A/N: Hello, welcome to my sixth fan fiction. If you are not familiar with me or my fiction stories, I'd like to say a few things. I appreciate constructive criticism in the reviews and ideas are welcome, I will credit you if I use an idea you've approached me with. If I don't, please let me know because it was probably a mistake. To forewarn you, this is a sixth year fiction and it will not, for the most part, agree with any of JKR's stories. That's why we call it fiction. Anyway, enjoy!

Hermione Granger and the Secrets of the Past

Chapter One: Detention

Hermione Granger laid on her bed at Hogwarts, feeling the warmth course through her body not even bothering to get ready for bed as the other sixth-year girls walked into the dormitory.

"Hermione, you alright?" Lavender Brown asked.

Hermione reluctantly opened her eyes to see three girls standing over her, "Oh, yes, just wonderful," she said, yawning, "Just a bit drowsy. I've had a long break."

"Yes, I expect so with You-Know-Who back and everything," said Parvati, "How is Harry, by the way? No one tried to attack him over break?"

"No, I don't think so. I think he's alright, just trying to get along like everyone else. Dumbledore put some kind of charm over his aunt and uncle's house so that Voldemort can't find it. Even if, as he put it, Voldemort had his nose pressed right up against their living room window," she said as she reluctantly sat up and opened her trunk for her night things.

"Of course Dumbledore would think up something that brilliant," commented Lavender.

"It's really quite simple. What do you think of the new DADA teacher?" she asked, not wanting to talk anymore about her break.

"Slughorn? I think his class is going to be easy to pass," Parvati said, "Of course, it'll be a cinch to you, Hermione. You're brilliant anyway."

Hermione smiled as she felt herself blush, "Well, I'm going in for an early night, ladies," she said, starting to pull the hangings around her bed, "Good night all!"

She fell asleep almost immediately.

Hermione woke up just as suddenly as if she'd had a bad dream and found Parvati and Lavender already up and getting dressed.

"Why didn't anyone wake me?" Hermione groggily asked, getting her school uniform out.

Five minutes later Hermione was hurrying down to the Great Hall with her book bag slung over one shoulder and her robe in the opposite hand.

Once she found Ron and Harry she quickly set her bag down, pulled on her robe and sat in between them.

"Good morning slow poke," Ron said, serving her three pancakes and two sausages, "How did you sleep?"

"I don't like sausage," she told him, putting them on his plate, "And I would like only one pancake, thank you," she said, also putting two of her pancakes on top of the sausages.

"Oh, well fine miss prissy," Ron retorted.

"What have you lot got first on your schedule?" she asked.

"Potions," they both glumly said.

"Well…let's try and make this year count. Harry, please don't lose your temper with Snape and Ron, try to study a bit more."

"I do study! Just as much as Harry does!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione smirked and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I know you do."

Fifteen minutes later they were standing out side of the usual dungeon classroom with the few Slytherins who had actually passed into the NEWT level class.

The classroom door slowly opened and the class silently and quickly shuffled in; Hermione, Ron and Harry taking their usual seats in the back.

"Welcome to your first lesson in Potions that will help…most…of you succeed on your NEWT level exams within the next year," Professor Snape quietly; almost mysteriously said, causing the babble that had broken out throughout the class to immediately cease.

Snape looked around at the class for a moment as if daring someone to speak out. When no one did he turned around and waved his wand toward his black board.

"Today," he continued, a bit more loudly and confidently, "You will be tested on your intricate, or not so intricate, knowledge of Potions you have learned thus far in class. The instructions are on the board; begin."

Hermione saw Ron's eyes widen, "The Drought of Living Death?" he whispered, looking at Hermione, "That's got to be one of the most difficult potions out there!" he quietly exclaimed as Snape passed in front of them.

"Aside from the Poly Juice Potion, Weasley, which I'm sure you, Miss Granger and Potter here have experience with. In fact, this should be easy compared to that so I expect nothing short of perfection when I inspect your potions at the end of class. Get to work," he finished, and continued on to praise Malfoy's work.

"Just follow the instructions, Ron, you'll be alright."

By the end of class period Harry and Hermione had their Potions almost exactly the color that the book had called for, Hermione's, of course, being the exact color while Harry's was off by a little.

When Snape came over to inspect Ron's he didn't say anything but simply passed it up, holding his nose shut as his did so. As he passed Harry's he contemplated it and said, "Good Potter, I see you've been practicing. You actually get some marks today," although it looked as if it would kill him to make those marks.

He next looked at Hermione's and she was surprised when, expecting no remark at all seeing as though she always had her Potions right on, he said, "That is not the precise shade of magenta mentioned on page four hundred thirty six, miss Granger. It looks more of a fuchsia. No points and a detention Saturday night, I think," he said, gazing into her eyes for a moment, which had begun to sparkle with tears.

Before he looked away she saw the most horrid, satisfied expression come over his face.

"Evanesco," Hermione whispered, hot angry tears streaming down her face.