A/n: Sorry this took forever to update. But recently I've had a spurt of days with no homework, and I know it won't last, so I'm making the best of it by updating my stories. Anyways, I've been trying to research my sources lots for this stroy and after I wrote it found some inconsistencies with ages and stuff. So please excuse that! Also, this is a super long chapter (you have been warned...) ANYWAYS, on with the story! [Edit: Let's call it creative license and a different universe.]

Chapter 5

Thursday evening, 7:00 sharp, Hermione headed to the Quidditch pitch. She was glad that the sun was still in the sky, enough to give them sufficient light for practise.

She would probably never admit it, especially to Harry and Ron, but she actually really enjoyed Quidditch - to an extent. She was not an extreme fan like Harry or Ron, but she liked it. She liked watching it, and had always wanted to try and play it. She'd never bothered to try out, however, because you couldn't learn Quidditch from a book, and Hermione was the book type, not the sportsy type.

Just as she reached the doors for the doors for the pitch, she suddenly realized she had no Quidditch robes, nor a broom to ride. Maybe she would just watch the other, and try to pick up a few pointers.

She sighed and entered the Gryffindor locker room where the rest of the team was already dressed and hurriedly walking out onto the field.

"Hurry up and get dressed Hermione!" Malfoy called and jogged toward the door. "Graham wants to get started right away!"

"But - Drac - wait! I have no..." she let her sentence trail when he clearly didn't hear her, and disappeared beyond the change room door.

She looked around in despair. Possibly she could play in the plain school robes she was wearing. She did have an extra pair in the door. But what about a broom? She looked around and figured she would have to borrow one of the schools old Cleansweeps or something.

Hermione walked slowly towards the back of the room where she saw some of the old school brooms leaning in a nicely kept cabinet. As she walked, she stared around the room, never having really looked at it before. It took her merely seconds to see anything worth seeing.

Clean robes hanging here or there, dirty robes sprawled across the floor. The roof was wooden with beams supporting it, and there was a pair of shoes tied together by the laces and hanging over one of the beams. They looked as though they had been there for eternity, and she wondered why no one had bothered to get them down. There was very minimal graffiti, and the one that made her smile was "JAMES LOVES LILY". She touched it, and once again found herself aching for her world, although the Potters would not exist.

'Better to have existed and died as wonderful people then to still be alive and be absolutely horrid.' Hermione thought and stared down the line of lockers, each with a name engraved upon a gold plaque attached to the face of the locker. Hermione stopped to examine the names.

"Vincent Crabbe Beater...Gregory Goyle Beater... Theodore Nott Chaser... Millicent Bulstrode Chaser..." Hermione sucked in her breath sharply. The next plaque read, "Hermione Granger Chaser".

She stood in front of it, her heart pounding, and she slowly creaked open the locker - except that it didn't creak. Inside, was a brand new looking Nimbus 2000, and a set of clean fresh Gryffindor Quidditch robes - just in her size!

Hermione's face lit up. This was hers!

There was a pounding on the door to the change room and Hermione jumped. "Hurry up Granger!" someone yelled. "We don't have all night, you know!"

She nodded and called, "Coming!"

She scooped up her beautiful robes and got changed into them faster than she'd ever gotten changed in her life, all the while her pulse was racing with excitement.

Once onto the pitch (amidst a grumble or two of her being late), she mounted her broom as she had seen Ron and Harry do millions of times. It was less than graceful as she ascended up into the air, and rather shaky. Still, the point was that she was on the broom. Yet, in spite of her constant wobbling as she attempted to get into position, she was surprised at how comfortable she felt. The way she was on the broom, was almost like she had been a perfect player all her childhood, quit a long time ago and was just now remembering how to do it.

"Right then! Let's get going!" Graham Pritchard, the Captain and Keeper for Gryffindor, said and tossed the Quaffle to Theodore Nott, one of the other Chasers. It vaguely occurred to Hermione that this Slytherin team was different than the one she knew (wasn't Graham younger?) But she really couldn't remember and decided it did not matter.

Nott threw the Quaffle to Millicent as Graham sped down the pitch the take up his post as Keeper. Draco was off finding the Snitch, and Greg and Vinny were taking turns whacking the Bludgers. Millicent threw the Quaffle to Hermione, who panicked slightly, shot out one hand to catch the red ball, and missed completely. Her hand shot just as quick back to her broom, as she was suddenly afraid she would fall.

"What was that!?" Nott exclaimed once he'd dove to retrieve the Quaffle.

Hermione's face turned a shade of red. "I...I..." Truth was, she was not exactly comfortable with letting go of the broom with one hand to catch the ball, which she probably couldn't catch anyway, with only one hand, then pass it. She had enough trouble catching a ball period, let alone up in the air, on a stick, with one hand. "I...missed."

Books were her thing. She didn't have the greatest coordination, and certainly not very good aim. And to multi-task like this? Well, of course she could multi-task. But this was a very different kind of multi-tasking. This was going to require a lot more concentration and skill. The skill which she was quite sure she did not possess.

Nott shook his head. "Try it again then." He threw the ball to Millicent who tossed the ball lightly to Hermione - an easy catch. Again Hermione took her hand off the broom, wobbled, and then she lost her balance a little as the ball smacked into her hand. When she had contact with the ball, she tried to curl her fingers around the ball, but failed when she yanked her hand back to her broom to steady herself. The ball dropped a second time because of her.

"Hermione!" Theodore Nott said frustratedly and swooped down to scoop up the Quaffle for the second time. "Catch the Quaffle!"

"Sorry..." Hermione said meekly, her cheeks feeling hot. She usually didn't fail. She swallowed.

"Ready?" Nott said, and held up the ball.

Hermione shook her head. "Wait. Just give me a minute." She shut her eyes and try to calm herself. She could do this... she'd seen it done dozens of times... hundreds maybe... think of how Angelina does it... she'd studied Quidditch...how to play...how to play...

Hermione tried mightily to recall all that she had read. The directions... the diagrams...the moves... the techniques...

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "Yes. I'm ready."

Theodore threw the ball to Millicent, who threw the ball to Hermione... Hermione leaned forward, ever so slightly accelerating her broom, reached up with one hand and clasped her hand around the oddly shaped red Quaffle at the right moment, and...

"I caught it!" she fairly shrieked, very surprised and happy with herself.

Millicent laughed, and Theodore clapped. "That's more like it!" he said.

Hermione tossed the ball back to Theodore. The three Chasers tried different simple passes until Hermione began to get the hang of it and to complete their warm-up. Slowly they began to move onto more complicated moves and combinations and taking turns shooting at Graham Pritchard. The more they practised and played, the more comfortable and balanced Hermione felt, and the better she caught, threw and moved.

Finally, nearly three hours later, when it finally became to dark to continue, the tired and dirty players came in for a landing. They dismounted and Hermione was very sore, not used to being on a broom and working hard like that.

Draco dismounted beside Hermione and gave her a pat on the back. "Good job up there. I was watching for a bit, and the more you played the better you got."

Hermione sighed, her body aching and her his eyes heavy. "Thanks." she mumbled.

Draco smiled. "I know the feeling. But I'm more used to it."

She glanced at him, glad he was remembering that she had never played Quidditch before. Again, she mumbled, "Thanks."

She and the other players changed into their clean school robes, closed up their lockers and Graham locked up the change room. The air outside was pleasantly cool, but not too cool. It was just right with an ever so slight breeze and sparkling stars above. Hermione felt as though she could lay down right there on the grass and go to sleep.

They entered the Entrance Hall, and began ascending the marble staircase. Near the second floor, they met up with Ally and Pansy coming from the library after trying to finish their Potions homework and being kicked out by Madame Pince.

A little bit later, as they were on the sixth floor, Professor McGonagall came bustling angrily down the hallway, her slick pony-tail waving behind her head.

"HERMIONE GRANGER!" she yelled.

Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin. She and the rest of her chattering friends had had their backs to the hallway and now cut off their conversations abruptly. "P-Professor! What is ti!?"

McGonagall was holding up Hermione's most recent essay ("Describe the transformation of an Animagi and why") which had a glaring red "A" scrawled across it. Hermione had spent a long night finishing it and just handed it in yesterday with the rest of the class.

"What is this?" McGonagall shook the paper furiously.

"M-m-y essay...?" Hermione answered unsteadily.

"I know it's your essay!" McGonagall stomped her foot causing the group to all jump once again. "I mean why is there an 'A' on it?"

"I - b-because..." Hermione wanted to say it was because she had worked hard on that essay and stayed up late finishing it. She was book smart and loved to prove it through essays and such. But by the vibe that the Professor was giving off at the moment, Hermione had the feeling that would not be an acceptable answer.

"Because you wrote it on there!" Vinny said, thinking himself to be funny and clever. A few people chuckled despite the reaction they assumed was to come next, considering McGonagall's present mood.

Indeed, McGonagall turned her furious blazing eyes to stare Vinny into the ground. The smile on his face disappeared instantly. "Five points from Gryffindor!" she spat slightly as she shouted. "For speaking when not spoken to!"

Vinny's mouth hung open in what would have been a protest, but no words were emitted from his mouth for that he would only make the situation worse and the Professor would deduct more points.

McGonagall's eyes shot back to Hermione. "Who did you cheat off of?" she demanded and flapped the paper around.

"I - no one!" Hermione said, offended. She? Hermione Granger? Cheat!? "I have never cheated in my life!"

Pansy, Graham, and a few others looked at her skeptically. Hermione made a mental note to ask them why when Professor McGonagall was finished with her irate rampage.

McGonagall's cheeks began to turn red. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for lying!"

"I am not lying!" Hermione protested desperately.

"Another ten for denying it!" McGonagall screamed.

The Gryffindors groaned. Already this little encounter had cost them thirty-five points. Judging by the way McGonagall seemed not to be finished, they expected there would be more deductions before this argument ceased.

"Professor," Hermione fought to keep her voice calm. "I stayed up all night working on that essay. If I copied it, the please tell me who I copied it from?!" Luckily, Hermione was quite good at gauging how well her fellow students had done with this particular essay. And she was quick sure no had scored as high as her.

McGonagall's eyes burned menacingly. "So, you copied then, did you?!" She was beyond irate. Hermione had never seen anyone so mad in her entire life. "Fifty points from Gryffindor!"

The other Gryffindors winced and grit their teeth. Some clenched their fist while others turned away. 85 points!

"And - " McGonagall was clutching the paper tightly in her left hand which was finally at her side, while her right hand was pointing straight at Hermione. She was about to say something more - Hermione was glad she did not get to find out what - when Professor Snape glided up to the group, cutting McGonagall off with a loud and firm,

"That will do."

McGonagall turned sharply to face him, her robes swirling at her feet.

"That shall be quite enough, Minerva." Snape spoke with authoritative confidence, not the smug dislike Hermione was used to. He slowly crossed his arms over his chest challengingly.

McGonagall's eyes snapped from Snape to Hermione and back to Snape. Her nostrils flared. "Professor! Just look at this essay!" she shoved the paper at him, crumpling it more.

Hermione wanted to grab the essay away from them, to stop it from being further damaged, but she held her hands and her tongue. 'Just wait.' she thought.

Snape scanned the essay briefly before handing it back. "I see no problem with it at all."

"That's the point!" McGonagall snarled. "She obviously cheated! And she even admits copying!"

Ally shook her head. "Not true Professor!" She spoke directly to Snape, ignoring McGonagall. "Hermione merely said if she had copied, then who from, because if no scored as high as her, then she couldn't have copied."

Hermione breathed a little and shot a smile at Ally who returned it.

"Hush!" McGonagall attempted to silence Ally.

"Thank you, Miss Minstrel." he turned his attention back to McGonagall.

"As I said before she - "McGonagall started but Snape cut her off.

"Did anyone score as high as Miss Granger?" he asked.

McGonagall seemed flustered. She glanced at the students and Snape alternately before mumbling out, "Well, ...no..." she straightened and tried again. "But she obviously - "

Again, Snape interrupted. "Then she is obviously a brilliant student who knows her stuff about Animagi!" He countered unwaveringly.

McGonagalls' arm snapped rigidly to her side. Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. She took another icy glance at the student before giving a great swish of her robes, letting the essay flutter to the floor, and stalking furiously back down the hall.

Snape gently scooped up the discarded essay and handed it back to Hermione. He smiled - the most kind smile (the only smile) Hermione had ever seen on Snape's pale face. It shocked her to see that smile that was so full of everything that Snape - the Snape she knew - was not.

"Maybe you didn't cheat this time, Hermione" - a few of the Gryffindors snickered - "but it would be best not to get on her bad side." He grinned that pleasant grin again, and added in an undertone, "Not that she has a good side..."

They all laughed this time.

"But please be careful. No more cheating or copying. And those goes fro all of you." They nodded. Hermione did too, although she knew she had not cheated or copied.

"Now, I must say," Snape continued. "It was an excellent essay." he paused. "Twenty points to Hermione for that impossibly stupid essay." She beamed, although she'd found the essay rather interesting, and Snape looked thoughtful. "Twenty-five points for dealing with an enraged teacher fairly." He looked them all over. "Twenty points for an excellent Quidditch practice." He winked at Graham who grinned. "And...how about five points to Pansy and Ally for doing their homework?"

The Gryffindors buzzed quietly at the new addition of points, enough and more to make up for the deductions by McGonagall.

"Oh, and heads up," Snape added. "I'm giving you all a pop quiz on Gillyweed tomorrow."

Greg raised an eyebrow. "Not much of a Pop Quiz, now, is it?"

Snape nodded and winked again. "Exactly." With that last word, he turned and strode merrily away, his scarlet robes swaying behind him.

The Gryffindors, once again washed with tiredness and now added with relief after their encounter with McGonagall, tried to hurry on their way to Gryffindor Tower, not wanting to meet up with her again.

"Ally?"

"Yeah?"

"I cheated?"

Ally cheeks went slightly pink. "Um, ya. A lot."

Hermione's mouth hung open. "What!?" she had really been hoping it was a baseless accusation from McGonagall and not the usual truth.

Ally sighed a little. "Oh yes. You cheated all the time. But it never really paid off before though. You always had failing or near failing grades. Maybe a satisfactory type one if you were lucky." She said it all very matter-of-factly, and it troubled Hermione.

"I can't believe it. I've never cheated in my life!" Hermione was floored. She'd never gotten grades less than satisfactory. That was of course excluding Snape's Potions class, but really, other than Malfoy, who actually did well in that class?

"Don't sound so shocked. I just said you cheated all the time."

Hermione sighed. "I never cheated in my other life. My other life."

"Oh, right. It's hard not to get your lives mixed up, Hermione. How do you do it?"

"It's easy when I only have memories from one."

"Right." Ally said sullenly, then brightened. "You know what? You used to actaully throw off classes once in a while!"

"Don't tell me that."

"Why not?" Ally questioned.

Hermione shook her head. "It makes me sick."

A/n: Big HUGE thank you to all my reviewers who have already reviewed (and who are about to! hehe) please keep 'em coming, because they're really encouraging!