The Savior Chronicles: Changing Colors

Chapter 5: Crushing

"Oh my, that's awful! You could have been hurt! What if it was a premonition? I should go to the library and look it up!"

Harry was telling Ron and Hermione about the dream he had the night before. As usual, Hermione was having a heart attack and over analyzing things. She seriously looked like she might burst if she didn't get to the library. She started to walk away, but Ron grabbed her robes.

"Hermione, it was just a dream!" Ron said with slight annoyance. He shook his head, but Harry saw him smile at Hermione's silliness. Harry wondered when those two would get together.

"Ron, we don't know that. You're always too quick to dismiss things. Ron just rolled his eyes at her.

"Hermione if it will make you feel better, we'll go down to Hagrid's hut and ask him if he knows what it's about after Defense Against the Darks Arts," Harry said calmly. She grinned in satisfaction. "I mean it was pretty weird. The thing was so creepy. I've never seen a smile like that. The teeth were huge and white. It was like it was ecstatic about being able to hurt someone." Shivers went down his spine.

"And the way it's skin was so tight. Every bone protruded from it's face." Hermione stuck her tongue out in disgust. It was then that he saw Jenna standing barely three feet from him. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open. A look of fear and confusion spread across her face.

"Wha....what were y- you guys just ta-talking about?" she stammered. Ron and Hermione turned when she addressed them. They stared at her oddly for a moment.

"Why would be tell you? And why do you care?" Ron spit out nastily before Harry could stop him. Something about Jenna's look told him that she wasn't trying to patronize them. She looked scared.

But Ron did say it and in a split second she returned to her normal scowl before growling, "You're right I don't care. Must have lost my mind for a second." Then she turned on her heel and bounded out of the room a little faster than normal. Harry tried to shake his feeling of regret before they got to class.

Again this year they had a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. And again Snape had been gypped out of the job. Harry was so thankful for that. Snape had been a substitute for the class once and it was awful. He gave so much homework and skipped months ahead of lesson plan.

The new teacher was female for once. Her name was Professor Croft. Harry actually liked her. She was nice to most of her students, but was firm when they stepped out of line. Her class was pretty cool nothing like Lupin's or Moody's, but still far better than Lockhart's or Quirrell's. She sometimes brought in specimens or had them actually try spells, but never anything too dangerous. She seemed to know that the Dark Arts was nothing to mess with, but can still be fun to learn about.

She was young too, maybe mid to late twenty's with soft dark brown hair she usually wore in braid. She was short, barely an inch taller than Hermione and had friendly brown eyes. She was now passing back the previous week's homework.

"Now class, most of you did well, but some of you really need to work on your research and writing skills," she commented. Hermione beamed as Professor Croft handed her a perfect mark. Ron peeked at her paper and groaned.

"Why can't I get grades like that?" he sighed.

"You could if you tried harder," Hermione answered. Ron looked at her skeptically. "Look, Ill help you whenever you need me to just as long as you actually work. How about tonight we go to the library and Ill quiz you and help you with this week's essay for Charms?" Ron hesitated for a moment and then

nodded gratefully.

The day's classes finally ended and the three teenagers were now heading down to visit their good friend Hagrid. He lived in a little cottage on school grounds and was the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Hagrid loved monsters and animals of all sorts especially the weird and dangerous. He was

notorious for this obsession. He had owned a pet dragon, Norbert, introduced weird horse things called hippogriffs to his class, one of which had bit Malfoy, and also had his class raise Skrewts, lobster like creatures that sting, bite, and burn.

Hagrid himself could be considered a weird and dangerous creature. He was part giant, a little fact they had only learned last year. Not too many were comfortable with that idea at first, but they got used to it. While Hagrid was very

intimidating in appearance, he had a huge heart and was always willing to help someone out.

Hagrid's hut came into sight and Harry realized this was his first visit to Hagrid's all year. Why he hadn't gone earlier, Harry didn't know. But before he could figure it out a voice interrupted. "Remember to explain it in every detail. And not just what it looked like, but how it made you feel, otherwise Hagrid might not know what you're talking about." Hermione was babbling instructions to Harry as they approached the door to Hagrid's.

Harry sighed, "Hermione, It's not like I've never talked to Hagrid before. I know how to ask him a question." Hermione went a little red and muttered an apology. Harry chuckled and then turned to knock on the door, but a voice from inside the hut stopped him. Hagrid had company. Female company.

Ron noticed his hesitation and yelled," What are you waiting for? Come on!" Harry turned to him and sharply hissed for him to be quiet. Both Ron and Hermione caught on and leaned their ears against the door to hear the conversation.

"Oh Hagrid you are so funny! And those stories you tell! You've led an interesting life," the female voice squealed.

"I 'ave not," he mumbled shyly.

Hermione suddenly perked up. "I know that voice!" and with that she dragged them around the corner of the hut to one of the windows. The three of them peeped their heads so their eyes barely saw over the bottom of the glass. What they saw was the biggest shock of their lives.

Hagrid was sitting at his table with Professor Croft. They were drinking some liquid and Hagrid had a plate of homemade food out. And get this: she was actually eating it. Not only that but she had her hand on his arm and was giggling like a school girl. She's not...flirting with him, is she? Harry thought in disbelief. No, it couldn't be. Ron and Hermione seemed to be thinking the same thing since they wore matching looks filled with both horror and disgust. Their question was answered when she suddenly leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. Hagrid was now the color of a candy apple.

Harry pulled away from the window and sat on the grass below. Ron and Hermione followed suite. They sat in silence for several moments before Ron spoke up, "Did anyone just ...I mean its just...ewww." Harry nodded understanding completely. I mean it wasn't like Hagrid didn't deserve someone, he did. It was just hard to picture him with anyone. Especially someone so...so different.

"Come on guys. It wasn't that bad. It's just a crush. Nothing wrong with that," Hermione said. But Harry could tell she was trying to convince herself that this was true as well. They left the hut quickly, forgetting why they had come in the first place.

As soon as they reached the castle they split in two directions: Ron and Hermione were off to the library for Ron's first tutoring session and Harry was heading to Quidditch practice. Harry had been worrying about this all day. It was the first practice with Jenna and he just knew she was going to stir up some trouble. She always did.

* * *

"Summoning Charm? Reverse Charm? Memory Charm? Help me out here!" Ron was trying to decipher the charm that involved the chant "Retapendium" Hermione was sitting next to him in the library shaking her head.

"No, Ron the Disappearance Charm! The one you use when you lose something. We just learned that today," Hermione was getting slightly impatient, but continued anyway. "Now what potion contains wormseed and wolfsbane but should never be mixed with root of syphila?"

Ron stared at her blankly and growled in frustration. "I don't know! I don't know! Okay? Let's just forget this."

"Fine Ron! You were the one who asked for help to start with," Hermione replied angrily.

"What? I did not! You're the one who brought it up," Ron retorted. She just glared back at him. Then she began to gather her books up and pushed her chair out, preparing to leave. She didn't need Ron harassing her when she was

only trying to help.

"Wait! Hermione, wait," Ron called. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just so confused. I don't know why I can't remember this stuff," he said apologetically.

Hermione softened her face. "Its okay, Ron. It's really not that hard if you try."

"For you maybe. It's easy for you. You always do so well. But no matter how hard I try I can never get good grades. I mean I know their not everything, but.... how am I supposed to live up to my brothers?"

Hermione's heart ached for him. She had always known Ron worried about his brother's accomplishments although he had never admitted it before. She had heard about the Mirror of Erised and how he imagined he was Head Boy and had won the Quidditch Cup. And Ron did have a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie had been incredibly smart and been in the tops of their classes. And Percy had been both a prefect and Head Boy only two years ago. As for Fred and George, while they weren't the best in school(but still did fairly well), they were known for their creativity and jokes. Last year they had even made their own magic jokes called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. And both the twins as well as Charlie were amazing at Quidditch.

"Ron, you have just as much talent as your brothers, you just haven't found what you're good at. Don't be so hard on yourself. You've still got 3 years left to figure it out."

Ron shook his head and kept his eyes directed at his feet, "Nevermind, just forget it, ok?" He was silent yet seemed to be begging for help so Hermione did the only thing she could.

"Ron...I don't know what I can say to make you feel better so...I'll just tell you what I really think." Ron looked as though he was preparing himself for a bashing. Hermione ignored this and went on.

"I think you are an amazing person. You are so nice and always make me laugh. You are one of the most loyal people I have ever met. You're always sticking up for me whenever someone, especially Malfoy, puts me down. You have a zest for life and a fire inside you. So what if you don't do well in school. You put your whole heart into the important things like helping your friends when they are in trouble. And you've made a huge impact on my life. You've opened me up to so much. Before I know you I always did things according to rules, but not so much anymore. Ok...so I'm still a little stuffy about that, but I'm doing better. I mean before I never would have been able to sneak out late at night to see Hagrid or go fight the Dark Lord. But you taught me some things are more important than rules and I thank you so much for that."

After Hermione's speech was over, she was now the one staring at the floor. They were both flushed with embarrassment. Ron had never heard Hermione be so upfront with those kinds of emotions and he was caught off guard. But here she was spilling her heart to him, just to make him feel better. Ron smiled at the thought of having someone who cared about him that much. Hermione eventually tilted her head up and Ron gave her a look full of thanks. She smiled in return, a mutual understanding passed between them, and they returned to their work.

You know everything that I'm afraid of
You do everything I wish I did
Everybody wants you, everybody loves you
I know I should tell you how I feel
I wish everyone would disappear
Everytime you call me, I'm too scared to be me
And I'm too shy to say

Oooh, I gotta crush on you
I hope you feel the way that I do
I get a rush when I'm with you
Ooo, I gotta crush on you, a crush on you

You know I'm the one that you can talk to
And sometimes you tell me things that I don't wanna know
I just wanna hold you

Oooh, I gotta crush on you
I hope you feel the way that I do
I get a rush when I'm with you
Oooh, I gotta crush on you, a crush on you

Ooh I wish I could tell somebody
But there's no one to talk to, nobody knows
I've gotta crush on you, a crush on you
You say everything that no one says
But I feel everything you're afraid to feel
I will always want you, I will always love you
I gotta crush on you