First year withered by. Nothing particularly eventful had happened, as one may expect for one's first year of a magical school. Although the other Slytherins all had views about how the wizarding world ought to be changed, no one was close to enacting on it, so it was mostly classes and everything else that marked the passing of her first year.
There was a little interesting thing at the end where Harry, Ron and Luna were awarded house points for special services to the school but that had been it.
Hogwarts was so casually odd that the rest of the students seemed to think it was another quirky element, and Hermione could tell their thoughts were on the feast that could come after. Although she racked her brains further about this and guessed that perhaps Professor Dumbledore was of the belief Lord Voldemort had not truly died and that Harry Potter would need to fight him some day. So he was giving the boy all sorts of tests throughout the school year to teach him new skills that may help until the final battle. His friends included for it seemed Professor Dumbledore prized the ability to work together with friends.
Hermione had not thought the tests particularly hard. Perhaps they taught him some life lessons, but were more a reflection of Professor Dumbledore's guilt over the fact that he should be doing more to help the boy prepare for a final showdown with Lord Voldemort.
Hermione wasn't sure if the sorcerer was alive or not judging from the books she'd read, where it seemed his life status was in a perpetual state of mystery to the wizarding world at large. If Professor Dumbledore didn't know of Lord Voldemort was alive or dead, then what challenges could he possibly give Harry Potter that would give the boy honest preparation against the wizard, and whatever magic he was capable of throwing at Harry Potter in his current life stage? Nonetheless, these tests felt like a formality that had to happen and Hermione resented the fact that Gryffindor was awarded extra house points as well. It felt unfair to her (and the rest of the Slytherins), but again, Professor Dumbledore held all the power at Hogwarts, there was no other teacher equal to his level, so nothing could be done.
Hermione felt uneasy about the little fiasco, it was a rather unpleasant way to end of the Hogwarts year, but other than that, nothing interesting had particularly happened.
The Slytherin girls promised to keep in touch over the summer holidays but besides a few letters of formality, they were not interested in conversing with Hermione so her summer was similar to those of the past. She met up with her old group of friends once, apparently their parents had thrown out an invitation to Hermione's parents and that was how she came to be there. The old group were polite to her in front of the adults and put up with her, albeit with the same insults, but otherwise nothing had changed. They were even more distant now with them chatting over the last school year and when Hermione gave the prepared answers about her new posh boarding school, where she edited out anything magic, they found other ways to poke fun at her, and she felt like even more of a clown than before.
All in all, it was a boring, uneventful, summer.
It wasn't until she was shopping in diagon alley that things got interesting.
Hermione was in Flourish and Botts, Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy were engaged in an argument of some sort. Hermione hadn't meant to be a witness to it but she happened to be buying her books at the same time. Everyone around them were focused on the two men, but Hermione saw Mr Malfoy slip a small book into Ginny's cauldron.
Instantly Hermione thought it might've been a prank book, or something that would do Ginny a little bit of harm, for Mr Malfoy seemed spiteful enough against Mr Weasley to do so. She thought it can't have been too bad because she didn't think Mr Malfoy wanted to make himself look like too much of an arse, and it must've been something that Ginny could fight against or overcome, whatever prank there had been in it.
Hermione couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous. The book was old and elegant, it looked expensive and a part of Hermione couldn't help feeling jealous that Ginny got to have a Malfoy heirloom of some sort. Or an item that came from the Malfoys. Especially as Hermione had spent all of last year trying to remain on Draco's good side, never angering him, and she'd never met any of Draco's family, nor had Draco show her any grace. She had this tense relationship with Draco, trying to stay on his good side in Slytherin, and yet someone like Ginny, who didn't understand politics and didn't play the game, got to have this item from the Malfoys...for free?
She couldn't help it.
Quickly, Hermione reached out and picked up the book, slipping it into her own bag, unnoticed by the others.
It wasn't until that evening however, she was able to write in it.
Dear Diary,
Hogwarts is starting but I'm not looking forward to it. I have no difficulty with the work but it all feels so pointless because no one can get anywhere in the wizarding world without connections, influence or power. Most of which involves sucking up to the old pureblood families. Except they are nasty, mean and bullying and I don't particularly like all the games they play. I do not do badly with them, but I would be lying if I said they were particularly enjoyable.
They stop playing those games.
The diary wrote back. Hermione blinked. Her words had sank beneath the page and now new lines were appearing.
Make them play your game. On your own terms.
You know, I never thought about it that way. Yes those purebloods do make it seem as if you have to suck up to them to get what you want. But if I can do everything in the wizarding world without doing that...I didn't start thinking of things in that way before.
Hermione wrote back.
Then start thinking more.
The diary told her.
Who are you anyway? Hermione wrote. You sound like a real person trapped inside a diary.
I am an enchanted book. I write back if you write in me and I like to think I make good conversation, what is your name?
The diary wrote. Hermione frowned. The book didn't seem overtly dangerous, but it was unfamiliar to her. She hadn't heard of any enchantments like it before. However, she liked conversing with it already, it seemed useful and like it's advice would help her rise to the top of such an unfair society. She wanted to keep writing in it.
I'll give you just my first - Hermione. What is yours?
I go by Tom. What year of Hogwarts are you in?
I'm about to start my second year. How old are you?
Enchanted books don't have ages. Ah second year, what an interesting year...
The diary then spewed some facts about the magical subjects they would study that year. Except it didn't interest Hermione for she had already looked over the textbooks and Hogwarts had not begun to get truly hard yet. She wasn't exactly in need of any help, though what the diary revealed showed it clearly had a deep understanding of second year subjects. Hermione begun to feel it could potentially be handy if she needed any information about magic.
What else do you know?
Bits and pieces. I can recall them better when asked questions.
Hermione then tried to ask the diary a wide variety of questions. It appeared it knew all of the Hogwarts curriculum. Hermione had bought as much of the standard schoolbooks in advance as possible to read over, and she flicked to the hardest part of a seventh year book, and tried to word the question like it was a casual thing that popped into mind, not like she was testing it. Tom never struggled with recalling the answer to that so clearly it had a full seven year's of Hogwarts education. When Hermione asked Tom some more questions from over the years, wording it so casually, she was right in that Tom knew the answers to most of them without any hesitation.
When Hermione asked him questions about the wizarding and muggle world it appeared he knew general knowledge about both, but nothing in particular. He did seem a bit bitter and jaded however.
Slytherin house? Hermione asked him, feeling that Slytherin was probably the one of the only houses that could induce such bitterness in others.
That was mine yes. You are the same...?
Yes, mudblood though. I'm practically a pariah at Slytherin. Were you a pureblood?
I see nothing has changed then. A halfblood but it was difficult for me in Slytherin too.
How long ago were you in Slytherin? There's a halfblood in my dormitory but she's doing alright. Maybe times have changed.
What year is it now?
Hermione quickly wrote down the year.
It's been at least several decades since my enchantment. You are right. Things do change with time. Why are you a pariah than, if Slytherins don't hate mudbloods and halfbloods now as much as they did in the past?
Slytherins have a lust for the rich. I am not their level of wealthy. They are also mostly made of bullies. The type of people who hate everyone.
Perhaps Slytherin needs to change. Make them bow at your feet. Show them you can be powerful without needing to kiss the feet of those who were born into power. Perhaps you need to light the way for new Slytherins to rise to the top without having to kiss the feet of the old ones.
I suppose. How though? What do Slytherins want?
Last time I was there. A monarchy.
Hermione blinked. Quickly she was scribbling in the diary.
Now you're talking. When I first started at Hogwarts I just thought they were rich bitches and snooty bastards and all, you know. But then they seem to have a deeper understanding of wizarding politics than I thought and everyone's obsessed with being a monarchy instead of a democracy. They all have ideas about how the world's going to run as a monarchy. I have no idea if it'll ever work or not, but given the current status of the ministry it's not like the alternative is very pretty. The wizarding world is so politically volatile when you really think about it. Were they as obsessed with being a monarchy in your time?
It was one of the things they wanted. But they also wanted other things. I see now in the future they have turned back to the idea of a monarchy more. I wonder what changed, has anything bad happened to Slytherin house recently?
Not that I know of. Unless you count Lord Voldemort who came from Slytherin falling out of power. He and his deatheaters never attacked the ministry though. Just individual people. They mostly seemed like sadists that liked to hurt and kill for fun. I don't think he was a player in the game of changing the wizarding world from a democracy to a monarchy so I'm not sure how his death or anything would've affected it. He was the biggest player from Slytherin in the past decades though, whatever he stood for.
You have no idea what he stood for. Do not think the ordinary person can easily guess the motives of a wizard like that. For all you know he may have been planning to infiltrate the ministry and replace it with his puppets but when he fell his followers lost faith in ever changing the ministry from inside out and leaned towards the idea of a monarchy more.
I suppose. There is a lot of mystery around Lord Voldemort. Some people even refuse to say his name because they are afraid of him. I've always thought it was one of the most ridiculous things I've heard. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself. Why do people make themselves so scared over it? It's not helping. If people really wanted to defeat him actually seeing if he's alive or not, catching him, and trialling him would be helpful. Not playing scaredy cat with his name. I'm sick of Lord Voldemort too. He achieved nothing. He didn't make any changes to the wizarding world that made it better, he just blew of steam killing mudbloods and whatnot. He's just a rogue player in the affairs of the wizarding world. I wish he would hurry up and die and we could move on. He's so last century.
Truthfully Hermione hated the fuss made about a wizard that had disappeared years ago, hated how Hogwarts students gasped at his name, refused to say it, or treated Harry Potter differently because he happened to be targetted by the wizard. Hermione didn't think Harry Potter was special, he was just lucky and she supposed Lord Voldemort was bound to screw up sometime with all the murders and things he did. She didn't see why there was such a fuss made about him and could understand Slytherin's ire. He was made into a big person when he was going through Hogwarts normally like every other student.
Yes. The world changes fast and what was once his era is now gone. New changes are coming and it's important you brace yourselves for those.
The diary agreed.
I have to sleep now. Will write in you another day.
The next time Hermione wrote in the diary was after she was at Hogwarts.
Do you want to change the wizarding world into a monarchy?
The diary asked her once she was done ranting about her day.
I'm just a school student. What can I do? Hermione wrote.
I forgot. You are very intelligent beyond your years. I do not think you know this but the wizarding world has a myth of monarchy. It came about just shortly after the ministry of magic was established, a seer saw into the future that the ministry would only be temporary and a monarchy was going to rise and rule over the wizarding world for centuries. Only the ministry prevailed for another couple hundred years after that and so the myth fell into disrepair. Most believe it's just a myth, but a few believe the day of the monarchy is coming. There is an ancient potion that supposedly will call forth the changes in the wizarding world to bring about a new king and queen. It's a bit mythical, a bit like a divination potion, some would believe this potion's entirely made up. But it's not a bad potion to brew.
What does the potion even do? Do I drink it and become king or queen?
I'm not sure. It's only a myth. I think the potion has to be splashed somewhere sacred and then the new king or queen will arrive and all the events that would happen will take place. You will know once you brew the potion.
Where can I read more about it?
It's not in any book I know of because it's a very old and obscure myth. I only know because an old Slytherin friend of mine told me one day. He was quite a fanatic about it. I'm sorry, it's a lot of effort and you're merely a student. I shouldn't burden you with such demands.
No. I've always thought potions was a straightforward subject. One just follows the instructions in a book. I've always thought it was possible to brew potions assigned to older years by following the instructions carefully but no one does it because of some arbitrary reason like 'one can only brew this potion when they reach this year'. Teach me.
Alright, but I will have to teach you some other skills so you can go undercover more easily. You may have to steal some ingredients or visit strange places to acquire others. You will need some additional skills.
I won't disappoint. Hermione wrote. Some part of her wanted to impress the book. Show Tom she was just as capable as he was.
"Hermione? Did you hear?" Pansy asked her one night when she returned to the girls' dormitory.
"Yeah, Mrs Norris was petrified," said Hermione.
All of the Slytherin girls were there, they sat cross-legged on their beds facing each other in a circle. The air was tight, like a serious discussion was about to be held.
"Have you heard about the myth of the chamber of secrets?" asked Pansy.
"No," Hermione and Celestia both said.
"It's mostly fake," said Pansy, "but a long time ago some Slytherins hated mudbloods so much they created a monster which they hid in Hogwarts that was going to kill all the mudbloods or something. It's not real, likely just a story some Slytherins made up to scare mudbloods they hated. But everytime something remotely bad or dangerous happens at Hogwarts, the myth gets bought up again and people think Slytherin's monster is the culprit."
"No one thought Slytherin's monster was the culprit when Harry, Ron and Luna were mysterious awarded house points last year. Plenty of mildly dangerous things have happened and yet no one once thought to bring up Slytherin's monster. I think there are more reasons why the story's so obscure," said Hermione who felt like there was something she didn't know.
"It's mostly a Slytherin story. And a few who happen to hear of it and blame Slytherin's monster for everything. I know because it's passed around old Slytherin family's more. No one believes in it, but we have all heard of it. Either way, there's a good chance people will blame Slytherin for it this year. Which means everyone will start thinking there's a monster tamer or something from this house and our reputations may fall. I don't care how much you want mudbloods to die. I don't want our reputation to fall or to be known as anything besides wealthy or luxurious people. I called this meeting tonight to give you a warning. As fellow housemates, make me look bad. And I. Will. Kill. You. Got it?" said Pansy.
"I don't want our name or image to fall. We will graduate from Hogwarts as Slytherins golden girls. Enviable and the best clique to be in. None of us are going into disgrace. Yeah?" Daphne was on Pansy's side.
"Of course. But this is such a fun myth to play with, ooh all the other people we can accuse of being Slytherin's monster tamer-" said Tracey.
"Don't speak a word of it until someone else brings it up," Pansy cautioned Tracey, "if they do at all. Now, lights out. I want to sleep."
"I'm going to have nightmares tonight," muttered Celestia, "I've never been fond of Halloween-like things."
"You're at a magic school. This all the things in Halloween bought to life," Daphne was angry, "as an actual witch yourself I expect you to not make such a fuss about it. Hermione's also a mudblood and she acts twice as decently about this as you do."
"Hermione? She's the fakest person I've ever seen. She thinks just because she gets good grades she's good at everything else but she's just like the rest of us. I bet she's just as scared and nervous as we all are about everything but pretends to be cool about everything," Celestia sounded angry for the first time Hermione had heard the girl be. Usually she was so softly-spoken and timid but Hermione was now feeling a stab of irritation that the first thing Celestia was getting angry about was her.
"I don't pretend. I am cool. For a witch you are so...pathetic and timid you almost give Neville a run for his money!" Hermione couldn't help herself from snapping.
"Oooh! Hermione insulted Neville. Not so perfect, I-never-say-a-bad-word about anybody now are you Hermione?" said Tracey all of a sudden.
"She keeps her true thoughts about everyone to herself because she's trying to play neutral to everyone!" said Daphne all of a sudden.
"Shut up. I want to sleep! Or I really will kill someone tonight!" Pansy hissed.
"For someone who insists Slytherin's monster is fake you're sure not acting like it! Giving death threats is totally something someone who's actually the monster tamer wouldn't do," said Tracey.
"I'm playing neutral? If I got into fights with non-Slytherins because I hate their guts you will just scorn me harder for dropping our image or something. You're the slithering snake that's playing neutral Daphne. I've heard Pansy, Draco, and even the others talk non-stop about how much they want the wizarding world to be a monarchy, real changes they would make if it took place, or even Lord Voldemort for that matter. You're the one who is oddly silent about everything!" Hermione suddenly found herself saying the things she'd always thought but never did.
"Why do you hate their guts? See? Hermione isn't the nice person she pretends to be. She's full of hatred towards everyone too, she just doesn't say it," Celestia said.
"Why?" Hermione felt hot and bothered. This giant argument was truly getting out of hand, "because you guys pointed out to me the truth about the wizarding world. No one can get anywhere because of huge issues within it, but nobody knows so all the generations of Hogwarts students are just repeating the same pattern and living in misery. How can you stand hanging with half the school when you know they're not going to go anywhere in life? When your eyes are open and you see the simple truth? When you can no longer enjoy their simple views and company? Why wouldn't you hate their guts? I just...hate this place and this world sometimes!" Hermione almost screamed it out.
"There you go. She's one of us now," said Pansy slowly.
"What?" said Hermione.
"Mudbloods think the wizarding world is everything when they first join. What they miss is how much we all hate it. Deeply, hate it and wish change could happen but never would. You're not really part of the wizarding world until you deeply hate something about it," said Pansy.
Silence fell for a bit.
"We should probably sleep," said Pansy.
"Then perhaps I'm not as deep into the wizarding world as you all are. I don't hate anything so deeply from it," said Celestia.
"I like the gossip and the fights that happen here. They're more interesting than the muggle world in droves," said Tracey.
"We should really probably sleep. We're all going to have eyebags and look ridiculous tomorrow," said Pansy.
They slept afterwards.
Hermione didn't know if it was teenage hormones or anything but they all seemed even more irate and snappy this year than the last.
I'm going to teach you how to make yourself invisible. The diary wrote to Hermione. Because that is a very useful skill to have.
Alright. But I'm often short of time and hiding when I write in you. I have to keep you hidden so others can't find you. You're much too precious of a helpful guide to want to share with anyone. Oh, I'm so stressed and tired too these days. Am I really getting old that fast? I had more energy last year. There's also drama this year with Mrs Norris, the caretaker's cat, being petrified. People are going to accuse Slytherins of being behind it because we're the big bad guys and some of my housemates have already warned everyone to keep quiet about it so our image doesn't fall. They're so touchy about it. I'm so stressed this year.
Time is always precious. Your Slytherin housemates are wise to want to keep the suspicion of you. Once a bad reputation exists it becomes hard to shake of. No doubt your Hogwarts lives would be made easier without any accusations flying around about you. Unless you knew how to weld the power of an accusation right.
The diary then instructed Hermione on how to cast an invisibility charm over herself. She had to start with someone else because it was easier. The diary recommended one of her dormmates just after they had slept because it would wear of by the morning. Hermione could see the logic behind it - she would get to practice a charm and be able to see how well it was cast by how invisible her dormmate was. Her dormmate would be asleep and wouldn't notice - most of the girls drew their covers up around their beds to sleep anyway, and the diary assured her her first times casting the charm would definitely not exceed the amount of time a person usually slept.
Hermione selected Celestia, who often slept quite soundly despite making a fuss about nightmares or anything else during the day.
She was amazed when Celestia actually went partially invisible but Hermione could still make out the shape of the girl, she looked like a mirror that slightly distorted the air around her so if Hermione peered at her closely she could make out the creases of her lips, cheeks, chin and so on, but the colour of the pillow and blankets underneath her truly shone through.
Hermione kept it up for the next few weeks, adhering to Tom's instructions which turned out to be very good. Tom had a very intuitive feel for magic, and soon Celestia was almost fully invisible.
I don't know when the charm starts wearing of. Hermione wrote in the book. I can't stay up all night because then I'd get tired the next day and my dormmates would notice.
There's a spell you can use to stay up. Tom told her.
Hermione decided to use it. She entered into a sort of trance and remembered sitting up in her bed for the longest of time. At some point, after some time had passed but she couldn't tell quite how much, she got up and checked on Celestia, and watched her until she truly began to appear, before heading back to her bed. Celestia turned back to her normal opaque self at dawn so Hermione's charm was a good 7 or 8 hours long.
Then she fell asleep and it wasn't until the next week she was able to write in the diary again.
Good. Skilled witches and wizards can cast it for longer, but you can do it very well on someone else. Now on yourself.
Hermione cast it on herself and sometimes used the trance spell Tom told her. Soon she was able to get it up to 7 or 8 hours on herself just as well.
Good. I will teach you how to undo it easily in case you need to be seen somewhere. The diary said.
Hermione smiled. She had learnt something useful from the diary, but yet she also felt a little wistful or sad somehow but she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Perhaps it was because the innocence of her childhood was slipping away. Now, she was truly doing something about the world instead of just complaining about it.