"I must say, Oliver, that I'm less than pleased about my recent discoveries," Professor Dumbledore said, sitting at his desk and folding his arms across his long beard.

"Nothing happened, sir. Hermione...Miss Granger...was just very distraught about the day's events. I offered to help her, to listen. That's all."

"What's wrong with Miss Granger, Oliver?" Dumbledore asked, leaning forward. He had a frown on his face and he looked concerned.

Oliver swallowed. It wasn't really his story to tell, it was hers. He didn't think he ought to tell. But if he didn't, he'd get fired.

A dark figure stepped out of the shadows in front of them. His smooth, slick voice carried down the hall to where they stood, "And it's only going to get worse."

Harry gasped, walking right into Ron. Ron was looking out the window to their right, apparently intrigued by the goings on outside the castle. Also, it didn't seem as if he had heard that person speak.

"Ow! Harry!" Ron turned to face his friend. "What was that for? Don't you watch where you're going?"

"Er, Ron? There's someone behind you." Harry pointed a shaking finger behind Ron's back.

"Who?" Ron asked, placing his hands on his hips. He obviously didn't believe his friend.

The figure shook his head. He didn't want Harry to tell who he was.

Harry sighed at the figure and rolled his eyes. "You. Know. Who," said Harry, stressing each word and gesturing with his head for Ron to turn around.

"VOLDEMORT!!!!!!!" Ron screeched like a little girl. "HOW'D HE GET IN HERE!!? COME ON, HARRY! LET'S RUN FOR OUR LIVES!" Ron started running off, but Harry grabbed the sleeve of his robe. "Gerrof, Harry! I need to run to safety!"

Harry pointed angrily at the figure half suspended in the light and half in darkness. Ron turned around and gasped because the person standing there was much worse than Voldemort. Well, right now he was anyway.

Snape. Suddenly, another figure emerged from the darkness behind Snape. Draco Malfoy.

Ron gasped yet again and pointed an accusing finger at Draco. "Oh no!"

Draco sneered, Snape emulated him the best he could. "Nice scream you got there, Weasley. Going to try out for Muggle cheerleading next year?"

"He's too old to try out," Harry told Draco seriously.

Snape shook his head, "Be quiet, Potter. What are you doing out of bed so late at night?"

"Professor McGonagall woke us up. Dumbledore needed us." Harry explained.

"Likely story," sneered Snape, glancing down at Draco and smiling. Draco smiled back.

"Go and ask Dumbledore, he'll tell you," said Ron.

"Detentions for you both for one week and I WILL go and see Dumbledore. Come along Draco."

Snape turned around and walked off, Draco following.

"Yeah go and follow your master, little puppy Draco." Ron chortled at his own joke. Draco sneered back at them, but didn't say anything. "Well, that was close. Glad none of us lost our heads."

Harry raised an eyebrow at Ron, "You didn't seem so calm when you thought it was Voldemort."

"Yeah, well---" Ron turned slightly pink. "You said You Know Who."

"He didn't want me to tell you who he was." Harry shrugged. "Come on, let's go to bed before we get in more trouble."

Ron agreed and they took off down the hallway.

"Harry? Why was Malfoy out of bed?"

"I dunno," responded Harry. "Probably trying to get us into trouble."

"Well he succeeded."

Hermione was waiting breathlessly in the common room, wringing her hands together anxiously.

"WELL?" She demanded, the second she saw Ron's head pop through the portrait hole.

"We got detention, Snape that slimy git." Ron said yawning. He tripped over his own feet as he was walking past her.

"Not SNAPE!" Cried Hermione, "Oliver! What did he say?"

"What do you mean?" asked Harry. "Say about what?"

"About me!" Hermione yelled shrilly.

"Quiet. You're going to wake up the whole school." Ron warned. "He didn't say anything about you. We didn't really talk to him."

Hermione sat down on the floor with a plop and put her head in her hands. Tears started flying from her eyes.

"Hermione, it's not as bad as you think. You didn't get in trouble for beating up Blaise." Ron was trying to console her, but his words just made her cry more.

"Yet. I didn't get in trouble YET."

The next day Hermione was really paranoid. VERY paranoid. She acted like someone on the witness protection program, constantly checking behind her and having Harry or Ron look around corners before she'd walk ahead.

She saw Oliver in the hallway on the way to her first class (Care of Magical Creatures) but he didn't look at her. She was going to thank him for being there for her, but she just left it alone. It was obvious he didn't want anything to do with her.

For some strange reason, she felt more hurt by him ignoring her than by Blaise using her.

Hermione's mind was elsewhere during the rest of her classes that day. Hagrid had to rescue her twice from some rampaging wepels. They had their hearts set on Hermione because she acted so out of it. Hagrid was forced to take her grade down a notch, which meant she didn't get top grades for the day.

The rest of her Professors weren't as kind as Hagrid in the grading department. By the end of the day, Hermione's average was down at least 30 points. Of course she was very upset by this news. It wasn't like she needed something else to worry about.

After dinner, Hermione started relaxing a bit. That is, she actually sat down and breathed. She felt sure she wouldn't get punished for her actions...although she still felt bad. Even if just a little. She piled her mounds of homework around her, ready to do missed work and extra credit. She wasn't really in the mood, but she knew it had to be done.

"Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall said, waving her hand in front of Hermione's face. Hermione was busy writing down everything she knew about gigglebites for Hagrid so she could get extra credit.

Hermione didn't look up when she answered, "Yes?"

"The Headmaster needs to speak with you...about Zabini."

Hermione almost choked. She stood up, receiving sorrowful looks from her classmates. As she followed Professor McGonagall out through the portrait hole, she looked like a person about to be executed and hung in the gallows.

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