Apologies for the shorter chapter! I've been working a bit more on a separate fanfiction and also the next chapter should be a lot longer (there will be a lot of drama – similar to chapter 8) so stay around to read it!

Again – severe bashing of Ginny in this chapter but all will be resolved in the next few (she won't be as evil as Umbridge lol, she just needs some help).

happylady – I promise all this info they learn in the lessons will be useful soon! The chapter after this one will show more of the Wizengamot which I hope you'll enjoy :)

Valkara – My bad for the silly mistake haha! I never knew there was a thing called fanon, so that was very interesting to me. I'm also delighted you think I'm doing a good job of representing my characters. Sirius will take a more prominent role soon (I know that he's taken a bit of a back seat for the most recent chapters but fear not! He shall return).

Chapter 15

Neville grimly handed over the Prophet to them, a picture of Harry and Hermione kissing in the Three Broomsticks filling up almost half the page. The title in glaring letters declaring 'Has Our Chosen One found his Chosen One?'.

Murmurs were rippling around the hall and while Hermione watched Harry read it, she knew that though the majority of Hogwarts knew, it was different now the Prophet had caught wind of it. Everyone would know. "God it's going to be like a repeat of fourth year again," Hermione moaned, glancing up the roof and praying owls wouldn't start dropping her letters again until she'd had time to prepare something to see if the letters were cursed. She didn't want to spend another time in the hospital wing because someone thought she was leading around two famous boys. While she still remained friends with Krum, it was completely platonically. On her side at least.

"What bullshit is this?" Harry said disgustedly, dropping it onto the table with a scowl.

"Just thought you should see it," Neville replied heavily. Hermione didn't even bother to pick it up. While she desperately wanted to know what it said about her she knew it was probably better if she didn't. Since she was muggleborn, the likelihood of any of it being kind was slim.

"Let's see?" Ron mumbled around the food in his mouth. Hermione scrunched her nose at that, gross.

Harry handed it to him, squeezing Hermione's hand in a silent show of support. She knew she shouldn't be bothered by this, it wasn't the first time after all but the pain of rejection again and again by the wizarding world still hurt. All because her parents weren't magical.

"Ignore it, the prophet is run by pureblood bigots still in from Fudge's time as minister. I bet Minister Bones will get rid of the journalists soon," Dean butted into the conversation.

"Exactly, maybe the public will massively disagree with the article, we just don't know," Seamus added, backing up his friend.

"Well last year they told me exactly what they thought of me dating Harry," Hermione retorted angrily, thoroughly fed up now. She and Harry loved each other, why did the wizarding world have such a problem with that because of her blood purity? How were they still so backward? Vowing to try to learn as much as possible from Sirius to try and change this, she focused back on Harry who was watching her worriedly.

Suddenly Neville shifted aside and Katie Bell dropped down into the space with a small smile.

"Hey Harry."

If Hermione was a cat, her hackles would be raised. While she knew Harry and Katie knew each other from quidditch at this rate she didn't trust any girl apart from Parvati and Lavender to be around him. Which, given their history was surprising.

Harry just responded with a grimace and she sighed. "I've seen the prophet and it's utter bullshit. Dean and Seamus are right, it's just the same old rubbish spouted by pureblood bigots."

"What can I do though?" Harry asked hopelessly. "I don't want Hermione to have to go through the hate she went through last year again. It put her in the hospital wing!"

"I mean, I would suggest doing an interview like you did back in fifth year for the Quibbler, remember it was your way to get your story out and people believed you? But maybe write to Sirius, he'd know the best way forward."

Hermione wanted to facepalm and one look at Harry told her the same thing. Even Ron looked surprised. They had gotten so used to not being able to rely on adults they had completely forgotten about Sirius.

Harry immediately scrabbled around in his pockets for a quill and some paper which Hermione swiftly produced from her bag. Sheepishly thanking her, he took them and began scribbling a quick note to Sirius about the situation before they had to go to lessons.

Looking away from him and seeing Ron frowning at someone Hermione tracked his gaze to Ginny, who was watching them from far down the table. Her skin prickled at the redheads cold gaze but she shook it off, choosing instead to remind Harry they only had five minutes before needing to leave. However, it wouldn't do too much harm to keep an eye on the youngest Weasley would it?

Hermione was just washing her hands in the bathroom when the door swung open and Ginny entered. Immediately Hermione ducked behind a cubicle, nervous at being alone with Ginny again. Cursing herself for her cowardice, she was about to move out of her hiding spot when Ginny tugged a potion out of her bag.

Frowning, Hermione studied it from what she could see and judging by the steam rising in characteristic spirals of amortentia, that was what it was. But how had she got it? While Ginny may be talented with spells, amortentia was a sixth year potion that she didn't have the skills or knowledge for yet as the recipe was in the restricted section, along with all NEWT potions and spells. And aside from that, why did she even need it?

Next to her stood an unfamiliar girl, clearly a good friend of hers and Hermione listened in horror as Ginny instructed her to slip some of the potion in Harry's drink while passing, saying she'd get away with it as Ginny would be too recognisable to do it.

Sick to the stomach, Hermione waited till she heard the footsteps leave and the door close before slipping out the stall. She had to warn Harry. Just imagining her boyfriend becoming obsessed with Ginny made her feel ill. While she had previously felt sorry for Ginny this was inexcusable. A fifteen year old should certainly know better, especially when considering it didn't even create love, just obsession. She didn't need him to love her back, she needed therapy.

Glancing into the mirror as she finished drying her hands, she opened her mouth to scream at the reflection of a figure behind her, wand raised but a sharp pain entered her back and all she could do was gasp. Limply moving a hand to area, she brought it away and watched her warm sticky blood drip off her hands.

"You really thought I didn't see you when I came in," Ginny scoffed. The pain was already numbing the edges of Hermione's mind and she couldn't muster the strength to answer, not that Ginny seemed to mind as she instead carried on with her monologue.

"Mum said he would love me, that I was special and he couldn't not take notice of me! I'm beautiful, smart, talented, everything you are and more! I don't know how you manipulated him into loving you but I'm just setting it right. Imagine it, we'll graduate, he'll propose, I'll become and international quidditch star and the 'Chosen one's wife'. I'll be revered by everyone." The wonder in her voice was sickening. "They'll love me like they never could love you, after all have you seen everyone's reaction to the prophet? Mum's written to me how disgusted she is, how everyone hates you. After all," she whispered, leaning down to Hermione's ear, "you're just a jumped up muggleborn with no beauty, how could you ever thought you could compete? No you won't get the chance to."

Her cold laugh echoed in Hermione's ear for far longer than could be normal, and with the edges of her vision now dimming she realised she could be dying. After all, she had no idea what spell Ginny had cast on her and what she had finished saying? Did she mean that she wouldn't have a chance to cause of the public's reception… or that she literally wouldn't have a chance as she's be dead.

Fear trickled in her as she slumped against the wall, eyes fluttering closed. She'd never get to have her happy ending. Would anyone even realise what Ginny had done? Maybe they'd think Harry had a change of heart? Ginny was right, she was just a muggleborn witch. She hadn't done anything even notable in her short life. Would she even be remembered in a few years by her closest friends? By Harry? Would she only be remembered as Harry Potter's first girlfriend who tragically died young, and then forgotten about?

Trying to reassure herself that Sirius would never think his change was natural, but somehow not convincing herself she let her head loll forward, no strength to hold it up anymore.

Just as the pain was fading suddenly quiet voices entered her ears, almost like they were underwater. But she wasn't, was she? Struggling to remember, her strength was used up and everything faded, just as she felt someone pick her up. Maybe she wasn't going to die after all?