First, in my universe, Hermione goes off like a rocket. She's smart, brave, loyal... and a tinderbox. Second, she grew to be 6'2" in her fifth year. This fiction explains how that happened.
Disclaimer: I just exercise the characters for J.K. Rowling. Sigh. I will profit in no way from this.
Important note: this fic starts out pretty innocent, right? It will get icky. It may go places you'd rather not go. If you come to such a place, bail out immediately. I will give some warning, hopefully without ruining the surprise.
Chapter One - A Growth Spurt.
"Hermione, what's wrong with you? You've grown three inches in the last six weeks." exclaimed Ron. "You're not doing magic on yourself, are you?"
"No!" snapped Hermione. "I'm not! I've just hit a growth spurt."
"A really big growth spurt." snorted Ron. "You've grown five inches so far this term. It's not natural. We should go to see Madam Pomfrey."
After much persuasion from Ron and Harry, Hermione agreed to visit the infirmary and try to find an explanation of her sudden growth; since she was now taller than Harry and the same height as Ron. But Madam Pomfrey, after an examination, could not provide an answer.
"How peculiar!" she pronounced. "You don't seem to have been charmed, hexed, cursed, or in any way magickally tampered with. Are your parents tall?"
"No. See, Ron, I told you it was normal." said Hermione. Madam Pomfrey cut off whatever reply Ron was contemplating.
"Your parents are muggles, yes?" she asked.
"Yes."
"No one in your family is magickal?"
"No."
"How very, very strange." Madam Pomfrey's face took on a thoughtful cast. "It could be some intergenerational magic, perhaps even from several generations ago. As your parents are muggles it wouldn't have come out in them. I think we'd better get Professor McGonagall in."
"No, it's all ok." Hermione began to protest, but was silenced by a premptory wave of Madam Pomfreys hand.
"Best be on the safe side, dear."
"Well, well, inexplicable growth, no sign of magic, yes it could very well be intergenerational." declared McGonagall. "I'll have to research your family a little, Hermione, do you mind?"
"No," sighed Hermione, impatiently. " but I'm sure it will be a waste of time."
"Better to be safe than sorry, Miss Granger." replied McGonagall briskly. Hermione shot a death glare at Ron and Harry for insisting on getting her into this. "Parents' names?"
"Yale Granger and Beth Swithin."
"Grandparents' names?"
"Father's parents, Venn Granger and Abigail Fountain, I think."
"Your mother's parents?"
"I don't know. She was adopted at an early age."
"Really?" questioned McGonagall. "I'll look into that immediately." After a few more questions, McGonagall let them go, promising to let them know as soon as she had found an explanation.
"There won't be an explanation." insisted Hermione, as they trailed back to the Common Room. "It's all perfectly normal." Ron snorted, and Hermione glared at him. He clutched his chest.
"Aghh... her killer death glares are magnified when they come from the same height!" he moaned theatrically. "Don't look at her, Harry, they could be fatal to someone shorter." Even Hermione could not help but shake her head in amusement at Ron's playfulness.
McGonagall was searching records. Some hours later, her face drawn in the candlelight, she looked up and stared blankly at the wall.
"Vesta..." she whispered. "Oh, what have I done?"
----
Disclaimer: I just exercise the characters for J.K. Rowling. Sigh. I will profit in no way from this.
Important note: this fic starts out pretty innocent, right? It will get icky. It may go places you'd rather not go. If you come to such a place, bail out immediately. I will give some warning, hopefully without ruining the surprise.
Chapter One - A Growth Spurt.
"Hermione, what's wrong with you? You've grown three inches in the last six weeks." exclaimed Ron. "You're not doing magic on yourself, are you?"
"No!" snapped Hermione. "I'm not! I've just hit a growth spurt."
"A really big growth spurt." snorted Ron. "You've grown five inches so far this term. It's not natural. We should go to see Madam Pomfrey."
After much persuasion from Ron and Harry, Hermione agreed to visit the infirmary and try to find an explanation of her sudden growth; since she was now taller than Harry and the same height as Ron. But Madam Pomfrey, after an examination, could not provide an answer.
"How peculiar!" she pronounced. "You don't seem to have been charmed, hexed, cursed, or in any way magickally tampered with. Are your parents tall?"
"No. See, Ron, I told you it was normal." said Hermione. Madam Pomfrey cut off whatever reply Ron was contemplating.
"Your parents are muggles, yes?" she asked.
"Yes."
"No one in your family is magickal?"
"No."
"How very, very strange." Madam Pomfrey's face took on a thoughtful cast. "It could be some intergenerational magic, perhaps even from several generations ago. As your parents are muggles it wouldn't have come out in them. I think we'd better get Professor McGonagall in."
"No, it's all ok." Hermione began to protest, but was silenced by a premptory wave of Madam Pomfreys hand.
"Best be on the safe side, dear."
"Well, well, inexplicable growth, no sign of magic, yes it could very well be intergenerational." declared McGonagall. "I'll have to research your family a little, Hermione, do you mind?"
"No," sighed Hermione, impatiently. " but I'm sure it will be a waste of time."
"Better to be safe than sorry, Miss Granger." replied McGonagall briskly. Hermione shot a death glare at Ron and Harry for insisting on getting her into this. "Parents' names?"
"Yale Granger and Beth Swithin."
"Grandparents' names?"
"Father's parents, Venn Granger and Abigail Fountain, I think."
"Your mother's parents?"
"I don't know. She was adopted at an early age."
"Really?" questioned McGonagall. "I'll look into that immediately." After a few more questions, McGonagall let them go, promising to let them know as soon as she had found an explanation.
"There won't be an explanation." insisted Hermione, as they trailed back to the Common Room. "It's all perfectly normal." Ron snorted, and Hermione glared at him. He clutched his chest.
"Aghh... her killer death glares are magnified when they come from the same height!" he moaned theatrically. "Don't look at her, Harry, they could be fatal to someone shorter." Even Hermione could not help but shake her head in amusement at Ron's playfulness.
McGonagall was searching records. Some hours later, her face drawn in the candlelight, she looked up and stared blankly at the wall.
"Vesta..." she whispered. "Oh, what have I done?"
----
