Hogwarts School of Prayer and Miracles Sequel

Chapter Six: Advice and a Conversation

Hermione arrived at the Headmaster's office and knocked.

"Who is it?" Dumbledore asked.

"It's Hermione."

"Come in, sweetheart."

Hermione opened the door and sat down on the chair opposite of Dumbledore.

"How was your day?"

"Good." Of course, this was only partially true, but she didn't want her father to worry.

"What things did you learn today?"

"Um, I learned dinosaurs don't exist, homosexuality is immoral, and how to be a good housewife. Oh, and nothing from Mr. Binns."

"Now, Hermione, you know that all your classes are important if you want to grow up to be a good Christian," Reverend Dumbledore scolded in a fatherly way.

"Yes, dad." She said, then asked him, "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course, Hermione."

"Ron's been hanging out with the Hufflepuffs and I don't know what to do about it. I feel like they're a bad influence on him, and that he might stray from the path of righteousness. I mean, what if he becomes some drug-addicted, fornicating evolutionist?"

"He has you and Harry to guide him away from this sinful path. Besides, perhaps Ronald will be a good influence upon the Hufflepuffs."

"You're right," Hermione said. "Thanks, dad."

"You're welcome," said the Reverend.

Feeling only slightly better, Hermione returned to her dorm to sleep, as it had gotten pretty late.

The next morning, she went downstairs into the great hall. She saw Harry and Ron sitting at the table, so she sat next to them.

"Good morning, you two. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," Harry said. Ron just nodded. He seemed to be ignoring Harry.

"Ron, is something the matter?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Ron said in a shockingly rude tone. "You know, aside from the fact that I'm apparently a drug-addicted, fornicating evolutionist because I like Hamilton. So you probably shouldn't talk to me, right?"

"No, I just thought you were a homosexual," Harry said. "You know they're known for loving musical theatre."

"Ron, you're not a DAFE or a homosexual, even if you do bicker with Harry like a teen girl," Hermione said, attempting to lighten him up, while throwing in some comic relief. "Besides, I thought you made an excellent Aaron Burr."

"Thank you, Hermione," Ron said. "You could join us next time if you want."

"Sure, why not?"

"WHAT?!" Harry shouted. "You're not actually going to hang out with those DAFE's, are you?"

"Harry, I-"

"How could you tempt her like this, Ron?! You're supposed to be a Gryffindor hat!" Harry continued to rant. "You're supposed to uphold our Christian morality!"

"We're just going to sing some songs from Jesus Christ Superstar!" Ron shouted back. "Is it really that bad?"

"This type of music is sinful!" Harry insisted. "Hermione, I forbid you from participating in this!"

"Harry, it's her decision to make!"

"Ron, she's a girl! She can't make decisions!"

"Fine, then. But what makes you able to make her decisions? You're not her husband or anything, are you?"

"But I am the closest thing she has to a husband!"

Ron had no response to this. Instead, he simply looked at Harry for a moment, then stood up and left the table.

"Ron! Ron, wait!" Hermione said, going after Ron, but not before she glared at Harry.

"Hermione!" Harry called after her, but she kept going anyways. "Hermione, come back!"

Hermione eventually caught up with Ron.

"I spoke to my father about you befriending the Hufflepuffs last night," she said. "He thinks you'll be a good influence on them."

"You should've told Harry that."

"Probably wouldn't have persuaded him. He'd probably think I was lying and that I'm corrupted by the Hufflepuff's 'demon minions' or something," Hermione said.

Ron laughed a little at this. "They really aren't that bad. They still believe in God, they just do things differently."

"Don't let Harry hear you say that," Hermione warned. "You know how he is."

"As in he thinks that everyone should be a Gryffindor hat."

"Exactly."

"Is that really what being a Christian is about? We're supposed to love and accept people."

"Yeah, but Harry would most likely justify his 'holier than thou' attitude with something along the lines of-" She changed her voice to sound something like Harry's, ultimately failing. "I'm not being intolerant. I'm just trying to help people by telling them exactly how they should live."

"I still can't believe I converted to Gryffindor just because he told me to," Ron sighed.

"Well, to be fair, he also guilt-tripped you into it," Hermione said, reminiscing about the time Harry went on a very, very long rant about why Ron should be a Gryffindor until he eventually relented.

"He made it sound so much better than being a Slytherin hat," Ron explained.

"He can be pretty persuasive, well, that and he wouldn't leave you alone until you converted."

"To be fair, being a Gryffindor is better. No one accuses you of being a Voldemort-supporting sinner."

"I remember hearing from Mr. Snape in my first year that the Slytherin leader was actually working with Voldemort the whole time, even though the Slytherins agreed with the Gryffindors more than they did with most atheists."

"Apparently, Voldemort went to Hogwarts, and he was a Slytherin hat," Ron said. "It's just a rumor, but all the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws believe it."

"I remember reading in Hogwarts: A Holy History he got expelled for reading secular books and listening to sinful music."

"If that's all it took to get him expelled, then I'm doomed," Ron sighed.

"Don't tell me you've been reading secular books too."

"Of course not! It's impossible to find any around here."

"True, although I thought you might have gotten some from the Hufflepuffs or something."

"Speaking of Hufflepuffs, I do believe we planned on meeting them about ten minutes from now," Ron said, standing up.

"Yes, I believe we did," Hermione said, also standing up.

Ron and Hermione walked together to the Hufflepuff common room.