The Error of My Ways

Chapter Four: Evil on the Hogwarts Express

 

 Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione managed to find a compartment to themselves on the Hogwarts Express. It had been the usual hustle and bustle to get them to Platform 9 3/4 on time. Mr. & Mrs. Weasley had accompanied them and Hermione found herself praised and complimented once again on her appointment as Head Girl by her best friend's parents.

 "We are so very proud of you, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said with tears in her eyes. Hermione was like a second daughter to her and thought she had been a good influence on Ron.

 "Yes, Molly, we always knew she would be top of her class…I'm a good judge of this sort of thing and your parents are the best sort of Muggles…loving, accepting and very intelligent. Even if you had not been a witch, you would have become a most accomplished Muggle," Arthur Weasley beamed.

 Hermione blushed graciously…it was indeed high praise from a couple she loved dearly.

 "She reminds me so much of Percy," Molly sniffed into her handkerchief.

 Hermione stiffened. What did they mean by that? Did they know she had just been thinking about him?

 "I'm being silly," she thought to herself, "No one can really read minds…can they?"

 "Funny how similar the two of you are, really. Both with a lot of brains, a lot of talent and a limitless drive for perfection," Arthur gazed at her thoughtfully as if expecting an answer. Hermione was starting to feel uncomfortable and began to fidget.

 

"Oh please, Mum, Hermione is a whole lot less pompous than our dear Percy," Ron protested…his trunk was rather heavy and he was having a hard time dragging it onto the train. Pigwidgeon, flying in circles around his head, wasn't helping matters any.

 "And a whole lot better looking too," Harry whispered to Ron who promptly started laughing so hard he lost his grip on his trunk and it proceeded to land, rather painfully, on his foot.

 "Ouch!!!" he shouted, drawing Mrs. Weasley to him in an instant (Harry thought she practically apparated for how fast she moved).

 After Mrs. Weasley performed a quick numbing spell (luckily, the big toe wasn't broken, just badly bruised and, therefore, easily taken care of), they herded the group into their compartment with lots of good wishes, kisses, sandwiches and cakes. As they settled into their seats, the train slowly pulled out of the station…they were on their way!

 "Finally," Hermione sighed softly. She couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts…for strictly scholastic reasons of course…at least that was what she kept telling herself.

 Not long into the trip, while Hermione was reading her Potions textbook (noting that they were finally being allowed to brew healing potions to some of the deadlier poisons in the wizarding world).

 "Hmmm," she thought, "Snape will probably poison Harry first and then test the healing potions on him."

 Harry and Ron got into a heated discussion about the upcoming quidditch season. Harry was now the Captain of the Gryffindor team and Ron was Keeper. Their conversation revolved around coming up with new strategies and almost always seemed to involve waylaying Draco Malfoy in some way or another.

 Ginny, getting tired of all the quidditch talk, left to seek out some of her friends from sixth year. Hermione picked up her Transfiguration textbook and started to read it…again.

 About halfway through the journey, the witcj with the food cart came by and they ordered some pumpkin pasties, some Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, licorice wands and Droobles Best Blowing Gum as well as a nice pile of Chocolate Frogs. They were so deep into a conversation about who was going to be the Defence Against Dark Arts teacher (the vampire they had had the previous year, who was actually pretty good, had been most unfortunately impaled by a mob and had consequently had his decapitated head stuffed with garlic and buried separately from his body…there was just no way of reviving him) they failed to notice the door to their compartment slowly open…

 "Well, well, well. If it isn't Potty, the Weasel and the Mudblood," a drawling voice indicated the unwelcome arrival of Draco Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle stood behind him like statues…ugly statues…ugly troll-like statues.

 Hermione looked at the pale boy with undisguised dislike.

 "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Demon Seed. Go get yourself some new material, Malfoy, and don't let the compartment door hit you too hard on your way out" she said airily as Harry and Ron snickered appreciatively.

 "Now, where are your manners?" Draco smiled evilly, taking a couple of deliberate steps towards her.

 "You should talk…I'd be surprised if you even knew what the word means," Ron remarked sarcastically.

 "Hey, there are plenty of dictionaries at the Hogwarts library…we'll get him one," Harry chimed in.

 Draco looked at the two boys sharply and frowned. He then turned his attention back to Hermione.

 "I understand that you have been made Head Girl this year," he said in a completely casual voice as if he were an old friend discussing the weather.

 "It must be killing you. Daddy Dearest must not have taken the news too well," Harry remarked dryly.

 Draco shot a look of pure venom at the dark haired boy. With an effort, he resumed his casual air and turned back to Hermione.

 "Being Head Girl is a great responsibility and a great honour. Pity that it is wasted this year on a Mudblood of no account…"

 Before Harry and Ron had a chance to react, Hermione had jumped out of her seat and ran right up to Draco. She whipped out her wand in a smooth, fluid motion and pointed it directly between his eyes.

 "I suggest you leave, Malfoy. I have been learning several interesting spells from the real Alastor Moody. A ferret is nothing compared to what I will do with you, "she jabbed at his forehead to make her point clear.

 "You are still an underage wizard, you are not allowed to use a spell," Draco's eyes narrowed as he practically spit the words out.

 "Don't tempt me," she said quietly but clearly.

 Harry watched the exchange. Something did not seem right. Draco wasn't usually like this.

 For a moment, Draco seemed to consider his options. Ron could see Draco's fist clenching and unclenching. Finally, Draco motioned to the two ugly troll-like statues to leave and he edged out backwards.

 "I warn you, Mudblood, this is not over," he sneered at her as he closed the door.

 Hermione let out her breath and sat down with her friends, her eyes still blazing with unspoken fury. After a few minutes, she had calmed down somewhat.

 "I'm impressed, Hermione," Harry turned to her with a smile, "How the heck did you move so fast?"

 "You scared the snot out of Malfoy…he must have been thinking you just might turn him into a ferret…ah, such a wonderful memory," Ron started grinning.

 "Look, I was angry and I reacted without thinking. Malfoy just knows how to get under my skin," she shrugged. She didn't really want to talk about it a whole lot. Draco had never confronted her so boldly before…on the Hogwarts Express…too brazen. Maybe he was a full-fledged Death Eater now and didn't care to hide his true colours. Hermione shook her head, trying to clear the confusion.

 Harry clapped her on the shoulder, shaking her out of her reverie. Her face pinked slightly.

 "Hey," he said, "don't apologize…you stood up to that junior Death Eater."

"Yeah," Ron agreed, his mouth full of chocolate frogs, "he now knows that you don't mess with Hermione Granger, Head Girl and Witch Extraordinaire!"

 "Here, here!" exclaimed Harry, now with a headless chocolate frog in each hand.

 Hermione laughed with her friends and they all settled down to enjoy a leisurely lunch (even the sandwiches were good!).

 After lunch, Hermione excused herself to go to the bathroom. She walked down the corridor of the train, humming a tune quietly to herself when suddenly, she felt a tingle in the air which made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up… an omen of dark magic! Before she could draw her wand, a hand clapped itself roughly over her mouth and another one snaked around her waist, deftly removing her wand in the process. She was dragged to a nearby compartment. The door opened and she was thrown in unceremoniously and landed on the floor in a heap. She scrambled to her feet quickly.

 "We have unfinished business, Mudblood. No one threatens me like that and walks away unscathed," the cold voice of Draco Malfoy grated against her ears. His cold steel-grey eyes did not betray any emotion but a small vein in his forehead was pulsing madly. Hermione started to feel afraid and looked around for a means of escape.

 Draco moved closer.

 "Don't even think of trying to escape. I have sealed off the compartment…it's a convenience of Dark Magic to be able to do this sort of thing. Not that you, the righteous Gryffindor, would ever go outside the rules like that, would you? It's too late, Mudblood. No one can hear you and you cannot get out."

 Hermione was trying to think of something to say…anything. He was acting like a madman!

 "What are you going to do with me?" Hermione managed to keep the wavering note of fear out of her voice.

 Draco laughed mercilessly and took a step towards her. She took a step backwards, almost stumbling on a kink in the carpeting.

 "Oh, don't look at me like that…I am not planning on killing you…that would be most awkward. Oh no, you and I are going to have a little…fun, shall we say? I suppose I could use the Imperius Curse on you…but 'au naturel' as the French would say it, is so much more enjoyable…really, screaming can be such a turn-on."

 Hermione started to panic as Draco came even closer with an evil gleam in his eyes. She looked around desperately and started backing away until her back was against the door of the compartment. There was no where else to go…

 Draco suddenly lunged and grabbed her roughly. She struggled with all her might but she was no match for his physical strength. He pushed her down onto the floor of the compartment, her head striking it with enough force to momentarily daze her. He positioned his weight to pin her to the ground. She felt his hands on her body, fumbling with her garments. She felt tears coming to her eyes.

 "This can’t be happening…" she was screaming silently as she tried to regain control over her limbs.

 Snapping to her senses, she again began to struggle and was met with a slap, which made her see stars. As tears coursed down her cheeks, she stared defiantly at Draco who glared right back at her with hate and the sheer evil joy of domination. He held her arms down and laughed at her.

 "No," she cried weakly, the side of her face still stinging.

 "No? I don't remember giving you any choice in the matter, Mudblood," and with that his mouth covered hers in a violent kiss, rough, bruising and devoid of anything even remotely human.

 "No! No! No!" she thought as she continued to struggle in vain. He was shifting his body and forcing her legs apart…

 Suddenly the door to the compartment exploded into pieces. Draco was thrown off of Hermione by the sheer force of the explosion. Hermione struggled to get to her feet and pulled her robes tightly around herself but her body wasn't really doing what she asked. She saw an unconscious Draco being dragged away by what she assumed was a security wizard. She closed her eyes, the realization of what had almost happened suddenly dawned on her and she curled up in a ball on the floor and began to shake uncontrollably.

 Within seconds, she felt someone pick her up and cradle her, whispering words of comfort. She felt warmer and less frightened. She opened her eyes…her vision was a little blurry but she could clearly make out the distinctive red hair…

 "Don't let me go," she whispered weakly before fainting.

 "I won't," he whispered, more to himself.

 The security wizard re-entered the compartment with a mediwizard.

 "Don't worry, Professor Weasley," the mediwizard said in answer to Percy's unspoken concern, "I am only going to use a medical assessment spell to determine whether or not there is any physical injury,"

 Percy nodded although he could not help holding Hermione's limp form slightly closer as the mediwizard's wand began to emit a pinkish aura which enveloped the young woman without actually touching her.

 

"She has not suffered any major injury although she has a rather nasty bruise on the side of her face which is easily remedied. I will let her friends know that she is all right. Your sudden appearance at their compartment left them rather frantic."

 Percy nodded mutely. The mediwizard left the compartment quietly.

 The security wizard spoke up. If he found anything unusual about the fact that Percy was still holding Hermione, he gave no hint of it.

"It was as you suspected, sir, a group of shape-shifters loyal to You-Know-Who. They are currently being held in a special containment field, ready for questioning…not that I think you will get much out of them. Oh, and here is Miss Granger's wand," he placed it on a nearby table. Percy nodded.

 "I will be there shortly after I bring Herm…Miss Granger to the infirmary compartment. Please be sure that all necessary security precautions are taken," the security wizard nodded and then he too left the compartment.

 Percy looked down at the Hermione's face and shuddered involuntarily. When he had realized that the detection spells had gone off, indicating the use of dark magic, he could never have realized the scope of the danger. His anger had been so great he could have killed the shape-shifters without so much as a second thought. What was this strange protective urge that seemed to well up from deep inside when it came to her? This need to keep her safe as if his own life depended on it? Holding her close somehow felt so…so right.

 He shook his head slightly. What was he thinking? He was a Ministry official while she was a Hogwarts student four years his junior. They had nothing in common. He was just being a good friend; a concerned friend…that was all…wasn't it?

 He stood up and, with her still in his arms, walked towards the open door of the compartment. Before he left its confines, he leaned his head down and kissed her forehead. She smiled slightly but did not wake up.

 "That's not all it is," a part of him said quietly as he walked to the infirmary compartment.