Chapter Three

Ten year old Hermione woke as she normally did at five forty five in the morning before she pulled her hair up to wash her face that bright sunny morning. She pulled on her clothes and then began the tedious task of applying her makeup. Since her tenth birthday her mother had insisted that she start wearing makeup, as the daughter of doctor's appearances where important, so she complied even if she didn't like how long it took to put on. Pulling a black train case from underneath her bathroom counter she opened it with precision. Before pulling out her makeup and laying it in front of her in a straight row.

First her morning moisturizer was applied, followed by a primer and an under eye cream. Once that dried a foundation was applied with a brush that matched her skin tone just so and then a light powder was dusted over that followed by a blush that was a peach color. A swipe of mascara and a light lip gloss was added for the shine and she was ready to face the day.

For her hair she added a light de-frizz serum before curling it and adding mousse to it and pulling the top half back into a pony tail.

One last glance in the mirror and Hermione grabbed her school bag off the ground before heading down for a light breakfast.

"Morning." Hermione said as she sat down to her half a grapefruit that she always split with her roommate. She sprinkled a little bit of salt over the top before beginning to eat it slowly.

"I figured since you wanted to go in early that if you like we can swing by the café and get you a latte before class. I know you were up late last night." Jessica said, smiling at Hermione slightly before they started walking towards the café on campus.

A latte was the one thing her parents allowed her to drink that had a lot of caffeine in it, up until the start of this school term.

"A latte sounds wonderful." Hermione said, excited about getting the warm beverage, which caused her to eat faster as she and started discussing their day. Since Hermione had met Jessica she found the girl had an almost eidetic memory and from their very first day reminded Hermione of her schedule in the morning, on the off chance she forgot something important.

"You have your literature club after school and then your purity seminar starts tonight, it's the first part of six so be sure to have a blank notebook for that, they will check to make sure you've done your journals, and might I advise don't be too truthful in the journals as they make you read them in the class, take your bible with you to school you'll have to go straight from your club to the chapel where I will meet you." Jessica said, standing as they both finished their grapefruits.

"Reapply your lip gloss, its smeared." Her friend reminded, in a gentle reminder to keep up appearances as they entered the coffee shop.

"I'll bring you an outfit to change into when you leave school, now how about that latte?"

"Vanilla, low fat milk." Hermione replied automatically, it wasn't the best tasting in the world but it was what she was supposed to order. By now it was six thirty, so that gave her twenty minutes to finish her drink and get to school on time to get to their classroom and prepare for inspection.

"When you get out of class on Saturday why don't we go shopping? You're due for some retail therapy." Jessica asked as they both drank their coffee's.

"That sounds nice. I could use a few shirts." Hermione mused before bidding her roommate goodbye and heading the rest of the way to the main part of the school on foot, draining the last dregs of her coffee as she reached the school grounds and stood for Sister Mary to inspect her.

"Very good Hermione, as always, go on to homeroom. Sister Margaret has something for you today."

Sister Margaret was her homeroom teacher, and Hermione's favorite. She challenged Hermione, even when all the people in her class where two years older than her, she taught the class at Hermione's level, because she was the smartest one in the room. She was the only eleven year old in the seventh year class.

Coming to a stop outside of A-4 she brushed out her skirt before quietly entering the room, knowing no one would be her for another hour at the earliest.

"Good morning Hermione! Your parents told me you got accepted into the junior medical conference in Japan, that's quite the accomplishment for your age." Sister Margaret said, smiling at her brightest pupil.

"Yes sister, it's quite the honor." She said, knowing she was supposed to be humble.

"The school has decided that they will pay for you to go to a seminar over Spring Break, it can be anywhere you like, on any subject you like. Might I recommend the 'Exceptional Student' seminar in London however? Japan has some of the top students in the world and the instructor for the Exceptional Student seminar was born and bred there. I went myself when I was younger and it was truly eye opening for me, it taught me several different ways to accomplish the same goal, but as I said that's just a recommendation and when I say any subject I do mean any subject, housekeeping, medicine, math, history, the arts, the field is wide open to you on this one Hermione." She said beaming in pride at Hermione.

Hermione was speechless at such an offer that was being handed to her.

"Do you have a list of seminar's that are being offered over spring break sister? I would like to look all my options through first." Hermione said, ever the calculating one.

"Certainly Hermione, it's included in the packet. Now choose something you will have fun doing and something you will enjoy that much I will tell you." Sister Margaret said, as Hermione stared looking through the seminars that where being offered.

After a few minutes of searching she decided on attending the Exceptional Student seminar just as Sister Margret had suggested that she do. When Hermione finished the last of her classes for the day she made her way to the pay phones before calling her mother, and informing her about the Exceptional Student Seminar that she would be attending over spring break, much to her mother's delight.

With the seminar being held within country it wasn't that hard for Mrs. Granger to find them a room, deciding on waiting until Hermione came home to gather the supplies she'd need for the two weeks they were out of school for their spring break.

Before long the seminar had and come and gone with Hermione a lot better focused because of it. She had learned the Cornell method of note taking, had adapted a form of short hand for herself, and had learned how to schedule her time better to allow herself enough time to get everything done in one day that she desired.

It seemed after spring break that time flew by for Hermione as finals had come and gone and she bid her roommate and only friend goodbye until the next year when they would see each other in the fall a week before classes started.

The day after Hermione returned home however a peculiar thing happened. An older woman by the name of Professor McGonagall stopped by for tea unannounced and told young Hermione that she was a witch. At first she had taken offense to such a term but after a display of magic, and Hermione's mind reeling at the fact that it shouldn't be scientifically possible, she accepted the fact because it explained why light bulbs started exploding when she was angry, one time it had even repaired itself because she had been really upset that it had exploded on her when it shouldn't have been able to pick up the minute amounts of energy the human body naturally put out, but Hermione filled that information away for later.