Chapter 4
„So the Death Eaters have really adopted a Muggle-born. Who would have thought? Do you think they’re using you to improve their reputation?”
Hermione was deeply impressed about the depth of stupidity Ronald Weasley was capable of.
Everyone on Platform 9¾ stared at him, as he looked at Hermione, who had just arrived together with Lucius, Narcissa and Draco. Many conversations had ceased and even Draco’s owl Hermes, who had screeched like mad the entire time since Draco had put him into his cage, was silent now.
“Arthur,” Lucius drawled and looked at Arthur Weasley, who grew notably pale. “I know you have quite a few children to focus on, but teaching each one some basic manners shouldn’t be too much to ask.”
Weasley muttered something that sounded like an apology and pulled Ronald away, none too gently, and when they joined the rest of the family, Harry Potter included, Molly Weasley did a good job imitating Hermes’ earlier screeches.
Draco just stared at the renewed public display. Then he turned to his mother, who stood next to him, unfaced. “You have no idea how much I appreciate you.”
Narcissa gave her son an amused smile. “So you would not like me to imitate a Howler in public?”
“I can’t imagine you behaving like that in public or in private,” Draco said dryly.
Neither could Hermione.
Back at Hogwarts, Draco was in a great mood on their fourth day of school and not even Hermione’s and Daphne’s excitement for their first Defence Against the Dark Art class could dampen that.
The day before had been Quidditch try-outs and he was now officially the new Seeker for Slytherin. It was well-deserved, in Hermione’s opinion, and she was happy for him.
At least she had been until he had seen earlier that day that she had outlined the Defence lessons with hearts on her timetable and kept making fun of her since.
On the way to the classroom, they came across Harry Potter and a first-year with a camera, who asked, if he could have a photo of him and Potter and if Potter could sign it.
Pansy giggled hysterically.
“Signed photos? You’re giving out signed photos, Potter? Everyone queue up!”
Hermione barely supressed a giggle of her own. “Shut up, Draco.”
“What? You don’t want a signed photo of Harry Potter?” He grinned at her.
“I’d much rather have one of Ron Weasley. The clown of Platform 9¾.”
All of them were laughing now, they moved along with Weasley glaring after them.
In the Defence classroom, Hermione and Daphne immediately went to get seats in the front. She looked back and saw that everyone else had taken seats in the back and both she and Daphne rolled their eyes.
It didn’t take long for Lockhart to dramatically enter the classroom, light blue and white robes billowing weakly behind him and Hermione couldn’t help but think that Snape’s entrance was far more impressive, even when he had a bad day. She heard the boys and Pansy giggle in the back and refused to join in.
Lockhart grabbed Daphne’s copy of “Travels with Trolls” and held it up for the whole class to see. “Me,” he unnecessarily stated, pointing at his winking portrait on the book cover. “Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League and five times winner of Witch’s Weekley’s Most-Charming-Smile Award.” He gave them a bright smile and Hermione could understand all too well why he had repeatedly won that silly award. “But I don’t talk about that. I didn’t get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her.”
He obviously waited for them to laugh and Hermione tried, really tried, but the best she could do was a faint smile. Even Daphne didn’t do any better.
Greg broke out laughing, causing Vince to join in, and Lockhart beamed at them. Hermione was reasonably sure it was not the joke they were laughing about.
But she was willing to cut him some slack. It was his first time teaching and he was probably nervous.
Their new Defence teacher praised them for buying all of his books – well they had been on the list of mandatory books to buy, but again, he was understandably nervous – and then he handed them a quiz.
There were murmurs all around and Hermione could hear Draco’s voice in the back. “What is that supposed to be – who cares about his favourite colour?”
Hermione had to admit that this quiz had very little to do with a valuable Defence lesson and she was almost ashamed that she was able to answer all of the 54 questions. She had managed to read all of the books before school had started, after all.
After collecting the papers and looking through them, he their new teacher shook his head in disappointment. “Tut, tut – hardly any of you remembered that my favourite colour is lilac.” Then he listed other things, people had gotten wrong and Hermione started to get bored and she half wished that she had chosen to sit in the back with the others, from where she could hear badly supressed laughter.
Lockhart perked up, after quite a while of exclaiming his disappointment in them not knowing all the irrelevant little details that had been mentioned in the books. “… 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.” Before the lesson had started, she would have thought she would be proud for being singled out about knowing the answer to all of the questions in a quiz, but now that she thought about it, it wasn’t exactly something to be proud of to know that he wanted to market a range of hair-care potions and that his favourite colour was lilac. “Full Marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?” Blushing, she reluctantly lifted her hand. “Excellent! Take ten points for Slytherin. And so, to business …”
Oh, good, now they could benefit from his vast experience. It had just been a bumpy start. She perked up as he went to his desk, from behind which he lifted a covered cage onto it.
He started talking about the foulest creatures known to wizardkind and how they would face their fears now. Even the boys and Pansy in the back stopped their antics – until he lifted the cover and they almost screamed with laughter.
Pixies. Cornish Pixies.
He warned them not to underestimate them, released the creatures and one of them promptly stole his wand, only to throw it out of the window. Chaos broke out as the Pixies tried to steal books and wands and pulled peoples’ hair, some students, and Lockhart, fled the room.
And thus, Hermione Granger learned that looks weren’t everything and maybe the written word, as heroic as it sounded, should be doubted. Sighing, she took her own wand out of the holster and used a Freezing Charm to stop the Pixies from causing any real harm. Draco helped, not very effectively, as he was still shaking with laughter. Vince, Greg, Blaise and Theo packed the now stiff Pixies back into their cage.
Daphne und Pansy had chosen to retreat as they each had lost some strands of hair to the electric blue creatures.
“What do you want from Severus?” Draco asked curiously as she went towards their house teacher’s office instead of the entrance to the common room.
“Nothing important. Go ahead, I’ll be right behind you.”
Of course he didn’t listen.
When they stood before Professor Snape, she shot Draco a warning look before addressing him. “Sir, do you have another copy of our timetable?”
He lifted his eyebrows at her. “Have you lost yours already, Miss Granger?”
“No, Sir. I accidentally ruined it.”
She had known it, she should have prevented Draco from coming along, because now he looked at his godfather with a broad grin. “She drew small hearts around Lockhart’s lessons and now that he’s made a complete fool of himself, she’s ashamed of the hearts.” She glared at her friend.
Snape took a deep breath, produced a new copy of the timetable from one of his drawers and held it out to her.
She took it. “Thank you, Sir.”
“Out.”
She prepared herself for days of teasing, but when they came into the common room, the new Quidditch captain (for some reason, Snape had decided to replace Marcus Flint with Marina Kinney this year, something the older boy was not happy about) approached them with a bright grin. “Malfoy, why didn’t you tell us?”
Draco looked confused. “Tell you what?”
“That your father was planning to provide new Nimbus 2001 brooms for all members of the Quidditch team! That’s amazing!”
Hermione knew for a fact that Draco hadn’t known about that, but he recovered quickly from his initial shock and shrugged. “I wanted it to be as surprise.”
“Well, it certainly was. Come on, they’re over there.”
He joined the rest of the Quidditch team in the back of the common room, where some of the members were still unpacking their brooms.
Hermione sat down next to Pansy on a sofa in front of the fireplace.
“He had no idea, did he?” Pansy asked quietly.
“Nope, none at all.”
Both girls laughed.
Two days later, Weasley had successfully spread the rumour that Draco had only gotten into the team because his father had bought the brooms.
To say Draco was angry, was an understatement, and Hermione could relate. He had trained hard during the summer and had loved flying long before he had started school. As far as she could tell, he was a great flyer.
When she came across him telling everyone who would listen – or couldn’t get away fast enough – that ‘Malfoy’s daddy had bought his place on the team’, Hermione came to a halt in front of him. He looked at her as if to challenge her to say something. She didn’t disappoint.
“It must be frustrating for you, Weasley. Not enough talent to get on the team, or enough guts to try out in the first place, and no rich father to buy your way into it. I’m sorry you feel so bad about yourself.” She regarded him with a pitying smile. “Just so you know, Lord Malfoy decided to buy the brooms after Draco got on the team. You however, will only ever get to play Quidditch, if Gryffindor becomes truly desperate.”
Several people laughed and Weasley’s face flushed in a familiar bright red colour.
Without further ado, Hermione turned on her heels and went back into the castle, where she joined her friends in the Great Hall for lunch.
~tbc~