Heya everyone New chapter right this way ;-) I hope you all still enjoy this story!
The following day the group of friends were making their way down to the Great Hall, when Hermione spotted a group of older Slytherins walking ahead of them, one of them being Malfoy. When he heard the noise behind him, he turns around to look at them with a sneer on his face, while his friends proceed to make their way to breakfast, leaving Malfoy with the nine first year Gryffindors.
"What do we have here", he says with a smirk, crossing his arms in front of his chest, a hint of arrogance in his features.
"Nothing that concerns you, Malfoy", Sirius sneers back at him, trying to walk around him.
"Now, that is no way to talk to your family, Black", Malfoy replies, walking closer to the group.
"Just because my cousin is forced to marry you, does not make you family, Malfoy!"
"I would watch your mouth, when speaking to someone superior to you", he seethes, taking another step closer to them.
"Are you threatening us, Malfoy? Because it sounds and looks a lot like you are and it would be a shame of Professor McGonagall would hear about that, wouldn't you agree?", Hermione asks him, narrowing her eyes at him, stepping closer to him herself.
"A cunning Gryffindor", he chuckles, taking a step back, but not taking his eyes off of her.
"That I live to see the day! This isn't over, Potter", he says with a dark look, before turning around and strutting down the entrance hall. Before he can turn the corner, Hermione pulls out her wand and aims it at his back.
"Crinus Muto", she whispers, twisting her wand the way she read about it and a white light shoots out of her wand, hurling towards Malfoy and before any of her friends could stop her, his hair was a deep Gryffindor red colour, but Malfoy did not notice the change.
"Minnie", James whisper shouts at her and Hermione swore she heard a hint of proudness in his voice.
"Multicorfors", she whispers again. Her brother and Sirius are grinning from ear to ear, while Mary, Marlene and Alice tried to hold in their giggles.
"Hermione!", Lily says appalled but impressed at the same time.
On the back of Malfoy's robes was "I love Gryffindor" written in big gold letters, matching his deep red hair.
"Come, I want to watch this", Hermione says. When they reach the Great Hall, they were met by silence and a confused Malfoy, who could not figure out, why the students and teachers were staring at him with their mouths open.
"Nice hair, Malfoy", Michael, the Gryffindor that Hermione had met the previous day, shouts over the silence and all of a sudden, the entire hall was laughing, while the teachers try to hide their amusement. Malfoy, horror struck, reaches out to pull one of his long hairs to his face, spins around quickly, pulling his wand at the group of first year Gryffindors.
"You good for nothing blood traitor", he seethes, but is cut off from another burst of laughter from behind him as the students read the back of his robes.
"What have you done", he shouts, advancing on Hermione and her friends.
"Me? Malfoy, I'm a first year, surely I couldn't be able to charm your hair and robes that way!", Hermione says innocently as Professor McGonagall walks towards them.
"Mr. Malfoy, have you not learned your lesson at dinner last night?", she asks him sternly.
"You will regret this", he says to Hermione, before walking over to his house table, where a witch quickly changed him back.
"Miss Potter, while I know that you were only trying to defend your friends, you broke the school rules by using your wand in the corridors. 10 points from Gryffindor", Professor McGonagall said to her, but she didn't look cross. The Gryffindor table groaned at the loss of points, but none of them looked like they were mad at Hermione.
"I understand, Professor", Hermione replies, knowing that the punishment was fair, not regretting it for even a minute. She knew she would gain the points back in the next few weeks.
"As much as you broke the rules, that was an outstanding display of transfiguration! Performing two fourth-year spells! 20 points to Gryffindor for an extraordinary display of magic from a first year, but don't take this as encouragement to do this again!", she says, the corner of her lips quirking into a half smile.
"I certainly won't, Professor", Hermione grins, thinking, that the next time she simply shouldn't get caught.
"Merlin! Minnie!", James laughs as they make their table over to the clapping Gryffindors.
"Thank you, Hermione! It's not every day someone gets the better of Malfoy", Michael says as they walk past, making Hermione blush, smiling at him slightly.
"Thank you", Sirius says suddenly, pulling Hermione into a bone-crushing hug, her blush deepening further as she returns his affection.
"Don't make a big deal out of it!", she says as she pulls away from him, taking a seat between Sirius and James.
"That was fantastic", Mary giggles.
"Reckless – but I must admit it was a good laugh and it didn't harm anyone", Lily admits, even though she was no fan of pranks on others.
"Except for his ego", Remus says, making his friends laugh again, which put a gleam in his eyes, that Hermione hadn't seen before.
"Where did you learn those spells? Professor McGonagall said those were fourth year spells?", Alice asks as they all pile their plates with breakfast.
"I read them in one of my books over the summer and after what happened last night, I thought I should try them out", Hermione shrugs.
"All that reading is finally good for something", James chuckles, patting his sister on the back. Little did Hermione know, that with her harmless display of magic, she started a feud with Slytherin that would last for the rest of their education.
"Look! Owl-post", Lily says excitedly, watching as the owls came swooping down from the ceiling of the Great Hall. Hermione spotted her parent's owl immediately and noticed a little parcel hanging from its leg.
Dear Hermione and James,
Thank you for writing such a detailed letter, though I have to thank Hermione for it, James?
We are so proud of you being sorted into Gryffindor – we would have been proud no matter what, but it pleases us that you continue to uphold the Potter line, by being sorted into Gryffindor. You should have seen your fathers proud face as I read him your letter!
We hope that the classes are manageable and that you will do your homework on time! You should work hard to earn points for Gryffindor as it could win you the house-cup at the end of the year, which is a great honour!
We're happy that you managed to make friends so quickly – there is nothing worse than being without friends in Hogwarts! But, please try not to get into trouble – especially you James! We know what you two were like at home and we don't even want to think about what you two get up to at the castle!
Albus wrote to us about the meeting you had with him, Hermione. It is alright for him to know, but he was also very wise to advise you to not tell anyone unless you are certain that you can trust them! If you have trouble, talk to your brother or go see Minerva. You can always write to us, if you have any questions, but it would be best to not tell us about your visions in letters. We live in a time where owls can be intercepted, and we would not like to risk that. Albus asked us to deliver the diary for you to write down your visions. He thinks it will be less suspicious if it were to come from us.
Please take care of yourselves and study hard, you will only get one chance at an education at Hogwarts!
With love,
Mum and Dad
"Why do they think I'm most likely to get into trouble?", James asks, reading over his sister's shoulder.
"Because you usually are", she replies.
"Just wait until I tell them about what you did to Malfoy", James jokes, making his friends laugh.
"You will do no such thing! What happens at Hogwarts, stays at Hogwarts, unless it is necessary for them to know", Hermione says sternly, pulling out her parchment to write a quick letter back, while James opened the parcel that came with the letter.
"Here this is for you, because I don't write a diary", he says, knowing that there would be nothing suspicious for a girl to keep a diary.
"I have been waiting for this! I forgot it at home and asked Mum to send it with the next owl."
"Yes! They sent us some sweets too! And Dora's chocolate cookies!", he exclaims, pulling various items out of the box.
"Who is Dora?", Mary asks.
"Our house-elf", Hermione replies.
"House-elf?", Lily asks, not having heard of them before.
"Tiny creatures with huge ears. They are bound to a specific house and serve them unconditionally until their death or until they are freed", Sirius explains.
"You have a slave?", Lily asks aghast at the possibility of such a barbaric custom.
"Most pureblood families have one. But it is not really slavery. They live to serve witches and wizards. If a house-elf is unemployed and has not purpose to serve they will die", Sirius explains further.
"That is still barbaric!"
"Not really. Most families treat them like extended family, but some old pureblood families mistreat them. Dora has been with our family for a very long time and she helped raise us. She cooks for us and she cleans the Manor. Mum insist that she celebrates the holidays and birthdays with us. She even gives her an allowance on her birthday. Dora is not mistreated in our house", James explains, understanding that the concept of a house-elf is difficult to understand if you never had one. They leave it at that, knowing that Lily would have to live with a house-elf to understand the concept and Sirius thought it wise not to tell her about their house-elf who was not treated as nicely as Dora. Hermione had finished her letter and sent it off with Fria, who had decided to finish Hermione's plate of bacon for her.
After breakfast they made their way to the Transfiguration classroom, still talking and laughing about Malfoy. Every now and then students from Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor would stop the group and thank them for putting Malfoy down from his high horse, while the Slytherins were shooting them dark looks.
"It's dangerous to be friends with you, Hermione", Mary chuckles as they pass a group of especially mad looking Slytherins.
"Don't worry, Mary", Hermione says, hoping that they did in fact have nothing to worry about.
"At least our school year won't be boring!", Marlene says with a happy smile on her face.
"I wish people would stop blowing it out of proportion. It's not that big of a deal", Hermione huffs as they enter the classroom, taking their seats towards the middle of the class, a few Ravenclaws already in their seats.
"It might not be a big deal to you, but I doubt that Malfoy will leave it at that, and he is a seventh year after all", Lily comments, pulling out her textbooks.
"I've got more where that came from", Hermione simply says, making her friends look at each other with worry.
"This will go on forever won't it", Remus sighs to Peter.
"I think so, yes", he stutters out just as Professor McGonagall walks into the classroom, closing the door behind her.
"Welcome to Transfiguration for first years", she says, standing in front of her desk.
"Who can tell me what transfiguration is?"
Several hands shoot in the air and the Gryffindor notice the difference between having a class with Slytherins and having a class with Ravenclaws, as more Ravenclaws raised their hands than Gryffindors.
"Miss Vane", Professor McGonagall says to a girl with long blonde hair and fair looking skin.
"It's the alteration of the form or appearance on an object, by changing the objects molecular structure", the girl replies with a dreamy voice.
"That is correct, five points to Ravenclaw", Professor McGonagall says.
"What are the limitations of Transfiguration, Mr. Black?"
"It's hard to transfigure a large object into a small object and it is impossible to revive the dead with transfiguration", he says, to the shock of his friends.
"Five points to Gryffindor."
"The important thing about Transfiguration is to focus on what you are trying to do. You need to visualize it and take it seriously – otherwise it can cause permanent damage. There are four types of Transfiguration: Transformation, Untransfiguration, Vanishment and Conjuration. This year we will be focusing on Transformation and while it is the easiest of the four it is also the most dangerous and most complex form of Transfiguration. What are the three types of Transformation, Mr. Seeley?", Professor McGonagall explains, calling up a Ravenclaw student with shaggy brown hair hanging into his eyes.
"Human Transfiguration, Switching, Trans-Species Transformation", he says with a timid voice.
"Correct! Yes, Mr. Potter?", Professor McGonagall calls up James who had his hand up in the air.
"Isn't Untransfiguration also a part of Transformation?", he asks, earning himself a shocked look from his sister. She didn't know that her brother had read their text book – or any other book for that matter.
"Excellent observation, Mr. Potter, take five points for Gryffindor", she says, impressed by his question.
"Untransfiguration is in fact, to some extent, considered to be a sub-category of Transformation as some spells are used to counter the effects of a Transformation. Another 5 points if you can name me such a spell", she challenges him.
"The Reparifarge spell can be used to undo a Transformation that was poorly performed and therefor left the object only partly transformed", he answers, earning more points for Gryffindor.
"That is correct, Mr. Potter. For the first part of our lesson you will write a 13-inch essay on the general use of Transformation spells. When you have finished, please bring forward your parchment", she instructs, and the students flip through their textbook to get to the right section and begin their work, mostly quietly. James and Sirius continue to whisper throughout their work and after another ten minutes of their disruption Professor McGonagall advances on them from behind.
"Mr. Potter! I would advise you to finish this task in absolute quiet, unless you wish to lose the house points you just earned yourself", she says tight lipped and James' face turns beet red.
The rest of the first period is continued in quiet and Hermione, Lily and Remus are the first Gryffindors to hand in their essay. During the second period Professor McGonagall taught them how to turn a match into a needle and apart from three Ravenclaws only Hermione managed to somehow turn her match into a needle, but they still hadn't mastered the spell as their matches looked like sharp silver matches.
"The essay's will be graded by the next week. You will also have to write a 20-inch essay on Human-Transfiguration", Professor McGonagall dismissed the class.
James and Sirius moaned all the way to the library, but Hermione droned them out as soon as she stepped through the giant doors. She was not prepared the sight in front of her. Dark brown book shelves lined the walls and spread through the room. She stopped in her tracks, watching as books resorted themselves into the shelves after a student was finished with it.
"Hermione?", Mary calls, when she notices that Hermione had not followed them further inside, but Hermione gave no reaction.
"Minnie?", James says, noting that his sister looked like she was turned into stone.
"I think we lost her, mate", Sirius jokes, poking Hermione into her cheek, when she finally jerks out of her daze.
"This is amazing. I mean look at all these books and –", Hermione rushes out, finally walking further into the library.
"I know this is your save haven, but can we please look for a table big enough for all of us, so that we can get on with our homework?", James asks, taking her hand and pulling her further down the shelves.
"Sorry, guys! This is just really overwhelming", Hermione apologizes as they sit down at a table on the other side of the hall, near a large window.
"It's alright. Remus had the same reaction yesterday", Mary says with a smile.
"And I thought our library at home was huge", Hermione says, still looking at her surroundings.
"I think the only library bigger than this is at the Ministry", Remus says with a chuckle.
They pull out their textbooks to start working on their DADA homework and to their surprise even James and Sirius tried to make an effort.
"Hermione?", Peter asks timidly, looking nervously at the young witch.
"Yes?"
"Would it be possible for you to help me? I'm a little stuck and don't know how to continue with my essay", he explains with a slight blush.
"Sure, let me see", she says with a smile, standing up and moving over to his seat so she can read through his essay.
"That is really good, Peter. Now you just need to continue with the part of the essay that describes why it is important to know dark spells and curses. You could mention a dark spell as an example to what dark arts are and explain what the spell does and then explain on that example why it is important to know and understand the spells and curses", she says, pointing to a page in his book where several dark spells were mentioned.
"Thank you, Hermione! I will do that", he nods, scanning the page for a spell to use, while Hermione returns to her own chair, to read through her already finished essay.
"I think I will start on the Transfiguration homework. We still have a little bit time left before lunch", she says to Lily, who seems to be finished with her essay as well.
"Me too", the witch replies, pulling out another parchment, before rubbing her fingers. The use of a quill instead of a ballpoint pen. The two witches work diligently on their second essay, only interrupted when James and Sirius ask for the two witches to read over their essays. They mark up a few spelling mistakes, but apart from that, their essays were surprisingly good.
"I can't believe you guys are already finished with all of your homework", James complains as they walk to the Great Hall for lunch. Remus and the girls had all finished their essays when it was time to go to lunch, while Peter, Sirius and James only managed a couple inches on their Transfiguration essay.
"We can help you over the weekend" Remus offers as they walk down an empty corridor.
"Petrificus Totalus", a voice suddenly says from behind them. The spell hit Hermione, who was walking at the back of the group and she falls over to the floor face first.
"You!", James shouts, pulling his own wand out of his robes, pointing at Zabini, the first-year student, who had made fun of Sirius on multiple occasions.
"What are you going to do, Potter?", he laughs, with his friends. Severus Snape was one of them, making Lily feel sick, looking at his laughing face, while one of her new friends was just attacked.
"I'll show you", he says, the words of a spell he read in their text book already on the tip of his tongue.
"It's not worth it", Lily says, grabbing James' wand arm, pulling his hand down, looking at Severus with sad eyes, his laugh suddenly replaced with a shameful look.
"That was for charming Malfoy this morning", Zabini says with a hateful look, before turning around the other way, walking away from the group of friends. Severus unsure what to do, throws Lily one last look before rushing after his new friends.
"When I said I wanted him to make friends, I certainly didn't mean them", she says angrily, staring at his retreating form.
"Can someone please unbind my sister", James says agitated, kneeling down next to her on the floor, Sirius by his side.
"Finite Incantatem", Alice says and Hermione's body sags to the floor, a groan escaping her lips. James and Sirius help her turn around and sit up.
"Minnie are you okay?", he asks, concern laced in his voice, looking his sister over.
"That was highly unpleasant", she tries to joke, wincing as James touches her right cheek, where she hit the floor first.
"Apart from a few scratches, you seem to be fine", he concludes.
"We should bring her to the hospital wing", Remus says, looking at her with concern.
"No! I will be fine. The scratches will heal, and I think my cheek will bruise, but it's not worth bothering Madam Pomfrey with it", Hermione says, standing up with the help of Sirius and James.
"If you're sure?", Mary asks.
"Absolutely, like I said, it will bruise a little, that's all."
By the time they were finished with their lunch, walking around the castle to explore the ground floor, Hermione's right cheek was sporting a deep purple bruise, swollen up to the point where she had trouble opening her right eye.
"I'm not feeling so good", she mumbles suddenly, her head pounding and the pain spreading from her cheek all over her face.
"Minnie!", James says, grabbing her arm as she tumbles backwards.
"Let's get her to Madam Pomfrey", Sirius says, taking her other arm, while the girls take her bag and he stationary.
"This doesn't look so minor anymore", Remus comments worriedly, walking behind her, in case she would faint.
"What happened?", Madam Pomfrey shouts suddenly as they step into the infirmary.
"She was –", Remus started, but before he could finish his sentence, Hermione interrupted him as she was placed on a hospital bed.
"I tripped over my own feet and couldn't catch myself in time. I hit the floor with my face first", she explains to her, not wanting to know that another student did this. It was her own fault, really. She knew that if she were to tell her what happened, they would get into trouble and that would lead to only more complications between the two groups.
Madam Pomfrey pulls out her wand and runs a few diagnostic spells over her.
"Apart from the scratches and the bruise you have a minor concussion. I will go get something for your bruise, that will help the swelling to go down, but you will have to stay overnight for monitoring", the medi-witch explains, before rushing off to her cabinet to get the cream and a potion.
"Take this, it will help with the pain", she instructs, handing her the small vial.
"Do I really have to stay here over night?", Hermione groans after downing the potion, the pain already fading.
"Yes, Miss Potter!", Madam Pomfrey says sternly and Hermione knew that there was no room for discussion.
"It's almost time for dinner! You all need to leave; The girl needs some rest. You can come by tomorrow morning to pick her up", she says to Hermione's friends, who looked sorry for her.
"It's fine. I'll see you tomorrow", Hermione says with a small smile, wishing that James could stay with her. Her friends bid her goodbye, James staying back, despite the angry look that Madam Pomfrey was throwing him.
"You're her brother, right?", she asks after a few seconds of him refusing to leave.
"Yes, mam", he replies with a nod.
"You may stay another ten minutes, but when I come back out here, you'll better be gone", she says much kinder this time, returning to her little office to get one of the house elves to fetch Hermione's pajamas from her dorm.
"Are you going to be alright, Minnie?", James asks his sister, sitting on the side of her bed, taking her hand into his own.
"I'll be fine, Jamie", she whispers back, squeezing his hand.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you."
"There was nothing that you could have done. It was my own doing that got me here", she says.
"You only defended Sirius, that's why you got here", he huffs out, wishing the roles were reversed.
"And I'd do it again if it meant protecting my friends", she replies, stroking her thumb over the back of his hand.
"I'm going to be as good as new come morning. There is nothing to worry about, Jamie."
"Do you want me to get you anything?"
"No, thank you. I think I will ask Madam Pomfrey for some food and then get a good night's sleep", she tells him.
"Alright, Minnie. I will see you first thing in the morning", he whispers and kisses her forehead before turning around and leaving the hospital wing, leaving Hermione to her own thoughts for the night.