Hermione Granger and the black market trade in Muggle stationery.
October 1991 - Wednesday
Dear Mum and Dad,
I know you just bought me all my school supplies, but can you please, please send me the items on this list.
I am going insane trying to organise my class notes.
-Ring binders x 8 ideally different colours
-Certificate tubes x 8
-Hole punch (2 hole)
-Paper trimmer
-Sticky tabs
-Post - it notes
-Highlighters
-Homework diary or weekly planner
-Year planner
-Term planner
I love you both,
Hermione
Monday
Dear Hermione,
Here are the supplies you asked for, I threw in some pens for good measure. Goodness only knows why they insist on making you use quills and ink.
Love Dad.
Wednesday
"Psst Terry, have you heard what Hermione got in the post?" Justin asked
"No, what?"
"Contraband"
"Hermione has contraband?" Terry exclaimed bemused "What like banned Zonko's products?"
"Nope, better."
"Better?"
"Yep, muggle stationery"
"Oh my god, do you think she has pens?! I miss pens"
"Shall we go find out?"
"You bet!"
By the next class, Justin Finch-Fetchely and Terry Boot were receiving a lot of confused looks as they seemed to be writing with an odd implement that didn't require ink and was activated with a strange clicking noise.
Thursday morning
"Hey Gryffindors"
The Gryffindor first years looked around, they were on their way from Charms to DADA when the Ravenclaw prefect Penelope Clearwater called out to them
"Rumour has it that one of you has sticky tabs"
"Uh, yes, that's me." Hermione said timidly.
"Can I have some? My notes are a mess and with OWLS this year I really need to get some sort of system going"
Hermione perked up "Oh, well I've actually got more than just sticky tabs. I've got binders and planners, post-its and I've trimmed all my parchment for class into A4 size so that only my assignments have to be rolled up and I can separate out all my notes by class and keep them in the one place, I can show you if you like" she gu
"Please, how about after dinner, I'll come find you at your table, what's your name"
"Hermione. And alright, I'll see you then" Hermione said before continuing on to class with a spring in her step.
Thursday night
Hermione, Harry and Ron were just finishing their dessert when Penelope called out "Hey Hermione, I brought a few friends with me, I hope that's ok"
"Hey Hermione, I brought a few friends with me, I hope that's ok"
"Uh, sure" Hermione replied slightly uncertain why so many fifth, sixth and seventh years seemed so interested in her stationery supplies, surely other older muggle born had thought to ask their parents to send things on from Staples before. As she led them up to her dorm room the older girls chatted about people she didn't really know, and who was going with whom to the first Hogsmeade weekend. The fat lady looked at the. Curiously as Hermione gave the password to let them into Gryffindor tower. Whilst there were a few Gryffindors, most of the group were Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws.
Ten girls crowded into Hermione's thankfully empty dorm and stood looking at her school-supplies in awe.
"Wow" a girl named Mandy said, flipping through one of the ring binders full of trimmed and hole punched parchment. "I can't believe I've been here six years and I've never thought to do this"
"Oh a wall planner" sighed a Ravenclaw seventh year, one hand over her heart.
"What are the tubes for Hermione?" Penelope asked.
"Oh well, the professors always ask for a certain number of inches of parchment for homework and papers, so I couldn't very well use my trimmed paper, but I needed a way to be able to store my assignments, both whilst I work on them and for future use. I have one for each subject right now, but I might double that so I have one for past work and one for work in progress. I'd really love to colour code them, but they only come in navy and well it is only the second month so I don't know a spell to try yet. I'd also like some sort of shelf that I can post them into so they don't roll around everywhere, and a bookshelf to put my binders on, but I don't know how to get those"
"Well then it's your lucky day." Penelope said looking at the others "what do you think girls, reckon we can make Hermione an adequate study space?"
A few minutes later it was Hermione's turn to look at the older girls in awe. The small desk she had put near her bed was transformed. The girls had duplicated and colour coded her parchment tubes to match her ring binders, created a flip-out extension for her desk, added a series of drawers to the open end's leg and a bookshelf tower to the wall end. The bookshelf had a high shelf for binders, a small shelf with sixteen slots for tubes and a standard shelf for books. They had mounted her year planner and term planner near the door with sticking charms and placed a self-tidying charm on her desk and bookshelf so that her books would re-shelve themselves like in the library.
In return the girls all left with a pile of their own duplicated stationery.
Sunday afternoon
Hermione was in the library working on her Herbology homework when it started. First one, then two, then a half dozen students from various years and houses were looking at her, whispering and pointing.
"That's her isn't it?"
"Yeah Abigail Watts said the Gryffindor with the bushy hair"
"Well that's got to be her"
"Who's going to ask?"
Hermione let out a sigh and glared at them.
"Excuse me, but this is the library, if you are not here to study can you please go elsewhere so that the rest of us can" she announced
"Oh-er she's a brash one isn't she" a sixth-year boy sniggered.
The group looked around at each other, eventually coming to some sort of silent agreement on who was going to be their spokesperson.
"Uh, sorry, just you see we think we're looking for you, are you the girl with the muggle stationery?"
"Yes."
"How much for a set?"
Sunday Evening
Dear Mum and Dad,
When I come home for Christmas I shall pay you back for all the stationery you sent me. It's proven to be rather popular you see, and I've earnt a tidy sum of gold selling duplicates. Some older girls have helped me to set up a fantastic study area (I've enclosed a photo) and taught me the spells to duplicate and colour code my supplies and study planners. Don't worry about sending me any money for the rest of term, I shan't need it.
Love always.
Hermione.