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I don't own Harry Potter all those rights go to JK Rowling
Timeline: October/Halloween
It all started with...
Chapter 5
Breaking The Ice.
October dragged on and soon it was Halloween. Harry was excelling in Potions much to the disapproval of Hermione. Ron had started going out with Lavender Brown and Hermione...well she ok but whenever Draco crossed her path she'd simply ignore him. Nothing's changed. Then Halloween came.
"I want you all to try and transform into Animagi. Now who can tell me what an Animagi is?" Professor McGonagall asked her class. Harry felt the dull pang in his chest. He knew what it was. His father and godfather could do it. His eyes watered at the thought of them. But when he felt Hermione's reassuring hand squeeze his he smiled slightly. "Yes Miss Granger?"
"An Animagus is a witch or wizard who can turn into a particular animal at will. This ability is not innate: it must be acquired by magical means. All Animagi must register at a central authority; it is illegal to obtain this ability without registering. Each Animagus has a specific animal form, and cannot transform into any other animal. The animal cannot be chosen: it is uniquely suited to that individual's personality, like the Patronus Charm, and in some cases the Animagus will change into the same animal used in the person's Patronus charm." Hermione explained.
"Ten points to Gryffindor. Very good Miss Granger. Now pair up into two groups." McGonagall asked smiling towards the girl. Quickly the room was filled with two groups, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw and Slytherin. "Good. Now with a flick of your wand point it at yourself and repeat:Patronum. If nothing happened then repeat Animagi."
"Patronum!" Ron hissed furiously flicking his wand like a flag. Nothing happened.
"Animagi." Hermione said gently giving a small flick of her wand. She felt herself shrinking and her hands gluing together, her nose grew bigger and suddenly she was shrinking through her clothes.
"Hermione? You're an otter!" Harry cried out. She flapped her tale in acknowledgement. "Animagi!" Harry said giving a flick of his wand. He felt his head grow heavy and his hands shrivelled up. His clothes tore away as he transformed into a stag, the lightening scar was the only proof that he was Harry Potter. All around the room students transformed into animals...well some. Ron was still himself, Draco refused to transform, Neville had no success and Seamus had managed to explode the spell.
Professor McGonagall stared at the madness in her classroom; animals were prancing round usurping chairs and tables, she gave a shriek when a black mouse was found scurrying round her chair. "Enough!" She shouted and with a large flick of her wand the students were back to normal and the black mouse turned out to be Mandy Brocklehurst. "Back into your places!" The students scrambled up from the floor and from the windows to their seats. "Now what is the difference between a werewolf and an Animagi? Yes Mr. Potter." The class swiveled to Harry.
"Animagi have full control over their transformations and retain their minds, whereas werewolves' transformations are involuntary and include severe changes in personality. After the person has transformed into a werewolf, he no longer remembers who he is; he would kill his best friend if he got anywhere near him. A werewolf only responds to the call of his own kind. The only way that a werewolf can retain his sanity, intelligence and memory while transformed is using the Wolfsbane Potion." Harry said cheerfully. Sometimes it'd help to be friends with a werewolf.
"Very good ten points to Gryffindor. Now what is the problem it causes?" She looked round the room. "Mr. Weasley?" Ron looked like he had swallowed something terrible.
"Euh... an Animagus is not the same as a wizard simply transfiguring them self into an animal. It allows the witch or wizard to maintain their own mind and human powers of reasoning and memory...So Euh...the latter however would cause the person to gain the brain of the animal they have transfigured into. This would lead to the obvious problem that they would forget that they were a wizard and be trapped, unknowing, in this form for the rest of that creature's life-span unless transformed back by another wizard..." Ron muttered. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "Scabbers." He whispered to her.
--
They were sat in the prefect's common room planning the winter dance. "It's a masked but it could be a bit of a costume thing." Cho Chang suggested. Hermione nodded slowly, Pansy rolled her eyes and Hannah smiled happily.
"We could take it to the medieval times!" She suggested excitedly. Hermione swallowed hard uncomfortably.
"What about a fairytale theme?" She said feebly. "Dress in those big gowns and wigs." Pansy glanced towards Draco. He caught her eye and quickly looked away.
"Make it romantic?" She suddenly demanded. "Candles and rose petals." Hannah smiled adoring the idea.
"And at the beginning every girl must put their name in a box and the boys must do the same and at one point they must pick from these boxes and at midnight they must share a romantic dance with them!" Cho added. While the girls were babbling on about the dance the boys couldn't be so keen.
"What should be the colours?" Pansy demanded. "Dark or bright?" The girls thought for a moment.
"Dark." They said all together. Hermione reached out for the canter filled with pumpkin juice just as Draco did. The moment their hands touched Hermione backed away. Draco grabbed the canter and filled up each of the prefects cups.
"Fireworks." Zacharias Smith jumped in. The boys approved of this. "And a band!"
"The Weird Sisters!" Michael Corner shouted.
"We've got a budget on this thing. We'll post a notice to see if anyone can play instruments and if no one responds then we can speak to professor Dumbledore if he can arrange something." Cho interrupted.
"Fine then." Ron said nodding. "Who'll do it?"
"I will." Draco said suddenly. Pansy was about to say something but Draco stopped her. "It'll be up on Monday."
"Agreed." Michael said. "So it's decided then, the girls do the designs and we'll organize the music." Everyone nodded in approval.
--
"So here we are at last." Horace Slughorn said cheerfully. He and the rest of his 'Slug club' were seated round a large round table. This included many students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and a few Slytherin students. "Now what's been happening?" He asked looking at each student individually. Hermione glanced towards to an uneasy Harry. "Don't be shy now!"
Blaise Zabini snorted and glanced towards Terry Boot who rolled his eyes. "We learnt how to transform into animals. Sir." Neville said swallowing down his pumpkin juice.
"Ah! Animagi! And how was it? I must say I can transform, my Animagi is a dog." Slughorn said happily. The students smiled feebly.
"It was fascinating." Blaise said loudly. "The whole classroom was filled with animals." Michael snorted with laughter.
"Good. Good. Now Terry how is your father doing? I taught him when he was here." Slughorn asked his full attention on Terry.
"This is stupid." Harry hissed to Hermione. They were sat next to each other on the round table. "All he does is keep asking questions about parents."
"Then ask him questions!" Hermione whispered back. Harry scowled at the thought but his scowl was wiped off by the door opening and Ginny stood at the door, her eyes were bloodshot. "She's been fighting with Dean."
"Ah, Ginny Weasley. Sit down my girl!" Slughorn said smiling encouragingly towards the red haired girl. She sat down at the offered chair and began playing with the chocolate soufflé. "Clever little girl she is! Jinxed some poor boy into a ferret. No it was not Mr Malfoy." Hermione went slightly pink while Harry smirked at the memory. "Tuck in everyone!"
--
Hermione.
Draco looked up. What could he say? "Tell her the truth and hope she'll forgive me?" He muttered to himself. He left the parchment to one side. He got up and entered his common room.
"The old man has lost the plot." Blaise said to Crabbe and Goyle. Pansy moved away from her party of friends and rushed to Draco's side.
"Draco what's wrong? Is it because of Slughorn? Everyone around here thinks he's lost the plot!" Draco smiled feebly at the comment. "Or have you lost it as well?" She demanded staring at her boyfriend.
"What?" He said looking at her. She folded her arms at him. "Pansy what are you on about?"
"That Mudblood! Ever since you came up with that ridiculous plan to get to Potter you've been acting weird!" She hissed spitting out each word. "What's wrong? She dumped you?" Draco swallowed down his anger. "Or did she dump 'M'?"
"Mind your business." Draco whispered threateningly. Pansy glared at him.
"You're my boyfriend! Not hers!" She hissed at him.
"Shut up!" Draco snapped at her making her go back a step. "You know what? We're through! You are an annoying bitch who has to poke her nose into people's business!" Pansy's anger vanished and was replaced by tears.
"No Draco!" She pleaded. "Don't do this!" Draco had turned his back and stormed back into his room. He kicked his trunk and ran his hands through his hair, he wanted to shout but no sound came. He looked up and faced himself in the mirror.
Granger.
Read this quietly to yourself. I was out of line that time in the library. I hate my father as well as the next person...sorry.
Draco Malfoy.
He smiled at his work. Now to send it. Waiting till it was night he crept into the owlry and attached it to what he believed to be Potter's owl. "Hermione Granger." He muttered to it sending it to the Gryffindor tower. Now he'd wait.
--
Hermione had just finished her Charms essay on Quintessence: A Quest. Packing away her homework in bag she was all ready to go to bed. Well that was until she heard a tapping on the window. "Hedwig!" She gasped. Dropping her bag she ran to the door and opened the colour tainted window. The white owl flew round the room before settling down on the back of a chair. "What brought you here?" She asked quieter realizing that the other students were still trying to get to sleep.
She looked at the note and raised an eyebrow when she saw it was addressed to her. Opening it she frowned when she read it. Looking out of the window she saw a dim light going down the stairs from the owlry. "Malfoy..." She trailed off. Then she opened her bag and tipped everything out in a hurry she grabbed her ink and on the back of the note she replied.
"Draco Malfoy needs this." She replied and let Hedwig out into the cool air. She smiled when the light stopped moving.
--
"Bloody owl!" He hissed. He looked up and saw the Gryffindor window open. Shaking his head he used his wand to read her reply.
Draco
Let's start over then. But I don't want you calling me Mudblood. By the way I can see you.
Hermione
He smiled and used his wand to write his reply. Then he sent Hedwig back. "Next time reply in the morning." He whispered. He dashed down the stairs not wanting to get caught.
--
Granger.
I know you can see me. I'm going to bed. We can meet in the library seeing as you don't want your pals to find out.
Draco.
"His writing seems familiar." Hermione said to herself. "Yea' right! We've never exchanged a letter before!" She giggled and sauntered upstairs. She was wrong. She had exchanged letters. But with 'M'. Draco's alter ego.
So how was that?!?! I loved doing this chapter, the title goes with the ending. Cause Draco and Hermione start a fragile the fact that Pansy and Draco broke up is a key part in the next two failed plan up next with extreme consequences. Also there are some scenes from the HP6 flim. BTW loved it!!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!