Professor Middleton
Hermione pov
The day flew by. All the professors gave us homework. Which we all were annoyed about. Don’t get me wrong, I love work but we just got here and we have work immediately.
“Figured you be here.” Blaise said behind me.
I smiled. “Yep, I figured I would get my work done now.” He sat down next to me. He was quiet. “Blaise, is everything okay?”
“Oh yeah, everything's fine.” He lied.
“Spill.”
He signed. “I feel like I’m everyone’s enemy. People keep calling me deatheater-”
I immediately stopped my work. “They are calling you what?!?”
“Deatheater? Mia it’s okay, I figured this would happen it just feels terrible. It wasn’t my choice but I am still getting hate for it.”
“Who said this?” I snapped.
“Your boyfriend mostly..”
I signed of course Ron said that. “I will talk to him. I’m sorry that he said that.”
“It wasn’t just me he was talking about.” “It was also you. He was talking to Potter in the boys bathroom and I overheard him.”
Harry? No way. “What did they say?”
He leaned back. “Wealsey said that ‘you were just his bloody fucking whore’ and ‘that you do anything he says’ and ‘that I’m a deatheater brother’. Potter said to him ‘Not to call you that’ and walked out of the restroom.”
I leaned back in my chair. “I’m sorry he called you that.”
“Mia I could care less right now, he talked about you. His own girlfriend like that. That’s not okay. It took me so much strength not to run out of the stool and break his head.”
I chuckled. “I appreciate that you didn’t do that.”
“I don’t like how he treats you.”
“Me either. I have been thinking about it.”
“Are you going to break up with him?” He asked.
“It’s way easier than it sounds. This man was my best friend for years. I still see him like that. He is just going through a lot right now. I have to give him time.”
“How much time will you give him? A month? A year? You look miserable with him.”
He noticed? “I’m still figuring it all out.”
“Fine Mia, but since I’m here will you help me with the transfiguration essay?”
I chuckled and nodded.
~~~~~
After dinner I walked into the living corridors. And I noticed something. Every house sat in different places.
The Ravenclaws by the bookshelf, the Hufflepuffs next to the stairs, the Gryffindor on the couches and Slytherin on chairs.
They were all divided. I’m so sick with everything being divided. I didn’t help win a war for this. I looked at Theo who was doing homework.
I walked over. “Theo, just the man I was looking for.”
“Really? Wow, I feel so honored.” He said sarcastically. “What can I help you with, gorgeous?”
“Can you go to your room and get a bottle of fire whiskey and 23 cups?”
“Random request but sure?” He got up and left for his room.
Draco looked me in the eye with an confused look. Theo luckily came back with everything before Malfoy could speak to me. “Thank you.”
“May I ask what this is for?”
“You will see in a minute.” I said with a wink and walked off.
I walked to the couches where my gryffindor friends were.
“Mione, what do you have?” Harry asked.
“Fire whiskey.” I said as I started to fill up the drinks.
“Why?”
I ignored him. “May I please have everyone's attention.” Everyone looked me in the eyes. Maybe this was a bad idea. “Okay so-um I think we all here are a little on edge. Most of us are not friends. But we are going to be living together and in the same classes for the next year so we might as well be civil. So if you would like, we will play a game here to get to know each other better.”
“No offense Hermione but that sounds stupid. We’re not little kids.” Micheal said. He was in ravenclaw. All the ravenclaw seem to agree with him.
“That’s why we have fire whiskey. If you want a drink you will play.”
They all looked at each other. None of them were convinced.
Then Harry spoke. “Come’on guys this could be fun.” He stood next to me.
People started to make their way over.
“Okay if everyone could make a circle and sit down, that would be amazing.” Everyone did as told. “Okay. These are the rules.” I levitated the drinks for everyone to have one in front of them. “You will start off by saying your name. Then you're going to say a fact about yourself that nobody or almost nobody knows. If someone has that incommon with you they will take a sip of their drink. If not and it’s only yourself then you take the sip. Easy enough?”
“This is stupid.” Ron blurted out.
“Then you can go. Nobody is making you play.” Neville replied.
Ron stood up and stormed to his room. What a sore loser. “Who wants to go first?” Everyone looked at each other. Then the bravest person I know started.
“My name is Harry Potter. And my fact about myself is that I have been in the chamber of secrets.”
People gasped. I grabbed my drink and took a sip. “Meany.” I pointed at Harry and he laughed.
“Wait, you both have been in the chamber of secrets!?! I thought it was a myth!” Aiden from Hufflepuff said.
“I’ve been in my second year and Hermione and Ron had to go in the final battle.” He winked at me and I turned a bright shade of red.
“Okay Padma, you're next.”
“Oh well I’m Padma Patil. And my fun fact is that I used to do Beauty pageants.”
Pansy and Millicent both took a sip. “Never knew you did.” Pansy admitted.
Blasie was next. “Well my name is Blasie Zabini. My fact is that I love to cook.”
Dean took a sip. “I have never taken you as a chef, Zabini.”
“I could say the same thing.” The game went on. It was doing amazing. Neville's fact was that he loves to swim. Pansy that she makes clothes. Seamus is that he can sing opera. Dean said that he can also do wandless magic. Theo used to pull pranks on Dumbledore. Then it was Draco's turn.
“My name is Draco Malfoy and my fact is that I have actually never cheated on a test.”
“No way. I call bullshit.” Theo said
Draco through his hands in the air. “I swear I’m not lying.”
“Okay even I have cheated on a test.” I admitted.
“Mia, you have cheated on a test?” Malfoy said sarcastically.
“Drink up Ferret.” I pointed at his drink. He signed and took a sip.
The next couple people went then it was me. I was last.
“My name is Hermione Granger-Zabini and my fun fact is that I do Ballet.”
“Mione, I never knew this!” Dean screamed.
“That’s for a reason.” I smirked at him.
“Well show us some moves” Theo flirted.
“I haven’t practiced in a while and even if I have practice, no way I would.”
“Mione, I have seen you dance. you're pretty good.” Harry blurted out.
I shrugged. Dancing was something I did by myself. Harry only saw me dance when we were on the run.
~~~~~
Pansy and I walked to defense against the dark arts together. She kept talking about how Millicent was awful. We made it in the class. Everyone was seated but Harry. He kind of just stood there. Pansy went to go sit next to Daphne.
“Harry, are you alright.”
“I-” he went quiet again. I looked to see the teacher. I haven’t seen him before. He wasn’t at the great hall for the sorting. He was tall and in robes that were long. His eyes were a dark blue. He had brown wavy hair. He had to be in his young twenties.
“Comeon let’s sit down.” I dragged him to a double table.
The professor was looking around. People were still arriving. Harry was still tense. Then the teacher looked at Harry. His eyes were still on him. Then he looked me in the eyes. I gulped and looked away still feeling his sight on me.
“Hello class, I’m your teacher ‘Professor Middleton’, I will teach you defense against the dark arts this year. If you all could open up your textbooks we are going to review.”
The whole class was a blur. Soon later it was over. Harry was still tense. He grabbed my hand and rushed me out of the classroom. “Harry, where are we going? Our class is the other way.”
He didn’t respond. He opened the door to Moaning Myrtle bathroom. He looked freaked out. “Harry James Potter tell me what is wrong this second. I have class to go to and I have no intention of skipping on the second day.
“Something off about him.”
“Who?”
“Professor Middleton. I don’t know what but something tells me he is bad news.”
“Harry, I understand if you feel like this. Basically all our past teachers have done something to dramatically affect yo-.”
“NO HERMIONE! Something is off about him. I just don’t know what!” He snapped.
I stayed quiet. I hated when Harry or anyone snapped at me. I couldn’t help but to have tears in my eyes. Shit.
“Mione, I’m sorry I snapped at you. I’m just frustrated. Something is off about him and I just don’t know what.”
I nodded. “Okay Harry. What’s off about him?”
“I don’t know! He seems so familiar! I just don’t remember where! After Voldemort killed me all my past visions and some memories have all been just a blur. I can’t even speak parseltongue anymore.”
“I mean it makes sense. You're no longer part of him or he’s part of you.”
“Mione I just don’t-”
“We will figure it out, Harry.”
Never a dull moment at hogwarts.