Chapter Four: Before Halloween

Author's Note PLEASE READ!

Hi! Long time no see and I'm so so so so so so so so so so so SO very sorry about that. College is stressful and I suck at time management. But I'm getting better at it…kind of. I was also stuck on this chapter because I didn't know what I was doing exactly but I kind of made an outline for the next few chapters so I promise I will be updating more often and I have more works in the making. So please bear with me.

Also in the last chapter, I asked you guys what you wanted to see in the story and nobody responded so I'm gonna ask again. What bonding moments would you like to see in this story? Or what's a scene where you can picture Harry going psycho big brother? Let me know in the reviews or in pms. Start with 1st year and make your way up (I'm pretty sure I'm good on fourth year). It can be canon (book) and non-canon (movie) parts. I just wanna know what you guys wanna see before I get into the good stuff. So let me know.

Disclaimer: Was Vikmione canon? No? Then I don't own Harry Potter. (Don't judge me, I'm a multi-shipper.)

Hogwarts 1991

Harry wasn't going to lie. When he first met her, Hermione Granger was most definitely in the top ten most annoying people he'd ever met. She was bossy and didn't know how to mind her own business. However, unlike his peers he didn't make fun of her. He also didn't stand up for her.

While she was an annoying, bossy know-it-all, Harry still couldn't help but admire her. She was a muggleborn and yet she got better grades than people who had been in the wizarding world for their entire lives. She always made sure to keep herself neat. Well, everything besides her hair was neat. Her hair seemed to have a life of its own, a lot like his. Although she was nosey, she usually only got into people's business for the better of Gryffindor house. For instance, she'd offer to revise other's essays or help them while writing them, although her bossy tone and the way she went about it made people uneasy. And she somehow managed to still keep her chin up despite the whispers about her. Harry had heard some really crude things about her that he didn't wish to repeat.

She also managed to help Neville and stick up for him, Neville was one of the only people who accepted Hermione's help. He still lost his toad often. Harry would sometimes find Hermione searching around the common room or random areas in the castle, he suspected it was to look for Trevor. Once, he even caught her sneaking out of the boys dormitory when it was empty. They bumped into each other on the stairs. Her brown eyes had widened for a moment before she lifted her chin and confidently brushed past Harry on the stairs. Although, Harry did not miss the tinge of pink that appeared on her cheeks.

She was somewhat of a double standard. She cared a lot about keeping up with rules but at the same time she broke them. Not major rules but small things like using a quill and ink. Sure, she used them in class but outside of class she could be seen scratching parchment with a pen. The rules stated that students had to use quills and ink when writing assignments (Harry only knew this because he heard some muggleborns complaining about it). Knowing Hermione, she was most likely aware of this rule and ignored it. It made a lot of people who came from magical families confused. Ron's brother's, Fred and George, however, thought pens were brilliant and asked her for a few. They made a big deal out of throwing away their quill and ink. Instead of flying during flying lessons she would hand a large roll of parchment to Madam Hooch, who would roll her eyes but let Hermione sit out instead of flying. Harry didn't know if this was breaking the rules but Hermione Granger not participating in class was definitely not normal for an overachiever like her.

Another thing Harry noticed about Hermione was that she would get embarrassed when she didn't know anything, which was not often. For instance on the first day of classes, Hermione, like most first years, had no idea where to go for her classes. In fact, she arrived to their very first class, Transfiguration, fifteen minutes late with some mischievous company.


September 2nd 1991

Transfiguration classroom

Professor McGonagall was currently taking roll of her astonished students. While the class was filling in there was a tabby grey cat sitting on the desk, looking at the kids with a lazy yet strict look. It's fur was colored as if it oddly around the eyes so it appeared as if the cat had classes. Girls and some boys cooed at the cat. Some even stroked its fur or scratched it behind the ear. Even Ron, who had a rat in his pocket, stroked the cat. Harry, however, refused to go near the odd cat. Not just because of the strict looks or the fur glasses but because the cat was oddly familiar. He was glad of it too because once it was time for class to start the tabby jumped off of the desk, began shifting in mid-air. Suddenly, there was an older woman with a tight black bun, green eyes that had a tinge of amusement in them.

"Professor McGonagall?" Many of Harry's classmates shrieked with tones of surprise, awe, and fear. Harry just stared with his mouth open. Oh, how he loved magic!

That was about ten minutes ago. After her surprise transformation, Professor McGonagall gave an introduction about her class, things they were going to learn, how she expected them to behave in class, and other things of that sort.

Most of the class were still whispering about how she had been able to turn into a cat. The girls were quietly gushing about how cute of a cat she was, although they made sure the stern looking witch did not hear them. The boys were whispering how what she did was cool and were discussing what animals they'd be. Ron on the other hand was mortified and kept whimpering, "I petted McGonagall." Harry later found out that Ron's older brother's told them horrifying and disgusting stories about the transfiguration teacher.

McGonagall had just gotten done calling roll, scowling the one or two times she called a name and didn't receive an answer. Two girls from Gryffindor, Harry wasn't sure but he believed their names were Lilac and something that started with a P, began to whisper when Hermione's name got called and there wasn't an answer.

Neville frowned when her name was called a second time. "But we walked to breakfast together this morning." He whispered in confusion.

Before anybody could question it more, Professor McGonagall walked to the front of the room and flicked her wand towards the chalkboard (Harry thought it was odd that a wizarding school was using chalkboards. Wasn't that something created by non-magicals?) where weird shapes and symbols began to be written on the board by some invisible force. Magic.

Harry always liked learning, despite his terrible experience in school over the years. He figured since he wasn't allowed to receive good grades then he might as well enjoy learning. He had a strong feeling that he'd enjoy magical learning much more, though.

"Before you will be able to transfigure anything," Professor McGonagall began. "You must first learn the Transfiguration alphabet. Parchment and quills out please. Now-"

She was interrupted when the door slammed open. Professor McGonagall turned to glare at whoever had just busted open her door.

Two redheads with mischievous grins sauntered into the room, dragging a certain bushy haired Gryffindor into the room.

"Professor McGonagall!" One of the twins, either Fred or George exclaimed. "You seem to have lost a firstie."

"Poor lass wandered into our dull early morning lecture, not knowing where her class was," The other twin said.

"And us being the gentleman we are,"

"Decided to escort her to her class,"

"Not at all trying to get away from Professor Binns' droning,"

"She seemed upset,"

"Said this was the fifth class she walked into,"

"Then began to complain about nobody giving first years a tour or a map of this, what was her description Gred?"

"Well, Forge, I believe it was 'monstrously enormous castle.'"

"Right! She also included another colorful word that we won't repeat in front of a professor."

"Makes one wonder where Miss Granger learned that kind of language."

They both turned to Hermione Granger. She had already been blushing when they came into the room but now her cheeks had a dark pink tint to them. She had her hair covering some of her face and she was trying to shrink out of sight but the twins were gripping her forearms.

Some of Harry's classmates had been snickering at the twins' banter and Hermione's embarrassment. Harry himself had been enjoying it. Ron, on the other hand, looked thoroughly annoyed.

"They didn't offer to take me to class." He grumbled. Harry didn't say anything.

Professor McGonagall's eyebrows were almost touching her hairline and she was giving the twins a skeptical look. "Miss Granger, is this true?" She asked.

Fred and George feigned shock that McGonagall didn't believe them.

Hermione's lip wobbled a bit but she straightened up and cleared her throat before addressing the professor. "Yes, Professor. I had no idea where the classroom was and I kept walking into the wrong one. Fred and George were…nice enough to show me to where I needed to be."

"Very well then," Professor McGonagall said stiffly before turning to Fred and George. "Ten points to Gryffindor for, oh how I loathe saying this, being responsible students."

Fred and George shuddered and made gagging sounds. "Oh Merlin," George, at least Harry thought it was George, said.

"That's disgusting. I feel gross. Please don't ever say anything like that again." Fred whimpered.

"Now we have to cause mischief on our way back to class," George added. Then the twins grinned.

"Thanks Professor!" They both exclaimed before running out of the classroom with hoots of excitement. "Bye Granger! Bye Ickle Ronnikins."

There were more snickers and Ron's ears began to turn red.

Hermione, who was still looked thoroughly embarrassed, hurried and sat in the empty seat next to Neville and got ready to take notes.

Professor McGonagall let out a sigh before continuing her lesson.


After that first lesson, Fred and George made a point of dragging, or leading as they put it, Hermione to all of her classes, every day for two weeks straight. And every day for two weeks straight Hermione would come to class with flushed cheeks. Harry sometimes wondered if it was because of what they were doing or because of things they said on the walk there. It was most likely a combination of the two.

Overall, Harry Potter had very mixed feelings about Hermione Granger. She was brave and smart, and kind but she was also bossy and kind of rubbed her smarts in other people's faces. Not to mention her conflicts with Ron. Harry wanted to be friends with her but he just couldn't get over some of her flaws.

But all of that would change the night of Halloween.