A/N: If all of you want to kill me right now, I understand and I apologise. I would inform you of my excuses, but that would be pointless, as it won't change anything. So here's another chapter.~B

Hermione POV

I sat in my room, thinking. How can I see that pub if I'm just a muggle? I looked out of the window and there it was, still standing there as it always had. The rain pelted against it, representing my mood. Fred was my only friend, and for the first time in my life I actually felt lonely. I had always been content with having books as my companion, but now... I actually had a friend, by being myself. All the other 9 year old girls are outside playing, sharing secrets, making daisy chains and dressing up as princesses, whereas I've always preferred to read a book and visit the library. Now I'd rather have friends.

I searched my room for all my library books, determined to take them back and then go outside and try and make friends. Scooping them all up and tottering slightly under their weight, I nudged open my front door with my foot and returned to the busy streets of London.

In next to no time my feet had taken me to the vast old library. I pushed the doors open and tried to walk in but ended up staggering under the heavy pile of novels. I reached the desk and dropped the books on the desk with relief. The librarian with the radish earrings smiled at me before checking in my books one by one. She stopped when she reached "Hogwarts: A History".

"Would you like me to renew this one again?" She asked politely, tucking her long blond hair behind her ears.

"No thank you." I replied hesitantly. That was my favourite book of all time, but it was a sacrifice I had to make if I wanted to be normal.

"You don't look like you want to part with it." She said, reading my thoughts and gazing at me with an amused expression. "You can't force yourself to do something you don't want to, and then it will constantly burden you."

"I just want to be normal, like I should be." I whispered, stifling a sob. "Friendship, and happiness, not books and cleverness!"

"Why do you want to be normal when there is something special in your heart just waiting to be nurtured?" She replied instantly, as if she had being trying to say that to me for years. "You're just as normal as I am." She smiled, handing the book back to me. "Read through this again and then come back and tell me if you really want to be normal, then I will happily oblige." She said this to me as if I did have magic in me, which made me even more confused. Firstly, my parents are completely normal, with normal jobs, with a normal life, and secondly, I'm nothing special, I'm just a complete bookworm, and friendless...

I ran home with the book in my arms and returned to my bed. I opened the book and a piece of parchment fluttered out.

"You're a witch. That's what makes you special." It stated. I stared at it dumbfounded for a few short seconds when it gracefully turned into a butterfly, and fluttered out of the window. The rain had disappeared and the sun now filtered through into my room.

I had hope.