The Hermann Chronicles

I don’t own any of these characters and make no money off this story.




PROLOGUE

I, Hermann Busch, take quill in hand this fourteenth of July in this year of 1997. It is to write a chronicle of events as I recall them, although the recollection is not in chronological order. Some segments are long; some are short. Some are not for readers of sensitivity. I hope none of them are boring because it was my life, and I would not like to think thus of my life. It is a telling of events between 1 July 1996 and 30 June 1997, a twelve-month period in which I betrayed everyone who came into my life.

Chapter 1: 1 September 10:00 AM -- 1 September 11:00 AM – Train Station


\"Ladies,\" I said, approaching the two girls. They were both pushing carts with similar luggage, except one cart had a cage with one of the ugliest cats on the face of the earth. They stopped and looked at me.

\"I\'m sorry, but have you heard of Hogwarts? I need to get there,\" I explained, trying to act as if it were a normal destination.

\"We\'re going there ourselves,\" said the one with dark red hair. \"You can follow us.\"

The one with the cat cocked her head and gave me an appraising look. \"Do we look witchy?\"

Uh-oh, I thought, a smart one.

\"You have similar luggage. You are of school age. I was told the passage to Hogwarts is in this vicinity,\" I said. \"I took the chance.\"

I did not say, \"Yes, all of you, including that cat, look witchy.\"

In fact, I thought, you look witchy, you feel witchy, and if I got close enough, you would smell witchy. I think you would taste witchy.

They were looking at me. \"Please, lead on,\" I said.

\"Nice looking train,\" I said when we arrived at the platform. \"Thank you for your help.\"

They just looked at me. I must be making a bad impression, I thought. I\'m going to take my luggage and leave as graciously as I can.

\"Are you a new student?\" asked the girl with red hair.

\"Transfer student. Sixth year.\"

\"I\'m fifth year,\" she said.

Was she actually trying to make conversation? \"I wanted to come here for my fifth and sixth years, but there are the exams at the end of the fifth year.\"

\"You mean the OWLs,\" she said.

\"I would have to have written them in English.\"

\"Don\'t you write English?\"

\"Not well enough to write a good exam. My name is Hermann, Hermann Busch,\" I added, hoping the conversation would pick up. There was something attractive and interesting about these two girls.

\"I\'m Ginny Weasley, and this is Hermione Granger. What brings you to Hogwarts?\"

\"Good morning Miss Weasley, Miss Granger. I hear Hogwarts is strong in Potions.\"

Both girls suddenly looked constricted. Mein Gott, what have I done this time, I wondered? I think I\'ll just blurt out something to hide my embarrassment and leave. \"Perhaps, the Potion Professor is strict,\" I said, speaking a little loudly, \"but Hogwarts is known for Potions, Arithmancy, Transfiguration, and Charms.\"

\"Herbology is good, too,\" said Miss Weasley.

Brave girl, I thought. She\'s trying to keep my clumsy conversation going. \"Yes, I\'ve heard Herbology is good, but I don\'t have any talent for plants or animals.\" I don\'t have any talent for girls either, I complained to myself.

\"Oh, Care of Magical Creatures is fun. The school is next to a forbidden forest, and the Professor is the groundskeeper. We get to see all kinds of animals.” “Have you been sorted into a House yet?\" Miss Weasley added.

\"No, but I\'ve heard there are four Houses.\"

\"What have you heard about the Houses?\" asked Miss Granger neutrally.

Verdammt, that is one sly lady. I gathered my thoughts before speaking. \"I know what I\'ve been told about the Houses. I\'ve been told that there\'s Slytherin, cunning and powerful; Hufflepuff, hardworking with a social conscience; Ravenclaw, intelligence of the analytical variety; and Gryffindor, brave with integrity.\"

\"Which would you like to be?\" continued Miss Granger.

\"It would be nice to be all of them. In which House are you? How does one get placed?\" I replied, trying to slide off the pointy end of the conversation.

\"We\'re both Gryffindors,\" said Miss Weasley. \"You\'re sorted into a House by a hat that sort of reads your mind.\"

\"Reads my mind! You don\'t have a House called \'Gottverflucht\' do you?\"

Did I just say that out loud, I thought? Now, while they\'re both trying to parse that last sentence, is the time to smile, grab my luggage, and wave goodbye. As I started to pull the trolley away, I heard my name being called.

I turned and saw Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle. I waved as they approached. They suddenly stopped. \"Hermann,\" said Draco, \"what are you doing with the mudblood and the weasel?\"

\"Nicknames?\" I started to ask, but then I saw the expressions on the girls\' faces. I noticed their stances. I recalled parts of a nature program about lionesses. It was not the parts where they were nursing their cute, little cubs. I\'ve got to get out of here, as the Americans say. Where is courage when I need it? Perhaps some formality will let me survive.

I strode forward acting calm, took Draco\'s hand in mine, placed my other hand on Draco\'s upper arm, and spoke very sincerely. \"Draco, good to see you. Have you been well?\" I looked directly into Draco\'s eyes. I was counting on Draco\'s breeding to come through. It did.

\"Yes, I\'ve been well,\" said Draco, looking me in the eyes and ignoring the girls.

\"Vincent,\" I said, repeating the performance, \"have you been well?\"

Taking his lead from Draco, Vincent turned his attention from the girls to me and replied that he had been well.

\"Gregory, you look well.\"

Gregory returned the handshake and asked if I had been well.

\"Yes, very well,\" I said, \"I have received excellent care this summer.\"

Caught up in the spirit of things, Vincent apologized for not being able to invite me to stay at his house for part of the summer. \"I understand,\" I said. \"Terrible circumstances.\"

\"By the way,\" I said, \"I understand that if my name is on my luggage, I can leave it someplace to be loaded onto the train.\"

They pointed out the loading zone, reminded me that I would need my robe for the sorting ceremony, and assured me that the luggage would arrive safely.

\"Good, if I arrived at Hogwarts without my luggage, the hat would put me in House Dummkopf.\"

Draco chuckled and then explained to Vincent and Gregory that if I arrived naked I would be placed in the House for Dumb Heads. They agreed that was funny.

Gott im Himmel, I thought walking back to retrieve the trolley, please, please, let Draco\'s good breeding hold.

I nodded to the two girls. \"Miss Weasley. Miss Granger.”

I did the best I could to catch their eyes. \"Thank you for all your help.\"

Miss Weasley actually smiled and waved goodbye.

After the four left, Ginny rounded on Hermione, \"You could have been a little more unfriendly if you had worked at it.\"

\"Ginny,\" Hermione said quietly, \"that shy little boy is probably a Death Eater.\"

\"I\'m going to board the \'nice looking train,\'\" said Ginny, walking off in a huff.

I pulled the trolley to the loading zone with sweat running down my back. I asked directions to the Men\'s Lavatory, calmly walked to the lavatory, calmly entered the stall, and not so calmly heaved my breakfast into the toilet bowl. A little later, I stared at a pale, sweaty face. \"Coward,\" I said to the mirror. \"Social incompetent,\" I said to the mirror.

It would be hilarious if the girls were clairvoyant. Did they hear me wondering if they smelled witchy? I wondered if they had been tasted. Miss Weasley, maybe a little. Miss Granger, little or none. If I were socially adept, I would remedy that. Oh well, time to face the world. Remember, I could walk out the door and run into the two of them, or Draco, or anything. I adjusted my face to a neutral, pleasant expression and walked out the door.

I was on my way to Hogwarts.