A quiet tip tapwas heard in the King's Platform that day. It was a young witch on her way to school, but not just any witch. It was Hermione Granger, who was about to begin her first year at a boarding school. A muggle-born witch walking alone to get into a train for her new school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She walked with her suitcase which had been precariously packed and re-packed and packed again days before to ascertain the best method of organization and to guarantee everything needed would fit. It was a panicked moment when she questioned how a cauldron would fit with all of her other belongings. That was before, since there was no sign of the frazzled girl as she carefully walked with everything in its designated place. A very peculiar witch, indeed.

As she calmly walked with thetip tap of her shoes, she remembered what brought her here, how a knock at the door changed everything.

It had started with a simple knock at the front door of the Granger household. Her father looked up from her newspaper, her mother looked up from her crossword and Hermione felt something foreboding as she put down her copy of 'The Hobbit'. And there she was, in their doorstep stood the one Professor McGonagall with very important news that would change this family forever.

And with one teacup turned mouse, parents falling to the couch and Hermione looking in wonder to the professor who spoke of a whole new magical world that she belonged to, Hermione's life changed with old goals left to dust. The professor spoke to her parents more about the school while the young girl listened half-heartedly, feeling much like Bilbo looking back at the Shire before marching to Erebor. She was going to go on an adventure.

As long as she had remembered, she felt as if she was missing something, an absence of a spark or a light that she felt in her chest. She wondered with hope that maybe this was it, maybe this was what she was missing. Perhaps this was what caused her to look in moments of joy at the space next to her and expecting someone to be there instead of the empty air. She would have to ask the professor.

The Professor took her to Diagon Alley, sans parents due to them needing rest after such a stressful day and it was barely noon. She could not stop looking at everything, the people, the magic, the books!

First, they went to get her wand, Hermione felt so ashamed at wrecking the shop after trying so many wands that she honestly believed that they would give up, return her home and make her forget the entire day. She was about to comment when Ollivander handed her a wand rather ominously and she took it just to savor the magic for what her dramatic mind believed would be the last time when she felt something, a tingling of sorts. Something felt right, her heart beat faster as she gasped with new air in her lungs as the wand pointed itself to the sky and released a bright golden sphere of light.

"Oh my! That is the brightest magic from a new magic I've seen in a century," Ollivander professed. McGonagall seemed stunned. Hermione quickly bought the wand and they left the store while Ollivander muttered, "One of three indeed."

They quickly sped through everything needed to buy, even the school robes which Hermione took a moment to twirl around. Hermione did feel something weird as they walked past the Quidditch store, something was calling her. As she peered in, she saw a red hair sticking out and everything stilled when McGonagall called her and the moment ended.

McGonagall and her walked out of Diagon Alley while Hermione kept looking back at the magical sports store. Somehow in her walk home, she felt much lonelier even with the joy of having fascinating books to read and a new uniform bought.

Here she stood, with her parents dropping her off since they both have a day filled of dentist appointments and she assured them that she could do this herself. Just as she was looking at her ticket wondering where the heck Platform 9 ¾ was, she knocked against an older lady.

"I'm sorry dearie," the older lady politely stated yet she gazed into Hermione's eyes for a tad too long when the lady smiled, nodded and whispered, "Are you looking for the platform for the school?" Hermione grew relieved as she nodded and jumped when the older lady screamed, "Neville! Dearie, this is my grandson, Neville. He will be a first year with you. Neville, say 'hello'!"

Hermione looked to Neville who waved with a quiet "hello."

Neville and she stared at each other rather awkwardly when the older lady sighed defeatedly, "Well come along, don't want to be late." Suddenly Augusta, as she was told the older lady's name was, sprinted forward with Neville's trolley into a wall and disappeared. Well, she had nothing to lose. Neville held to one side of her trolley with her on the other as they both ran straight into the same wall. They stopped as the scenery changed, a large red train in front of them. Hermione covered her mouth with her hand in shocked relief. It was real!

Well, of course she knew it was real. She had already gotten her wand, uniform and books yet it was seeing the train that made her realize that this was going to be her life. Hermione kept trying to stop thinking that at some point they were going to change their mind about her or that she would get to the train station and it would all have been a big prank. This, the train made it all real.

Someone helped her put her suitcase up when suddenly she felt that calling again as Neville offered to introducing her to some of his friends. They both jumped into the train and walked over, looking through all the compartments until Neville saw a boy with red hair and a boy with round glasses. "Hey Ron!", Neville waved at his friend and motioned to Hermione to come closer, "Ron, Hermione. She is a first year with us."

Ron smiled at her for a second and quickly glanced back at Neville a second later, "Hey Nev, this is Harry, Harry Potter. Can you believe it?!" The boys then spent a couple of moments mooning over a clearly uncomfortable Harry.

She took pity and handed him a lifeline, "Hello Harry, will this be your first year in Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded in relief and before he could say anything Ron interrupted, "Wait till you see it Harry, my brothers tell me it is amazing. First, they'll sort you into your house-."

"Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor or Slytherin," Hermione interrupted.

Ron was too enthusiastic to mind being interrupted, "Yeah! My brother Bill was in Gryffindor with the twins, my other brother Percy is in Ravenclaw and Charlie is in Hufflepuff like my dad."

She felt herself become bored as the conversation continued with the boys; she had already read most of the information sprouting from Ron's mouth from Hogwarts: A History. She was about to begin either daydreaming or take out a book when she felt it again, a sort of calling that began from her chest. She looked over to Neville and quietly excused herself, she was going to find what that feeling was.

Hermione felt something change, she stopped in every compartment as she used the excuse of Neville's frog going missing to excuse her snooping. She hadn't found anything, but the feeling was getting stronger when she was led to the door separating the carriages. This was it.

Hermione prepared herself and was inching her hand to reach the door handle when suddenly it opened with a large SWOOSH! Hermione clutched her forehead from where the door hit when 2 people began talking. "Fred! I am so sorry for my brother's antics." "Me! It was you! I apologize for whoever hit you"

Hermione was still clutching her forehead, eyes closed in pain as she sarcastically said, "Is this how you say hello?! There are less painful-," she opened her eyes to scold them some more when she saw them and her heart stop beating. It was them. She met two pair of blue eyes whose eyes widened along with her. There was this warm feeling that was making her fingertips tingle. It felt as if she had been waiting for them forever. Although she had never seen them before, there was something soothing about their faces. It filled her with joy and happiness and emotions that made her feel like she could levitate. Who were they?

They began talking again, "Do you-"

"-Feel that too?"

Hermione was without words and simply nodded. They helped her stand up, "I'm Fred Weasley and this is my younger less handsome twin-" "George Weasley and he means the handsome and youngest twin."

They bowed together, "At your service."

Hermione giggled, "Hermione Granger." Just when things were looking up, she felt a sting on her wrists, it burned. She looked over to the twins to see them clutching their own wrists. Fred stood up and told George to find an empty compartment and went over to Hermione.

She looked at Fred's eyes while she heard George telling some poor students a couple of feet away to abandon their compartment "or face getting pranked for the rest of the school year." Fred and Hermione then walked into the newly empty compartment and they all sat down. Hermione released her hold on her wrists only to see a thin line on each one, the only difference being one was green and the other blue. She expectantly looked at the twins, they understood and let her see their wrist. It seemed it only affected one of their wrists, Fred getting blue and George green.

Neither said a word until Hermione surprisingly whispered, "incredible." She looked straight at them and then sat at the little space between them, "Look! They match." She grasps Fred with her left and George to with her right hand. Fred and George looked over to see that she was right, it was the exact same color. As Hermione tightened her hold on each of their wrists, they shuddered at the feeling of magic passed through them.

Hermione wrinkled her eyebrows, at age 12 she had never seen anything like this, "What do you think it means?"

George looked at Fred, "Well, our mom talked to us about this in our first year. She said that if it ever happened then it would mean that we will become really good friends."

Hermione nodded, "Well that is good."

Fred continued, "We should still hide it, our mom got really sad talking about it and she cried although she thinks we didn't hear her."

Hermione agreed, "We need to read and do some research before we tell anyone." Hermione and the twins quickly covered her marks with thick bracelets that the twins had grabbed from their bags and magically duplicated them. With this new mark bonding them together and hidden beneath bracelets, the twins and Hermione talked about each other until it felt less weird to be connected to strangers and more friends.

This is it. She belonged! Hermione Granger, official Ravenclaw. She was a little disappointed that she wasn't in Gryffindor like the twins, but she belonged in Ravenclaw in a way that being with the lions would have certainly made her feel isolated and alone. Apparently, she was the first hat stall since Professor McGonagall and another student named Peter Pettigrew in the 1970's.

For what felt like forever was really 5 minutes and 25 seconds according to her trusty new friend Padma. It seemed like Neville would cause another Hat stall until it declared at the 4 minute mark that he was a Hufflepuff along with the Abbot girl. Ron and Harry were both declared Gryffindors with a loud cheer from the lion's table.

The rest of the night went by quickly as she got paired with Padma and another pair of girls named Natalia and Zarah that were also first years. Hermione noted with wonder that her robes already had her new house sigil stitched in ready for the first day of school.

She quickly fell asleep, thinking back to the Sorting Hat's words to her, "Young phoenix, what an interesting life you are going to have. Someday you shall save us all."

Breakfast, a necessary meal to take on the day. She walked into the Great Hall and was going to sit in the Ravenclaw table when 2 pairs of arms grab her and lead her to the Gryffindor table. She turns back, "Hello Hermione-" "-Enjoy your first day?"

Hermione huffed, "Where am I being led, gentlemen?"

Someone talked next to her ear, Fred. She didn't know how or why she knew, but she did, "Look up."

Another voice on her other side, George, "If the banners are of Hogwarts and not Houses then people can sit wherever they like-"

"-Meaning that you are going to sit and have breakfast with us." Hermione sighed and nodded, pretending that this bothered her instead of being pleased on having already made friends.

They sat down across from Ron and Harry who were talking to a boy with burnt hair and a dark-skinned Hufflepuff that sat alongside Neville. The two strangers introduced themselves to her, "Hullo, I'm Seamus and that's me friend Dean."

The Hufflepuff huffed and looked at Hermione, "My name in Dean Thomas, Seamus is still displeased we aren't in the same house, but that's alright huh Neville. Badgers are known for their loyalty!" Neville nodded after Dean's light shove.

"Hey, why are you guys sitting like that?," Hermione looked to see Ron was talking to them when she noticed how she and the twins were sitting. The twins sat with Hermione between them and, unknown to the others, matching their wrists marks. It was peculiar that it didn't seem weird to either of them.

The twins grinned at their brother, "Well Ron, we need to make sure that the little eagle doesn't fly away."

"She's our friend and we don't need her to get scared when she sees your atrocious eating skills." Atrocious, Hermione likes that word. She ignored their bickering and got herself a porridge with honey while she placed the word in her mental book of curious words.

As they all left to get their school supplies from the dorms, the twins followed, "We have a surprise for you."

Hermione turns to them, "what is it?"

Fred shook his finger, "No no no, we will show you after classes." The classes passed by quickly although she was still fuming after Snape's lessons where he insulted both Harry and Hermione when Fred and George make their appearance.

"Which professor did you meet?"

"Snape."

The twins grimace, "Yeah he is a piece of sunshine, isn't he?" "Well now worries, this will make you feel a lot better."

They lead her to giant double doors and open it to let her walk in. What was her surprise? This seemed- Hermione's thoughts stopped and felt her eyes widen as her jaw dropped. It was the library and it was beautiful. "We thought you might appreciate this," Fred whispered in her ear.

"You know no one has been able to count how many books there are," George happily told her. She looked around the stacks of books and even some flying around the room, this made her feel certainly better.

She would have to think of this moment various times for the next couple of weeks after Fred and George told her to make friends in her own age and stopped talking to her too much. She did not understand Harry and Ron, she tried to befriend them but everything she did seem to bore them.

She tried to help them with the spell, homework and in class yet everything seemed to annoy them. She even defended Harry from Snape and told Madam Hooch what Malfoy did in Broom Flying class after Harry left! As she walked behind Harry and Ron when she heard them whispering, "It's no wonder no one can stand her, honestly she is a nightmare."

She then heard Potter remark, "I can't believe the twins ask us to be friends with her." Hermione thought Harry would defend her but to think that the twins took pity on her made her feel disgusted and small. She ran off.

Fred and George felt as if they were missing something, they looked upon their full plate of dinner in puzzlement. Professor Quirrell had marched into the Great Hall and announced the wandering troll. In an instant everyone was commandeered to their dorms and then it hit them, Hermione. "Forge, I can't see Hermione-." "-Where could she be?"

In the madness, they did not realize Harry and Ron were behind them and had overheard as they glanced at each other with widened eyes. The twins ran off to the library while Harry and Ron, with their insider information ran off in the direction to the restrooms that Hermione had ran towards earlier in the day.

In the aftermath, Hermione could not believe that she had knocked out a troll by herself. She saw Ron and Harry still hiding by the sinks, nonetheless she smiled because it's the thought that counts, and in a moment of danger they ran back to make sure she was okay.

The professors ran inside, having found them by the sound the troll's body made when hitting the marble floor. Not long after the twins ran in, having found them the same way. Professor McGonagall gave Ron and Harry ten points while taking away 15 points from Ravenclaw for Hermione's attempt to take out a troll by herself. The professor also scolded Fred and George but admired their brotherly dedication, the twins stayed quiet not wanting to admit that it was not brotherly concern that brought them to the girl's restroom and offered to walk the trio back to their dorms.

Fred and George dropped Harry and Ron off first since the Gryffindor tower was closer and walked in awkward silence with Hermione. Hermione annoyed, stirred them to an abandoned classroom that she had found weeks ago in her search to find a good place to study and closed the door, "Do you think I am incompetent?"

George looked away, "No-"

"Good, then explain why you thought forcing your brother and his friend to befriend me was a good idea."

Fred twist his wrist bracelet, "Hermione, we just wanted you to have friends of your own since we know how uncomfortable it looks to be with us."

Hermione huffed, "Well why don't you let me make my own decision from now on, you idiots."

George and Fred grinned, "yes milady"

Hermione smiles and goes to lean on the teacher's desk in her usual spot between them as she uncovered her wrist by removing the watch and the bangle of bracelets that she had been using to cover them. The twins caught her hint and removed the leather cuffs they used that were thankfully in style at Hogwarts.

They looked at wonder at the new red line that joined their lines and Hermione spoke, "I felt it burning when I defeated the troll. I don't know what it means but it looks beautiful." Hermione smiled at them with a light in her eyes that made both twins lightly blush.

After that the twins drop her off at the Ravenclaw entrance and hugged her tightly to show their apologetic as well as their happiness over her triumph. In a new development, Harry, Ron and Hermione were truly friends now. It seemed knocking out a troll connected them in a way that shared homework did not.

The Ravenclaw prefect and the twins older brother, Percy, lightly scolded Hermione over the lost points, but laid off when Hermione promised to recover and double the points she had lost. He nodded and looked pleased, it seemed that Hermione's legacy followed as her year's brightest student and the one that just might help Ravenclaw win the House Cup.

The next morning also saw an exciting package arrive at Hogwarts breakfast for the Gryffindors' as Harry got a new Nimbus Two Thousand. Hermione felt something in the back of her mind, some joy but dismissed it as her own.

That afternoon Harry was excused from class by McGonagall to be taught Quidditch by the Gryffindor's Team Captain, Oliver Wood. Harry walked alongside Wood to the courtyard when they passed Percy, Ron's older brother.

"Skipping class again Oliver?", Percy remarked.

"Oh, piss off Perce. I'm on official Team Captain duties," Oliver grinned.

Percy stomped his foot, "Do not call me that Oliver! And what are you going to do after Hogwarts if you keep missing this much school?"

"Well definitely not work for the Ministry like you are. I'll be a Quidditch player with fans cheering my name from the stands."

Percy scoffed, "I'd like to see that," and walked away with a last remark to Oliver, "And pick up your bloody dirty jerseys from the floor. I nearly died tripping on them during our tutoring session last week."

Oliver muttered, "prat" until he saw that Harry was looking at him and explained, "You will never find a more annoying classmate than that Percy Weasley. Well come on!" Harry then spent the rest of the day learning the Quaffle, Beaters, Keeper and Seeker were until he was sweating from catching a simple muggle ball and pretending it was the Snitch.

Oliver finally dismissed him, and Harry ran to meet up with Hermione and Ron while whispering about his secret role as the new Seeker. Hermione then surprised them all by showing him the trophy room, which she had to clean in detention due to the troll incident and showed him the quidditch trophy with his father's name. "It's in your blood, Harry." Harry had never seen anything about his parents and his hand shakily wavered over his father's name, a parent he had never met.

It was then ruined with the twins bombarding Harry with hard pats on the back, "Well done Harry!" "Oliver told us, since we are part of the team." "The beaters, of course." "The best part of the team." "Until now, with the next legendary Potter seeker, following your dad's footsteps." Hermione grinned while Harry looked dizzily as one twin spoke and another finished the sentence.

This was it. The quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, the two houses with no love for one another. The match screamed intensity with other houses also eagerly showing up to see the first match of the season.

Hermione helped as much as she could to help Harry and Ron with their homework in a study room she had found in the depths of the library before the match so Harry could focus more on the game rather than thinking of the Transfiguration homework which wasn't done yet. She had also helped Ravenclaw catch up and pass every other house for points, so much so that older Ravenclaw students were giving her pats in the back with words of finally winning the Cup while glaring at passing Slytherin and Gryffindor students..

It was the match they were all hoping for, it also included Harry almost losing control of his broom with someone cursing it with Dark Magic. Hermione felt the hair of the arms raise and spotted Snape in mid-incantation. She rapidly caused a fire in the teacher's stands and allowed Harry to recuperate and catch the Snitch in the most disgusting way (swallowing it) with Slytherin screaming it did not count to catch it with your mouth but Madam Hooch allowing the points.

Hermione walked into the study room where she was meeting Harry and Ron in which she was late for when she heard whispering from the cracked door. "We should tell Hermione; she would know what to do. Ron, we are in over our heads."

Hermione decided to interrupt, "Tell me what?"

Harry and Ron both jumped and looked at each other in alarm, "Well…." Harry and Ron then began to tell her what they had discovered when they went to the wrong floor.

Hermione sat down, "You idiots. The third floor? A large 3 headed dog named Fluffy? You were right, you both are so in over your head. Okay, so the name Hagrid accidently told you, 'Nicholas Flammel', have you looked it up?"

She looked up expectantly only to be met with Harry's whisper, "We were supposed to look it up?"

She shook her head and muttered how hopeless they were, "And you say someone is trying to break in to steal whatever Dumbledore made Hagrid get, the same person who you think decided to rob Gringotts?" Harry nodded and didn't say a word.

She walked out of the room, "Okay, let's go."

Ron looked around, "Go where?"

Hermione stopped herself from a face-palm, "Well, I won't find out what Nicholas Flammel means by just myself, am I?"

She regretted the decision immediately; they both were atrocious researchers with no patience to read and stay still for longer than 20 minutes. She made them leave the library before she killed them or better yet, let Madam Pince do it herself. With the amount of shushing the librarian had done in their direction and how low her frown had stretched, it would not take long.

Suddenly she wasn't alone anymore when she heard, "What are you doing-"

"-With a book far too advanced for an average first year?"

She turned around with an innocent smile to face two pairs of familiar blue-green eyes. George, she knew it was George, smiled back turned to his twin, "Ah the first sign of a not so innocent student."

Fred then replied with a small smile, "With her spending too much time with us, we should have expected it much sooner."

Hermione looked at them, "I need help, but you can't ask me any questions."

Fred and George looked at each other, "Okay."

She wrinkled her eyebrows, "What? Why?"

"Well Hermione, you are our friend and we trust you." "and you now owe us a favor."

Hermione grinned, "Alright," and proceeded to tell them about needing to find the meaning of Nicholas Flammel. They found it the next day and she was overjoyed and then not so much as she read the passage of what accomplishments Flammel had achieved.

...

"You're telling me that there is an immortal stone in Hogwarts?!," Ron's jaw dropped.

Hermione reminded herself not to face-palm, "Yes, keep up Ronald and someone is trying to steal it."

Harry nodded, "Okay so we need to protect it."

Hermione once again reminded herself that although it was a bad idea, it just meant that if she said that then Harry and Ron would just do it themselves and accidentally kill themselves.

Christmas was approaching and it could be rapidly deducted from the snow that was piling up. Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville all applied to stay at Hogwarts during the break while Harry and Ron look expectantly to Hermione who shrugged, "My family has got plans. There is a dentists convention in south France with some family nearby."

Seamus and Ron raise their eyebrows, "A muggle dentist, what's dat?"

Dean laughed and dug his elbow in Seamus' side, "It's a doctor who looks at teeth." That explanation did not seem to help as both wizards looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

Hermione was bored, she was bored she was bored bored bored. She was sitting behind the whole convention as she saw her parents explain their recent article on tooth pain management. She swung her legs up and down, counted the tiles of the roof and counted how many tiles of floor it would take the cover the room. She sighed, this ceiling has nothing on Hogwarts. Great, now she is thinking about Hogwarts.

She remembered Hogwarts and how the twins made her swear to stay for next Christmas so she can see the whole school decorated by large trees and decorations and white snow. She missed them; she could usually count on them being there to cheer her up when she felt lonely.

Hermione grasped her bracelet and twirled it, wanting to see the mark but it was too dangerous. She kept twirling it as she remembered their eyes and grins when suddenly she looked up to see the lights in the convention were flickering. She let go of her bracelet. Oh no. Hermione looked up to see her parent's eyes looking straight at her not revealing emotions, this- she caused this.

It was Christmas.

She was near her parents but still felt that sheer emotions of loneliness. After the conventions, her parents had talked to her about better controlling her magic and not causing an embarrassment to them. She sighed. Nobody even knew it was her and besides it was one broken light bulb, that was an improvement to the testament of her control.

The feeling of loneliness was quickly abandoned along with any thoughts about her parents when she saw that she had presents. Hermione Granger had no sense of patience as she tore through the wrapper. Usually she would attempt to save all the wrapping but after this break, she felt slightly rebellious. Sugar quills from Harry and Ron, a book of 'Overlooked Useful Spells for Students' from Padma, and the twins gave her a book of 'Strangely Peculiar Words' and a beautiful small blue quill with golden highlights.

She felt so loved when she suddenly spotted a small package hidden in the corner. Hermione delicately opened it to gasp at the reveal various pots of ink that would be marvelous at revising and taking notes, and a scarf and mittens. She looked over for the note only to read that it was from Professor McGonagall herself, she smiled.

Meanwhile in Hogwarts, Harry Potter receives a mysterious package unknown to him, from the strange Headmaster. The young Potter would not understand the meaning of the Invisibility Cloak until years later, but he would remember this as being his first true gift and evidence of a family and life he would have had.

The twins just laid around the tower, they felt drained without Hermione near them.

"We are a pitiful sight Forge"

"Utterly pathetic Gred."

"She must never know how boring we are without her."

"Swear"

Fred and George then proceeded to motivate themselves into getting up. Eventually they joined Harry and Ron while also forcing Percy to spend some time with the Weasley clan. They could see the old Percy coming back when they had a snowball fight and they cheered at their innovation.

It was late at night when Harry Potter jumped out of bed to try on his Invisibility Cloak to guard the third floor. Harry knew that this was a bad idea, but he had to try to protect the school. He was on his way to the third floor when he heard a cat's meows and quickly ran into the library. Merlin, this was a bad idea.

Then against all odds, he saw a hidden door on his left. Quietly opening and shutting it he looked around to find a mirror. It felt as if Harry could hear the ominous music as he walked closer to the mirror. The terror that had suddenly faded when he realized that Snape and Filch were gone rose again when he saw people in the mirror.

His hand shakily wove inches above the mirror as he turned to face it. There was a woman there, and a man. He knew them, but from where? That's when he noticed it. Her eyes. His hair. His glasses. Her smile. Harry's eyes watered, "Mom? Dad?"

As if they could hear him, they looked at him and grinned. He looked behind his parents to see the other people in the mirror and wished he hadn't. Harry could now see all the little details he missed earlier. Some had the same nose as him and others have the same green eyes as him. This was his family. These were the people that would have raised and loved him if they all hadn't died.

Harry could not remember how long he stood there, watching the family he never had a chance to experience only that when he finally moved his legs shook. There was a noise outside of the castle that reminded him that he had to make his way back to the dorm, but he didn't want to.

For a moment, he considered spending his life in front of this mirror. He hesitated and he looked at the door where outside of this school, he only had Dursley as the only family that did not despise him. Harry was an orphan living in a cupboard, but if he stayed here in front of this mirror then he would have family that smiled and looked like him. His mother let a tear slid down her face while Harry swore, "I'll be back, promise mum."

Harry tried to show Ron his family, he grew frustrated when Ron couldn't see it. When Ron could only see himself holding the Quidditch Cup and surrounded by his friends. He only grew more frustrated when Ron warned him not to go back.

Harry finally made his way back to the mirror, to his family when Dumbledore told him what the mirror was. "My boy, people have been driven mad by this mirror. So envious to have what the mirror shows them that they stand there in front of it just for a glimpse. Go to sleep, just know that the mirror will not be here when you come back." Harry nodded and left the room to not come back the next night.

Hermione came back relieved to be back at Hogwarts and being tackled by her favorite twins only to be horrified at the news of the mirror and of Snape referring the next Quidditch match, "Harry please tell them you're injured or something."

Harry snapped, "Hermione I can't."

They would have continued the argument if Neville hadn't hopped in front on them, clearly cursed with the Leg-Locker Curse and on the journey to bunny-hop to the Hufflepuff dorms. Hermione sighed, "Neville stop." She quickly made the counter-curse while Harry help Neville up while he stabilized his balance. "Neville you have to stand up to them."

"I can't, Hermione."

"One of these days Neville, they will get what is headed to them."

"Yeah, but until then I am happy that I am friends with you."

"Same Neville, same."

She sighed and everyone said their goodbyes as they all went into the common rooms. The match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor began with Oliver warning Harry to "catch the snitch early as possible before Snape puts in penalties."

The match was over as soon as it began, Harry caught the snitch and got the Gryffindor win and Ron had defended Neville against Malfoy after he commented Hufflepuff as the 'weakest House' during the match.

Hermione walked up to go and finally revise her Transfiguration essay after the game ended and saw Snape heading into the forest. Trouble. She quickly ran as quietly as possible feeling like some teen M16 spy into the dark trees only to hear voices. Quirrell and Snape. As she overheard what was happening, she turned and ran to tell Harry and Ron.

"You mean to tell me the stone's only protector is Quirrell and all he has to do to protect it is to not give in to Snape?", Ron waved his hands madly, "It'll be gone by next Tuesday!"

They kept on looking for signs that Professor Quirrell was breaking, but found none, although he was looking more pale and weaker than before. As much as they would have liked to focus on the stone, they suddenly got double the homework with extra readings for the approaching exams.

They made sure to check that Fluffy was still growling but after that, they were all in the library until one fateful day when Hagrid came to check out a book. In Hermione's search for truth she was introduced to Hagrid and offered a cup of tea. Of course, she had ulterior motives to find out what Hagrid knew about the stone and was pleased to find out about each professors' test until she saw, "is that a dragon egg?" Oh great.

"Awesome, I've always wanted to see a dragon egg hatch"

"It'll be amazing"

Oh great, now she lost Harry and Ron to thinking without common sense about raising a dragon, "He lives in a wooden house!"

She should have known that Malfoy would do something like this to get back on Harry and Ron. Hagrid was absolutely devastated, "I can't let Norbert go, he'll die!" Hermione was annoyed and upset so she did what she always did in moments of crisis, go to the library and look for a solution.

"Ah and there we see the young Hermione Granger in her natural habitat-" "Oh wait, she had spotted us. Quick before she hits- OW." Both twins looked put out when she playfully hit them with the book Triumphs and Defeats of Raising a Dragon.

She hadn't had time to talk with them unless it was for their usual breakfast and she never felt so guilty as to that until they were looking at her books with unanswered questions in their eyes.

She motions them to sit at the table, "Okay, you can't tell a soul." Both Fred and George nodded their heads, "Hagrid has a baby dragon in his hut that he is raising, and Draco knows so we- I have to find a way to save a dragon without it resulting in Hagrid's sacking."

Fred whistled while George said, "Wow, you really go all out."

Hermione nodded, "So what should we do?"

George thinks out loud, "Well we can-," interrupted by Fred snapping his fingers and saying, "Charlie!"

Hermione wrinkles her nose, "Charlie, your other brother?"

George grins, "Yes Charlie, our dragon trainer brother who works in the dragon preserve in Romania."

Hermione widens her eyes, "Of course, he can take the dragon to be raised by experts. Perfect."

The twins run with her to Hagrid's hut where Ron and Harry are and explain how they can write to Charlie. Hagrid remembering his most devoted Hufflepuff student, agreed. Ron mumbled about why the twins were involved with Hermione harshly replying that they needed the help.

It took two days for the twins to get a response from Charlie and they read it aloud

Gred and Forge,

First off, please stop sending me toilet seats from Hogwarts. I am getting really weird looks from the postmaster.

Tell Hagrid that to not worry about Norbert and he'll be in safe hands.

It won't be easy, but my friends and I can pick him up at the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday if you can meet us.

Please message back

Love,

Charlie

Ron motioned to keep the letter, but Fred took the letter away, "And let you forget it somewhere where another person could find it? No." They quickly planned with twins and Hermione to take the dragon and Ron and Harry providing a lookout.

"But why her?", Ron sprayed crumbs all over the table.

George raised his eyebrows, "Because she is the only one that asked for help when she knew she needed it." With the last glare, Ron and Harry stayed quiet.

"Shhhhhh." The three of them crouched down into the Invisibility Cloak that Harry let them borrow. Hermione looked up and saw herself being watched by her favorite pairs of blue-green eyes, she smiled at them while she carried the dragon closer to her chest.

They ran into the stairs as it got closer to midnight when Hermione tripped against one of the steps. A hand appeared in front of her and she looked up to see Fred offering to help her get up and George put his hand in her waist to make sure she didn't fall again. She felt a flush in her cheeks and, unknown to her both twins hid their burning red ears.

They made it to the top of the tower at just the right time as 5 minutes later they spotted people on broomsticks getting closer. A person got off his broomstick to land at the power, "Hey Fred, hey George. Is that Norbert?" Hermione walked over on who she assumed was Charlie and handed him the small dragon who had fallen asleep in her chest.

"Yes, Hagrid told us to tell you that he likes to eat blueberries-"

"-Charlie this is our Ravenclaw friend Hermione Granger-"

"-And remember that Hagrid wishes for regular updates on his baby dragon-"

"-Don't tell mum about any of this or we are all toast."

Charlie looked at the twins in the same dizzy fashion others, except for Hermione, looked at when the twins spoke in rapid half sentences. He shook his head with a chuckle and went in to shake Hermione's hand, "Hello, so Ravenclaw just like Percy huh. Nice to meet you Granger. I'll see you guys in summer, alright let's go." Hermione watched as Charlie left with Norbert and sighed in relief.

...

The exams happened without a hitch, the twins even helped her study in flashcards when Harry and Ron grew too exasperated as long as she promised to help them study as well. Everything was going well as they lived as normal students, that was at least until Harry overhears Quirrell in the abandoned hallway crying, "Okay alright. I'll get the stone for you. Tonight."

"Hermione Hermione stop," Harry ran to her as she walked out of the library, "Hermione they plan on stealing the stone today!"

She gasped, "Of course, Dumbledore just left for London. It's the perfect time." Harry and Hermione talked about meeting up later with Ron after Harry told her of his failed attempt to warn Professor McGonagall.

Hermione waited for Harry and Ron to pick her up from the Ravenclaw entrance with using the Cloak. It was crammed into the cloak in a way that wasn't as comfortable as it was with Fred and George. They were on their way to the third floor when they saw Neville and quickly took off the cloak since Neville wouldn't see their bodies, but he would self-assuredly see feet.

"Neville, what are you doing?," Hermione grasped his shoulder.

Neville looked at her as he stuttered, "I heard you speaking about going to the third floor tonight. I don't want you to get expelled, I'd lose my friends. I won't let you do that."

"Come on Neville, move out the way," says Ron.

Harry whispers to Hermione, "Do something"

Hermione sighed and took out her wand, "I am very very sorry Neville. Petrificus Totalus!

Ron gasped, "Hermione what did you do?"

"Don't be stupid Ronald, it's a Full-Body Bind Curse. You'll understand why we had to do this later, okay Neville."

Everything happened so quick. Fortunately, Hermione knew how to play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' on the flute, unfortunately that was all she knew how to play. She played it 5 different times until they had jumped into the trap door and into the plants.

The dragonflies with keys was interesting, along with Ron's genius move into a chessboard and then the potions table. It all leads up to her having to leave Harry by himself at the end.

Harry himself was glad that there wasn't enough potion for Hermione to come with him because what Quirrell showed him when he took off his turban will surely give him nightmares. And to think it was Quirrell, not Snape like he so foolishly believed that was trying to steal the stone.

Harry, for the first time saw the face of the man that had killed his parents, the shadow of what he had become as he recounted of his tragic consequences to drink unicorn blood to gain strength and live a cursed life. He remembers how Quirrell burned when Harry touched him, of blisters that showed up in his hands and face up until the moment he fell into unconsciousness.

Harry opened his eyes and looked around to see that he was at the school infirmary and accompanied with him was Albus Dumbledore with a slight twinkle in his eyes. "Harry Potter-" "Professor, what? Who?" "Ah yes, the stone. Do not worry Mr. Potter, professor Quirrell did not attain the stone."

Harry looked at the finer details and saw a large mountain of candy and what seemed as a toilet seat. "Ah yes. What happened that night has already spread through the whole school and so your friends and admirers have sent gifts and well-wishes. The most interesting is the toilet seat from the Weasley twins that was so graciously spelled cleaned by Miss Hermione Granger, to Madam Pomfrey's appreciation."

"How long was I here for?"

"Three days, I got here in time to get Quirrell off you. I had the strangest feeling when flying to London that made me turn back."

"We didn't know who to tell."

"Well, I say you did a splendid job all by yourselves, and do not worry for the stone much more. It has been destroyed."

"Destroyed? But what about Nicholas Flammel?"

"He and his splendid wife are unto the next adventure, death. Nicholas told me all the excitement is making him feel a century younger."

Dumbledore spoke with Harry of Voldemort's fate of barely existing as a shadow, and how his mother's protection spell works while Hermione stood with Ron, Neville and the twins in the infirmary doors.

Hermione twisted her bracelet, "I hope he is alright-."

The twins hid a smile at her protectiveness that would give the Hufflepuff a run for Galleons.

"Hermione, he is alright."

"You'll see in just a few minutes."

Madam Pomfrey opened the door and let them in with Dumbledore leaving. Fred and George stayed back; Hermione looked back at them but Fred nodded his head forward to keep going while George smiled at her. They had helped Harry, but they weren't enough friends to be the first faces to see after almost dying.

The feast was occurring, and everyone was excited. Even Harry had made it, although a bit paler than usual, but there he was at the Gryffindor table. The Great Hall stood decked out in blue and silver with Ravenclaw banners hanging from the ceiling, there was even a large banner of the eagle in the High Table with Professor Flitwick talking rather boastfully. Ravenclaws stood proud and even Percy had clapped Hermione at the shoulder for all the points she had received.

Dumbledore stood and everyone grew silent, "Another year has gone by and new bonds have formed while others grow stronger. I wish you all a mighty summer and hope to see all of you next September." He let the silent intensity pass and then spoke, "But before that, there is the mighty House Cup to decide."

"In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Slytherin has four hundred and twenty-six and Ravenclaw, four hundred and seventy-two. "

Harry sneaked a peek to the Ravenclaw table to see Hermione grinning while many banged the table in celebration, but others began looking at the Headmaster in puzzlement as they realized he wasn't done speaking yet.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, "In light of recent events -," that made Hermione nervous, "I have some last-minute points to give out." In an infeasible moment, the Hall grew quieter as if in shock of what was going to happen.

"For Hufflepuff, I award Neville Longbottom 20 points for protecting his friends and being loyal to a fault." A cheer rose from the badgers and everyone patted Neville or in Dean's case, messed with his hair.

"For Ravenclaw, I award Hermione Granger 20 points for showing that loyalty and passion extends beyond the pages of a book." She held her hands over her face while Harry suspected hiding her tears and Patil hugged her.

"For Gryffindor, I award Ron Weasley 80 points for sheer cleverness and bravery." The lions cheered rather confusedly while tension built.

"And for Harry Potter, I award 101 points for going against everything and doing what was right," everyone sat quietly until the lions cheered and others joined. Dumbledore grinned, "So it seems there needs to be a change of decorations," and with a swish of a wand all the banners changed to bold red.

Hermione was stunned, what had just happened? Gryffindor had just won by a point, all the hard work she put in just forgotten and spit on. She understood that Harry risked his life to protect the stone but why did that mean that Ron and Harry received over 50+ points while she got was 20. Harry looked at her while he grinned at the victory and it was as if more than just a table separated them.

This would not be forgotten.

Everyone had passed, she had passed with the best marks and even Neville had gotten a passable grade in Potions.

It seemed impossible that a whole year had already passed but then there she was, holding her luggage and hugging the twins goodbye with promises for letters and threats of what might happen if there were no owls in the summer.

Hermione looked for Harry only to see him standing next to Hagrid, looking much more vulnerable than she had seen the whole school year as he clutch to a photo album. Meanwhile Harry tried to stop the tears threatening to fall as he realized at Hagrid's present, the ability to see his parents without the mirror.

She couldn't wait until next year; she had no idea how much the next year would change her life and how she would make a plan that would help save everyone just like the hat had predicted.