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As always, there were hordes of people swarming Diagon Alley, preparing for the coming school year. Witches and wizards hustled from shop to shop, tugging along children and shopping bags. I tottered a bit on the cobblestones as I pushed my way through the crowd and headed for Gringotts. Looking around, I sighed in content at the familiarity. Everything about Diagon Alley was the same as I remembered it from years ago as an innocent, bushy-haired first-year. Old Mr. Ollivander still ran the wand shop and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was dealing with a mob of shoppers hungry for the inventive new potions and products the twins had concocted. The only thing that was different was me. I had changed. A new Hermione Granger had arisen during the summer with a new and improved attitude to go with her.

I'd decided as soon as I'd gotten my first real job this summer, that things would be different during my last year at Hogwarts. No more Ms. Know-It-All. No more ugly, boring, predictable Hermione, was what I'd told myself. My new mission statement was to really, truly enjoy life and put more pride in myself. And maybe also to get a boyfriend...I mean, even pug-faced, snotty Pansy Parkinson was in a serious relationship. It was time to step things up. Its true-before now, there was no chance in hell I would have ever said that I cared about make-up, clothing, exercise, partying, or money. But with a few new additions to my beauty routine and a new interest in fashion, there were some definite changes in the way I viewed myself, inside and out. After all, you can still look presentable and be a bookworm.

Suddenly, two familiar figures were walking right towards me-Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan. I lifted my hand to wave but just as I did they passed without acknowledgement and faded into the crowd. After throwing them a puzzled look , I glanced down at my watch and hurried faster along the busy walkway between shops. It was odd that the two fellow students hadn't even noticed me. Is it possible they didn't recognize me? Just as I was pondering this and climbing up Gringotts' entrance steps, I bumped into Ron leaving the bank. He muttered an apology and blushed profusely before brushing past me.

"Ron!" I shouted, going after him and pulling him around for a hug. "Hey. It's great to see you." He fell into the hug like a confused rag doll and turned an even deeper shade of crimson.

"Urgh..." He gurgled, sophisticatedly. Then he pulled back to look at who was hugging him. Surprise was written all over his face as his jaw dropped and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Wha-...Hermione? Your hair...er-you're...wearing a dress..." His eyes scanned me with a mixed expression of disbelief and scrutiny and then he leveled his gaze back to mine. "Where is this job that you got?...Vogue?" Carefully, I looked down at my feet and tried to avoid his incredulous expression that gave me the feeling of a child that's been scolded.

"I...work for a man named Mr. Avery as his personal assistant. I thought it would be good to maybe change things up a bit. You know...with a real job and all." I fingered the periwinkle blue baby-doll dress I was wearing and then reached up to run a hand through my now-tame and rather luxurious hair. I hadn't expected to feel so shy and vulnerable in front of Ron. But his shock at my new look was more than I expected. I had just wanted to feel pretty and set the scene for a new me. Strike one for new, confident Hermione.

"You'll have to tell me all about it!" Ron turned back to go inside Gringotts with me. We went inside and got in line to see one of the Goblin tellers. I told him about old Mr. Avery and how he was a former ministry official and very wealthy, how handsomely he paid me, how I had resolved to be different-a better version of myself, and how I had taken a slight liking to some girlier things. It was just like old times, joking and laughing. I realized I hadn't been shy. There had just been some fear of rejection to my little make-over. But there was no need. I couldn't wait to find Harry and the rest of our friends. This was going to be an amazing year and I had an extra surprise for them all. I smiled secretively while reaching into my tote for the shiny prefect badge I had gotten via owl just yesterday.