Power Within

Chapter 1

Welcome Home

"Bloody Hell!"

Hermione and Harry turned from the compartment window to see Ron staring at a letter in his hand. In looking down, Hermione recognized the letter as they had all received one. Ron looked from the letter to Harry, who shrugged; to Hermione, who smiled. Boys.

"Has Dumbledore gone mad? What is this?"

The gold lettering was very distinct and clear to Hermione.

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

Try outs will be held on the first Friday.

"It's Shakespeare, Ron," Hermione said in her usual you-should-know-this tone. Ron looked from Hermione to Harry and then back to Hermione. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Romeo and Juliet. Obviously Dumbledore is having Hogwarts do some sort of performance."

"But why?" Ron looked at Harry as if he would have the answers. Harry only shrugged.

Hermione shook her head and turned back to the window wondering what kind of performance this would be and like Ron why. She knew it would have something to do with Voldemort's return. Maybe it had to do with bringing the houses together-unity was important in these times.

Hermione glanced at Harry and wondered how he was doing. She had received an owl from him not long after they returned home from their fifth year. She had been shocked to say the least at what he had to say. To think-not only has Harry defeated and weakened Lord Voldemort as a baby, but it was all because he was part of a prophecy that could destroy Voldemort or Harry. They wrote all summer. Harry felt more on the outsabout it; though many details were left out--such as the exact wording of the prophecy. She silently wondered what this year had in store for her best friend.

Her thoughts started drifting back to the performance to come and debating trying out when the compartment door flew open followed by the usual cold drawl.

"Well, if it isn't Potty, his little weasel, and his mudblood." Malfoy looked at each in turn with Crabbe and Goyle on each side of him smiling. His smirk--perfectly placed for each of his enemies, but one. When his eyes fell on Granger they first fell on her leg, that could be seen from the slit in her robes, and slowly made his way up to notice the non-bushiness of her hair. This made him mad. He sneered at her while he spoke to Harry and Ron, "Having fun boys?"

Usually at this, Harry and Ron would be up and ready to hex Malfoy and he was well used to it. This time, however, he suddenly found a fearless, powerful, muggle born witch inches from his face.

With clenched teeth and a forced calm Hermione spoke. "Don't. You. Ever." Her eyes did not leave Malfoy's cold gaze and when she held her hand up inches from his chest and felt a power surge through her knocking him back, she thought she saw a flash of fear in his icy glare.

Malfoy quickly recovered.

Since when can Granger do that kind of wandless magic?

Hermione quickly glanced at Harry and Ron in horror. Luckily, they didn't notice her lack of wand. Malfoy saw the subtle relief pass over Hermione's face as he got up and he just smirked at her and then turned to Harry.

"Any more dreams Potter?"

"Don't you have something better to do? Like visit your father in Azkaban or has he returned to Lord Voldemort already?" Ron gasped at Harry's words. Malfoy never averted his eyes from Harry when he replied calmly "I'm sure you will be the first to know." With that, he looked at Hermione one more time with a smirk and chuckle and walked out the door.

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The four house tables sat in the Great Hall seated with present students waiting anxiously for the sorting to begin. As Professor McGonagall lead the new students in, all eyes turned toward them-well almost. A pair of cold silvery eyes was watching Hermione. Feeling this gaze she looked up at the Slytherin table to find Malfoy watching her with an unreadable expression. For some reason this made Hermione angry and she locked her eyes on him. The apparently clear night was showing in the enchanted ceiling as Hermione felt her temperature rise with her anger. The Great Hall became eerily quiet when an abundance of ominous looking clouds started gathering all around the enchanted ceiling slowly roaring. This broke Hermione's eye contact as she looked up to the clouds which instantly started to dissipate. She looked back at Malfoy. He looked up at the sudden storm overhead in amusement and its sudden disappearance and back down to Hermione and smirked at her with a nod of his head.

After the sorting Dumbledore stood for his usual start of term announcements and to explain the extra invitation that was received--the one in which confused Ron.

"This will be a remarkable performance for the week of Valentine's day. Our Minister of Magic will be here to meet with the French and American Ministers of Magic. Unity being the main issue and of grave importance the houses will be working as one for this production to show how well we can all overcome petty differences. Tryouts will be Friday and this is how it stands..."

Hermione had forgotten everything that had just happened in order to debate trying out. She really wanted to and the idea of the students doing the play how they wanted to do it intrigued her somewhat. Then she tuned in to what the Headmaster was saying.

"...Romeo and the rest of the Montague's will come from Slytherin house, Juliet and the remaining Capulet's will come from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff will take care of the chorus, and Ravenclaws will fill any other parts remaining and stage management."

Ron and Harry had their mouths hung open when Hermione looked at them. "Is he mad making Slytherin and Gryffindor the Montague's and the Capulet's?" Harry was astonished. Hermione understood perfectly why Dumbledore did it that way.

"Harry, think about it. Where else would he be able to find a Romeo and Juliet than from two houses that have despised each other for centuries?" Ron looked at Hermione in awe. Then he got up to fulfill his prefect duties in leading the first years to the tower and Hermione would follow behind to ensure there were no stragglers to get lost.

As Hermione followed them all out of the Great Hall she felt a cold hand on her arm. She hastened to turn to see who grabbed her causing a couple of soft curls to loosen from her hair and frame her face. A look upon her face that generally scared Ron. Malfoy was looking at her transfixed.

"What." There was a strange gleam in his eye as the corner of his mouth turned up.

"Potter and Weasley don't know, do they?" Malfoy almost didn't get the words out before she turned to leave. He was usually much quicker with his responses, but when her hair fell perfectly as she whirled around full of fire-that he ignited-he was stunned.

Hermione was not about to acknowledge what Malfoy had so obviously noticed about her. Why give him that power over her?

"I don't know what you are talking about Malfoy."

"Yes, you do Granger. I just wonder why on earth a mudblood would be granted such powers."

"Eat death, Malfoy." Hermione jerked her arm out of his hand and ran to catch up with the first years Ron was leading. Malfoy smirked at her words, realizing the clever way the witch called him a death eater-something she probably thought he would not really see as an insult, but he did.

Malfoy watched her go and looked down at his hand-such heat radiated from her body the instant he grabbed her arm.

Interesting though--a mudblood with the ability to do extreme wandless magic without uttering a word.

Draco turned and headed for the dungeons.