The Prisoner of Azkaban | Hermione Granger x Male Reader (Book Three)

8. Lavender's Loss

Y/N's POV

I stayed back in Lupin's classroom, once everyone had left he spoke.

"Your Boggart..." he started.

I sighed. "I found out at the end of last year, I haven't stopped thinking about it."

Lupin looked at me. "There are always parts of us that we want to change, but can't."

I nodded, then Lupin spoke again. "If you ever need help or someone to talk to, remember my office door is always open."

He smiled before dismissing me, I quickly filled Hermione in, who had been waiting for me. We made our way back to the Common Room.

Today was the first Quidditch training we had and Wood was speaking to all of us.

"This is our last chance, my last chance, to win the Quidditch Cup," he told us, looking at us, "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it."

"Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world, injuries, then the tournament getting called off last year. But we also know we've got the best team in the school," he said, punching a fist into his other hand, "we've got three superb chasers."

Wood pointed at Issac, Angelina, and Katie.

"We've got two unbeatable beaters."

"Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," said Fred and George Weasley together, pretending to blush.

"And we've got a seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" Wood rumbled, glaring at me. "And me," he added as an afterthought.

"We think you're very good too, Oliver," said George.

"Spanking good keeper," said Fred.

"The point is," Wood went on, "the Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Y/N joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing..."

Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic.

"Oliver, this year's our year," said Fred.

"We'll do it, Oliver!" said Issac.

"Definitely," I added.

Full of determination, the whole team started training sessions, three evenings a week. The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind, or rain could tarnish my wonderful vision of finally winning the huge, silver Quidditch Cup.

I returned to the Gryffindor Common Room one evening after training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practice had gone, to find the room buzzing excitedly.

"What's happened?" I asked, Harry and Hermione, who were with Ron and sitting in three of the best chairs by the fireside and completing some star charts for Astronomy.

"First Hogsmeade weekend," said Hermione, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old bulletin board, "end of October. Halloween."

"Excellent," said Fred, who had followed me through the portrait hole, "I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets."

I sat down in a chair beside Hermione, I then noticed that Harry looked quite sad.

"Harry, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time," I said, "they're bound to catch Black soon. He's been sighted once already."

"Black's not foolish enough to try anything in Hogsmeade," said Ron, "ask McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry. The next one might not be for ages-"

"Ron!" said Hermione. "Harry's supposed to stay in school, thinking about it, Y/N, shouldn't go to Hogsmede as well."

I sighed. "I won't go if the teachers have a problem with it, but otherwise I'm going."

Hermione shook her head at me. Just then, Crookshanks decided to launch himself at Scabbers, causing Ron to yell and scream at Hermione.

"Keep that stupid cat out of Scabbers' way!" Ron said angrily before storming off to the dormitories.

Ron was still in a bad mood with Hermione next day. He barely talked to her all through Herbology, even though we were all working together.

"How's Scabbers?" Hermione asked timidly.

"He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking," said Ron angrily.

We had Transfiguration next. Harry, had decided to ask Professor McGonagall after the lesson whether he could go into Hogsmeade with the rest of the year. We were lining up to walk into Transfiguration when I heard someone crying.

Lavender Brown was crying. Parvati had her arm around her and was explaining something to Seamus and Dean, who were looking very serious.

"What's the matter, Lavender?" said Hermione anxiously as we went to join the group.

"She got a letter from home this morning," Parvati whispered, "it's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."

"Oh," said Hermione, "I'm sorry, Lavender."

"I should have known!" said Lavender tragically. "You know what day it is?"

"Er-" Hermione said.

I figured it out quickly. "The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!'"

"She was right, she was right!" Lavender cried.

The whole class was gathered around Lavender now. Seamus shook his head seriously. Hermione hesitated, then she said. "You-you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?"

"Well, not necessarily by a fox," said Lavender, looking up at Hermione with streaming eyes, "but I was obviously dreading him dying, wasn't I?"

"Oh," said Hermione. She paused again, "was Binky an old rabbit?"

"N-no!" sobbed Lavender. "H-he was only a baby!"

Parvati tightened her arm around Lavender's shoulders.

"But then, why would you dread him dying?" said Hermione.

Parvati glared at her.

"Well, look at it logically," said Hermione, turning to the rest of the group, "I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today-" Lavender wailed loudly. "-and she can't have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock-"

"Don't mind Hermione, Lavender," said Ron loudly, "she doesn't think other people's pets matter very much."

I quickly grabbed Hermione by her shoulder and slowly dragged her away from a wailing Lavender and an angry Pavarti.

"I don't get why they believe in that stupid Divination stuff." Hermione huffed.