The Young Padfoot *Book One*

A Musical Mess

When we had returned to our dorms (Hermione in the hospital wing), I had intended to finally open the diary from my mother but as I sat on my bed with the leather resting in my hands, I couldn't push myself to do it. So instead, with shaking hands, I placed it in the cabinet beside my bed. I would look through it another time when I was ready. I know Remus had thought that I was ready, but I don't think I was. Not yet anyway.

But for several weeks after the Polyjuice incident, Hermione remained in the Hospital wing trying to de-fur herself but this sparked many roots of conversation from most of the school as they all thought that she had been attacked. The first week when everyone returned to school was basically just me, Ron and Harry denying that Hermione was petrified in the Hospital Wing. We just agreed on the story that she had fallen ill over the holidays but was making a sound recovery.

It was even worse when some of the students kept trying to sneak a peek at Hermione. So much so that Madam Pomfrey ended up putting curtains around Hermione's bed and I may or may not have accidentally hexed a third year Gryffindor who I heard was going to start the rumour that Hermione was a werewolf after he caught sight of her fur. Obviously there was nothing wrong with being a werewolf, I mean, look at Remus, but I seriously doubted Hermione would want that rumour being spread around.

At the end of each school day the three of us went up to see Hermione and give her the work from the lessons we had had. We would often sit with Hermione for several hours each evening until Madam Pomfrey shooed us off.

"If I'd sprouted whiskers, I'd take a break from work," Ron commented as Hermione grabbed the Potions homework I had handed to her.

"Don't be silly, Ron, I've got to keep up," Hermione said. Her mood had improved over the last couple days as she no longer had a furry face and her eyes were slowly turning back to her usual brown. "I don't suppose you've got any new leads?"

"Nothing," Harry shook his head.

"I was so sure it was Malfoy," Ron added for about the fiftieth time that week.

"Trust me, I feel absolutely no joy in saying this, but... I did sort of tell you so," I said, earning a glare from Ron.

"What's that?" Harry quickly intercepted before Ron could make a comment back. I looked over at where Harry was pointing and saw something sticking out from under Hermione's pillow.

"Just a Get Well Soon card," Hermione muttered, trying to push the card back under her pillow but Ron was too quick for her. He pulled the card away and despite Hermione's protests, he started to read it out loud.

"To Miss Granger, wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League and five times winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award."

We all looked over at Hermione but all with different expressions. Harry looked confused about why the card was under the pillow, Ron looked absolutely disgusted as though he had just been forced to eat one of Snape's potion ingredients but I was smiling over at Hermione, trying my best not to laugh at how much that ignorant fool of a professor had attempted a Get Well Soon card.

"You sleep with this under your pillow?" Ron accused, holding the card up.

Hermione was saved from answering that mortifying question when Madam Pomfrey came over to shoo us off so Hermione could have her evening medicine and get some rest.

"Is Lockhart the smarmiest bloke you've ever met, or what?" Ron asked us as we walked towards Gryffindor Tower. "How is it that Hermione is so obsessed with him?"