"Did you hear what Malfoy did?" Ron asked as the three sat down to dinner. It'd been a few weeks since their retribution for what happened to Hermione, and November was drawing to a close. "He stole Longbottom's remembrall and nearly broke it. He's got three weeks detention after someone told Madam Hooch,"
"For a Slytherin he can be an absolute idiot," Hermione rolled her eyes. "He gives Salazar a bad name,"
"So long as he stays away from us," Harry shrugged, sending a wolfish grin to Theodore Nott when they locked eyes. The boy jumped and turned white, looking away.
Though the teachers had never found out what happened, and Hogwarts was sued considerably after the disappearance of Pansy Parkinson, there had been a significant uptick in students avoiding the trio.
They'd also finally made a schedule for when they want to look over the founders' rooms, which probably won't be until the end of second year as they've decided to first get through the entire Ravenclaw and Hogwarts libraries first.
"I lettered Sirius and Remus, so they'll pick us up from the platform during Yule," Harry said to his friends. "I'm nervous, honestly,"
Hermione placed her hand over his. "They already love you based on letters. They'll love you in real life, too, because they're your godfathers,"
"Besides, it's not like you'll be alone all break," Ron grinned. "I just hope they don't get too frustrated with Missy," The sentence made all three laugh. It was only by sheer luck the Niffler hadn't been found out, with the amount of jewelry and coins that had gone missing.
"Argh! I hate him! He's a loathsome, insolent, incompetent, disgusting, rude, garish bastard of a man!" Hermione yelled out, tossing her bag on the floor of their dorm and kicking her bed.
As you can assume, they'd just returned from another Potions lesson. Just like always, Professor Snape made sure to specifically target the three of them. He down right refused to call on Hermione, continuously tried (and failed) to target Harry and ask him questions that should be impossible for a first year to answer in order to embarrass the young eagle, and had given Ron three detentions for jumping to his friends' defense.
"I'm gonna explode," Harry ground his teeth together. "I'm going to lose it,"
"There's no point," Ron grumbled, flopping on his bed. "He's a git and none of us can stand him, but he's the only competent potions master in England. Why he chose to be a teacher, I'll never know but good Merlin he's complete arse at it. Bloody tosser,"
"Language, Ron," Hermione chidded, disregarding her own previous curse. Harry took a deep breath, allowing his anger to swirl inside him before vanishing.
"Dumbledore's had to have received complaints from parents," Harry said, thinking. "There's literally no way he hasn't, given the treatment Snape gives any non-Slytherin student. So why do nothing?"
"If Dumbledore absolutely needs Professor Snape here, then Dumbledore is the problem and needs to be fixed," Hermione crossed her arms. "Everything Professor Snape does with his teaching method goes against the Hogwarts Handbook. He's an excellent teacher, yes, but a boyhood grudge shouldn't've turned him completely mad. Though I do doubt that as well, considering what we've heard of his treatment towards Longbottom,"
Ron, who had been uncharacteristically silent until then, suddenly zoned back in, shaking his head. "We need to look into the Philosopher's Stone, and dig up everything from Dumbledore's past. We get dirt on him, he gets put on probation, and Snape has to behave,"
"We're not going to get context, are we?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes when Ron simply grinned.
"I'll start on Dumbledore's past," Hermione sighed.
"Dibs on the Philosopher's Stone, then," Harry offered. "Ron, that means you get to do the first draft for the Charms paper. 15 inches,"
"Bollocks," Ron grumbled, pulling out his homework and getting to work.
"That's one way for him to be productive," Hermione teased. "We should get him motivated more often,"
"If only Hogwarts' education system didn't suck," Harry sighed, wistful.
o - o - o
"But why would Dumbledore be hiding the Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts?" Harry asked, frowning. "Wouldn't it be better suited somewhere safer? And less populated by children?"
"That's the thing, Hogwarts isn't just a school," Hermione went into what Ron and Harry fondly called lecture-mode. "At the time, it was also used as a stronghold with enough room for guests and refugees– granted that space has doubled with the classes now gone. And since you're right, and it's populated by children, Hogwarts has the strongest wards in all the United Kingdom,"
"Not to mention that the vault it was being kept in had been broken into," Ron pointed to the newspaper Hermione had found in the library, as the school kept them all for class projects.
None of them had Prophet subscriptions until a week or so ago, which explained why they hadn't seen the headline for the break in at Gringotts the same day they'd been there. Harry said the vault was the one Hagrid had spoken about before Harry escaped the half-giant's clutches.
Suddenly, Hermione's eyes gained a glint, the girl sitting criss-cross on her bed. "The third floor corridor should remain avoided by all those who don't wish to die a most horrible death," She quipped, looking at her best friends. "That's what Dumbledore said,"
"We should check it out just before we leave for Yule break," Harry reasoned. "That way we won't get in too much trouble. And we might be able to find some things in the Black family library,"
"I find it strange that Nicolas Flammel would trust Dumbledore with the only thing keeping him and his wife alive," Ron frowned. "You'd think he'd keep that close to him,"
"Perhaps he didn't leave it with the Headmaster," Hermione pointed out before the three of them got to work on their actual homework.
"That's it!" Hermione yelled, the entire Ravenclaw Tower rattling. Harry and Ron looked at each other with wide eyes after the girl entered their dorm room before looking at their female friend.
"I don't care how," Hermione whispered, deadly quiet. "We get rid of Dumbledore, now, because it wouldn't be fair to kill the parents on the board for being mindless sheep. I want that man dead because this school is a joke!"
"Easy, 'Mione, easy," Ron said, slipping his hand into her left one as Harry took the right. "We can't just yet. What's wrong?"
"What's wrong is that I just helped a third year with their homework! All of it is full of things a squib could probably do! Hogwarts is supposed to be the best school in the wizarding world! At this rate I'd probably have learned more magic if I'd stayed with the muggles and self-studied!"
"How would we even go about getting Dumbledore fired?" Harry inquired aloud. "He's been headmaster for 50 years, and he's got a lot of political clout. Not many people will be keen to make such a big change as to remove him from a place of power, regardless of if they think he should have it or not,"
"I'm assuming magical laws on the treatment of children are to be the same, or at least highly similar, to muggle ones," Hermione looked at the raven. "In which case there are two universal things that make every teacher lose their teaching license, or at the very least get it suspended: inappropriate relations with a student, or endangering their students,"
"So far Dumbledore has done neither of those. 'Mione we might have to face that this is what the rest of our school years will be like," Ron said, then winced when Hermione glowered. "Right. In that case we'll need to plan,"
"Then let's make it quick," Hermione breathed heavily, releasing her anger in one breath. "These teachers are incompetent at best. Next to no one pays attention in class and they're all passing anyway! When he's fired I want to call in the Department of Magical Education to look into the school because I have never been more bored, or gone to such dull classes in my life! "
"Yes ma'am," Harry mock saluted, laughing when Hermione flicked him on the nose. "Now come on and pack. The train leaves tonight, and I want to check out the room on the third floor corridor,"
"Fine," Hermione marched toward her bed, Gizmo immediately jumping into her arms. The kneazle purred as she massaged his fur before laying him on her bed so she could pack.
"Alright, let's check it out," Ron whispered. "The commotion of everyone rushing around to pack or prepare for the winter hols will keep everyone distracted, and the teachers are decorating the Great Hall,"
The trio quickly and quietly headed up the stairs, narrowly avoiding Filch and his cat on the second floor.
Stopping in front of the room, Hermione raised her wand. "Alohomora," Creaking, the door swung open and Hermione felt her heart stop.
"Oh my god," She choked, feeling faint and her knees wobbling. Inside the room, of course, was a Cerberus. A giant, three-headed dog, sleeping.
"Hermione?" Ron asked while Harry smiled to himself at the memory of the Dursley's dog.
"I'm terrified of dogs," Hermione squealed out, teary eyed. "I got attacked by one when I was four,"
"Okay," Harry shut the door firmly, taking one of her arms. Ron took the other, and the three best friends walked off as Hermione gathered her wits.
"Did you see the trapdoor?" Hermione asked. "Under its paws. The Cerberus is guarding something, and I don't think it's the gate to Hell,"
Ron outright laughed at that while Harry snorted. "That was poor, Hermione. Absolutely disgusting,"
"You're upset you didn't think of it first, aren't you?"
"Obviously,"
hey so this is a shorter chapter but little update; i finally got back into writing! i mean thats no excuse for not posting considering this fic was finished when i started posting it but meh
anyway, im working on the second book and attempting to figure out a plan? should the diary be the one horcrux voldy has? should lucius still slip it into ginny's cauldron? im open to considering your guyses ideas
also should the trio have more friends? right now its just the three of them, as it should be, but should they befriend other students? i have a lot of ideas but a lot of what i write is aimed more towards what i like versus what i think readers would like so i kinda wanna switch it up so that this doesnt flop. of all the hp fics ive written this is one of my favorites
for those of you who have read Code of the Pride IT IS NOT ABANDONED! its one of my first good fics, i have more ideas and things, the problem is i. technically have not finished the anime, so ive written all the way up to where i am in it.
last thing; if you have criticisms please please Please. dont be mean, mean comments are not accepted and kill my motivation; if you dont like, dont read. but yeah, this fic is finished im just working on posting it so if youve got any tidbits youd like to see in book two, leave a comment!
~ baby-gronckle