'whether by the big screen or by page, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home' - JK you are inspirational and this made me cry

p.s how exited is everyone for Deathly Hallows!

Chapter eight - Life

Dear Mum and Dad

I have some news that will please you mum, I have made two friends, two best friends really. There names are Ron Weasley and Harry Potter (as in the famous Harry Potter yes). They're great mum. I thought to make friends the people would have to be like me, smart and enjoy school lots, but Harry and Ron aren't the same as me!

Harry is clever enough and very sporty, he's the seeker of the Gryffindor quidditch team, it's the first time a first year has every made the house team in a centaury His first match is coming up soon and the boys from Harry's dormitory and I are making him a banner which says 'potter for president' on it, with a painting of the Gryffindor lion!

Ron is clever but doesn't really like learning so doesn't try very hard, but he can do well if he wants to. Dad you might be interested to know that he's amazing at chess! He can beat everyone he plays, including all of his brothers apparently (he has five older brothers!) I haven't tried against him yet and I'm not sure if I want to.

They're both very funny but still both really nice. Mum you asked what I do in the evenings for fun and now I can tell you. Once I've done my homework I check over Harry and Ron's quickly to help them get better. Then we will as sit and talk, or sometimes Harry and Ron play chess, sometimes we all play exploding snap, a game like normal snap apart from the cards can explode spontaneously. It's all a lot of fun. Anyway, I'm still really enjoying lessons and all my teachers are still really pleased. Oh that reminds me, I've made another friend, Hagrid the Hogwarts grounds keeper. Harry and Ron were good friends with him already because he took Harry to Diagon Alley (because his aunt and uncle refused to tell him about magic and didn't want him to go to Hogwarts). And last weekend I came with them to see him, he's very nice and funny also, Harry really looks up to him.

Anyway, hope that pleased you mum and I'm really looking forward to seeing both of you soon

All my love

Hermione x

OOO

It was early evening when Mrs Granger screeched 'an owl' and splashed her tea onto the table in fright. Mr Granger sighed and went to the window to let the owl in, saying in an amused voice.

"When exactly are you planning on getting used to owls bringing the post, it happens at least once a week."

The handsome tawny landed on the table and held out its leg importantly. Mr Granger took the letter and broke off a bit of the biscuit he had been about to eat and gave it to the owl. It took it happily and then sat very still on the table, waiting for the Grangers to write a return letter back. Mr and Mrs Granger weren't sure exactly how the owls that came to there house new that they needed to stay at the Grangers until a reply was ready, but they accepted it along with everything else.

Mr Granger sat down to read the letter that was written in Hermione's neat script. As he read it he smiled and when he reached the end he let out a laugh before handing the letter to his recently recovered wife. She to read it with a smile, one that was ten times wider that her husbands and when she looked up she had a slight glisten of tears in her eyes.

"She's made friends," Mrs Granger said quietly

Mr Granger nodded "Not just any friends, two boys, fancy that."

"Not just any boys either, Harry Potter, even we know who he is." Said Mrs Granger, looking down at the letter again.

"Yes but I don't think she's made friends with him because he's famous,"

Mrs Granger looked aghast "Well of course not, although Hermione doesn't actually mention how she made friends with them, it doesn't seem like a gradual thing does it, it seems quite sudden,"

Mr Granger made a noise of agreement

"Well I suppose I'll just ask her in the reply," Said Mrs Granger, getting up to find a pen and paper.

Mr Granger smiled at his wife's back, knowing full well that if Hermione had avoided telling them in the original letter how she had made friends with the boys, she wasn't going to tell them just because her mother asked. For the first time in two and a half months, Mr Granger felt at peace with his only child being at a boarding school. She was doing excellently in her school work, the teachers were all pleased with her, she loved the castle and she had made friends. What more was there to ask for?

OOO

Hermione could tell she was changing, she'd only been a Hogwarts three months and she could tell she was different to how she had arrived. Not in looks, that was the same, still a brown, bushy mane of hair, still overly large front teeth that were slightly crooked, still brown eyes. No it wasn't her appearance that had changed, it was more subtle than that. It was how she acted and thought. The thing that had showed her the change most was her suspicions against professor Snape. She Hermione Granger, suspected a teacher of wrong doing! It was most bewildering to her, as she had always respected and admired teachers. There were other things as well, Hermione realised that she didn't mind breaking a few of the smaller school rules that weren't followed by a single pupil, just things like casting her bluebell flames to keep her, Ron and Harry warm, nothing that every other pupil in the school didn't do already.

Her habits were also changing, Hermione noticed that when she was getting ready in the mornings and evenings she quietly sang songs she knew from home, Hermione couldn't really sing but the songs reminded her of her parents and the muggle world. She also now took half a spoonful of sugar in her tea. At home her parents had taught her that sugar was bad and would rot her teeth so Hermione had had tea without, but now at Hogwarts she let herself have half a spoonful, which in her opinion made the tea much nicer.

It was the beginning of December and the Hogwarts grounds were now frozen solid in crisp frost that lasted all day. Peoples breathe rose in mists in front of them if they ventured outside and there was a slight feel of Christmas in the air. In the month since becoming friends with Ron and Harry, Hermione was enjoying Hogwarts even more, she was also on a mission to discover who Nicholas Flammel is and what he had to do with the philosophers stone. Hermione was aghast that so far the library hadn't been able to give her any answers and was determined if she searched hard enough she could find him.

One Tuesday evening a little way into December, Hermione sat in a comfortable armchair close to the fireplace and carefully finished off her transfiguration essay, it didn't have to be in until Friday but Hermione thought it best that she get it out the way, next to her in another armchair Ron sat with his chessboard on a small table beside him, dully moving the pieces around. This evening Harry was at quidditch practise, after winning his first match he was quite determined to win the second. Hermione finished her essay and put down her quill before quickly reading over what she had done.

"Do you want to play?"

Hermione's head snapped up and she turned to look at Ron, who had spoken to her.

"What?"

"Chess, do you want to play a game, you've finished your homework haven't you?" He was gesturing to the board beside him.

Hermione looked at the board, it would seem stupid to refuse his offer as she had indeed finished her homework, but she knew that Ron would beat her easily. Her father had tried to teach her chess on a few occasions and had failed quite miserably. Ron obviously saw her misgivings on her face.

"Do you know how to play?" He asked, smiling slightly

"Yes of course," Hermione snapped "I know all the rules and I know exactly what all the pieces do."

Ron laughed "But you don't know how to play,"

"Didn't I just say…."

"It's not the same thing," Ron interrupted, grabbing the small table and placing it in between their armchairs. "Chess isn't just knowing the rules, you've got to plan ahead and think about the consequences of every move you make, you have to see the whole board, not just the immediate pieces,"

Hermione's eyes widened as Ron spoke, although he said it as if he wasn't really concentrating, he sounded as if he were repeating it from a textbook. Yet Hermione could tell he hadn't memorized this speech, it was something he just knew.

"You're going to win," Hermione said faintly

"Probably," He said grinning "But you'll get better, I can show you."

And with that he moved his first pawn. Hermione sighed and dragged her armchair a bit closer before making her first move. In under ten minuets it was all over.

"I think that might be the best win I've ever had," Said Ron, rearranging the pieces with a grin

Hermione scowled "Well how can you work out every possibility of every move you can make every time, it's impossible!" She said, throwing up her arms

Ron laughed "I didn't mean it like that,"

"Well explain what you did mean then!" Said Hermione angrily

"Ok um…..oh I know" He said sitting up straighter, eyes bright "So you're the kind of person who likes to work out all the consequences of the different things you could say or do right,"

Hermione felt bewildered "What?"

"Well if you want to do something, you work out the consequences of that before deciding whether you should do it or not, don't you?"

Hermione understood what he was trying to say now. Ron was right she did do that! She hadn't even realised that she did that but now he said it she supposed she must do it subconsciously. It wasn't a bad thing though, she reasoned, just sensible.

"I suppose, but what has this got to do with…."

"shh in a minute" he interrupted "So when someone asks you for….advise lets say, you think of what their reaction would be and the consequences of all your different answers right?"

Hermione nodded slowly, not really understanding where this was going

"But you could say anything to them, but you don't, you could say 'I think you should eat a hundred Chocolate Frog's whilst wearing your underwear on your head' but you don't because your brain filters out the unnecessary stuff. The stuff that isn't needed for the conversation. It's the same with chess, you've got to filter out the possibilities that aren't necessary or very unlikely for your move or your future moves, do you see?"

Hermione sat back and considered what Ron had said. Strangely it did make sense; he had chosen an analogy that she could understand perfectly.

"Yes, I think so" she said

"It takes a long time to learn how to do all that though" Ron said

"I can imagine" Hermione said dryly

"Another game?" he asked

Hermione nodded, keen now to learn how to play chess. She imagined how shocked her dad would be when she got home and asked him to play against her.

When they had gotten into there second game, Hermione broke the concentrated silence.

"When did you learn?" She asked

"Chess? When I was seven I think, my dad taught it to me, he's taught everyone in the family."

"How did you get better that everyone else then?"

Ron was silent for a minute whilst he considered his next move. After moving one of his knights he said "Well there are two years in between me and Fred and George so I had dad to myself when they went to Hogwarts. Ginny wasn't really interested in chess, she would rather spend time with mum."

Hermione nodded "Ginny must be quite lonely now, after having brothers around her, her whole life,"

Ron smiled "Yeah, you should have seen her on the platform, crying her eyes out, mum must be driving her round the twist at home,"

"Were you close then?"

Ron seemed to consider this for a moment "I suppose, just because Bill and Charlie were always together being the eldest, then Percy, well he's always been a bit of a loner, then obviously Fred and George are best mates so I suppose we were quite close, although we argue all the time,"

"Yes but that's just what siblings do isn't it," Said Hermione sadly, suddenly becoming aware of how much she had always wanted a sibling

Ron looked up at her at the tone of her voice, before this he had been staring at the board.

"Did you get lonely, being an only child?" He asked

Hermione looked down at the board, not wanting Ron to see how upset she had become.

"Sometimes, I mean I could talk to mum and dad about anything, but it's not the same as having someone a similar age to you is it?" She said, moving her rook.

"No I suppose not, although I wouldn't recommend six siblings, it can be quite a big pain," Ron said, clearly trying to cheer Hermione up.

Hermione laughed and nodded "Yes, I can see that from you, Fred, George and Percy."

"Yeah, we do go on at each other quite a bit, checkmate by the way" He said smiling

Hermione let out an angry noise, although she hadn't done nearly as bad as last time. The rest of the evening passed in a similar fashion, Ron beating Hermione at chess and easy conversations flowing between them. After a while Harry made an appearance.

"What's going on?" He asked as he sat down in an armchair near to them.

"I found something Hermione can't do," Said Ron

"Shut up," Whined Hermione

Harry laughed and watched them finish a game, which didn't take long.

"Wow Hermione I think even I could beat you!" Snorted Harry

"Oh shut up both of you, I'll get better," Said Hermione confidently

"That's right, practise makes perfect and all that" Said Ron yawning

"I'm determined to beat you one day Ron Weasley." Hermione said

Harry laughed and Ron grinned. Hermione scowled at there lack of confidence in her, before she could retort Harry said.

"I'm going to bed, guys I'm tired,"

"I'll come too then," Said Ron leaning in to pack up the chess board

With that the three of them tidied up there mess and headed to there separate dormitories, Hermione realising just what a difference having good friends made to her evening.

OOO

Both Ron and Harry had signed to stay at Hogwarts during the Christmas break. Harry because he would rather be at the castle than with his Aunt and Uncle and Ron because his parents were going to visit his second eldest brother Charlie in Romania, where he worked with dragons. Hermione was sticking with her original plan to go home for Christmas like the majority of the school. She was looking forward to seeing her parents again very much.

December was passing quickly and the castle became more exited as Christmas approached. The corridors were festooned with holly and mistletoe and the Great Hall was decked out with no less that twelve giant Christmas tree's. Each one decorated slightly differently, whether it be magical snow or hundreds of candles. Hermione thought of her own home and her Christmas traditions. How they would go on a walk to collect Holly and other evergreens from the fields and they would all shop for a tree together, then decorate it with all the old decorations whilst drinking hot chocolate. She wondered whether her parents would wait until she got home to do all of that or decorate the house at the normal two weeks before Christmas.

Taking the opportunity of having access to the school owls Hermione had already ordered Harry and Ron's Christmas presents. As she hadn't been friends with them for that long she had decided that sweets would probably be best. Because Harry had started collecting Chocolate Frog cards she hard ordered him a large box of Chocolate Frogs and because she new Ron enjoyed the mystery of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean's she had gotten him a large box of them. The problem had come of how on earth to get it to them. She obviously couldn't post it the muggle way and she didn't want to give it to them before. Finally, three days before the end of term Hermione approached Professor McGonagall after class.

"Professor?" Hermione asked approaching her desk

Professor McGonagall put down her quill and looked up at Hermione.

"Yes Miss Granger," she said crisply

Hermione had been trying to please Professor McGonagall ever since the troll incident. It was difficult to tell how much success she had had in it but everything seemed to have gone back to normal.

"I was wondering if you could help me, you see I'm not sure how to get Christmas presents to people who are staying at the castle as I don't have an owl," Hermione went red as she spoke, thinking she must sound pathetic.

"Ah yes, Mr Weasley and Mr Potter are staying here aren't they," She said, Hermione brightened at how Professor McGonagall had noticed who she had made friends with, "well don't worry, all you need to do is leave the presents wrapped and labelled on your bed, the rest will be sorted out for you."

"Really?" Said Hermione, not believing it could be that simple.

"Yes, don't worry yourself Miss Granger." She said, picking up her quill again, Hermione took this as being dismissed.

"Thank you Professor,"

Hermione turned and was almost at the door when Professor McGonagall spoke again.

"Miss Granger?"

"Yes," said Hermione, turning

"Try to relax over the holidays, you're far ahead of the rest of the class at the moment, give your self a bit of a break" She said, giving one of her thin lipped smiles.

Hermione was a bit stunned at being told to not do work by a teacher, but she nodded never the less and answered.

"Yes Professor," Before leaving the classroom.

Hi guys. So I know this chapter is set over a long period of time but as I'm doing 8 years of her life I really can't write loads and loads about like every month.

Ok so the tea bit is meant to symbolise her starting to break away from her parents in case that was a bit confusing.

Was my chess bit OK because like Hermione i have no idea about how chess works, i just know the rules and what the pieces do

Do you like the bit with Mr and Mrs Granger because i wasn't sure about putting it in, but i thought it might be nice

Oh and Thank you to Azaleana/Lindsay who wrote a lovely haiku as a review 3

Please review if you can i really appreciate it and will probably message you back to say a proper thank you

Hannah x