Standing opposite them was a purple faced Ron, who was still hurling abuse at the crying girl. Surrounding them, in a semi circle where the livid looking lions, and thoroughly amused snakes.
"MR WEASLY, ENOUGH. THE HEADMASTERS OFFICE, NOW!" Ron went, muttering under his breath, his face as read as his hair.
" Everyone, break starts in five minutes, wait in the hall."
The others left, including those who had come from classrooms at Ron's shouting, everyont talking about the end of the 'Golden Trio', and Hermione's amazing fire bird. This left Hermione and Harry, his arm was wrapped around her shoulder, his robes becoming wetter by the second, both from her trip in the river, and by her tears.
"Come with me you two." Said a thin lipped Mcgonagall, leading them up to the headmaster.