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Chapter Two

Dumbledore stood up with a glint in his deep blue eyes, and addressed the four tables of hungry Hogwarts students before him.

'Welcome,' he began. 'To another year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am happy to announce that Professor Delores Umbridge will be filling the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, and I am sure you will all be agreeing with me that she needs our luck!'

Umbridge was a short, fairly plump woman with short curly hair and a wooly pink dress with matching pink cardigan. It made Hermione gag.

'She's disgusting. I mean, look at her!' she whispered frantically to Ron and Harry. 'I bet you anything she's just trying to make us fail our OWLs.'

'Hermione,' Harry laughed. 'She's from the ministry. She was at my hearing; she works for Fudge. I doubt she would want to sabotage our education; that would make Fudge look horrible.'

Hermione began to talk back, but was interrupted by a high-pitched cough from the staff table at the back. Dumbledore looked back, with a forced smile, and said, 'Yes, Delores?'

'I'd like to say something, Professor,' she stated, standing up. The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of a vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this… Historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practises that ought to be prohibited!'

Hermione automatically disliked her.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

In the common room later on in the month, Hermione was sitting with Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and a few others from the upper years after several weeks of DADA lessons without using wands.

'Who does she think she is?'

'We need to get her out of her!'

'We need a proper teacher!'

'People!' Hermione half-shouted. Everyone looked at her blankly, lost in thought. 'We need a plan. I say we get a real teacher. Harry,' she smiled, gesturing towards him.

'Me? Wow, no way. I'm no teacher! I only did those things out of luck, seriously…' Harry stammered.

'You're the best we've got, mate,' Fred sighed. 'And you're pretty damn good, at that.'

'I don't know… No one would want to be taught by me, anyway. They think I'm a loony!'

'Once they hear your story, they'll…' Ron began, but Harry cut him off.

'No. I'm not bringing loads of people together just so they can all call me a liar. And anyway, as much as it may shock you; seeing Cedric Diggory die was one of the most painful things that have ever happened to me. It's horrible, seeing someone that you used to go to school with die. So seriously, no. I'm not 'teaching' anyone, because I don't know how I survived it all myself.' Harry looked down at the floor, and there was an uncomfortable silence between the teens.

'You're the best we've got,' whispered Ginny, although loud enough so that everyone could hear her.

'I can't, I'm sorry,' he sighed.

A lot of people stood up and left, and in the end it was only Fred, George, Ron and Hermione sat in the chairs surrounding the fire.

'I'm just kinda scared, you know?' said Ron quietly. 'I mean, You-Know-Who's back, and if we can't defend ourselves, well then…' He couldn't finish.

'Hermione,' Fred said softly, practically scanning her with his deep brown eyes. 'We need him to do this. We won't stand a chance otherwise. Please, try.'

'I'll try.' Hermione swallowed.

Fred stood up swiftly, brushing his hand so gently against Hermione's, that she wasn't sure if she actually felt it or not. George followed him, quickly smirking at Hermione.

'I'm going to go to bed, Ron,' Hermione said, standing up and smiling at her best friend. 'See you in the morning, bright and early!'

Ron let out a groan, and Hermione leapt upstairs to her dormitory.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

'George?' asked Fred; late at night when he was sure all his dorm members were asleep.

'Yeah, Freddie?' George answered.

'I'm confused…' he begun.

'Is it Granger?'

'No!' Fred scoffed.

'Fred.'

'What?'

'Do be serious; I know everything about you. And you have a crush on Hermione!'

'Do not!'

'Do.'

'Do not.'

'Do!'

This went on for a while; the twins finally shut up when Lee rolled over and sighed deeply, reminding them that they weren't the only two in the room.

'Anyway,' Fred whispered. 'Ron likes her, you know that.'

'But does she like Ron?'

'Well, I don't know…'

'Exactly. If she liked Ron, she would bloody act like it!'

'She doesn't act like she likes me either!' Fred protested.

'Didn't you see how she was looking at you?'

Fred didn't have an answer to this. Instead, he rolled over on to his back, listening to the sound of the September wind, staring at the bright moon outside the window.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The next day was a Saturday. Thank God, thought Fred, as he rolled out over his bed after his nearly sleepless night.

'Wakey wakey sleepy-head!' shouted George.

Fred groaned and rolled over. 'Leave me alone,' he moaned.

'No way! You have to get up, got it?' George gave his twin a stern look.

'Why? What's so great about today? Let me sleep.'

'Nothing's so great about today but it's not good for you to stay in bed!' George sung.

'Georgie. Leave me alone. I didn't sleep well, okay?'

'You and I both, Freddie. But that's beside the point; it's Quidditch trials today, remember? I just thought you might want to wake up properly before then…'

'Alright, alright. I'm up,' Fred groaned, rolling out of bed.

The rest of the morning went relatively quickly for Fred and George; after they ate breakfast, they went to the common room and sold lots of Skiving Snackboxes, and then about an hour before the trials were starting, Fred announced that he had to go and see Lee about some Potions homework, and so he set off to the library.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Hermione was sat on one of the long desks in the large library, looking something up for the next Potions class that she had with Snape. A tall red-head suddenly came bounding through the isle.

'Fred?' Hermione called.

'Hermione! Great to see you. Have you seen Lee? I haven't been here in a while… I might get lost,' he laughed.

'Here, come with me,' she sighed. 'I saw Lee leave about 10 minutes ago; you just missed him! But I can help you with what you were searching for, if you'd like?'

'Uh, thanks,' Fred answered awkwardly. He sat on a chair next to where Hermione was sitting and began to describe to her the difficult Potions homework that he had to complete. Fred wasn't one for doing much homework, but he and George had decided that in their 7th and final year at Hogwarts, they would at least try to get good marks. After all, their NEWT results practically decide their futures for them.

Not that he and George were planning on doing anything academic after they finished school. The twins had already made quite a lot of money from selling joke products in school, and had put most of it aside to hopefully start their own shop.

'And so,' Hermione concluded. 'After you had the Unicorn Tail Hairs, you should leave the Felix Felicis to brew for about 5 hours, and then it should be done. Did you get all of that?'

No, Fred hadn't got all of that. He had been too busy daydreaming about the millions of shades in Hermione's hair. How, when the light caught it, it would turn light and look soft to the touch. How her eyes glinted when she was lost deep in thought, and how she would suck slightly on the tip of her quill as she was reading a textbook thoroughly.

'Yeah,' he lied. 'Thanks, Hermione!' he called, before grabbing the textbook she was reading from, putting it on the shelf, and beginning to leave the large library.

'I can help you whenever you want, you know,' Hermione said softly; her light pink lips curving into a slight smile.

'Thanks, Hermione; I'd like that. See you.' And with that, Fred left the library and headed to the Common Room.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Back in the library, Hermione was lost deep in thought; although not about the Arithmacy work sitting in front of her. Had she just imagined Fred's eyes practically scanning through her, not listening to a single word she'd just said, how he'd hesitated for about 6 seconds before answering if he'd understood or not? Perhaps he just doesn't like spending time with me, Hermione thought gloomily.

AN: okay hi guys!

I only just posted my first chapter and I'm already unhappy with it. So just ignore that, yeah? ;)

I'm happier with this one, and I may start doing POV's to make it a little bit easier, what do you guys think? Review, subscribe, etc! Thanks :-)