Already Down

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I am just playing with them. They belong to J.K Rowling.

Chapter One

In the Gutter, On the way Out

Hermione Granger was sick and tired of hiding. Hiding from every thing. Her father, her friends, and herself. It wasn't Fair. It just wasn't fair! She was so glad school would be starting soon. Then she could put her past behind her and start again.

Picking up her brand new robes, she shrunk them. 'Ahhh, the privileges of being of age.' Ever since she had used the time turner in her third and fourth years, she had added almost a year and a half onto her age.

Everything was so different. It had ALL changed. She was supposed to be sixteen, heck she was even supposed to be going back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for her sixth year! Instead she was seventeen and a half and going to Arden-Helm's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the rest of her schooling-which was about two years worth-.

Hermione looked around her room. It was bare. All that was in it was a bed, a mirror a bureau, and a bookshelf. So it was pretty much empty. Even more so now that she had almost every thing packed up for the new term. She still had to deal with all her new schoolbooks though-she hadn't gotten them yet- and her old school books were still on her bookshelf. Hermione got up and walked over to her bookshelf that was crammed in between her bed and the wall. 'They're all dusty.' She thought to herself as she ran her hands along the spine.

Taking her hand away, she looked the fingers on her left hand that were covered in dust. She started tearing. She couldn't really think about them now because of all the memories that came from thinking about them. Her eyes started hurting as she silently started weeping. "I WON'T Cry!" she said fiercely, shaking with anger at herself, staring at her old volumes and texts from Hogwarts. She went so far as to pinch herself, really, really hard.

She randomly picked a book up off the shelf. Shocked she stared at the book that was in her hand. It was Howarts a History, her favourite book. Well her ex-favourite book. She couldn't stand the site of it now. But she could clearly remember the thousands upon thousands of times she had spent curled up reading it. Suddenly there was a loud scream and a bang as Hermione flung the book away from her. " AHHH! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN? WHY CAN'T YOU HAVE TRUSTED ME? WHAT DID I EVER DO TO DESERVE THIS?" Hermione was in a fit. All her books the ones from her previous life – that was how she thought of her Hogwarts days- were flying around her tiny room. They were crashing and banging into the walls and into the door, as she threw them as far from away from her as she could in that small amount of space that was hers.

The door opened interrupting her tirade. Mr. Granger poked his head in. "What on earth is going on in here?" He asked in his perfect speech?

" Oh daddy,' Hermione sobbed into her father's shoulder-as he had walked further into the room after seeing her expression- "I want to stay. I want my life back. I want my friends. I want my mommy, and I want Crookshanks."

" Oh Miney," Her dad whispered his pet name for her while softly stroking her back. " You can't have those things. You were expelled from Hogwarts. You still have a life it's just different then the one you had. Your friends don't trust you. Your mother can't come back, even though I know she wants to. Wherever she is." Mr. Granger was even crying a bit. "I don't know where Crookshanks went, but honey I am positive that he would have come back if he could."

"Yes but-" Hermione stammered.

Mr. Granger took Hermione's face in his hands, " Remember my dear Miney, I love you. We have to start over. You will be leaving for Arden-Helm's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry tomorrow afternoon on the Helm's Express." He looked into her eyes, still holding her head. " Promise me… Promise me that you will be the brave girl that I know you are. You will go willingly to Arden-Helm's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and you will make new friends, get good marks, and write to your old dad." He grinned. "I believe in you my little princess."

Hermione looked at her dad. Put on a brave face. Wiped her eyes, squared her chin and smiled weakly. "Ok daddy." She said in a brave voice. "I promise to try."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Oh Nuts and Nutsbeggars!" She cried frantically. " Dad! I forgot about my booklist! I didn't get my Books! What am I going to dooo…?" Hermione moaned. " I need them! I still have to pack them!"

Mr. Granger was glad to see that his little pep talk with her earlier had helped a bit. At least she wasn't up in her room brooding about her losses. " No worries sweet Miney. We'll go into Diagon Alley today and get them."

She looked a bit apprehensive, at that thought. " Alright." She said in a small voice. She really did not feel like going into Diagon Alley where she would be forced to see people she was familiar with.

"First I have a surprise for you!" he said in a singsong voice. " Actually, I have a surprise and a parcel. I'll give you the parcel first."

Hermione took the package her father had retrieved from the hall. Carefully she studied it. She wasn't sure what it could be. It had arrived by Post. Not by Owl, which Hermione didn't find all that surprising because nobody would mail anything to her that she knew. Hermione was shunned by her old friends and teachers from Hogwarts.

Opening the packaging she gasped as she saw the beautiful cover. It was a scene of a huge castle. Bigger even than Hogwarts. The place had a sunrise behind it that was all different shades of the Spectrum in it. In front of it was a lake –or an ocean. She couldn't tell because it was so big- that was and intense blue and surrounding it all was lush forest. Untouched it seemed by anything. Looking at the text on the cover she read what it said, ' The History of Arden-Helm's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry' in italics. She passed the book to her father who looked at it carefully, and stuck it in her trunk.

" A beautiful place for a beautiful girl." He stated. Grinning at Hermione he took her arm and led her downstairs.

" Now for your surprise." He lead her over to the table which had something sitting on it with a blanket on top.

Hermione grabbed the edge of the blanket -after looking at Mr. Granger for permission- and yanked it off. He yelped loudly for staring back at her with big violet eyes, and a white speckled coat, was an owl. A beautiful Sorulia owl. She was surprised to see one for they were extremely rare.

" Thank you!" she cried jumping into her fathers embrace. " Thankyou –Thankyou-Thankyou!

"Your welcome Princess Miney. What are you going to name her?" he asked?

" Toru." Hermione said not really looking at her dad. " I've finally got my own owl! Yesss!"

The phone started ringing, and Mr. Granger left the room to go get it.

"Don't forget that we are leaving for Diagon Alley in an hour." Mr. Granger called back to Hermione.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hermione went back to her room, bringing Toru's cage with her. She set the Bird down on top of her bookshelf which, was just wide enough to hold it.

'Well girl it's just you and me.' Hermione picked up a blue bound book. It was her diary from last year. She opened it and began reading.

Well I have nothing better to do right now. I might as well right in you. Harry won't talk to me. Ron treats me like I'm the dirt beneath his feet. Ginny ignores me. Professor Dumbledore doesn't trust me. Professor McGonagall won't even look at me! And Professor Snape won't even talk to me to take points away.

Why do I even bother staying here? I should just go. I mean its not as if I'd be missed.

Hermione stopped reading and flipped to the middle of the book.

Halfway through fifth year now. I am so happy! Draco Malfoy asked me out! I said yes! Why he would even look at me I don't know, since he's a pureblood, death eaters son. Anyways, we have our first date on Saturday. I can't wait! Yipeeee!

Hermione didn't even want to think of Draco. She didn't even want to think of how Draco had used and humiliated her, so she turned to the pages where she didn't fawn over Draco Malfoy.

I didn't tell anybody about the order! I didn't I swear. Professor McGonagall accused me of telling things to Draco today. She said that Draco told his father Lucius that I had said Dumbledore was in charge of a resistance against Voldemort. I never! All I said was that Voldemort would never rule the Wizarding world! Now nobody will talk to me. When I go into class nobody will sit by me. The teachers don't talk to me. Today in Transfiguration Professor McGonagall said that we had to get into groups of three to practice Uticecta, a spell that would turn our desks into brooms. I usually work with Harry and Ron but when I went to go sit with them they said that they already had somebody else working with them! Then they called behind me " Neville do you wanna work with us?" and by the time that Neville had gone and sat with them everyone was already in groups. I ended up at the back of the class by myself for the whole period doing nothing because when I tried to practice the spell, Professor McGonagall came by and told me that I had to have a partner in order to try the spell. It was a spell that I had wanted to do since the beginning of term, and I couldn't do it because nobody wanted to be near me. Then later on Professor Dumbledore called a meeting for the Order members. Harry and Ron went to go but then when I left the room to go to the Room of Requirement Professor Dumbledore pulled me aside and told me to not bother coming. He told me that he wanted to see if there was a leak in the Order and every week from now on somebody would be excluded until that leak was determined. So I went back to my rooms and waited there until Harry and Ron came back. I expected them to say something... ANYTHING really to me but they just walked past me up into their dorm. That is when it all started that day, was the day that started the worst time in my life.

Draco dumped me! Nobody talks to me at all now. I sit at the end of Gryffinndor table by myself. Nobody will sit by me, they won't even make eye contact. Today I accidentally walked into Professor Snape and he just stared at me. I was scared that he was going to take points away and call me a stupid child or something, but he wouldn't say a word. Then after a minute or two he just walked away. I didn't even get a detention. Then when he was turning into another corrider I heard him mutter a cleaning spell and I heard him call me a MUDBLOOD IMBECILE. That hurt my feelings so much!

I went to see Professor Dumbledore today. I had found out from Harry- I heard him telling Ron- that there was an Order meeting today. I wondered why I hadn't known about it. When I asked Professor Dumbledore, he told me that I was no longer a part of the Order. He said that they couldn't trust me (they had somehow determined that I was the leak) and that he would prefer that he be allowed to Obliviate my memories of the Order. I ran then. I went right to the Owlery so that I could send a message to daddy. I wanted to transfer to another school and dad says he'll look into it.

Dad was here today. He came to see Dumbledore –I refuse to call him professor- I was there when he told Dumledore that he was getting me transferred to another school as soon as possible. To me Dumbledore looked relieved, like a huge burden was being lifted off his shoulders. Dumbledore said that if I was going to be transferred that I should finish the rest of my year here at Hogwarts. Later as dad was leaving Hogwarts, dad said that I would be going to a different school next year and that it would still be in London, but that it won't be near here.

I am so going to miss Hogwarts. I've spent most of my life here and it is going to be really hard to adust to life somewhere else. I won't be a Prefect or Headgirl either. That'll suck but I guess not being one and having people respect me is better than being one and having people ignore me, and disrespect the rules.

Today for instance, I was going down to Potions by myself -since people refuse to walk with me- and I heard Malfoy talking to Pansy. What I heard was a real eye-opener for me. The conversation I heard there was, " Pansy do you want to go to the ball with me? I'd really like for us to go." "Draco I'd LOVE too. But what about Hermione? Weren't you to dating for a few weeks?" " I only dated that filthy Mudblood because Lucius told me I had to. He said that they needed potters brain eliminated, and that I was to ask Hermione out get information from her. Once I was sufficiently done with her, I could dump her. All in all I'd say that I ruined her life. I'm proud of it too cause now we only have to deal with Potter and Weasley. The revered Gryffindor couple." " Oh Draco, you smart man. You are so clever!" Suffice to say I feel used now and it didn't help that once I got down into potions I had to sit on the floor because my seat was taken and we were one desk short. I wasn't even able to use a cauldron because apparently Filch had taken them all to Hogsmeade to get them replaced. Overall today was –as it turns out- a typical day.

Hermione looked at her Owl. " You know Toru," she whispered "It's really not fair."

Toru cocked her head and chirruped.

"I know. We've got to get going. Let's read one more entry."

I'm sitting in my room now. I don't share it with anybody because Lavender and Pavarti have refused to share it with me, since about three months ago. It's the last week of school and it's been a terrible year. I have no friends anymore, I am an outcast. Thank God that daddy found me a new school to go to. He says that it is a magical school here in London, but that it is on the outskirts of London and that they have no part in the war against Voldemort –how that is I have no idea-. I wont have to see any of these people ever again, or for at least two more years. This is going to be my last entry because I want to put this year behind me so now I say good bye.

Hermione Granger

Hermione finished reading the last entry. She looked around her room, her eyes drawn to those possessions that she was bringing with her when she left for Arden-Helm's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry aboard the Helm's express tomorrow.

"MINEY," she heard her father yell. " I AM LEAVING NOW!"

Hermione glanced into the mirror that sat atop her bed. I wish I was a Metamorphmagus so that people won't recognize me. "Ah well." She said to herself. 'Locomotor trunk.' and pointed her wand at her nicely packed trunk and took it downstairs.

"Ready to go Miney?" Mr. Granger asked.

"Ummhummm." She mumbled following her dad out the door, locking it behind her.

Review please.

How was it? This is the first story I have written so.. umm..am sorry if its horrible. I wrote this chapter at around 1-2 am in the morning on an exam day so, I am really tired and stressed. I still am not sure if I should make this a Hermione-Snape fic. Since I love reading about them. I am making a Hermione story for sure -in case you couldn't tell-. I really am not sure who else to add though. I have already started the second chapter but it is really hard to put together. For the third chapter Hermione is going to be going to her new school and meeting people so I need British names! Tell me what you want and I'll try and give it to you. When you review- if you review- please do not sent any that are degrading or anything like that. I only want reviews that are truthful alright? In addition, I also appreciate the two C's Constructive Critism! Since I am new to this whole story writing thing I appreciate your input.

Thank you.