Chapter 10: I found it, Granger, I found it!

For (A Pyro) -the doc manager really doesn't like your name- who asked to see Harry finding the Room of Requirement. Of course, this is more Harry showing it off then finding it.

Hermione Granger was not quite sure what to expect when she met Harry Potter, but it definitely wasn't the non-believing-in-magic-but-willing-to-play-along-f or-now Harry Potter that she got. This, however, did not bother her the way it did everyone else, since she hadn't believed in magic until shortly before she'd arrived at Hogwarts either. That, and her parents had taught her that everyone was entitled to their beliefs, even if they flew in the face of reality, so long as they didn't hurt anybody.

Prejudice however hurt people, so they weren't entitled to that.

The fact that Harry was in Slytherin didn't bother her all that much either, seeing as Slytherin was just a house. Harry didn't believe in magic, so he didn't believe in magical prejudices, such as the ones that were held by the majority of the "Purebloods" in Slytherin (ie: he not only didn't believe that a 'mudblood' could exist, he defended her from the other Slytherins that called her that).

She was only slightly bothered by the fact that he believed Slytherin was the only sane house, but he claimed that even if she was a Gryffindor, she was as sane as he was, wished her luck with her infiltration, and expressed the hope that any information she managed to acquire would help him develop an effective treatment and recovery plan in the future so the Minders weren't forced to humor everybody even after they were moved into Outpatient care.

Their friendship - if it could be called that - had not had a most auspicious beginning...

Flashback

"I am not insane just because I'm a Gryffindor!" Hermione hissed in anger, having overheard a comment the boy had made.

Harry just stared at her. He was reminded rather well of a hissing cat.

"I know." he replied.

"…you…know…?" Now she reminded him of a confused cat.

"Well, yeah, I mean, sure most of Slytherin is sane, but we have Draco Malfoy who was encouraged to become a Minder by his parents who apparently hadn't realized that he'd fallen into the delusion. Considering that we have an insane person in our house receiving treatment 24/7, it's only logical that there would be sane people who have gone into other houses in order to provide in-house treatment for their patients. Considering how swamped you and they look, there apparently aren't very many who choose to go that route. Despite the fact that you're a Gryffindor, you're obviously just as sane as I am."

Hermione never told him that that sentiment didn't make her feel very sane.

End Flashback

That had been in their second year. Harry's other friend, Blaise, never spent much time around her (usually only doing so when Harry dragged him along). That didn't bother her either – Blaise had explained that he was rather neutral on the whole pureblood supremacy thing, but Harry couldn't protect him from the other Slytherins forever, so it was best that he wasn't seen with what they considered to be a 'mudblood'.

What did bother her? Well, Umbitch – oh, Umbridge (dammit, she was channeling Harry now – Harry had started calling her Umbitch the moment he met her) – for one. That toad couldn't teach a class to save her life (and she was obviously intending for the students to give up their own lives in the process – this was a war dammit, they didn't have time to screw around).

Hermione and a few other Gryffindors had decided to make a sort of club, a DADA learning club, but they needed a place to hide it where Umbitch – oops, Umbridge – couldn't find it. The fact that she couldn't find a place also bothered her.

The fact that Harry came running down the hall and began to shaking her screaming, "I found it, Granger, I found it!" also bothered her, more the fact that she was being shaken than the fact that Harry was nuts.

"Found what Harry?" she asked, after getting him to stop shaking her.

"The holodeck! I found the holodeck!"

"The what?" Harry gave her a strange look.

"Don't you watch Star Trek? I thought you were a trekkie after that Halloween ball thing." Hermione looked annoyed. The Halloween costume party/ball had been the headmaster's idea, and she had dressed up as one of her favorite characters.

"Chewbacca is from Star Wars you idiot!" she snapped.

Harry obviously didn't get out much, or know anything about the two series if couldn't tell the difference.

"Oh, well, either way – I found the holodeck! Come on!" And with that Harry proceeded to drag her up several flights of stairs.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked, watching him walk back and forth.

"Watch," Harry said, walking back and forth one more time. A door appeared, magically – although Harry apparently thought otherwise. "It's the holodeck!" he exclaimed, opening the door and dragging her inside.

"And what exactly does the holodeck do?"

"Think of something, anything."

Hermione sighed, and wished, not for the first time this year, that she had her favorite book series that she had left at home. A bookshelf appeared, filled with every book of that series – even the ones she didn't have yet. She squeaked, and quickly thought of a place for the students to learn defense. The room supplied pillows, a chalkboard (with erasers and chalk), books upon books of defensive spells/potions/etc., and targets for them to shoot at.

Hermione squealed happily and hugged Harry, kissing him on the cheek.

"You're a genius!" she yelled, before running out of the room to inform the others of their new meeting place.

"I'm a genius because I found the holodeck?" Harry asked, "Cool! I wonder what else I can find!" This thought, of course, led Harry to explore the castle. He was missing for three days and still hadn't found anything else.

Dumbledore nearly had a heart attack, both when he found out Harry was missing, and when said Slytherin returned, slightly dusty, but none worse for the wear.

Almost immediately after reading (A Pyro)'s review, I thought of the holodeck. I'm not a trekkie, but I always liked Data and Geordi LaForge (mostly because of the visor), so I know enough about Star Trek to remember the holodeck. Anyway, read and review please. Smiles.

Rune