Starboy454: I'm actually working on that chapter now. I wanted second year to be a relatively normal year, for once. Where Harry learns more about the wizarding world, Hermione learns about the muggle world.

Apieceofpie4everybody011: no love for Snape in this story lol

Thank you for all the reviews! They make me happy and I'm currently 6 chapters ahead, almost done with 2nd year!

31 October 1992

Who would have thought that Hogwarts gossip could ever be so wrong? After the Ron and Harry were trapped outside the barrier, they returned to find Arthur playing with the knobs on the car stereo. Molly joined them just a few moments later. Arthur wanted desperately to try his new invisibility feature but Molly would have none of it. So, the boys were apparated to Hogsmeade where they were forced to wander the school grounds for hours, waiting for the train to arrive. Many still believed the rumors, declaring that it was all a cover up for The-Boy-Who-Lived. Malfoy ranted for days about the injustice of it all.

Malfoy was also awarded the position of starting seeker of the Slytherin team, coincidentally, his father also donated 10 brand new Nimbus 2001's. The Gryffindor team was actually intimidated by the much faster brooms, until Ron pointed out that they were all seekers brooms. Which were useless to the beaters and keepers, even the chasers would have difficulty maneuvering around each other. The Nimbus 2001's were built strictly for speed, turning corners and even hovering would be difficult and take weeks if not months to get used to.

Luna became slightly withdrawn after being sorted into Ravenclaw. Hermione was definitely saddened that she was separated from her best friend and could only see her outside of class and before curfew. Luna would disappear for hours and Hermione had no luck locating her hiding place. Many times Hermione would catch her without her famous radish earrings, that were her mothers, and crying. She would try and pass it off as nothing and advise Hermione on the dangers of nargles, which apparently ran rampant through the school. Another odd warning was to never be alone with the new DADA professor but Luna refused to say more.

The tiniest bit of optimism Hermione held that Professor Lockhart was not a fraud was shattered during their first lesson. First, he gave them the Essential Knowledge Test to see how well they understood his books and practices. 54 questions that were focused on Gilderoy Lockhart himself, ranging from his favorite color to his life long ambition. Hermione was quite disappointed that she actually knew all the answers, bloody eidetic memory. So, she answered them all and was praised for being the only one to score an O++. Girls glared at her for being the center of the professors focus, while Harry and Ron held back laughter when they saw Hermione's glowing cheeks.

Then, he tested their bravery by releasing pixies! Cornish pixies, the same kind that Fred and George always managed to have on hand for their pranks. Upon releasing the pixies, he shouted out some nonsense words and flourished his wand worse than Ronald! Hermione huffed as she watched the blonde professor take cover under his desk after his wand was stolen. Her classmates were swinging their books wildly, trying to fend off the tricky pests. Neville was raised to the chandelier, leaving him dangling by his belt. Harry was trying to help her get the pixies out of her hair while Ron's swatted the pixies away from his sister and friend. Having had enough, Hermione raised her wand, shouting out one incantation, all the pixies in the room froze, floating in the air above them a moment before falling to the floor, petrified. Lockhart locked himself in his office once he saw it was safe, not even bothering to award them house points!

Hermione also dedicated hours in the library with Eloise. While she was still very shy around Harry, Ron, and Neville, Hermione succeeded in having Eloise sit with them for meals. When they were alone, Eloise had opened up about growing up in the muggle world, nothing too personal but things of her family and vacations were happily spoken of. Hermione always listened with rapt attention asking all kinds of questions about how her life worked in the muggle world. The shy girl was quite patient with some of the stranger questions, spending almost an hour explaining electricity so she could understand how a light switch functioned. Another reason Hermione spent so much time in the library was Tom Riddle, Slytherin Headboy, orphan muggleborn, left Hogwarts in 1944 with record setting NEWT scores, only to get a job at a dingy shop in Knockturn Alley the disappear. She couldn't ask any of her current professors about him, Professor McGonagall didn't even start school until he was gone. While the resident ghost, Professor Binns, could name the dates of any and all goblin uprisings, he thought he was still teaching the class of 1969! If she found nothing else by Yule, she would be visiting her Uncle Albus after holidays.

"That was a total cock up!" Ron whined as he walked back towards the great hall with Harry, Hermione, and Neville. They attended Nearly Headless Nick death day party, which as it turns out isn't much fun for the living.

"I'll never get the smell out of my robes." Hermione pouted.

"I'm starved! Hopefully we didn't miss the feast altogether." Neville whined, rubbing his stomach.

"I'm sorry! What was I supposed to say?" Harry cried defensively.

"How about...'no, you dead bloody wanker.' How long do you think they left all that perfectly good food out just for it spoil?" Ron said sarcastically.

"How can you even think of food? I just want a shower, the smell is stuck in my nose." Hermione cried petulantly. She looked over to see Harry with a sullen expression. "It did sound interesting...who else can say they've been to death day party?"

"He sounded right pathetic when he was talking about the head-" Harry was cut off by a low whimper.

"What was that?" Neville came to a stop right outside a tapestry. He hesitantly reached forward the pull it back to find their Eloise Midgen curled into a ball, boils covering her face and arms. Hermione ran forward and cast a lumos.

"Oh, Eloise, who did this to you?" Hermione cried as she cast numbing charms to relieve the pain. Eloise pointed weakly at her throat, which made Hermione pause, not wanting to do anything that may cause her more pain. "Finite incantatem." Eloise screamed as the boils burst with loud angry pops. "I'm sorry!"

"Budge up, 'Mione." Ron said gently as moved to put an arm around the crying girl to pull her to feet.

"It was the Slytherins!" Eloise cried between sobs. Blood and puss ran down her face and arms as she was hauled up. Hermione quickly cast a scourgify and wracked her brain to remember any other healing charms she read about.

"We need to get her to the infirmary." Neville said in a slightly panicked voice.

"Well well, what do we have here?" Malfoys silky voice called out from behind them.

"Clear off, Malfoy!" Harry snapped reaching for his wand.

"Well, mudblood, I gotta say that's a nice look for you. Something to finally take the attention off your pugly mug" Malfoy sneered viciously. Eloise whimpered and shrank back into Ron, who was still trying to support the girl.

"Bugger off, you gormless twit!" Hermione spat angrily, her wand was already out and her hand was twitching to curse Malfoy.

"Hey don't mind me, blood traitor. Just thought you should know it's not a good idea to be around mudbloods like her, get her stink on you. Big things are happening this year." Malfoy stepped back, his smile cruel as his grey eyes shimmered with glee. Harry and Hermione stepped forward and were stopped by Neville.

"Come on guys, we need to get her to the hospital wing." Neville said impatiently.

Malfoy threw them a mock solute before turning on his heel and heading for the dungeons. Hermione instantly felt guilty as she looked at Eloise who was still bleeding and crying as Ron held her up. They sat outside the curtain of Eloise's bed as Madam Pomfrey did all she could to heal the open sores. Some would scar but with the right paste the scars would fade eventually. It would take Professor Snape at least 6 months to make, whether it took 6 months to brew or he had better things to do was left unsaid.

Hermione wrung her hands desperately, feeling guilty that she caused her friend so much pain. Apparently Eloise tried a magical solution for a couple of pimples during her first Christmas holidays that only cursed her. A trip to St. Mangos did nothing to help, they couldn't even find out who did it because the pureblood shopkeeper claimed they never sold such a cream. Now, Eloise would have to go through her teens with not only a horrible case of acne but she may be pockmarked as well and Hermione could only blame herself. The 3 boys were completely oblivious of her inner turmoil but refused to leave the 2 girls alone.

"Eloise, I'm so sorry!" Hermione flew from her chair as soon as the medi-witch opened the curtain. Eloise's eyes were red and swollen from crying, large round scars marred her acne ridden skin.

"It's fine." Eloise whispered, not looking up at them.

"No, it's all my fault! I should have used a different counter. Now you're all scarred and in pain." Hermione cried, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. The boys shuffled their feet awkwardly behind them.

"If you hadn't found me, they would have burst eventually. Every time I moved they would burst and cause excruciating pain. You stood up for me, no one had ever done that before." Eloise whispered and surprised the red head by reaching out and taking her hand. "Thank you."