Summary--When a terrible tragedy befalls Hermione in her last year at Hogwarts, will she be able to keep going? Will she be able to keep being Head Girl? Will she ever get her strength back? Follow the story of Hermione as her friends and enemies change, and she finds comfort and strength in the most unlikely people.
Disclaimer--I own none of these characters, except the ones I create. They're all J.K. Rowling's. And I own my plot. But that would pretty much be it.
Never Lose Strength
Chapter 1
"Oi! Hermione! Over here!"
Hermione Granger turned towards the sound, and saw one of her best friends, Harry Potter, running towards her, his shaggy black hair ruffling in the wind. She grinned. She had been waiting for this all summer.
"How was the trip over?" He asked, gesturing towards the shoe that lay in the middle of the field about a half mile away from the Burrow.
Hermione had taken a Portkey, which Mr. Weasley had sent for her. It was two weeks before school reopened, and her parents were going to the States to visit some friends, so she was going to stay with the Weasleys. "Almost a pain." She gestured towards her suitcases, which littered the field. "I had no idea how to keep them all with me; you know, make them come with the Portkey. But I figured it out." She smiled brightly.
"Blimey!" A new voice called out, emerging from the trees that Harry had come out of minutes before. "Think you brought enough stuff?" Ron Weasley, Hermione's other best friend, pointed at all her suitcases, his red hair glinting in the sunlight.
Hermione blushed a little. "Well…I didn't want to be short anything."
Ron snorted. "The whole of England wouldn't be short of anything with all this!"
Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. Ron was touchy about lots of stuff, especially stuff that others had that he didn't, and it was frankly quite annoying, but today she didn't feel like pressing the issue. It was too good of a day; the sun was shining, and she was back with her best friends, and she was almost at Hogwarts, and….
"Oh!" She shrieked, suddenly remembering something. "If I'm Head Girl, I should get my letter today! Oh, oh, I hope I get to be Head Girl." She bit her lip.
"Calm down, 'Mione. Why would Dumbledore not pick you?" Harry offered, flicking his wand to levitate the suitcases. They began to walk.
"Yeah!" Ron put in. "You were the best prefect last year. None of the first years dared to curse the staircases."
"Ha-ha." Hermione replied dryly. "But…but…." She shook her head, and they kept walking.
As soon as they stepped foot in the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley nearly bowled them over. "Hermione! Dear! How was your summer?" She asked, pulling them into the kitchen. "Come on, have a snack. You must be starved!" She talked as if Hermione's trip had taken days, whereas it had only taken her five minutes. Hermione didn't want to burst Mrs. Weasley's bubble, though, and obediently sat down at the table, followed by Harry and Ron.
"My summer has been absolutely splendid," Hermione told Mrs. Weasley. "I took a vacation with my parents; I didn't realize how much I had missed them. And then I hung with my mates for a while, just enjoying everything. It was very stress free. And now I'm here." She looked around contentedly.
"Sounds wonderful," Mrs. Weasley replied. "Here, take this." She shoved a plate of something in Hermione's face, and after she had taken a little bit to be courteous, Harry and Ron dragged her upstairs.
The two weeks were spent happily; they played two-on-two Quidditch with Ginny, and sometimes three-on-three with Fred and George, and devoured Mrs. Weasley's meals in third and fourth helpings. Hermione was so relaxed and cheerful that everything horrible seemed so surreal. It was like a dream, and it flew by too fast. She got her Head Girl badge in the mail, the day after her arrival; while everyone acted excited and yet unsurprised and threw her a party, she acted modest, while inside she was jumping up and down.
All too soon, it was the morning of their departure. King's Cross Station, Platform 9 ¾. Hermione felt almost nostalgic as she whizzed through the familiar sequence with the Weasleys and Harry. This would probably be the last time she would go through this; the last time she would see the Hogwarts Express coming around the corner. And yet, this time it would be different. She would stop in to say hello to Ron and Harry, and then she would be off to the Head's compartment, and then patrolling the corridors.
For once in her life, she was sick of growing up. She wanted time to just freeze. She didn't want to leave Hogwarts. She couldn't imagine leaving Hogwarts. It was too much of a routine; going back there every year. But this time, summer would come and go, and she wouldn't be going back; she would be off to the Ministry, or wherever she was going to work.
She wouldn't have a safe haven, either.
She pushed the thoughts out of her mind as the Hogwarts Express actually came around the corner, whistling cheerily.
"Fred! George! Ginny!" Mr. Weasley barked, knowing full well that wherever they had gotten lost in the crowd, they could still here him.
Hermione laughed as they stumbled over through the swarms of witches and wizards, in disarray. "You guys look like you've been through a blender."
Six confused pairs of eyes turned to stare at her.
Okay, so some things would never change.
"It's a Muggle instrument," Mr. Weasley explained, being the only other person beside herself that knew what she was talking about. "It crushes food items together. Handy if you're making sauces, pastes, or mixtures."
"Thanks for that, Dad," Ginny told him.
Mr. Weasley turned slightly pink, just like Ron did when he was embarrassed. "Yes, erm, no problem."
"Five minute warning!" A voice yelled, and Mrs. Weasley quickly gathered her children and children's friends in a huge group hug.
"Stay out of trouble, and keep in touch!" She reminded everyone. Her eyes fixed on the twins. "Especially you two, Fred and George." Then her face fell. "Oh, oh, wait. You two aren't going to Hogwarts, are you?"
"No ma'am," They both said at the same time, sniggering slightly. "We're off to work at the Ministry." Fred added. "In case it slipped your mind."
Mrs. Weasley sighed. "How did my two silly boys get into the Ministry? And how did they grow up so fast?"
"Mu-um!" George groaned. "Let the young chaps go, already." He grinned wickedly at Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny.
"We're not young," Hermione retorted. "Maybe just in age, but compared to you two…." She shook her head. Fred and George laughed along with everyone else.
"Well, George is right. You better run along." Mr. Weasley said. "Have fun, stay out of trouble. Same old thing. And Harry? Try to stay out of messes."
Harry looked hurt. "Mr. Weasley! You know I like a quiet lifestyle. How could I possibly get into any messes?"
The laughter trailed off as the four got on the train. Everyone exchanged last-minute good-byes, and Harry, Ron, and Ginny went off to find compartments, as Hermione headed for the Head's.
She realized she was humming as she walked: an old Muggle tune that she had heard for the first time in a long time this summer, called, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Her spirit was high: and she was proud of herself; she hadn't been snippety with anyone the whole two weeks, even when Harry and Ron were acting like dolts.
The door to the Head's compartment slid easily underneath her hand, and she stepped inside, still grinning.
Her grin slipped, replaced by a frown. Annoyed frown. "Malfoy. This is the Head's compartment. Get back to your own."
Draco Malfoy, one of Hermione's mortal enemies, was sitting on a seat, his golden-white hair perfect as always and his steel gray eyes cold. "This is my compartment, Granger." His eyes narrowed. "Did you read the letter?"
What letter? Oh. The Head letter. Yes…er…no. She had just grabbed the badge and ran around screaming for a bit, leaving the paper forgotten. Where was it? She must have packed it somewhere.
"I'm Head Boy." He announced, obviously gaining satisfaction in her misery.
Hermione's eyes narrowed as well. "Stop playing, Malfoy. If you don't get out of here right this—" Her eyes widened, and she cut herself off as Malfoy shone his badge at her.
"This is as much my compartment as yours." He told her with a sort of tone that told her the conversation was over.
"Fine. But stay away from me. And you're supposed to be patrolling the corridors."
Malfoy grinned and stood up. Merlin's beard—he had grown so much! Hermione had to look up to see his face. "Bully first years? My pleasure." And he disappeared out the door, leaving Hermione fuming behind him. How had he gotten to be Head Boy? It so much insulted the whole system.
With a flick of her wand, Hermione was dressed in her school robes, her badge fixed on. And she headed out after Malfoy.