Her bedroom gained a new door, and she had a new medallion next to the current one. She woke up excited for the first day of lessons with Professor Flitwick.
The past week had been full of commotion. November started with not only a freed Sirius Black from Azkaban but also the loss of the Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts.
She had alsmost forgot about the man after the attack of the troll...until she saw him. He had entered the infirmary to be nosy on the results. He looked quite annoyed like his plans had failed. Professor Snape was not long behind him with a limp. She could smell blood. Madam Pomfrey pushes him towards an unndamaged bad to be healed but Hermione was focused on Quirrel.
The others of course noticed, having just cheered on her acceptance for the new apprenticeship. Her hair was raised, and a low growl was coming from deep in her throat as she stared him down. He started to look nervous, fidgeting in place.
She didn't see Snape having his wand pointed at the man as well. Nor Flitwick warding the doors closed.
"I'd suggest, Minerva, you call Madam Bones." Snape says.
They watch as the nervous look on Quirrel disappears. He knows he has been caught. He chuckles.
"The dark Lord will return and there will be nothing you can do about it. His magic is far better than yours combined! If it wasn't for the Potter brat, he would have taken over long ago!" Quirrel laughs out. Flitwick places a specialized dueling dome around the man before he could move. Quirrel collapses on the floor...and something comes out of him. It yells in anger. Apparently the dome was the correct thing to do because it couldn't seem to get past it. Everyone, including the students, pale at the sight of a whisp version of Voldemort attacking the dome in an attempt to escape.
Everyone waited for Madam Bones to arrive. When she did, she took over. Everything seemed to speed up after that. The whisp thing was properly captured and taken away. Professor Snape helped Hermione tell what she saw during the feast. Dumbledore (who arrived back after taking the troll out the wards of school property) was caught up and scolded at the same time for having a dangerous artitfact in a castle full of children as bait for a dark creature.
The students and Hermione were sent off to their beds while the Professors and Aurors went continued on, including going up to the 3rd floor. Hermione really wanted a bettr explanation for what was in the 3rd floor corridor but knew she wouldn't get the answers. She was tired anyways. The Head Boy arrived to take the 3rd years to their common rooms and Hermione stuck to the shadows as she went to her bedroom. It had been a strange night.
The week that followed had everyone reading the Prophet and her 2 Masters going over a schedule for her apprenticeship. Robes got added to collection in the wardrobe and her parents and Uncle Garrett sent gifts in congratulations.
She was excited for the day. She did feel a bit sad she couldn't tell her friends her news yet but she hoped someday soon enough she will be able to.
"Now, if I am correct, you understand the process of feeling your magic?" Professor Flitwick starts the lesson. She nods.
"Good. Let's go over your Lumos first. Close your eyes and feel your magic. Direct it to the end of your tail. I've seen you use your paws and nose already. Good good. Now brighten it." She focuses on putting more power towards it. She pushed too much. They were blinded and then seeing spots for a few minutes after.
Lessons continued much in the same way. New spells took a few tries before she got them right. Once she got it, she spent time practicing strengthening the spell and lessening it as well. Levitation, shield charms, Nox, Ferula, Alohomora, Engorgio, and Finite Encantatum all had to be complete before they could continue with more. It was amazing...
It wasn't until the first snow landed that she realized, outside of Hogsmeade trips, she had not been outside. She used to roam the neighborhood while her parents worked back home. Now she had to choose between going out in the snow or waiting for Spring which was months away. The castle seemed to have heard her wish.
The beginning of December brought a new feature to her bedroom. A small covered patio perfect for her cat body. And her regular window gained a window seat.
Before she knew it, it was time for Winter Break. The past 2 months had had her quite occupied. Between 2 Masters, sitting in on classes, and doing her best to still see students in the common rooms, she didn't know where the time went. She wouldn't change it though. She may not be able to shift yet, but she has gained a life here.
Despite Flitwick and McGonnagall being her Masters, it was Professor Snape who took her home. She was getting an early Christmas present from the stern man.
"My gift to Hermione is to teach the three of you the basics of Legitimacy. So you can hear her when she wants to speak to you. It's only the front most thoughts you will hear. It takes some years to learn to go through some peoples memories. More requires the spell Legilimens." For 3 days, she watches as her parents and Uncle Garrett learn the skill as well Occulumency to shield their minds. Uncle Garrett thought it was useful for him, being Lord Dagworth-Granger. Protecting your mind in a world of magic was important. Her mum too thought it was useful. Like McGonnagall, she only understood Hermione in cat form. Which meant she couldn't talk to her daughter when she worked.
"Thank you so much for the help, Master Snape, you have no idea how much it means to us to be able to communicate with our little girl. Especially as a squib. " Her father shakes the Professor's hand as he prepares to leave for the rest of his own holiday.
"It was...my pleasure. She's much less of a dunderhead than the other students. She has great potental. Something, Something I do not say lightly." Hermione was beaming on the inside at his words. He gives her a small nod before going out the door.
The next couple days after that were spent shopping for Christmas gifts. She knew the Slytherins were going to be buying proper wizard clothing for Harry. So she made sure to buy him muggle clothing that will actually fit him.
Harry had learned Sirius Black was his godfather. He was now officially his magical guardian. However, Harry was meant to stay with his horrible relatives until Sirius was out of the hospital as well as sets up a home for them to live. It had been all over the Daily Prophet that Sirius Black was the new Lord Black. After reading up on that, she knew he would gain the family vaults, Wizagamot seat, properties they may have, and the family magic. After hearing about the letters, she was sure the man will make sure Harry goes to Gringotts to claim his heir ring for House of Potter as well.
Something she might be going through as well at some point. Her uncle had claimed her as heir to Dagworth-Granger. The only way she would lose that is if he has children of his own. She didn't mind either way. It would be years before she'd take his position anyways. He was younger than her dad and wizards typically lived into their hundreds. She had maybe 40-60 years before she had to become Lady Dagworth-Granger. Depending on when her uncle decides to pass on the title to retire. Or worse...no. She wouldn't even think about losing him to death before he was old and bed ridden.
Her gifts would be anonymous to her friends. All the girls got gift boxes (in different colors). Each had a pair of fuzzy socks, 2 tubes of lip gloss, gold earrings, lip balm, gel pens, coloring books and markers. The boys got a beanie hat, rubix cube, small lego kits, a yoyo, uno cards, dominoes, and packs of glowsticks. She went muggle only because she knew they were all, except Harry, from the wizarding world and they might enjoy something different. Harry, she knew, had never really had anything of his own.
She hoped they liked them.
Christmas morning brought a surprise of her own. She had recieved gifts from students at school as well. A note attached to the top had her laughing on the inside. Professor McGonnagall had found them all in her living space, blocking her floo.
There were plenty of books amongst the gifts. She couldn't wait to add them to her bookshelves in her Hogwarts bedroom. Her parents had a good laugh at the collection of cat collars, brushes, bows, catnip, scratch post and beds, custom water and food bowls with her name on them, and of course toys. She kept the collars, brushes and bows with her personal belongings. The rest went into its own trunk for the days she was lost in her curse. When she was lost to the cat. Even her mum had those days. It never goes away. It's why her mum worked from home.
To her amusement, her dad had found what was called a cat backpack carrier. They gave it a try during the new years. It was hilarious but also convenient. She was sure he only bought it to give his shoulder a break. She understood. She was quite the large cat.
Her uncle too had got a cat carrier, except it faced the front, not the back, and looked more like a...she would say a baby carrier but it was fuzzy and backpack like. Its top was more like a hood with cat ears stitched on. Honestly it was pretty comfortable.
The days before she was to go back to Hogwarts had both her and her mum lost to the curse as expected. It lasted for 2 days. Her mums cat was a Norwegian Forest Cat in greyish blue and white with bright blue eyes. Winter was her favorite time of year. Growing up, Hermione always joined her mum in jumping into the snow, climbing the trees in the backyard and chasing each other when the curse took over. Her dad usually ended up with the task of removing the balls of snow stuck in their fur after they got back inside.
She didn't take the train back to Scotland this time. Professor McGonnagall met with them to pick her up, shrinking her basket of goods down into her pocket before they apparated. Hermione did not like apparating. It made her nauseous and sick.
"Apologies Hermione, I should have warned you the first time apparating is never a pleasant experience," Minerva sets her down into her room. She takes the time to unshrink and put away all of Hermione's belongings herself while Hermione jumps onto her bean bag bed and curls up under the throw blanket covered in pastel cat paws. Every now and then Minerva would hear little cat groans from under the blanket.
It would be hours before the rest of the students would arrive so she left her apprentice to rest while she prepared for the others return.
"I wish I knew the deadline for her curse," she later frowns as she sits with the other Professors in the lounge room. "Surely there is a spell to check Severus?" He was already shaking his head before she could finish asking.
"Diagnostic spells can only do so much. The Curse is pretty open to what it is. At best, it might tell us a bit more about it. But this curse is a family curse, much like the Greengrass family had a curse on theirs. With so many through time losing themselves to it, I doubt there are records of what started this and why.
However, having met her mother myself now...I think she will make it through this intact. She's getting far better training than her mother did at her age. She had a higher chance of shifting before she is 15. Mrs Granger didn't shift until she was 21 years old and it had barely lasted 10 minutes. Hermione is quite motivated to last longer than that on her first go. They determine will help her in the end. Just don't give up on her." There was no sneer or look of disdain on his face as he spoke. There was no emotion down but they have been around him long enough to know this was him caring. Something he typically only gave to his godson Draco Malfoy. It gave the others hope the little apprentice will make it through this okay.