Don't Act Like You Know Me

Year 5 - When and If You're Ready

Hermione walked into the Great Hall to see Harry and Ron sitting together at a table. Hermione looked up at the teacher's table. It was lunchtime. Hagrid's chair was still empty. She went to sit by the boys. Harry was scratching something down with a quill and a piece of parchment.  "Hagrid's still not back yet. I hope he's alright," Hermione said.

"I asked Sirius about it," Harry gestured to his parchment. Hermione pulled the parchment over to her side of the table. 

Dear Sirius,

Hogwarts has been taken over by oafs who think Voldemort's return isn't real.

She stopped reading after the first sentence. "Harry, you can't write to him! Owls are being intercepted. It's not safe," Hermione said.

"Don't worry, Hermione, I wrote it in code."

"It didn't look like code to me."

"Anyway, I figured I needed to tell someone about Umbridge. My scar hurt again last night in detention."

"Always knew she was a bit fishy," Ron said.

"You think she's working for You-Know-Who?" Hermione asked.

"Well, it's a possibility, isn't it?"

Hermione looked skeptical. "I suppose so. He could have her under the Imperious Curse, though that's unlikely. Dumbledore'd know."

Harry leaned in closer and spoke quieter. "Yeah, but Dumbledore didn't have a choice, did he? She was sent here by the ministry."

Hermione picked up a copy of the daily prophet off of the table.

"Anything about Harry?" Ron asked.

"No, nothing," Hermione paused. "Wait! Look at this!" She slapped the paper on the table and read out loud. "'Trespass at Ministry. Sturgis Podmore has appeared before the Wizengamot with charges of trespass and attempted robbery at the Ministry of Magic on the thirty-first of August. He was arrested after being found trying to break into a top-security door at one in the morning. Podmore was convicted and sentenced to six months in Azkaban.'"

"Sturgis Podmore?" Harry pondered at the name.

"Wait, he's one of the Order!" Ron pointed out.

Hermione glared at Ron. "Quiet!"

"Do you suppose it was a frameup?"

Hermione was about to speak when Dean Thomas approached them. She silenced herself. "Come on, we'll be late for Charms if we don't hurry," Dean said.

"Right," Ron said.

"You can go on without me," Harry picked up the parchment and stood. "I want to send this." Harry walked out of the hall towards the owlery. 

Hermione stood up from the table and followed Dean and Ron to the Charms classroom. Instead of paying attention, she wrote a letter to Filch on a piece of parchment.

Mr. Filch,

I'm aware that Harry Potter is going to attempt to order Dungbombs by mail soon today. I thought you would want to be notified.

Hermione didn't sign the note. After class, she left it on Filch's desk. She hid around the corner as she watched him enter his office. He picked up the note, read it, and stormed off to the owlery with an angry look on his face. Hermione secretly followed.

As they moved up the stairs, Harry's voice could be heard. "Hi," he said.

"Oh... hi. I didn't know anyone else would be up here," a girl's voice said. It sounded like Cho Chang. "Have you found a new Keeper for Quidditch?