A/N Thank you for all the kind reviews. They mean so much. I want to have a proper foundation for Hermione and Bella's relationship so there will be quite a few exchanged letters, but they also serve to reveal very important information, otherwise, it would be pointless to include them.

Fun Fact: Ammy is named after the one and only Amelia Earhart. She was my idol as a child and when I was deciding the owl's name I knew it had to be after her.

You can find SenselessArtist on Instagram.

To address some things. I honestly completely forgot Harry was attacked by the dementors. It's not entirely relevant to the story but if you feel better having it, he could have always been attacked at the beginning of the summer before going to the Weasley's. I'm not that concerned with it because the story focuses on Hermione and I've already messed with the timeline to make certain things work. Umbridge is at the school because the Ministry wants to keep talk of You-Know-Who's obvious lie of a return to a minimum, not because Harry had a run in with dementors. Obviously, the major events will still happen like Mr. Weasley being attacked and the DA breaking into the Department of Mysteries. I'll try to get them close to when they're supposed to happen but this is not a perfect story.

The next day at breakfast, Hermione was exhausted. She had stayed up late the night before so she could finish the book a second time. Even though she only had one practice in the Room of Requirement, she was fairly certain she had memorized all the information between the covers in the month she had it. She would wait to mail it back until after she had at least more practice session in.

"Hey 'Mione! How did revising your essay go? Would you mind going over mine and Harry's?" Ron pestered, shoving food in his mouth.

"Ronald, I will not revise your essay as I know you haven't started yet. And before you ask, no, you may not look at mine."

"Oh, come on 'Mione."

"No. For once the two of you can do your own work. I won't drag you through school any longer."

Grumbling angrily under his breath, Ron turned to Harry next to him, starting another conversation about Quidditch rather than the Potions essay they should be discussing. Hermione nearly stood to leave, but the sound of owls gave her pause. She wasn't sure if her new pen-pal would respond so soon, but it wouldn't hurt to wait a few more moments. She was pleasantly surprised when Ammy landed on the table in front of her, holding out a leg. Untying the rolled parchment, Hermione fed Ammy a piece of bacon before stroking her head.

For the Brightest Witch of her Age

It would be wonderful to have a stimulating conversation, as I'm not surrounded by the most intelligent companions either. Other than my sister the people I'm with are, quite frankly, dumb as doornails. My sister said you are more than welcome to borrow any book you wish. Thank you for understanding the need for secrecy, though I'm sure you'll attempt to discern who I am through our letters. Perhaps I shall tell you if you guess right. I hope you are enjoying the book. I'm sure you've gotten through it. I'm also quite sure you made progress with one day of practice. You are, after all, the brightest witch of your age. Did you know I was also the brightest witch of my age? Whatever you should like to talk about I will always be willing to lend an ear.

Sincerely,

Your Dearest Friend

"Who's it from 'Mione?" Ron asked, his gaze intently on the letter.

"My personal life and letters are none of your business, Ron and I would appreciate if you would respect my privacy. I would inform you if it had anything to do with you," Hermione snapped, good mood evaporating at the redhead's constant questioning of who sent her what.

"I was just asking. You haven't been yourself lately, I'm just worried," Ron said, shocked at the brunette's response.

Hermione huffed and walked away, muttering a spell to turn Ron's food to ash in his mouth. She hesitated before exiting, watching in slight satisfaction as Ron let his food fall out of his mouth in disgust. It was stomach-churning, the boy's awful table manners. Turning, she smiled to herself, mood slightly lightened again. No one would know it was her, but she did, and that was all that mattered. Deciding to go to the Room of Requirement again, Hermione slipped out of the Great Hall and up to the seventh floor. She would practice the more powerful spells today. She felt it might relieve some of her pent-up stress from dealing with the Golden Gits.

She felt better, sweat glistening on her forehead, and all the dummies utterly destroyed. She could feel the magic moving through her veins and it was thrilling. The power she could feel around her was addictive. She was fairly certain if she looked in the mirror her cheeks would be flushed and her pupils dilated. It would likely look as if she'd been shagging in a broom closet. She could not return to the Common Room like this, people would get the wrong impression. Sprawling on the cool stone floor, Hermione pulled the letter she received this morning from her robe.

Hermione wondered who her new friend was while tracing the creases of the letter with her index finger. She wasn't sure if her new friend had intentionally revealed that information but she was glad; it meant she was one step closer to figuring out who her pen-pal was. She had an idea, but she needed more information before she could be certain. Chewing her lip, she let the parchment go and watched as it fluttered in spirals until resting on the floor next to her.

Taking deep breaths, she tried to steady herself. She imagined the magic flowing out of her with every exhale. With every inhale, she imagined oxygen filling her lungs as if they were balloons. After repeating this several times, she let out a final exhale and opened her eyes. Picking her letter off the floor and tucking it in her robe, she stood and went back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Hermione, do you mind helping me with Charms homework?" Neville asked shortly after she walked into the Common Room.

"Sure, Neville, I'd love to," she responded, a smile on her face at the slightly awkward teenage boy.

"You'll help him with Charms, but not my essay? What's the deal, Hermione?!" Ron nearly shouted.

"I'm helping Neville because unlike you, Ronald, he actually does his own work and only needs me for clarification sometimes. You want me to do your entire assignment. I won't help you because you don't do your own work. You copy me because you don't have the brain cells to think for yourself," she hissed, eyes flashing dangerously. Ron's face turned as red as his hair and he sputtered, not able to come up with a response.

Turning back to Neville, she smiled briefly before sitting next to him. A bit startled, he hesitated before turning to Hermione and explaining the problems he was having with the assignment. Listening intently, Hermione took in all the information Neville provided before explaining what he was doing wrong. Nodding his understanding, Neville thanked Hermione for her help.

It was nearly dinner time, but Hermione wanted to send back the book and respond to the letter she received that morning. Placing it with the other in a sealed drawer, Hermione gathered her writing materials.

For My Dearest Friend,

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by your timely response. I'm sure you're a busy witch, especially if you're surrounded by those less intelligent than you. I have thoroughly enjoyed the book, in fact, I have gone through it twice now. I even had time to practice some of the more powerful spells. It was incredible. I have to confide in you, though. After my practice, I felt like I could feel all the magic around me and I was caught in a stream of it. It was a bit terrifying, I've never felt magic like that before. It was like a humming in my veins, almost like it was singing for me. Do other people feel that when they use magic? It's terrifying but also exhilarating and I find it hard to resist feeling it again. I fear I might lose myself if I am not careful, or if I haven't already. I can tell I am no longer the same girl who blindly followed Harry and Ron around the last few years. I'm scared of what I might become. I hope you can enlighten me on what this experience is. If I may, I would like to request a book on wandless and/or wordless magic from your sister. It has always been a particular fascination of mine, but the Hogwarts library is lacking on the subject-even the Restricted section. I hope you are staying safe in these troubling times.

Sincerely,

The Brightest Witch of Her Age

Tapping her wand on her bottom lip, Hermione decided to seal the letter with one of her own spells. If her friend was the brightest witch of their age they should have no trouble working out a counter-charm.