Dear Alex:
I'm very please to have heard from you. Of course I'll send you some of my school things. I've bought a new quill, so I'm sending you my old one. I also got a new book bag so you I could send you the one I've been using for the past two years. That was Harry's idea. He thought that you might be able to get some idea of my various classes. I hope that you find what you're looking for with these items.
Mum and Dad wrote me to say that we'll be celebrating Christmas with your family this year. I can't wait to meet you in person. Perhaps by that time I'll have something else from school to give you.
Love,
Hermione
She folded up the parchment once the ink was dry and placed it on top of the collection of odds and ends before sealing the box and wrapping it in paper. Harry came in with Hedwig perched on his arm as she was tying it all up with string. "Thanks for letting me borrow her, Harry. Pig simply isn't big enough to carry this."
"You're welcome to use her any time. She loves the exercise." Harry ran the back of his fingers over Hedwig's gleaming white breast feathers. She preened under the show of affection. "Did it all fit?"
"I had to do a shrinking charm on the bag, but everything else fit like a dream." She smiled as Hedwig fluttered over to land atop the box, curling her talons around the string. "Thank you for doing this, Hedwig. I'll have an entire bag of treats waiting for you when you get home." Hedwig hooted in acknowledgment, and then took off, leaving the common room through an open window.
"Ready for lunch? Ron and Ginny already headed down to the hall."
"Great, I'm starving." Hermione cinched up her new satchel and slung it over her shoulder.
"No wonder. I don't think you've remembered to eat more than one meal a day since school started up again." He grinned at her, opening the door to hold it for her. Together they made their way through the open halls of the school and down to the Great Hall. Sure enough, Ron and Ginny were there, saving seats for them at the Gryffindor table.
"They've got roast beef and chicken today." Ron grinned widely as he piled his plate high. "Your favourites."
"I believe those are your favourites, Ron." Hermione grinned at him, but she still claimed a chicken breast as well as a slice of the roast. She did enjoy them, along with the roast potatoes and honeyed carrots. The house elves were brilliant in the kitchen, though it still rankled her a bit that they weren't paid for their efforts. At least here at Hogwarts they were treated well. She knew that some house elves were often abused and tormented by their owners, such as Dobby was before Harry had so cleverly figured out a way to trick Lucius Malfoy into freeing him. Now the elf was a frequent guest in Gryffindor Tower, having taken a paid position at the school. He worked as hard as ever, but he still had time for his friends. "Pass me a roll please, Ginny."
They enjoyed their lunch, occasionally talking about the Quidditch match coming up on Saturday or discussing some little bit of a class. Ron, Harry and Hermione all had Care of Magical Creatures next; Ginny was to go to Charms. "Professor Flitwick is quizzing us on some of our first year charms today. Harry has been helping me practise all this past weekend." She grinned at Hermione. "I'm trying to beat your old score."
"If anyone can do it, you can." Ron beamed proudly at his little sister. Hermione also smiled encouragingly. Ginny was a bright student and in the top of her fellow Gryffindors, though the top student for the sixth years was a Ravenclaw. She was also a prefect, having gotten Hermione's old position when she was made Head Girl. Her badge shone brightly on her robes, brand new this year as a reward from her parents. If she kept at it, Hermione had no doubt that Ginny would be named Head Girl in her next year. Wouldn't that make Molly Weasley proud as a peacock; a Head Girl for a daughter to go with her two Head Boy sons. What the Weasleys lacked in monetary wealth they more than made up for in cleverness and talent.
The sound of a barn owl's screech drew attention in the hall upwards. It was time for the mail. Dozens of birds in all shapes and sizes began to pour through the windows built especially for them in the high points of the ceiling. Packages fell from taloned feet and owls caringly letters landed on the tables before their intended recipients. Hermione caught her copy of The Daily Prophet with her left hand as she took another bite of carrot with her right. She set the paper down, planning to read it later.
"Can I see that, Hermione? I want to see how the Cannons did last night." Ron smiled when she nodded and took the paper in his hands. Untying the string and unrolling it, he immediately turned it over to the sports section in the back. He read it by holding it in one hand as he devoured his potatoes.
Hermione asked Harry about his Potions essay, rolling her eyes when he told her that he hadn't done it yet. "Honestly, are you trying to give Professor Snape a reason to slap you with a detention? You know he will."
"Well, who am I to deny the man one of the few joys he has in life?" Harry gave her a playful grin, pointedly ignoring the fact that Ginny was giving him a scolding look almost identical to Hermione's.
"You should try to behave a bit better around him, Harry. He's not all that bad."
Ron dropped the paper and gawked at her. "Not all that bad. Are you forgetting all the times he slapped me or Harry with a detention? How about how he pointedly ignores you when you're the only one who knows the answer? The man's a menace."
"He's only trying to get the rest of you to think on your own." She ignored propriety and reached over him for the gravy boat. "You can't depend on me for all the answers."
"Who says?"
"Ron! I've half a mind to tell Mum on you." Ginny was now glaring at her brother. "Have you been cheating off of Hermione all this time?"
"What, are you mad? Hermione is dead set against cheating. Believe me, we've tried." Hermione only grinned and placed the gravy boat down. "Can you believe it?" Ron had turned his attention back to the paper, "The Cannons actually managed to beat the Wasps. That puts them in the running for the next World Cup. They just have to beat Puddlemere."
"That won't be easy. Oliver's still Keeper for Puddlemere." Ron shot Harry a disgruntled look, not liking that he was torn between a former fellow Gryffindor and his favourite team.
Hermione was cutting one of her potatoes with her fork when she felt the intangible weight of someone's eyes upon her. She looked up and saw a couple of girls at the Ravenclaw table studying her, whispering to one another over their copy of the paper. When they saw that she had caught them, they quickly averted their gazes. She frowned, and went back to her lunch. "How is Oliver these days, Harry? Are you still exchanging letters?"
"Oh, he's great! Now that he's on the team and no longer a reserve he's really able to show what he can do. Although, I think he's getting a bit embarrassed by all the girls that have taken to following him around. He never had as much time for girls as he did for Quidditch."
"Definitely a man who needs to sort out his priorities. I mean, Quidditch is great, but a man needs a good snog every now and again." Ron grinned unabashedly at the glare Hermione gave him. Something caught his eye behind her, however, and he frowned. "Oy! What are you staring at?"
Hermione looked to see a group of Slytherin boys whispering low and pointing over in their direction. She frowned again. "What's with everyone today? Did my hair change colour overnight or something?"
"Nope, still the same colour. Ginny won't go in on our ideas for pranks. Ouch!" Harry rubbed the spot on his shoulder Ginny had just slapped as though it hurt, though she hadn't hit him that hard. Hermione barely noticed; she was starting to realize that a good number of people in the Great Hall were looking in their direction. She looked more closely and noticed that many of them seemed to be looking from them to their own copies of the Daily Prophet.
"Ron, can I have that back?"
"What? Oh, sure. Here." He handed over the paper and she turned it over so that the front page was showing. Ron's jaw dropped open when they all spied the headline. "Uh-oh. Looks like your secrets out, Hermione."
Hermione stared in mute shock as she looked down at bold print that spelled out "Fifty Year Hogwarts Mystery Solved!" Rita Skeeter's name was just below it, the black ink seeming more ominous than anything Hermione had ever seen. The headline wasn't as disturbing as the two black and white wizard photos beneath it, one of herself and the other of Helena Wiggentree. They were copies of the photos that had been taken when each of them had been made Head Girl, identical badges displayed proudly on the chests of two almost identical girls. She was still in shock when Ginny pulled the paper over to herself and began to read it aloud.
"Fifty years ago the wizarding community was sent reeling when one of its most promising young witches vanished without a trace. Helen Wiggentree, Head Girl of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was a favourite daughter of the esteemed Wiggentree family. Having excelled in all of her classes, it had been expected that she would follow one of the two paths her family is still famous for, either entering the field of mediwizardry or becoming an auror, thus putting the family's gift of Reverse Divination to it's best use. However, shortly after graduating from school, Helena ran away after emptying her private vault at Gringotts and taking most of the priceless jewellery left to her by her grandmother. The investigation was long and thorough, but Miss Wiggentree's wand was never used again, thus giving the Ministry of Magic nothing to trace. Eventually she was declared dead and a memorial service was held in her honour. The family mourned their child and eventually moved on.
"All that changed this year when Miss Hermione Granger, the current Head Girl at Hogwarts, began to exhibit signs of Reverse Divination. A reliable source informs that Miss Granger was woken in the night after having had a very vivid dream involving her grandmother during her time at Hogwarts. Having grown up believing she was the first witch in her family, Hermione delved further into the mystery until she uncovered a magical trunk in her parents' home containing old school things. Upon returning to school this year she reportedly took the matter up with Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster, and it was confirmed that Hermione's grandmother was the missing Helena Wiggentree.
"Our source continues to say that the Wiggentrees have welcomed the Grangers into their family with open arms and are taking an active interest in Hermione Granger. Still, there were unanswered questions remaining, such as why Helena Wiggentree would have runaway in the first place and why would it take so long for Hermione Granger to start exhibiting signs of a talent most Wiggentrees are forced to struggle with at a very young age. Always one seeking answers, this reporter braved the Muggle records halls to seek out more information on the Grangers. What she found was a complete lack of evidence that Helena Wiggentree ever married a 'Mr. Granger'. Fifty years ago giving birth out of wedlock would have been an unbearable shame, even for a family as powerful as the Wiggentrees. This would lead one to believe that the girl fled in an attempt to escape the shame. Also, since Hermione Granger's father has never shown signs of magic, it would seem likely that the unnamed father was either a Muggle or Squib. Perhaps she ran to the Muggle world hoping that her lover would marry her and give her son a proper name.
"As for the delay in Hermione Granger's gift, this reporter approached Horace Harrington, chief mediwizard at St. Mungo's. 'I made the Wiggentree Family Curse my choice of study for my final paper at the university. Calling upon what I know of this particular power, I would point out that most Wiggentrees are raised close to the core family and are exposed to the knowledge that Reverse Divination is a part of their lives since the day of their birth. As for Miss Granger, she was raised in the Muggle world, ignorant of her true origins. Doubtless she had the gift all along, but since she seems to only have them while sleeping, her mind most likely treated them as any other dream, forgotten shortly after waking. I would theorize that the receipt of her Head Girl badge must have triggered the gift inside her, made it stronger. Helena Wiggentree was Head Girl herself, something that Miss Granger possibly dreamed of over one hundred times. Receiving her own Head Girl position would have given her a present day link to her past-time visions, bringing them more sharply into focus.'
"The Wiggentree Family refused to comment on the newest members of their family. Miss Granger was unavailable for comment given that the press has been banned from the Hogwarts grounds by the current Headmaster since the Tri-Wizard Tournament a few years ago. However, this reporter will continue to seek out the facts and bring them to you as all eyes now turn to Hogwarts' present Head Girl."
Hermione, Harry and Ron were all silent as Ginny finished reading and took to glaring at the paper. It was Harry who broke the silence. "Well, at least she didn't embellish it this time. She seems to remember your threats to expose her as an animagi if she fell back to twisting the truth again, but it certainly didn't take her long to jump on the first thing she could about you when she got the chance."
"Wonder who her 'reliable source' is. Do you think one of your new cousins told?" Ron reached for the paper to look at the photos.
"No, they wouldn't have. They wouldn't want… they just wouldn't have."
"Well, you can bet Dumbledore wouldn't have said anything without asking you first, and certainly never to Rita Skeeter. Would you parents have said something?"
"Of course not, Ron. They're still trying to wrap their minds around the fact that my grandmother was a witch and never said anything. She didn't even say anything to me, and I was at least six when she took ill."
"Well, there's nothing to be done about it now." Ginny gave her friend a reassuring smile. "It was bound to come out some day."
"She's right, Hermione. Don't know why you didn't want it told to begin with." Harry caught sight of the Slytherin table to see Draco Malfoy staring at the back of Hermione's head. "Then again, maybe I do. Looks like Malfoy just found you a great deal more interesting."
Hermione didn't turn around, but she did turn a bit paler in colour. "Malfoy? Oh damn. This is bad."
"Why, at least he can't call you 'mudblood' anymore?" Ron looked up from the paper. "It's amazing how much you look like her, Hermione. Can't imagine why the teachers didn't see it before."
"It has been a long time." Hermione gathered herself back together and looked down at her plate. She wasn't very hungry any longer. With a sigh, she pushed the plate away. "I'd better go. There's some research I want to get done."
Harry glanced back over at Malfoy, who seemed to have noticed that Hermione was bending down for her books and was now reaching for his own. "How about Ron and me walk you there?"
"Thanks, Harry, but that's not really necessary."
Ginny had looked where Harry had and swallowed one last mouthful. "Oh, let them, Hermione. Mind if I join you? I have some studying I need to get done as well." She reached down and grabbed her own satchel. When she looked back up she saw that Harry was giving her a grateful smile. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.
Ron had wondered why Harry was willing to stop eating after he had just arrived when he saw Malfoy getting up from his own table. He suddenly got it and chased down a bite of roast with a swig of pumpkin juice before wiping his mouth clean and getting up. "Yeah, let's go there together. It's not that far out of the way and Harry and me were just going to Quidditch practice." He stood up and waited for Hermione and Ginny to walk by, then he and Harry exchanged a look before they gave a glance at Malfoy. Draco glared at them, but halted, seemingly unwilling to make a scene. If he followed them into the library, he would have to behave himself or face the wrath and Madame Pince. As for how the girls would get back, this was Hermione they were dealing with. She would still be there when practice was over, ready to be walked back.
The four students moved down the length of the table just as Professor Snape claimed his own chair. His own copy of the Daily Prophet was waiting for him. Hermione's eyes moved up to look at him as he unfolded it and surveyed the front page. His own gaze snapped up and locked with hers in a silent understanding before he inclined his head ever so slightly in acknowledgement. He didn't need to call her to him just now, they would discuss this later when her friends were not around.
The game just became a good deal more treacherous.