Prologue
'I can't help but think that this world is cruel.'
"Hermione!"
Hermione looked up from the book in her lap as her mother's voice echoed through their house.
Hermione placed the book face down on the armchair as she called back to her mother. She found her leafing through their mail near the front door.
"You have a letter," her mother replied when she stepped up to her.
Hermione took the strange looking letter in her hands.
"I didn't think people still used wax seals on letters," she said to herself as her mother watched her open the letter curiously.
Hermione's mother continued to wait patiently but eventually her curiosity got the better of her.
"What does it say?"
Hermione looked up at her mother and only just realised that her mouth was still hanging open. She quickly closed her mouth and swallowed. She then looked up at her mother as a smile spread across her face.
'How stupid I was. When I received that letter from a school called Hogwarts, I had thought that my life would change for the better. I wouldn't be stared at as the weird loner girl, who just didn't know when to shut up. Now that I think back I really miss being that girl.'
"Goodbye my darling," her mother hugged her tightly as they approached the train platform.
Her father was scowling, he hadn't said a word to her the entire trip to the train station.
"I don't understand why we can't see your school," he said finally folding his arms across his chest and his mother rolled her eyes at him.
This was not the first time that he had asked Hermione this question, but even though she got her stubborn streak from him she also got her patience from her mother.
"Because dad, only people who have magical ability will be able to see the school, if you got there all you'd probably see was a castle ruin, if even that, and obviously you wouldn't let me stay there if you did."
Her father 'humphed' then unfolded his arms to look at her.
"But you'll be safe?"
"I'll be fine," Hermione grinned up at him, "I've already studied all the required text for this year, and I've loved everything I've learnt so far. I can't wait to actually meet the teachers, transfiguration sounds incredibly complicated."
"So it'll probably be your favourite subject by the year end," her father sighed though she noted the pride in his voice.
She simply shrugged at him.
Then her face fell. She stared down at the ground. She felt her eyes begin to sting.
Suddenly the reality of the situation was dawning on her.
"I'm going to miss you guys," she said as she wiping the traitorous tears from her eyes.
She hated crying, she would never let anyone see her cry. It was a sign of weakness, something she had learnt in her early years at school. If the bullies saw you cry they knew you were an easy target. Better to compose yourself and only let out your anger with no one else around, she would only make her parents worry about her otherwise.
But on this occasion her tears dripped down her face no matter how hard she tried to hide them.
She saw her father's face appear before her.
"I'll miss you too, promise to write to us everyday, we want to know everything you learn."
"Yes," her mother agreed kneeling down beside her father so that they were both on eye level with her, "You can hardly go off learning fantastic new abilities and theories and not let us in on it, it would drive your dad mad."
Hermione giggled when her father made a 'you mean it'd drive you mad' face to her mother.
"Oh my goodness, its almost time," her mother said in a rush looking at the clock above them, "Hurry now."
They helped her over to the wall between platform 9 and 10. They had been given instructions by Professor McGonnagal, who had given all the non magical families a crash course on their children's school life and more importantly how they would get to the oddly named Platform 9 and ¾.
"Hurry you lot!"
Hermione heard a woman shouting at her brood of children as they raced down the platform towards them.
"Bye," she said looking back at her parents when they kissed her.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
Her father looked back when someone accidentally knocked into him.
"Ron, watch what you're doing," the mother of the boy scolded him and he instantly turned almost as red as his hair, "I'm so sorry, all these children can be a handful, and their father rushed off to work for some emergency and left me to deal with them all on my own."
"Alright mum, they don't need to know your life history," one of the older children cut in, "We'll be late if you start telling them how you and dad met."
The woman turned and instantly silenced the boy.
"It's quite alright," Hermione's mother replied, "Are you…going to Hogwarts?"
Her mother whispered the last word and looked around them as though the crowds at the train station would even understand what that meant.
"Oh," the woman's eyes widened in surprise before she smiled at them, "yes all my children except my youngest are going to Hogwarts. This'll be Ron's first year."
At the mention of his name the boy's face again turned bright red. She caught his eye for a second but he instantly looked away, she noticed him fidgeting and tugging at his strange woolen shirt with an R stitched across the front.
"Mum," another of the boys said in an exasperated voice and it was only then that Hermione realised that they were twins.
"Oh alright George," his mother replied.
"I'm not George, he is," the boy replied irritably, "Honestly woman, and you call yourself our mother."
"Well off you go then Fred," she pointed at the wall and he instantly walked towards it.
"I'm only joking, I am George."
The woman huffed at them but the boy and his twin had just disappeared into the wall.
She saw her father's mouth drop but he quickly hid it behind his hand.
"Don't you worry about your girl, I'll make sure she gets on the train," The woman said to her mother.
"That's very kind of you," Hermione's mother replied the relief evident in her voice, "I'm sorry I haven't asked for your name."
"It's Molly, Molly Weasley."
While her parents quickly asked Molly Weasley questions about the school Hermione caught a glimpse of something or someone rather, standing behind the woman.
"Hello," Hermione greeted her.
The girl's eyes widened when she spoke to her.
"Hello," she replied stepping out from behind her mother.
"I'm Hermione."
The girl stared at her then at her parents.
"Are you muggles?" the girl questioned slowly.
"My parents are yes, but I have magical ability, at least I think I do," she replied.
The girls face fell and she looked at Hermione sadly.
"You shouldn't go to Hogwarts."
Hermione was taken a back, did this girl not like muggle borns at Hogwarts? She had read about prejudices of this kind in one of her books.
"Why?"
"My dad said – "
"What did dad say?"
The girl gasped and turned round to see her brother standing beside them now. He looked at Hermione and blushed slightly before looking back at his sister.
"You listening in on dad on the floo again?"
"I didn't mean to," the girl replied vehemently.
Her brother snorted as though he didn't believe her.
"That's why he had to go in to work so suddenly this morning."
"What do you mean?" he asked her his face furrowing in confusion.
"RON!"
The boy jumped at his mothers scream.
"Get on the platform before you miss the train."
"Alright," he mumbled, "No need to shout like a harpie. Come on then Ginny."
Hermione watched as he and his sister walked through the brick wall. She swallowed nervously and looked up at the woman who was standing with her parents.
"Go on dear, best to do it with a bit of a run if you're nervous."
Hermione nodded and waved goodbye to her parents before rushing towards the wall.
"Whoa!"
Hermione opened her eyes and saw that she had almost run straight into the boy and his sister.
"Oh sorry I –"
But her words died on her lips.
"Wow!" she said walking forwards to look at the train.
"Hurry now."
Hermione turned to see the boy's mother running over to them.
"I'll take care of these, you two just get on before all the seats are full."
"Whose that?" the boy called Ron questioned.
"Oh this boy just wanted to know how to get onto the platform."
Hermione looked over her shoulder at the dark haired boy with broken glasses. She heard him mumble his name, Harry something, before she stepped onto the train. A few moments later the red haired boy and the other boy boarded the train.
"Don't worry Gin, I'll write to tell you all about it," he shouted out the window as the train began to move out of the platform.
But instead of replying to her brother the girl was looking at her, a strange expression on her face, a mixture of sadness and pity.
Hermione jumped when she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder.
"You, you're coming with me."
"Hey!" the red haired boy said instantly stepping up to her.
Hermione turned round to see a tall boy wearing a green uniform.
"All the muggle borns need to be given a special speech before they get to Hogwarts," the boy said, though she didn't like the way he said 'special speech' and neither did either of the boys next to her.
"Don't worry, you'll see enough of her later," the boy smirked, "In fact I'll put in a special word for you if you like the mudblood so much."
She saw the red haired boy's eyes narrow at this, and as she followed the older boy away he stared after her a concerned expression on his face.
"What's a 'mudblood'?" the other boy questioned.
But the red haired boy didn't reply, he just watched her as she left.
"In you go," the boy said as he pushed her into an empty carriage
She was at least glad she wasn't alone but the sight before her didn't exactly fill her with giddiness or confidence.
The curtains were pulled in the carriage and it took a while to get used to the dark but when she did she saw the dark figures around her were just like her, all first years. She saw some of the girls on the floor huddled together and she walked over to them. Everyone else in the room stared at her wide eyed but they didn't seem capable of speech, but she heard the girls on the ground whispering to each other.
"What's going on?" she said knelling down beside them.
They all gasped and spun around to look at her.
Silence descended on the group, only broken when one of the girls started crying. Some of the girls around her placed their arms around her to comfort her.
"Y– you a muggleborn too?" a girl with brown hair questioned.
Hermione nodded.
At her response several of the other girls began crying as well.
"What's going on?" she repeated her question staring around at the group as panic began to rise within her.
Instead of replying one of the girls handed her a newspaper article.
"Minister Missing?! New Minister Malfoy elected," she read the headline on the front page before looking up at the girls.
"Keep reading," the brown haired girl said in response.
Hermione's eyes quickly skimmed the rest of the paper before her hands began to shake.
"Efficient and effective measures to deal with the Muggleborn issue."
Hermione's breathing increased as she looked up at the girls around her.
"Ah no need to explain the basics to you then."
They all turned to see the boy in green robes who had grabbed her earlier and another girl beside him. A few of the kids around her shifted away from them as they stepped further into the room.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, servants."
'Dear Mum and Dad, I can't help but think that this world is cruel...'
A/N: I really shouldn't be starting a new fic, I should be concentrating on my finishing my othe fics but this story wouldn't leave me alone. Actually I should say that this version of Hermione wouldn't leave me alone, keep reading and you'll understand why I couldn't stop myself from writing this fic. But either way I hope you like'd this fic so far and please tell me you'd like me to continue.