Disclaimer: If I owned I would not be publishing fanfiction. The world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.
AN: Hermione will defiantly be OOC for this story. For the most part it will follow cannon, apart for the obvious that Hermione is in Slytherin. Why she was sorted in Slytherin will be explained in time. Ron and Harry will feature, while the both won't have a major part for some time.
Hermione Granger has always been a strong-willed girl. She knows what she wants, how to get it and where she will end up in life. However there were many things that she was not. Somewhere on that list, if she had even thought about it, she would have placed witch on there, however it seemed that life had yet another surprise for her.
When the stern looking woman arrived on their doorstep without so much as a warning, Hermione knew that the day wouldn't end well. When the woman turned her nose up in disgust at the squalor that was her home she immediately disliked the woman. It was then that she dropped the bombshell.
Actually before she could divulge the life changing information, Hermione had to leave the woman standing not too happily on the doorstep while she went and told her mum of their visitor. What really happened was Hermione had to wake up the woman that was her mother and tell her to change into some clean clothes, and maybe brush her teeth.
Twenty minutes later the now highly disgruntled visitor was finally allowed in the house, her face showing that she defiantly did not like her treatment. She introduced herself as Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Hermione was never considered dumb; in fact she was the smartest girl her age at school, but when she was told she was a witch it was quite understandable she thought the idea absolutely absurd. After much persuasion, and many 'magic tricks' and the mother and daughter were convinced. Well not so much convinced that there was magic, rather that there were both suffering under a rather good hallucinogen. It was only with a few good nights rest and a visit to Diagon Alley that allowed the two to accept that Hermione Granger was in fact a witch.
As September first drew closer, Hermione actually got excited. There were few things in life that excited Hermione. Books were one, and getting straight As were another. Those two things finished off the list nicely. It was short and sweet, exactly how Hermione liked it. For if she limited her joys to a few things in life then there would be even few things to disappoint her. Books were rarely a disappointment when they contained such a vast amount of knowledge.
However her enthusiasm for school had soon disappeared during dinner. To her dismay she had been sorted into Slytherin house. Of course she had read all about the houses in Hogwarts, A History. Dinner started off well enough; she sat between a Millicent Bulstrode and Daphne Greengrass. At the beginning talked was kept to a minimal as everyone ate. But of course it was a boy who had completely destroyed her desire to learn at a magical school.
"Granger, I haven't heard that name before. You must be a halfblood. What did your mother get drunk and knocked to some muggle or something?" The boy, who had rather loudly introduced himself as Draco Malfoy, asked and all the surrounding students went silent.
Hermione was fuming the rudeness of the boy! How dare he accuse her mother of such a thing.
"Actually both my parents are muggles. My mother did not get knocked up while she was drunk; my parents were married before I was born." Hermione finished smugly. It was then that she realized not only that the people around her had stopped talking, but the sound of cutlery on plates had also stopped.
"You're a mudblood? In Slytherin? That is outrageous! There has to be a mistake. Father will have to hear about this. I will not share my house with a mudblood, you don't even deserve to be here."
Malfoy's voice had risen to a point that not only was the whole of Slytherin house listening, but the majority of the students and teachers were too.
It was at this stage that Hermione stood and left her unfinished dinner and ran from the silent Great Hall. She did not know where she was going, not that she could see anyway. Tears were falling thick and fast and clouding her vision. She kept on running until her legs could not carry her further and her breathes came in short and painfully. She eventually collapsed into a cubicle somewhere higher in the castle.
Hermione could not believe what had happened. She had never had any friends before. Until she was eight she attended a prestigious private school in London, but nobody wanted to be friends with the freak who constantly had her hand up in class and eagerly corrected other student's mistakes. When she was forced to move to a public school due to, well she didn't want to think about the reason, the students didn't want to be friends with the girl who always wore dirty and tattered clothes.
But she thought that this would be a new beginning. Being in a magical world would be such a change from her muggle primary school. Hermione thought that she would be with people similar to her and be accepted. Of course she had read all about the magical world, and she knew what mudblood meant. It was a derogatory word only used by those purebloods that believed themselves to be so much better that muggleborns.
Hermione had a good argument with the sorting hat. She wanted to be placed in Ravenclaw, where the studious dwell. She did not want to be in Slytherin, while she liked the qualities of Slytherin for she was definitely cunning and ambitious, she did not want to become a dark wizard that Slytherin was popular for producing. But after a long battle she had no choice and made her way to the Slytherin table. It was at that stage the she made herself believe that maybe once, just once, a book was wrong and had exaggerated about Slytherin being such a terrible house. She decided to at least give it chance.
But know she wanted to never return to that house. She didn't to face that Malfoy or any her dorm mates. She wanted to go home where she would be attending a local school in the day, and by night become the mother to her own mother who could no longer look after herself due to the always present alcohol in her blood.
Time passed and Hermione heard the soft thumps of many feet drawing nearer, which were somewhat muffled by many voices. Bitter thoughts ran through Hermione's mind as their obvious happiness tried entering her small cubicle. The feet and voices eventually passed and once again Hermione was left alone. She decided that in the morning she would find the headmaster and demand he send her home right away. There was no way she was going to stay at this school.
"Ms. Granger?" A deep voice asked, startling the girl. Slowly she opened her door to be face to face with a sallow looking man clad in all black robes. "Ms. Granger I am Professor Snape, the head of Slytherin house. While I understand you have not had the best welcoming to Hogwarts, it is time you returned to your dorm now."
"No! I'm not going back there. You can't make me."
"Unfortunately for you, you will find that actually I can. Now move." The dour man stood aside to allow the girl to exit.
"Seeing as you missed the announcements at the feast, it is my duty to inform you that the third floor corridor on the right side is out of bounds. So it the Forbidden Forest, hence it's name."
The two walked in silence down many stairs and took many turns. Hermione was defiantly lost, but did not care. She was too angry at this man. He should not be able to force her to her dorm if she does not want to, it is just unfair.
When they reached the dungeons Snape show Hermione the exact spot where the common room was located and told her the password.
"I expect you to not go wondering during the night, at any night. If I catch you out of hours again your punishment will be severe. The girl's dorms are through the door on the left. You will find your belongings already there. Now Goodnight." With that the man turned around and left Hermione to face her fellow peers by herself.
Quickly Hermione entered the common room. She barely had time to take in her surroundings before she ran towards the door that contained the girls room. She didn't want to allow anybody else the chance to verbally abuse her. Finding the door marked "First Years" Hermione entered. The giggling that could be heard seconds before stopped as four sets of eyes turned to her.
"Oh it's the mudblood." A light skinned brunette sneered. "Why don't you just crawl back into your cave. That's where your lot live right?" More giggled could be heard as Hermione raced to the only empty bed and pulled the hangings around the bed shut. Tears starting falling again as the girl continue her taunting.