⚡︎
┄┄ .•* 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟕 *•. ┄┄

𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒌𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔

────── *•. ⚡︎ .•*──────

"Are you listening, Mimi?"

The last day of summer holidays had arrived and with it, the feeling of impending doom had started to rise over Hermione. She was dreading the following years, not wanting to face them.

She was happy at the moment. She was immensely enjoying her freedom, being with her parents and friends, being able to do whatever she wanted without worrying if someone was going to catch her and kill her. She liked the feeling, the feeling that darkness wasn't always upon them. The fact that she was able to travel without worrying or that she could just stay in her boyfriend's apartment and only worry if her dad would catch her.

But Hermione knew that the following years would be far from that. They would be harsh on her, pushing Hermione along with her friends to the limits. And Hermione wasn't ready for that, but she was trying to be. She had even started to plan for the future, as much as she didn't like to plan. Seeing her cousin Draco in Knockturn Alley when they visited the twin's shop, had knocked her off her high horse, and she just knew that they had to be ready for what's to come.

They had met earlier that day in Madam Malkin's and though the Malfoys weren't pleasant, Narcissa took to nodding at Hermione, before the mother and son left the store, as they noticed the trio come in. Hermione watched them descend the street, her eyebrows furrowed and only saw as Draco sent her a desperate look before looking away—something that surprised her a lot, but she figured that was his way of asking for help? Either way, things were starting to get serious.

So she started preparing because if she didn't they would probably die in the first week.

The first thing she did—and it was actually Regulus's idea—was to pay a visit to Gringotts. When Regulus suggested the idea, Annora had jumped onto the train and announced that Hermione had access to another vault in the bank other than the Black one. After all, being the sole heiress of the Hale fortune, Hermione was able to access it—and she needn't be of age, seeing as with the whole time-turner mishap she had gained another year, and even if according to the Ministry she was still sixteen, the Goblins would know that wasn't the case.

The Hales were a really wealthy family from the states, and their sole heir after his older brother died, Edmund Hale, and his girlfriend's soon-to-be wife, Olivia Hale fled to the United Kingdom due to an accidental pregnancy that would be frowned upon back home. When Edmund and his parents died the fortune was passed along to Annora. Being that Olivia managed the safe until she was of age. And now, with Annora gone too, Hermione was the sole heiress.

And if Hermione used the Hale vault, her dad wouldn't have to find out about it—something she made the LCs (Lively Corpses) not to blab. She didn't want to worry him just yet, but she would eventually tell him the following year.

Alongside Fred, Hermione had entered Gringotts. The former was the only one she kept partly in the loop—she didn't tell him of the future, or the reasons why she was doing what she was doing, but Fred didn't ask. He just fiercely told her he wasn't about to let her go alone and she reluctantly let him join her.

After having to go through a DNA test to prove that she was indeed part of the Hale family and who she claimed to be, Hermione had requested a meeting with the Goblin in charge of her vault.

The first thing she asked of him was something she should've done a long time ago—but considering her lack of money from that time, it was actually understandable. She took to invest in the (muggle) stock market, buying shares in companies she was sure would have success in the future.

The second thing she did was a bit more drastic and had the Goblin raise an eyebrow at the request. She had asked him to find one muggle apartment for five different locations. One in Ireland, one in England, one in Wales, one in Spain, and one in France. In addition to this requested and with the help of an incentive she was able to get the Goblins to install blood wards around the different apartments that only she could pass—and allow others inside. The apartments were to be properly furnished and with a minimum of three beds. They needn't be big or even average size, they just needed to serve their purpose.

The final thing she asked of the Goblin was to transfer a rather large amount of her money to pounds and put it in a muggle bank.

The Goblin followed along with her requests, taking notes and when the meeting was over he was looking at Hermione with a sense of respect. He told her that when everything was in order she would get a letter from the bank, along with the keys to the apartments and the debit card she requested.

When everything in the bank was dealt with, Hermione had purchased a notebook and checking over her other ones that included the information for the following years, she started to write things down, scribbles of things she needed to do, and prioritizing, She had locked the notebook with the same charm as the others, and—

"Mimi?" Fred's voice brought her back to Earth.

Hermione blinked, and slowly turned her head to the side, seeing Fred with his head on his hand and propped up in an elbow. He reached out his other hand and tucked a hair behind her ear, Hermione leaning into his touch.

"What?" she asked quietly.

That day, the last day of holidays, the day she would board the Hogwart's Express for possibly the last time, Hermione had slept in the twin's apartment—actually she spent there the entire weekend. They had told Sirius she was in the Burrow, and though Mrs. Weasley didn't approve after some lame excuses like "I won't see him for another year" or "I love him", she was finally convinced when George told her she would be sleeping in the guest bedroom (right.). But Hermione had her mother's permission, so she didn't care.

"You're worrying me," Fred said and Hermione frowned. "What? You woke up early, Mimi. That's concerning."

Hermione drew her eyebrows together and turned her face to the window, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw the sun still rising.

"What time is it?"

"A quarter to six," Fred answered and Hermione nodded. "What's on that beautiful head of yours?"

Hermione snorted slightly before her face grew somber. "The war. . . ."

"Oh," was all Fred said as he nodded.

"I just don't get it, Freddie."

"Don't get what?"

"I don't get why it's necessary," Hermione said throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Why can't we all just stay to our own devices? Why can't VoldyMoldy just take his little cronies and create a kingdom of his own in Alaska or something? I mean, the majority of them are already inbred, so they wouldn't have trouble populating it. Why go through all this work?"

Hermione kept rambling as Fred listened quietly (something that he found himself doing more these days—he loved to listen to Hermione ramble, and in between throw some random comment in her speech but that made sense anyway. He wasn't used not to be the talkative one but he didn't mind as long as he could listen to her beautiful voice ramble about her beliefs). His lips twitched as she kept flailing her arms around, her face changing from frowns to thoughtful expressions.

". . . .and what's all the hate with muggle-borns? I mean we get it, they're not "pure". But who is really? No one's pure. There's always someone who's different. We're all different. Why can't people just get that? And what's with Voldy? I mean all this power search made him lose all his good looks. I mean—why? And I—"

Hermione's speech was cut off by Fred attaching his lips to her, causing Hermione to instantly kiss him back, her hand burying in his red locks. When they pulled apart, Hermione watched, her mouth slightly parted, as a warm smile grew on Fred's face.

"Was that your way of making me shut up?" Hermione asked breathlessly and he laughed.

"No," Fred said trailing her lips with his thumb, "that was my of saying I love you."

"Well, if you love me," Hermione started with a small smile, looking at him through her lashes, "Will you make me pancakes?"

"Are you blackmailing me?"

"Is it working?"

"Yes."

"Great! Love you too!"

Fred laughed as they got out of bed, Hermione throwing one of his shirts over her shorts and tank top and walked through the door, not before letting out a yelp as Fred pinched her butt.

Breakfast was a fun affair. George had been drawn out of his bedroom by the smell of pancakes and with him a pajama-wearing Angelina Johnson—she had been spending most days in the twin's flat now that she was officially dating George (and that took a while). After they ate and even had time to watch a movie—something that surprised Hermione (she didn't know there was so much time in the morning)—, they got ready for the day.

The problem was that by the time they arrived at the station, and by they one means Hermione and Fred, the train was just about to move. Hermione had only time to peck Fred on the lips, promising they would talk soon, passing through a frantic Mrs. Weasley who standing there, and jumped onto the train—her trunk shrunken and tucked in the pocket of her leather jacket and Vader's cage in her hand (Crooks was keeping Sirius company).

"Oi! Harold!" Hermione called as she saw the specky kid walking down the carriage.

The boy in question stopped in his tracks and turned to Hermione with a smile. She ran over to him and brought him into a hug. "I missed you, you dumbarse."

"We saw each other on Wednesday, Dame," Harry replied with a chuckled and Hermione pouted swatting him on the head.

"Let's find a compartment?" Hermione asked and Harry nodded.

"You know," Harry began as they started walking the length of the train, "Ginny said she went to meet her boyfriend."

"She's a bitch, is what she is," Hermione grumbled as she flipped off some staring seventh years. Harry snorted. "She won't tell anyone who it is. Not even me!"

"To be fair, you didn't tell anyone you and Fred were dating," Harry pointed out and Hermione shot him a glare.

"But I didn't rub it in other people's faces!"

"Also fair," Harry conceded and Hermione nodded promptly.

"Hi, Mione, Harry!" said a familiar voice from behind them.

"Neville!" said Harry, turning to see a round-faced boy struggling toward him.

"Hello, Harry, Hermione," said a girl with long hair and large misty eyes, who was just behind Neville.

"Luna, hi, how are you?" Harry said as Hermione beamed at the two.

"Very well, thank you," said Luna. She was clutching a magazine to her chest; large letters on the front announced that there was a pair of free Spectrespecs inside.

"Quibbler still going strong, then?" asked Harry, who felt a certain fondness for the magazine, having given it an exclusive interview the previous year.

"Oh yes, circulation's well up," said Luna happily.

"Let's find seats," said Harry, and the four of them set off along the train through hordes of silently staring students. At last, they found an empty compartment, and Harry hurried inside gratefully. And Hermione was the first one to take a seat near a window.

"They're even staring at us?" said Neville, indicating himself and Luna. "Because we're with you!"

"They're staring at you because you were at the Ministry too," said Harry, as he hoisted his trunk into the luggage rack. "Our little adventure there was all over the Daily Prophet, you must've seen it."

"Yes, I thought Gran would be angry about all the publicity," said Neville, "but she was really
pleased. Says I'm starting to live up to my dad at long last. She bought me a new wand, look!"

He pulled it out and showed it to Harry and Hermione.

"That's great, Nev," Hermione beamed at him and Neville smiled.

"Cherry and unicorn hair," he said proudly. "We think it was one of the last Ollivander ever
sold, he vanished next day...oy, come back here, Trevor!"

And he dived under the seat to retrieve his toad as it made one of its frequent bids for freedom.

"Are we still doing D.A. meetings this year, Harry?" asked Luna, who was detaching a pair of psychedelic spectacles from the middle of The Quibbler.

"No point now we've got rid of Umbridge, is there?" said Harry, sitting down and exchanging a look with Hermione, the latter who was already sitting. Neville bumped his head against the seat as he emerged from under it. He looked most disappointed.

"I liked the D.A.! I learned loads with you!"

"I enjoyed the meetings too," said Luna serenely. "It was like having friends."

"You do have friends!" Hermione said outraged. "What am I? A potted plant?"

Luna laughed at Hermione with her twinkling dulcet and nodded, "You're right. You are a rather pretty plant, Hermione."

Hermione gaped at her but before she could respond, however, there was a disturbance outside their compartment door; a group of fourth-year girls was whispering and giggling together on the other side of the glass.

"You ask him!"

"No, you! "

"I'll do it!"

And one of them, a bold-looking girl with large dark eyes, a prominent chin, and long black hair pushed her way through the door.

"Hi, Harry, I'm Romilda, Romilda Vane," she said loudly and confidently.

"Why don't you join us in our compartment? You don't have to sit with them," she added in a stage whisper, indicating Neville's bottom, which was sticking out from under the seat again as he groped around for Trevor, Luna, who was now wearing her free Spectrespecs, which gave her the look of a demented, multicolored owl, and Hermione who was crossing her arms over her chest, cocking up an eyebrow at the girl.

"They're friends of mine," said Harry coldly. "And Mione is family."

"And you're not welcomed," Hermione said directing her statement to the girl at the door who glared slightly at her.

"Oh," said the girl, looking very surprised. "Oh. Okay."

And she withdrew, sliding the door closed behind her.

"People expect you to have cooler friends than us," said Luna, once again displaying her knack
for embarrassing honesty.

"You are cool," said Harry shortly. "None of them was at the Ministry. They didn't fight with me."

"That's a very nice thing to say," beamed Luna. Then she pushed her Spectrespecs farther up her nose and settled down to read The Quibbler.

"We didn't face him, though," said Neville, emerging from under the seat with fluff and dust in his hair and a resigned-looking Trevor in his hand. "You did. You should hear my gran talk about you. 'That Harry Potter's got more backbone than the whole Ministry of Magic put together!' She'd give anything to have you as a grandson. . . ."

"That's cause she can't appreciate the great-grandson she already has," Hermione muttered under her breath before she stood up. "I'll be back later, guys, I need to find Blaise and Theo."

The three of them nodded and Hermione slipped through the door of the compartment.

Halfway through the carriage, she bumped into someone and when Hermione looked up she found a stranger boy looking down at her with a smirk.

"You're Hermione Black, right?" he asked smugly and Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, unimpressed.

"And if I am?"

"I'm Cormac McLaggen," he said and Hermione almost groaned.

"And I don't care," she muttered as she made to pass by him.

"Trying to play hard to get, I see," he said as he grabbed her wrist.

Hermione gave him a sickly sweet smile before wandlessly stupifying him. McLaggen fell on the floor unconscious. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said not sounding sorry at all as she passed over his unconscious body and continued down the train.

When she finally came face to face with the compartment holding her Slytherin friends, she was surprised to see that Daphne wasn't the blonde she found along with the two boys. It was Malfoy.

"You know," Hermione began as she opened the door, "I just found a body on the way here."

"You killed someone, didn't you?" Blaise asked with an amused smile as he stood up to hug Hermione.

"What? Of course, I didn't," Hermione said rolling her eyes as she pecked Theo on the cheek and sat down next to Draco, who was still looking out of the window. "I just knocked him out."

"There it is," Blaise snorted.

"Oi, BZ?" Hermione asked frowning at Blaise. "Why is Dragon here?"

"He needed to hang out with someone who wouldn't deter his brain cells away," Blaise said casually and Theo nodded while Draco huffed.

Hermione smiled in amusement but it instantly dropped as she looked over at Theo. He looked ragged. He had a cigarette lit between his lips—something that would be completely normal, if it wasn't by the way there were already a few fags on the metallic bin on the floor, and the train had only been moving for half an hour or so. His hair was disheveled and there were big bags under his eyes contrasting to the fact that his skin was paler. He even looked thinner than she did before. Hermione frowned, no knowing what—

It hit her. Theo was alone.

Hermione didn't know how she had missed it or forgot it, but she felt like a horrible friend. Theo's dad had been sent to jail along with the Death Eaters in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and with his mom being gone, of course, he wouldn't be alright.

But before she could say anything on the matter, the compartment door slid open again and a breathless third-year girl stepped inside.

"I'm supposed to deliver these to Blaise Zabini and H-Hermione Black," she faltered, as her eyes met Hermione's and she turned scarlet.

She was holding out two scrolls of parchment tied with violet ribbon. With confused glances at each other, Hermione and Blaise took the scroll addressed to each of them and the girl stumbled back out of the compartment.

"What is it?" Theo demanded as Blaise unrolled his.

"An invitation," said Hermione not even bothering to open hers.

Blaise read his out loud:

Mr. Zabini,

I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite of lunch in compartment C.

Sincerely,
Professor H. E. F. Slughorn

"Are you going?" Hermione asked Blaise and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess. . . ."

"Great, because there can't be two people missing," Hermione said with a sigh before she threw the paper in the metalling bin and set it on fire.

"Really?" Theo asked in amusement and Hermione shrugged.

"Can I talk to you, Teddy?" Hermione asked with a smile directing her question to Theo and Draco snorted at the nickname.

Hermione smacked him around the head making him scowl. "Look who's talking Dragon Malloy."

"What do you need, Mione?" Theo asked cocking up an eyebrow and Hermione only looked over at the door, telling him that they couldn't talk there. He nodded.

So the two of them, along with Blaise who was headed to Slughorn's compartment, stepped out of the compartment. Hermione led her friend through the carriage and they finally reached a compartment with a couple of fourth-years snogging.

"Ahem!" Hermione coughed loudly and they jerked apart.

She then put her leather jacket to the side and pointed to the prefect badge attached to the waistband of her jeans.

"Hi, I'm Hermione. Prefect," she said with a sweet voice not even trying to make it believable. "You know snogging is illegal! The number of germs it passes! Go! I need to sterilize the compartment."

"What?" one of the girls asked, exchanging a look with her girlfriend.

"It's in the rules. Section 45-B," Hermione said with a believable voice. "If you don't believe me go look! But out of here because I need to sterilize the compartment."

The girls grumbled as they left and then Hermione pushed a laughing Theo inside and closed the doors.

"That was the best excuse you could come up with?" he laughed cocking up an eyebrow and Hermione shrugged, her face more serious now. Theo noticed."Okay, what's wrong?"

"Funny, I was just going to ask you that," Hermione said and she saw Theo pale slightly.

"You know then," he said with a nod as he took a seat, Hermione taking the one opposite.

"That you're currently living alone? Yeah. . . ."

"That's all you know?" Theo asked frowning at her and that made Hermione curious.

"What do you meant, that's all I know?"

"Mimi, the Dark Lord has been trying to get to me the past months," Theo answered as swallowed hard and Hermione's heart dropped.

"What?"

"Since father was put in Azkaban—good riddance, mind you— the Dark Lord has been trying for me to replace him in his circle," he said not looking her in the eye, his hands shaking slightly as he reached for another fag in his pocket and lit it up.

"Like Draco?" Hermione asked and Theo looked at her surprised before nodding. "You're not joining."

"It's not like I want to, Mione," Theo said looking downcast as he took a drag out of the cigarette, exhaling and filling the compartment with smoke—not that Hermione minded at the moment, her focus elsewhere. "But once father gets out, and he will, I won't have a choice."

"No."

"What do you mean 'no', Hermione?" he asked incredulously. "I don't have a choice! He'll kill me!"

"Not if he doesn't find you!" Hermione said back and Theo looked at her in shock. "I won't let him do that to one of my best friends. Kill you or make you join. You're living with me from now on."

"I—What?"

"I was going to offer even if you weren't in such a mess," Hermione told him softly, "But now, now I'm making you. Where I live no one can find us."

"How?" Theo asked skeptically, exhaling a cloud of smoke again.

"The Fidelius Charm," Hermione said simply and he nodded in understanding. "I won't let you go back home, Theo. It's bad enough with your father. And now that shit's getting real, there's no way in hell you're going back."

"You'd do that for me?" Theo asked, his eyes brimming with emotion and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Duh," she said with a laugh.

"What about your father?"

"What about him?"

"Will he allow me to live with you? A Slytherin? Son of a—You know. . . ." Heo asked swallowing again.

"My dad is going to be the first one to understand where you're coming from," Hermione told him with a smile. "Besides if he acts like a prejudiced prat it won't matter. He won't throw you out. And he would be a complete hypocrite mind you. He also fled his home and dated a Slytherin. And his brother was a Death Eater. He can't really judge you."

"I'll think about it," Theo finally nodded reluctantly.

"You can think about it," Hermione said, "It doesn't mean you have a choice."

"So you're forcing me to live with you?"

"I'm forcing you to be safe, you moron," Hermione said rolling her eyes. "Just like I would any of my friends."

"Thanks, Mimi," Theo nodded with a smile before getting up, "I think I'll go find Daph."

"Aye," Hermione said absent-mindedly. "I'll be sleeping."

Theo nodded before stepping out of the compartment and Hermione made herself comfortable and in an instant fell asleep. She only woke up later, the compartment door swinging open and she groggily opened her eyes to find Dora, bubble-pink hair in place, staring down at her with an amused smile.

"Dora? Am I dreaming?" Hermione asked sleepily reaching out a hand in the air and her cousin rolled her eyes.

"No," she said, "But the train stopped and I'm searching for you and Harry. Wait for me outside."

Hermione nodded and Tonks left.

She made sure she had everything—she figured Vader was already in the castle—and stepped out of the train. A few minutes later the train started to move, right as Dora and Harry (who was sporting a broken nose) jumped out of it. Hermione approached the two.

"Who did it?" Tonks asked him as she silently passed Harry his invisibility cloak.

"Draco Malfoy," said Harry bitterly. "Thanks for. . . .well. . . ."

"No problem," said Tonks, with a small smile. "I can fix your nose if you stand still."

Harry did not think much of this idea; he had been intending to visit Madam Pomfrey, the matron, in whom he had a little more confidence when it came to Healing Spells, but it seemed rude to say this, so he stayed stock-still and closed his eyes, "Episkey" said Tonks.

Harry's nose felt very hot, and then very cold. He raised a hand and felt gingerly. It seemed to be mended.

"Thanks a lot!"

"You'd better put that cloak back on, and we can walk up to the school," said Tonks. "Put it around Hermione as well."

Harry nodded and swung the cloak over them, Hermione let her head droop to his shoulder.

Tonks waved her wand; an immense silvery four-legged creature (that looked like a wolf, Hermione reckoned) erupted from it and streaked off into the darkness.

"Was that a Patronus?" asked Harry, who had seen Dumbledore send messages like this.

"Yes, I'm sending word to the castle that I've got you or they'll worry. Come on, we'd better not dawdle."

They set off toward the lane that led to the school.

"How did you find me?"

"I noticed you and Hermione hadn't left the train and I knew you had that cloak. I thought you might be hiding for some reason. When I saw the blinds were drawn down on that compartment I thought I'd check," Tonks said with a smile, "Hermione I found snoozing in a compartment."

"But what are you doing here, anyway?" Harry asked.

"I'm stationed in Hogsmeade now, to give the school extra protection," said Tonks.

"Is it just you who's stationed up here, or—?"

"No, Proudfoot, Savage, and Dawlish are here too."

"Proudfoot?" Hermione snorted. "Is that a wannabe Padfoot?"

Tonks too snorted at this. "Nah. Besides your dad isn't on a mission here."

They trudged up the dark, deserted lane, following the freshly made carriage tracks.

Having always traveled there by carriage, Hermione and Harry had never before appreciated just how far Hogwarts was from Hogsmeade Station. With great relief they finally saw the tall pillars on either side of the gates, each topped with a winged boar. They were cold and they were hungry. But when Hermione saw Harry putting out his hand to push open the gates, she noticed that they were chained shut.

"Alohomora!" Harry said confidently, pointing his wand at the padlock, but nothing happened. Hermione laughed.

"That won't work on these," said Tonks. "Dumbledore bewitched them himself."

Harry looked around, "I could climb a wall," he suggested.

"No, you couldn't," said Tonks flatly. "Anti-intruder jinxes on all of them. Security's been
tightened a hundredfold this summer."

"Well then," said Harry, starting to feel annoyed at her lack of helpfulness, "I suppose we'll just have to sleep out here and wait for morning. "

"We could camp out!" Hermione said excitedly. "All three of us could tell horror stories and eat marshmallows by the fire and—"

"Someone's coming down for you," said Tonks cutting Hermione off, "Look."

A lantern was bobbing at the distant foot of the castle. It was not until the glowing yellow light was ten feet away from them, that Harry pulled the cloak off them and both teens pulled faces as they saw who was coming to get them.

Severus Snape.

"Well, well, well," sneered Snape, taking out his wand and tapping the padlock once, so that the chains snaked backward and the gates creaked open. "Nice of you to turn up, Potter, Black, although you have evidently decided that the wearing of school robes would detract from your appearance."

"Duh," Hermione said as if it was obvious.

"I couldn't change, I didn't have my—" Harry began, but Snape cut across him.

"There is no need to wait, Nymphadora, Potter, and Black are quite—ah—safe in my hands."

"I meant Hagrid to get the message," said Tonks, frowning.

"Hagrid was late for the start-of-term feast, just like Potter and Black here, so I took it instead. And incidentally," said Snape, standing back to allow Harry and Hermione to pass him, "I was interested to see your new Patronus."

He shut the gates in her face with a loud clang and tapped the chains with his wand again, so that they slithered, clinking, back into place.

"I think you were better off with the old one," said Snape, the malice in his voice unmistakable. "The new one looks weak."

"I think it looks great," Hermione said loudly throwing a cheeky grin at Tonks who send her a teasing glare.

"Good night," Harry called to her over his shoulder, as they began the walk up to the school with Snape. "Thanks for. . . . everything."

"Bye, Dora!"

"See you, Mia, Harry."

Snape did not speak for a minute or so.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for lateness, I think, each," said Snape finally. "And, let me see, another twenty for your Muggle attire. Each. You know, I don't believe any House has ever been in negative figures this early in the term: We haven't even started pudding. You might have set a record, Black, Potter."

"That's great," Hermione beamed much to Snape's fury. "That means we beat the Marauders, Prongslet!"

Harry smiled at her even through his fury. Snape sneered.

"I suppose you wanted to make an entrance, did you?" Snape continued. "And with no flying car available you decided that bursting into the Great Hall halfway through the feast ought to create a dramatic effect."

"Well, having a couple of unicorns would do the job better," Hermione conceded to Snape, "But then again by the time we had them, the feast may have ended."

Snape gritted his teeth but otherwise didn't answer.

They reached the castle steps at last and as the great oaken front doors swung open into the vast flagged entrance hall, a burst of talk and laughter and of tinkling plates and glasses greeted them through the doors standing open into the Great Hail. Harry wondered whether he could slip his Invisibility Cloak back on, thereby gaining his seat at the long Gryffindor table (which, inconveniently, was the farthest from the entrance hall) without being noticed.

As though he had read Harry's mind, however, Snape said, "No cloak. You can walk in so that everyone sees you, which is what you wanted, I'm sure."

Harry and Hermione turned on the spot and marched straight through the open doors: anything to get away from Snape.

The Great Hall with its four long House tables and its staff table set at the top of the room was decorated as usual with floating candles that made the plates below glitter and glow. It was all a shimmering blur, however, as they walked so fast that they were passing the Hufflepuff table before people really started to stare, and by the time they were standing up to get a good look at them, the two of them had spotted Ron and sped along with the benches toward him, sitting down.

"Where've you—blimey, what've you done to your face?" said Ron, goggling at him along with everyone else in the vicinity.

"Why, what's wrong with it?" said Harry, grabbing a spoon and squinting at his distorted reflection.

"You have blood on your face," said Hermione. "Tergeo!" she raised her wand and siphoned off the dried blood.

"Thanks," said Harry, feeling his now clean face. "How's my nose looking?

"It's still crooked," said Hermoine thoughtful. "But then again that's normal."

"Haha," Harry laughed dryly and Hermione laughed. "Hat say anything interesting?" asked Harry, taking a piece of treacle tart.

"More of the same, really...advising us all to unite in the face enemies, you know," Ron said with a shrug.

"Dumbledore mentioned Voldemort at all?"

"Not yet, but he always saves his proper speech for after the feast doesn't he? It can't be long now."

"Snape said Hagrid was late for the feast —"

"You've seen Snape? How come?" said Ron between frenzied mouthfuls of gateau.

"He picked us up at the gates," Hermione told him. Ron nodded.

"So what did Professor Slughorn want?" Ron asked.

"To know what really happened at the Ministry," said Harry. "He also wants to know why you didn't come, Mia."

"My invitation caught on fire," Hermione said faking an apologetic look. "I didn't know where the compartment was."

"Right. . . ." Both Ron and Harry scoffed and Hermione gaped at them offended.

"Well, it could've happened!" she said indignified. "You never know. What with everything going on, it should be normal for things, such as invitations for boring lunch parties, to catch on fire! Besides he just wanted to sniff around and know everything about us. Like everyone is doing now."

"Yeah," said Ron. "All wanting to know if you really are 'the Chosen One'—"

"There has been much talk on that very subject even amongst the ghosts," interrupted Nearly Headless Nick, inclining his barely connected head toward Harry so that it wobbled dangerously on its ruff. "I am considered something of a Potter authority; it is widely known that we are friendly. I have assured the spirit community that I will not pester you for information, however. 'Harry Potter knows that he can confide in me with complete confidence,' I told them. 'I would rather die than betray his trust.'"

"That's not saying much, seeing as you're already dead," Ron observed.

"Once again, you show all the sensitivity of a blunt axe," said Nearly Headless Nick in affronted tones, and he rose into the air and glided back toward the far end of the Gryffindor table just as Dumbledore got to his feet at the staff table. The talk and laughter echoing around the Hall died away almost instantly.

"The very best of evenings to you!" he said, smiling broadly, his arms opened wide as though to embrace the whole room.

"Dumbarse," Hermione muttered taking in his darkened arm again.

She was not the only one who had noticed. Dumbledore's right hand was as blackened and dead-looking as it had been on the night he had come to fetch Harry and Hermione from Grimmauld Place. Whispers it the room; Dumbledore, interpreting them correctly, merely smiled and shook his purple-and-gold sleeve over his injury.

"Nothing to worry about," he said airily. "Now. . . .to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you. . . ."

"His hand was like that when we saw him over the summer," Harry whispered to Ron. "I thought he'd have cured it by now, though. . . . or Madam Pomfrey would've done."

"He could've prevented it," Hermione shot back with an exasperated sigh, "if he listened to me."

". . . .and Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

"Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise.

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year, Professor Slughorn"— Slughorn stood up, his bald head gleaming in the candlelight, his big waistcoated belly casting the table into shadow— "is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

"Potions?"

"Potions?"

The word echoed all over the Hall as people wondered wheel they had heard right.

"Professor Snape, meanwhile," said Dumbledore, raising voice so that it carried over all the muttering, "will be taking the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Snape, who was sitting on Dumbledore's right, did not stand up his mention of his name; he merely raised a hand in lazy acknowledgment of the applause from the Slytherin table.

"Well, there's one good thing," Harry said savagely taking a sip from his goblet. "Snape'll be gone by the end of the year."

"What do you mean?" asked Ron.

"That job's jinxed. No ones lasted more than a year. . . .Quirrell actually died doing it. . . .Personally, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for another death. . . ."

"Can't blame you," Hermione said. "But he's not dying this year. He'll be here the next one."

"He might just go back to teaching Potions at the end of the year," said Ron reasonably looking at Hermione to see if he was right and she merely shrugged. "That Slughorn bloke might not want to stay long-term. Moody didn't."

"Moody was a fake," Hermione said looking at him incredulously and Ron merely shrugged.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were not the only ones who had been talking; the whole Hall had erupted in a buzz of conversation at the news that Snape had finally achieved his heart's desire. Seemingly oblivious to the sensational nature of the news he had just imparted, Dumbledore said nothing more about staff appointments but waited a few seconds to ensure that the silence was absolute before continuing.

"Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength."

The silence seemed to tauten and strain as Dumbledore spoke. Hermione glanced over at Theo, who had sat up straight at the mention, Blaise putting a hand on his shoulder. Then she let her gaze wander to her cousin. Draco was not looking at Dumbledore, but making his fork hover in midair with his wand, as though he found the headmaster's words unworthy of his attention.

"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that you teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them—in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety."

Dumbledore's blue eyes swept over the students before he smiled once more.

"But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip!"

With the usual deafening scraping noise, the benches moved back and the hundreds of students began to file out of the Great Hall toward their dormitories. Harry, who was in no hurry at all to leave with the gawping crowd, nor to get near enough to Malfoy to allow him to retell the story of the nose-stamping, lagged behind, pretending to retie the lace on his trainer, allowing most of the Gryffindors to draw ahead of him. Hermione who had ordered the fifth-year prefects to take care of the first years remained with Harry, along with Ron.

"What really happened to your nose?" asked Ron, once they were at the very back of the throng pressing out of the Hall, and out of earshot of anyone else.

Harry told him.

"I saw Malfoy miming something to do with a nose," Ron said darkly.

"Yeah, well, never mind that," said Harry bitterly. "Listen to what he was saying before he found out I was there. . . ."

Harry had expected Ron to be stunned by Malfoys boasts. With what Harry considered pure pigheadedness, however, Ron was unimpressed.

"Come on, Harry, he was just showing off for Parkinson. . . .What kind of mission would You-Know-Who have given him?"

"How d'you know Voldemort doesn't need someone at Hogwarts? It wouldn't be the first—"

"I wish yeh'd stop sayin' tha name, Harry," said a reproachful voice behind them.

The three looked over their shoulders to see Hagrid shaking his head.

"Dumbledore uses that name," said Harry stubbornly

"Yeah, well, tha's Dumbledore, innit?" said Hagrid mysteriously. "So how come yeh were late, Harry, Hermi'ne? I was worried."

"Got held up on the train," said Harry. "Why were you late?"

"I was with Grawp," said Hagrid happily. "Los' track o' the time. He's got a new home up in the
mountains now, Dumbledore fixed it—nice big cave. He's much happier than he was in the forest. We were havin' a good chat."

"Really?" said Harry, taking care not to catch Ron's eye or Hermione's; the last time he had met Hagrid's half-brother, a vicious giant with a talent for ripping up trees by the roots, his vocabulary had comprised five words, two of which he was unable to pronounce properly.

"Oh yeah, he's really come on," said Hagrid proudly. "Yeh'll be amazed. I'm thinkin' o' trainin' him up as me assistant."

Ron snorted loudly but managed to pass it off as a violent sneeze. They were now standing beside the oak front doors.

"Anyway, I'll see yeh tomorrow, firs' lesson's straight after lunch. Come early an' yeh can say hello ter Buck—I mean, Witherwings!"

Raising an arm in cheery farewell, he headed out of the doors into the darkness.

Harry and Ron looked at each other. Harry could tell that Ron was experiencing the same sinking feeling as himself.

"You're not taking Care of Magical Creatures, are you?"

Ron shook his head. "And you're not either, are you?"

Harry shook his head too.

"Dame, are you going?" asked Ron to Hermione and she nodded.

"Duh, if I eventually want to be a dragon tamer I need to," Hermione said rolling her eyes.

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