Lessons

Harry sat up slowly, the sun shining on him through the windows. Everything was still and all the other beds were empty. He looked at his watch. It read 7.am. Where was everyone? Thinking he may as well get ready for the day, he took his time to get dressed. 'Maybe,' he thought, yesterday was just an unpleasant dream. Though he realised that if it was just a dream, Ron would have woken him up before leaving. Strolling slowly downstairs towards the Great Hall, he noticed it was very quiet. "That's odd;" he said aloud, "the elves usually get the breakfast things ready at this time."

"Mr Potter, where should you be?" came a stern voice from behind him. He turned to face Professor McGonagall.

"I don't know..." he replied confused.

"I believe, Mr Potter, that your first lesson of the day is Defence Against the Dark Arts?"

"First lesson of the day? But it's not even half past seven!"

"Nonsense, boy. It is ten am. I am very disappointed that you are still treating Miss Granger, one of your closest friends, this way. Get to her lesson now. And I'll see you in detention tonight."

Harry walked slowly to DADA, puzzled at the morning's events. Someone must have altered the time on my watch, he reflected. Bracing himself, he knocked on the door and walked in. Hermione, who was talking to Draco, completely ignored him. He sat on his own at the back of the class, again passing the time by drawing. He was quite impressed by his new discovered talent.
A few times he looked over at Ron who was looking at him funny and holding up random objects.
As soon as the lesson ended he made his way to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid winked at him a few times during the lesson and called Hermione over when it had finished. Hermione went into Hagrid's hut while Harry lingered outside, looking through the window. Hagrid's back was facing the window blocking Hermione's form. He hoped things were going well, but when Hagrid turned around and stared at him, he decided to run!
Harry decided to head for the library. Usually, if he wanted to avoid Hermione this wouldn't have been his first choice of location, but given the circumstances, he didn't think she would be visiting there anytime soon. Lost in thought, he sat at a table and absently turned the pages of a random book he had pulled off the shelf. Madam Pince didn't look too pleased to see him, but it was difficult to know if she had been 'Hermioned' due to her natural personality.

"This has got to stop." Pansy Parkinson threw her books on the table and sat down, facing Harry.

Bewildered, Harry just stared at her.

"Earth to superstar. Your little frizzy friend, and wannabe Slytherin is getting too big for her boots. Others can't see through her little game plan, but I can."

"You mean, she hasn't got to you?"

"Oh please. She's way out of her depth."

Harry didn't know whether to feel relieved or even more stressed.

"So, what's the story?" asked Pansy.

"She changed."

"Just like that?"

"She was different when she arrived and now everyone I'm close to seems to be turning against me."

"Well, no chance of that happening to me then. I'm already against you!"

Again Harry found himself speechless.

"So," said Pansy, "what do you propose we do?"

"We?"

"Well since your usual sidekicks are otherwise engaged, and insane, I'm your only hope."

"I haven't exactly got a plan."

"But that's what you do. You overcome evil and get zillions of house points whilst everyone fortunate enough not to be in Gryffindor claps politely."

"Well Hermione is usually the one that does the research and comes up with a plan."

"I say we get Hermione and kick the..."

"Pansy!" Harry warned.

"OK, we need to retrace her movements. You said she was acting more demented than usual before she even got here?"

"Yeah..."

"So we go to the Hogwarts Express."

"Um, maybe this is a stupid question, but where exactly is the Hogwarts Express kept?"

Pansy looked thoughtful. "I suppose it stays at Platform nine and three quarters when it's not in use. There's only one way to find out." She stood up and headed for the door.

Harry began to wonder if there was another side to Pansy that he wasn't aware of. This thought left his mind when she reached the door and said "Try not to walk too close to me, Potter; we wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

He sighed and followed her out into the corridor.

"Oh," said Pansy suddenly, "you'll need to bring that invisibility thing."

"You know about that?" asked Harry surprised.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "You're not as clever as you think and far too over hyped. Now hurry up."

Amazed Harry went to his dorm, retrieved the cloak and met a foot-tapping, hands-on-hip Pansy at the main entrance.

"I've forgot my wand, I'll have to go back," gasped Harry, who was out of breath.

"You really are pathetic," sighed Pansy.

"Look, I never asked you to help. If I'm that pathetic, maybe I should go on my own."

"And dramatic too," muttered Pansy.

Harry turned and headed back once again to his dorm.

"Ron?"

Ron, who was sitting on his bed, stood up when Harry entered the dorm. "Where have you been? I told you in Defence to meet me here at 11:30!" he threw his hands up in exasperation.

"You didn't talk to me in Defence!"

"I know that. I told you in code so she wouldn't notice."

Harry shook his head, "I don't know what's wrong with you, but if this is some sort of trick I won't..."

"Harry, will you just listen? I knew the detention would be a perfect chance for me to find out what is going on. I just played along with Hermione so I could find out!"

Relieved Harry sat down.

"Not just a pretty face," said Ron patting his own head.

"What did you find out?"

"Well, we were right about one thing, she's definitely nuts!"

Harry laughed, "Anything else?"

"She kept trying to look into my eyes, so I made endless excuses to look elsewhere. Oh look is that Merlin? Darn, you just missed him. That sort of thing," Ron winked.

"Did she say anything?"

"Not much, she just giggled a lot. But she did say some unflattering things about you!"

"Like what?"

"I better not say."

Harry looked at the ground.

"Don't worry," said Ron optimistically, "at least now we know something is definitely wrong and we can solve the mystery."

"Ah," said Harry slowly, "there's something you should know."

"What," replied Ron, who was starting to get worried.

"Come on," said Harry, motioning for the door.

"What's she doing here?" Ron practically yelled when they met Pansy.

"I could say the same for you, Weasley," Pansy snapped.

"Pansy's going to help us find out what's wrong with Hermione. We're going to the Hogwarts Express."

"She's going to help?" asked Ron, pointing at Pansy, "Help us get into trouble more like."

"Come on you two, we need all the help we can get. Let's go." said Harry.

"Fine," Ron and Pansy both replied whilst glaring at each other.

The strange situation felt vaguely familiar to Harry. He looked at Ron and Pansy. It was almost as if... no, it couldn't be. He pushed the thought out of his mind, pulled the invisibility cloak over the three of them and headed outside.