Changing Destiny

Eighteen: A Fresh Perspective

Younger Hermione

Things settled in for school for the bushy haired half blood witch and her foster brother Harry Potter. Aunt Hermione was settling in with the new baby, and her Uncle to be was skirting around spending time as the Potions Professor and trying to get back in her older self's good books. But after the first month of being back in school, things began getting weird for Harry. He started becoming distant, and even Draco tried to help, and so did Blaise Zabini when he caught him one day in the Slytherin boys bathroom cutting himself along his arms, and acting like he was hissing to something in the walls of the castle. Weird, right?

Luna Lovegood, who was quickly becoming her very best friend told her, and of course Cho Chang, who is a major gossip spreader, told the whole school that Harry Potter was officially a nutter. But it was when Professor Lockhart, or as the school was calling him Professor Useless behind his back, had the Cornish Pixies lesson that Hermione just had to follow her foster brother after dinner.

He was making low hissing noises, and feeling along the walls towards the dungeons before he stopped by a wall, and took out one of those old fashioned razors, made several long gashes along his inner forearms and wrote: Enemies of the Heir Beware The Chamber of Secrets has be Reopened.

Harry passed out, and Hermione couldn't help but scream for help. Professor McGonagoll, Dumbledore, Snape, and Useless ran towards her and Snape looked to her.

"What happened Miss Granger?" Snape asked, keeping his voice neutral.

Hermione sniffled, "He...He kept h-hissing to himself, and started c-c-cutting on himself to write that on the wall."

The teachers looked up at the creepy blood message, and of course, it drew the attention of the students just getting out of the dinner feast. The only reason she wasn't at dinner herself was because Harry had been acting weird for some time, and she knew it was her duty to look after him when her Aunt couldn't.

McGonagoll nodded, "It doesn't explain why you weren't present at dinner, Miss Granger. For all we know, you could have cooked up this scheme with your brother."

"Now now, Professor McGonagoll, surely these two young people wouldn't want to start up more drama than necessary," Lockhart pointed out.

"Agreed," Dumbledore put in, "But it is suspicious and--"

"Oh yes, I am just certain that Mr Potter and Miss Granger were just delighted to seek more fame," Snape cut him off, "But let's assume that they wished to scare the students with a Halloween prank. Why would Miss Granger harm her foster brother? Or, someone did this to Mr Potter. Frankly, I believe the latter. I suggest you allow me to deal with my charge as my duties as Slytherin's Head of House enable me. What do you want done with your charge Flitwick?"

Ravenclaw's tiny Head of House squeaked, "I suggest you go to your common room Miss Granger. I will get more details from you when we are both more sufficiently rested."

Hermione wiped at her eyes. "Thank you, Professor Flitwick."

Professor Snape announced, "I will get the full story from Miss Granger. Will you come with me?"

Hermione caught a subtle wink from him, which soothed her somewhat. She nodded. "Of course, sir."

Professor Snape magically levitated Harry's unconscious body to the hospital wing, and for a long time neither of them spoke. But when they were halfway there, she explained about Harry's weird bouts of hissing talk, and his Slytherin friend's attempts to get him to stop cutting himself. "...But Harry himself swears that he has no memory of cutting himself, and Draco says that he often has to soothe him back to sleep over some nightmare he had the previous night."