A/N: Hi, here's the next chapter. I would also like to thank the people who reviewed my story! Thank You:

Lee

Shadowrogue

Borngryffindor

Komoto-dragon

Crawptrapman

Mugglebornwitch

Thespy

Qtsweet2003

Chapter 7: Hermione's Mum

Hermione and Nora were both waiting in the library for Harry and Ron, having promised the guys to help them with their amount of homework as well as finishing some of their own.

"Hi," Ron said glumly, looking very annoyed about something.

"What took you so long? We've been waiting for about fifteen minutes," Hermione said exasperated, folding her arms as Harry and Ron took seats across from them.

"Yeah, well we met Snape on the way," explained Harry, since Ron was too busy cursing Snape and his mother under his breath. "He asked us where we were sneaking off to and we said 'To the library, sir.' He didn't believe us and took ten house points!"

"What?" Hermione and Nora both exclaimed in unison, infuriated by their stupid potions master.

"That's exactly what we said, and then Snape took off another ten house points and gave us both detention!" Harry said indignantly, receiving a glare from Madame Pince for being too loud. Ron was still busy cursing Snape and this time his father.

"That stupid git," was all Nora could utter. When they had all calmed down somewhat, they started their homework, working hard and mostly in silence. They didn't leave the library until it was darkening and time to eat, glad that their Potions and Herbology homework was finished. At dinner Hermione and Nora both agreed to check Harry and Ron's potions essay, to see if it was all right.

"Ron, I think you got some of the ingredients for the truth potion mixed up. I don't remember any Dragon Heartstring or Unicorn horn." Nora said, frowning. "Are you sure you looked everything up correctly?" Ron blushed.

"Well, yeah, but after a while I got tired of looking things up and I thought you'd correct them?" he asked innocently, not looking directly at her. Nora sighed and took out quill to correct his mistakes, saying:

"But this is the last time. Next time you're rewriting it."

"Harry, yours is all right. I don't think Snape can give you lower than Acceptable for this," Hermione said, handing the essay back to Harry, who took it, relieved.

After dinner the four left to go to bed. They were so exhausted they barely made it up the stairs, let alone to their common rooms. The girls both said "Goodnight," to Harry and Ron at the hallway that led to the portrait of the Fat Lady and then left to go to their own rooms, talking little.

They finally reached the portrait of a man trying to catch a pig, said the password ('Here Piggy') and entered their common room. Malfoy and Terry were sitting in front of the fireplace talking. Nora walked to the circled stairways carefully avoiding Malfoy. Hermione went over to Terry first, pecked him on the cheek, blushing, and then followed Nora. The two brushed their teeth and then went to bed completely worn out, falling asleep almost immediately.

The next day when Hermione and Nora entered the Great Hall they found Harry and Ron already waiting for them. The two girls ate and then left to go outside and have Herbology with the Hufflepuffs again. Professor Sprout made them take their Goreenwahs to the table they were working at so that they could start to take care of it. Goreenwahs were very ugly, murky brown plants that mostly ate flies and tree lice.

"Now, if your Goreenwah is still alive, the next step would be to try and rid it of its very sharp and poisonous spikes. If there are too many of them your Goreenwah will jab itself, trying to get rid of them on it's own, and die," Professor Sprout explained, almost sadly, to the class.

"And we wouldn't want that, now would we?" Ron muttered to Harry, who sniggered.

"If your Goreenwah is already dead then come to me and you'll receive a new one," Professor Sprout added, not hearing Ron. They spent the rest of the class clipping their Goreenwahs with looks of fright on there faces the entire lesson, for Goreenwahs also had mouths and would snap at your hands if you weren't careful or if you were clipping the spikes wrong.

After Herbology the Gryffindors crossed the lawn to go to Care of Magical Creatures while the Hufflepuffs went back into the castle. A slight wind picked up making them all shiver; the sun had gone behind some clouds. When Hagrid's cabin came into sight, Harry looked around to see where his friend was.

"Can you guys see Hagrid anywhere?" he asked the other three.

"No, where do think you he is?" Ron asked looking around too. Just then Hagrid came out of the Forbidden Forest holding a large crate. He smiled as the Gryffindors gathered around him.

"'Ello, there. Yeh had a nice vacation?" Hagrid asked Harry, Hermione, Nora and Ron.

"Yeah, what's in the crate?" Harry asked him, nervously.

"Yeh'll see, Yeh'll see," Hagrid replied. When everyone had gathered around he carefully opened the large crate.

"What are we supposed to be seeing here?" Seamus asked him.

"In 'ere, I have two Demiguises. Now can anyone tell me 'bout the Demiguise?" Hagrid asked, looking around the group hopefully. As usual Hermione's hand shot up. "Yes, Hermione?"

"The Demiguise is found in the Far East, though with difficulty, because the beast can make itself invisible when threatened. The Demiguise is a peaceful and herbivorous animal," she said in aw, for no one had ever thought Hagrid would be able to bring something this interesting to class, without putting them in danger of being attacked.

"Very good, 'Mione. Ten points to Gryffindor. Now Demiguise pelts are very valuable as they can be made into a special cloak. Does any one know what kind of cloak?" Hagrid asked the group. This time it wasn't Hermione's hand in the air. "Yes?"

"Invisibility Cloaks," Harry said; he should know, after all he owned the invisibility cloak that had once belonged to his father.

"Good job, Harry!" Hagrid said happily, "'Nother ten points to Gryffindor!"

"Well, at least that takes care of the points Snape took from us, but I still can't see the Demiegase thing beasts," Ron muttered to Harry. Hagrid, hearing Ron, continued.

"I know yeh can' see 'em but if we 'ave their favorite food and talk nicely we might be able ter coax 'em out of their hiding," he told them, giving each student a different kind of fruit. After a while of coaxing the two Demiguises took their visible forms and the girls gasped. In front of them were two graceful apes with large, black, doleful eyes, which were often hidden by their long, fine, silky hair. They were allowed to pet them and at the end of the lesson every student was talking rapidly with their neighbour about the class as they walked towards the castle for lunch.

"They are so beautiful!" Parvati squealed to Lavender, who nodded. After lunch the Gryffindors left the Great Hall to have transfiguration with the Ravenclaw's. Professor McGonagall showed them how to turn a teacup into a gerbil and then left them to practice. After half an hour of practicing Ron still wasn't making any progress at all.

"Ron, you're doing it all wrong. You're supposed to say 'Carpédium' first and then flick your wand. Not the other way around," Hermione pointed out.

"Well, excuse me if I'm not perfect, but if you know how to do it so well, then why don't you show us?" he shot back, annoyed that she was being such a know-it-all again.

"Fine, I will. Carpédium." She flicked her wand and her teacup turned into a black gerbil with white paws and a brown snout. It walked around and Professor McGonagall awarded Gryffindor ten house points. After Transfiguration they went to charms where Professor Flitwick stood on his pile of books, waiting for the class to settle down.

Half way through class, however, Professor McGonagall came in looking worried. She whispered something to Professor Flitwick, who nodded, and then went to stand in the doorway.

"Ms. Granger, if you would be so kind as to go with Professor McGonagall?" Flitwick said. Hermione left her seat next to Nora, who looked at Professor McGonagall questioningly, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"Ms. Glassyd, you too, please," McGonagall added. Nora stood up and followed her out of the classroom with Hermione. They were led up a couple of staircases and through some corridors when they stopped in front of the familiar stone gargoyle.

"Skiving Snackboxes," McGonagall said and she led them onto the spiral staircase. When they reached the top, she knocked on Dumbledore's door and then walked in, pointing out two chairs for the girls to sit in. Then McGonagall closed the door and waited for Dumbledore to speak. He looked tired.

"I'm afraid I have unfortunate news, Ms. Granger," he began slowly. Hermione looked at Nora, then back at Dumbledore. Had her grades dropped to an alarmingly low point? But school had only just begun and why would Nora be here with her? Hermione thought about all the possible things that could have gone wrong. Her heart was beating so fast that it didn't feel right anymore.

"It has nothing to do with school," Dumbledore continued, "It is about your… It is about your mother." Hermione gasped, clutching the arms of the chair, her knuckles turning white, and feared the worst. "I am afraid she has moved on."

"What?" Hermione said numbly, as Nora put an arm around her shoulders, trying to comfort her.

"She passed away."

"But… but the doctors said she would most likely wake up out of her coma," Hermione whispered, frowning in sadness.

"And she did," Dumbledore replied looking very grief.

"But…" Hermione became more agitated and confused. What on earth was he saying?

"The doctors called your father, telling him she had woken up, but because he was afraid she would give the police evidence that he had beaten her, your father snuck into the hospital at night and… suffocated her in her sleep, with a pillow," he finished looking away. "He is currently in a muggle prison." A teardrop rolled down Hermione's cheeks. Soon a whole river followed.

"But where will she stay? Now that she has no mother or father she won't have a place to go to," Nora pointed out to Dumbledore, still trying to comfort Hermione and feeling terrible.

"That is where your parents come in," he answered.

"My…what?" It was not until then that she saw two figures standing in the corner. They stepped forward so that Nora could clearly see them.

"That is the reason I called you here. I thought it would be too much trouble if Hermione stayed with one of her relatives, as they are all Muggles. It would probably be too much for them to handle, so I have decided that, with Hermione's consent, she would stay with you. As I understand it you have two other children?" he asked Mrs. Glassyd.

"Yes, but one has moved out already, and these two are old enough to take care of themselves. It won't be any trouble at all," she answered, smiling at the two girls. Nora's brother had left Hogwarts three years ago, along with Dean's older sister, and they had ended up getting married.

"Ms. Granger?" Dumbledore said, turning back to Hermione, "What do you say. Would you want to live with the Glassyd's?" Hermione sniffed and then nodded before continuing to cry into her hands.

Later that day, when Hermione had gotten over the shock somewhat, they all left Dumbledore's office, and the two girls walked slowly and silently towards the Great Hall for dinner where they met Harry and Ron, who had already been informed about what happened. They tried hard to comfort her but didn't quite know how: how do you try to make someone feel better when they'd just lost a parent? But Harry knew how Hermione felt and even her closest friends couldn't do more than give her a comforting hug and hope she felt better soon.

A/N: The chapters will get longer, patience, patience.