The Perks of Being a Magic Endowed Wallflower

Chapter 4

The Investigation

The owl greeted her the next morning and Hermione untied the letter from his leg, petting his head before the owl swooped out.

It wasn't one of hers she noticed as she opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

Dear Friend,

As I told you before, I feel oddly liberated. I feel I can write these letters and send them off just as you did and not look back.

So, I'm about to go on a rant, which is one of the reason's I'm writing to you even though I'd decided not to.

Why do people expect so much from you?

Why do they want you to do things, be things that you just can't or don't want to do or be?

I feel the whole world is out to get me. They all want a piece of me and they don't care if I want to give it or not. It doesn't even matter if it is the truth. They don't give a damn as long as they can say they have a piece of me.

Then again, I feel the entire world ignores me for me. My family, they overlook me because, well, I just don't think they see me. They don't see me. It's easy to be overlooked in my family.

And also, I feel the whole world is just too full of idiots—really there should be some sort of regulation. Some people should just not be allowed to have kids.

Well, that's my rant and I feel…relieved, I suppose. Something you said in one of your letters though, has been bugging me. How did you prove to yourself that magic existed? It seemed to me you were going to confront your enemy, Harry. Did you?

I couldn't tell you when I found out that I had magic. I really couldn't tell you.

Well, I have much to do.

Again, the letter was left unsigned. Hermione sat down and pulled out the notebook in which she'd written down three suspects. It would make sense that when she'd wished so hard to have someone sympathetic read her letters, someone who would understand that it had gone to a witch or wizard her own age. Harry, Ron, and Draco all fit that.

She reread the letter again. When the writer said he felt the world was out to get him, it reminded her of Harry.

Taking her quill she put a tick mark by Harry's name.

But then again, the part that said the world ignores him, that his family didn't see him…that was so Ron. She placed a tick mark next to his name and one next to Malfoy's as well.

She looked down in dismay. There were two marks beside each name. How was she ever going to figure out which one of them it was?

"GRANGER!" The scream pierced the silence and Hermione jolted, tucking away the notebook and the letters she got up and went towards the source of the noise.

"What is it Malfoy?" she asked, looking at him curiously. "And what are you doing on top of the table?"

Draco's normally composed face was terrified. "That…" he pointed at a ball of orange fuzz. "That thing attacked me! Get that stupid animal out of here!"

Hermione eyed him. "No."

"NO!" Draco squeaked. "Get that damn cat away from me!"

Crookshanks was swishing his tail, his feral eyes on the trembling Slytherin.

"You heard me." Hermione said folding her arms across her chest. "You can just stand on top that table till the world ends for all I care Malfoy." She turned away and could swear her cat gave her an evil grin.

"GRANGER!" Draco screamed again and took a step to get off the table. But that damn excuse for a cat lunged and swiped at his ankle. "You're going to pay my medical bill!" He screamed as Granger slammed her door shut.

He pushed a blond stand behind his ear and made a quick decision. Under these circumstances, it was okay to beg for a mudblood's help.

"GRAAANGGGER! Please help me!"

Hermione groaned and opened her door, but didn't walk out—instead she leaned against the doorjamb. "What is it now?"

"Please, call the…" he almost called the cat something that would surely have had Granger fuming. "The pretty cat off." He concluded and watched as Granger's eyes filled with laughter.

"And give up the chance to watch you dance a little? You've got to be kidding."

Draco jumped as the vicious animal took another swipe at him. "For Merlin's sake, help me! What have I ever done to you?"

Hermione's eyebrows almost disappeared into her hairline. "Oh, I have no idea, Malfoy. Let me see." She started ticking them off on her fingers.

"You insult me."

The orange cat clawed Draco's ankle and he yowled.

Hermione ignored the commotion and continued ticking off all the things Draco Malfoy had done to her.

"You call me mudblood. Assume I'm lower than you. Trip me." she watched with some glee as her cat attacked the other ankle. "You try to hurt me and my friends. Most everything you do is unprovoked, and done out of the horridness of your own heart."

"Merlin! I'm sorry!" Draco was now doing a nice rendition of an Irish jig as he avoided the clawed paws of one Crookshanks.

Hermione laughed. "You're not sorry one bit." She turned around and closed the door. A few seconds later she was smiling widely as Malfoy screamed at her through the closed door,

"YES I AM!"

She ignored him, pulling out the letters and notebook again. There was no way that Malfoy was the one who wrote the letters. He was way too stuck up. She crossed off a tick mark. She couldn't remove him from the list…yet.

Her mind settled back onto the dream she'd had. The one filled with clowns and bright red jumpsuits. Had she really dreamed it? Was she hallucinating?

She crossed her legs and lay back, staring at the ceiling. Why had she started all this?

If you feel alive
In a darkened room
Do you know the name
Of your solitude
If you ain't got the answer
If you don't know the truth
If you want the power
Then let it flow through
Would you let it go
Would let it go
They cannot end this morning
Of my life
Show me
How the gods kill
If you feel alive
If you got no fear
Do you know the name
Of the one you seek
If you want the answer
If you want the truth
Look inside your empty soul
There
You'll find the noose
Would you let it go
Would you let it go
They cannot end this morning
Of my life
Show me
How the gods kill

Hermione was determined to win back her life. Whoever it was…why had they chosen now? Why were they sending her her letters back…and why were they sending them their letters as well?

She would figure it out. That much she was sure of. How? Well, that was still the question, now wasn't it.

A/N: I am soooooo sorry guys that i forgot to update this fic. i hope you like the chapter. please Review. I promise not to ignore this story again.

Merry Christmas.

jd.