Serendipity

Time at Hogwarts sped up again through the rest of September and into October. DA meetings started again bringing more members and a bounce in Harry's step. His improved mood cheered up both Ron and Hermione, even if she did feel a bit wrong about not having any Slytherins in DA. Her newfound friend in Blaise opened her eyes to the whole House. She never really bought into the idea that they were all evil, yet she understood why the other members were hesitant to bring in new members from that House.

The weekly meetings with her prefect group continued. They were more for checking in than anything else. So far from the event, the group felt there was no rush for now. Life settled into schedules and became calm, or as calm as any year at Hogwarts could be. A posting of a Hogsmeade weekend accompanied the announcement of the first event, which would take place the night after Hogsmeade.

"Good. Took them long enough. I've been needing to stock up on sweets for a week now," Ron said with a mouth full of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum.

"I see," Harry eyed him curiously. "Look at this. A bonfire the same night?"

"Looks like the prefect events are beginning. A bonfire? Might'n't it be a bit chilly?" Hermione looked at the flyer closer.

"That's why there'll be a fire. Besides, wizards know how to do these things up right," Ron said.

"How's that?" Harry asked.

"Well, first off the whole area is made to hold warmth, so you can stray from the fire and still stay warm. Plus, there are the greatest sweets. Snowy Owl's Flying Marshmallows are the best. Shaped like an owl, you see, and the soar in and out of the fire until they are just as burnt as you want them to be, but they never burn your mouth." His mouth seemed to water already at the idea. "This'll be brilliant. I wish my group came up with such a good idea."

"What's your group thinking of?" Hermione asked.

"Pansy," he still could not say her name without making a face, "wants us to have a Valentine's Ball, since our event is in February. How awful would that be?"

"What about the rest of your group?"

"They don't care about what we do really. Benjamin and Michael are pretty descent, but they don't want that mushy stuff either. A bit cliché if you ask me." Crossing his arms, he looked very pleased with himself for using a French word.

"Yeah, I suppose. And isn't Hannah's group thinking about doing a dance already?" Harry also looked a bit uncomfortable at the aforementioned "mushy stuff."

"They are? Brilliant! We can't do a dance now. Would be copying and no one like copiers. This is great!"

"You have time to think of more ideas anyway. There's a lot time from now 'til February," Hermione said.

"You got loads of time, mate."

"Since when does Hermione 'Finish Your Work Quick' Granger say that anyone has time to relax about a project?" Ron asked.

"People change sometimes. I like to think that I am an ever-evolving person, Ron. Not stagnant, but if you haven't noticed that then maybe I'm wrong." Hermione tried to play it off as a joke, but Harry could see that she was a little offended. She took a breath. "I've got to go to a meeting now. I'll see you at DA tonight."

She was not lying. She did have a prefect planning meeting, but it was not for another hour. Hermione did not understand how or why she let Ron get to her like that. Sometimes he infuriated her to no end, especially recently with his Slytherin comments. It went against everything Dumbledore wanted them to do as prefects. She decided to take a long, slow walk around the grounds to cool off before going to her meeting.

When Hermione did arrive, she found Blaise making coffee in the Prefects Commons, which was a magnificent study adjacent to the Prefect Bathrooms. An impressive fireplace dominated the room; books lined the walls and a balcony above lead to the Head Boy and Girl's rooms.

"A bit early aren't we?" she asked.

"I could ask the same of you. Coffee?"

"No, thanks. Like the smell, but never enjoyed the taste that much. Too bitter."

"Some of the nicest things in life seem bitter at first."

"I'll keep that in mind." She smiled as she sunk into a chair. Here was someone who at least appeared open minded, compared to the red head she had left in the Gryffindor Tower.

"Crookshanks! I don't think Darren would like you getting fur all over his living space," she scolded her cat. "He can't help that he's allergic."

"Is that your cat?" Blaise asked.

"Yes, he's mine," she lifted his squashed face to be even with her own. "Likes to go wherever he's not supposed to."

"Like the Slytherin common room?"

"Hmm?" Hermione was slightly surprised at this. "He goes down there?"

"Ay. He's followed me in a few times. I've seen him all over the castle. Almost as if he's been following me since third year."

"Really?" Blaise nodded and she turned back to Crookshanks. "Now, you know you aren't supposed to go in other common rooms. Some people like their privacy and secrets." Crookshanks seemed to give a look that said he liked secrets.

"I was looking at prices of some bands," Blaise interrupted her thoughts. "We apparently booked the Weird Sisters for the Yule Ball for about five hundred galleons." Hermione took in a sharp breath at this number. She still did not understand the exchange rate between Muggle and Wizarding currencies, but this seemed like an awfully low number. "I know, it's a lot of money, but most of the other bands we'd look at are less than that. And with our budget we could get as many as six or seven groups to play."

"I'll be honest. I don't use wizarding money enough to understand how much five hundred galleons actually is. I thought that was a low number. But if you say we've enough money for six bands, I'll trust you."

"Good, you should." He smiled before pulling out some parchment with names and numbers on it. "I've been looking up some things. We could get the Weird Sisters again, but at least two years of students here have already seen them. Here are some other groups. Some are rather unknown, but from what I've heard, very good. What do you think?"

"You really dove into this head on." The list included groups as popular as the Supernatural Whimsy to lesser know groups as the Fantastic Beasts. "So, what exactly are you thinking?"

He sat in the chair next to her and leaned over. "A festival of sorts. Over about three days maybe? We would have to talk to a lot of people about this, getting permission and what not."

"Of course." She glanced at the numbers and then looked at him. "If we got mostly smaller bands, we'd have more money to spend. The more bands the more types of music, to try to cater to more people." She put down the paper. "I think it's brilliant!"

"Excellent. Now that that's covered, we need to actually plan this." He looked right at her again. "You know this won't be a piece of cake, right?"

"Have I ever backed down from a challenge?" Just then, Hiroko and Ian walked in talking animatedly.

"Have you seen the posters for the October event?" Hiroko asked.

"No," said Blaise as Hermione nodded.

"They're doing a bonfire for next Saturday." Ian seemed excited.

"Wizarding?" Blaise asked.

"With all the trimmings!" Hiroko shared his excitement.

"From what Ron told me about wizarding bonfires, they don't seem all that different." Hermione said.

"Just wait and see, my dear. You have no idea what to expect. They're fabulous." His eyes sparkled when they met hers.

"I hope you don't disappoint then," she said smiling.

"Have you ever been truly disappointed in any Hogwarts' festivity?" When she shook her head, he continued. "I didn't think so. Until then, we should get to work." He turned to the other two. "Hermione and I have a brilliant idea for our event. Something no bonfire would ever top."

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Hermione felt much better by the time the DA meeting began. There were many new faces, even if some of their number had graduated and there was a conspicuous lack of Slytherins among the bunch. Most of sixth and seventh year had joined, feeling the pressure of the "real world" on them, yet there was a good showing of the younger classes. Harry had made a decision to limit D.A. to those in third year and above. While realizing that he handled much more than an extra class that year, he felt it unfair to risk their lives as well.

There were about fifty active members, with a good twenty other students floating in as they pleased. The Room of Requirement had grown as well to accommodate the changes. Today they were reviewing lessons Harry taught the year before as they had done the meeting before. Older members paired up with newer members to lead them along. Pillows and people flew everywhere. It was then that Hermione took a chance to talk with Harry.

"Everyone's doing well," she told him.

He face beamed with pride as he looked around the room. "Yeah, Voldemort has no idea what's in store when we graduate."

"And for a good number of classes after us, as well. And not only Gryffindors to fear, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs too." Ron walked up as she spoke. "Of course there is one group missing."

"Not the Slytherin business you've been harping on all term again?" Ron said while looking at her, shocked. "You don't want to invite them to DA, do you?"

Harry's eyebrows met as he frowned. "I know you aren't daft, but it seems quite obvious to me as to why that is pretty impossible, Hermione."

"I know. I was worried about security from the start, remember? I just don't think they are all bad."

"Of course you do. And House Elves want freedom." Ron mocked.

Hermione saw Harry elbow him from the corner of her eye. "I want to be as fair as you do." She knew he was telling the truth. He sighed. "If you really trust a Slytherin, all right, but they follow the same rules." Hermione felt better now. "Do you have anyone in mind?"

She paled at this. "No one really, just a matter of principle, more like." Harry and Ron looked at her skeptically, but knew she could hold secrets well if she really wished to.

"Right then. It's settled for now?"

"I suppose." But it was not so cut and dry in her mind. While she enjoyed Blaise's company, she really didn't know him that well - yet.

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As October crept on, those in Ernie's group got a bit skittish in the hallways. Three days before the event Hermione ran into Ernie on the way to class. "Oi, sorry, Hermione. Didn't see you. In a bit of a rush these days, but shouldn't last much longer, right?"

"Once your event's done, life should be a bit easier I'd think. How's it coming? Everything planned?"

"Oh yeah, but I worried that there hasn't been enough time. Your lot's the luckiest, not having to go until April. And my groups all fifth years, but me. They're all right, but a little lonesome. Came up with a good idea I think."

"I've never been to a Wizard Bonfire before. I'm looking forward to it and judging from the buzz around school, I'd say we all are."

"Never? Well, you have something exciting coming your way. If everything works out, that is." Ernie shuffled some papers that looked like order forms. "Hopefully everything will arrive on time, but you never know."

"I wouldn't worry, but then again come April, I'll probably be in a worse state than you. Regardless, people will have fun, and if something does go wrong, chances are only your group will know it." Hermione handed him a quill he dropped. "Will you get a chance to relax in Hogsmeade that day at least?"

"I hope so; I'm running out of Sugar Quills. This is my last one." He raised the quill he just dropped to his mouth and gagged. "Nope, not a Sugar Quill. Ah well. I better get going. See you Saturday?"

"Of course." Hermione saw him walk off trying to find his real Sugar Quill and let out a shout of glee upon finding one.

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On Saturday morning, Hermione met up with Harry and Ron to go into Hogsmeade. They chatted away enthusiastically about the Quidditch game coming up between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Now that Harry was free to play again, he was more appreciative of the sport than ever. Ron also being on the team brought them closer, as if it was possible. Sometimes Hermione felt as if by not being a boy she missed out on things with her two best friends, but was usually reminded that she was just as valuable to them, if in a different way. Homework had to get done somehow, she would joke.

Third years raced past them into the village. They were all jittery with their first taste of freedom from Hogwarts' walls. "Oi! Watch it!" Ron called after one who had bumped into him. "Little buggers. Don't watch where they're going." He muttered moments before tripping over a branch in the road.

"Does Zonko's have any of the twins' stuff yet?" Hermione asked.

"Not until Christmas. For now, it's just out of their shop in Diagon Alley. But for Christmas they're going to try working with Zonko's." Ron said as he opened the door to a packed Honeydukes. "Mum's still nuts about it all," he shouted over the noise. "Says they could be doing more useful things, especially now."

"In'it though? Useful." Harry said. "After all, what's the point of living if you can't have a laugh once in a while?"

"I should tell Fred and George of your endorsement. I can see it now. 'The Boy Who Lived Can't Live Without the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes!' They'll love that!" They wandered around the shop looking at new merchandise and picking up old favorites. Hermione saw Ernie buying a dozen Sugar Quills and Justin Finch-Fletchley goofing off with some Vampire Bleeding Gums.

She went off to a quieter section of the shop by the Ice Mice and Toothflossing Stringmints that her parents loved. She noticed a pair of Slytherin robes around the corner to the left. She recognized Warrington from Quidditch, but she doubted that she had ever known his first name. The other she had not recognized except as a seventh year prefect. They were talking quietly.

At first she didn't pay much attention, until she heard the word "Mudblood." She never expected that one word could grate so horribly on her nerves before attending Hogwarts. She supposed that was what hearing the "N" word was like for blacks in the Muggle world. She quickly realized that there were talking about her in fact. Not so much that they mentioned her by name, but they did name Blaise.

"It's not his fault that Dumbledore put him in a group of Mudbloods," that word again. She cringed. "But he doesn't have to play all buddy-buddy with them." This was Warrington speaking. His hulking figure leaned over to pick up some treats.

"Thought Higgins was a pure family."

"Yeah, but they're like the Weasleys. Muggle lovers are just as bad, if not worse. Why choose to spend time around filth?"

"I don't understand Zabini sometimes. He's from one of the purest families. At least Parkinson knows how to act. She's not enjoying working with Weasley."

"Yeah, she hasn't let an annoying know-it-all take the lead of their project. Zabini is practically bending over backwards for that Granger girl." Warrington put back some of the sweets exchanging them for a handful of Pumpkin Pasties. "Do you believe him? About the Muggle Studies?"

"I think so. After all he's not Slytherin for nothing."

"No, see, that's what I mean. He's a Slytherin, he's not beyond lying if he has to. But I don't see how anyone of his pedigree could take that class without his kind of rationalization."

The second boy scratched his head. "Knowing your enemy is what my father's drilled into me since primary schooling. Basic strategy."

"But do you believe Zabini?"

"If we can't trust our own House, what else is there? No one else trusts us."

"With right reason, Terrence," smirked Warrington before the two headed for the register.

After getting over her initial disgust by what they said, Hermione found that she was intrigued in a way. Not just what they had said about Blaise and her group, but the whole sociology of the Slytherin House. She never thought of it specifically, but there seemed to be a very distinct code for that House. Looking at other students in the shop, she become conscious that there were codes for each of the Houses. In Hufflepuff, you were looked down on for not being fair, loyal, and truthful. Ravenclaws prized their scholastic achievement as Gryffindors risked everything for an adventure, sometimes stupidly so.

There was a culture to each of the Houses. That she did not completely understand or agree with Slytherins' culture did not reverse the fact that there was one. It was a House of survivors. They prospered by any means necessary and did not apologize for their actions. She hoped that she was not being used as a prop for a Slytherins gain.

"If we can't trust our own House, what else is there?" Terrence had asked. "No one else trusts us."

Perhaps, for once this was not completely true. It seemed to Hermione that she believed more readily in another Slytherin's statement to her a week ago when she said that she would trust him. "Good, you should."

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That night found the entire school walking out toward the lake where the biggest bonfire Hermione had ever seen was. There were smaller fires around the perimeter where she imagined the magical vortex of warmth ended. Logs were placed around the main fire for seating and tables held supplies of sweets. Marshmallow owls flew in and out of the flames as students created the perfect toasted treat.

Looking beyond the immediate area of the fire she saw different colored globes of light bouncing around. She soon realized that they were being carried by different students as they played a game very much like Capture the Flag in the distance.

"Look!" Ron pointed. "They're playing Witch Hunt! I'm going in. Coming Harry?" He quickly produced a globe of red light as he ran off.

"All right if I go, Hermione?" Harry already had his blue globe.

"Sure. Have fun." Hermione was more content to wandering around the fire. It was far to cold this time of year in Scotland to want to wander from the fire. She pulled her heavy cloak close as she strolled around the scene. She picked up a marshmallow owl and held out her hand so that it could fly away. It did nothing. With a look of fierce concentration, she urged it to fly. Instead, it just fluttered its wings and looked at her with wide eyes.

"You need to tell it what to do. They aren't Chocolate Frogs, they need instruction. Tell it how burnt you want it." She turned to find Blaise by her side.

"I see." She looked right at the owl. She seemed conflicted about telling this seemingly alive and innocent candy to go burn itself. "The problem is . . . I like my marshmallows burnt. How do I tell it -" she was interrupted by the owl flying away and diving into the fire. "I guess that's how." She looked at Blaise and offered him an owl. "How are you?"

"Good. Nice to have a break today. You go to Hogsmeade earlier?"

"Yeah, with Ron and Harry. You?" She thought about what she heard his fellow Slytherins say in Honeydukes, but did not mention it.

"Yeah, met up with Terrence McCarter and Theodore Nott in the Three Broomsticks." He turned looking around at the students. His observant eyes critiqued the tableau. "Not bad. Ours will be better." She could hear a smile in his voice.

"How's that?" She asked to keep him talking. She liked his voice very much.

"Well," he looked thoughtfully over the scene. "We might have a bonfire as well, but if we did there would be a live band playing too. Maybe that would be opening night? The next day three or four bands would play, two of which would be headliners that night. Followed by a Muggle dance with a DJ?"

"Maybe the next day we could have a mellow band play out on the lawn during dinner. We could ask the House Elves to make a large picnic so the school could be out here while the sunsets." Her owl returned to her, perfectly burnt and happy.

"That's brilliant. We could have bands in all different places on the grounds. By the lake?" he asked her.

"We could use the Great Hall for a performance," she added.

"The greenhouses."

"And the ruins by the forest," she was scanning the grounds for interesting places to host bands.

"It'd be a good way to get some sun and relaxation. We are always stuck in the castle. And that would be the perfect time of year to get out." He nodded as if agreeing with himself. "Yes, we'll have the best event yet."

"We haven't really talked to anyone yet. It might be a good idea to get official approval. I don't think they imagined any of us would plan a multiple day event."

"That's what Easter Holidays are for."

"No, they are for studying." She laughed. "But this would be more fun."

"Darren and Genevieve never said when in April. I think we could fit this into a week of holidays, surely."

Hermione spied Colin Creevey and his roaming camera not far from them. "We could hire Colin to document it," she joked.

"And they can put the photos in the latest version of Hogwarts, A History. We'll be legends." She noticed that Colin was getting closer. Maybe he could get pictures at their events, but for now, after overhearing this afternoon's conversation, she figured it would do no good for either her or Blaise to be caught on film now. She did not need to do the distracting though. "Look, they're starting the practice duels now."

They walked over together, but were quickly separated as their friends came to take them away. Each of the Houses had rallied together to pick their best duelers to go up against other Houses. Some things, sadly, did not change the natural way the Houses cleaved in competition.

The Gryffindors got together cheering for Nathan Fortinbras, a seventh year prefect, competing against his girlfriend Ophelia de Moss, a Ravenclaw. It was friendly match that ended in a tie due to the lack of ambition in either player to fight the other wholeheartedly.

Draco Malfoy jumped on the platform immediately after. Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, and Ron practically shoved Harry on stage to defend the Gryffindor honor in response.

Among the changes that sixth year had for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, they could see that the best was in Malfoy. The once proud Slytherin had been taught a harsh lesson in humility over the summer by way of his father's capture. The Malfoy name had meant something, just as Draco had always told everyone. Notably the Malfoy name meant heaps of media attention by the Daily Prophet. He was slightly more bearable this year compared to those past, but it was obvious that the look on his face was that of determination.

Determination, Hermione thought, to prove that he was not the pathetic figure that his father's fall from power might have convinced people he was. Harry may not have been the best target to prove that Malfoy was not weak.

Harry stood up there unfazed by the crowd or the sudden call to action. He deftly blocked Malfoy's attacks, but did not attack himself. The look of concentration on his face must have been from the effort to show some compassion to Malfoy. It was not that Harry was incapable of successful attacks, but she knew that since last year Harry had been less likely to pick on Malfoy unless provoked.

Their duel went on for about ten minutes. Hermione looked at the crowd. No wonder Slytherin was always on the defensive. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were cheering for Harry while only Malfoy's House cheered for him. She saw Blaise from across the platform, next to Theodore Nott. Neither of them rooted for Malfoy with their House. He looked bored with the action around him.

Blaise looked over suddenly to find Hermione looking at him. The dark of the night hid her blush when he smiled at her. He said something to Theodore, gave her a look as if he was trying to tell her something, and walked off. She assumed he meant her to follow.

"Hey," she said quietly when she caught up with him.

"Hey." Neither of them said anything for a few minutes as they watched the duel continue from afar. Finally, there was a loud bang and a flash of light answered by loud cheers from three Houses worth of students. "Looks like your boy won."

"This isn't helping." Hermione rubbed her temples. "These events are supposed to bring us together, not push us a part. Harry knows that and he just went along."

"To be fair, Malfoy started it. The first duel was friendly enough." It looked like another duel had started between a Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. "The atmosphere looks friendly again now."

"I would be surprised if it was near all the other Slytherins. They're not likely to let it go easily. I mean, oh. I do it too." She sat on a rock.

"There are reasons for our stereotypes - sometimes. This is a case where it is mostly true." He sat down next to her.

"Do you ever wonder why you were placed in your House? I wonder why I'm Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw or something else. What decides that?"

"My family has been in either Ravenclaw or Slytherin for ages. I never thought I'd be anywhere else. Of course I think in the past, before Voldemort," he had said his name. She could not help but be impressed. "Slytherin was not quite the way it is now. I think it's always had a bias toward the pureblood families, but I think it's only fairly recent that it's received the connotation for being the training ground for future Death Eaters."

"How do you think the Sorting Hat does it though? Obviously it's in tune with the climate of the school and what the Houses are like, but does it choose based on an essential thing about you or something more conscious in you?" She looked lost for a second. "And if that's the case, don't you change as a person from the time you are eleven? Placing you somewhere then doesn't give you much choice to grow and change." She frowned, annoyed and frustrated. She loved Hogwarts and the Wizarding World, but there were things that were not the way she would have wished. It was just like the Muggle World, riddled with imperfections.

"You still have choices, Hermione. I could easily not have taken Muggle Studies like the rest of my House mates, but I decided that I wanted to learn." He looked right at her. "Sometimes things don't work out. I won't argue with you. The system sucks. Splitting us up is not a good idea. But if everything was just as you would like them to be, there would be no point. No reason to do anything. Having a world where things don't work quite the way you think they should gives you motivation to . . . to do something worthwhile." He stopped to think before going on. "Ultimately that's what we all want, no? To do something worthwhile?"

She leaned her head back to see the stars. "But what that thing worthwhile is, is still a mystery." She sighed and looked at Blaise. "There is so much to do."

"But no one can do everything and you'll find your thing." He looked at her. "I promise." She shivered more because of the moment than the cold, but boys do not always understand these things. "Are you cold? We should go back nearer to the fire. It looks like things are winding down as it is."

They walked over in a pleasant silence that was not asking to be filled. When she saw Harry and Ron ahead, she said goodnight and left Blaise.

"Where've you been?" Ron asked immediately. "You left before you could see Harry trounce Malfoy."

"It's all right. I trust Harry did brilliantly." She was proud of her skills of diversion. This simple statement had Ron, Seamus, and Dean going a mile a minute in descriptions of Harry's greatness.

Harry sheepishly walked beside Hermione. When no one was listening, he leaned over to Hermione, "Blaise is that captivating? To take you away from a most brilliant performance by none other than myself?" he joked. She had not expected anyone to notice, but she always knew Harry was more observant than most.