It was getting very late,as Hermione walked past the row of houses quickly,eager to get home,but at the same time dogged by a feeling of dread,about which one of her father's famous scenes she would encounter on entering the house.Quickly wiping her feet on the "Home sweet Home" mat,Hermione grimaced at the phrase that was being exhibited in front of her house,a house that was anything but sweet.
She quietly entered the house,afraid at what she would find there.Who she didn't expect to find,was her father standing menacingly between her and the stairs.
"What do want?"asked Hermione,who was displaying more courage than she felt."Where were you?"asked her father with deadly menace."What do you care?"shot back Hermione,angrily."Well,I want to know why my daughter has been walking the streets,and trying to behave like a slut?"
All the anger and hatred,that Hermione had ever felt for her father,came crashing like a wave over her,swallowing her,suffocating her.
"You want to know why I was behaving -in your terms- like a 'slut' said Hermione,shaking by now,with a obvious effort to control her anger and failing.
"IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU,YOU BASTARD"she screamed."MY WHOLE LIFE,YOU HAVE NEVER SHOWN ME AN OUNCE OF LOVE.
APPARENTLY I WAS THE REASON, THE WEDGE BETWEEN YOUR'S AND MUM'S RELATIONSHIP.YOU HATE ME BECAUSE HER LOVE FOR YOU WAS DIVIDED WHEN I CAME ALONG. BASTARD. AND THAT'S WHY I DON'T CARE FOR YOU,I WISH YOU WERE DEAD. BETTER STILL I WISH I COULD MURDER YOU. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT A BABY WAS SUPPOSD TO CEMENT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A MAN AND HIS WIFE. EVIDENTLY,I'M THE EXCEPTION. AND I WASN'T -WALKING THE STREETS- AS YOU SO ELOQUENTLY PUT IT,I WAS TRYING TO STAY AWAY FROM YOU FOR AS LONG AS I COULD."
She stood next to the railing of the stairs,and was trying to catch her breath.Her father,who was obviously shocked at the strong feelings of resentment being harboured towards him,made a move towards her.Hermione,who was trying to calm herself,raised her head,and caught her father's eye,knowing immediately,what was going to transpire between them,got up and started to hurtle up the steps,towards the sanctuary that was her room.Her father,only a few steps behind her.
She got into her room,and was about to snap the door shut,when her father put a leg in,effectively preventing her from doing so.She tried to close the door even though she knew it would be of no use,and therefore promptly left it and let it open with a bang.
By this time,Hermione had left her stance by the door,and was now standing in the centre of the room as if daring her father to enter.Hermione's father came up to her,full of rage,and began screaming in her face.Hermione began screaming back,too.Both persons words incoherent,her father finally gave up and stalked out of the room,all the while muttering and murmering obscenities under his breath.Hermione went over and locked the door,happy that the devil was gone.She went over to the window and began to tear up.
"No I will not give in."said Hermione,gritting her teeth and forcing herself not to cry."Crying is only for the weak.And if I cry it means he has won and has control over me,over my emotions,over my feelings,and I will not give him the satisfaction of that.I will not give in.I will not give in.I will not give in..."
And with this mantra chanting in her head,over and over again,like a potent curse,Hermione Granger,mudblood,know-it-all bookworm,
muggleborn-witch extraordinaire,fell asleep.