Our Second Chance (Dramione)

Chapter 24 Birthday Surprises

Hermione never liked being the center of attention like Draco did. So when she walked into Transfiguration class that morning, she was surprised to see Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna and Seamus using Weasley birthday products. She jumped at the fireworks that exploded in the classroom. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY 'MIONE!", they all shouted as the fireworks went off.

"Thanks guys", she said with a smile. All of them rushed over to her to personally wish her happy birthday.

"Hermione, I got you a Gryffindor crest necklace", said Neville as he handed her the chain.

"Aww, thanks Neville, but I'm going to get started on my studies." She sat down and placed the wrapped gifts that were handed to her in her bag. Suddenly Headmistress McGonagall came into the classroom. Even though she was now Headmistress, she still taught Transfiguration. The angry look on her face was quite deadly with a hint of annoyance. She quickly casted a charm to retract the fireworks into her wand.

"Who is responsible for this disruption?" Harry and Ron both looked at each other for a second, and were about to speak up, but Hermione stopped them.

"It was me, Professor." She didn't even glance at her friends as she spoke. Her eyes were glued to the person in charge and took responsibility. "I thought it was a good idea for a little birthday celebration before class started, but it all seemed to have gotten out of hand. If anyone should be punished, it should be me."

McGonagall stared at Hermione for a few moments. "Open your books to page 21 and begin reading."

     ***

Potions class was another brewing assignment. Picture-moving potion. She read the instructions very carefully before taking any actions. Each student brought one picture that they had in their possession. She stirred the potion in the cauldron and read the next set of instructions. Add two drops of dragon tears into the cauldron. The results were coming exactly how they were suppose to be. She flattened out the picture since it was originally folded up, and added part of the potion to the picture with a dropper. It was Hermione with her mom and dad when she was about seven years old. Her dad was giving her a piggyback ride, and spinning her around.

Soon, all the pictures were hanging up on the rope to dry, but as she glanced at everyone's pictures. She saw people from the war that were no longer alive. All these people's lifeless bodies falling dead on the floor flashed through her mind. Reamus, Tonks, Crabbe, Goyle, Fred. Her parents. She stared at the picture of the two people who wouldn't even recognize her now. It was all too much for her to handle. She didn't even realize that she started to fall to the ground until she saw Harry and Ron hovering about her. "Hermione, are you alright?", Harry asked as his voice started to fade out, and her vision went black.

***

She woke up in the hospital wing. Her eyes felt dry from crying, and a whole bunch of cards and presents were sitting at the nightstand next to her and the table at the end of her bed. Ones that were for her to get better and others that were for her birthday. However, this was quite an interesting way to spend a birthday. "Glad to see that you're awake", said Madam Pomfrey as she placed some phials down on the nightstand. "I think too much pressure got to you today."

  "I saw everyone from the war. It was all too much. Too much went on in my head."

  "Well, it seems like your friends care about you as well." Madam Pomfrey motioned to the huge pile of cards and gifts. Most of them were cards, however there were a few gifts. Such as sugar quills, licorice wands, and a teddy bear that was about the size of her torso. It held a happy birthday card between its paws, and she picked it up to get a better look to notice an otter ring attached to a necklace around it's neck. She glanced at the ring for a few moments with a puzzled look. Hermione felt as though she had seen it before in a dream. She opened the card and read the message inside.

  Sorry to hear that you're spending your birthday in the hospital wing, but you better get well soon. ~Anonymous

  Hermione worked on her homework for the rest of the time. Transfiguration, Potions, and History of Magic. They had to write about one of the founders in one foot of parchment. She currently had two and a half feet on the subject of Ravenclaw, Rowena, and Helena, however, she could probably write four feet with how much information she knew about Ravenclaw. She added how to enter the common room, and the story of Helena and the Bloody Baron.

  She started to stuff her books in her bag the next afternoon when she returned to her common room. She noticed that her potions book was placed on the shelf instead of the coffee table where she had originally placed it. She walked over to the large wooded shelf, grabbed the book, and started to inspect it.

  All the pages were un-torn, neat, not folded or damaged, and in the correct order. Hermione then noticed a star placed next to the memorae potion. She remembered Slughorn mentioning this potion at the start of the term, but did not think much about the potion.

   One statement stuck out to her more than the rest. At the bottom of the page, Hermione read the words 'Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it' (L.M. Montgomery).

***

  Draco, Pansy and Blaise were sitting at the Great Hall table doing homework. Blaise was attempting to transfigure a stick into a wand, however, he wasn't succeeding, and it was starting to make him lose his patience. "Ugh!", he said, slamming his wand on the table. "This is pointless. When am I ever going to need this in life?" He crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the stick with annoyance. He had heard muggles use this phrase many times when he would get tea from a Muggle cafe. Apparently they were referring to this term called 'algebra'. He had never heard of the term himself, but apparently Granger had once said that it was the muggle kind of Arithmancy, only harder.

  "Actually, you can use this technique in a battle. You can transfigure a stick into a wand, and if they take the transfigured stick; they'll think that your wandless. Therefore, you have the advantage to get away", said Draco without a care in the world before going back to his Divination notes. As he looked up, he saw Pansy and Blaise staring at him with open jaws and wide eyes. "What?"

  "You have honestly been spending way too much time with Granger. You sound like a bloody genius."

  He scoffed. "You're telling me. Eight hours in the same tower with her is way too much, even if we are just sleeping. I feel like a blood traitor."

  "Well, Christmas is only about three months away, and we'll be able to enjoy each other a little more." The two Slytherin boys looked at each other before they both burst out laughing. "Wow, okay", said Pansy as she grabbed her books and started to get up.

  "Pansy, come back", said Blaise after she took a few steps. "Pansy.."

  "Bye boys."

  Ginny was working on homework in the Great Hall as well, and Hermione sat on the other side of the table focusing on her essay until Ginny grabbed a certain object out of her bag that Hermione recognized. The brown leather spine of the binding was starting to tear. She held a phial of the picture-moving potion, and added two drops of the potion to each photo before placing them in the photo album. "Adding new pictures I see."

  She slid the book around to face Hermione, and she got to look at the new pictures added to the collection. The first one was them on the platform before their seventh year. Luna was trying to peer over Neville's shoulder, which actually made the two look quite cute together. The next one was them in class during the firework celebration. The look on Hermione's face was rather surprising. "There's only three spaces left, and I'm saving them for special occasions." Her face was saying that she was up to something. Hermione started to question what exactly she was up to, but something told her that now was not the time to question it. Something also told her that it was coming back to haunt her.