She was awakened by the nurse and it was so gentle and so caring that she was instantly reminded of her mother timid character. Bad turn, she thought. Memories, especially such memories was a prerogative she was yet to deserve. And the only way to deserve them is to get up, brush the teeth, rinse the face, get dressed, pack the things and step out of the infirmary.
Easier said than done. She tried to drag time for as long as she could. And when she finally accomplished all of the above, there was a girl with raven hair wearing Ravenclaw uniform waiting for her outside.
"Jean Wells?" she asked.
"Yes", Hermione replied.
"I'm a Head Girl, Celia, and a fellow Ravenclaw as you can see", she said pointing at her tie and cloak with a familiar badge.
Hermione nodded.
"Headmaster gave me your schedule and some details", she peered at Hermione with curiosity and proceeded to give instructions as she led them to their first class which was Arithmency.
Hermione didn't ask many questions. She only half-heartedly listened to the girl and was more fascinated with the sound of their heals clicking the stones of the castle. It was just too familiar and she almost expected for Ron and Harry to jump her any moment now. They didn't, though. And she was trying really hard to convince herself that this whole thing wasn't just a dream.
Celia left her as soon as they reached the doors and she presented the new girl. There were whispers and glances but she still internally listened to her shoes clicking on the stones. She sat alone, she answered the question she was asked, she listened to the sound of the quill when she put down new material.
She didn't fit in.
There were spectres living in the castle and one Hermione Granger was just that, a spectre.
Celia accompanied her to the classrooms the whole day only to leave her as soon as possible. By the end of the day when she was introduced and settled in her new room, she was certain that the Rawenclaws thought her strange, untalkative and withdrawn. She heard a word weird more than once.
She went to eat in the Great Hall only after she unpacked. There were not many students and she avoided looking at the Slytherin table. She persuaded herself that she wasn't acting like a coward, she just needed time, she wasn't ready yet. So she ate and she left the table and wandered out of the hall and into the Ravenclaw tower without as much as lifting her eyes.
A spectre she was, indeed. A soul without a body. Then how would you call a body without an actual soul?
Voldemort, she thought grudgingly.
And just like this, she stopped in her track. Her strange stupor lifted with the force of pure hatred this name installed in her.
She looked around drinking in the familiar sight, sounds, smells. It was Hogwarts. The Hogwarts, she finally thought. Not once she surged into battles, even lost battles, against him, and now here she was trembling at the very thought that she will have to face the monster again. What would Harry say?
She felt angry at herself for acting like a weak schoolgirl. She was taking none of it, she was Hermione Granger and she knew that in his ranks her name was spit with venom because she just kept ruining his great plans. Why, even her death went completely awry, to be honest. How else would she end up in his time? Maybe it all just made sense somehow.
It was a reassuring thought. Just what she needed and she needed something to cling on. She made her way to the tower and studied herself in the mirror to see for herself that she was fine. She went to sleep relieved. She slept well and spent little time getting ready for classes. Then she descended the stairs and greeted Celia.
"There you are, I have Divination as first class and yours is Ancient Runes so I asked a fellow student to accompany you", Celia said opening the portrait leading out of the room.
"It's really not necessary", Hermione replied which, for a second, caught Celia of guard. She recoiled fast, though.
"Nonsense, we have to take care of you as we are Head Girl and Head Boy", she said as the man standing outside turned to greet them with a smile.
"Tom, it's Jean Wells, Jean, this is our Head Boy, Tom Riddle".