Unofficial Portkey Archive

By: FayeValentine00

Chapter 11

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The next morning, Harry and Hermione made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast, ignoring the stares and whispers of every student they passed. With a quick glance, Harry could tell that Hermione's face was bright red and sliently prayed that his wasn't.

They sat down and had a quick breakfast before the morning post arrived. Hermione's addition of The Daily Prophet came and once she'd paid the owl, she read over the contents.

"You've got to be joking."

"What?" Harry looked up from his plate with confusion written all over his face.

"That's all? I mean, I don't know why it should surprise me. It's not like they've written anything decent in the paper in ages. Honestly, I should write my own letter!"

"Hermione, what are you going on about?"

"Oh, of course. I forgot to tell you." She smiled and put the paper aside for the time. "I had a talk with Ginny last night and she told me that her parents were so mad about the article that they wrote a letter to The Daily Prophet, telling them exactly what to do with their story."

"And? Did they print it?"

"Sort of." She scrunched her face up to show her disapproval.

"Well, what does it say?"

Hermione sighed and opened the paper to page two. The entire page was dedicated to responces that they'd received about the article. Most people spoke about how sad it was that Harry was being used and didn't even know it. In fact, every letter but one spoke about how they'd love to see Harry drop Hermione and find someone else.

However, there was one final letter at the bottom of the page that caught Harry's attention. The font was smaller then the others and was written very lightly.

Dear Daily Prophet,

My husband and I were very disappointed in the article that you ran on your front page about Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Reguardless of what you may have heard, you've made that young girl out to be something much different then she really is. She is a loyal friend to both Harry and my own children and she is a great student. We are proud to consider her a close family friend. The fact that you used our sons death to give a basis to your biased and unfounded remarks simply make me sick and I have half a mind to discontinue my subscription.

If you knew Harry and Hermione, you'd know that there is no manipulation involved in their relationship. It is obvious to everyone who knows them that they are in love. Why don't you just leave them alone and write about something that resembles the news as opposed to writing about something that could just as well have been published in the Quibbler.

Molly Weasley

Harry couldn't help but love Molly for standing up, not only for him, but also for Hermione. Even though it was small and barely legible, it made him feel a hundred times better.

"Did you read it, Hermione?" Ginny walked over and sat down next to Harry, looking across the table at the other girl.

"Yes! We'll have to remember to send your mom an owl to thank her. At least someone said something that didn't refer to me as 'that wicked Granger girl.'" All three broke out into laughter before heading off to their next class.

Thankfully, by the end of the day, most of the stares and whispering had ended. There seemed to be a division amongst the students at Hogwarts. There were the ones who believed ever word about The Daily Prophet articles and Hermione. Then there were the ones who thought it was rubbish. The disbelievers either said nothing to Hermione, or they'd stop her in the hall to give her their quick vote of confidence.

The other group of people seemed to make it there personal goal to break Harry and Hermione up. They'd follow the couple around making snide comments about Hermione's hair or whisping loudly about some rumor that they'd make up about Hermione being a cheat.

After a few days, Harry and Hermione finally learned to let it roll of their backs but by the time the Hogsmeade weekend came up, Harry was glad that he'd agreed to go. He really needed a little time away from the school.

Originally, Ginny had been planning to hang out with Hermione and Harry for the day but backed out at the last moment claiming the need to study. In a way Harry was glad, he and Hermione would actually get to spend some time together outside of Hogwarts for a change. He'd just have to be extra careful about the cameras that were bound to be folowing them.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked him around lunch time when the two sat quietly in The Three Broomsticks.

"Just thinking."

"Me too."

They exchanged a look of empathy before Hermione managed a smile and squeezed Harry's hand. "Come on. Let's go. Ron wouldn't want us to sit here and mope, right?"

"Probably not." He smiled in return and allowed Hermione to drag him from the pub. "Where are we going now?"

"I don't know. Ummmm," she looked around slowly, as if looking for something inparticular. "Let's go have a seat on those benches over there."

"Sure."

They stared to walk to the benches when a cold chill ran down Harry's back. He froze and pulled Hermione to his side, almost knocking her over in the process. Her eyes darted up to his and what she saw in his eyes made her face pale.

"Harry? Are you okay?"

"Shhh..." He whispered, standing very still and listening for any sort of sound.

"You're senses are improving, Potter." A voice Harry didn't recognize came out of the shadows as two death eaters walked out, wands drawn.

A soft curse came out of Harry's mouth and he shoved Hermione as far behind himself as he could.

"You've got to be kidding," Hermione wished under her breath with no humor in her voice. She almost sounded like she'd be ill.

"We're actually surprised you came back here. We thought it was foolish to come and wait but, alas, the Dark Lord was correct."

Harry wanted to reach for his wand but knew he'd have no chance of getting it out. The two wands pointed at him would strike before he could even get his fingers on it.

The students in the village seemed to catch wind as to what was happening because yelling and heards of people running in ever direction made it nearly impossible to hear anything being said. Within moments, Hogsmeade looked like a ghost town.

"My, my Potter. What a familiar sight this is, huh? Does it remind you of that day?"

Just as one of the death eaters moved his wand, as if to cast a spell, several familiar voices came out of nowhere, almost at the same time.

"Don't even try it."

"Stop it right there."

"One more move and you'll both be dead."

"Drop your wands."

Harry and Hermione looked over to see the most welcome sight they could've imagined. There, in the doorway to one of the shops, stood Bill, Charlie, Fred and George. Their wands were drawn and every one of them wore an expression of pure hatred. Bill and Charlie began to step forward but before they could get to the death eaters, they disapperated.

"SHIT!" Bill cursed and kicked a nearby post. Charlie tried to calm him with an hand on his shoulder only to have to shoved off.

The twins, after making sure that everyone dangerous was gone, turned to Harry and Hermione.

"Alright there, you two?" Fred asked, flashing a smile. The look in his eyes gave away his anger but he and George seemed determined to make light of the sitsuation.

"Yeah. We'll be okay. Hermione?" Harry spoke, pulling her out from behind his back. He thought she was going to be upset again but to his surprise, she simply wore an expression of determination. It was an expression that made Harry feel very uneasy.

"I'm fine. Thank you." She leaned up and kissed Harry cheek lightly before turning to the twins who wore stupid grins.

"It really is a shame we didn't get them," George began with a big smile, pulling some items that looked like candy out of his pocket. "We wanted to try some of our new products on them. Figured it was better them then us, right? That way, if they died, there'd be no big loss."

Hermione laughter along with Fred and George at the thought, leaving Harry staring at the three as if they'd gone mad. Had they not just seen the same thing he had? Hadn't he and Hermione's lives almost been snuffed out? How could they be laughing?!

Something wasn't right. Harry knew it deep down. He could feel it in his bones. Could Hermione feel it too? Was she trying to ignore it? Somehow Harry knew that things were going to be getting more dangerous very soon and he simply couldn't understand how those three could go on laughing as if it was nothing.

Harry felt a tap on his shoulder and once he pulled his eyes off the laughing trio, he saw that Bill and Charlie had approuched him.

"Have a minute?" Bill asked, obviously trying to hold back the anger he was still feeling. The anger which Harry sympathized with.

"I think we should talk," Charlie said quietly and when Harry agreed, the three made their way back to The Three Broomsticks.

The twins and Hermione, however, seemed to have gone off somewhere else on there own.