"Are you sure you want to go back now honey? You don't have to; you can stay home for a little longer." Hermione's mother was looking down at her with sympathetic eyes.
"No mom, I need to go back, I don't want to get behind on my school work."
What she didn't say was that she needed to go back. She was tire of her house and people constantly looking at her with pity. She just wanted to get back to Hogwarts. But mostly she needed to see Harry and Ron, she know that they would act normal around her, even if everyone else didn't. Her parents didn't even do that.
Hermione was standing with her parents in front of the fire in the Leaky Cauldron. She had her bags and was ready to go.
"Well, if you need anything, you know you can tell us" said Hermione's father.
"And you can always come home if you need to. You shouldn't push yourself." Her mother really didn't understand.
"I'm fine; you're acting like I'm the one who had the heart attack. Don't worry, I'm fine. And I'm leaving now. Bye." When Hermione had finished saying this she gave her parents a hug.
"I love you sweetie" said Mr. Granger to his daughter.
"I love you too, both of you. Bye." and with that she stepped into the fire and disappeared.
"Thank you so very much for helping me to the castle, I'm not sure if I would have made it on my own." Said Sarah, she was already out of breath, much like Neville. Just then McGonagall showed up and pulled Harry aside. When he rejoined the group he had a very strange look on his face.
"Ron, we need to get up to Dumbledore's office." Harry explained.
"Oh, that's just where I was headed. I'll go with you," said Sarah.
"Ok, come on, let's go." Said Harry, when they started walking he leaned over and whispered to Ron "Hermione's coming back today, we need to go meet her."
"So what classes do you guys take here?" Asked Sarah.
"Well there's Transfiguration, taught by McGonagall, who you just saw. Herbology with Professor Sprout, Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid" Harry was interrupted by Ron, "You might want to watch out in that class." "Yeah, Hagrid is a good guy, he just loves.....different.......animals. Anyway, then there's charms with Flitwick, and History of Magic with Binns, now that class is fun."
"Oh, yeah, Binns is just great, just keeps going and going and going." Explained Ron
"He sounds like the Energizer Bunny" laughed Sarah.
"Who?" questioned Ron.
"The Energizer Bunny........no.....ok well energizer is a type of battery and it's supposed to last for a long time, and there is this toy bunny that uses them for power, never mind, I was living with muggles friends in America, well actually I left there and went to live with my parents in Africa, but they got scared and decided this was the safest place for me."
"Scared of what?" asked Harry.
"Well of Voldemort of course" said Sarah.
"Hold on, so your parents are scared enough to send you away to keep you safe, yet you say his name, why is that?" asked Ron.
"Because, you should always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself." Explained Sarah like it was an obvious fact.
All of a sudden something clicked in Harry's brain. He had heard that speech before, but from someone else.
"Where did you hear that? I mean did you think it up on your own?"
They had arrived had arrived at Dumbledore's office and were on their way up the moving staircase.
"Oh, no, I didn't make that up. My" she was interrupted by a voice from inside the office.
"Sarah is that you I hear?"
As they got to the top of the staircase they saw Dumbledore standing with his hands behind his back.
"Uncle Dumbledore!" Sarah exclaimed just before she ran over to him and gave him a hug, leaving a stunned Ron standing with Harry.
"Uncle Dumbledore" said Ron.
"Yes, Sarah here is the daughter of my half-sister" explained Dumbledore.
They were all startled when they heard a loud pop.
"Miss me" said Hermione as she stepped out of the fireplace.
"I still cannot believe that Dumbledore has a niece!" Said Hermione for the thousandth time.
"I can't believe Dumbledore is still making you serve your detention" said Ron.
They were sitting in the Gryffindor common room by the fire doing homework. They were sitting in calm silence until...
"Oh no!" Hermione Squealed.
"What?!?" Harry exclaimed.
"I left my Ancient Ruins book in the library this afternoon, and I need it for my homework, now I have to go get it" said Hermione in an exasperated voice.
As soon as she stepped out of the portrait hole Ron said "I swear, lately I wouldn't be surprised if she walked into class without her homework."
Hermione got to the library and picked up her book, but on her way back she had to stop. She sat down on a step. She felt so tired. She knew her mind had been in a whole other world this past week, she had been forgetting things a lot, and to top it all off yesterday in charms she realized that professor Flitwick was looking at her expectantly, not only did she not know the answer to his question, she didn't even know what he had been saying.
Never in her life had she been like this, when she was in her muggle school she had actually been ahead of the rest of the kids her age. At Hogwarts she had always been top of her class, what had happened?
She just didn't care, but that was wrong, she cared that she didn't care.
"Ah, Granger, dreaming of classes no doubt" said a voice from in front of her.
Hermione looked up and said "leave me alone Malfoy, I'm upset and I don't feel like hitting you."
"What's got you so upset; worried you're too far behind to catch up? Afraid they're going to kick you out?" Malfoy sneered with a smirk on his face.
"Go away Malfoy!" Hermione said in a threatening tone.
"Why? I have just as much right to be here as you do, I think I'll just have a seat." He sat down on the step next to her, as far away as he could.
They sat in silence for a few minutes until Hermione couldn't take it anymore "Fine, I'm upset because my grandmother died recently, ok, are you happy now?" Malfoy sat with a strange look on his face for a minute then slowly he stood up and turned toward her.
He paused as if to say something but decided against it and walk up the stairs, pausing on the step she was sitting on, Hermione wasn't sure but she thought she felt his hand graze her shoulder.
"Hermione I know you don't want to talk about it, but there is something bothering you, other than your grandma, Harry and Ron are worried and to tell you the truth we are too." Hermione had sat on the step for a long time thinking before she returned to the common room. When she had it had been almost empty, except for Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood.
They had pulled her over to a chair and sat her down. Ginny then started to talk; Luna seemed content to just sit there. "Look we know you must be having a hard time, and we can't even begin to imagine what you're going through, but we want to help, and you won't let us" Ginny ranted.
"I'm just very confused right now. I don't even really understand what's wrong" said Hermione. Which was the truth, she was very confused but she knew what she was confused about, on the stairs, she couldn't explain it but she had the feeling that Malfoy had been trying to console her in a way, the exact way she needed, actually being left alone.
"We're your friends Hermione, and we want to help you, and that means we will listen to you if all you need is to talk." Said Luna, the way she was looking at her Hermione had the feeling she knew something had happened.
"But that's the point! That's what everyone wants to do, talk to me! Talk, talk, talk, well I don't want to talk! I want to be left alone!" The few people in the common room looked over in their direction when Hermione shouted. When Hermione noticed this she continued "I'm sorry, I'm just tired, I'm going to go to bed, night."
"Night Hermione" said Luna.
As soon as she left Ginny looked at Luna and said "that girl has more on her mind than her grandma, I just wish I knew what."
"If I know Hermione, which I don't claim to that well, but, she'll tell us when she's good and ready" commented Luna.
The next morning at breakfast Hermione got a letter form her parents:
Dear Hermione,
We do hope you're still doing well, we
have decided to take a little trip over
the Christmas holidays, won't that be
fun? If you don't feel up to staying at
school you can always come home,
you know that don't you sweet heart.
see you soon.
Love,
Mom and dad
"Is it really almost Christmas? I didn't realize we had been at school that long" said Hermione.
"Yeah, we're all going home, Bill and Charlie are coming in and we figured we would go celebrate Christmas with them, Harry's coming, you can too if you want" said Ron.
"Thanks, but I think my parents are planning a trip, who knows where to. I might have to do that" Hermione informed him.
"Well that should be fun. Going off some place, getting away" Ginny made this comment from across from them.
Their day went along smoothly for the most part, except for potions, but nothing ever went along smoothly in that class. Snape took fifty points from Gryffindor when Neville and Sarah, who seemed to be spending a lot of time together, added to many lacewings to their potion and it exploded, covering the walls, the ceiling, and the students.
"Do not open your mouths, go wash this off before, the last thing I need is a bunch of sixth years telling the truth all day long" snapped Snape.
Other than that however, everything was fine. In Transfiguration they were attempting to change a feather into an entire bird.
"Very good Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, would you see me after class please" said professor McGonagall.
"Yes Professor" they all said.
After class they waited for everyone to leave. Then they approached her desk.
"Ah, yes, now as to the matter of your detentions, Mr. Weasley you will be helping Professor Trelawney in her classroom, Mr. Potter, you're to meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall, and Miss Granger, You will be in the dungeons with Professor Snape. All of you should report to your detention spot at eight o'clock sharp, no later. That will be all, thank you."
When they had left the class room Ron said "Great, Trelawney, I'll be polishing crystal balls and cleaning up tea leaves all night."
"Hey at least you don't have to spend the night with Filch, who knows what he'll have me do."
All Hermione said was "Snape."
"Okay, you win Hermione you'll probably have the worst time, he'll probably have you clean the Veritaserum off the walls." Ron said in a pitying voice.
At ten till eight they all left the common room, Harry and Hermione walked together as Ron set off up the stairs.
"Hermione, I know you're tired of hearing this, but Ron, Ginny, Luna, and I are worried about you. You're not acting like yourself. Are you sure you're okay?" asked Harry.
Hermione would have been angry if it wasn't for the tone of his voice and the look on his face. He really was worried about her. "I'm fine but thanks for being concerned."
When they reached the Entrance Hall Hermione gave Harry an 'I'm sorry' look and headed to the dungeon.
"Ah, Miss Granger, good of you to join us, no we can get started. Start on opposite walls and work your way around" said Snape.
Hermione froze; she just saw who she was serving her detention with.
"No mom, I need to go back, I don't want to get behind on my school work."
What she didn't say was that she needed to go back. She was tire of her house and people constantly looking at her with pity. She just wanted to get back to Hogwarts. But mostly she needed to see Harry and Ron, she know that they would act normal around her, even if everyone else didn't. Her parents didn't even do that.
Hermione was standing with her parents in front of the fire in the Leaky Cauldron. She had her bags and was ready to go.
"Well, if you need anything, you know you can tell us" said Hermione's father.
"And you can always come home if you need to. You shouldn't push yourself." Her mother really didn't understand.
"I'm fine; you're acting like I'm the one who had the heart attack. Don't worry, I'm fine. And I'm leaving now. Bye." When Hermione had finished saying this she gave her parents a hug.
"I love you sweetie" said Mr. Granger to his daughter.
"I love you too, both of you. Bye." and with that she stepped into the fire and disappeared.
"Thank you so very much for helping me to the castle, I'm not sure if I would have made it on my own." Said Sarah, she was already out of breath, much like Neville. Just then McGonagall showed up and pulled Harry aside. When he rejoined the group he had a very strange look on his face.
"Ron, we need to get up to Dumbledore's office." Harry explained.
"Oh, that's just where I was headed. I'll go with you," said Sarah.
"Ok, come on, let's go." Said Harry, when they started walking he leaned over and whispered to Ron "Hermione's coming back today, we need to go meet her."
"So what classes do you guys take here?" Asked Sarah.
"Well there's Transfiguration, taught by McGonagall, who you just saw. Herbology with Professor Sprout, Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid" Harry was interrupted by Ron, "You might want to watch out in that class." "Yeah, Hagrid is a good guy, he just loves.....different.......animals. Anyway, then there's charms with Flitwick, and History of Magic with Binns, now that class is fun."
"Oh, yeah, Binns is just great, just keeps going and going and going." Explained Ron
"He sounds like the Energizer Bunny" laughed Sarah.
"Who?" questioned Ron.
"The Energizer Bunny........no.....ok well energizer is a type of battery and it's supposed to last for a long time, and there is this toy bunny that uses them for power, never mind, I was living with muggles friends in America, well actually I left there and went to live with my parents in Africa, but they got scared and decided this was the safest place for me."
"Scared of what?" asked Harry.
"Well of Voldemort of course" said Sarah.
"Hold on, so your parents are scared enough to send you away to keep you safe, yet you say his name, why is that?" asked Ron.
"Because, you should always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself." Explained Sarah like it was an obvious fact.
All of a sudden something clicked in Harry's brain. He had heard that speech before, but from someone else.
"Where did you hear that? I mean did you think it up on your own?"
They had arrived had arrived at Dumbledore's office and were on their way up the moving staircase.
"Oh, no, I didn't make that up. My" she was interrupted by a voice from inside the office.
"Sarah is that you I hear?"
As they got to the top of the staircase they saw Dumbledore standing with his hands behind his back.
"Uncle Dumbledore!" Sarah exclaimed just before she ran over to him and gave him a hug, leaving a stunned Ron standing with Harry.
"Uncle Dumbledore" said Ron.
"Yes, Sarah here is the daughter of my half-sister" explained Dumbledore.
They were all startled when they heard a loud pop.
"Miss me" said Hermione as she stepped out of the fireplace.
"I still cannot believe that Dumbledore has a niece!" Said Hermione for the thousandth time.
"I can't believe Dumbledore is still making you serve your detention" said Ron.
They were sitting in the Gryffindor common room by the fire doing homework. They were sitting in calm silence until...
"Oh no!" Hermione Squealed.
"What?!?" Harry exclaimed.
"I left my Ancient Ruins book in the library this afternoon, and I need it for my homework, now I have to go get it" said Hermione in an exasperated voice.
As soon as she stepped out of the portrait hole Ron said "I swear, lately I wouldn't be surprised if she walked into class without her homework."
Hermione got to the library and picked up her book, but on her way back she had to stop. She sat down on a step. She felt so tired. She knew her mind had been in a whole other world this past week, she had been forgetting things a lot, and to top it all off yesterday in charms she realized that professor Flitwick was looking at her expectantly, not only did she not know the answer to his question, she didn't even know what he had been saying.
Never in her life had she been like this, when she was in her muggle school she had actually been ahead of the rest of the kids her age. At Hogwarts she had always been top of her class, what had happened?
She just didn't care, but that was wrong, she cared that she didn't care.
"Ah, Granger, dreaming of classes no doubt" said a voice from in front of her.
Hermione looked up and said "leave me alone Malfoy, I'm upset and I don't feel like hitting you."
"What's got you so upset; worried you're too far behind to catch up? Afraid they're going to kick you out?" Malfoy sneered with a smirk on his face.
"Go away Malfoy!" Hermione said in a threatening tone.
"Why? I have just as much right to be here as you do, I think I'll just have a seat." He sat down on the step next to her, as far away as he could.
They sat in silence for a few minutes until Hermione couldn't take it anymore "Fine, I'm upset because my grandmother died recently, ok, are you happy now?" Malfoy sat with a strange look on his face for a minute then slowly he stood up and turned toward her.
He paused as if to say something but decided against it and walk up the stairs, pausing on the step she was sitting on, Hermione wasn't sure but she thought she felt his hand graze her shoulder.
"Hermione I know you don't want to talk about it, but there is something bothering you, other than your grandma, Harry and Ron are worried and to tell you the truth we are too." Hermione had sat on the step for a long time thinking before she returned to the common room. When she had it had been almost empty, except for Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood.
They had pulled her over to a chair and sat her down. Ginny then started to talk; Luna seemed content to just sit there. "Look we know you must be having a hard time, and we can't even begin to imagine what you're going through, but we want to help, and you won't let us" Ginny ranted.
"I'm just very confused right now. I don't even really understand what's wrong" said Hermione. Which was the truth, she was very confused but she knew what she was confused about, on the stairs, she couldn't explain it but she had the feeling that Malfoy had been trying to console her in a way, the exact way she needed, actually being left alone.
"We're your friends Hermione, and we want to help you, and that means we will listen to you if all you need is to talk." Said Luna, the way she was looking at her Hermione had the feeling she knew something had happened.
"But that's the point! That's what everyone wants to do, talk to me! Talk, talk, talk, well I don't want to talk! I want to be left alone!" The few people in the common room looked over in their direction when Hermione shouted. When Hermione noticed this she continued "I'm sorry, I'm just tired, I'm going to go to bed, night."
"Night Hermione" said Luna.
As soon as she left Ginny looked at Luna and said "that girl has more on her mind than her grandma, I just wish I knew what."
"If I know Hermione, which I don't claim to that well, but, she'll tell us when she's good and ready" commented Luna.
The next morning at breakfast Hermione got a letter form her parents:
Dear Hermione,
We do hope you're still doing well, we
have decided to take a little trip over
the Christmas holidays, won't that be
fun? If you don't feel up to staying at
school you can always come home,
you know that don't you sweet heart.
see you soon.
Love,
Mom and dad
"Is it really almost Christmas? I didn't realize we had been at school that long" said Hermione.
"Yeah, we're all going home, Bill and Charlie are coming in and we figured we would go celebrate Christmas with them, Harry's coming, you can too if you want" said Ron.
"Thanks, but I think my parents are planning a trip, who knows where to. I might have to do that" Hermione informed him.
"Well that should be fun. Going off some place, getting away" Ginny made this comment from across from them.
Their day went along smoothly for the most part, except for potions, but nothing ever went along smoothly in that class. Snape took fifty points from Gryffindor when Neville and Sarah, who seemed to be spending a lot of time together, added to many lacewings to their potion and it exploded, covering the walls, the ceiling, and the students.
"Do not open your mouths, go wash this off before, the last thing I need is a bunch of sixth years telling the truth all day long" snapped Snape.
Other than that however, everything was fine. In Transfiguration they were attempting to change a feather into an entire bird.
"Very good Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, would you see me after class please" said professor McGonagall.
"Yes Professor" they all said.
After class they waited for everyone to leave. Then they approached her desk.
"Ah, yes, now as to the matter of your detentions, Mr. Weasley you will be helping Professor Trelawney in her classroom, Mr. Potter, you're to meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall, and Miss Granger, You will be in the dungeons with Professor Snape. All of you should report to your detention spot at eight o'clock sharp, no later. That will be all, thank you."
When they had left the class room Ron said "Great, Trelawney, I'll be polishing crystal balls and cleaning up tea leaves all night."
"Hey at least you don't have to spend the night with Filch, who knows what he'll have me do."
All Hermione said was "Snape."
"Okay, you win Hermione you'll probably have the worst time, he'll probably have you clean the Veritaserum off the walls." Ron said in a pitying voice.
At ten till eight they all left the common room, Harry and Hermione walked together as Ron set off up the stairs.
"Hermione, I know you're tired of hearing this, but Ron, Ginny, Luna, and I are worried about you. You're not acting like yourself. Are you sure you're okay?" asked Harry.
Hermione would have been angry if it wasn't for the tone of his voice and the look on his face. He really was worried about her. "I'm fine but thanks for being concerned."
When they reached the Entrance Hall Hermione gave Harry an 'I'm sorry' look and headed to the dungeon.
"Ah, Miss Granger, good of you to join us, no we can get started. Start on opposite walls and work your way around" said Snape.
Hermione froze; she just saw who she was serving her detention with.