This is the reworked version of chapter five, hopefully it is an improvement. If you read the old version of this please tell me if this is better. I still don't own any of the characters, do we really need to put a disclaimer on each chapter. Surely it would be global news if J.K.R actually gave up her rights to Harry Potter and so on. Enjoy.

Chapter four

Most people would say that Hermione Granger was without guile. She had formulated that pose when she was barely five and had become a fluent reader. It was rare that Hermione was ever thankful to her parents but she loved that her father had enrolled her in a school when she had just turned four. She had Matilda for just that reason but she did not have an evil headmistress or a Miss Honey as her teacher. She did have the same talent for reading but would prefer to read fairy tales and myths and legends from the cultures all around the world rather the Dickens any day.

In fairy tales it was the innocent and naïve princesses that got prince. It was the cute and sheltered village girls who had the hidden intellect that sprung the bad guys' plans and got rewarded for their help. The only people who had ever seen evidence of Hermione's deceitful side was Harry, Ron, Rita Sketter and Professor Umbridge. Umbridge was completely discredited, Rita was under powerful blackmail and was completely terrified of her, not that the boys knew that. And the boys, well they rarely thought about the deceit in Hermione, it occurred to rarely and only came out to help them, so it couldn't be bad.

Deceit was as much a part of the school Hermione as it was in the true Hermione; school Hermione just hid it better. Either way, it was easy for Hermione to focus her mind on finding a way out of the mess she had just caused in front of her Headmaster and deputy Headmistress. A dozen options appeared instantly in her mind and she worked like lightning playing the possible results of each option in her mind and evaluating the different aspects. Within two minutes she had her strategy and contingency plans ordered in her mind and she was beginning to project the appropriate emotions. If Hermione found herself unable to get a job in the wizarding world she knew she would do well as a general or actress.

Hermione waited until everyone left the room before she left herself. It was an aspect of her true personality that she could not repress and she doubted that anyone noticed. She would always lead the class by at least a double arm length or would be at the tail of the class, she could not stand having someone within hand reach of her back. Anyway, waiting let her judge the emotions of the rest of her classmates as they filed out of the door. There wasn't much to watch, everyone except Harry was displaying the same emotion: shock. Harry, no surprise, was angry and swept out even before the Professors.

Once everyone had left Hermione started to move forward. It almost scared her that these false emotions spread so easily across her face and yet she felt none of them for much of the time. Lately feelings, both physical and emotional, were a dull and fleeting occurrence. She had not been angry at Harry, it was too hard to summon that strong an emotion, she had been merely annoyed. She had not been touched at the shelter, most of the children had been abused physically or sexually, you simply did not touch them and they did not touch you. Lack of physical contact or friendly communication had worked their toll on Hermione and the truth was always the best type of lie.

Deception did not start and end with words. To truly fool a person you must consider tone of voice, facial expression, tension of the body and the movement of your body, both slight shifting and deliberate actions. One of the most important aspects of everyday lying is controlling the eyes. Most muggles know the saying that the eyes are the window to the soul. To a wizard the saying is true, particularly to a person who is a legilimens like Professor Dumbledore. Hermione had spent many hours in the library thinking about, and researching, occulmency and legilimency. She had come to the conclusion that legilimency was primarily a visualisation technique and had formulated a defence based on that understanding. Her shield had not been tested but she had raised it anytime she came into contact with the Headmaster. It provided her with entertainment whilst he talked about rather trivial information.

While she slowly left the room Hermione raised her shield, called up remorse and utmost sadness and let it direct her body's movement. School Hermione was uncertain and submissive when it came to teachers. She needed to start off sad and wait for her teacher to trigger self-righteous anger. Her shoulders were hunched, her cheeks were flushed, she was frowning and walked hesitantly.

Upon arriving at the next door and finding it was closed despite the fact that her Professor was obviously expecting her, Hermione hesitantly knocked and assessed her posture. Opening the door when she was bid to enter Hermione mentally steeled herself without moving a single muscle and let the game begin.

One of humanities common ancestors must have found that the center of an area was always the best place to stand when holding the attention of a person or people who stood at the edge of the area. He or she must have passed the knowledge to his descendants as Hermione had noticed the tendency in many of her fellow classmates in all her years of schooling. It was a tendency she indulged in herself so she automatically stopped in the middle of the compartment physically facing her Professor and Headmaster but with her head bowed to avoid eye contact. She was certain her facial features would not give her away but it was always best to err on the side of caution.

"Professor McGonagall, Headmaster." She began. Her tone was low and obviously upset but she would not initiate the conversation. Intel was essential in any confrontation.

"Miss Granger, I must say I am very disappointed in you. That was a completely inappropriate way for any student to act and as a Student Professor you are held to much higher standard making it even more inappropriate. You are meant to be setting an example not yelling at your fellow students and making unfounded accusations."

"Harry was making accusations as well, he accused Draco Malfoy of being a follower of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and said Malfoy should be in Azkaban. I was simply defending my fellow student."

Hermione hadn't looked up and still sounded sad. She wasn't being defiant but did sound injured by the Headmasters rebuke and anger.

"Allowances must be made for Harry. He has had a very hard time lately, he still hasn't dealt with the death of his Godfather, and your remarks will not have helped."

"I have had a hard time too, my parents have been fighting and I had to stay at home. My muggle friends won't talk to me and I didn't hear from Harry and Ron all summer. I was feeling so alone and Harry was so cold to me when I came up to him. All the isolation made me so angry at him and his remarks about Malfoy was the last straw. I didn't mean to yell at Harry, I really didn't, but Malfoy isn't a bad person and most of the people in that room would follow Harry's lead. Draco doesn't deserve to have all those people turn completely against them."

"You should have more control Miss Granger. You may be having trouble at home but that is no excuse for shouting at another student and making unfounded accusations about them. I am certain that your friends did not mean to ignore you and it is not an acceptable reason to behave in the manner that you did. I expect you to apologise to Harry before the opening feast."

Professor Dumbledore seemed to have completely ignored the information that Harry had done pretty much the same thing that Hermione had herself. She expected no better from him but it had crushed her hope that this would be a good year.

"Of course Professor. I will do my best to be complete control of my actions for the reminder of the school year. I am sorry for my actions."

She would apologise and he would yell at her again, too angry at being shown up in front of his followers to easily forgive her. Then he would calm down, realise how much help he would need to keep up with the demands of the year and would apologise for yelling at her again, expecting her apologise again herself and just reenter the group and take over the homework again. Worse again she would have to do that, she didn't want to be without even the semblance of friends. Being alone made the silence scream, being surrounded and alone inside made the silence bearable. She would demean herself and reenter the circle, anything was better then being truly alone. But first she would let Harry simmer and lose herself in her thoughts.

"Very good Miss Granger, why don't you go and prepare yourself for the school year. I am sure it will be most satisfying for you.