The summer before Hermione's 3rd year at Hogwarts Round Two was interesting for a number of reasons. She decided that she needed to keep her wand arm in shape, and home was the easiest way to do that. Perhaps the other her would have refused to do magic simply because she wasn't at Hogwarts, but war changed a girl's perspective. She had to have a place to practice. Somewhere that James and Sirius could not find her. That part was fairly easy because both twelve year old boys wanted nothing to do with her. They would rather swim in the lake, or go riding, or do "nothing" far, far away from her.

She walked into the woods, and wandered aimlessly until she came to a great oak that was hundreds of years old. She circled it slowly, and determined that it did not house any magical creatures that might be disturbed by her. She pulled out her wand and looked around making sure that James and Sirius were nowhere nearby. She smiled to herself, whispered the incantation she'd found in the Potter family library, and tapped the trunk of the tree. A small door opened, just large enough for her to squeeze into. She went up a winding set of stairs and came into a set of rooms. Her very own tree house would be a secret place for her, but it must be carefully protected. She knew all of the spells, had learned them when she was on the run with Harry.

"Patronum Totalum. Salvio Hexia," she began murmuring the incantations which would guard her secret place.

When she was done, her special treehouse was warded better than the Potter Estate. She had made it unplottable, protected, guarded. No one would know it was there. After that, she was up earlier than the boys usually were, she would disappear for hours at a time, and when she returned she would have a funny, secret smile. Her mother watched her and wondered what she was up to, but if it made Hermione happy it was fine by her.

The pureblood tea parties continued, as did Hermione's friendship with Andromeda Black, and perhaps slightly odder…her friendship with Augusta Longbottom. The older woman's acerbic wit, and sharp rhetoric made Hermione's bell-like laugh filter out over the tea parties more than once. Mrs. Longbottom watched the young teenager with veiled eyes, and invited her over with her friend Andromeda and her mother for private luncheons.

HP/HG/HP

"Hermione!"

"Lily!" Both girls shrieked and ran to one another. They hugged and jumped up and down on platform 9 ¾.

"Sirius!"

"James!" Both boys shrieked and ran to one another, and copied the girls. Both girls glared at them.

"Just you wait, James Potter. You think you're so funny, well pranking runs in the Potter family and I have the genes just as well as you do." Hermione told her brother coldly, her hazel eyes narrowed in displeasure. Well, that and Fred and George had definitely taught her a thing or two. Both boys paled slightly. It was best to not aggravate Hermione once she took that particular tone. They had discovered the horror of the Bat-Bogey Hex that summer, and they respected her in a whole new way now.

"Come on, Hermione," Lily said in a voice just a chillingly cold. "Let's go find Severus."

The girls stalked by, James looking after them with a strange expression. He'd liked Lily since the first year, but as an eleven year-old boy he hadn't really known what to do with those emotions. At thirteen, he was starting to think he might know, but Lily couldn't stand him. He sighed heavily. Sirius snorted next to him.

"Don't worry about it, James. Plenty of girls at Hogwarts to hang out with, and eventually Lily will come around," Sirius said. James shrugged and both boys went to go find their friends.

HP/HG/HP

"Hermione! Hermione Potter! Are you paying attention, child?" demanded Professor McGonagall. Hermione shook herself out of her reverie.

"Of course, Professor," Hermione said with a weak smile. Professor McGonagall frowned darkly at her.

"Then you'll be happy to transfigure your book into a mouse," She said with a gimlet stare.

"Of course, Professor," Hermione said sweetly. She pronounced the incantation perfectly and instantly there was a small white mouse on her desk. Professor McGonagall's lips got even thinner, but she moved away.

Hermione went back to day-dreaming. She was only thirteen. What could she do to aid the war effort? How could she change things? She'd started small. She had become a friend to Severus Snape, spoken with Regulus Black, and she had even considered cultivating Malfoy as an asset. However, for the most part she could not stand Malfoy, and that older Hermione started screeching at her when she even considered it.

"Hermione?" Severus poked her in the side.

"What?"

"Meet me at the tree at lunch," he whispered to her. She nodded.

"Want me to bring Lils?" she asked. He nodded.

Severus was sitting under the tree, waiting for them. He had Regulus with him, and Hermione gave him her sweetest smile. He blinked at her, and then smiled shyly back at her. The four of them sat under the tree and talked. Hermione sat with her legs crossed, waving her wand lazily and making magic daisy chains. She made one for each of them, and the boys had shy smiles when she put them around their necks. Their laughter pealed out at regular intervals.

"What do you suppose is so funny?" James asked sullenly, staring longingly at Lily Evans who was giggling with Hermione. He had decided that she was the prettiest girl at Hogwarts, and the smartest. It was a shame she couldn't stand him.

"Probably how idiotic Snivellus and Regu-Brat look with dumb daisy chains around their necks," Sirius said idly while his gaze crept more than once to Hermione's laughing face.

"They're probably laughing about how Hermione put one over on McGonagall in Transfiguration. I thought for sure she was going to get into huge trouble," Remus observed from behind a book. Peter nodded his agreement.

The two girls jumped up shrieking with laughter and the two boys chased them. When Severus managed to tackle Hermione and she landed on the ground laughing up at him, Sirius felt a surge of irrational anger that he couldn't explain. James was already scowling.

"Come on, let's go work on the map some more," he muttered before stalking off. The rest of the boys shrugged and followed him.

HP/HG/HP

Hermione was walking through the hallways idly, reading as she walked, twisting a thick curl around her finger as she thought about her master plan for the destruction of Voldemort. So far, her knowledge was somewhat limited because there were things that she was not privy to. She was forced to admit that Harry had kept his own counsel perhaps a little too much. She'd guessed quite a bit, but guesses did not comfort her when she contemplated the enormous task ahead of her. Even Harry Potter, the Chosen One, had had help. She wondered if perhaps she might not need to get help of her own. It might behoove her to take a leaf from Dumbledore's book and try to recruit amongst the future Death Eaters. She knew that many of them came to regret their actions, and the choices that they had made. Perhaps she might do the same. Then someone shoved her and sent her sprawling into the wall where she hit her head.

"Watch where you're walking, blood traitor," hissed a nasty voice, and Hermione found herself looking up into the face of Bellatrix LeStrange…no, Black. Bellatrix Black, Sirius' cousin. Old Hermione was terrified of this creature, but Hermione Potter was furious. She jumped up.

"You should watch yourself, Black," she hissed angrily, her wand clenched in her hand. Bellatrix's eyes went wild, and Hermione realized that the madness had been there far earlier than the female Death Eater's stint in Azkaban. Bellatrix pointed her wand at Hermione and screeched in a rage. Out of nowhere, Hermione was pushed again, only this time it was to dodge Bellatrix's hex.

"Leave her alone, Bella," Sirius said angrily, his wand out, his grey eyes dark and stormy.

"Is the blood traitor your whore?" Bellatrix sneered, sniffing disdainfully at Hermione, crumpled at Sirius' feet. "Is that why you've turned your back on everything you've been raised to believe in? She must be amazing, if she can do all that."

"Don't you dare talk about her that way," Sirius' voice vibrated with his rage.

"Oh, I dare, cousin," Bella cooed at him. "I dare."

"Go away, Bella," Sirius said again, his voice cold and deadly. Bella smiled at him, and it chilled Hermione.

"I'll go now," she said softly. "But you can't guard her every hour of the day, Sirius, and I'll be waiting."

Sirius watched her walk down the corridor and turn around the corner and then he was on his knees next to Hermione. He put his arms around her and helped her to her feet. He picked up her wand and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she whispered numbly. Sirius looked at her gravely, his fingertips touching her cheek delicately, she hissed in pain.

"You're hurt," he muttered, his eyes darkening with rage.

"I'll be fine," she said softly, staring up at him with wide hazel eyes. "It could have been much worse."

"Yes, it could have," he muttered, turning and looking down the corridor where his cousin had gone. His features grew cold and hard as he glared in the direction she'd gone. He turned back to Hermione and his features softened. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too," she whispered. He walked her to Madame Pomfrey and ran to grab James. They had an intense, private conversation, and she saw James almost shaking with rage at one point. He glanced several times at her, but Sirius' calm manner seemed to soothe him. Finally, he approached her.

"Sirius says that you are okay?" James asked uncertainly, staring at her bruised cheek. She nodded.

"I am, Jamie. He saved me." Hermione said firmly. James looked at Sirius gratefully and then turned back to Hermione.

"I'm glad he was there, then," James said quietly, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

After that, Hermione was more careful, more circumspect, in her travels through the castle. She practiced the disillusionment spell on herself until she was able to cast it perfectly and nonverbally. After that, her wanderings through the castle became much safer, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that James and Sirius tried to keep an eye on her, but it was difficult for them to be there every moment of every day. That, and sometimes Hermione needed privacy.

HP/HG/HP

It was the game for the Quidditch Cup and Hermione was going to be there to support her twin, and Sirius. She remembered the incredible lion head that Luna had made, and she knew how it had been made because Old Hermione provided all the pertinent memories. She also, thanks to the pureblood knowledge, knew how to make all her nails alternating Gryffindor colors with a tiny lion on each nail that would roar occasionally. No one had seen the hat yet, she was saving it for the big game. The nails however had become incredibly popular, and all the Gryffindor girls had them.

"Miss Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked with a long suffering look on her face. Hermione sat up straight and tried to look innocent. She couldn't help the fact that all of her classes bored her to tears and she daydreamed through most of them.

"Yes, Professor?"

"While I admire your dedication to your house's team, could the lions be quiet during the class period?" Mrs. McGonagall asked icily.

"Oh! I forgot! I'm so sorry, Professor," Hermione squeaked. She took out her wand and flicked it. The lions…all the lions…were silent. The students looked at one another in surprise. McGonagall blinked.

"Was that…nonverbal, Miss Potter?" McGonagall looked at her sharply. Hermione's face went up in flames. She looked desperately at her brother, who looked impressed and surprised.

"Er…no, ma'am?" Hermione offered weakly. Professor McGonagall stared at her for a minute and then moved on.

Aside from one or two glances, the students seemed to believe her denial of nonverbal magic, which was laughable from a third year. Hermione was trying to avoid making too many ridiculous mistakes, but sometimes it was difficult. Old Hermione just knew too much, and that knowledge filtered through a great deal of the time. She found herself perpetually bored in all of her classes. The only time she felt she learned anything with during the summer with her parents, and Mrs. Longbottom who'd taken an interest in her education. The rest of class dragged on, and then it was time for the game. James and Sirius jumped up and ran out of the room so they could go change. Hermione walked back to Gryffindor Tower with Lily to get changed for the game.

"Hermione?" Lily asked her with big eyes.

"Yeah, Lils?"

"What on earth is that?"

"It's a Gryffindor lion head. For the quidditch match. It's the cup, Lils! I have to support James. He's my brother, after all." Hermione explained as she put it on. Lils stared at her, and then smiled.

"It's kind of cute, isn't it?" Lils said.

"Wait, watch this," Hermione replied. She waved her wand at herself. "Leo Animato!"

The lion head roared so loudly that the other students in the tower stared toward the dormitory. When Hermione came down with the giant lion head on, everyone started cheering. All the houses tended to have a lot of house pride, and Gryffindor was no exception. The students all loved her lion head, and thought that it was perfect for this most important Quidditch match. Hermione had appointed herself the head cheer leader or pep rally mistress or what-have-you for Gryffindor, and even the older students liked most of her ideas.

"Okay Gryffindors, gather 'round!" Hermione ordered. She handed out sheet music to everyone. Thanks, Slytherin! She thought with a wicked smile.

Potter is our King,

Potter is our King,

He didn't let the Quaffle in

Potter is our King.

Potter can save anything,

He never leaves a single ring,

That's why Gryffindors all sing:

Potter is our King.

"Hermione, I don't think I can sing this," Lily murmured while she tried to not laugh.

"House spirit, Lils! House spirit!" Hermione said staunchly.

"Wow, Hermione, James is going to love it." Remus said with an awed voice.

"Do you really think so?" Hermione asked him with a pleased smile. Remus smiled back at her.

"I know he will," he assured her in his quiet, gentle voice.

"How'd you think of it?" Peter asked. Hermione shrugged.

"A friend of mine made one once," Hermione said airily. She didn't like speaking to Peter, and avoided it whenever possible. She hadn't forgotten her promise to James, but it still really bothered her to be anywhere near Peter for any length of time. Remus frowned slightly at her, but she was too busy to notice.

Hermione and Lily sat next to Remus and Peter in the Gryffindor section, her lion head bellowing his roars at particular intervals. The Potters were there with Sirius' Uncle Alphard, who thought her lion head was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. He kept chuckling whenever he glanced in her direction. James sat on his broomstick staring at his sister for a minute. She waved enthusiastically at him, and at that moment, the lion head roared. Sirius flew closer to James, and started laughing.

"Only your sister, James!" He snickered. "Only Hermione!"

"I think it's brilliant!" James declared, defending his sister. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and she was looking at him with devoted adoration. He grinned back at her and waved from his broom.

Later, Hermione would claim that Gryffindor's victory was due to her efforts, and James—being a smart boy—didn't argue with her. He also didn't ask her where she'd found all the food for their winning celebration. He did notice that Sirius stiffened slightly, and blushed when Hermione hugged him and kissed him on the cheek like she always did. He frowned slightly. What was up with Sirius? That thought quickly left his head when Lily moved within his range of vision and congratulated him with cool politeness.

Third year was over before Hermione knew it, and she started to worry. She was beginning to run out of time. How could she get the adults to believe in her? It might be one thing if she popped out of the sky and fell onto the quidditch pitch. If that happened, she would obviously be an outsider and a story about having knowledge of the future would make all sorts of sense. Instead, she was Hermione Potter, the pureblood daughter of an extremely old wizarding family. People who had known her since birth could attest to her identity. They would think she was insane and haul her skinny butt to St. Mungo's before she could say Honeyduke's. She sighed.

Sometimes, it sucked to be a kid.