Chapter II
Warning Signs
"Do you think we should ask her?" Ron asked Harry over eggs and bacon the next morning when he saw Hermione coming over for breakfast.
"I'm not really sure…oh, maybe…well, okay." Harry said craning his head while munching his toast to see Hermione coming over. When she sat on her stool beside him he reluctantly opened the subject…though indirectly.
"Uh, did you have a good night?" he asked her.
Hermione looked as if nothing has happened last night. She looked at Ron and Harry wearing a smile in her face that seemed a little forced. "Nice day, isn't it?" she asked as though she was trying to abruptly change the subject, putting muffins and sausages on her plate.
"Aren't you going to tell us something?" asked Ron impatiently.
"About what?" Hermione asked, frowning, with a hint of irritation in her voice.
"Oh, c'mon Er-my-knee," Ron blurted out. "You don't have to pretend nothing happened last night. It's all over the school! We're your best friends for crying out loud."
Harry felt as though he was witnessing another start of a yearlong shouting match.
"Shhhh," Harry butt in. "Will you keep it down? People are now looking at you." Harry jerked his head toward the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy acted out a "Help! Help!" over the Slytherin table and his hands were stretched as though he was reaching out for the ceiling. Crabbe and Goyle laughed stupidly at Malfoy's little act although it was evident they didn't know what it all meant. News came around Hogwarts like wildfire.
Hermione and Ron smiled and waved at the people around them, and quickly stared at each other's eyes going back to the subject. "Look, I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Hermione hissed, staring at Ron as she unconsciously slammed the fork on her plate, catapulting a big piece of scrambled eggs to Neville's. Neville said thanks. She didn't hear him.
"What are you supposed to be upset about?" Ron shot back. "It was only a dream."
"There you go," Hermione replied continuing her meal, as if Ron answered his own question himself.
As soon Hermione finished her breakfast she stood up. "See you in Potions," she said behind her back and walked off with her nose up in the air.
"She's getting scarier each year I tell ya," Ron told Harry who could only shrug. "You got to tell her about YOUR dream, too, Harry."
"Okay, I will, but not now, probably" He replied. Harry did think it was strange having the same dream as Hermione at about exactly the same time, although he didn't know the full details of her own story. Ginny's sketchy narration last night about some dark dungeon and blackness seemed to fit in to his own dream, but that could only just be what they have in common. As of now, he could only speculate. He had to talk to her more about it in order to find out.
As Harry and Ron entered the Potions room, they already found Hermione sitting at her assigned seat. When she saw them she smiled and waved her hand at them to come over.
"Now it's our chance to see if she's better or worse than Snape," she said referring to Professor Gargarin who was still not inside the room.
To Harry's surprise, he was already sitting in the classroom watching other students come in one by one. He remembered that he always tried to hold out to the last possible second when he had to enter Snape's class.
The exchange student from Durmstrang, Carina Lovic, alighted at the door. Harry noticed that she wore the Slytherin crest on her robe. It was understandable, he thought, that since Durmstrang generally taught their students most heavily on the Dark Arts, and the Sorting Hat had placed her on the House in Hogwarts that historically produced dark wizards and witches. Before she went deeper in the classroom, she scanned her eyes around the students, and for a fleeting instant, Harry thought he saw her eyes screaming "eureka!" when she found Hermione. She came over to the empty seat beside Hermione and asked, "Goood morning, Excuse me, do you mind if I sit beside you?"
"Oh…Yeah…I don't mind, no, really," a surprised Hermione looked up at Carina and held out the seat beside her for the guest student. "Make yourself comfortable."
"Thanks," Carina replied smiling. She looked at Harry for a few seconds as she settled down, and like as he predicted, Carina's eyes looked at where his scar was hidden by his hair. Feeling irritated for people doing this to him all the time, he pulled his bangs up with his hand and said "Looking for this?" in a serious tone of voice, almost sarcastic. Ron snorted beside him, surprised of seeing what Harry did.
"Then Viktor vas not putting me on," Carina said with a bright look on her face. "You really must be Harry Potter. I'm Carina Lovic." She held out her hand to shake Harry's. Remembering Dumbledore's speech last night about courtesy, he shook her hand, too. "And," turning her attention to Hermione, "you must be Hermione Granger." She smiled and held out her hand again.
Hermione slowly but almost reluctantly shook her hands with Carina. "Yes, that's correct, how did you know?" she asked but Harry sensed that Hermione might already have known why for a long time.
"I'm Ron Weasley," said Ron, who offered his hand this time, three seats away. "I'm…uh….one of Hermione's best friends." Carina's hand met Ron's.
Turning back her attention to Hermione, Carina continued. "Viktor alvays talked about you. And from vat I heard, you are a very brilliant student. Always the top of her class in Hogwartz."
"Well, that's about accurate, I suppose," Hermione replied turning a little pink out of modesty and flattery. She looked both at Harry and Ron who were also listening attentively.
"I veally admire people who are very studious, and although I also am one, I sadly do not have the gift of brilliance. I am vishing that it vould like a disease that is also contagious, and I do hope I caught it when I shook your hand."
Hermione was getting more flattered by the minute. "Well, I think that the environment in Hogwarts might help you," she answered as Harry and Ron became suprised how diplomatic Hermione sounded. Their conversation was cut short when Professor Gargarin slammed the door open and strode inside the room towards the teacher's platform. All the students in the class became nervously quiet after being startled by her strong entrance.
"My name is Professor Olga Gargarin, and I am here to temporarily take the place of Severus Snape. I will be sharing you what we are teaching in Durmstrang." She looked sternly around her students. "I understand that Snape has heavily instructed you on the concoction of potions that generally reverse the effects of poisons, etcetera, etcetera… etcetera!" She slammed her hand on the teacher's table and most students jerked backwards from their seats.
"Now," she continued, "this might come as a surprise to you, but Headmaster Dumbledore has authorized me to teach you how to make potions that are practiced by the Dark Arts." Some students started talking in low hushed voices. "THIS," Gargarin said in a tone that suggested to everyone to keep quiet, "This, I wish to point out, is necessary for you to readily recognize them and not to be gulled into taking these dangerous potions. I have prepared a course outline that will include the most common dangerous potions, and a couple of obscure ones. I hope this might save your life one day.
"I don't want to catch anyone not paying attention to me or not looking at me when I talk, otherwise, I will deduct huge amounts of points from your house that will make you forget that there was ever a thing called the House Cup." Most students gulped hard; Neville was now shaking and whimpering.
Gargarin quickly glanced toward Carina who was seated beside Hermione. "Lovic! It doesn't come now as a surprise that you have found your way to Hogwarts," the professor said, scowling. "I'll be watching you…" she said, widening staring eye at her.
Harry, Hermione, Ron looked at Carina trying to see how she dealt with Gargarin. "25 points from Gryffindor for the three of you. You were not looking at me when I talked," called Garagarin. The three friends looked at each other in surprise, and audible groans were heard from almost all the Gryffindors.
"Lovic! I call on you again," she added; now all eyes in the room were upon Gargarin. "You are not in your proper place! You should not be sitting beside Miss Granger, she is a Gryffindor, and you are a Litterin. Move! 25 points from Litterin on the account of Lovic." Some sounds of protest could be heard from the Slytherins. They could not believe an honorary Slytherin could cause them so many points on the first hour of the term. "Litterin! Shall I subtract some more?" Silence then followed from their ranks.
Some snickering was heard from the back, but was cut abruptly short when Gargarin shouted "15 points from Huff-Puff! You, I caught you laughing," she pointed her wand to a startled Hufflepuff. "This also serves as a warning for Ravingclaw."
Lovic stood up from her seat slowly and took her cauldron and schoolbag to sit beside Crabbe, who inched away from her.
"Now, we will start our lesson with a potion called…"
After a couple of hours that dragged on in Potions class, and 25 more points less for Gryffindor later (Neville could not look at Gargarin), all students in the class rushed out of the room. Everybody was now complaining, including Draco Malfoy who briskly went out of sight from the room, fuming.
"I couldn't believe someone else could be worse than Snape," said Ron irritably as he walked beside Harry and Hermione. "Looking at her all the time in class will make us like we've all been mesmerized! Did you even notice that she got all the names of the Houses wrong? …Well, except for Gryffindor…but I reckon that's not a good sign, is it?"
"Yeah, it doesn't look good." Harry replied. He stopped when he wanted to talk to Hermione, realizing that she was not walking with them anymore. He looked back from where they came from and saw her waiting for Carina, who was walking alone, getting closer to her. He turned around again to look for Ron who has advanced more than 20 feet from him talking to himself. Ron realized he was already walking alone and spun around, "Harry, what's keeping you?" Harry went to where Hermione was standing listening to Carina and Ron quickly followed.
"…so you have finally met the vorst of Durmstrang, I suppose. Now I von't think anyvone from the Slytherins would want to be caught fraternizing with me from now on," Carina said pensively.
"That's all right, Carina," Hermione replied, now with a look of some concern in her eyes. "You can sit with us if you want every time except Potions, but it's against the rules in Hogwarts to be living in the wrong dorm or dining on the wrong table if you know what I mean."
Carina nodded.
"Come to think of it," Harry added, "I don't even remember any rule against sitting with someone from a different house during class. D'you reckon she just made all that up?"
"She's alvays like that," Carina told Harry. "And she alvays liked to torment me every time I was admitted to Durmstrang. I thought I would get away from her by volunteering for the student exchange program, but to my disappointment she also volunteered herself to substitute for one of your professors."
Harry took a quick look at Ron, who was also listening in, but he looked as if he was thinking and confused about something. Harry decided to ignore his funny look.
"Lovic!" Gargarin growled at the end of the hall. Carina, Hermione, and Harry snapped their heads towards the professor, all of them looking perplexed. Some of the other passing students stopped and turned to the other direction when they saw what was happening, and the others who were unfortunate enough to be passing her gave a good amount of space between them and Gargarin. "Don't disturb Miss Granger, she has Arithmancy classes in a few moments that you do not belong to."
"Vell, I hope I'll see you all again soon," Carina said to Harry, Ron, and Hermione as she took the cue. The three friends nodded to her and watched her walk past Gargarin. They closely observed the Professor who did not take off her gaze from Carina until she rounded up the corner. Then she shot back a stern look at Hermione for a few seconds, and darted back into the Potions classroom where a new batch of students awaited her.
"Now what was that all about?" asked Ron. "And why is she so upset each time she sees Carina and Hermione together?"
"If you ask me, I don't understand it myself," Hermione said and she looked back at the direction of where Gargarin came from as if she was recounting it.
"And doesn't it seem peculiar that…" Ron started saying, waiting for Hermione and Harry to look back at him, "…that she already knows your name?" he added, pointing at Hermione. "I mean… she didn't know everyone else's name in the class. She didn't even seem to notice someone as famous as Harry here was in there."
"Now, look, Ron," Harry cut in, "maybe I'm not that famous to everyone, to my relief!"
Ron ignored Harry, waiting specifically for Hermione to give her answer.
"Well, Viktor Krum introduced me to her in Durmstrang, right? She ought to remember my name if she ever wanted to use the strand of hair she took from me," she replied, massaging the spot where Gargarin took a sample of her. "Well…" Hermione seemed to have remembered something.
"Well, what?" shot Ron. "Let it out!"
"Well…to tell you the truth," she continued slowly, "I don't even remember Krum saying my name in front of her. He just told the Professor I was a student from Hogwarts."
"See?" exclaimed Ron. "She even knows what class Hermione is in next!"
"What are you getting at, Ron?" asked Harry, who did not quite get what Ron was trying to point out.
"Actually…I don't really know yet…" Ron answered gloomily as he walked slowly away. He quickly spun around with a finger up saying, "We're gonna find out soon enough, though, that's for sure." He was now grinning.
Harry and Hermione laughed after seeing Ron being so erratic. "Well, I'm almost late for Divination, and…er, Hermione, can we talk after lunch?" asked Harry softly. "Just the two of us?"
"Sure," Hermione replied, gave him a big smile, and started to run along the corridor the other way.
~o0o~
After lunch, Harry and Hermione strolled together towards Hagrid's Hut. This was the most private part of Hogwarts that he could think of. Harry managed to convince Ron that it was better talking with Hermione alone rather than with him tagging along and the promise of secretly filling him in with all the relevant details of their conversation was enough for Ron to give in. Harry knocked on the door and heard Fang barking from inside. "'Lo, Hagrid," greeted Harry and Hermione at the same time. The gentle giant opened the door to let them in.
"Nice ter see you, Harry and Hermione. How're you both dowern'. Er, where's Ron?" Hagrid asked in a strong accent.
"Oh, he had something else to do and he couldn't make it, Hag," Harry said winking at Hagrid.
"Oh, dat's all right. He can come anytime he wants ter, anyway," Hagrid said. "Er, what brings you both here, or you jest happen to be happy to see me?"
Hermione giggled.
Harry gave Hagrid a kind of look in his eyes that made him say suddenly, "Oh! Yeah… I… jest remembered I had to do somethern about that, uh, overgrown skrewt just around ther back…a leftover of ther Tri-wizard Tourn…but I shouldn't be telling you that…" Hagrid hastily added. "Anyway, uhm, just help yerselvs with that leftover pudding I made a while ago, C'mon Fang! See yer!" Hagrid and Fang left the hut and both Harry and Hermione were alone. They just sat at Hagrid's gigantic seats looking at each other for a few awkward seconds.
"So Hagrid is also in your plan, whatever it is?" Hermione asked Harry with amusement.
"Uhm, yeah. I can't lie to you, you know that, Hermione." Harry replied and he wondered if there was any truth to that, since he had to lie to Hermione sometimes. "Anyway, the real reason why I wanted to talk to you alone, as you might have reckoned what it is already…because you're, uh, since you're wise beyond your age, erm…"
Hermione looked at Harry quizzically for a second, and guessed, "…is about the dream I had last night…"
"Yeah, that `s right." Harry nodded with relief. "You know we've known each other for a long time and one of my dearest friends, er, I'm kinda concerned about you right now…because, you know, and I…me and Ron love you, ehem…" Harry surprised himself for saying that to Hermione.
She sighed, smiling at Harry.
"Or maybe you want to hear about my own nightmare before you tell me yours?" Harry added rather hastily.
Surprised, Hermione asked, "You had a nightmare, too, Harry? When did you have yours?"
"Just about the same time as you had yours. I heard you scream just moments after I woke up screaming myself."
That got Hermione's attention. "Okay, Harry…can I hear it?"
Harry told her about his dream, and when he got to the point in the dream when he started crying, shaking his head, holding on to her, Hermione, touched by Harry's story, now had tears forming in her eyes also. She went over to Harry and hugged him. Harry was taken aback by surprise, though. He didn't know what that was all about. "And, you fell to the dark hole…that's just about it."
Hermione walked over and sat again on her oversized seat and in some sort of deep thought said, "It's amazing. We both exactly had the same dream, Harry. But yours stopped when I fell down the hole, with that thing…is that what you said?"
Harry nodded. "Do you remember what happened after that?" he asked, hoping that she might had something else to add, considering the amount of time between his screams and hers.
"Yeah, parts of it," Hermione replied, her eyes darting around the floor. She continued on, gradually getting shaky. "I landed on something soft, I think it was the Devil's Snare again because it wrapped its vines around me. I didn't have time to relax, because I was struggling when the figure came closer and closer to me. It…it held some sort of a dagger with both hands and…and the Devil's Snare seemed to cooperate with it."
Harry went over and knelt in front of Hermione to put his hand on top of hers to squeeze it as she was now shaking.
"The Devil's Snare held me up a few inches off the ground," She added, "and it leveled me to the floor, and that hooded thing held the dagger with both hands above me, chanting something, as if I was in a ritual…!" Hermione suddenly broke down.
"Hermione, it's all right, it was only a dream…just a dream," Harry tried to assure her as he stroked her hair, though he couldn't understand why they both had it.
"No it wasn't! It wasn't just a dream! You know it, Harry!" Hermione screamed, shaking more considerably as she looked back at Harry. "You're having it, too, right? I…I had the same nightmare every night when I was in Durmstrang! It always the same!" Harry's mouth was now hanging open. So last night was not the only time she had it.
"Then I reckon it's some sort of warning…of something dreadful that's coming, a premonition!" Harry hypothesized. "But what do you think does it mean and who is making us dream it?"
"I don't know, Harry," she squeaked. "But I'm so very afraid, Harry…I didn't want you and Ron to think I am a coward…" She now looked visibly frightened.
"No, Hermione, we would never think about that, not at all…after all these years we've went against all sorts of powerful enemies at Hogwarts, you are the most courageous teen witch we have ever known."
That made Hermione a little better. "Th...Thanks, Harry. I really need your help. It's scaring me to death."
"Can I get yer something, Hermione?…Harry?" asked Hagrid as he stood at the foot of his door, now with a serious look in his face that Harry had never seen in him before. "Sorry, but I couldn't help but listen, ye know, especially when yer all troubled." Harry shook his head but thanked him. Only Hermione's sobs can be heard in the room as Harry and Hagrid both went silent, lost for words.
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