Harry Potter and the Dark Lord Defeated?

Chapter 0ne

Harry sighed. It was a wonderful, warm, bright day and the lake shone like crystal in the mid- morning's light. How great it must have felt to be out in the dew filled grass and the welcoming heat of the morning sun, but oh no, all the Gryffindor and Slytherin students were locked in the History of Magic classroom doing their first exam of the year. Their fellow sixth years in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were outside doing their Care of Magical Creatures exam.

Typical, Harry thought, I bet when we go to do our Care of Magical creatures exam it'll rain! It's not fair to keep us locked up in here like animals! Harry glanced over at the Slytherins, well, maybe some of us are!

He groaned as he looked at his exam paper. Medieval witches and wizards? The great battle of the Glouster trolls? Ancient curses and their side effects? Since when did they learn all this?

Probably when Ron and I were plotting revenge on Malfoy for slipping those spiders into Ron's school bag and robe pockets! Harry thought and smiled at the memory of it. Even though Ron was his best friend, it was still quite funny to see Ron jump about the classroom while screaming, "GET 'EM OFF! GET 'EM OFF!" CONCENTRATE DAMMIT, POTTER! He scolded himself as he shook his head and looked at the last question he was on:

10) What age was Lady Philoustra when she discovered the powers of phoenix tears?

Harry began to drum his fingernails on the table in his agitation when Professor Binns broke the almost silence in the classroom with his droning monotone of a voice,

"Mr. Potter, I don't think we need any annoying distractions right now, some people are trying to concentrate on their exam papers!"

Harry stopped drumming his nails abruptly while thinking, oh, and your voice isn't an annoying distraction?

When Professor Binns went back to his paper work, Harry looked round the classroom.

As usual Hermione was writing at a speed Harry didn't think was possible, it was as if her life depended upon getting the exam finished within the next five minutes. Harry's heart leapt at the sight of Hermione. Ever since that kiss she gave him at the end of his fourth year at Hogwarts, he could barely stop thinking about her. He liked everything about her, from her intelligence to her soft, wavy brown hair. He dragged his attention away from Hermione, with great difficulty, and he looked over at Ron.

Ron looked even more confused than Harry did. He was looking at his exam paper with unblinking, crossed eyes. He wasn't moving. Harry had to look away to fight back his laughter. Unfortunately his glance took him over the room to where Malfoy was sitting.

Like always, Malfoy looked as cool as ice as he was writing down answers at a steady pace. Even if Malfoy was put up against a mile long Blast-ended Skrewt he would still be calm as if it was nothing and have an unreadable expression on his face, but that was just Malfoy! Harry had always hated Malfoy but he couldn't help admire the way he kept so calm and cool in difficult situations. Not that this was a difficult situation, this was just plain difficult! Why couldn't he be as good at steadying his nerves?

As if knowing Harry was looking at him, Malfoy glanced up and saw Harry staring back. The expression on his face clearly said, ' What the hell are you staring at you specky, four eyed freak?'

Harry glared back hoping that Malfoy got his message of, 'a spoiled brat of a pillock, that will get hit later for looking at me like that, staring back!' on his face.

As if reading his thoughts, Malfoy rolled his eyes and got back to his exam while Harry started to work on his own again.

 

 

"That was the most annoying and boring exam I have ever done!" Ron burst out once they got out of earshot of Professor Binns.

"That's what you said about the History of Magic exam last year!" Hermione sighed.

"And the year before that..." Harry added.

"And the year before that too!" Hermione finished. Ron stared at his two friends.

"I know I did but that one beats them both in the annoyingly boring scale," Ron answered.

"You said last-" Hermione started but she was cut short by Ron.

"Okay, okay! I think we have heard enough about that thank you!"

Harry and Hermione started laughing as they sat down at the Gryffindor table for their lunch before their Charms exam.

"Good afternoon my little Gryffindor chums!" Harry heard Fred's voice followed by George.

"How are the exams going then? Just think! Only another month of school to go!"

"Yeah! All right for you to say that. We have another year to go yet! Not to mention our N.E.W.Ts!" Harry answered as Fred and George sat down across the table from them.

"Correction, Harry! A year.... And a month!" George said jokingly as the sound of flapping wings came through a window.

"Ah yes! The late part of the post! Wonder if Errol is among them!"

"If he is, you'll see him straight away! He's the tried one at the back taking a heart attack!" Ron put in laughing. Hermione wasn't laughing.

"Ron! That's terrible!"

"Yeah, but it's funny!"

Hermione grabbed her Charms book and headed towards the library.

"What did I say?" Ron asked shrugging.

"Ron," Harry said sighing and putting his goblet of pumpkin juice down, "you should know by now that you don't have to say anything to Hermione to piss her off, all you have to do is live!"

Ron nudged Harry playfully in the ribs.

"I could fix that!" George said as he grabbed his knife and pretended to stab Ron in a Scream- like style. They all laughed.

Harry looked up just in time to see Hedwig fly in with a letter for him. She dropped it down on to Harry's lap and he gave her some bacon from his sandwich before she left for the owlery. It was from Sirius.

 

Dear Harry,

How are you doing? I hope the exams aren't too hard so far! Nice weather isn't it? How are Ron and Hermione? I have been thinking about letting Ron and Hermione come over for the summer, how does that sound? You'd better ask them.

All right, all right... I haven't written to you for all good news.

I was walking through Diagon alley to go to Gringotts when I over heard some men talking about the dark lord attacking the Heir of Gryffindor (you) and I thought you were better off knowing about it so you can be prepared this time! I have already informed Professor Dumbledore so at least you can get help when you need it this time and not owling me last minute like last year! There is also one more piece of information but Dumbledore would be better at explaining it than me.

See you Harry,

Love Sirius.

Ps- Don't work too hard... That includes you Hermione!

 

Harry folded up the letter and slipped it in his pocket.

"What'd it say?" Ron inquired while eating his sandwich.

"Tell you later," Harry replied nodding his head towards Fred and George's direction.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Malfoy looking like he had just been force-fed a hundred vomit flavoured every-flavour beans. His eyes were scanning over his letter over and over again and the more he read it the more confused and surprised he got. When Pansy tried to see what it was he just stood up so it was out of her reach but Dominic Ryans, who was slightly taller than Malfoy, grabbed it from him and put it out of Malfoy's reach so he could read it. Dominic's mouth dropped open and he rounded on Malfoy and was about to say something when Malfoy placed his hand over Dominic's mouth and dragged him out of the great hall, out of earshot of everyone else. Whatever was on that letter must have been very personal.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked.

"No idea," Harry answered.

"I would've loved to see what was written on that letter, then I could've black mailed him! Think of the possibilities Harry!"

"HA! Trust you to think of something like that! Maybe he's found himself a girlfriend and she's send him a little love letter or something!"

Ron started laughing.

"What?" Harry asked laughing himself.

"The thought of Malfoy having a girlfriend!"

"I don't see what's so strange about that. I mean you have a girlfriend after all so- OOPS!" Ginny said as she walked by catching onto their conversation but she caught the look on her brother's face and ran for it, "uh-oh... gotta go!"

"You have a girlfriend?" Harry jeered.

Ron's ears went pink and he hung his head and suddenly became very interested in his salad.

"She is so dead!" Ron whispered slowly, "let me at her! That was meant to be a secret!" Ron got up and chased after Ginny. Harry just laughed at how silly it looked.

 

 

Hermione looked around the study room for Draco. She liked to study with him. He was surprisingly intelligent and was always a good laugh. They were like friends, Harry and Ron didn't know about her friendship with Draco though, and she intended on keeping it that way. She actually secretly had a crush on him. Every time he came close to her to look at her notes, she couldn't move and usually stopped breathing. It was weird and scary. She knew what Ron's reaction would be if she told him that.

"WHAT? Please say you're joking! Malfoy? Oh dear God no! Hermione, we have to get you to the nurse right away! Or maybe a mental home would be better!...... Malfoy?"

Finally she heard Draco sit beside her which brought her back to the real world.

He looked terrible! He looked paler than usual and he was shaking a bit.

"What happened to you? You look like someone's died or something!" She whispered to him as he opened his Charms book. He just looked at her and looked back at his notes.

"Oh dear! Who's dead?" She asked suddenly concerned.

"I didn't say that anyone was dead," he answered coolly, hiding his shakiness, "you just assumed that someone was dead!"

"Then what is wrong with you?" Hermione asked turning pink.

"I've just been studying too much that's all, I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately," Draco answered turning the page, "I'm beat!" He leaned back in his chair and stretching.

"You? Studying too hard? HA! Never would've thought it!" she joked as she poked him in the stomach and then she laughed as he fell backwards off the chair yelled out loud in surprise.

"Excuse me Mr. Malfoy but this tends to be a library and in a library you are meant to sit still and keep quite. Even then I suppose even the simplest of tasks is beyond your intelligence!" the school librarian had approached them with a look of great disgust on her face.

"Well if it's beyond my intelligence, how far is it beyond yours then?" Draco asked innocently. Madam Pince looked like she was about to explode if provoked any further. Everyone else in the library was listening by now; not moving and their eyes fixed on Madam Pince's face.

"I'd advice you to get out now before I decide to take house points off Slytherin for that comment Mr. Malfoy!" She said pointing towards the door. Hermione started laughing at the look on Draco's face. He had an I-didn't-do-it type look on his face then he slowly raised an eyebrow before shrugging and getting up. "You too Miss Granger!" Madam Pince added finally. Hermione wasn't laughing now.

"What? Me? Why? What'd I do?" she protested but there was something in Madam Pince's eyes that made Hermione get up and walk out behind Draco anyway.

"Miserable old bat!" was all Hermione could say once they were in the entrance hall.

"Sorry if I got you into trouble, Granger," Draco found himself saying before he could stop it. Hermione looked at him strangely then burst out into fits of laughter.

"Did you just apologise to me? You? Draco Malfoy just apologised to me, Hermione Granger! HA! Say it again! I want to record it!" she jeered while looking at him in a sly way.

"All right, All right! Now that, Granger, is just abusing sarcasm" Draco replied. Why did he have to say that? If that had of been a month earlier, he would've loved to see Hermione get into trouble! What was happening to him? He never apologised to anyone! He's never even apologised to his parents before. Unless you count sarcastically! I mean they were only study friends.

Hermione giggled as she ran up the stairs towards the Charms classroom, leaving Draco standing there, red with embarrassment.

 

 

To be Continued...

 

(OK, OK... the first chapter ain't too great but it's just the beginning! What's with that weird letter and who's it from? What's Sirius on about? Trust me, you'll find out soon! The plot line will become clearer too. This is one of the shortest chapters, chapter 7 being the shortest, so don't worry if it seemed far too short! ;) )