Disclaimer:

Harry Potter is mine? Really? Thank you then! Oh… wait. Disclaimer right? Right… anyway, everything written here concerning Harry Potter was, is, and most probably will forever be owned and created by JK Rowling. I own something close to… uh, zilch? Yup! That's right. Perhaps maybe the plot, but I think I have to share that with a gazillion other people too… By the way, in this prologue, there are a lot of lines that will be from the books. The real story will start at… guess what? Chapter 1 of course! ^^

Author's Notes:

Okay… first time to write a Twins/Hermione fanfic, so please, go easy with the criticisms. Anyway, I was thinking and thinking about a possible plot to get Hermione with one of the Weasley twins, so I do hope that this plot hasn't been done before. Actually, I think this has been done a thousand times before, but… eh, very unimaginative person here… Don't expect much from me. I think this will be a George/Hermione fic (due to the things I have to get from the books) so I hope no one thinks it's too weird for their liking. Anyway, I guess I've been rambling. Sorry about that… Here goes the prologue…

~~~~~~~~~~~

Where is the Kitchen?

Hermione Granger was… for a lack of a better word, pissed.

Sitting in this dusty corner of the library's oldest section, she studiously read book after book in hopes of finding anything that would give her a remote idea on how the house-elves here at Hogwarts have been treated all this time.

Everyone who had a vague notion of who she was knew she was a muggleborn. She remembered her surprise, disbelief, and then excitement when she received her letter. It was like a fantasy that came true. All the books her father used to read about magic and brooms, and witches and wizards somehow made themselves manifest in her life. She felt as if her wildest dreams have somehow made it into reality.

Hogwarts was one of the best places she has ever been in. Not only did it prove to her that all this wasn't just a simple dream, it gave her the promise of providing her with all the things she would ever need in order to survive in this world.

But she had always been an avid reader and she read books far too complicated for her age. She was precocious that way. During the World Cup, she saw that even in this magical world, slaves are never far away. So what if elves were of a different species and might probably not think of their enslavement like the blacks did? It was the same thing all over again, and as long as no one did anything to start a rift, there wouldn't be any big waves to start a difference.

She'd have to be the one to do it then. She would help them no matter what.

~*~*~

The thirtieth of October came and still, Hermione had found almost nothing remotely close to her target. How could people be so prejudiced and biased in their history?! It was a conspiracy, she was sure.

Hermione, Harry and Ron went down to breakfast that morning and sat beside Fred and George, who, Hermione noticed, were sitting apart from everyone. She suspected they were up to something once again, but she was quite preoccupied with her own goal to worry about them.

"It's a bummer, all right," she heard one twin say; quite gloomily, she might add to his twin brother. "But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."

Avoiding Fred and George? Well, she's done those lots of times. Everyone who knew the twins would avoid them when they seem too suspiciously inactive. It usually means they were up to something big. Still, his voice seemed strained somehow… Were the twins in trouble?

"Who's avoiding you?" Ron asked his brothers, ever the curious one.

"Wish you would," Fred said… or was that George? Nope, it was Fred alright. He had this habit of making a face when he was irritated.

"What's a bummer?" Ron continued.

"Having a nosy git like you for a brother." George said. He, on the other hand, seems to smirk when he was irritated.

"You two have any idea on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry interjected. Hermione leaned a little bit forward, wanting to hear any news the twins might have gathered. "Thought any more about entering?"

"I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," George said a little sulkily. "She just told me to shut up and get on with Transfiguring my raccoon."

Hermione wanted to say that he should do that first, seeing as the OWLs are coming soon. Why, just a week ago, Professor McGonagall was telling them to be prepared and they were still fourth years.

"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" Ron wondered thoughtfully. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. We've done dangerous stuff before…"

"Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't" Fred said. "McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."

"Who are the judges?"

Hermione, whose mind have been drifting away from the conversation was suddenly brought back by this question.

"Well," she said. "The Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockratice the champions were supposed to be catching went on a rampage."

Everyone around her looked surprise and she, irritated that they haven't read this in books, gave them a condensing glare. She was also quite put off because it brought to mind another problem.

"It's all in Hogwarts, A History. Though, of course, that book's not entirely reliable. A Revised History of Hogwarts would be a more accurate title. Or A Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School."

"What are you on about?" Ron asked.

"House-elves!" she burst, the weight of the injustice settling in her mood. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does Hogwarts, A History mention that we are colluding in oppression of a hundred slaves!"

She knew it was wrong to bring out her frustrations on her friends (who had actually helped, no matter how little) but she couldn't help herself. She was really pissed by this turn of events.

She noticed that almost everyone within her immediate vicinity immediately did what the always do when she was in this mood. Harry shook his head, Ron rolled his eyes and Fred and George pretended to be interested in something altogether. However, George surprised her by leaning closer towards her.

"Listen," he said. "Have you ever been down in the kitchens, Hermione?"

Hermione started. Students weren't allowed in the kitchens.

"No, of course not. I hardly think students are supposed to—"

"Well, we have." George interjected. "Loads of times, to nick food. And we've meet them and they're happy. They think they've got the best job in the world—"

"That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" she said hotly. Why couldn't they see the unfairness of it all? They just wanted to have all these perks for free without having anything to return, that's all.

But as she was about to say that, the sound of flapping wings caught her attention and stopped her in her sentence. Hedwig was flying towards them with a letter in her talons. It looks like more pressing issues were at hand.

She pushed the thought away for the meantime. Now was the time to support Harry.

~*~*~

Harry's surprise party was… noisy.

True, she did have fun at first, but after that, she became thoughtful about the food they were eating. Fred and George nicked this food, right? And didn't George said that they've seen the house-elves there when they nick food? So, that would mean that they saw them while doing the act, right? She seriously must know where the kitchens are.

"Want a jam tart, Hermione?" Fred said, startling her out of her thoughts.

She eyed the tart suspiciously. One thing she learned about the twins is to never accept anything from them. You'll never know what you are after.

"It's all right," he said. "I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you've got to watch—"

Suddenly, a random thought entered her mind. Who would be the most perfect person to ask to for help in finding the kitchens than one who had been there countless of times before?

"Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?" she asked him.

"Yep." He said grinning, and then he did an imitation of how the house-elves had greeted them at the entrance. Hermione's blood rose a few degrees.

"How do you get there?" she asked, trying to control her temper.

"Easy," said Fred. Got you, she thought. "concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and –" he stopped. Darn it, she thought. He suspects something. "Why?"

"Nothing." She said quickly. Too quickly. She wanted to slap herself.

"Going to try and lead the elves on a strike now are you?" George said. Now she wanted to slap him. "Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?"

"Don't you go upsetting them and telling them they've got to take clothes and salaries!" Fred said, warningly. "You'll put them off their cooking!"

Hermione's blood rose to quite a level and she knew if the twins don't stop, she'll do something that she'd regret, and something that would definitely hurt.

Thankfully, Neville chose that moment to create a diversion.

She'd show them, those gits! She'd go into the kitchens and tell the elves exactly what the twins told her not to. They'd rue the day they went up against Hermione Granger.

Saying that she was too tired to continue, Hermione made her way up to the fourth year dormitory and fixed herself for bed.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.

~*~*~

Okay… so, where was she now? After several long hallways, immeasurable staircase, false doors, and hidden openings, feet aching, determination fading, Hermione finally decided to admit the obvious to herself…

She was lost.

She'd been walking all over Hogwarts for hours and still, she couldn't find anything remotely similar to what Fred said about the fruit's bowl painting where you would have to tickle the pear.

Why couldn't he be more specific in his descriptions? With Hogwarts' size, he expects her to find a single painting? That is ludicrous! No one could do that! She had thought about borrowing Harry's map, but that might make him suspicious. She didn't want to tell this to anybody until she was exactly sure where it was.

"Honestly! This is so stupid! I'll just march off to Fred ("and/or George," she thought idly.) And demand that he show me exactly where that secret doorway is!"

Of course, there is one catch to that plan… getting them to actually give her the directions. Knowing them, they'd probably trick her into all sorts of things without giving her what she originally asked for in the first place.

'Okay,' she thought fiercely. 'One more try and I'd give up. I don't have enough power left for this!'

Resolving her determination, she set off once again.

~*~*~

She gives up!

This is too hard. She'd research in the library first and then, when the twins decide to nick food once more, she'd follow them in order to know the place.

Sure… that'd probably take longer than she had originally planned. She might not even do this in the next few weeks, but it was a whole lot better than aimlessly wandering around the school.

Slumping in a nearby wall, Hermione buried her head in her hands… She was so tired.

"Why can't I find a single painting!" she shouted, and then said a curse word that would probably stun Harry and Ron if they were there…

No one has ever heard her curse before. After all, she was against it. But just because she prevents everybody else from saying it, doesn't mean she doesn't either… at least once or twice. Only when she was totally pissed. She was very thankful no one was there to hear her.

Unfortunately for her, today isn't exactly her day…

"Hermione?" a familiar voice asked. "Well, well… isn't this just a wonder?"

~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Notes:

Okay… I wasn't really sure how Hermione did find the door leading to the kitchens, but if it was stated and it was completely opposite this, then I'm sorry. Let's just pretend it happened this way.

A lot of things here were taken from the books. Dialogues and situations were downright copied, but please don't think it was plagiarism or anything. I needed to add them because the fic needed to coincide with Hermione's fourth year. There would be no copies in the next chapters, so please, don't get mad or sue. I didn't do it for the purpose of plagiarizing the books.

Okay… please tell me what you think. I know it isn't much and I know it must be really weird to read, but, like I said, I just started. Sorry if it sucks…

I hope you at least had fun!

~c!