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Alone in The Wizarding World Chapter 2 (First Class)
🕑 Added 2022-04-14 19:55:00 +0000 UTCHarry pushed his now empty plate away from him. He didn't think he had ever eaten so much in his life.
Hermione, however, hadn't eaten much at all. She had sat staring sadly at her plate and pushing the food around with her fork. Harry felt bad for her. He knew exactly why she was upset; she knew that Harry was already Ron's friend. Hermione also wanted to be friends with Harry, but she and Ron already couldn't stand each other. That would make life very difficult for all three of them.
He patted her shoulder comfortingly and she looked up, giving him a forced smile. He smiled back.
"All right?" He whispered.
Hermione nodded, "I do hope lessons start soon. There's so much to learn. I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else. Although it is supposed to be quite difficult."
"It'll probably be a while before we're allowed to do any of that stuff. Sounds like it could be quite dangerous." Harry told Hermione, who had regained some of the colour that had faded from her face.
"Yes, I suppose so-"
"That does look good..." A ghost standing behind Ron - who was still munching his way loudly through his third piece of steak - interrupted Hermione.
"Can't you-?" Harry asked.
"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years." The ghost replied sadly, "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor tower."
"I know who you are!" Said Ron suddenly.
"Yes, of course you do, silly boy, I just introduced mys-"
"No! My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"
"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-" the ghost began stiffly.
Seamus Finnigan interrupted, "Nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?"
Sir Nicholas looked very miffed, as if their conversation hadn't been going at all the way he wanted.
"Like this." He said irritably. Nick seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had clearly tried to behead him but had not done it properly. Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, looking pleased at the surprised faces surrounding him and floated away.
************
It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed, greasy-haired teacher looked past Professor Quirrell's absurd purple turban and straight into Harry's eyes, causing a sharp, hot pain to shoot across the scar on Harry's forehead.
"Ouch!" Harry clapped his hand to his head.
"What is it?" Hermione's head whipped around to face him, her face filled with worry.
"N-nothing."
Hermione did not look as though she believed him but let it slide as the look on Harry's face told her that he did not want to talk about it.
"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" Harry looked past Hermione and at Percy Weasley.
"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous. That's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions but everyone knows he doesn't want to - he's after the Defence Against the Dark Arts position. That's Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."
Harry watched Snape for a while, but the professor did not look at him again.
************
"Get off, Scabbers!" Ron yelled angrily, "He's chewing my sheets!"
Harry was going to tell Ron what he had meant to say earlier - to lay off of Hermione a bit and to give her a chance before he decided to hate her - but he fell asleep straightaway.
Maybe he had eaten too much, for he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Quirrell's turban. It kept talking to him, telling him he should be in Slytherin as it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin. The turban grew heavier and heavier, weighing Harry down. He tried to pull it off, but it tightened painfully. Malfoy came into view, laughing as Harry struggled. Then Malfoy turned into Snape, whose laugh became high and cold. He could hear a woman and a girl screaming. Then, there was a blinding flash of green light.
Harry awoke, sweating and shaking. He rolled over and fell asleep once more and, when he woke up again the next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.
***********
"There, look!"
"Where?"
"Next to that tall kid with red hair!"
"Wearing the glasses?"
"Did you see his face?"
"Did you see his scar?"
Whispers followed Harry from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. People queued up to look at him and doubled back to pass him in the corridors. Harry wished they wouldn't as he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to his classes.
Another thing that had annoyed Harry was that Hermione had stayed well clear of him and Ron since the feast. Harry was disappointed as he really wanted to talk to her, but Hermione seemed as adamant to stay away from Ron as Ron was adamant to stay away from her and to stay close to Harry.
Their first lesson was Transfiguration, a lesson Harry knew that Hermione had been excited to try out.
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you shall be learning at Hogwarts."
Harry glanced at Hermione next to him as she took in every word McGonagall was saying. They all stared in awe as the Professor changed her desk into a pig and back again.
"You may begin."
By the end of the lesson, Hermione was the only person who had been able to turn her matchstick into a needle. She had done it so quickly that she had been able to learn how to transfigure it between those two forms whilst attempting in vain to teach Harry how to do it properly.
Hermione had earned Gryffindor five house points already.
***********
At dinner the next day, Hedwig fluttered through the window and landed in front of Harry and Hermione (Ron was already serving a detention with McGonagall for throwing his quill at Hermione whilst she was trying to change her needle back into a matchstick) with a note clasped in her claws.
DEAR HARRY,
I KNOW YOU GET FRIDAY AFTERNOONS OFF, SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME AND HAVE A CUP OF TEA WITH ME AROUND THREE? I WANT TO HEAR ALL ABOUT YOUR FIRST WEEK. SEND AN ANSWER BACK WITH HEDWIG.
HAGRID.
Harry borrowed Hermione's quill and scribbled 'Yes please, see you on Friday' on the back of the note, chuckling lightly at Hagrid's handwriting. He handed it to Hedwig, who flew off almost instantly.
"Do you want to come too then, Hermione? I could do with a bit more company than Hagrid. I'm sure he'd like to hear how you're getting on too." Harry asked hopefully.
"Really? Won't Ron mind? I'm sure he'd like to go, wouldn't he?" There was a slight edge in Hermione's voice as she spoke.
"Well, I'm not asking Ron am I? I'm asking you. So, do you want to?"
"Well...alright then. If I don't have too much homework to do." Hermione smiled gratefully.
"Great!" Harry grinned, "Um...I suppose I should go back to the common room.Ron told me to wait for him so that he could tell me all about his detention."
"Oh...yeah, o-of course. I'll see you later then." Hermione's smile faded just enough for Harry to notice.
"But I am still kind of hungry..." Harry lied. He wanted to spend more time with Hermione, as he was sure now that they were friends, "So I guess Ron will have to wait for me. It can't have been that bad, can it? Besides, he can just talk to Seamus about it, he went up there earlier"
"I...are you sure, Harry? If you want to go back then I'm not stopping you, I just-"
"No." Harry interrupted her firmly, sitting back down and grabbing another slice of treacle tart, "I'm staying here. Ron won't mind, I'm sure."
**********
Ron was furious. He had been sitting sulkily on the sofa when Harry and Hermione had returned together, laughing, from the Great Hall. When Harry had tried to apologise to him, Ron grunted and stormed up to his dorm.
Hermione sighed sadly, "I'm sorry, Harry. He'll come around, I'm sure. By tomorrow you'll be friends again..."
"Bloody git..." Harry muttered under his breath.
"I know he is," Hermione whispered to Harry, making him jump as he had not intended for Hermione to hear what he said, "but he's your friend, Harry, he knows that, trust me. I really do think you should take him to Hagrid's with you on Friday to make it up to him, though."
"But what about you, Hermione? I could take both of you, Hagrid won't mind-" Harry trailed off as he saw the look on Hermione's face, "All right, you win. I'll take Ron."
"And I'll try and make an effort to talk to him without either of us getting angry at each other." Hermione promised.
"Good luck with that one." Harry laughed, "I'll try and get him to lay off you, though. He's being really horrid and he doesn't even know you properly."
"I suppose it's because he wants to be your best friend, Harry. Your only best friend. I'm sure he thinks you're already replacing him with me. That's why it's a good idea for you to take him to Hagrid's on Friday. You're showing him that he's still important to you."
What if I don't want to be his friend? Anger rushed through Harry once more. Why does Hermione think that I want Ron to be my friend more than her? And what the bloody hell is wrong with having two friends?
Harry was very confused. He was fully aware that Ron and Hermione did not like each other, but that was no reason for only one of them to be his friend. Knowing that he needed time to cool off, he told Hermione that he was going to stay in the common room for a while, hoping that Ron would be asleep by the time Harry went up to bed.
"All right. I might as well stay down here too, then. I think I'm going to read Hogwarts; a History again. Do you want to look at it together?"
"Sure, why not?" Harry moved over on the sofa to make room for Hermione. She sat down next to him and pulled a big, dusty book from her school bag. Hermione opened the cover and flicked past the first few pages of acknowledgements before she began to read aloud to Harry.
***********
"Shall we stop there?" Hermione snapped Harry out of his daze, folding the page corner down.
"Oh...yeah. We should probably go to bed now." They were the only two still down in the common room. Everyone else had long since gone up to their dorms.
"I'm sure Ron will be asleep. Besides, even if he's not, I'm sure he's got as little desire to talk to you as you have to talk to him. You can both fix it in the morning."
"Yeah." Harry yawned, "See you tomorrow, Hermione."
"Goodnight, Harry." Hermione smiled and scurried upstairs.
Slowly walking upstairs after her, Harry prayed that Ron, Dean, Seamus and Neville would all be asleep and would not notice his late arrival.
Luckily, it seemed that they had been asleep for a while as a chorus of snores commenced as Harry walked into the room, and he could definitely hear that the loudest one was coming from Ron's bed.
Harry drifted slowly off to sleep, hoping that what Hermione had said about he and Ron making up in the morning was true. Although Ron was a bit of a git, he wasn't too bad. Besides, Harry would much rather have him as a friend than an enemy.
Harry was going to do exactly what Hermione had suggested: apologise to him, listen to him rant about his detention then invite Ron to Hagrid's on Friday. Then Harry would get him to try and stop being a git towards Hermione. Perhaps then they could all be happy.
This added even more pressure to Harry, on top of the looming presence of Voldemort. Harry then made the decision that he was not going to be afraid to say Voldemort's name, whatever everyone else thought. He didn't understand what people thought was so bad about it. Surely they'd want to show Voldemort that they weren't as scared of him as he'd like them to be as opposed to showing him that they were too scared even to say his name.
Shaking the thought off, Harry turned over and fell asleep, his mind still racing.
Harry opened his eyes. The sun was shining through gaps in the curtains. He looked over at Ron's bed to see a red-haired boy staring at him sheepishly.
"I...er...look, Harry, mate...I'm sorry...a-about yesterday. I was being a prat. You just...you didn't mean to leave the Great Hall late...and I-I know you wouldn't let me down on purpose...um...well, I suppose it was just an...erm...coincidence that you met Hermione on the way back, right? Something like that..."
By this point, Harry could tell that Ron was trying more to assure himself that Harry hadn't meant to let him down as oppose to assuring Harry that the whole thing wasn't a big deal to Ron at all. Harry, however, counted his blessings and decided to forgive Ron after apologising for leaving him hanging.
"Hey, yesterday Hagrid sent me an owl inviting me to go and visit him on Friday afternoon. I was just wondering if you'd like to come, it'll be great, I'm sure!" Harry asked Ron hopefully.
"Yeah, I don't see why not. Wonder how big Hagrid's house is...must be massive to fit him in there!"
A surge of relief flooded through Harry. Parts one and two of his and Hermione's plan were done. Now all that was left was to talk to Ron about Hermione, but, as Ron was currently in good spirits, Harry decided he'd save it for later.
***********
Once they were dressed, the two boys went down to the common room where they found Hermione sitting by herself on one of the red armchairs reading.
"Hey," Harry grinned and winked at her, holding up two fingers away from Ron's view to tell her that he had done two of the things that he said he would. Hermione smiled back at him happily before continuing to read what looked to be a book about a variety of strange magical creatures that Harry did not recognise.
"Want to go down for breakfast, mate?" Ron asked, oblivious to Harry and Hermione's secret scheming.
"Sure," Harry glanced back at Hermione, who was watching him jubilantly, and he mouthed, see you later, before hurrying from the common room after Ron.
***********
"Mmm, 'vis is rea'y good, 'arry!" Ron said through a large mouthful of bacon.
"Yeah, it is," Harry replied, slightly disgusted.
"Oh," Ron swallowed his food,"that Hermione girl, she's a bit weird, right?"
Harry didn't know what to say. Of course, he didn't think that Hermione was weird at all, but that was not what Ron wanted to hear. In the end, Harry simply said, "hmm," in response.
Minutes later, Hermione walked in. She slowly approached Harry and Ron. As she passed, Hermione gave Harry an apprehensive look, but Harry shook his head slightly in response to her silent question: have you asked him yet?
Looking dispirited, Hermione gave Harry a small nod of comprehension before walking to the far end of the Gryffindor table, far away from Ron and Harry.
"Mental, she is," Ron scoffed,"thinks she's all that..."
Harry seized this opportunity, "Look, Ron. I think you should lay off of Hermione a bit.You're being a bit unfair to her; I mean, you don't even know her and you're still being a bit of a git.Besides, she's really nice once you get to know her; please can you just give her a chance?"
Ron's now angry eyes met Harry's hopeful ones. Harry's heart sank; it wasn't going to work.
"What the bloody hell has gotten into you, mate?" Ron shouted, standing up abruptly, as though he was about to leave, "I thought we were friends! She's absolutely mental! Has she hypnotised you or something? She's awful! I can't stand her and there's nothing you can say that'll make me!"
"B-but, Ron...can't you just try?" Harry flushed red as he noticed that everyone in the room was staring at them. Ron continued to glare at him. Regaining his composure and keeping his voice calm and low, Harry continued to speak, "Look, you can't just go around being a bloody prat to everyone you don't like, you know. Common courtesy, isn't it? She deserves as much of a chance as anyone else does. So please, Ron, for goodness sake, can you just try and be nice to her?I talked to Hermione and she says she'll try too.You aren't a bad person, mate, you've just got to learn to have some respect and consideration for other people, alright?"
Ron, by this point, had grown very red. He slowly sat down, causing everyone else in the Great Hall to turn back to their own private conversations; everyone except Hermione Granger.
Harry looked down to the end of the table. Hermione was blushing as red as Ron was, and Harry could have sworn he saw a tear roll down her cheek as she gave him a small, appreciative smile. Then, however, Hermione looked back down at her breakfast, her hair covering Harry's view of her face.
"I...er...s-sorry, H-Harry. Um...I just...I don't..." Ron struggled.
"It's alright..." Harry replied stiffly, though he wasn't entirely sure that he meant it. Ron had caused a huge scene in front of everyone; how easy was that to forgive him for? He'd upset and embarrassed Hermione, he'd insulted her and now pretty much the whole school thought she was something of a completely mental and manipulative hypnotist.Besides, Ron hadn't even said that he'd make any effort to be nice to her at all.No, Harry thought with a sigh, I can't forgive him. Not yet.
***********
At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had been put under the impression that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, however, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry - he hated him.
The Gryffindor and Slytherin first years sat shivering in one of the dungeon classrooms. Snape started off the class by taking the register. He paused when he reached Harry's name.
"Ah, yes, Harry Potter. Our new celebrity."
Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. On Harry's left, Hermione grunted indignantly under her breath. Luckily, Snape didn't seem to hear her.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe that this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper in death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to deal with."
Hermione was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to prove that she wasn't a dunderhead.
"Potter!" Snape called suddenly, "What would I get if I added a powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was. On his left, Hermione's hand had shot into the air. She glanced at Harry and mouthed something that looked like, smleatsing portion, which made Harry realise that this was a lost cause.
"I don't know, Sir." Harry said tensely.
"Tut, tut...fame clearly isn't everything." His lips curled into a sneer as he ignored Hermione's hand.
"Let's try again, shall we Potter? Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Hermione's hand reached higher into the air. Harry still had no clue, so looked back at Hermione who subtly mouthed what looked like, sboats notharch.
Harry sighed, "I don't know, Sir."
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before you came, Potter?" Snape continued to ignore Hermione's quivering hand, "What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane, Potter?"
At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching towards the dungeon ceiling.
"I don't know," Harry said quietly, "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you ask her?"
A few people laughed, but Snape broke his glare at Harry and turned to Hermione, "Sit down, you silly girl. That's a point from Gryffindor for class distruption," Snape snapped at her, "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful that it is known as Draught of the Living Dead. A bezoar is a stone found in the stomach of a goat that will save you from most poisons, and as for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"
Harry felt his blood boiling, the proffesor clearly had some kind of grudge against him or his parents.
Why allow him, turn his smile into a Red One, the Eyes will not SEE
Snape suddenly felt his eyes burning, as if flames were in front of his face, Harry glared furiouslyuriously at the proffesor when Hermione touched his shoulder.
"Harry, you alright?"
Harry wasn't sure how to answer, his eyes glanced at Snape who was rubbing his eyes with his hands, before sitting down.
What's that Voice??
There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the hustle and bustle, Snape sneered, "And yet another point shall be taken from Gryffindor house for your cheek, Potter."
Their double lesson did not improve for the Gryffindors whatsoever as it went on. Snape paired them all up and set them to making a simple potion to cure boils. He criticised almost everyone except Malfoy, whom Snape seemed to like.
Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus Finnegan's cauldron into a twisted blob. The potion flooded out onto the floor and all over Neville, who whimpered as boils began to pop up all over him.
"Idiot boy!" Snape snarled before turning to Seamus, "Take him up to the hospital wing." He spat. Then, Snape rounded on Harry, who had been working next to Neville with Ron, "You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills?Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."
Harry opened his mouth to argue with Snape at this unfairness, but Ron kicked him under the table, "Don't push it," He muttered, "I've heard he can turn very nasty."
***********
"Cheer up, mate," Ron whined, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Come on, let's go to Hagrid's or he'll be wondering where we've got to. Er...you did tell him that I was coming, right?"
Harry wasn't listening. He was still furious at Snape. Losing three points between them in their first week was shameful for him and Hermione. Having glanced at her a fair amount during the lesson, Harry could tell that she was also very flustered by the occurrence.
"Harry?" Ron yelled, "Wake up! You just walked into the bloody wall!"
He was right. Harry, lost in a daydream, found himself on the cold stone floor. Surrounding him were snickers and giggles from students. As Harry got up, he felt his forehead throbbing with an ache where it had hit the wall.
As the laughs grew louder, however, Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and heard a concerned whisper in his ear, "Are you alright, Harry?" He couldn't mistake that voice for anyone else's. It was Hermione.
"I...yeah, I'm good." Harry replied, moving his hand away from his still aching head.
"Okay," Hermione turned around and yelled at the snickering passers by, "Give it a rest, all of you! He could have been really hurt, you know."
This assertion only caused the crowd to laugh more before continuing on their ways.
"Thanks Hermione," Harry's grin faded a little when he saw Ron glaring at him out of the corner of his eye,"I...uh...really appreciate it."
"It's nothing, really," Hermione smiled up at him,"and thanks for earlier. It was lovely, what you said-"
"All right, all right, Harry's fine and everyone's stopped laughing. So you can go now." At Hermione's indignant hesitation, Ron added, "Bugger off!"
Hermione sighed, crossing her arms, "Right, we need to sort this out, Ron. I mean, we've got no reason at all not to like each other, and it'll be so easy to just-"
"Didn't you hear me? I said bugger off!" Ron snarled.
Looking rather disheartened, Hermione turned on her heel and strode off down the stone steps.
"Finally, she's gone!" Ron groaned, "What's up, mate?"
Harry had been about to go after Hermione to make sure she was okay, but their failing plan could only get back on track if Harry stayed loyal to Ron.
"Oh...no, nothing. Don't worry..." Harry faltered.
"Cool." Ron grinned, "Honestly though, Hermione is so annoying, isn't she? Didn't think she'd ever leave! She thinks she knows everything, acting all perfect. Can't stand her at all, mate. Barking, she is!"
There was a few moments of silence before Harry suddenly snapped, "What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" He shouted angrily. Breaking into a run, he ignored Ron's yells of, "Harry? What the bloody hell...? Where are you going?" and sped around the corner Hermione had disappeared past.
Glancing around him, Harry saw a flash of curly chestnut brown hair whip out of view at the top of the staircase that led to the library. Harry bolted up the stairs after her and stopped for a breath at the top. He stood facing a tall, wooden door. Pushing it open, Harry gazed at the massive room. Stacked high with a seemingly endless amount of books, it resembled something of a museum.
Harry gaped around the room and spotted Hermione curled up on a chair in the far corner, her head buried in a large, dusty book. Frowning, Harry walked slowly across the room to her.
"Hey..." he sat on the chair next to her, "I'm sorry about that..."
"Don't be," Hermione sniffed, "you didn't do anything."
"Well...I could have stopped him...said something, maybe..." Harry stuttered.
"No, you couldn't. He'd have said it anyway."
Harry looked at her downcast expression as she wiped a stray tear that had fallen from her eye, and he realised that Hermione must have heard everything that Ron had said to him about her once she'd supposedly left, "It's not true, you know, what he said. Any of it."
Hermione looked back up at him sadly, "It...it doesn't matter whether or not you think it's t-true, Harry. He still said it and he meant it, didn't he? I don't know why he keeps saying that stuff, though. I mean, in front of you he always t-talks about how he doesn't like me when he knows that you don't like it...it doesn't make sense. Either he's just r-really thick or he's up to something."
"I don't know...but I don't think you should dwell on it too much." Harry said with a sigh.
"All right," Hermione wiped her eyes, "I'm not giving up that easily. Tomorrow, I'll try again. Thanks, Harry. I needed that."
"Any time!" Harry smiled. As they stood up, Hermione flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Harry wasn't entirely sure what to do. Growing slightly embarrassed at the stares from the few people around them, he whispered, "Hermione!"
"Sorry..." Hermione pulled away from him awkwardly.
"It's okay. I didn't mind, it's just..." He gestured to the other people in the library,"...you know?"
Hermione nodded. "Oh!" She exclaimed suddenly, "Harry, you ought to be at Hagrid's, it's three o'clock!"
"Oops!" Harry grinned, "Well, seeing as I've not got the time to go find Ron to drag him out with me, you can come!"
"Harry..." Hermione looked up at him uncertainly, "are you sure?"
"Positive. Now come on, let's go or Hagrid'll be worried!"
The pair scurried out of the library and down to Hagrid's hut hand-in-hand. Smiles lit up their faces as they ran together, talking and laughing as they went. Happiness and oblivion filled them with a strange warmth that neither one of them could explain.
