It was their sixth year at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Things were tense, scary, and falling apart. People were dying, killing, and destroying. Homes and families were being torn apart, all by one powerful, evil wizard. But one girl didn't notice any of these things, because her world was currently draped in a blanket of panic, considering the mayhem taking place in her school.
Hermione Granger looked at McGonagall with wide eyes. "What do you mean the schedules are messed up?" the frizzy haired girl cried.
The professor pursed her wrinkly lips and said, "Please, miss Granger, calm yourself." She went on to explain, "I'm afraid that there has been a mix up with producing the students' course schedules, and most students will not be attending the classes they asked for."
Hermione pulled at her hair- what if she didn't get her favorite class? "Isn't there a way to fix it?" she asked hopelessly.
McGonagall shook her head and said solemnly, "I'm afraid not. Considering classes will begin tomorrow, there is no way the teachers will be able to change over seven hundred class schedules. The students will just have to take the classes they were assigned to until further notice."
Hermione sighed. "Thank you for letting me know, professor," she said in defeat, her head hanging.
McGonagall nodded tightly and said with finality, "Don't forget to let the rest of the Gryffindors know, since you are a prefect."
"Yes, professor," Hermione said. "I will." And with that, she left the Great Hall and headed towards the Gryffindor commonroom, where she would make the announcement that no one would get their chosen classes this year.
"This stinks," Ron pouted, stuffing his face with buttered toast and jam. "You'd think they would have at least tried to fix the schedules."
Harry shrugged, taking a bite from his muffin. "I'm sure they did try. They probably just didn't have enough time, right, Hermione?"
"Exactly," Hermione nodded. "Apparently, they only just figured out the courses were messed up last night, so they didn't have enough time to fix all of them."
"You'd think they'd be more careful, with You-Know-Who roaming the streets," Ron grumbled. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and continued to shovel eggs into his mouth.
"Could you possibly be any more disgusting?" Hermione asked, grimacing at the red head. Ron was about to retort, but was cut off when the trio spotted professor Snape handing out the year's classes for all the students. They watched with bated breath as the long-haired man slowly made his way towards them.
When Snape had reached the three children, he stopped walking and watched them for a minute. Then he drawled, "I expect that you all will try your best to stay out of trouble this year?"
Harry smirked and answered, "Of course, professor. What would make you think otherwise?" Ron snorted into his napkin at the remark, and Hermione shot a death glare at both of her friends.
Snape's eyes flashed with anger, but his voice stayed even as he said, "Watch your mouth, Potter. We wouldn't want any… trouble coming to you at a time like this, would we?" And with that, he plopped three pieces of parchments onto their food and stalked away.
"You really shouldn't push his buttons like that, Harry," Hermione warned the glasses-clad boy."I doubt he'd refrain from punishing you, even if he is in the Order."
Harry shrugged and looked over his schedule. He groaned aloud and said, "Double potions three times a week. Might as well kill myself." He and Ron compared classes, and found they had most classes together, and only had two of the courses they had asked for. Hermione, however, didn't have a single class with either of them, but had three courses she had been hoping for.
As the girl's caramel eyes roamed the paper, she noticed that her last class of the day, for every day, was Muggle Studies. "Humph," she grunted, disappointed. She had purposely not asked for that class for a reason- she lived a Muggle life, she lived with Muggles; she didn't need to take a class about what she already knew.
"Well, boys, I'm off," she sighed, standing at placing her bag on her shoulder. She gripped her wand in one hand, the parchment in the other. "Good luck with your classes."
"You too, Hermione," Harry said kindly, waving her off.
"Bye, 'Mione," Ron said through a mouthful of last-minute bacon.
Hermione made her way out of the half-full Great Hall, not ready for school to begin. Normally, she would have been excited and jumpy, anxiously waiting seven thirty of the second of September so she could go to her first class, but today was different. She didn't want to take Astronomy- or half of these classes on her schedule- so there was no need to be excited. In fact, she dreaded the day.
The frizzy-haired girl finally reached the Astronomy Tower. She walked up the winding stair case, wondering if she was going to be the first one there. Her footsteps made echoing sounds in the empty column of stone. When she reached the top of the flight of steps, she sighed and looked around the classroom- empty, except for the professor.
"Good morning, professor Sinistra," Hermione said, making her presence known in the dark room.
The woman looked up from her book, startled by the sudden sound, but smiled when she saw the frizzy haired Gryffindor. "Class is starting already?" Sinistra asked the girl.
Hermione shrugged and replied, "I don't believe so. I'm just early."
"Well, early bird catches the worm, don't they?" Sinistra stood and began to bustle around the classroom, moving things into their correct places, pushing in chairs, and cleaning off desks. She said aloud, although it was more to herself, "It's terribly dirty in here."
"I wouldn't mind helping you clean," the Gryffindor girl offered, setting her bag onto a desk and stepping towards the blond woman.
"Oh, no, I couldn't ask that of a student," Sinistra laughed, waving off the idea.
"It's alright," Hermione persisted. "I would like to."
"Well, then, in that case, make yourself useful and sweep the floor, please." Hermione nodded, grabbed a broom, and soon the floor was spotless.
Astronomy flew by in a matter of minutes, although the course was an hour long. Since it was too early in the day to actually look at the stars, the class had simply taken notes and done star maps. When the class was over, Hermione quickly swept her notes into her bag, grabbed her wand, and made her way to one of her favorite courses- Transfiguration.
Knowing the head of her house, Hermione knew that McGonagall would have a very busy day for the students, most likely filled with more advanced techniques and wand movements, probably some note taking on theories. A little bit of everything. Hermione could feel her stomach bubbling with excitement.
When Hermione entered the classroom, she expected to be the only one there. However, that was not the case- another boy, Slytherin, sat alone at a table in the back, head down on the desk, shoulders slumped.
"Malfoy?" The words were tumbling from her lips before she could think.