Over the next week, Harry noticed everyone giving him space. He wasn't really worried about it, as Hufflepuff, and the apprentices, treated him the same. Even if the twins did tease him about being the Heir of Slytherin. Their outrageous antics were so hilarious, it effectively diffused the general fear of the masses. Fortunately for the masses, Harry didn't care. He was far too busy with his studies.
Hermione and Harry were busy tutoring, as they often did for an hour after dinner, a few times a week. This was done, mainly to help their friends, but also to be seen as a 'team' player. Something essential to surviving in Hufflepuff. Hermione was currently tutoring Susan in Potions. Constance Finch, the 5th year prefect with Cedric, came over and said officiously, "Protectee Granger, the SETT would like a word."
Hermione looked up, and frowned. So far as she knew, her assignments were exactly the requested length, so she had no idea what this could be about. Hermione remembered her last caning, and thought to herself, 'All they can do is paddle me, painful but not life altering.' She decided she really could care less. She then looked at Harry, currently explaining the complex shield and counter-curse principles in parrying a spell. He was fully into the explanation, and everyone would assume he wasn't aware of her conversation. Hermione knew he was aware of every conversation in the room, and if anyone went active, they would be put down before they cast a second spell.
Hermione thought to herself, 'I may not care. Morgana, I can bruise balm myself and they can't do a damn thing about it. Harry though, Harry might hurt someone if this was Hippogriff shit. Better find out what was up.' Hermione, finished her explanation to Susan, as she said "OK Susan, remember when to add the wings, its vital one half goes before the toad bile, and one half after. Don't forget to reverse the stirring with the second batch. You are creating a merger and need to keep the idea in your magic the toad bile is absorbing the wings at all times. That is the secret to this potion. And don't forget to grind them properly. You should be fine." Hermione then closed her books and put away her notes. She then turned to the prefect and said, "I will put my stuff away and be right there."
Constance looked irritated. She had been quietly told to get Granger here quickly and pressure her. Granger was a 2nd year, so should already be nervous. She was told to scare the little bitch. Constance, realizing she needed to turn up the heat, said forcefully, "They are waiting."
Hermione looked at her and said coldly and loudly, "Then they can wait a little longer, it will take me a few minutes to make myself presentable." And Hermione turned away and went upstairs. She was back in fifteen minutes, her hair brushed, light makeup applied, and her clothes changed to business casual. Her bookbag not present. She stepped up to the prefect and motioned for her to proceed. After frowning, Constance realized this wasn't going to work, but still led Hermione across the hall.
Hermione came into the SETT meeting room, and looked around. No professors present. She saw Bea and Abigale two 7th years who were 'old blood' and none too happy she was betrothed into the Potter and Black families. They were looking at her with a certain barely-hidden glee. Ah. She walked forward, and hopped up onto the spanking bench, using it as a stool. Hermione properly crossed her feet, and placed her hands on her left knee with her back straight and head up. The betrothal ring winking in the light, obviously purposefully. She then looked at the members of the SETT, with a slightly irritated and bored tone, she inquired "You needed something?"
Beatrice Heywood, Bea to her friends, a 7th year prefect and head of the SETT just frowned. "Do you think this satisfies proper deportment?"
Hermione calmly replied, "I'm sure I no longer care. I was tutoring Heir Bones, and have my own work to do. Some of us do realize this is a school, and not a social club. If you find my attitude vexing, you shouldn't have sent a messenger who tried to chivy me for daring to return my books and make myself presentable. I do wonder if it was your plan to have me harried and unprepared for this inquisition. I find myself irritated. What do you want." She inquired with thinly concealed hostility.
Cedric off on the side, as a 5th year Prefect, quietly groaned. Her arguments were inciteful and harsh. They made the SETT look bad. This would have consequences.
Bea glancing at her friends Abigale another 7th year, and Merle the 6th year prefect. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Hermione wasn't showing the fear of last year. With a slight frown at Constance, the idiot was supposed to chivy her, not let her prepare. Bea turned back to Hermione and smoothed her face before she said, "Actually it is this attitude you have developed recently. We wish to discuss it."
Hermione just raised a delicately sculpted eyebrow saying nothing.
Bea continued, "While your newfound confidence does you proud, you have continued past confidence to arrogance and disdainfulness. You border on insolent and are acting haughty. Some of the older families have noticed."
Hermione continued to say nothing.
Bea sighed, "We are worried that someone is going to take umbrage at a first-gen behaving this way, and try to correct your behavior in an unpleasant fashion. We don't want to see you attacked. You need to tone it down."
Hermione snorted, "So someone is going to attack me, and invite the ire of Heir Black, the supposed, Heir of Slytherin?" she said, almost laughing.
Orsino Thurston the other 7th year, and head boy slammed his hand down on his desk and said, "Yes! That is exactly what we are saying! We don't need Potter hunting and killing among the students! We all know he is capable of it, after his threats to Filch and the Weasleys, and killing that troll!"
Bea waved off Orsino, and turned back to Hermione. "Miss Granger, do you want Heir Black to kill fellow students? Would it make you happy to see a broken body, devoid of life lying there, the child's mother crying over a corpse? This is what will happen if you don't tone things down! I get it, you have the love and devotion of the biggest Gryphon in the sky. It makes you feel special, powerful, and important. The problem is, if someone challenges you, Heir Black will kill them."
Hermione now angry at all this being made her fault, "So you are saying, some self-important, weak-minded, stale-magic, troglodyte doesn't like the fact that I'm now holding my head up, and will attack me to 'put me back in my place'. Your answer is to have me pretend to be less than I am, because being otherwise will inflame the wild animals. Merlin forbid, we force them to act properly! Maybe culling the herd is what's needed!"
Bea herself getting angry, "We are not saying be less than you are! We are saying stop acting like Catherine the Great! By Morgana, you recently, while dressed in nothing but a short bath robe, told all Hufflepuff you were taking your lord to his room to suck him off, and then obviously did! Is that the normal behavior of a 2nd year? You are out of control again!"
Hermione thought for a second, and blushed with a smile, "You may have a point there. That was a bit extreme, but Morgana, his magic tastes so good! And when he puts his mouth on me…Oh Merlin!" and she sighed. Cedric thought she put it on a little thick there. He would have to tell her, to tone it down, when performing like this.
All the girls were flushed at that candid description and the boys looked a bit disgruntled. Bea saying in a consolatory fashion, "Yes! Please just tone it down some, you are scaring the firsties."
Hermione, thought, "Alright, I'm not making any more vows, but I will try to rein myself in. If I'm not completely successful, maybe you can ask my Lord to spank my bottom for you." Hermione finished with a naughty grin while twitching her bottom on the spanking bench.
Bea just groaned, "Thank you Miss Granger. You can go." To which Hermione just hopped down from the bench, curtseyed, and left with a cocky grin.
Sprout came in after Hermione left. Bea turned to her and shaking her head, said "She is completely out of control, Madam Sprout. Why don't we paddle her?"
Madam Sprout shook her head and replied, "It won't work. She has already received, and survived, cane 8 from Master Snape. You don't want to feel how hard he hits with that cane. What I do, will no longer scare her. It's not uncommon to see these girls blossom, but this was faster, and earlier than I have ever seen. Then again, she does have the love and devotion of a wrathful Hero of old." She then gave Bea a smirk. "That will do wonderful things for your self-esteem."
Sprout sighed and said with a shrug, "We may be forced to do exactly what she recommended, though I don't think she will like it, as much as she implies. We may have to ask Heir Potter to, yet again, take his betrothed in hand."
It was soon time for the Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw game. Slytherin had beaten Gryffindor earlier in the month. All the other players had been announced, and it was time for Harry to go out. Harry was waiting for his announcement. Lee Jordan did not disappoint. "Annnnd for seeker. The Badger's own Black Swallow…Harrry POTTER!" Harry launched himself out doing his usual corkscrews with an inverted star over the stadium before he fell backwards and dove straight at the ground pulling out at the last second and taking his place. Hooch didn't want to look, but Morgana he flew so beautifully. However, she no longer glared, it's not like her glares did any good.
Cho Chang was the new Seeker for the Claws. She was trying to look sexy. but looking sick at his flying ability, sort of ruined it. Harry ignored her, blowing a kiss at Hermione. Hermione caught it and put it down her jersey (Harry's quidditch jersey from last year), which she said she will wear to all the games…and occasional late-night rendezvous. As Hermione stuffed his kiss into her jersey, she was wearing a smirk that made Harry grin ear-to-ear.
Jordan than said "I wonder if the claws have secured Lady Hermione's aide in distracting her lord. That is the only reliable way, to get him on her, and off the snitch…" "JORDAN!!!" screamed McGonagall, furious. Everyone was laughing, and Hermione was blushing to her roots, but kept her head up, and wore a challenging smirk that had most of the boys very jealous, and the girls seriously put out. "Sorry Headmistress" Lee said contritely, realizing he probably went too far.
The game began, and Harry was in a search pattern. Things were progressing normally, when a bludger tried to hit him. Harry rolled around it, continuing to scan for the snitch, when during his scan, he saw the bludger turn and come back at him. Harry frowned thinking, there was a closer target for it to chase…ah well.
Harry dove through the claw chasers, and got ready to resume his search, when he noticed the bludger was ignoring the chasers, and still locked on him. Harry, then raced over to Hooch yelling the bludger was locked on him, and she just shrugged.
Harry yelled "Fine!", and started dragging the bludger around smacking it into as many Claws as he could. Everybody could see by now the bludger was acting spelled, and was yelling that it was unfair for the puffs to use it as a weapon like that.
The claws declared a time-out complaining about the bludger. Hooch said, "Potter already complained about it. The only thing to do is to forfeit and declare a fault. You will still lose the game. I think it is ingenious that Potter took something obviously spelled to stop him, and turned it into a weapon against you. Your choice."
Play was resumed, and sure enough the bludger was on his tail again. Harry continued circling and breaking up plays keeping the Claws from mounting a significant offensive. The Badgers were up 100 to 40 now. Finally, Harry saw the snitch, at the same time Cho saw it.
Harry was on it, and Cho tried to crowd him, ignoring the bludger. The bludger smacked into her leg, knocking her off course. Harry continued the chase and dived to the ground grabbing the snitch before Cho could circle back on track. Harry caught the snitch, and rolled away as the bludger tried again.
Harry raised the snitch in the air and Hooch blew the whistle finishing the game. Harry turned to Hermione thinking he won, when he was hit by the bludger in his left arm and it then glanced off his head stunning him. Harry fell 20 feet to the ground, not moving. The bludger circled around and was coming hard. At that point, Hooch blasted and destroyed the bludger, when she saw it targeting Harry while he was on the ground, hurt. They were never supposed to target someone on the ground!
Before anybody could do anything else, Lockhart came over to Harry, "No worries, everybody. This is an easy fix." Suddenly, Harry's arm was flopping at his side. The bones all removed.
By this time Hermione arrived, yelling furiously at the idiot, "What did you DO?"
Lockhart said with a shrug, "Yes. Well, that can happen. The bones are no longer broken."
Hermione let out an inarticulate scream, and drew her wand in a blink of an eye. She then banished Lockhart half-way down the field. Lockhart sailed through the air and slammed into the ground digging a 10-foot furrow. Fred and George both held up signs saying 10 points!
She then stood over Harry and yelled, "NO ONE touches him, except Master Healer Pomfrey!" and started sweeping her wand, targeting anyone who got too close.
The twins came over when no one else would approach the raging witch. Gred said cautiously, "Hermione?"
Eyes blazing with brown light, now focusing on Gred, "WHAT?" yelled Hermione.
"We will help carry him to the infirmary. Pomfrey doesn't usually come to the games." Forge said calmly, but carefully. That wand was sparking and glowing with a malicious light.
Hermione thought for a second, "Fine! DON'T drop him!" she said with a great amount of menace.
"NO MA'AM!" they both said together while they picked up Harry and ran him to Pomfrey. Hermione was right behind them yelling for everyone to get out of the way. She actually banished a few who don't move quick enough. The path opened more quickly after that.
Pomfrey was raging, "You should have come straight to me!"
Hermione yelled back, "We didn't have the chance! That incompetent bumbling fraud did this before anyone could stop him! Without anyone's permission! Call the Aurors!"
By this time, most of the senior staff were present and had just heard Hermione's declaration. Dumbledore, said, trying to be conciliatory, "Now that won't be necessary. Master Pomfrey will have him up in a jiffy. Nobody was seriously hurt."
Hermione turned focusing on him. She hissed, "This is an attack on the house of Black. That man is not a teacher and had no business raising his wand to my Lord. Vendetta!"
McGonagall went white at that declaration. Blood feuds were started this way. Dumbledore made calming gestures, and said, "There is no cause for that, MISS! I think you did enough, when you attacked a Hogwarts professor!"
Hermione said calming slightly, "Did he live?"
Dumbledore thinking he was winning replied, "Fortunately, he will recover b-"
Hermione back to a full rage, yelled "Then I didn't do ENOUGH! I expect Earl Black and Lady Tonks to be notified immediately! Do it or I will! We are done talking! Only Master Snape, Madam Sprout, and Master Pomfrey are allowed anywhere near him until I have his guardians present. Leave!"
Dumbledore angrily replied, "No one tells me what to do in my school. Certainly not an uppity 2nd year!"
Hermione looked at him with hate, he had only seen on Harry, and yelled "Mipsy!"
A house elf in House Robes of the Black appeared, "Next Lord's Hermy called, Mipsy?"
Hermione ordered, "Tell Lady Tonks and Lord Black that his Heir was assaulted by a Hogwarts professor and is in the infirmary grievously injured. Dumbledore is blocking calling the Aurors. Go now!" Mipsy popped away.
Hermione then turned back to Dumbledore gloating, and replied angrily, "There! Now you don't need to tell them. I suggest you prepare for incoming!" She then walked over to Harry, sat down, and took hold of his hand with her left. Her right still has her wand ready.
Dumbledore, realized she had just bombarda the whole situation, sighed and left. Snape caught Hermione's eye and gave her a slight nod of approval which she returned before he followed Dumbledore out.
Pomfrey was coming over with the skele-gro when Harry said, "No. I don't know what it will do if my bones are suddenly whole at my reset." Seeing Pomphrey's irritation at not treating an injury, "If there is anything wrong after the reset, treat it then, OK?"
Master Pomfrey said with exasperation, "I understand your argument, just hate to see a patient untreated!"
Hermione said, "Thank you." Continuing to hold Harry's hand, his working one.
Pomfrey, came back saying "Here memorize this while you are waiting!" She handed Harry an advanced tome on curses which interact with diseases and how to treat them. Harry grinned, "Thank you. I remember you mentioning this tome, and never had the chance to read it."
Pomfrey, replied, "It's a little advanced for an apprentice, but I believe you will be journeyman level soon enough. I will quiz you on it later." it was so much fun to have an actual apprentice again. She pushed Harry thinking he wasn't serious, but every test she gave him was passed with near perfection.
About 30 minutes later, Andy came charging in to see Harry. Realizing he was without a working arm, but in no acute distress did little to calm her. Harry and Hermione explained everything that happened.
Harry concluded, "Hermione evidently banished Lockhart halfway downfield. Whether or not, you go after Lockhart, make sure to protect Hermione from reprisals about that. She also verbally castigated the senior staff here to protect me. Get the memories."
Continuing his planning, "Hermione will stay with me until my reset. I suspect I will be kept here overnight, regardless. We will stay in touch." And Harry held out his one good arm for a hug, which he got. Andy also hugged Hermione saying she's proud of her, and getting a big hug back.
Near 10pm Harry was fine after the reset. though Pomfrey was trying to make him stay. "Fine, but you will not document any findings…anywhere. You either keep it in your head or I consider you a security risk and we are done."
Pomfrey was getting irritated, as apprentices do not talk to Masters that way. Harry yelled, "I do not trust Dumbledore! Sneaking in here to read your notes would be the least of his crimes! I hope your mind is protected as he will take what he wants if not!"
Pomfrey not wanting to believe it, but not stupid either said, "Fine, my notes will not mark anything about your resets, acceptable?"
Harry said grudgingly "Yes." Harry then got out of bed, "I will go back to Hufflepuff and go to bed. If I have any issues I will return. Good?"
Pomfrey looked torn, but honestly, there was no sign at all of the injury, so she shouldn't keep him, and waved them away.
They didn't hear about the events of the night until the next day