Hmm…I found this under a flower vase on the mantel the in common room. At least I have it now. I must’ve left it there from the quidditch game victory party. The weird part is that that was a month and a half ago and I didn’t notice it there until now.
It’s November all ready. I wouldn’t believe it if the bare trees and temperature outside weren’t there to prove it. We have been having frequent DA meetings due to the war going on right now. It is incredibly frightening. Muggles are being tortured and people are being mysteriously killed. Dementors and giants have both joined the ‘dark side,’ which is really bad news for us. Fortunately, the Order of the Phoenix has many new members according to Professor Lupin. He tries to tell us what’s been going on at the headquarters without telling us too much. I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before, but when Sirius died, Harry inherited the house, much to Kreacher and Mrs. Black’s portrait’s dismay. So that means that Grimmauld Place is still the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. I’ve noticed the Professor Dumbledore has been absent from the school a couple times. I guess during that time he goes to the headquarters to keep up on what’s going on there. I really need to keep this journal hidden, especially since I just wrote some pretty confidential information in it. Harry told me that Professor Dumbledore had asked to see him the other day and that Harry asked what he could do to help out. Harry told me the Professor Dumbledore said that it would be best to continue holding DA meetings and try to unify the school. I recall the sorting hat’s song in fifth year doing a bit more than hinting about that.
“Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we’ll crumble from within”
Ginny hasn’t been looking very well lately. She doesn’t talk very much and always seems glum. The farthest event I can pin it to is the day that she told me that she confronted Malfoy about him becoming a Death Eater…or rather, not becoming one, as it seems. She says that Malfoy still hasn't said anything to her and she barely ever talks. I had no idea that he meant that much to her. I mean, it's not all the time that she's down, but even some of the time is enough to worry about. I would be a lot more worried about it, except that sometimes I see Malfoy look at her when her back is turned like he wants to say something, but then he always decides not to. I would tell Ginny about it, but I don't want to interfere. I know that Malfoy is bound to talk to her sometime, so I will leave it alone.
Isn't Muggle Studies the class that Malfoy and Ginny are in together? I went down there earlier to say hello to the professor. It's a habit I picked up when I dropped the class in third year because it was just too much for me.
I rapped on the classroom door with my knuckles. I waited for a moment, but there was no response. I was about to try again when I noticed it was slightly ajar. I stepped in quietly and closed the door with a click. I looked around for the professor, but then I spotted her hunched over a row of open drawers of a file cabinet, searching for something.
“Professor?” I called out. She looked up in surprise and in doing so; hit her head on one of the open drawers, making a loud sound.
Professor Channing is a very funny witch. She is tall and slim with long legs. She has smooth dark brown hair and thick-rimmed black glasses. With a glance, you would think she was a ballerina or a dancer of another sort. The funny part is that she is just the opposite. She has a severe case of clumsiness and tries to avoid walking around the classroom when she teaches. When she does walk around, she usually bumps into things and knocks them down every which way. It's no surprise that every item in her room has a set of Unbreakable Charms cast on it, or else her classroom would be in shambles.
“Yes dear?” she responded in a strangled voice as she touched her head where it collided with the open drawer.
“Oh, I just dropped in to say hello. Sorry if I disturbed you,” I apologized.
“It is fine,” she said waving it off. "I was just searching for a copy of the test I'm supposed to be giving soon, but I seemed to have misplaced it...” she said, flipping through a stack of papers. “Actually, I was hoping you'd drop by soon, Hermione. I have something to ask you.”
“Sure,” I said.
“Actually it's more of a favor,” she said as she picked up another pile of papers a scuffled through them. “I was hoping you'd be available to speak to a class of mine. You are the only student I've had that was brought up by muggles and went to a muggle school.” This was true because all of the other muggle-borns chose other classes that they didn't find pointless.
“What would you like me to talk about?” I asked
“I was hoping you could tell us about everyday life at a muggle school. You know, how the people treat each other, some everyday technology muggles rely on; do you know what I mean?” she asked as her hand flitted to her hair, where she kept a pencil in the bun. She jotted something down on a spare piece of parchment. “So do you think you can do it? It'll be in a couple weeks and I can give a note to whichever teacher you have during that time so you can come out and talk.”
“That sounds great,” I responded. “I'd love to do it.”
“Fabulous!” she said as she went through another stack. She looked up at me. “Can you keep this a secret? It's supposed to be a surprise.”
I nodded.
“And another thing,” she added. “This week I'm going to tell them about it, and that they're going to have to wear muggle clothes for the lesson. You can wear some muggle clothes if you'd like as well,” she said. “It's all part of the lesson.”
“Sure,” I said brightly.
“Thanks Hermione,” she said as she pulled a folder out of the stack. “Ah ha! I found it!” Right then all of the papers in the folder slipped out and flooded the floor.
“Do you need a hand?” I offered.
“I’m fine,” she said as she bent down to collect them into a messy pile. “Don’t forget, two weeks from now!” she called.
I grinned as I left the classroom. I could hardly wait! It seemed like so much fun. It's easy to tell why I love this teacher to death. Ha! And the idea of someone forcing Malfoy into muggle attire. That is just too good. It'll be hard not to tell Ginny, though. I hope that lesson will cheer Ginny up. Or that Malfoy finally gets over himself and starts talking to her again.
That afternoon was light and chilly with the sun peeking out from behind a sparse white cloud that was drifting along quickly from the small gusts of wind. We were in Care of Magical Creatures, where Hagrid was talking about the N.E.W.T.s. All of the professors were hitting up on that subject quite a bit, and thankfully I’ve all ready started studying. I’ve tried thinking about my career path and I can honestly say that I have no idea what I plan to do. I do find several fields interesting though. Perhaps I could become an Auror for the Ministry? Or maybe report for the Daily Prophet? Becoming a Healer at St. Mungo’s isn’t out of the question, either.
After the lesson, I decided to talk to Harry while Ron was in another argument with Dean about the Chudley Cannons and the West Ham football team.
“Harry?” I said when I caught up with him; we were walking back to the castle.
“Yes? Oh, hullo Hermione,” he said with a grin.
“I was just wondering…you still haven’t told anyone else about the prophecy, have you?”
“Actually…no.”
“Well I was thinking…maybe you should tell Ron and Ginny. They can help you through this too, you know.”
I had been thinking, and I always seemed to wonder why he hadn’t told either of them. Maybe not Ginny because they weren’t that close, but surely he would have told Ron?
Harry was silent for a moment and I looked at him as another small gust of wind ruffled his all ready untidy jet black hair. “I was thinking about that too,” he finally said. “I want to tell them, but I don’t really want to bring it up and spoil everyone’s mood.”
“Well I can tell you right now that Ginny doesn’t have a good mood to spoil,” I said. “So you don’t have to worry about that. And Ron would want to know anyways. If you want, I could help you tell them,” I offered.
Harry looked at me gratefully. “I would really like that, Hermione,” he said, almost with a smile.
I glanced up at the cloud that was barely covered the sun. Small rays poked through spots where the cloud was less dense.
“Do you ever look up at the clouds?” I said suddenly.
“What?” Harry responded with a puzzled look on his face.
“Erm…sorry…I just meant, do you ever notice the different shapes they come in and how the sun can turn them different colors?”
“Erm…no,” Harry said simply. “I guess I’ve never really looked before.” He shielded his eyes and stared up at the cloud above us.
“If I were an artist, I’d do a painting of one,” I said with a sigh. I was never good at art. My stick figure people were barely recognizable. “Do you want to know something I’ve always imagined?”
Harry nodded. “Okay.”
“When I picture the Final Battle…I always think that the sky will turn red. I have no idea why, but that’s how I picture the sky during the Final Battle.”
“Who knows?” Harry said. “It might happen.”
I snorted. “When has the sky ever been red?”
Harry shrugged.
“So when do you want to tell them? Next week?” I asked, suddenly changing the subject back. I wanted to give him time to think it over.
Harry looked at me with a side glance. “I was actually thinking about telling them tonight at dinner if that’s okay.”
“Of course that’s okay,” I said. “I just didn’t want you to feel like I was pushing you.”
Harry touched my shoulder. “Thanks,” he said as we entered the castle.
That night at dinner, Harry was the first to speak about it.
“Ron? Ginny?” he asked to get their attention.
“What?” they both said.
“Well there’s kind of something I need to tell you.”
“There’s a loony named Voldemort following you around and trying to kill you?” Ron joked.
I nudged him in the ribs so he shut up. “Honestly,” I said as I rolled my eyes.
Then Harry went on to tell them all about the prophecy that was made and how either Harry will have to kill Voldemort or else he will have to die. Both of their reactions were close to what I had pictured.
“But…you really don’t think you’ll have to…and You-Know-Who will actually…. Has your scar been hurting lately?” Ron said which a worried look.
“It’s constantly been prickling ever since he came back, so I guess my scar can’t really help that much anymore,” Harry responded.
Ginny was pale. “Are you sure you have to kill him?” she asked.
Harry nodded. “Or else he kills me.”
During that whole conversation, I felt a bit sick thinking about losing my best friend. Even after dinner, I decided to prowl the hallways, even with the prospect of getting caught by Mrs. Norris of Filch. I could always say I was out patrolling the hallways though…right? Wow, I worry way too much.
I was roaming around the hallways and the friendly suits of armor by day cast long, dark shadows. With only a dim amount of light, they looked menacing and scary. I was starting to regret coming out to walk around. The candle I was holding began to melt the wax and drip. Why had I even brought a candle? I had a perfectly good wand upstairs in my schoolbag. Some of it landed on my hand and I bit my lip as it burned. I quickly put the candle down on a nearby table so that I could scrape off the all ready hardened wax on my hand.
As I turned around, I bumped into something and almost lost balance. By then, I knew that I definitely should have stayed in the Gryffindor tower. I feared for the worst as I turned to see who I had bumped into.
But there was no one there. Or so I thought.
“Hello?” I whispered into the dark, forbidding hallway. It was so dark, that it looked like the hallway led into pitch black nothingness.
“Hi,” the nothingness answered back to me.
I squinted my eyes, but I saw absolutely nothing beyond my small area of light. I thought I must’ve gone mad and was hearing voices. This voice sounded oddly familiar though. Even more familiar than my own thoughts.
“Harry?” I said softly, not trying to be loud.
“Well, yeah, who else do you think it could be?”
“Well it’s kind of hard identifying someone when they’re wearing an invisibility cloak,” I hissed into an empty space of air, hoping that I was facing him.
“Oh…right,” he mumbled as he slipped it off. “Sorry about that,” he said sheepishly.
“What are you doing out here?” I questioned as I eyed the silvery cloak that shimmered even in the lack of light.
“I was about to ask you the same question,” he said, in turn eyeing the melting candle that I temporarily put on the table. “I decided to follow you when I noticed you sneaking out of the common room.”
“Ooh, you’re stalking me, aren’t you?” I joked. “Following me under the protection of your invisibility cloak. You know you can go to jail for that stuff, right?”
At first Harry gave me a strange look, but then went along with the joke. “Okay, you caught me,” he grinned. “I guess the gig is up.”
I giggled. “No actually,” I said, with a more serious tone. “I just wanted to walk around and try to think.”
“You do too much of that all ready. I thought you might need a break,” Harry said. “What did you want to think about?”
“Well…” I said. “Whenever I think about the war, my stomach does a back flip. I hate thinking about it.”
“Yeah,” Harry agreed. “Is there anything particular to want to talk about?” he asked softly. I looked up into his eyes and saw the mirrored image of the flame from the candle flickering.
“I hate the thought of losing you,” I said as I looked down at the outline of my feet. “Oh Harry,” I muttered. “Why did it have to be you?” I said almost choking on my words from the lump in my throat. I looked up at him again with tears brimming in my eyes. I hated being tortured every day by the thought of losing my best friend at any given moment.
“Hermione, Hermione,” Harry said as he took me in his arms and stroked my hair. “Don’t you know that I hate the thought of losing you too? As much as I’d like to, I can’t change the fact that I’m the one Voldemort is after.”
“I know, but…” I said trailing off lamely, not even finishing my sentence.
“We’ll survive. Of course we’ll survive. So don’t forget that okay?” he told me as he looked me in the eye.
I nodded.
“So do you want to get back to the common room now?” he said as he picked up the candle for me.
I nodded again, not being able to find my voice.
With that, Harry draped the invisibility cloak over both of us and we set off back to the Gryffindor tower. I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost him.
- H. Granger