Hermione could tell that Harry was still on edge about Voldemort hiding in the forest. She had no idea how he was managing his preparing for his exams; the dark circles under his eyes made it obvious he was having nightmares, and he was constantly rubbing his forehead where his scar was, as if it hurt.
Voldemort being a threat seemed to hang heavily over Harry, Ron, and Neville, seen in the bleak looks they exchanged and the shadows under their eyes. Hermione had been surprised to realize that she wasn't anywhere nearly as concerned or stressed as they were, despite believing that Voldemort might be lurking nearby. When she'd realized this, she'd quietly asked someone who she'd thought would know.
Theo had been surprised, to say the least.
"You want to know why you're not afraid of the Dark Lord?" he repeated.
Hermione winced.
"Can you keep your voice down?" she hissed. "And… not like that. I mean, I have a general ominous feeling about if he returned to power, but not as much stress as… other people do."
"Returned to power?" Theo raised an eyebrow. "You don't think the Dark Lord was vanquished at the Potter's that fateful night?"
Hermione bit her lip.
"That's an interesting word to use, 'vanquish'," she said. "No one ever actually says that he died."
There was a silence, and Theo gave her a slow look.
"I would imagine you're talking about your Gryffindor pals, being anxious about it," he said, and Hermione nodded. Theo cleared his throat and continued. "In that instance, I'd suggest that you're only working off an abstract idea of the Dark Lord, whereas they have much more direct experience with the Dark Lord and his reign."
"Direct experience?" Hermione questioned, quizzical. "They all would have only been one year old!"
"And they would have grown up hearing the stories and seeing the scars left behind," Theo said calmly. "Weasley lost family in that time, fighting against the Dark Lord. His mother would have told their story at least once a year. Longbottom lives with his Grandmother – his parents were targeted after the war by crazed followers of the Dark Lord, who believed they knew where they could find their Lord."
Hermione stared, shaken. Theo's look was grim.
"And Potter- well, he's the worst of the lot, isn't it?" he said. "His parents, both killed in front of him. The Dark Lord, going after him specifically. If Potter thinks the Dark Lord might return, he's probably right in thinking the Dark Lord will target him."
Hermione swallowed, imagining.
"And then there's you," Theo said, his eyes sharpening. "New Blood or Muggle-born, you were brought up in a Muggle house all the same. You grew up with your own stories, your own dangers to worry over. You never heard the stories, never learned the fear of the name. To you, it's still conceptual, almost a cultural fear of a myth you picked up from a storybook."
"I- it's not like that."
"Isn't it?" Theo looked angry, now. "You come in here, and you want to know why you're not afraid of the Dark Lord. Do you know what that even means? Do you know what happened to this country at all?"
"I do fear the Dark Lord!" Hermione hissed. She grabbed Theo's tie and dragged him closer, glaring into his eyes. "Look at me. Look at me. I know his platform. I know who he targeted. I know who he killed. Do you honestly think I don't fear the Dark Lord?"
Theo looked startled and a little scared at her vehemence. Hermione let go with a disgusted look.
"Fearing the Dark Lord isn't the same as being afraid of the Dark Lord," she said. "It's more… I'm afraid of a rampaging dragon, that burns anything in its path. But I have a healthy fear of a sphinx, who is terrible, to be sure, but only cuts down the unworthy and isn't indiscriminate about the damage they cause."
Theo gave her a long look.
"You think the Dark Lord would find you worthy," he said finally. "Despite your Muggle upbringing. Despite your Muggle blood."
"New Blood," Hermione corrected.
Theo waved her off. "Whatever."
Hermione met his gaze steadily as he looked at her.
"I suppose if the Dark Lord ever returns, we'll find out if he judges you worthy or not," Theo said slowly. "It could go either way. I hope he would, Hermione – but no one can predict what the Dark Lord would do."
Theo gave her a look, a look that clearly read Do not speak of this conversation to anyone or I will kill you, before leaving the classroom. Hermione observed his toss of his head and shoulders, and idly wondered if he was trying for a dramatic exit like Snape made, only to have it fall drastically short without the use of a cape.
Hermione scowled after him.
"I thought the Dark Lord valued power," Hermione muttered to herself, sulky. "And if he truly values power... I've got that in spades."