Point of View

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Chapter 3: Hermione

Hermione sat in the library. She wasn't reading, just sitting there, her hands folded in her lap. She was thinking about the Yule Ball the previous year and how she had gone with Viktor Krum. Lord knows she would have asked Harry, but he was so smitten with Cho Chang that he would have taken no notice even if she did ask him. Viktor was nice enough, but one can only stand being called Herm-own-ninny so many times.

Hermione sighed. There was going to be a ball this year too. The message had just appeared on the library notice-board, flashing golden ornamental letters so that if was sort of blinding, to the disapproval of Madam Pince. Hermione thought that Cho asked for permission. She would be the type to do that.

But that was hard. Harry was the centre of attention for Hogwarts' girls these days, after he and his team won the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor. Girls from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff crowded around him at every possible moment, flirting. They did this even more than before because Slytherin came last... for once. Personally Hermione thought that Harry was going to lose it if the girls didn't stop. And Ron wasn't helping -- he was too busy trying to be better than his brothers.

Realising that it was time to go to dinner, she stood up and a crumpled piece of paper (notice: paper, not parchment) fell out of her pocket. She picked up the paper and smoothed it out. It was a Periodic Table. Hermione smiled. Ginny couldn't do it. She was a witch who knew nothing about Chemistry, or Science for that matter. She could never memorise the whole thing in two days, beating Hermione at it. She just wasn't smart enough.

Think of the Devil! There was Ginny, hurrying towards Hermione, her face fluched and red and panting. Hermione walked to her, hands on hips.

"Look who's been rolling in mud. Have you some to drop out of the challenge?"

Ginny glared, but otherwise ignored the question. "Look, Hermione, I really need to talk to you --"

"What's the matter, don't remember the chemical symbol for gold?" Hermione knew that she was being mean, but Ginny deserved it. No-one insulted Hermione and got away with it. Well, no-one that's the tiniest bit worthwhile, anyway. Malfoy had, heaps of times, but he was just a piece of scum...

"Because if it's not all done by tomorrow, Virginia," she continued. No-one tells Hermione that Harry's too good for her... "you'll have to take back everything you said the other day. And I'll say, what a loss of pride that -"

"It's about Harry," Ginny said quietly, looking directly into Hermione's taunting eyes.

That did the trick. That got Hermione's attention. She cares about Harry, thought Ginny, not like that Cho Chang...

"Harry?" Hermione's voice was a whisper. "Harry? What about him? Is he alright? How come I -"

"How come you don't know anything about it? Well, I don't know, maybe it's because you're too busy holding grudges with people, giving out ridiculous challenges -"

"Well if you had been a little bit more civil, then maybe I wouldn't have given you the challenge and Harry would be -"

(A/N: my, my, people do seem to be interrupted a lot...)

"So you think it's my fault that you're neglecting one of your best friends? You think that he's ever going to go to the ball with you?" Ginny looked really angry...

But so was Hermione. Ginny had simply gone too far. Hermione knew that Madam Pince was already eyeing them with reproach but she didn't care. She opened her mouth to yell at Ginny.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," that was Ginny, in a tiny voice.

"I'm really sorry," Ginny repeated. "For saying that- that Harry was too good for you, but I was annoyed. You shouldn't have said what you did about Muggle Studies. It really didn't make me feel better."

Hermione sighed. "You're right. I shouldn't have said that you were an ignorant witch who knows nothing about Muggles and dreams about Harry Potter in your own futile manner. I'm sorry. Look, I forgive you for what you said - if you, in turn, will forgive me. Oh yeah, and I call the challenge off."

Ginny smiled. "I forgive you. And you propose merciless challenges. That stupid Periodic Table... memorising it was so hard."

"I agree," said Hermione, "I don't know how scientists do it." Then she remembered what had caused all this apologising and making up.

"What were you going to tell me, Ginny? What's happened to Harry?"

"I'll tell you later - after dinner."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [later]

It was back in the Gryffindor Common Room that Ginny told Hermione all about Cho Chang, and 'saving' Harry. (A/N: if you believe that I'm making them sound lame please put a note about it when you review. I'm quite used to flames - see reviews for The Danger of Sharp Fans.) Hermione was really shocked that a 'nice girl' like Cho would be so heartless.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked. "What if - what if you mistook what she said?"

"Hermione, she told me that she was going to be at a place 'where Harry would easily find her'. That's pointless, 'cause Harry will go look for her anyway." Ginny looked certain about what Cho was doing, but Hermione was still a little in doubt. "Besides," Ginny continued, "I heard from Lavender brown that she saw Cho Chang and Draco Malfoy together. If that's true, then our Cho has been toying with affections."

Hermione felt her jaw drop and knew she must have looked ridiculous, but she didn't care. "Are you sure?" she said again. "I mean, can you trust Lavender Brown? I mean -"

"Hermione, this is gossip and rumour. Now, when it comes to this sort of gossip and rumour, it's usually true. Who would you trust more with this kind of rumour than Lavender Brown?"

"Well, I don't know, maybe Professor Trelawney's crystal ball predicted it or something. It just doesn't seem... likely." She looked over at Harry, who was sitting in a corner of the common room, gazing at the notice board which was flashing baby blue and pastel pink for the upcoming ball, surrounded by girls. He doesn't know anything, Hermione realised. He doesn't know...we've got to tell him.

"We've got to tell Harry."

"WHAT?" said Ginny, startled. "Oh, that'd be nice. 'Hiya, Harry, did you know, that the girl you've liked for the past what, two and a half years? has been seen flirting with your arch-enemy, yes that's the one, Draco Malfoy. She doesn't like you at all, and she's toying with your affections. How does that make you feel?' Hermione, are you crazy? He'd never believe us. And it's quite cruel to him, too, to just spring it up on him."

"Well, what do you suggest we do? Sit back and watch while Cho Chang breaks his heart?" Hermione had to do something.

"What we need," said Ginny, "is a plan. A plan to make see her for what she really is."

And the two girls sat there and thought, on that May night, when the rest of Hogwarts were busy with, er, other stuff.