A/N: I've been reading fanfiction for quite a long time, and have finally decided to try writing a fic. Read and review!! I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize… HP is all JKR, I'm just playing with her world. )

--------------------------

Hermione tried to push her robes down further in her trunk. How was she ever going to fit in all of her favourite books along with everything she had just bought at Diagon Alley? Staring at the pile of books on her bed, she picked the two she hadn't read for a while and squished them in.

"Well that will have to do for now" she said to herself.

"I'll get mum to owl me the rest when I need them" she decided.

Hermione lugged her trunk down the stairs of her home and set it by the fireplace. She was returning to Hogwarts for her final year and she couldn't wait. Once her belongings were ready, Hermione happily skipped into the kitchen where her mother was serving breakfast.

"Mmm, scrambled eggs!" Hermione sat down and took a large helping of eggs and two slices of toast. As she was eating, she noticed the headline of the muggle newspaper her father was reading with his coffee.

"Prime Minister claims murderers have been caught"

Hermione smiled to herself. The war was finally over and Voldemort had been defeated. Her smile had a sad look to it as well though, as there had been many casualties. She was just happy that Harry, Ron and she had managed to make it through alive. As Hermione was musing about the war that had interrupted her studies for a year, she failed to notice the large brown barn owl that had landed on her kitchen table. It was currently nibbling on her toast.

"Hermione, what have I told you about owls on the table?" her mother spoke sternly.

Hermione woke from her thoughts and shooed the owl off the table once she had untied the letter that was attached to its ankle. She looked at the envelope and noticed the familiar Hogwarts seal. Hermione hoped that it was what she had been waiting for all summer. She ripped the envelope open and began to read the letter…

Dear Hermione Granger,

We are pleased to welcome you back for your final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We are delighted to inform you that you have been chosen as this year's Head Girl. Congratulations! Unlike previous years, we are asking that the Head Girl and Boy, as well as the prefects, arrive a week earlier than the other students. This is so that you may be briefed on new school rules and policies that have now taken effect. We trust that you have already prepared your belongings and purchased your required materials for the school year. We hope that you enjoy your last year at Hogwarts and we know you will make us proud as Head Girl.

Regards,

Headmistress McGonagall

"What is it honey?" her mother asked.

Hermione picked up the Head Girl badge that had fallen from the envelope and showed it to her mother and father. Her parents were very proud but had little time to celebrate before Hermione realized what time it was.

"Oh no! I'm supposed to be leaving for the Burrow now!" Hermione exclaimed. She grabbed her coat, kissed her parents on the cheek and said goodbye. Then grabbed a hold of her trunk and tossed some floo powder into the fireplace while yelling "The Burrow!" She quickly waved to her parents and jumped into the fireplace.

"Hermione!"

Hermione felt herself being enveloped in an enormous group hug. Two redheads and one Harry Potter were hugging her hard enough that she was having trouble breathing.

"Guys..." she wrestled them off of her while laughing. "It's good to see you too" she smiled at her friends. Ginny, Ron and Harry smiled back. Not a second later, Molly Weasley came into the family room and gave Hermione another big hug.

"It's good to see you dear. How are Mr. and Mrs. Granger?"

"They're well, thank you Molly."

Hermione continued to small talk with Molly for a few more minutes before her friends dragged her outside into the garden.

Harry grinned at Hermione.

"So, did you get it?" he asked.

"Just this morning!" she exclaimed excitedly as she showed her friends the Head Girl badge. After another round of group hugs Hermione mentioned that she was supposed to go to Hogwarts a week early. That would mean she would have to leave tonight.

Then Ron spoke up: "Well I have good news for you Hermione. Ginny and I are the Gryffindor prefects this year, which means we're going in early as well."

Hermione looked over at Harry, realizing that he would be staying at the Burrow without the three of them for a week. However, Harry didn't seem to be bothered by the idea. He insisted that he would hang around with Bill and Charlie and play Quidditch, since they were both off work for one more week. Since there wasn't much time until dinner, the four friends went to help set the table.

After dinner Harry and Hermione helped Ron and Ginny bring their trunks to the fireplace. McGonagal had set up the floo network so that they could travel by floo to her office in Hogwarts. Hermione, Ron and Ginny said their goodbyes and stepped into the fireplace.

Hermione was getting awfully tired of traveling by floo today. She dusted off her sooty clothes as she stepped out of the fireplace. Ron arrived right behind her, followed by Ginny. The three students looked around them. They were in Dumbledore's old office, but it looked quite different. Transfiguration books were piled in one corner, waiting to be shelved. The candy dish that used to offer various sweets was now replaced by a rather large teapot sitting on the table. There was also a familiar looking cat sitting on the windowsill. The cat jumped down onto the floor and transformed into Headmistress McGonagal.

"Welcome my dears, I'm glad to see you back at Hogwarts once again." She cleared her throat loudly at the paintings on the wall, as one headmaster was snoring obnoxiously. He woke abruptly and blushed, clearly embarrassed.

"As I was saying, you three are the last to arrive. Please make your way down to the great hall while I take my office out of the floo network again. You can never be too careful you know. Now run along! I'll be down in a moment."

Hermione gave Ron a nudge, and they followed Ginny out of McGonagal's office and down the stairs. Along the way they met Nearly Headless Nick who kept hinting at an exciting arrangement for the new school year. He wouldn't divulge any more information, so they kept walking until they arrived at the great hall.

"I wonder who the Head Boy is this year" Hermione said as she pushed the big door open…