OLA! THIS IS A NEW UPDATE YAYYY SO HAPPY BROS. Sorry I'm too high haha. Hope you'll like this chapter!

Rewritten:1/18/15

I still don't know anything!

Chapter 4: Sweeping Dust

A little too soon for her taste, the Hogwarts Express arrived at the Hogsmead station. The two of them left their trunks on board, and followed the throng of the students coming off the train. A large booming voice silenced most of the kids around. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Neville turned around; she was still looking at everything in awe—and emitted something between a shriek and a gasp. Hermione turned around too, and found herself smiling.

She was about to greet Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts when he shined the lamp towards a student near him. "Hiya, 'Arry."

Ah, he did say that Hagrid had talked to him. Hermione passed the time fixing the pendant of her necklace, so that it hid itself in the folds of her uniform. It had a large pendant with large stones, after all. Too noticeable, but not something she could take off.

"Hello, Hagrid." The giant man smiled, and then turned to the kids staring wide eyed at him. "Follow me an' we'll go ter the boa's!" She raised an eyebrow when Hagrid caught sight of her, and he smiled a toothy grin.

Hermione looked at her friend and shook him—his jaws where attracting big flies—and followed the other first year students. "…He's… t-tall."

To call Hagrid tall was an understatement. He led them to a lake, and it looked black in the night. "'Kay, only four ter the boats! We don' wan' anyone sinkin'!" Students lined up, but Neville was quite slow on the uptake, so they found themselves to the end of the line.

The two of them ended up on a boat with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. What bad luck do I have?! But it was either them or join Malfoy on the other vacant boat—and she'd rather drown herself than sit with the blond.

I still can't believe he had made a nickname! If he was someone else, then that would be okay, but because she didn't like him at all… she felt...just… Ewww.

While their group sailed in the black body of water, she noticed Harry looking at her.

I have the worst luck in the world.

Her grip on the side of the boat tightened. He won't recognize me. He couldn't. Right?

When Dumbledore removed a certain binding spell placed on her—a spell she didn't know—her appearance changed. That was the first time she learned how she really looked like. The straight blonde hair turned brown and bushy.

She didn't like the bushy part of it, but it felt much more… her… when she had gazed at herself in the mirror .

Remembering that, she returned Harry Potter's look. "Yes? Do you have any problem? You know, you should look at our surroundings, I heard Hagrid say that we'll be able to view Hogwarts any second now. I read—"At that point Hagrid said exactly that they will see Hogwarts any second. Harry stops staring, and she elbows Neville in the ribs because he was smiling in that way again.

"Look! Tha's 'Ogwarts!" The whole student body abandons all conversation and stared at the huge castle the appeared in the night.

Seeing Hogwarts was just… surreal. It was a very beautiful castle, with all the towers and everything. At some point Hagrid yelled "Duck!" and Hermione did, but Neville was still so mesmerized that she had to pull him down so forcefully he knocked into Ron. Ron didn't appreciate it much.

After that they all ended up in some sort of underground dock. Hagrid led them through the grounds—after he found and returned Trevor to Neville. He looked at her, eyes shining.

"You found him, Neville. Good job."

Neville patted his toad lovingly until Hagrid clears his throat, and the children emitted sounds of awe at the humongous front door. It was beautiful, but also tall and imposing, and she never felt so small in her whole life.

Hagrid looks back at them, eyes smiling and knocks three times on the door.

A woman with emerald green robes, spectacles, tight bun, and stern expression opened the door, and Hagrid leaves them.

Hermione's face must have shown a smile, because Neville nudges her. "What are you smiling about?" She grins. "That's Professor McGonagall. She's the one who I li—err; she escorted me around Diagon Alley. She's very nice."

He didn't seem to notice her slip up. She was a bit scared that he might have noticed her mistake, because he had shown that he could be observant.

Hermione sighs, relieved.

Professor McGonagall herds them inside Hogwarts, where they found a grand staircase—"Wow!"—and the great hall doors. Before they could go in, though, she led the group of students to a small door near the hall doors. Inside, her stern expression quieted the students. "I am to be addressed as Professor McGonagall. Welcome to Hogwarts. While in this school, you will be sorted into houses. There are—"

"Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin." She whispered to Neville, in perfect unison with Professor McGonagall. Her guardian liked saying the houses in this order whenever she asked about it.

"—your triumphs will earn you house points. Any rule breaking and you will lose points. House with most points at the end of the year wins the house cup, which would be a great honor to your house. Now wait here while we get ready for you." She left. As soon as she did, a lot of murmurs erupted. Ron Weasley exclaims "Fred told me we had to fight a troll!"

She couldn't resist the urge to giggle. Neville looks at her, as well as Ron Weasley, and of course, Harry Potter.

Her laughter dies and she grips her skirt tightly. Every look of Harry Potter felt like she was being pushed into the past again—a little step at a time.

"W-what? I mean, isn't it ridiculous that they'll have us fight a troll when some, if not most didn't even know magic existed? Use your brains. They'll sort us according to the characteristics prized by the founders of the four houses. Brave for the Gryffindor, Loyal for Hufflepuff, Wise for Ravenclaw and cunning for Slytherin. It said so, in one of the books." Many students quiet down as soon as she finished.

A drawling voice sounds from behind her. "See? Proves you don't use your brain, Weasley."

Ron Weasley—after glaring ferociously—frowns at that someone behind her, Draco Malfoy. Hermione feels a huge surge of discomfort at his presence. Ewww!

"At least I have a brain, unlike you!"

She tugs at Neville and leads him towards the front. "If they don't quiet down, I'll use a tickling hex at them." He looked at me in awe. "You know how to do that?"

She blushes. It was a stupid and nerdy thing to do, but— "I bought the spell books for grade 1, 2 and 3 charms."

Before he could do something, like yell on how ridiculously geeky she was—or at that's what she thought—a scream scares them all. Several more people yell, and Hermione realizes what was the cause.

Ghosts.

They appeared to be talking about something, and she notices one of the ghosts drop something solid.

She picks it up, and sees a name embroidered in cloth. Helena Ravenclaw.

She chases after the gray ghost, who gasps when she sees her holding the handkerchief. "Excuse me, you dropped this."

She scowls at your knowing look, and then says: "I can see that you already know me, familiar one. Or is Ravenclaw too much of a give away?" Hermione grins, despite her unpleasant expression. "Actually, I've read about you once or twice."

She raises an eyebrow and floats away, just as McGonagall enters. She gave her a pointed look, and Hermione smiles in greeting, understanding what that look meant.

I hope I'm in Gryffindor too, Professor.

"We're ready for you now." The students lined up by two's and she finds herself beside a girl who has her auburn hair tied into a plait.

The moment they entered the great hall, her eyes widened at the ceiling. Is that…

Unable to resist, she murmured to the girl beside her, "It's just enchanted to look like the night sky. I've read about it in Hogwarts: A history." She smiles in response, and she smiles at her in return.

After what seemed like forever in the midst of floating candles, the enchanted ceiling and students gazing at us, they arrive at the very front of the hall. Professor McGonagall had them gather around the platform, where an old battered wizard's hat and stool stood.

Having read Hogwarts: A History for so many times, she knew exactly what it was.

A slit opens near the brim of the hat and it started to sing.

Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

Many students applauded after its song, Hermione only realizing that Ron Weasley was in front of her, murmuring to Harry Potter. "I swear that girl's completely mental. How'd she know how we'll be sorted?"

She fingered her necklace, trying not to scowl so much as she realized that she was not going to like the redhead much. If he just used his brain, then he'll probably know how they'll be sorted.

The redhead says something about all Slytherins going bad and the nastiest of houses as a girl was sorted into the house and she was too absorbed by his words that she failed to notice that she was being called.

"Hermione Granger!" Professor McGonagall calls for the second time, and she starts, stumbling forward in haste

The professor scowls, and she smiles sheepishly at her as the hat was place on her head, covering her eyes completely.

A gruff yet melodic voice starts speaking in her mind, and she flinches at the weird hollow quality the voice took. Different from her other voices.

Hmmm… tricky.

A sound mind, Ravenclaw would be a good place for you... Lots of wit, but with a touch of cunning. Loyal once it's earned. Brave, and Chivalrous. Gryffindor? You're not somebody anyone can fool with, Ms. Granger.

But what do we have here...? Ah, I see... the irony! The blood of 'purity' resides in you yet you are as lost as those with 'diluted' blood. The irony, indeed...

Her hands clamp around the stool. I'm an orphan...

So you are. So you like to think. You have not met any of your real relatives, have you?

She doesn't reply. I see. It would be a great transgression not to place you in Slytherin...

What? No! Not in the 'evil' house, as Weasley said! That was the initial thing she thought, but something the hat said made her think. Blood of Purity...?

Evil is a relative term, Miss Granger. Those who do you wrong are evil, aren't they? As long as you think you are right... you are not evil. Slytherin will help you blossom into your greatest – it will lay down foundations that will lead you to your desired end. Here you will get connections, skills valuable to any cause you'd like.

And with your intellect, not many things will hinder you, shall you play your cards like.

I am still not mature enough to ignore what others think about me. And I'll work to achieve what I want. I don't need an influential house to help me.

Slytherin is not as bad as you think, little one. It would certainly shape you into someone very influential. It is the House for the Cunning Ones, and that doesn't mean it is solely the house of the evil. You follow too blindly the words you hear, girl.

But if I go to Slytherin, I'll be with those sinister looking people. I don't think being around those people will make me into someone I can be proud of. If anything, they might even push me into being what I don't want to be.

You are remembering Ollivander… not bad, for a potential raven. You remember warnings well, but you are too attached to your feelings. Tricky, indeed… You refuse to be in Slytherin, but you are too emotional to be in Ravenclaw.

What?

Ravenclaw is the house of wit, dear. You would fit in there, but they are detached to a lot of things outside of learning. There is competitiveness there, and you would surely be pushed past your limits to be the best. But that isn't always the best things. Knowledge is acquired there, but it is unlikely for you to gain friend you will cherish.

That, Miss Granger, is what you desire the most.

Then… it's for you to decide where I'll be. Where will I achieve what I want? Just… not Slytherin.

Well then. Better be…

Hat?

Yes?

What did you mean by the 'blood of purity' in me?

Hmm...I believe this is something that you must work for, Miss Granger. Knowledge is dangerous, and it is not time yet for you to acquire that power. Power is like fire. It is powerful, but it can burn you.

She wasn't satisfied, but it seems like the hat wasn't going to give her anything else.

In that, you are right, Miss Granger. Goodbye.

Bye...

Good luck in –

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat exclaims, and she slips down the stool slowly, feeling drained. She did just sort of argue with the sorting hat, after all.

Looking up, she sees a few people from Gryffindor smile at her with welcome, and her mood rose. It was a happy place. A place where I will get what I desire.

She looked up at the ceiling, with clear night skies and twinkling stars. They shined merrily, and if she imagined it, she could almost think that someone was up there, smiling down at her single step of progress. She fingered her necklace, the embossed swirls of emerald comforting her. I am Hermione Granger.

The witch. The Gryffindor.

A new beginning. A new life.

YAYYY ANOTHER CHAPPIE DONE YES! How'd you like it? the conversation with the sorting Hat took long, though. So many things to talk about with a smart thing...

STUFF:

."I can see that you already know me, familiar one. Or is Ravenclaw too much of a give away?"

Hermione doesn't catch this, but we do. Why would Helena call Hermione familiar? Maybe her parents? Oohh... ;)

.What Hermione desires

So Hermione desires friends the most. Her whole life, she was starved for attention, and the only one who gave her that was Dudley - a bully. Naturally, Hermione would crave friends. Proper friends, which Neville doesn't fill, yet. This desire reflects her loneliness, why she tries so hard to please others, even her teachers.

.Chapter title - Sweeping Dust

Ever try sweeping dust? It's something you just not do, because it doesn't get anything done. It will just move the dust and make you sneeze. Here, Hermione attempts to ignore Harry, but every time he is around, she would just freeze up. Hint that simply ignoring Harry Potter won't solve her problems.