Disclaimer: Potterverse is not mine. It's JK's. However, plot is mine.

Never Judge a Book by it's Cover
Chapter One

"Pettigrew is alive!"

She remembered the headline of the Daily Prophet well. The article went on to speak of how the one and only Peter Pettigrew had been found drugged and beaten, babbling madly about his betrayal. Not two days after her parents had been found tortured and left to bleed to death in their own home.

Hermione settled into her chair looking out into the Forbidden forest, watching the sky darkening as a storm blew in.

Voldemort was dead and Sirius had been cleared of all charges; ironic how a simple death can change so much. But with every up, there is a down. Harry had gone into a rage after he had defeated Voldemort. He had stormed after every Death Eater, hunting them down and killing them. The only one to survive was one 'evil' Potions Master, Severus Snape. And he was lucky to be alive, and only so, because Professor Dumbledore had saved him. Harry was now in St Mungo's, heavily sedated and considered crazy. They were supposed to be lessening the sedation, but they were scared he would try and escape and hunt the last Death Eater down, spy or no spy, he was still a Death Eater to Harry.

Hermione bit her lip. The last Marauder left; Remus Lupin, was ill. The Wolfsbane potion rarely worked anymore, and when it did he could only barely control the wolf urges. He looked twice his age now, and didn't look like he would last must longer. Even if Peter was a traitor, he had been there, but now with him dead too - it had been too much.

She stifled a sob as she tried to remember the last time Ron had spoken to her. Or in fact, the last time any of the Weasley family had spoken to her. She was an outcast of the cruelest kind. Having been put under the Imperius Curse, and made to stab the twins, paralyzing them both, and then having it removed before being stunned - the ultimate punishment for being a Mudblood... nobody believed her.

Well that wasn't strictly true.

Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall believed her, which is how she became her Mentor's apprentice. But the students were too scared of her to work well when left alone with her. Causing her much wanted apprenticeship to reach a dead-end.

She laughed cruelly at herself. "Malfoy would have a field day if he was still alive. First I am considered a Mudblood, and now my name is mud too!"

She closed her eyes and leant back against the soft chair, before jumping up with her mind set and storming out of her room. Students jumped aside, some first years even began crying. She smirked as she realised this was something that Severus would be honoured to be able to do. But he had no such luck... it seemed she had it all - the luck of disaster.

After what seemed like the hundredth time that somebody burst into tears, Hermione stopped and turned to the girl. "Why are you so afraid? I was under the Imperius! I am not going to hurt you."

"But nobody believes you." The girl whispered, looking at her feet.

"I KNOW NOBODY BLOODY BELIEVES ME!" The girl jumped back screaming. "I'm sorry..." She trailed off as she watched the girl running away down the now deserted corridor. "Why does this have to happen to me?" Her voice broke as she turned and continued on her journey up to the Astronomy Tower.

Standing where the battering wind could hit her openly, her hair and robes began to fly about wildly, tangling in each other in a mad rush. "WHY DOESN'T ANYONE BELIEVE ME?" She screamed, tears mixed with rain as they coursed down her cheeks, soaking her to the skin. "WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ME?" She screamed, spreading her arms like wings as though she could take off.

A deep roll of thunder crashed across the sky. Forked lightning streaked across, skimming the underneath of clouds before they shot down around her.

Hermione closed her eyes and stepped closer to the edge of the Tower and onto the ledge. "WHY?"

The lightning hit her hard and fast. Seeming to hold her like shackles would.


Professor Snape, who was out collecting ingredients and was on his way back from the Forbidden Forest, froze as he looked up at the sudden burst of bright light in the darkened sky.

Adrenaline pumping he rushed into the castle, yelling at students stupid enough not to move out of his way quickly enough.

He reached the Tower... just as she began to fall.