Melanie Granger?

Chapter 10: Harry Potter Talking With Me?

I woke extra early the next day and looking out the window I saw the sky was a light in a beautiful show of colour as the sun peaked up over the horizon. Deciding to get a good jump on the day I got dressed, putting on a pair of black pants, a red t-shirt and sneaker then after grabbing my wand I headed downstairs and was about to head out the portrait hole when a voice stopped me in my tracks.

'Melanie?'

'What?' I asked not bothering to turn around.

'I have heard you wake up early, but this is ridiculous. It's five o'clock in the morning for pete sake! No one in their right mind is up this early!'

'Which is why you're awake.'

'Exactly.'  A smirk played at the edge of his lips.

Confused I turned to see none other than the famous Harry Potter standing at the bottom of the stair case smirking at me.

'Potter?' I asked confused.

'Yeah.'

'I didn't know that you like getting up early.'

'It depends on the day.' He shrugged.

'Right. Whatever.' I rolled my eyes and turned back to the portrait hole.

'Wait!' He cried and I stopped reluctantly as the portrait swung open to let me out. 'D-Do you mind if I go with you?'  He asked, the stutter revealing his shyness at accompanying me.

'You don't even know where I'm going.' I replied.

'Does it matter?'

'I suppose not.' I replied and headed out, feeling kind of surprised with myself that I had allowed the raven-haired boy to tag along. 'But you know I could be going to the

'So what do when you wake up this early?' He asked casually as we walked down the large stone steps, making sure to keep our voices low as many of the portraits were still sleeping and it is a known fact that they do not appreciate being woken early, especially when "noisy students" are involved.

'I do stuff.' I replied causing us to fall into what, for Potter, must have been an awkward silence.

Neither of us spoke again for several minutes and we more or less just stared at each other, while I glanced around occasionally Potter's piercing emerald eyes never left my pale face. Potter only spoke again as we reached the ground floor and I pushed the heavy metals doors open to walk out into the chilly morning air.

'Are we allowed outside of the castle this early?'

'Were we allowed to go in the corridor on the third floor? They advised us not to, but they never said we couldn't.' I replied over my shoulder and kept walking. He seemed to accept my answer because he followed after me and I led us towards the black lake.

'So what are we actually doing?'  He asked as we walked across the grass that was still wet with early morning dew.

'Nothing.' I replied sitting down near the water.

'What do you mean?' He asked confused. I sighed, watching as my breath hung in the air like a small white cloud and looked to him as he sat beside me.

'I come here in the mornings and do nothing.'

At this the eleven year old boy quirked a brow.

'You don't seem like someone who takes time out to sit and think.'

'And you don't seem the type to listen to my sister and believe whatever she says, yet you do.'

'I do not.'  He shook his head defiantly.

'You do so.'

'I don't!'

'I've heard what she tells you and Ronald about me and admit it; you are only here to see if she was right. This is nothing more than a social experiment.'

'That is so......  Half true.' He sighed dropping his defence and admitting defeat. 'I was curious to see how much of what Hermione had said was true, but I also wanted to meet you and thank you helping me stand up to Malfoy during our first flying practise.'

'Pfft! I was happy to, Malfoy needs to learn his place.'

'On that we agree.' We would have fallen into silence again accept for Potter asked me a question, one I really hadn't expected him to. 'What do you think about all these attacks?'

I stared at him, thinking of an answer.

'I'm not sure what to think, what about you?'

'I don't know, do you think there could really be a vampire somewhere in Hogwarts?' I nodded.

'I'd bet my life on it.'

'What should we do? It's clear the teachers aren't doing anything.'

'What can we do? It would take a lot of skill to catch a vampire, of course it shouldn't be too hard for the Chosen One.' I smirked.

'Please don't say that.' He groaned.

'Alright, fine, no teasing.'

'Do you there's a way we could stop it?  If news about a vampire in Hogwarts gets out then they'll close the school and I really don't want that to happen.'

'There might be a way we can stop it, but you need to know what you are signing up for.' I glanced down at my watch. 'The library has just opened so we still have time to go there and do some research, come on.' We both got to our feet and I dragged him there.

'In some ways you and Hermione really aren't that different.' He remarked as I made him grab two books on vampires of the shelf while I got a third.

'We are different enough to know that we should stay away from each other.' I replied as we sat down at a table near one of the many windows. 'Before we get into this aren't you already supposed to be finding out about the Philosopher's Stone?'

'Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to let these students get attacked and have no one do anything about it.'

'Potter, you're eleven! I know that you're incredible and everything, but the fact that you're trying to work out a mystery concerning the Philosopher's Stone and not an adult is already shocking, don't try to push yourself too hard. Catching a vampire won't be easy.'

'I know, but I never agreed to catch it, as long as we can find some kind of evidence as to who it is or something to make the teachers do something about it I'll be happy.'

'I guess you're right, but even that isn't going to be easy.'

'I'm up for the challenge, as long as you are.' He raised a brow questioningly.

'Then let's do this.'  I nodded.

I can't believe this, I just spent the morning with Harry Potter and now we are going to take on a vampire!  This is crazy!