September 3rd her home declared war.
Far from Paris and removed from the news Hermione learned this before any of her friends had come to breakfast. She herself did not receive the newspaper, a luxury she did not enjoy, but her friend allowed her to read her paper before she came to breakfast. And Hermione was always up early enough to read the paper all the way through.
This day she did not finish the paper. Dropping the paper in favor of writing a letter to her parents, Hermione had few words when her friends walked up to the table. Not capable of answering questions, Hermione handed her friend their paper, and let them find out as she had.
Perhaps it was a kindness, letting her friends find out that way. At least they could all commiserate on how they find out. Additionally, they asked no questions of Hermione about the war. Of course she could only have answered what she had read. Hermione had no information beyond that.
Yet if she had told her friends, "France has declared war on Germany", then they would have needed answers, and needed answers then. They would not have had the patience or forbearance to read the paper, having Hermione already established as all knowing.
Perhaps Hermione protected herself by giving them back the paper. By letting her friends reading the horrible news, rather than relating it, she was not associated with the war. Hermione did not bring tidings of death and destruction. Although maybe her friends did not know that was what was in store.
While muggle France had declared war on Germany, the magical side did not. The magical paper did not speculate if magical France would go to war as well, but Hermione did not care as much as her friends.
Hermione's only thoughts were about how this would change things for her family. She forgot that her classmates in the magical world had German cousins and friends, some who might fight for Grindelwald. Maybe they did not want to, maybe they wanted to. It was hard to tell with how intertwined the sides had become.
Grindelwald's influence had spread, even into the school. His charisma infected the very paper that declared war. The paper had used a picture of the German muggle leader pointing aggressively. Grindelwald stood over his shoulder, smirking over and over as the picture repeated. The smirk indicated a control over his situation, while the muggle's gestures grew wilder as the picture progressed.
Hermione's letter was sent that morning. Fortunately she woke so early, because if she had tried to send it later in the day there would have been no school owls left. Hermione was able to send her parents a note, asking if they were healthy while really probing for more information.
Others would not be so lucky, and be distracted. Distracted like a hangnail, where one revisits the same thoughts over and over. Without any satisfaction. The only satisfaction would come when the questions were finally answered.
It is always the hardest after the first day. A girl younger than Hermione, her father was in the French military. This girls woke up late, not having any hint of what was to come from her father. Thus she was unable to send out an owl, and waited for three days to use an owl. The first day she paced and took half hearted notes. The teachers themselves were distracted, so they made no comment. On the second day she took no notes, and stared out the window. Her mind would not let her be. Would not let her stop asking, will he fight? Will he be safe? Where will he be? Will momma stay where she is? Will momma follow father to be closer? The third day she did not leave her bed. Her anxiety had worsened exponentially, with a massive jump. The teachers understood, but were becoming less accommodating. Fortunately on the fourth day she could send an owl and did.
Her father would fight, he was stationed near the Rhine, one of the most hotly contested territory. Yet even knowing that was a relief to this child's mind, and quieted her questions.