Chapter 3 - When Harry and Hermione met
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling actually gets paid to write this stuff. I don't, so guess what? I don't own Harry Potter.
Author's note: I've been obsessed with this plot for a very long time, I'm glad I finally got it on paper. It's surely not one of my best works but I hope you'll like it.
This is set in the early 80s in a country (doesn't matter which one) which is having some political problems.
The plot is loosely based on actual happenings in my country in those times.
Dedicated to all those who in times of need stand up for what they believe in.
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I'm getting tired of having to copy that part each time!!! But anyway, lets get on with the story; once again sorry for taking so long to update! A huge thank you to those who reviewed - please continue to do so, the reviews are the fuel to this engine ;)
So here's chapter 3.
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"What?!" Hermione exclaimed looking with disbelief at the paper she held in her hands. That paper held the results of the admittance tests which were crucial to her since she really wanted to continue her studies. She had always been good at school but her doubts clouded her and before receiving any results she was always very nervous, each time her doubts were unfounded since she always passed.
But not today; today her doubts prevailed. The paper said the she had failed an admittance test - she Hermione Granger, who always topped her class, had failed one of the most important tests in her life. She checked and rechecked the paper but its contents didn't change. 'This cannot be happening,' she thought, her logic taking control of her mind. At first she thought that her dreams of entering University and study Medicine had been shattered but as she thought more about it, she knew that this wasn't possible. She had studied a lot for her tests and she knew that she didn't go that bad. So she decided to check with some of her friends to see if more had failed like her.
She called Hannah and Lavender - they both had passed, then she called the Patil twins and was surprised to find out that they didn't pass either. But they didn't sound surprised at not passing and that neither did Hermione.
"Well Hermione did you honestly think that they'd let you in, with the way they're controlling everything?" told her Padma.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't pretend you don't know Hermione, I'm sure your parents warned you as ours did. You are a Granger after all! The Reds wouldn't let want you in University when they can let all of their supporters in."
Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing, Padma was telling her that the results where changed by someone because of politics, because she didn't support the same ideals as the people in power did. Padma's voice brought her down to the earth again.
"Hermione, I'm sorry but I have to go now."
"Sure, thanks for everything," and she put the receiver back in its place and recovered her train of thought. Was Padma right? But this was crazy, she lived in a free country, a country of justice. No, this couldn't be true, but then she remembered her mother's words, "here in the real world corruption does exist and right now we are surrounded by it."
She had to talk to someone quickly, so she decided to go visit Ginny Weasley. On her way out she met her mother and told her about the results, she looked sad but not surprised. "I'm sorry honey," she told her, "do you want to talk about it?"
"Thanks mum, but I'm going to find Ginny."
And with that she left for Ginny's house. The Weasleys didn't live far from them so she arrived there quite quickly. Their house was a modest one, not too big but big enough to hold seven children. It had something comfortable about it, something welcoming and Hermione loved to come visit Ginny and observe the Weasley family since she never had any siblings.
It was Ginny that answered the door and she immediately knew that something was bothering her friend, so she told her mother she was going for a walk and left with Hermione. Once they arrived in the park and found an empty bench to sit on , Ginny asked Hermione what was wrong and Hermione told her about the results.
"I'm so sorry Hermione, I know how much you wanted to enter. But it's curious isn't it? That you of all people failed the test."
"Exactly Ginny and this is what's bothering me mostly." And she explained to Ginny what Padma had told her.
"Wait, so you think that they didn't let you in on purpose? Because of the political party you support, like what happened to Bill?"
"Ginny, I never thought I'd say this but yes. And if it's true I won't stay here like an idiot and let politics dictate my life."
Ginny smiled at her friend, recognizing the look on her face - the look of someone determined and when Hermione Granger was determined, nothing and no one could stop her.
"Good, Hermione. So what are you going to do?"
"Ginny, I'm going to talk to my teachers. I've always been somewhat of a teachers' pet they cannot deny me some answers," she said smirking at the last part.
So together they went to visit Mrs. McGonagall, Hermione's favorite teacher; when opening the door she looked surprised to find her best student there but let them in anyway and offered them tea.
"So Miss Granger what do I owe this visit to?"
"Well you see Mrs. McGonagall, I received my results today and I have to say I was quite shocked to discover that I had failed a particular test."
At this Mrs. McGonagall looked saddened, "I see you're not surprised," told her Hermione "Please tell me what's going on, I think I deserve to know."
"Miss Granger I know nothing for sure but I've heard some rumors from the educational board, rumors of certain people finding a way to have control over the educational system. I would have to assume that this is only part of the whole picture. I'm afraid that if things keep on going the way they are, they will also control what we teach in schools and how we teach them."
"But that's impossible! How can they do such a thing?" asked her Ginny.
"Miss Weasley they will use threats and other dirty tricks like this one on Miss Granger and others like her."
So it was true, this was the ultimate confirmation that she needed. The government wanted to take control of the country using methods that aren't exactly democratically accepted. She couldn't believe nothing was being done to stop this! Someone had to do something.
"What can I do?" she asked her mentor.
"What do you do when you face a test Miss Granger?"
"I seek knowledge."
"Exactly. Inform yourself, read books, talk to people, find a way! When you do, don't stay alone. Only by being together can we fight this…"
"…corruption."
Mrs. McGonagall looked at her student admiring her once more; she was such a determined young woman in her studies and most of all in the things that mattered the most. She had no doubt that Miss Granger succeed in anything she tried.
They left Mrs. McGonagall and Hermione was even more determined then before to find some answers to her questions, so she left Ginny and went to the library to pick a book or two on politics and societies.
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"I can't believe this!" Harry stared at the piece of paper in his hands; he was waiting for the letter to arrive but at the same time he was very nervous about it. His future depends on the letter, his hands were shaking when he opened it and now they're shaking even more. This letter held the results of his admittance tests to the University, he was nervous because he thought he had failed a test meaning he would not get into University thus disappointing his parents.
But the results the letter held were not the ones he was afraid of. It seems he had passed every test and with flying colors!
"I can't believe this," he repeated, "this is incredible, I made it. Maybe I just thought I went wrong in that test, I was worried for nothing 'cos it all came well in the end. Oh hell, what am I doing talking to myself?! Mum! Dad!"
He went down the stairs looking for his parents, he couldn't wait to tell them the good news. He was glad he wouldn't be disappointing them. He went into his Dad's office-room as he liked to call it and found his mother there too. His Dad was on the phone but when he saw Harry coming in he quickly cut the conversation with whomever he was talking to.
"Mum, Dad my results arrived and guess what?" he told them with a huge smile on his face. His mother's eyes widened in surprised while his father's clouded with what seemed to be concern.
"You passed?" asked him Lily incredulously, Harry's smile immediately began to falter.
"You're surprised? You didn't think I could make it?" he asked her.
"You didn't think you could make it either. Didn't you say you thought you had failed one of the tests?" Asked him his father.
"Yes I did, but it's clear that I was wrong. Look for yourself." Harry answered him handing him the sheet of paper which contained the results.
James took the sheet and this time his eyes did widen when he saw the results. "It's not possible," he whispered while handing the sheet to his wife.
"Not possible? Dad I got the results, I managed to enter University. I thought this was what you wanted!" Harry couldn't understand why his father was acting this way.
"But not like this! I want you to get all that you deserve-"
"Oh, so you're saying I don't deserve this?"
"You told me you thought you failed! This paper says you got a B+, that's a bit higher then failing."
"So I was wrong I wasn't close to failing. What's the big deal?"
"You didn't seem wrong when you came back from the test."
"Why are you doing this Dad? Why can't you just be proud of me like all dads would be."
"Harry stop," told him Lily, "you don't know what you're talking about so don't talk like that to your father."
"Fine, I won't talk to him at all then. Is that ok?" he was so angry that he just went outside slamming the doors after him, barely hearing his mother calling his name and his father telling her to let him be.
He couldn't believe his parents; he did all of this for them - for their happiness and this is how they reward him? By saying they don't believe he could have got that result. He kept walking, he didn't even know where he was going he just knew he had to get away from his parents.
His parents - he didn't even want to think about them, he was just so mad at them, so mad he couldn't see properly. In fact he didn't even notice there was someone walking in front of him till he bumped into that person and heard a soft "ouch!" and suddenly they were both on the floor.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't notice were I was walking. Here let me help you gather your things." And he started to collect the other person's books.
"It's Ok, I wasn't looking either so I guess it's my fault too." A feminine voice replied. The voice was so sweet he had to look to see who it was he was speaking to and as he turned his head he found himself gazing into the most beautiful chocolate eyes he had ever seen.
Soon he realized he was staring too much and offered his apologies once again to the young woman.
She just smiled at him and he thought he was melting, "It's OK, like I said it's my fault too."
Harry collected all her books and gave them to her, she thanked him and was preparing to go. But he didn't want her to just go; he wanted to get to know her better. So he grabbed her hand keeping her from going anywhere and told her: "What do you say I buy you a drink just as an apology."
She seemed to think about it but then answered, "Sure, I would love to."
And he led her to the nearest café he knew.
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She generally was not the kind to accept an invitation from a guy she barely knew but she didn't know why she felt like she could trust him. Maybe it was because of his eyes, his emerald eyes that made her feel somehow safe and wanted. There was certainly something about him, he was tall but not too much, built but not too built and when he grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving she felt warm. Yes there certainly was something about him, that's why she told him yes.
He led her to a café where they sat and for a few minutes said absolutely nothing, until he wound up the courage and started talking.
"So it's quite a selection of books you have there." He said pointing to the books she had took from the library. "I mean it's not everyday you see a young woman reading about politics."
"Yes, I guess you're right. It's just some research I'm doing."
"Research? When there's no school?" he asked her.
"No, it's not for school, it's um, for my parents." She lied, not wanting anyone to know for now what she was working on. As she mentioned her parents his emerald eyes clouded. "Something wrong?" she asked him.
"No, it's just that I just fought with my parents."
"Oh I'm sorry? What about, if you don't mind me asking."
Apparently he didn't mind because he ended up telling her a lot about his relationship with his parents. How he wanted to enter University just for them, how in reality he wanted to open a restaurant.
"Why are you so afraid of disappointing them? Don't you think your parents would be happy if you were happy?" she asked him.
"I don't know, and well my father has an important job, it would look bad."
That she understood, it was kind of the same thing with her father really. She told him this and he looked surprised.
"And what do you do? Do you try to impress you father too?"
"I guess I do in a way, it's just sometimes it seems like it's never enough!"
He seemed to understand this and she felt like she could tell him anything. They continued to talk about parents and friends when she realized that almost an hour had passed since they met! She started to gather her things to leave.
"You're going?" he asked her looking almost sad.
"Yes, I'm sorry. I didn't realize how much time had passed, I mean we've been here for an hour now."
"An hour?!" he checked the time and realized that she was right; an hour had passed and now he was late for his meeting with Draco. "Oh, I'm so late! I had to meet my friend to go to the cinema."
He quickly paid the bill for both of them and then turned to her.
"Well it was nice meeting you, um I just realized that I don't know your name!" he told her, and she looked at him and they both started laughing.
She then went to shake his hand and told him, "I'm Hermione, pleasure to meet you."
He gladly shook her hand, "I'm Harry and the pleasure's all mine," he told he his eyes twinkling. "Listen why don't we meet again here, say next week."
This time she didn't even hesitate to tell him "yes", they settled on a time and date and left the café going on different directions but having the same feeling in their hearts - happiness.
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So that was the third chapter, hope you liked it.
I don't know when I'm going to update next, please be patient, I won't desert you ;)
Thanks
Marija