A/N: Hey everyone, this is one of the fics I'll be working on and hopefully finish posting this summer (05). It's another AU, of course, because I like messing up the lives of the perfectly made characters of J.K Rowling. There will most likely be HBP Spoilers . . . so this is your last warning, if you haven't read HBP and plan to, don't read unless you want the ending ruined for you. Just to let you all know, Hermione will be a bad ass in this fic. She will have changed her appearance and will be dating an OC character because Rowling has used her author rights and ruined my favorite pairings. This is what I meant by AU, not that the characters that are dead are really alive! Anyway, hope you enjoy.

Azkaban-Convict.

Chapter 1: A New Hermione Granger

The Hermione Granger that all of Hogwarts knew was not longer in existence. Since the death of their Headmaster and the betrayal of Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy, a year ago, she had decided that the bookworm and worrywart that she had been for the last six years of schooling needed to be hidden and she had to become the New Hermione Granger. She had not only lost her baby fat and bushy hair but had finally grown a body boys stared at when she walked by. She, however was not the only one of the 'Golden Trio' that had changed. The Weasley's had been given the Black fortune, by Harry, after Sirius' death in their fifth year. Because of this Ron had become one of the richest wizards in the country and had not only bought new robes but had become a good-looking eligible bachelor. He had cut his messy hair and had it highlighted. Harry on the other hand had declined in his trust of other wizards, Hermione, Ron and his now girlfriend Ginny, were his only confidants. He had been hit hardest by Snape's betrayal and the murder of Hogwarts' Headmaster. For the past year Minerva McGonagall had been the Headmistress of the Hogwarts Fortress. Draco Malfoy had been banned from the school and the Slytherin House was watched day and night by a member of the Order of the Phoenix, taken over but both Remus Lupin and Arthur Weasley.
As Hermione packed her things for Hogwarts, she thought of her friends and wondered how Harry was coping in his flat in London, which he had bought only a month before when he had turned 18, the wizarding consent age. Harry had packed his things and had called the Knight Bus to take him to London. It had only taken a week for Harry to buy a flat in the Muggle World where he would not be disturbed by wizarding reporters. After buying the tiny place he had it magically altered to be much larger and he and Ginny Weasley, his on and off girlfriend of a year, had bought enough furniture to fill the space adequately. It had only taken weeks before the first Death Eater attack on the flat, and Harry in his anger had destroyed them before they had interrupted his 'family' dinner with Ron, Hermione and Ginny. He knew now that it would only be weeks before Voldermort attacked. Hermione sighed and closed her truck. Instead of having few clothes and many books, Hermione's trunk was full of clothes she had bought during the summer. Her school books for her seventh year were neatly laying in a small corner of the trunk. She flicked her wand and led the trunk down the stairs and into the car her parents had bought her for her 18th birthday. She had decided that she and her two best mates would drive to Hogwarts for their last year. She said goodbye to her parents and drove away from her childhood home to the school where she would grow into a fully fledged witch. She stopped in London and picked Harry up from his flat and they talked until Hermione pulled up to a poll booth in the middle of the country. She paid two sickles to get through into the Wizarding world. The two friends chatted for another hour before Hermione pulled up to the Weasley's house. Molly Weasley was outside waiting for them with Ron holding his trunk and Pig's cage. He explained that Ginny would not be joining them because she would rather spend time with her friends on the train. Hermione smiled at the girl who came to say hello to Harry. Ginny and Harry kissed in their regular manner while Ron blushed and Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat. She quietly asked Hermione if she had enough money on her for their petrol to get to Hogwarts. Hermione smiled and explained that the two boys had chipped in for their petrol and meals on the trip to Scotland. Mrs. Weasley nodded and said goodbye to the trio as Hermione drove down the road back toward the toll booth. As she entered the Muggle world again, she got onto the motor way and sped North toward their school. After about an hour, she stopped and Harry and Ron went to stretch their legs and get the three snacks. She filled her petrol tank and watched as a car drove into the spot next to her. She recognized a couple of students from Hogwarts and waved at the Hufflepuff students. The driver of the car looked confused and the girl in the front of the car, which turned out to be Hannah Abbott, explained that she was a friend from school and went to talk to Hermione. The girls talked until Harry and Ron came back. Ron greeted Hannah with a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek while Harry climbed back into the car and waved demurely at her. She smiled and waved the new boy over. She introduced the two Gryffindor s' to Aiden Matthews, whose parents had just moved to Britain from Canada. He smiled and shook hands with Ron and sent a flirty smile toward Hermione. She finished filling her car and strolled into the station to pay. While she was in the station, Ron explained quickly to Aiden, why Harry was in the car. He left out that the boy had suffered severe Headaches given to him by Voldermort and that he had witnessed many deaths in the past six years. Aiden nodded and asked the question he had been wanting to ask since he had laid eyes on Hermione Granger.
"So, is Hermione seeing anyone?"
Ron almost chocked on the pop that he had been drinking.
"No, but she's way to engrossed in her studies mate." Ron explained. At that moment Hermione came out of the station looking a bit peeved and leant into the car and popped a button. The soft top of the 2005 Mustang Convertible popped from it's clips and Hermione pulled it into the boot of the car.
"Well Ron, are you coming or you walking?" she almost snapped.
Ron winced and said goodbye as Hermione turned on the car and put it into gear. He jumped into the back seat just as Hermione turned on the radio and waving a somewhat hazardous goodbye sped out of the petrol station. After 20 minutes of relative silence Ron asked Hermione what had crawled up her ass and died.
"That dirty old man . . . " was all she said.
"The man in the station?"
"Yes . . . " she spat.
"What did he do?" Harry asked from the front seat.
"He tried to fondle me . . . stupid cow!" She said and sped passed a speed camera. It flashed and Hermione swore. She cursed for the next hour as they decided to drive down back roads as to not get caught by the speed cameras set up on major roads and motor ways. It took an another two hours for Hermione to reach Hogsmeade. As she drove up to Hogwarts gates they saw Professor Hagrid standing at the gates. He looked into the car as they stopped there. "H'rmi'ne, dinn't kn'w yo' drov'!"
"Yes, Hagrid. Can we get in. I know Professor McGonagall told seventh years they could drive this year."
"Righ' yo' 're H'rmi'one. Pa'k o'er by the barn'" he said pointing at the driving shed over the grounds near his hut. She pulled up to a spot and pulled in. She magicked their trunks up to the school and Ron and Harry helped put up the soft top and she locked the car and the Trio walked up to the school, Hermione between the two boys with her arms around them. As they walked into the school Filtch was there with a clipboard. He asked Hermione for her car model and license number. She gave him the information and they passed him and went into the school. Hermione was given the password for Gryffindor Common Room and they entered to find Seamus and Dean playing exploding snap on the carpet near the couches. They five said hi and Dean asked what Hermione had done over the summer.
"I transformed my friends... meet the New and Improved Hermione Granger" She waved her wand and the glamour she's been wearing slipped to reveal a svelte brunette with straight hair with slight red low lights, who was wearing a pair of hip hugger jeans and a halter top that did not cover the tiny blue Cornish pixie tattooed on her hip. Ron gasped and Harry stared at her as if she finally gone mad. Seamus and Dean asked is her tattoo had any magical properties. They spent the next few hours going through what they had all done over the summer. By dinner time everyone was in agreement that Hermione had had the best summer and she had truly become the New Hermione Granger.

A/N: Hope you all liked that. I'm not sure now if Hermione will be a complete bad ass but she will be a little different. As you can probably guess Aiden is a candidate for Hermione's pair... but there might be another boy coming into the scene too. If anyone has read any of my fics before you will notice that I like making up fictional characters. It's fun and lends a bit of spice to Rowlings' already amazing world. Anyway, read and review if you liked it... if you don't then don't continue to read, it's as simple as that!
AzkabanConvict