Chapter 2 ~ Meeting Andresa

A bit more on Andresa's life...

The next morning, Hermione woke up early and thought to be the only girl up when she saw a slim figure in jeans and golden shirt sitting beside the window, her face turned towards the outside. She pulled on some clothes and decided that she would straighten things out, get close to the new girls so called Andresa. She came beside her.

“ Can I sit with you ?” she asked as kindly could be in a whisper so as not to wake the other girls.

“ Of course,” Andresa replied, not even looking at her. Hermione tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“ So, is this your first year here ?” she asked after a moment’s silence, looking at the girl’s face.

“ No.”

“ But I’ve never seen you last year, or even the years before that,” Hermione pointed out.

“ I wasn’t here for a time,” Andresa replied, never looking at her.

“ Why ?”

“ That’s a good question which I don’t want to answer.” It was obvious that the embarrassed, shy girl had now disappeared and that it was a cold and hard Andresa that was sitting beside the window. Hermione gave up trying to ask personal questions of the sort.

“ Where are you from ?”

“ I couldn’t say exactly. I live not far from the Ministry of Magic though, just north of it.”

“ Your parents work there ?”

“ Well, not exactly.”

“ What do they do then ?”

It took a while for the answer to come, and when it did, it was exactly direct.

“ My mother dies when I was young, I never really even knew her. My father, works in, well not in, but outside.” Hermione knew the answer would get no further details than that and did not insist.

“ Do you know some people here ?”

“ Fred and George. Used to be inseparable. Haven’t seen them in a while though.”

“ They’re still here.”

“ I know. It’s their last year I think.” Hermione nodded at that and glanced down at her watch.

“ I better get ready, don’t want to be late,” she said mostly to herself and stood up. Andresa followed her of the gaze and came to her feet as well. She changed into her uniform with Gryffindor on it and walked out after Hermione who had just closed the door.

“ Do you mind if I come with you, wherever you’re going ?”

“ No, that’s alright I guess,” Hermione replied, shrugging. Maybe she really is the security Dumbledore was talking about. She just looks a bit young to me.

 

They were the first ones to breakfast. Well the first students. There was already professor MacGonnaggall and professor Dumbledore and misses Pomfree and some others. There was also Umbridge in her pink skirt that arrived, and glared at Andresa. Their gazes met, Hermione saw it, and there was a shock of hostility between the two. Umbridge grimaced and frowned while Andresa’s face grew cold and hard. It would never have been imaginable that she could have been so severe looking. Umbridge moved to talk to Dumbledore while MacGonnaggall came to speak with the girls. She seemed deeply worried.

“ Good morning miss Granger,” she nodded to Hermione but seemed more interested in her companion. “ Ah Andresa ! We were worried. We didn’t know if you had arrived safely. Alas there is a dark wizard at large though some will not admit it. It is duty to make sure you are under protection.” Andresa, at that, smiled gently.

“ I could not have been in better hands than Hagrid’s.”

“ Professor Snape was to take you, but a last minute�"“

“ It’s quite alright professor. I honestly do not mind.” MacGonnaggall seemed to sigh of relief but she was still as tense. “ Umbridge will try to throw me out, will she not ?” Andresa leaned in toward the professor and nearly whispered in her ear, though Hermione could hear.

“ I fear she will, but she won’t succeed, be sure of it,” the professor answered, suddenly looking very determined. Hermione found that the woman’s face seemed to have aged quite a bit in so short a time. She seemed more pale and exhausted than usual, and her wrinkles seemed to have deepened some more. The waiting was done in silence, and the hall was beginning to fill up, and soon, the clatter of plates and forks and of glasses were heard amid chit-chatter that rumbled even through the corridors.

 

Andresa sat with Hermione, Harry, Ron and Luna. Breakfast was delicious, and the diversity of it was extraordinary. She hadn’t tasted such good food in a while. For a long time her meals had been of hard bread and stew. On occasions such as Christmas, she would have had some oranges and cake to go along and milk with cookies. Only when her father was around, or with her. Most of the years she had done her hunting, the reason for such a meal every day, morning, afternoon, evening. Hunting for revenge, for the trouble makers, just as her father did. Hunting for the death eaters. It can be thought that she was the security that Dumbledore had spoken of, but indeed, Dumbledore did not think of Andresa as he spoke of security. She was part of his plan, of course, and was meant to be the personal bodyguard of Hermione, and keep an eye on those close friends. Her young age did not diminish her ability to use magic, and in fact, she would have done everything to occupy the place she now did, for it felt as a duty she had to fulfil. It can be said here and now that it was perfectly right to trust her fully for more loyal there could not be found. At times she would be doubted, certainly, but for all the wrong reasons, one of them being her hiding of her identity (being for very particular reasons). Now all of this, the three she guarded were very unaware of it, though they could suspect it, but soon they would have no more room for doubt and accept her as a friend. And so breakfast was lively, and the conversations were of nothing important, passing thoughts voiced aloud, expectations of the year, childhood stories, jokes and other banalities. Professor MacGonnaggall soon rang the attention ring against a glass, and everyone turned to see Dumbledore waiting for silence to speak, standing behind the table. He spoke loudly in his kind voice.

“ I bid you all good morning,” he smiled. At which statement everyone replied the same good morning. “ The start of this year has been very disturbing for some of you, I must admit. There has been new rules, thorough changes, and this is not easy for young people as you to adhere to these vital changes”�"Umbridge could be seen giggling satisfyingly at the end of the table�"“ There will be another one added, and this one on behalf of the school and for security reasons. I do not intend to overlook the protection of the students in Hogwarts. Even if some pretend there is no Dark Wizard. Now, my dear friends, do not be frightened if you see dark figures in the hallways after dark, in early morning, and at times during the day. They are patrollers and will patrol night and day, with fewer number in daily hours for reasons, I am sure I need not explain. I only wanted to warn you. Good day to you all.” Again, the prattle began again and Ron turned towards Hermione.

“ Here’s your security,” he said. Hermione nodded, slightly disappointed at the thought that she had been wrong.