Disclaimer: (I don't actually see the point of this thing. I mean, everyone knows that I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter except the books that I have on my bookshelf. And if I did, I wouldn't even be writing this disclaimer, but anyway…) I don't own Harry Potter.

*****

After having a rather satisfying Charms lesson, Hermione Granger left Professor Flitwick's classroom. She had been the first (and possibly only) person to successfully and properly perform the Levitation Charm ('Wingardium Leviosa') on the feather. This, of course, left her feeling very pleased with herself.

However, there was that boy, Ron Weasley. He was such an idiot sometimes. She found him rather sullen and, to some extent, annoyingly obnoxious. She just had to have the misfortune of being paired with him for this lesson on Levitation. How in the WORLD did he ever think of succeeding in levitating the feather if he was even saying the incantation wrongly?

She remembered correcting his pronunciation and telling him to make the 'gar' in 'wingardium' longer. Sure, he was all irritable and surly after that, snapping at her whenever she tried to speak to him and, in general, being in a very bad temper for the rest of the class. Still, she thought, she had helped him. He ought to be grateful for that.

The corridor outside was packed with students. Hermione tried to squeeze her way through but was pushed back. Deciding to go with the flow of the students instead of rushing on to her next class, she slowed her pace slightly and fell into step behind a red-headed boy and his friend.

'And then being all bossy again, she goes, "You're saying it wrong! It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa! Make the 'gar' nice and long,"' the red-headed boy was saying to his friend.

Hermione realised that it was the same boy she had corrected in Charms – Ron Weasley, and his friend Harry Potter. The Harry Potter – the only boy who had ever survived Lord Voldemort's attack on him, and they were talking about her. She felt tears prick behind her eyelids. Was this what everyone thought about her? That she was bossy?

'It's no wonder no one can stand her,' the red-haired boy went on. 'She's a nightmare, honestly.'

Hermione felt a sudden nauseous pain in her nose. There was a lump in her throat that made her unable to speak. All she could feel was a welling up of emotions in her chest. It seemed to take all of her willpower not to burst into tears in the middle of the hallway.

She could not just continue walking behind them – not after what she had just heard. She couldn't go to class with her head bowed, her eyes all red. She wouldn't be able to concentrate. No one in this new school seemed to like her. Now, she seemed to have found the reason. She was somewhat glad she finally knew – but it still hurt. She couldn't see. Her vision was blurred and her nose seemed to be blocked. Her breath caught in her throat, making her gasp slightly. A cold wave seemed to pass over her and made her shiver slightly. Although in a hallway full of people, she felt so alone.

Someone jostled her roughly out of their way. She stumbled slightly and wiped her eyes. Then she pushed past the two of them and rushed away through the crowd. She had to get to the girl's bathroom. She couldn't let anyone see her like this – not after how she'd been.

Behind her, she heard the two of them talking. Harry Potter seemed to have noticed her crying when she brushed past him.

'I think she heard you,' he was saying.

'So?' his friend answered, sounding somewhat insolent, 'She must've noticed she's got no friends…'

She couldn't hear anymore. Sobbing, she dashed to the nearest bathroom, books and all, slamming the door of the cubicle and locking it. She leant against the door, tears dripping down her face, stray strands of her bushy brown hair sticking to her sweaty and tear-stained cheeks. Ron's words replayed again and again in her head, seeming to echo in her mind, making fresh tears come to her eyes each time. Sinking to the floor and dropping her books onto the ground, she hugged her knees to her chest, suddenly wishing she had a coat so that she would feel warmer.

'No wonder no one can stand her… she's a nightmare… no one can stand her… nightmare… she's got no friends… no friends… no one can stand her… no friends…no friends…no friends…'

Feeling more alone than she had ever felt in her life, Hermione buried her head in her hands and broke down completely.

*****

A/N: This is the first piece of writing I've ever posted. I actually wrote this when I was feeling rather rejected and all upset (kind of how Hermione is portrayed in this story). Forgive me if it's not exactly good. Please REVIEW though! Thanks!