I promise the next chapter will be better. This one is like an introduction of Hogwarts to Hermione. Sorry if it's slow.

Disclaimer: I do not own HP, but I own the plot, unrecognized characters, and the fact Snape says he's a doctor. XD

He can't know what I'm going through, I thought, watching Dr. Snape out of the corner of my eye. For a year I had thought I was alone, hopeless. Everyone was afraid of me, and I didn't like it. He can't help me. No one can help me.I thought a new medical case would be named after me, like the Hermionaphobia, or the Granger Disease.

I was in the waiting room of his 'doctor's office.' Dr. Snape was working with two twins with red hair and soiled black robes. He called them Weasleys. What are Weasleys? Some kind of rabid monkey-people? Whoever they were, I felt a strange connection to them, that I'd never felt for anyone... but Dr. Snape.

Mom was across from me, calling everyone about how my 'disease' or 'weakness' would be healed, flipping through Better Homes and Gardens magazines.

"Mom?" I asked. She held her finger up to wait a minute. I sighed and laid back in my chair. "You're making me nervous," I muttered. I wish I wasn't in a waiting room so I could curl up in a ball and cry. My eyes wondered back to where Dr. Snape was was talking with Weasleys. He never made any que that he knew I was there.

Eventually Weasleys came out, with red and yellow stiped ties neatly around their necks and tucked in their robes, a crest with a lion on it on their pockets that said 'Gryffindor.' They smiled at me as they walked out the door. My eyes bugged out of my head. Every other stranger frowned and hid their kids when they saw me. It's like I have a freak atmosphere around me.

Dr. Snape took his time walking in the room and calling me back, motioning for Mom to stay. I didn't even glance at her as I walked in his office.

He closed the door behind him and watched me for a while, his eyes sending shivers down my back. "Hermione," he said slowly, his voice even thicker. "Do you know why I'm here?"

"To teach me what I did wrong to give me this freak life?" I asked, hugging my knees to my chest.

"No," he said. "I'm here because you're being careless. You must control your magic."

"Magic? There's no such think as 'magic'. The only 'magic' in my life is how my mom takes care of us without passing out."

Dr. Snape glared at me. "I'm not a doctor. I'm a professor in a wizarding school, where we teach young wizards and witches like you to control your magic. However, how you use it is your plan. But you can't expose wizardry to Muggles."

"Muggles? What in the world are Muggles?"

"Humans, you could call them. Those who aren't wizards and witches. You're friends at school are Muggles. You're parents are Muggles. Which makes you a Mudblood."

I don't know what it is about that word, Mudblood, that made my blood boil. It just sounded bad. "I'm not a witch!" I said. "I'm a regular human girl that weird things keep happening to." Weird things, kinda like magicalthings. A bully flying into a tree is definitely magical. "Okay. I get what you're saying. But there's no such thing as wizards."

My parents didn't raise me with stories of mythical creaturesor princesses meeting their prince and dancing with them at the ball their Godfairy or whatever sent them to, or underwater fish girls hoping to live on land. They taught me fast that that stuff didn't exist. Including wizards and magic.

"Yes, there is." He took out a long wooden stick and pointed it at a broken beaker in the corner. "Oculus reparo!" The beaker repaired itself right before my eyes. I took a step back in shock as I watched the glass beaker as if it would suddenly shatter. It didn't.

"How -"

"Magic," Professor-Dr. Snape said. "We keep it secret from Muggles and punish wizards or witches that threaten to expose magic, like using it all willy-nilly in front of regular Muggles!" He stuck the wooden stick back in his coat as he gave me a hard glare.

Well, everyone did know I could do magical things. That's as close to exposing magic as I dared to go, right now, anyways. Honestly, this Snape guy (If that was even his real name) was scaring the bejeebers out of me. I almost wanted to take everything he told me and through it out the window, and maybe sign for some therapy...

"- Diagon Alley." I'd been so focused on my inner messed up thoughts, I totally blocked out everything Dr. Snape was saying.

"I'm sorry, sir. What was that?"

Snape gave me a look that said You-Better-Watch-Out-If-You-Don't-Want-On-My-Bad-Side. "Listen this time," he said, glaring at me. "As I was saying, you will be going to our little wizarding school soon, I suppose. Might as well get you on to Diagon Alley." He started to pact the foot, but suddenly stopped. "How old are you, Hermione?"

"I turned ten last month. What's Diagon Alley?"

He acted as if he didn't hear me. "Ten, ten, good. Then you will be eleven when the next school year starts, so you will be getting your admittance letter soon."

"Admittance letter to where? What's a 'Diagon Alley'?"

"Hogwarts, of course. The wizarding school."

Hogwarts? What's it mascot, a giant pig with pimples all over it?

"Diagon Alley is where you can buy your school books and robes. You saw Fred and George, you'll need those robes."

Fred and George... where they those Weasleys that came out of the office? I remembered the 'Gryffindor' symbol on it... what's a Gryffindor? I shook my head, like that would clear out all the thoughts jumbled in my head. "Wha -"

Snape shot me a look that shut me up instantly. "I will explain everything on the way to Diagon Alley. Follow me." He straightened his overcoat and marched out the door. I hesitated, but followed him. I suppose I don't want to get lost in Magic Land.

We were bombarded by my mother as soon as we stepped out of the office.

"What happened? Is my darling going to have any more yucky spells?"

Yucky spells? That's a new way to put it.

I saw Snape roll his eyes. "I have to..." he started, "bring her for further testing. To see if we really can crack this, as you say, 'yucky spell'."

"Oh, well, let's go." She walked for the door.

"Ma'am, we must go alone."

She turned around, looking Snape up and down suspiciously, as if he were going to kidnap me or something. She brought him, and she doesn't even trust him? Look at what that says about my mom. "Well, I suppose. Hermione, you know my number, don't you?"

I nodded and repeated her number. Mom nodded. "Alright, then. Be careful." She kissed my forehead and walked out the door to her car.

Snape grabbed my wrist with such strength I thought he was going to break it. "You must not tell anyone of my visit, or about Hogwarts. Or I will be forced to use the Cruciatus Curse on you." He caught my glance. "Also known as the Torture Curse, one of the Unforgivable Curses."

Without another word, he stalked towards the door, pulling me behind him.

See? I told you it would be slow. Please tell me how I did! Please? R&R?