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CHAPTER 30.

He was waiting, a silent Ron in a chair in front of his desk, staring unninterestedly out the window. Just as the new comers took their seats, the floo opened, admitting Mr and Mrs Weasley, both of whom looked thoroughly ashamed.

"Now," began Dumbledore gravely, "It has not escaped my notice, Mr Weasly, that you have been activley seeking out Miss Granger, and belittling her, bullying her..." He was interupted by Ron.

"You tattling whore, how dare you.." Ron in turn was silnced by a flick of Arthurs wand, refusing to talk to, or even look at his youngest son.

Hermione's fire bird swelled again, it seemed to really not like Ron.

Dumbledore took the bird in, looking impressed. Mr and Mrs Weasley, and Mcgonagall all looked in awe of her creation.

"As I was saying, not only have you been attaking Miss Granger verbally, and also i fear physically for some months, but..." This time he was stopped by a sobb from Hermione.

"It was him?" she questioned incredulously, and then understanding shone in her eyes, she tured to Harry;

"I couldnt' see him Harry, I thought I heared, but didn't see...He stole the cloak." She was crying again, heart broken sobbs of betrayl which were hard to listen too.

"I am sorry Miss Granger, but I belive you are correct," Dumbledore said gently, placing his good hand on her shoulder comfortingly before turning back to Ron.

"Not only attacking another student unprovoked repeatedly, but today, after she saved your life, you chose to once again dissrespect and abuse her." There was no twinkle in the headmasters eye, no benign smile upon his lips. He had a look of sterness that would rival Snape on a bad day.

Molly was crying silently into her husbands shirt, her back turned on her son.

"I'm affraid you leave me no choice, I must expell you." Dumbledore said simply, Harry and Hermione cringed, it had been expected, but it was a hard blow to Molly and Arthur none the less.

"You have been on probation from the begining of this achademic year, and have thus far shown no inclination of bettering your grades, nor completing your studies. I belive that it should be up to Miss Granger as to the degree of your punishment, but you should know, that were it me, I would not show an ounce of the mercy that i'm sure she will." He finished, uncharictaristically harshly.

"Do you wish to press charges dear?" Asked Mcgonagall softly, Ron paled visily, and Arthur stiffened slightly.

"No." Hermione managed to choke out, in a small voice, never once pulling away from Harry's arms, they were both soaked now, and in need of a shower and some fresh clothes.

"Could I leave please Professor." She asked in a small voice, Dumbledore nodded pittyingly at the gril, telling her to fetch some pepper up from Pomfray before taking the rest of the day off her lessons.

Hermione nodded gratefully before almost running from the room, her fire bird flying protectivley behind her.

Dumbledore had flooed Poppy, and so the potions were ready for her when she arrives at the hospital wing. She didn't stay to take the, instead she retuned to her dorm, and showered thoroughly.

Taking her time with everything, determined not to think about this betrayal. Once she had been in the shower for some fiffty minutes, she climbend out, drying herself wandlessly, and pulling on a pair of dark blue silk pajamas.

She lay on her bed and cried, she cried for Ron, for herself, for Mr and Mrs Weasley, for Harry. She cried for all the damage that had been done. Eventually she fell into a fitfull sleep, that wasnt disturbed even when the others in her dorm went to bed hours later.

Her fire bird stayed with her all night, curling protectivley into her side, guarding her from her fears and nightmares, and only vanished when she awoke the next morning.

Breakfast the next morning was one of the worst she had ever experienced during her time at Hogwarts, it was torture.

The news of Ron's expullsion had spread, and with it the news of his abuse towards the extreemly popular 'Griffyndor Princess,' including the vicious attack before christmas, which had, up untill now, been kept away from the ears of the masses, not to mention the news of Hermione's rescue, and her fire bird, she was the sole topic of conversation.

"They don't blame you, you know." Harry had said.

"Mum and Dad." Ginny qualified, both their faces oozing sincerity.

"They knew it was coming, and where sorry they couldn't be here to stop him for you." Ginny had continued, rubbing soothing circles into Hermone's back.

"He's going to stay at the burrow when he turns seventeen, but is at headquaters untill then." Harry informed them, apparently, because Hermione wouldn't press charges, he could keep his wand.

Her fire bird made a reapperance soon after this news, it had become something of a coping meccanism for her, protection and reasurance. It sat on her shoulder, not burning her, despite it's pure fire state.

It did cause quite a stir however, students and teachers alike craning their necks to see the mysterious creature of her making.

Hermione endured stares, whispers and snide remarks throughout breakfast, and was close to tears when she felt someone tapp her shoulder.

She turned, about to snapp, when she saw the same young Griffyndor girl, who had asked about her patronus only hours ago, though it felt like weeks.

Wordlessly, the young girl threw her arms about Hermione's waist, crushing her in a hugg. Hermione was speechless, silent tears dripping down her face, as she hugged the little girl back fieicly.

The fire bird did something it had never done before, something Hermione herself didn't know it was capable of. It sang. One long wavaring note, like the music of a Pheonix. It warmed her insides, and rendered the hall silent.

"Whats your name?" Hermione whispered, to the little girl in her arms.

"Clara." Came the reply.

"Thank you Clara." Hermione murmered, meaning it with every fiber of her being. She stooped to the young girls hight, and kissed her on the head, then watched as she went back to her friends.

Turning back to he table, she noticed that they had earned quite the audience, and that many had been as touched by this as she had. Ginny was whiping tears from her eyes, and she wasn't he only one. Many teachers were watching the display proudly, even Mcgonagall seemed to be rather choked by the unexpeced show of affection.

The fire bird seemed to sense that he was no longer required, for her took of from Hermione's shoulder, giving another mournfull note, before dissapearing, much to the halls amazement.

"Thank you, Aeval." She murmered, naming the bird that would become a constant companion to her in times of trouble.

The great hall watched Hermione for a few moments, having heared her name the fire bird, they then broke into hushed whisperes.

Then Lavender, as usual having completley missed the point, ruined the moment by opening her mouth.

"Why is everyone feeling sorry for her?" She screeched loudly. "He was my boyfriend." She was pouting, completley oblivious to the cold stares she was getting. Everyone tried to ignore her, going beck to eating and chatting purposefully. But lavender wouldn't let up.

"Honestly, you'd think he raped her or something."

Silence.

Complete, dissbeliving, silence.

"Did she honestly just say that?" Asked a disgusted Daphne Greengrass, to everyones shock, even the slytherins were appauled.

"Lav..." Parvati whisper shouted in warning. But Lav payed no heed.

"She probably provoked him anyway."

Yep. Hermione thought, That's done it.

Harry dove for Hermione, holding her back from ripping a scared looking Lavnder to pieces. However, what with Harry having his hands full, there was nobody to stop Ginny.

Ginny had done a lot of training with Hermione and Sirius over the summer, so she knew how to hold her own in a fight, something she was putting to good use now. Dean and seamus seemed to take an awfully long time before they pulled the livid red head away from the cowering idiot.

"Miss Weasly, detension with me this evening." Said a stern Professor Mcgonagall, though she was fighting the twitch at the corner of her mouth.

"Miss Patil, kindly esscort Miss brown to the hospital wing, and Miss brown, your detension starts next week, with professor Snape."

Hermione was still fruitlessly squirming against Harry's arms, her toes barley touching the floor.

"You can let me down now, she's gone." Hermione said, annoyed.

"Thanks Gin." She said, grinning at her young friend.

"No problem," Ginny smirked back, clealy quite proud of her fighting skills.

Hermione noticed thet Ginny was cradeling her right hand against her chest. Walking around the table, she took the injured had in both of her own, and did a silent healing charm, making Ginny jump in shock.

"Thanks." Ginny said, grinning sheepishly.

"No problem." Hermione reitterated wryly, making onlookers laugh.

Lessons that day were also a trial. Potions with the slytherins consisted of much staring and whispering from the studens, and full blow questions from Slughorn. He questioned her solidly, in front of the entire class who were listening to every word, despite the glares Harry was sending.

In the end, her nerves were so frought, that Aeval returned, without her consiously summoning him. He landed on her shoulder, folding his firey wings in on himself, and glared pointedly at Slughorn, who like the rest of the class seemed to have been rendered speechless.

He did however leave her be for the rest of the lesson.

After that, Hermione kept Aeval with her for the rest of the day.

Transfiguration hadn't been any bother, she had sat in the back with her protective fire bird, and Mcgonagall had been able to keep the class in order. She had only needed to put up with some staring, and the occastional whisper, which was nothing new.

It was DADA that turned out to be the trial of her passiance, even with her and Snape's unspoken agreement to get along.

They were practicing mock duels, no dark curses, just the basics, working in pairs, as it had been with the DA. However with Ron's absence from the class, they were now one short for a pair. The odd one out had been Neville, but then hermione saw the way he was being eyed by the slytherins, and so she pushed Harry towards him.

Consaquently, Hermione was to take it in turns with victors from each pair, while the other's dueled amongst themselves, starting with Harry, who she beat, then parvati, Goyle, Zabini, all of whom she triumphed over. Then it came to her and Pansy Parkinson, who had been victorious over Millicent Bullstrode.

Pansy had no intrest in following Snape's rules it seemed, starting straight away with numerous dark hexes and curses.

Aeval was beside himself, circling Hermione's head concernidly, as his mistress easily dodged and weaved all of Pansy's attempts.

It was only however, when Pansy was staring to lose her temper, and attempted to trow an illegal hex at hermione, did Aeval intervean. Screaching loudly as the curse hit her squarley in the left shoulder, he swelled to his fullest size, his wings opening wide, flame dripping from him in his fury.

She didn't even flinch, despite the pain ripping through her side, she had had worse, blood pouring from the spot he hex had hit, her fire bird had created a protective barrier between her and Pansy, who was now being shouted at by Snape.

Seeing that she was no longer in danger of attack, Aeval focussed on his mistress, letting out a pained cry, gaining the classes attention.

Hermione was perfectly calm, eerily so, pulling off her school robe, leaving her in her school blouse and skirt, both of which were quickly being ruined by blood.

Hermione waved her hand over her injury, healing in wandlessly and wordlessly. She then wandlessly transfigured her bloodied uniform into clean jeans and a top, it was the last lesson of the day anyway. She cleaned away the blood, and vanished her school robe back to her dorm. She then magically saccured her hair atop her head, and turned to Aeval, holding her arm out for him.

Aeval perchd on her arm, and nuzzled his firey face against her cheek, singing a note that spoke clearly of relief, that his mistress was unharmed.

"I am well, Aeval." Hermione murmered, before setting him on her shoulder.

The class, including Snape were watching her in wonder.

"Are you well, Miss Granger?" Professor Snape asked smoothly, causing many griffyndor's to scof, clearly she wasn't, hadn't he seen the blood?

"I am quite well Professor, thank you." was Hermione's equally calm reply, causing shocked looks of disbelief from the students, and the hint of a proud smile from her teacher, who nodded.

Thankfully, the rest of the day was relativley calm after that.