When Hermione got an owl from the Weasleys asking her to go with them to Diagon Alley to pick up school supplies, the young witch didn't know whether to be elated or depressed. She wanted to pick up her supplies with Minerva, but she also wanted to see her friends.
"Màthair, what should I do?" Hermione groused, laying her head on the kitchen table.
"Well" Minerva smiled at her daughter. "What do you want to do?"
"That's just it! I don't know." Hermione sighed. "I want to see my friends, but I want to spend time with you."
The elder witch grinned. "You have spent time with me all summer. Go see your friends."
Hermione sighed, "But I really wanted to go with you to pick up my school supplies and that's when they want to meet me."
"Hermione" Minerva chuckled, "Go, you'll have fun."
A few days later Hermione entered Diagon Alley with the intent of finding the Weasleys. However, she ran into a dirty Harry and a fuming Hagrid instead.
"Hello Miss Hermione." The half giant grinned down at her. "Well, Harry I leave you in her capable hands."
"Hi Hermione." Harry smiled at the young witch.
Hermione, who had taken note of the boy's broken glasses, shook her head. "What did you do to your glasses." With a wave of her wand the young Gryffindor fix the Boy-who-lived glasses.
"Thanks!" the bespeckled boy grinned. "You wouldn't have seen the Weasleys have you? I got separated from them."
"No, I haven't." Hermione shook her head. "Why don't we head to Flourish and Blotts?"
"Always trying to get into a book, huh?" Harry nudged her shoulder.
The young witch grinned at him. "You know me, nose always in a book!"
The duo walked side-by-side and almost reached Flourish and Blotts, when they were accosted by the ginger twins. "Hi-a Harry! Hermione!"
"Fred, George! It's so good to see you!" Hermione gave them both a hug. "Have you gotten your books yet?'
Fred shook his head. "No mum's gone…"
"…in to get them." George grinned.
"Harry, we need to get our books as well. Why don't we stand with Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked, before walking into the shop. Hermione sidled up to the Weasley matriarch. "Good morning, Mrs. Weasley."
"Good morning, Hermione." The elder witch enveloped Hermione in a bone crushing hug. "How are you?"
After execrating herself from the embrace Hermione smiled. "I'm good, thanks."
"Have you heard about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? He's brilliant!" Molly gushed.
"Yeah." Ron groused, "Mum fancies him."
Before either Hermione or Molly could reprimand the boy, Lockhart exclaimed. "Harry Potter! Come here boy! Come here!"
Harry just stood beside Hermione, mouth hanging open.
Unfortunately, the cameraman for the Daily Prophet grabbed him "Come here, boy." And thrust him toward the new DADA professor.
"Harry Potter." Lockhart breathed. "When this lad came into Flourish and Blotts today hoping to buy my books, what he didn't realize was that he was going to receive my entire collection, free of charge. Smile, together we'll make the front page!"
After the camera flashed, a stunned Harry scampered back to where the Weasleys were.
"Hand those to me Harry, and I'll get them signed." Molly smiled kindly at him.
Unfortunately the Fates were not with them that day, and they didn't make it out of the shop before Harry was accosted again.
"The famous Harry Potter." Draco sneered. "Can't even go into a shop without making the front page."
"Leave him alone." Ginny growled.
"Look, Potter's got a girlfriend." Draco smirked at the young Weasley.
Suddenly, a silver snake head slammed into Draco shoulder. "Now, now Draco, play nicely." The elder Malfoy leered and picked up Ginny's books before he put them back. However, both Hermione and Harry noticed that there was an extra book in her cauldron.
Thankfully the rest of the day went by without incident and by the time Hermione went home, she had forgotten about the incident with Malfoy senior.
The day Hermione was to leave for King's Cross both she and Minerva woke up early.
"You have everything packed Kitten?" Minerva asked as she fixed her daughter's hair.
Hermione giggled, "Yes, màthair I have everything packed."
"Right then." Minerva nodded her head. "Off we go."
After Minerva dropped Hermione off, the young witch scampered into the train and picked a good compartment.
A few hours later, Ginny crept into the compartment. "Mind if I sit with you?"
"No, not at all." Hermione smiled and patted the seat next to her.
The hours were spent in silence. Hermione was worried that the boys didn't show up and Ginny was worrying the black book that Lucius had slipped her.
Ginny got sorted unto Gryffindor and neither Harry nor Ron showed up for the feast. Hermione did see that her màthair left half-way through the feast.
When Hermione finally made it to the common room, the boys were being congratulated for their escapades. "I hope you have learned your lesson." Hermione glared at both of them. "Honestly, what were you thinking?"
"We just wanted to get here and the gateway locked us out." Harry sheepishly smiled.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I hope you don't get into any more trouble this year." With that, the Gryffindor princess swept up the stairs and to her dormitory.
The last day of Harry's detention with Lockhart, Hermione and Ron found him running with his ear to the wall.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Hermione asked.
"There's that voice again. I think it wants to kill!" Harry quickly took off down the passageway, leaving his friends no choice but to chase after him.
They made it to the second floor girl's bathroom before Harry stopped. There hanging on the wall across from the bathroom was Mrs. Norris and written in blood:
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware."
"Enemies of the heir, beware?" Draco sneered, "You'll be next Mudbloods!"
Hermione rolled her eyes at his childishness, could he come up with a different line. That one had gotten rather old.
Filtch was furious and wanted Harry's head on a silver platter. Thankfully, Albus was able to calm him down and sent all of the children to bed.
Before Hermione left the corridor she looked back at her parents. Her màthair looked scared and her father troubled.
"Go to bed Kitten." Minerva told her and the fear permeating that thought did little to assuage Hermione's concern.
The next morning at breakfast the Headmaster announced that Hogwarts was going to have a dueling club and all students were welcome to join.
Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Oh, come on 'Mione." Ron said around a mouthful of food. "This is going to be fun. I bet you haven't seen a wizard's dual. They're amazing! But it's something you can't do."
Hermione flinched at what Ron said. Both Fred and George heard their bother's uninformed comment and slapped him on the back of his head.
"Ickle Ronniekins." Fred drawled.
"What makes you think…" George winked at Hermione.
Fred leveled his little brother with a glare. "Miss Hermione can't dual?"
Ron shrunk into himself and muttered something unintelligible.
That evening, after classes, half of the school crowded into the Great Hall. However, Hermione rushed in late.
"Where have you been?" Ron nearly shrieked.
"Oh hush, Ronald." Hermione gave the ginger a withering look. "I needed to check a book out of the Library. It's for our plan on how to get information out of you-know-who. I know the perfect place to brew it; we will go after this is over."
Harry eyed her nervously, "And what… exactly are we brewing?"
Before Hermione could answer, Lockhart made his entrance. And, in Hermione's opinion, made a complete ass out of himself; she was the only girl who though so, however.
"Ug, what is that man wearing?" Ron asked in a pained voice.
Hermione pursed her lips, "That is the garb worn in the Rutland Dueling Club. It is the only club that is not recognized by the Wizengamot as an official dueling club."
Both boys turned and looked at her wide-eyed.
"Let me introduce my assistant Professor Snape." Lockhart gushed. The dour potions professor stalked into the raised platform, glaring. If looks could kill, Dumbledore would need to find a new DADA professor. "He has sportingly agreed to a little demonstration. Now I don't want any of you young ones to worry, you will still have your potions master when I'm through with him."
Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered. "That's because you're going to get your butt handed to you."
The two professors approached one another, drew their wands, and showed them to their opponent before snapping them to their sides. They gave slight bows, turn on their heels and marched to opposite ends of the platform.
Lockhart got into a fancy dueling stance, while Snape opted for an aggressive one. As soon as Lockhart counted down to 'three', Snape calmly stated, "Expelliarmus." Sending the golden haired idiot flying to the across the room.
After Lockhart leveraged himself off the floor, he tried to save face, but Severus was having none of that. "Professor, why don't we allow the student's to try?"
"Quite right you are." Lockhart nodded, "Why don't we have Miss Granger with Miss Parkinson, and then Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley."
Snape sighed. "Mr. Weasley's wand cannot even preform the simplest of spells. Why don't we put Mr. Potter with… Mr. Malfoy?"
"Quite right you are!" The impossibly cheery man beamed. "Miss Granger, Miss Parkinson, you're up!"
As the two girls approached one another, Pansy sneered. "Well, the Mudblood wants to play. Don't worry; I won't hurt you… too much."
"I'd be more worried about yourself." Hermione bared her teeth.
After they bowed, neither took their eyes off the other, and retreated to opposite ends of the platform. They waited for the count down.
As soon as they got to three, Hermione uttered. "Baubillious." A white light shot out of her wand and hit Pansy in the chest, trapping her in a bubble. That was followed quickly by, "Flipendo Duo." which broke the bubble and caused Pansy to go flying past Snape.
The young Slytherin quickly scrambled to her feet and shouted "Furnunculus!"
Hermione ducked and rolled under the pink light. "Incarcerous!"
Pansy was quickly bound with ropes that started tightening.
"Enough!" Snape snapped. "Miss Granger, let Miss Parkinson go."
Hermione inclined her head and canceled the spell.
"The winner is Miss Granger!" Lockhart cheered. "Well done, girls, well done."
As soon as Hermione jumped off the platform she was accosted by Ron. "How did you do that?!"
Hermione just shrugged and turned to watch Harry and Draco dual. The boys were well matched and the dual was going quite well until Draco summoned a snake.
Hermione frowned when she heard Harry speaking Parseltongue and as soon as Harry jumped off the platform, the young witch grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the girl's second floor bathroom.
