The next day, Hermione went to daycare without the usual fight. Her mom drove off as Hermione ran over to her usual group of friends at the playdough table.

"Guess what?" she shrieked as soon as she sat down, but not so loudly as to give away her show and tell for the day to the rest of the class.

"What?" her friend Jennifer asked, clearly excited about what her friend was about to tell the group.

"I'm getting a baby brother or sister!"

"Really? You are so lucky! You've been waiting for this for a long time!" her friend Christopher replied.

"I know! Mummy told me yesterday when she got home from the doctors."

They played with the playdough until circle time, her friends asking her what she was going to name the baby and her replying with unique and somewhat elegant names for a 4-year old.

Finally, the teachers rang the bell to signal the start of circle time.

"Okay, class, let's take a seat on the circle!" Ms. Caster said. Everyone gathered around and sat on their nametags.

"We're going to start with show and tell today," the other teacher, Mrs. Anders, said. "Who would like to go first?"

"I would, Mrs. Anders!" Hermione exclaimed, the first one to get her hand up in the air.

"Okay, Hermione, go ahead. You don't usually go first, so you must have something really special to share with us today!" Ms. Caster said.

"I do have something special! Yesterday when my mummy got home from work, she told me that I'm getting a baby brother or sister!" she exclaimed, barely waiting to get in front of the class.

"Wow that is exciting!" Mrs. Anders replied. "Are you happy?"

"Yes I am! I'm very happy because I really want somebody to play with at home," she said in a rush, finishing with her sparkling smile that was the result of her parents being dentists.

"Well, thank you Hermione! That was very exciting. Now let's see what everyone else has to share," Ms. Caster replied.

Hermione took a seat and listened to the rest of her classmates' show-and-tells which included a puppy for Jennifer's birthday, a new bike for Michael, and a new dad for Jason. None of these were as exciting as Hermione's, though.

The rest of the day sped by and at 5:00 her mother picked her up as usual. Mrs. Granger walked over to Ms. Caster and Mrs. Anders and talked to them about Hermione's school day.

"I knew she would tell everyone," her mother said, laughing. "How could she keep a secret like that?"

They got in the car and drove home, almost silently. Suddenly, just as Mrs. Granger turned onto their street, there was a loud cough from the back seat. She turned around to see her daughter coughing.

"Hermione, are you okay?" she asked pulling over to the side of the street.

"I'm fine mummy. I just don't feel good," Hermione replied in between coughs.

"What hurts, sweetie?" her mom asked as she pulled her daughter out of the booster seat.

"My head and my throat and my ears all hurt Mummy."

"Does your tummy hurt?"

"No," she replied as another set of coughs set in.

"Can you make it home?"

"I think so Mummy."

She placed her daughter in the front seat and drove slowly home. As she pulled up in the driveway, she looked over in the passenger seat to see her daughter's eyes beginning to close.

"Hermione, can you stay awake for just a little while?"

"Mummy, I'm really tired."

"I know honey, but I need you to stay awake just a little bit longer so that Daddy can look at you okay?"

"Okay Mummy."

Mrs. Granger picked up her daughter and carried her up the front steps. Just as she was about to pull her key out to open the door, Mr. Granger flung the door open.

"I was beginning to get worried," he said as the two walked into the house.

"Honey, I think Hermione caught something at school."

"What do you mean?"

"She said her head, throat, and ears hurt. Then she started to nod off as we pulled into the driveway."

"Hermione, sweetie pie, can Daddy take your temperature?"

"Why do you need to take my temp-temp-temperature, Daddy?" she asked, struggling between trying to pronounce temperature and to stay awake.

"We need to make sure you're not sick. It'll only take a second, okay? And then you can go to sleep, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy."

He took her into the living room and set her on the couch. He went to the bathroom and got the thermometer out of the medicine cabinet.

"Can you stick this under your tongue, honey?"

"Okay."

After a few minutes, the thermometer beeped signaling that the temperature had been taken. Her father looked at the number on the digital dial and walked into the kitchen with his wife.

"What's her temperature?" his wife asked worriedly.

"105. Call the doctor while I go try to keep her awake."

He went back into the living room and gently shook his daughter awake. "Hermione, you can't go to sleep just yet."

"But Daddy, you just said that I could go to sleep after you took my temperature."

"I know, but I need you to stay awake fore just a few more minutes."

His wife came in and whispered in her husband's ear what the doctor had said. He then picked his daughter up and carried her to the car. He placed her in the booster seat and strapped her in. His wife got in the passenger side and he got behind the wheel.

The family headed down the street towards the hospital's emergency room.