Hermione Malfoy

Chapter 3

Mister Malfoy

The next day was a bit rough for Harry seeing as he could barely force a smile let alone a grin. It was breakfast in the Great Hall with the enchanted ceiling, it was dull and cloudy gray. "Harry and Ron sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione, who had her copy of Voyages with Vampires propped open against a milk jug" and Mira was sitting beside Hermione plopping 2 piece of toast onto her plate. "There was a slight stiffness in the way Hermione said "Morning", which told Harry that she was still disapproving the way they had arrived." Though Mira on the other hand was a bit cheerful, laughing with Neville Longbottom sitting beside her.
"Harry had only just started his porridge when, sure enough, there was a rushing overhead and a hundred or so owls screamed in, circling the hall and dropping letters and packages into the cheering crowd." Then suddenly a red envelope fell on Ron's plate. "Ron was pointing at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary to Harry, but Ron and Neville were both looking at it as though they expected it to explode. "What's the matter?" said Harry. "She's — she's sent me a Howler," said Ron faintly." Mira looked over at the envelope then slowly backing up as Neville had put his arm in front of her chest giving her a very worried look. Ron picked up the envelope and slipped it open carefully.
"—STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE—"
All of Great Hall stopped what they were doing and turned over their shoulders, just to see that Ron Weasley was cowardly shaking as the envelope screamed. "—LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DON'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED—"
Harry looked at Ron making a worried face as though someone were behind him holding a gun to his head, though he was expecting his name to pop up sooner or later.
"—ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED—YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TIE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."
"Is your mummy Weasley?" Draco said in a teasingly way. He turned back to his friends bumping his friend's shoulder laughing. Mira and Neville just sat there, staring at Harry and Ron's stunned faces. Hermione stands up , looking down at Ron's head, " "Well, I don't know what you expected, Ron, but you —" "Don't tell me I deserved it," snapped Ron. Harry pushed his porridge away. His insides were burning with guilt."
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Mira left the castle together making their way to Herbology in the greenhouses. They arrived just as Professor Sprout was nearing the greenhouses.
"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout, who was looking distinctly disgruntled, not at all her cheerful self.".
"We've only worked in greenhouse one before? Why now are we working in greenhouse three, she knows it houses dangerous plants!" whispered Hermione. Mira shrugged, "What do you mean da—dangerous plants—". Before Hermione got a chance to say anything back, Lockhart called for Harry. " "Harry! I've been wanting a word—you don't mind if he's a couple minutes late, do you Professor Sprout?" ".
A few minutes later Harry slid in with a stunned look on his face. "Mandrake, or Mandragora, is. a powerful restorative," said Herimone, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook.", Ron has a disgusted look on his face as he'd been expecting Hermione to say something sooner or later, while Mira's face looked stunned as she didn't have enough time to even process what Professor Sprout had even asked.
"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"
Hermione's hand shot up so quick Harry's glasses were nearly punched off his face.
"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," she said promptly.
Harry looked cross eyed as the wind from Hermione's hand shooting upright moved his glasses enough where they needed to be re-put back on again.
"Precisely. Take another ten points," said Professor Sprout.
Mira and Harry made eye contact, confused, not knowing at all what Hermione meant by the "cry" of the Mandrakes.
Professor Sprout directed everyone to grab a pair of earmuffs and put them on, completely covering their ears. Mira put the earmuffs on not hearing a thing. Professor Sprout grasped one of the Mandraks, pulling hard.
The class gasped with unpleasant faces as they came to understand the "cry" of the Mandrakes. Rebelliously, Draco grasped it in an attempt to show dominance over the Mandrakes, making Mira and the rest of the class burst into silent laughter. Draco looked at Mira, giving her an angry look; Mira continued to laugh, shaking her head.
At a lass, the lunch bell rang. Mira and Hermione left, leaving Harry and Ron behind.
Draco comes running up behind Mira slightly knocking her forward.
"Hey! What was that for Malfoy?" Mira said angrily. Hermione grasped her books in one hand and reached for her wand secretly with the other.
"You were laughing at me during Herbology, not likely of a filthy mudblood like you to be walking around right now." Malfoy said, teasing.
Harry and Ron came running up behind Malfoy, "Leave her alone Malfoy." Harry said, gasping for air. "Yeah! And eat slugs too." Ron said, backing up Harry. "And what do you think you're gonna do about it, Potter?". Harry pulled out his wand-
"Excuse me mister Malfoy? Leave them alone and go to lunch." Professor McGonnagal directed.
Mira and Hermione sighed in relief.
"And you mister Potter, Do not pull your wand out on your classmates again." she said, looking down at the top of his head.
Harry looked down, nodding with guilt, Ron rubbing his back. "C'mon Harry, it wasn't your fault. Malfoy's totally mental anyway. Let's go to lunch, I'm—"
"Starving. We know Ron." Mira said laughing. Hermione and Ron joined, laughing with Mira as Harry looked up laughing along.
Going to her seat, Malfoy quickly stood in front of Mira, forcing her to stay as her friends kept walking to their seats.
He looked her up and down, squinting his eyes. He took a deep breath in keeping his squinted staring into her fiery eyes. He shook his head, rolling his eyes, and turned to sit back down pushing his friends over to make him some space.
"Jeez what was all that about." Mira muttered, walking to her seat. She looked back to see Draco glancing at her from behind. He Quickly turned away in embarrassment.
"Where'd you go?" Hermione akased. "Draco got in my way and he didn't even say anything. It's like he wanted to, but nothing came out. He just started at me." Mira said, rolling her eyes.
"Anyways, what've we got next, this afternoon?" Harry said, bringing his fork up to his mouth.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione at once.
Ron looked over at her schedule, "Why have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?"
Mira exploded with laughter, spitting out some of her water on Neville. Neville had a disgusted look on his, blushing at the same time.
Harry rolled his eyes with a slight smile, looking at Neville trying to dry off his sweatshirt.
"Hermione snatched her schedule back, blushing furiously."
After lunch the group of friends went outside to the overcast courtyard. Hermione and Mira sat down on a single stone step, Hermione burying her wanting-to-know-more nose into "Voyages with Vampires". Harry and Ron kept standing, talking about Quidditch, while Mira at first, was looking over at what Hermione was reading, but got distracted by Malfoy.
She sat up straight, tilting her head to the side away from Hermione. "What is it about this boy?" she thought silently to herself. Hermione noticed Mira dozing off and said "What're you looking at?" Hermione, waving her hand in front of her face. "I—I'm just thinking." Mira said nervously sweating.
Hermione shrugged carelessly, sticking her nose back into her book.
Mira smirked, rolling her eyes. She gushed loudly making Hermione look up from her book, frustrated, "Come one!" said Mira excitedly.
Harry and Ron barely noticed Hermione and Mira off, being caught up in their own conversation.
"Ok ok I'm running! Now tell me where we're going!" Hermione said, trying to get air flowing through her lungs.
They hid behind a wall inside the halls surrounding the courtyard.
"What're we doing here?" Hermione asked. "SHHH, we're hiding!" Mira said, putting her finger in front of her lips. "Why?" Hermione asked looking out the window by where they were hiding. "Him.." Mira said pointing towards Draco.
Hermione gasped in excitement and confusion at the same time. "Are you ok? Do you know who that is?"
"That's Draco—Malfoy." Mira said, hearts in her eyes.
Draco turned around in suspicion.
"Quickly!" Hermione said, carefully, but quickly pushing Mira to hide. The girls giggled in excitement, walking to their next class.
"Where were you two?" Ron said, swaying his finger side to side between the two girls pointing at them.
"Nothing!" said Hermione, quickly pushing Mira towards their seats. Mira laughing, hiding her face in her books.
Lockhart was motioning class to begin, "I see you've all bought a complete set of my books—well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz."
Mira looked at Hermione beside whispering, "A QUIZ??", Hermione shrugged not knowing what Lockhart was talking about, but still confident she would do well.
"—Nothing to worry about—just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in—"
Mira took a sigh of relief as he handed out the papers in front them.
"You have thirty minutes—start—now!"
Harry looked down at his paper and read:
What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?
What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?
What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?
On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to:
54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?
Half an hour went by when he finally came and collected on the papers presenting his shiny white teeth.
"Tut, tut—hardly any of you remembered my favorite color is lilac. I say so in "Year with the Yeti". And a few of you need to read "Wanderings with Werewolves" more carefully—I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between magic and non-magic peoples—though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky!" He said, winking after.
Hermione was confident she got them all correct, sitting straight up with a nice confident smile.
"but... Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions—good girl! In fact"—he flipped the page over—"full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"
Hermione quickly, but still shy, she raised her hand.
"Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor!"
He put the papers down and continued to walk over to the side. He whipped off the cloth draping over the cage and presented to that class, freshly caught Cornish Pixies.
Mira bumped Neville's shoulders, "What's that?" she asked nervously. Neville gulped, "they are so reckless" he replied with a shaky voice.
Lockhart let them loose, directing the class to gather them back into their cage.
Within seconds the class was taking cover under their desks as Neville swung above from the chandelier. "Neville!" Mira shouted. "Why is always me!" Neville yelled with his shaky voice, swinging back and forth.
Lockhart quickly shouted "peskipiksi Pesternomi!"
Sure enough it didn't work at all, but then the bell rang leaving the class to rush out. Stuck with the pixies were Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mira, and Neville. Mira was helping and comforting Neville to recover from his fall; Neville was trying to not blush.
Meanwhile, Hermione, Harry, and Ron were stuck trying to round up all the pixies. "Can you believe him?" roared Ron as one of the remains pixies bit him painfully on the ear.
"He just wants to give us a hands-on experience," said Hermione, immobilizing two pixies at one wth a clever Freezing Charm and stuffing them back into their cage. "Hands on? Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing—" Harry said, frustrated. "Nope I think Harry and Ron's got a point here Hermione." Mira said, Neville's arm over her shoulders, helping him to walk out of the classroom. Hermione turned around in denial "Rubbish, you've read his books—look at all those amazing things he's done—"
"Is this girl mental, Harry?", Ron said in shock, "He says he's done," Ron muttered.