In This Chapter- New Sorting hat song and Quidditch trials and Wizard duels, Hermione's birthday and a special gift from her parents. Another run in with Malfoy makes everything all the more confusing.
~*~
Hermione exited the compartment with as much dignity as she could muster, and that was not a lot. She had been so excited, so happy, to be a prefect, and now it was already doing downhill, all because of Malfoy. There was something about him, something that actually scared Hermione. He had changed, not just physically, but his everything did. He didn't seem to care if he were to drop dead and second, nor if anyone around him did. That was strange for the usual inartistic personality of Malfoy.
Hermione was soon outside her own compartment and stepped inside. Ron and Ginny were still sitting in front of the TV, and was looking through the rest of the CD's.
"Oh hey Hermione." Harry said with a relieved smile. "How was the meeting?"
"I have to plan the Halloween dance with Malfoy." Hermione said miserably, finally taking a seat beside Harry.
"That sucks." Harry said sympathetically.
"No kidding." Hermione muttered. "But I won't have to worry about working with him; he already made it perfectly clear I'm getting loaded with all the work."
"It might be just as well." Harry said. "I'll help you anyway, if you need any help that is." Harry grinned at her and Hermione already felt her mood lifting. She reached over and hugged her friend.
"Thanks Harry, you have no idea how happy I am, all this you do for me, you really are my best friend." Hermione said this all with small bits of tears in her eyes, she was feeling a lot more emotional lately for some reason.
She got up and walked over to the TV and turned it off, Ron and Ginny's head snapped up immediately.
"Hey!" Ron said angrily, "That cat was almost going to get the mouse! Now we'll never know!" Ginny firmly shook her head in agreement.
"Ron, Ton is never going to get Jerry, Jerry will always get away, again and again, until the end of time." Hermione said impatiently,
"Well thanks for ruining it." Ron grumbled unhappily.
"Look." Hermione said. "I'll have the TV in my room; you're welcome to watch whenever you want."
Ron brightened at the idea and Harry said, "The trains slowing down, we've arrived."
For the next couple minutes, the four kids busied themselves with dressing in their robes, combing their hair, reapplying makeup, in Hermione and Ginny's case, and straightening out their luggage for the house elves.
Welcome to another year at Hogwarts.
~*~
Welcome students, both old and new
To yet another year
I'm the Hogwarts sorting hat
And know just what you fear
Some fear the Slytherins
Cunning to a sin
Some fear the Gryffindor's
Who always seem to win
Some are wary of the Ravenclaw's
So serious and so clever
Some avoid the Hufflepuff's
Too cheerful through any endeavour
All the houses have ups
And all the houses have downs
The key is to find the good with the bad
Like every instrument has a different sound
So listen to me closely
Lean in and listen well
Look at your neighbour across the room
What do they have to tell?
Each off you in this room
Is in for a great surprise
But none of you will know till it comes
The new day with the sun rise
Know your enemy
But know your friend
We're all up for the same future
It doesn't matter in the end
So do something today
Forget the past
You can't forgive what you can't forget
Live everyday like it's your last
"Well." Ron said as McGonagall started reading the new names. "At least it wasn't as drawn out as last years."
"But so much more morbid." Hermione shuddered. "I think Moody got a hold of it."
Harry and Ron sniggered, but Hermione still looked down.
"Everything's so sad." She said with a sigh as the sorting finished up.
"Well, we are on the verge of war." Harry replied his voice dark.
The Gryffindor table was full of chatting kids, both old and new.
"I'm going to try out for the Quidditch team!" Harry heard one rather large boy he had never noticed before say.
"Don't count on getting on, Derrick" Colin Creevey told the kid with a wink. "The only first year to get on the team in the recent century is Harry Potter, and even that was by pure luck."
"Harry Potter?" The boy asked with a smirk Harry recognized all too well. "Harry Potter just got on because he is famous; I'll get on because I'm good."
"Ahem." Hermione coughed a little with a grin. She was sitting on the one side of the boy, Harry happened to be on her other.
"What?" The kid asked, annoyed.
"Harry Potter happens to be quite good." Hermione said, sounding like a textbook write up. "He caught the snitch his first year with a broken hand, balancing with two feet on his broom. And before that, he managed to win the game after having his broomstick hexed. He brought the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory many times; he's a great asset, not just a pretty face." She smirked at Ron, who was sitting across from her, and he grinned back.
"Yeah right." The boy said with a look of contempt at Hermione, checking her out up and down. "You're probably just saying that because you have some star crush on him or something, president of his fan club."
Hermione smirked again and said. "No, your wrong about the crush thing, Harry's hair is far too messy." She grinned back at Ron. "I'm his best friend, Hermione Granger, and that there is Ron. Let me give you some advice kid, if your going to survive seven years with other Gryffindor's, you learn not to attack, verbally or otherwise, your own housemates without good reason. Oh yes, and the boy sitting beside me is named Harry Potter. He's the best seeker the Gryffindor team has had."
Hermione leaned back so Harry could wave at the stunned boy, who abruptly got up and tried to dignity storm out of the Great Hall, which after Hermione called to him- "Oh yea! I'm the Gryffindor prefect, you're going to have to wait for me to be done with my meal before I direct you to our common room and tell you the password for it!"
The rest of her house members laughed at the boy's obvious rage, and Hermione bowed her head, pretending to graciously accept the admiration.
"Whoa Hermione! We didn't know you had it in you!" Dean said from Colin's right.
"We did." Ron said under his breath with a smile. Hermione playfully kicked him from under the table.
"Hermione, that can't be all your eating, are you still going on about spew?" Ron asked, amazed.
"No I'm not Ron, and its S.P.E.W., not spew. I'm just not hungry.
"But Mione," Harry started, but Lavender and Parvati rescued Hermione.
"Hermione! Wow you look great!" Lavender said, taking a seat beside Ron.
"Yes! I love your hair! What spell did you use to relax it like that?" Parvati asked, taking a seat beside Lavender.
"I didn't use any spell," Hermione said. "My mum took me out to get a muggle makeover." Instantly Hermione knew she said the wrong thing.
"Oh!" Parvati cried. "How wonderful! I always thought muggles were ingenious with how they get around charms and spells, right Lav?"
Lavender nodded vigorously. "Too right Parvati!"
Hermione laughed at Lavenders excitement, but just looking at the two balls of energy in front of her made her even more tired.
"So how was your summer then?" Lavender was asking the three in general. "I got to leave my aunt and uncles early this year." Harry said brightly. "Hermione and I spend the majority at the Weasley's.
"Ohh! You were allowed to spend your summer at a boy's house Mione?" Parvati asked, positively elated.
"Sure," Hermione said. "Ron and Harry are my best friends, we shared a room at the Leaky Cauldron- Parvati do not give me that look!" Hermione shock a finger at the raven-haired girl. "Harry and Ron will back me up, wont you guys?"
Ron nodded, but Harry put on a hurt look. "Hermione, What do you mean? I thought what we did meant something to you?"
Hermione gasped and Seamus Finnigan, who was listening in on the conversation beside Harry, spit his pumpkin juice all over his food. Lavender and Parvati squealed in unison "Whaaaat?"
"Harry! You take that back!" Hermione's amber eyes flashed. Harry backed off. "Ok! Ok! Chill Mione." He flashed her a boyish grin. "I was just messing around. No, Hermione was right, We really are just best friends."
Lavender and Parvati eyes Harry suspiciously, but Hermione was still looking dangerous, so they dropped it.
"Hey Mione."
A voice behind her said. Hermione turned around and saw Justin looking a bit intimidated, wringing his hands together. "We have another Prefects meeting, Chase said to tell some of your classmates the password and have them lead the first years to the dormitories."
"Ok Justin." Hermione said with a smile. "Harry, Ron? The new password is 'poly juice potion', ok?" Hermione watched as Harry and Ron silently laughed with their eyes. "Ok." The chorused, and Hermione followed Justin out of the Great Hall.
"What's this meeting all about?" Hermione said, looking up at him.
"Oh, probably our new dormitories, I hear their fantastic."
Hermione remembered. "Yes, they are, I can't wait to start studying again."
Justin gave her a dumbfounded look. He knew she was smart, but he was soon going to see first hand just how big of a bookworm Hermione Granger really was.
"Hey." Padma said, when Justin and Hermione reached the Great Hall entrance. The other prefects along with Alissa and Chase where already there. "Ready everyone?" Chase asked in a bright voice. They nodded and he started to lead them down a long corridor.
After a few minutes of walking through hallways, up stairways and through hidden doorways, Alissa and Chase stopped in front of a painting of a knight in a suit of armour.
"This." Chase started. "Is the entrance to the Prefect common room. You can also access the prefect bathrooms through your dormitories as well. You already confirmed that you all liked Draco Dormiens to be your password, so try it out."
"I think you guys can find your way from here." Alissa said with a smile. "If you need us anytime, our dormitories are down the hall, behind the picture of the first head boy and girl, just give them your names and say you're a prefect, they'll let you in." And with that Alissa and Chase turned and walked away. Leaving the new prefects to look around their new room.
They all looked at one another, and Hermione stepped up to the picture, which was that of a handsome looking knight.
"Good evening." She said politely. Hermione, along with the other Gryffindor's, knew how temperamental knights could be.
"Good evening, my fair lady, how can I assist you."
Hermione looked at the man in the painting. "My name is Hermione Granger, and we are the new prefects. I trust you know the new password?" The knight nodded, so Hermione said. "Very well, Draco Dormiens." The knight bowed deeply and the painting swung open on its large hinges.
Hermione was the first to step into the prefect common rooms, and, although she should have been, she wasn't at all surprised at the grandeur of the place. Hermione felt as though nothing could surprise her anymore.
When she stepped into it, it was very much like entering the main hallway of a very large mansion. On her right and left where a staircase which each lead to four rooms. The staircases in themselves where a work of art, delicately carved with the house animals and names. In the middle of the room was a large square table, and deep purple couches surrounded the table. In fact, if the one thing that surprised Hermione over anything, it would be the décor of the room. There was no red, or green, or blue or yellow, but rather all in purples. Purple of all different shades decorated the room, from the large oriental style rugs, to the bookcases and furniture.
A fire crackled happily on the far end, and four very large and very comfortable (purple) chairs were seated around it. Hermione couldn't wait to try it out for reading spot potential.
"This is fantastic." Padma said to Hermione, coming up on her left.
"Yea it is." Hermione said. "The Head's chambers are even better. I read about them in Hogwarts: a History."
Hermione turned around to the steps. "I'm going to go see if my room is the same since last year." She said, but before she reached the spiralling steps that lead to the Gryffindor prefect's room, Draco pushed roughly past. "Watch it mud blood." He said without looking back. Hermione saw that The Gryffindor room and the Slytherin room where connected by the one staircase, while the Ravenclaw and Huffelpuff where on the other side. "Oh goody." Hermione muttered before the reached her door.
Is it enough to love?
Is it enough to breathe?
The door itself was a work of art, a huge Gryffindor lion carved in deep red oak. Hermione pushed the door open and was immediately overcome by the Gryffindor colours, after becoming used to the purple of the main common room. She instantly fell in love with it. She had her own fireplace, and a smaller version of the armchair in the common room was sitting in front of it. She had a large desk on the far right side of the room, with bookshelves on both sides. Hermione practically had her own privet library! She had a large four poster bed on the far-left side of the room, and dark red hardwood floors. A large Oriental rug was right in the middle of the room. The furniture consisted of a vanity with a large mirror and drawers on either side of the small chair in front of it, a large wardrobe on high feet, and a massive walk in closet. Hermione didn't know how she could possibly fill the closet and wardrobe, but hey, that meant more shopping.
The room was very bare. There were many shelves, but the room still gave off the 'just-moved-in' vibe. Hermione busied herself with her unpacking, and putting away her clothes. She decided that she would put Her Hogwarts and wizarding clothes in the wardrobe, and all the muggle clothes in the closet. She then moved to the vanity and started to arrange her makeup and hair things. She still had to share a bathroom with another girl, so she left most of her things in her room. After most of the main putting away was done, she pulled out her other things and set off to personalize her room.
First she put pictures of her friends on the surfaces of nearly everything. A picture of her, Harry, and Ron swimming at Ron's house was placed on her short dresser. She looked fondly at the picture, which was of the trio engaged in a full-blown water fight. They were moving around so much in the frame, that Hermione was almost afraid of getting wet. Next she pulled out a picture of her, Jared, Lauren and Jessica. A plain muggle picture taken outside of Hermione house in her muggle neighbourhood. This picture was obviously not moving, and Hermione found it amusing how, no matter which picture it was, she looked happy in both Worlds. Next Hermione pulled out a larger frame of a picture of herself, Harry, Ron, Lauren, Jared, and Jessica, all waving to the camera outside of a shop. Ginny had taken that picture. Hermione continued pulling out carefully wrapped pictures in frames from one of her suitcases and arranged them around her room. Last, but not least, she took out just a simple one of herself and Jared. She was on Jared's shoulders and his arms were around her legs. This was another muggle picture, but Hermione barely cared. She loved pictures, no mater from which world they came from.
Hermione stepped back and looked at her handiwork. Now for the last step.
Hermione was a big fairy tale fan. She grew up on her (adopted) dad's knee, while he read her fairy tales. She believed that's were she got her love of reading from, being read to at such an early age. As Hermione had grown up, her love for mystical creatures had not diminished. She collected figures of any kind of legendary creature there was. Of course it was a shock for her when she discovered that fairies were as real as she, and that things like dragons and mermaids where right under her nose all the time, but all the same, she still loved her large collection of not so fantasy things. She took one last look around her room, then to the magical clock beside her new bed. It was 10:43 at night, time to get some rest.
~
The first week of school went smoothly for the Gryffindor house. Hermione loved being a prefect, and easily sailed thought the duties and schoolwork. On Mondays, Thursdays, and every other Saturday, she patrolled the castle for rule breaking students. She, on occasion, caught Harry and Ron under the invisibility cloak, but loved her friends too much to do anything but laugh at their failed attempt to elude her. They had decided it was a great game to play cat and mouse, and Hermione felt much better knowing her friends were around, even if it was just time to time.
She also knew she had to get preparations ready for the Halloween ball. After many failed attempts to get Malfoy to participate, she finally gave up and set on a determined path to plan the ball herself, and make it the best one ever.
Hermione made her way into the main common room, where she had dumped her school bag earlier before dinner. She figured that she could get in a few more hours of studying for her potions exam the next day, and of course the Halloween dance plans. She liked to be on top of things.
Hermione ended up staying up the entire night, completely engrossed in her studies, and, every so often, daydreaming of the Quidditch tryouts.
~*~
The next morning: "Hermione! Have you been here all night?" Padma asked a wearily looking Hermione, who was just barely, awake on the couch.
"What Padma?" Hermione asked, a bit disoriented. "Oh yes, I'm just getting the dance plans finished, and I have a potions exam today, some mystery concoction, and then Quidditch trials after breakfast and-"
"Tryouts?" Padma asked faintly. "Hermione, no offence, but if you try out in the state your in, your going to fall off your broom! Here." Padma pulled out a small flask. "This is what your doing in potions today, Ravenclaw had it yesterday so I don't need this anymore, drink it."
Hermione was too exhausted to argue, but as soon as the smooth liquid touched her lips, she felt instantly awake. "Pepper-up potion?" She asked mildly.
The girl nodded her head. "Thank you." Hermione said, sanding the small flask back to its owner. "I feel much better."
Hermione sighed and got up, stretching her stiff limbs, and made her way to her room. Ten minutes later she emerged in a fresh pair of jeans and a white tee shirt, hair pulled back. She was ready for the Quidditch tryouts.
Is it enough to die?
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be anything but ordinary
please
Down at breakfast Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all eating their breakfast quietly, Harry and Ron had nothing to worry about, and he was already on the team, but Hermione was a bit nervous.
After the Umbridge disaster last year, Ginny Weasley had taken of for Harry, but graciously gave it up when Harry was reinstated. She liked Quidditch, but no that much. Harry was unanimously elected Captain, to no one's surprise.
"Oh come on guys." Harry said, breaking the ice. "You'll both do great, besides being well liked by all the team members, your talented, I saw it over the summer."
"Thanks Harry." Hermione said, nibbling on some toast. "I'm still nervous though, there must be fifteen people trying out!"
Harry nodded but said, "Be that as it may, you are still really good, and you know that of those fifteen, about seven of them are first years, they are hardly ever considered. Oliver barely looked at them when they tried out before. Seniority rules pretty much."
This logic made Hermione feel better, and soon after, she, along with the majority of the Gryffindor's, left the breakfast table.
An hour later the Gryffindor team huddled in a circle on the grassy Quidditch pitch. Quidditch had seemed to take a whole new bought of popularity this year, but still mostly with the second and third year students.
Harry had replaced Angelina's as team captain, and was filling her shoes quite spectacularly. For the last hour he was instructing the students trying out on different tactics, which they were to perform in front of the old Quidditch team for points.
Harry knew Quidditch was a competitive sport, but he never met someone who took it as far as some of the younger students did. There was one, in particular, names Scott, who was in his third year at Hogwarts, who kept insisting that all positions were or should be open, because he wanted to be the seeker. Even after Harry patiently explained that the Seeker, plus the beater positions, was not open for tryouts, Scott kept getting angrier and angrier, accusing Harry of taking advantage of his name, which got the entire team into a fight.
After breaking the fights up, mostly with help from Hermione's silencing charms, the tryouts continued. Hermione recognized the arrogant first year from the welcoming feast at the tryouts. He was trying out for the open chaser positions, the ones Hermione was trying for as well.
Harry found it rather amusing to pair them up against each other. Hermione was obviously the better chaser, being much lighter and leaner compared to the large kid. She had a better broom was well, which, in the long run, does help significantly.
Harry had never seen a more violent game of pass and catch before today. Although Hermione was very good, Derrick was good as well. He played much like Marcus Flint played- rough and dirty, doing whatever he could to show off his skills. Harry had to hand it to Hermione, however, as that girl could hold her own. She whipped the ball back to Derrick with double the force he threw at her. All Harry could do was stand transfixed. He never knew Hermione could do much more then read and study, honestly, but judging by today, no one ever gave Hermione enough credit.
After the try-out session was over, Harry, Ron, Andrew Kirke, and Jack Sloper all stood in a small group, taking and comparing notes. Hermione sat on her broomstick, levitating about five feet in the air. Hermione let her feet dangle over. All across the pitch were hopeful potential Quidditch players. Hermione looked down the pitch and saw Derrick standing in the middle of a circle of people, bragging loudly at his excellent performance that day.
About five minutes later, Hermione looked up to see the group of the Gryffindor team split up, each with a goofy grin on their face.
"We have decided who will be filling the open chaser positions!" Harry yelled out, as to get everyone's attention. He stopped to glare at Derrick, who was pushing his way to the front. Harry cleared his throat at started again. "Like I was saying, we have selected the new chasers. Thank you all for coming out today."
"Oh get on with it." Scott said impatiently. "Am I canning your ass or what?"
"Harry is staying." Andrew said coldly. "I do believe we already made that perfectly clear, now shut up." Scott glared at him, but he stayed quiet.
Harry stood there looking extremely amused, and then he said. "All right, let's get on with this. The new Gryffindor chasers will be…. Hermione Granger, Seamus Finnigan, and Ryan Reels!"
The entire Gryffindor team and nearly every other Gryffindor applauded them. Ron let out a shrill wolf whistle at Hermione, who blushed; they were all just about to return to the castle when-
"I knew it!" An outraged Derrick exclaimed. "Of course Hermione get on the team! She's a friend with the famous Harry Potter, who, I might add, just got on the team because he is Harry Potter! This wasn't a fair tryout anyhow! I'm better than that stupid muggle and you all know it!"
Hermione looked like she had been slapped, and Harry's bright green eyes flashed with anger. "Hermione's a witch." Harry said dangerously.
"Yea." Derrick said. "A mudblood witch."
A gasp then a hush fell over the group of Gryffindor's. They never heard of a Gryffindor that called another such a foul name. Ron whipped out his wand, much like he did the first time they heard Hermione being called that in their second year. He was about to curse him, but Hermione put her hand up.
"Why did you call me that?" She asked in a voice strange to Harry and Ron.
"Why not?" Derrick asked, "You are just that, a plain old ugly mudblood."
Ron was fuming. "Hermione will always be a better witch then you are a wizard, you're just saying all that because you're ashamed to admit that blood means nothing." He said, his eyes flaring.
Jack nodded his head. "She four years older then you and the smartest girl in school-" He said, starting to shout.
"Oh that's enough!" Hermione said, her patience rapidly thinning. Lack of food and sleep was making her dangerously irritable.
"You're right." Derrick said with a smirk. "Quick enough?" He pulled out his wand and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Hermione was startled, but dodged it easy; she felt the hot wind of the spell brush past her arm.
"What the hell is your problem?" She asked Derrick, completely taken aback by his actions.
"I'm proving I'm better then you." He said childishly.
"You can't be over thirteen!" She cried. "You're nothing but an overgrown child!" She said, she was getting throughly annoyed now.
"But I could beat you!" Derrick said, in an almost whiney voice, "Rictusempra!"
Hermione moved over again, letting the spell rush by her. Derrick certainly could not aim worth crap. "Fine." She said shortly. "We'll play it your way, you filthy, Slytherin wannabe, hecitanta!"
The other Gryffindor's laughed as Derrick's face now sprouted dozens of large, purple pimples.
"Bitch." Derrick said, his hand flying to his face, feeling the bumpy skin.
"Hey." Hermione said grinning and throwing a look over ant Harry, who returned her smile. "Dogs are great." She finished, laughing.
Derrick was getting furious, and his bright purple pimples were now turning into a bright orange. "Expelliarmus!" He shouted again, but Hermione blocked it with a short laugh.
"Ok." Hermione said, her golden eyes flashing. "Bored now…. Expelliarmus!" Derrick, who was not as skilled in spell blocking and not nearly as agile as Hermione, got hit full-force with the disarming spell. He flew backwards and his wand flew out of his hand, and Seamus caught it, grinning. Seamus drew his hand back and launched the wand into the bushes lining the Quidditch pitch. Derrick would have a hell of a time finding his wand now.
Hermione and the rest of the Gryffindor's laughed as Derrick got up and brushed him off with as much dignity as he could muster, which wasn't much. He stalked past as somebody said, "Gryffindor's stick together, or feel the wrath of the whole!" The others cheered while Derrick looked fruitlessly for his lost wand.
Hermione linked arms with Harry and Ron, and they made their way back to the castle.
"We have potions in fifteen minutes." Hermione reminded her friends. The boys groaned, and Hermione smiled. "We're making pepper up potion." She told them.
"How do you know? Ron asked. Hermione grinned. "Padma gave me some this morning and she told me. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep.
Harry and Ron looked at each other and rolled their eyes, they doubted Hermione ever got a lot of sleep.
The trio turned the corner on their way to the dungeons, but unfortunately was met with another trio- this one was a lot less friendly though.
"Why look." Malfoy said with a sneer. "If it isn't my mudblood prefect partner and her boyfriends, trying to find a nice broom closet to shag in? Lord knows Weasel their needs some. Do tell me Granger, how's our dance plans coming along?
Hermione was outraged how dares he? "My dance plans are coming along just fine, Malfoy." She said with contempt dripping from her voice. "You can just sod off."
Draco looked at her angrily, and then an odd _expression crossed his face. "Fine then, Granger." He said, with the ever-lasting smirk. "We'll see what Professor Dumbledore says when he hears his perfect Gryffindor is taking all of my hard earned credit. Draco then turned and disappeared into the potions classroom, with a swish of his cloak, Crabbe and Goyle lumbering behind him.
"Git." Hermione muttered. "Evil keniving little…-"
"Miss Granger." Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned around and looked up at a very cross-looking potions master. Who said, "It would be wise to get seated, before I have the unfortunate responsibility of deducting points from a Gryffindor prefect."
Hermione lowered her eyes to her shoes, and shuffled into the classroom, taking a seat near the back, and quietly took notes and an oral exam on the pepper up potion.
Hermione left the classroom feeling relieved. She managed to get through 2.5 hours under Snape's supervision with out losing points, or even a detention. She concocted the potion perfectly, that not even Snape could find fault with it.
Days went by like this. Hermione was shoved between the love and support of her friends and the increased muggle-hating activities around her. She longed to stand up on the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall and shout to the entire school who she really was…. But she knew she couldn't.
On September eleventh, Hermione woke up as usual, but when she entered the prefect common room, she was hit with multicoloured streamers and a few flying things she couldn't identify.
"Happy birthday Mione!" She heard. She looked around and saw that, not only were Justin, Padma, Alissa and Chase there, but also Harry, Ron, Ginny, Lavender, Parvati, Seamus, and Dean.
"What's all this guys?" Hermione asked, shocked anyone even remembered her birthday. Ron and Harry had forgotten it the year before.
"It's your birthday!" Fred said helpfully, and Hermione laughed. "Well how about that." She said. "I suppose it is!"
"We got you presents!" Harry said, sounding much like an over excited child, and true to his word, there was a small pile of gifts on her couch.
Hermione smiled gleefully at the shiny presents, and began to open them. Harry had given her a checklist of every single book in the library, so the list in itself was a book. Hermione found this quite amusing, and told him she would start on it straightaway. Ron got her a large scrapbook, knowing her love for photos. Ginny got her a gift certificate good for any place on Diagon alley, but it was Fred and George's gift that made Hermione stop.
"A camera?" She asked weakly. It looked like a regular muggle Polaroid, only slightly smaller.
"Not just any camera." Ron said proudly. "The Weasley insta-mobulus camera. The twins just finished perfecting it. With this camera, instead of having to put a spell on every one of the pictures to get them to move, it's automatic!" Ron grinned with pride, and Hermione hugged him. "Wow! Thanks! I know I'll have some great uses for it! Make sure you tell George and Fred that!"
Just then Padma handed Hermione a package. "This is from Justin and me, we figured you could really use them."
Hermione opened the carefully wrapped package and opened the box. Inside were a book, a medium sized black bag, which was full of something that smelled oddly of catnip, and what looked like a muggle coffee maker. The title of the book was Getting It Done- A guide to balancing your time.
Hermione grinned at Padma, who was giggling. "Thanks! This definitely will come in handy, but what are the coffee maker and this bag of stuff for?"
This time Justin answered. "Read the label on the bag Herm." Hermione did and laughed. 'Instant pepper up Potion, just add water!'
Justin laughed at the _expression of delight on Hermione's face. "I found that coffee makers are excellent potion brewers!" The boy said. Hermione thanked them once more with a laugh.
After Hermione received a few more various gifts from her friends, Harry pulled out a letter and a tiny gold box. "This came from your Mum and Dad, Mione." He said with a look. "They used owl post and everything!"
Hermione smiled and took the letter from Harry. It wasn't that she was surprised that her (adopted) parents mailed her on her birthday, she was just curious as to why. They always gave her money before the start of term to but what she wanted, and this year had been no exception.
"Thanks Harry." She said, then "I think I'm going to, err, change and go down to breakfast." She gave Ron and Harry a pointed look. Ron caught on first.
"Right Mione, we'll save you a seat."
Hermione laughed. "Don't you always?" The two boys laughed and everyone filtered out of the prefect common room. Hermione then went up the steps to her bedroom, sat on her bed, and opened her letter and read:
Dear Hermione,
We were told to give you this when you turned sixteen. It is something your father valued greatly in, and from what was told to us, is centuries old. Do take care of it, your mother left us with a caution that it was of dire importance, and when you are ready, you will know. A happy birthday to you, darling. We will be seeing you in the summer.
Mum and Dad.
Hermione opened the small gold box and lifted out one of the most beautiful necklaces she had ever seen. It was a fire ruby, she recognized, one of the rarest in the world. It was about the size of a dime, and shone in the sun like a ball of fire. It was strung on a very delicate looking golden chain. All Hermione could do was stare at the beautiful piece of jewellery. She had read about fire rubies, and was anxious to see what hers did.
Fire rubies are stones that have a special power, such as healing and carrying messages, sometimes many powers, if the stone is old enough. It takes a talent from each of its owners passed through a family's generation. If Hermione's family were as old as what Mr. Weasley had said, this stone would have amazing powers. Hermione unclasped the chain and reattached it around her neck, and looked at herself in a full-length mirror.
"I wonder." She said out loud. She picked up her wand from her bed and touched it to the stone. No sooner had the tip of the wand brushed the stone; it started to glow bright. And in front of her, Hermione saw the stone shoot out a golden thread that formed words in the air in front of her face:
'La puissance de l'amour vrai ET rectifient la haine se heurtera avec la mal foi ET espoir pur'
Hermione was surprised at the words. "French?" She questioned the stone. She read it once more, carefully. She had visited France on occasion, so she had picked up on the language.
"Power… hurt? No. Hate, crash? No, no, co-collide, truth…faith. Pure…" Hermione pieced together the phrase bit by bit, then roughly translated it to:
'The power of true love and true hate will collide with bad faith and pure hope'
"How strange." She muttered. "I wonder what that means. Perhaps I have a legend stone that tells stories or something. Oh well." Hermione loved her necklace, it made her feel like she was a part of something, and, most importantly, took her mind off the weeks trials.
Hermione quickly dressed in a pair of black pants and a white, long sleeved shirt, and simply brushed her hair a few strokes and after giving herself a once over in the mirror, she quickly strode out the door and straight into-
"Ow!" Hermione fell backwards onto the floor. "What the hell? Oh, its you."
"Granger, why don't you watch where you're going?" Malfoy asked, hate dripping from his words.
"well, its not like I can see you coming, the doors open out, you git."
"Sharp tongue you have, mudblood, one of these days you're going to get it cut off."
Hermione was actually surprised at the pure gross factor of anyone having his or her tongue cut off. "Well, Malfoy thanks for the visual stimulation." She flipped her hair over her shoulder in a haughty way, daring him to do anything, her necklace flashing in the light.
Draco saw the ruby around her neck. 'That necklace.' He thought suddenly. 'Why is that necklace too familiar?' "What is that?" He asked, pointing to the ruby.
Hermione's hand immediately flung to her neck. "It's a- a a birthday present from my- my parents." She stammered in a very un-Hermione like way.
This caught Malfoy's interest, Why would she be so wrung out about a necklace? And why the hell was it so familiar? His father just may be interested in this bit of news.
Hermione then turned away from him, bent on getting away before Malfoy thought she was hiding something, which she was. But he was too fast for her, and he caught her arm. "Leaving so fast Granger?" He sneered. "You're not telling me something, and I'm quite bored, so now I'm going to make it my business to find out exactly what the perfect Hermione Granger's deep dark secrets are." And with that, he shoved her against the wall and brushed past, leaving Hermione shivering with small trembles of fear.
"You're so cold Malfoy." Hermione mumbled, before heading off to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Let down your defences
Use no common sense
The night Hermione lay in bed, reading the book Padma and Justin gave her. There were both muggle and wizarding tips that she found could be very helpful. Finally she set the book down on her bedside table and blew the candle out, after touching her necklace one last time.
"Diki!" A small child said, crawling along in the grass. "Diki, Diki, Diki!" The child may have been one, at the most. She had dark blonde hair that was softly being ruffled by the wind. She was dressed in what Hermione would guess was a wizarding robe for babies, as Hermione had never seen an infant wizard that young. Hermione looked on as the child crawled as fast as she could to another small child, who clapped his hands in delight. "Diki!" The girl said again, stopping her crawling and sitting on her diapered bottom. The male child laughed in a gurgled way that made Hermione smile. The sheer innocence of the two babies was astounding. Hermione forgot what innocence looked like after learning about the wizarding world, and all the dark forces projecting from it. The small boy crawled closer to the girl, and slowly tried to lift himself up, using her to help steady himself, and then, to Hermione's astonishment, he reached down with his chubby baby fingers and helped pull up his friend. Hermione looked on at the very peculiar picture, two small children holding each other's hands to help them stand up. Tears sprang to her eyes, thinking of all the hatred and obstacles the children would have to go through in their life, but for the moment they both had a look of complete serenity, innocence on their faces. Then Hermione hared another voice, this one was one of an older woman's voices, and sure enough, a rather large woman in a nursemaid's cap came bustling up to the children. "Children!" She called out. "Come now children time for your naps." Hermione noticed that the nurse paid no attention to the fact that the children were indeed, doing something you didn't see everyday, but merely whisked them away. Hermione turned and looked at the sky, wondering what all this meant.
If you look you will see
that this world is a beautiful accident
