Chapter 9

Since Hermione's long sorting she had been asked Nemours times what the sorting hat had told her during her sorting and why it had taken so long to sort her. She decided to only say she had traits from all houses. She didn't think it was a good idea to tell anyone about her destiny to change the wizarding world or how she was supposedly the most powerful witch in a thousand years.

Hermione's first year at Hogwarts had been going well, she had been at Hogwarts for over two weeks. She was excelling in all of her classes and she had made many friends. Most of her friends tended to be in the older years though, she struggled to form a connection with those in her year. Her only friend in the first year was Neville and they sat together in most classes.

Harry was kind to her but he was more of an acquaintance than a friend. Ron was always saying rude things to her and she didn't know why. It upset her so she tended to avoid him and by extension she avoided Harry because the two had become inseparable. She didn't really know the other first-year Gryffindor boys, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. They seemed nice from what she knew of them though. Seamus was an Irish half-blood who had a tendency to blow up cauldrons and Dean was a muggleborn who was good at art and obsessed with football.

Hermione only had two roommates; Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. Lavender was a pureblood and Parvati was a half-blood. They were as thick as thieves always gossiping and talking about fashion. They always tried to include Hermione when she was in the dorm and they would say hi in the Great Hall but other than been in Gryffindor and sharing a dorm they had nothing in common.

Occasionally she would talk to the Ravenclaw first years in the Library or would talk to one of the Hufflepuff first years in class but they we're all acquaintances. The Slytherins hated her. Because of her blood status.

Fred, George and Lee had become her best friends. They would meet each morning in the common room and head down to breakfast together. They would eat breakfast together and then they would walk with her to whichever class she had first each morning. She insisted she was capable of taking herself to classes but they always insisted on escorting her as they were gentlemen. The would meet up for lunch and then go to afternoon classes. They would then meet in the common room where they would do homework and plan pranks together. They would then head down to dinner. After dinner they would either go back to the common room or go to quidditch practice or one of their after school activities.


Hermione was doing more than one after-school activity.

On a Wednesday she went to Ancient Studies where they were currently learning Egyptian magical history. She was fascinated in the protective enchantments that were placed upon the Pyramids.

On Fridays she went to Earth Magic club where they learnt to focus their magic and control different elements. They were focusing on the element of Earth at the moment and so far Hermione has been able to grow a flower from just a seed. Earth magic was a completely wand-less subject. It was about feeling your magic and having control so you could focus it to your bidding. Hermione had been ecstatic when her tulip had grown just from her focusing her magic and holding her hand above the seed.

On Sundays, Hermione went to Magical Theory club which taught her the origins of magic and how different spells worked. She found the lessons fascinating.


15th September 1991

Hermione had become good friends with the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and would watch them practice on a Saturday evening. That's where Hermione currently found herself. She was sat in the stands watching as the Gryffindor Quidditch team practised in the air above her. Oliver was guarding the hoops as Katie, Angelina and Alicia practised different plays with the quaffle trying to get it past him. Fred and George were hitting a bludger back and forth with their beaters bats. They currently didn't have a seeker and would be holding tryouts the following week. Hermione watched fascinated throughout the entire practice. She would gasp occasionally when it looked like one of the team were about to fall or when one of the twins hit the bludger too hard and the other almost was hit with it.

When practice was finished she went down to the pitch to meet them.

"Great practice guys," she said grinning.

"Thanks, Mione." the team said together.

"Right Hermione now its time for your flying lesson," Fred said putting his arm around her and guiding her over to his broom.

"I'm not ready Fred."

"Yes, you are. Your first flying lesson is next week and I promised you I'd help you before your lesson. Now I'm going to help you get over your fear of heights and teach you to fly."

"Fred if she doesn't want to you can't force her to fly," Angelina said.

"Nonsense Angelina its a skill she needs to know, its our duty to teach her to fly," Oliver said.

"Since when were we all teaching her to fly?" George asked Oliver.

"Since now. Hermione you will be an amazing flyer and we are going to teach you. Maybe you will be good enough to be a seeker after all your already part of the team in sprit and you are tiny, the perfect build for a seeker." Oliver said grinning madly.

"I think Oliver's had one too many bludgers to the head," Katie said looking at Oliver like he'd lost his mind.

"I'm not sure if she will be seeker material but we can definitely teach her to fly." Alicia said.

"Guys will you all stop talking about me when I'm right here. You can teach me to fly but I'm not joining the team, it looks terrifying. I'd much rather watch than participate.

"Okay step one to flying let's make sure you are protected," Fred said as he took off his Quidditch helmet and placed it over her head fastening it securely under her chin.

"Step two you place your hand over the broom and say UP clearly. Feel your magic and let it lift the broom." Oliver said. It took her six attempts but eventually, she had the broom in her hand.

"step three, you need to mount your broom but don't push off just find your balance and get a good grip on the handle of your broom," Alicia said smiling as Hermione followed her instructions.

"Step four, you push off gently, use your mind to direct your accent," George said. Hermione did as she was told and she found herself 50 feet above them. She slammed her eyes shut terrified to look down. Fred took Gerges broom and flew up so he was level with her.

"How you feeling Princess," he asked and she could hear the smile in his voice. She shuck her head unable to speak.

"Hermione open your eyes and look at me." she slowly opened one eye and then the other.

"I promise you-you are safe and I won't let anything happen to you. Do you believe me?" She nodded silently.

"Good now I want you to think about going down slowly. Imagine you are a feather slowly drifting down." She did as he said and found herself descending until she was five feet above the Quidditch pitch.

George, Oliver, Katie, Angelina and Alicia were shouting words of encouragement from below her.

"Step five, I want you to lean forward slightly and use your body to direct where you want your broom to go."" Fred said and she did. She leant forward and shot forward, she leant left and went left, she leant right and went right. Before long she was circling the Quidditch pitch at incredible speed, racing Fred as she let out an exhilarated laugh.

She didn't feel comfortable any higher than 5 feet in the air but loved the speed at which she raced. She had made progress and her friends cheered encouragements to her.

When she landed she was pulled into a group hug with the Quidditch team. They were very proud of her.


19th September 1991

Hermione woke up happily on the day of her 12th birthday, not only was it her birthday but it was the one year anniversary of the day she had learnt that she was a witch. She got up and got dressed and practically skipped her way to the common room to find her boys.

When she entered the common room she found a massive banner that said, Happy Birthday Hermione. Under the banner were all her friends. They all wished her a happy birthday and made her sit down to open presents.

Lee gave her a teddy bear that had a Gryffindor scarf wrapped around its neck. George gave her a box of products that he had developed. Angelina gave her a charms book, Katie gave her a box of chocolate. Alicia gave her a quick quotes quill with a brand new leather notebook. Oliver gave her a brand new Gryffindor Quidditch jersey which had the word princess on the back. Neville gave her a potted plant.

.

The last to give her something was Fred who gave her a silver charm bracelet. There was a tiara charm, a lion charm, a sorting hat charm, a broom charm, a wand charm and a book charm. It was beautiful.

"Fred it's too much".

"No, it isn't princess I made it just for you."

"You made it?"

"Yeah." He said quietly smiling at her. Hermione threw herself at him giving him a massive hug.

"Thank you, Fred, I love it." She said as she slipped it onto her wrist.

"no problem Princess."

At breakfast, Professor McGonagall brought her a big gift box from her parents. Inside there were some new clothes, a few muggle books and a silver locket with a photograph of her and her parents inside. They had sent had some more galleons. There was also a tray of chocolate brownies her mum had baked for her, she shared them with her friends.

The rest of Hermione's birthday went the same as any other day as she went to her classes. In the evening after dinner, she was sitting next to the fire in the common room when her friends surrounded her, Fred holding a birthday cake with 12 candles on it. They all sang Happy Birthday to her and she had an amazing night laughing and joking with her friends whilst they all ate birthday cake.


21st September 1991

After having such a good birthday the two days before it would seem only natural that Hermione would end up having a very bad day on the day of her first flying lesson.

She had woken up not really feeling very well and had made her way silently to the Common Room where she greeted the boys with very little energy. She barely ate any breakfast and Fred suggested she take the day off and visit the hospital wing or go back to bed. Hermione didn't want to miss any classes though so she trudged her way through the school attending all her classes. She ended up in the girl's bathroom vomiting during lunch, she really didn't feel well. Had had a headache and her throat hurt. She only had one more class though so she made her way to the Quidditch pitch for her flying lesson with all the other first-year students.

The class had been going well and she had managed to prevent herself from being sick again. They had all just mounted their brooms when Neville lost control of his. He flew spiralling through the air like a Catherine-wheel, he smashed into the Astronomy tower before falling and getting his robe caught on a spike, his robe tore and he ended up smashing into the ground where he broke his wrist.

Madam Hooch had ordered them to stay on the ground whilst she took Neville to the hospital wing. Draco Malfoy had to be a prick though and Harry had to be a hero.

Sniggering Draco picked up Neville's remembrall. "Did you see his face, maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze he'd of remembered to fall on his fat arse." All of the Slytherins found this hilarious.

"Give it hear Malfoy," Harry demanded.

"No, I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find, how about on the roof?" With that said he was soon flying off into the air and Harry was soon in the air too. Before she knew it Malfoy had thrown the remembrall and Harry had dived 150 feet catching it in one hand just before it had hit the ground.

The Gryffindors cheered and Hermione found herself cheering too. This was short lived though as Professor McGonagall soon arrived and took Harry away. Malfoy was smug that Harry was in trouble.

Hermione made her way back into the castle and headed into the great hall for dinner. She really wasn't feeling very well. She sat quietly next to Fred pushing her food around her plate with her fork. After fifteen minutes of this, she decided she would head upstairs to bed. She said goodnight to her friends and stood up from the Gryffindor table. She was halfway to the doors of that led to the Entrance Hall when she was suddenly hit with a wave of dizziness and everything went black.