Here is Chapter 5. It is a little bit delayed because I've just been super busy. Also, I have written the first two chapters of year two so hopefully, there shouldn't be too long of a wait between this year and the next in terms of uploading. Hope you enjoy it. Please read and review; I would appreciate it so much to hear your opinions. Thank you.

Hermione quickly fell into a routine at Hogwarts. She didn't interact with most of the Ravenclaws in her year even though they all seemed like kind people. She mostly just kept to herself and mostly talked to the other members of her house about school.

However, she did regularly talk to two of the second-year Ravenclaws, Marietta Edgecombe and Cho Chang. They were both very kind to her. They also helped her with her homework from time to time even though Hermione liked to be independent. She also had quite a close bond with her favourite of the Ravenclaw prefects, Penelope Clearwater. She knew she could speak to Penelope about anything, and it was nice to have an older student looking out for her.

Neville was her best friend though. Despite being in different houses when Neville was sorted into Hufflepuff. Hermione had convinced him on the boats up to the castle that there was nothing wrong with Hufflepuff and it showed he wasn't weak but incredibly loyal and hard-working. Hermione helped him with his classwork and homework when she could but also gave him a chance to do things for himself and gain confidence in his abilities.

Draco, Daphne, Pansy, Blaise and Theo had all been sorted into Slytherin along with four other first years. They spoke to each other and studied together occasionally but Hermione didn't hang out with them as much as she would like to. It was hard though as they had to make appearances and act like stuck-up, spoilt, rich, pureblood children. But Hermione knew behind the masks that they were nothing like that.

However, if there was anybody, she did hate it was the so-called "golden trio" of Gryffindors. It consisted of the idiots that were Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown. Hermione didn't like them much. They seemed to think that Gryffindor was the best and everyone in Slytherin was evil, for some reason. They also made fun of Hermione from time to time because she was studious and acted like she knew everything. Hermione admitted she did act like a know-it-all sometimes, but they had no reason to hate her as they did.

Out of her Professors, her favourites had to be the four heads of houses. Professor McGonagall was always such a sweet person but knew how to be serious at the same time. She had a soft spot for Hermione and always liked to compliment her. Professor Sprout was very similar. She had a very warm feeling about her and always had such a warm smile. Herbology was quickly becoming one of her favourite subjects. Professor Sprout always cared a lot about Neville and made sure he was doing okay which Hermione was forever grateful for.

Professor Flitwick, her head of house, was such a sweet wizard. He always made sure that all the Ravenclaws knew what they were doing, and he also loved every single one of his house students. Every Saturday evening, the entirety of Ravenclaw usually gathered for something fun and Professor Flitwick was always so joyful and the most encouraging and competitive on these nights. Now Professor Snape was very different to the other three, but Hermione still liked him. He knew how to teach, and she loved the side remarks he gave in his lessons. He also hated the golden trio as much as her, which was a bonus. He was also fair and unbiased, contrary to popular belief.

Hermione was surprised, to say the least, when, one day in late November whilst sat at Ravenclaw table for breakfast with Padma and Mandy, she got a letter. She didn't know who could be writing a letter to her as her parents didn't care and nobody else would even know where she was. She sighed before opening it.

Dear Hermione,

Aria and Joseph are doing just fine. I know you're probably terribly worried about them; I know what you're like. Anyway, Draco told me all about how you are a muggle-born and got accepted into Hogwarts. I know it must be hard for you to adjust to this new world and me and Lucius are more than happy to guide you, being wizards ourselves.

Draco told me that you know about me, and Lucius being involved in the dark during the war, but we aren't going to explain why we did it to you just yet, you will realise one day. Just know we aren't fully ashamed of it. Anyway, in the meantime, if you have any questions please just ask as we will be more than happy to answer whatever you would like to know.

I'm so thrilled that you are a witch Hermione. It means we don't have to keep it a secret around you anymore and we will explain everything to you. Also, I would like it if you came home for Christmas, I have been worried about you and I just want to know if you're okay. Anyway, I hope I'll see you then.

Narcissa Malfoy

Hermione smiled at her letter. She had been worried about leaving Aria and Joseph all year, but she knew they'd be okay. However, she didn't realise how much she missed the Malfoys. They were like her second family. She could remember all the memories with them, eating takeaways, playing board games, baking, going to the beach, and going on walks.

Hermione smiled at the memory of the time she and Narcissa tried to teach Draco how to bake cookies. Draco was supposed to be taking them out of the oven whilst the girls washed up and they ended up coming out of the oven black because they were burnt. They ended up laughing about it before Lucius offered to go buy some cookies from the bakery instead.

Another memory popped into her mind of when they went ice skating. Draco had been using one of the penguins to try and learn to skate. He lost his balance and he fell straight onto his back and the penguin slid across the rink knocking Hermione, Joseph and Lucius off their feet whilst Narcissa was laughing at them all.

She missed those times so much. They had accepted her as if she were their daughter and her siblings as well. She didn't realise how much she would miss them. Hermione didn't think she could ever hate them after everything they had done for her, especially Narcissa.

"Who was that from?" Padma asked cutting Hermione from her thoughts.

"Oh, it was just my parents. They were asking if I was coming home for the Christmas holidays," Hermione replied before taking a sip of her orange juice in front of her.

"Cool. Me and my parents are going to Norway for the holidays," Mandy added.

"I wish. My parents have decided to spend the year in India after being freed from me and Pavarti for a full year. I think it's mostly because of Pavarti though," Padma said. Hermione just smiled wishing her actual parents had invited her home for Christmas to do something nice. But she hadn't ever even got a single Christmas or birthday present from them.

"So, Hermione what are your plans for the day?" Cho asked her. She and Marietta had sat close to her, but Hermione wanted to try and become more friendly with the girls in her year as well as she knew it would come in handy.

As today was Saturday, Hermione just planned on spending it in the library studying and doing homework. She told the duo that she would be doing just that when they convinced her that she didn't need to constantly be in the library, and she needed to live a little. They convinced her to spend the day with them by the lake and Hermione reluctantly agreed asking if she could at least bring a book.

On the way down, she had spotted Neville and another Hufflepuff, Hannah Abbott. Hermione knew Hannah but hadn't ever really spoken to her, so she asked them if they wanted to join them, and they agreed. Marietta and Cho were thrilled that Hermione was beginning to have some fun and talk to more people so were more than happy to let the Hufflepuffs join them.

Hermione was just reading whilst Marietta and Cho gossiped about boys and Hannah and Neville played wizard's chess. She had to agree that both were pretty good at the game and was happy that Neville seemed to have a lot more confidence in himself than the first day that they met each other on the train.

Hermione had to hold back a giggle as Cho and Marietta started crushing over the Hufflepuff fourth-year who had just walked past them, Cedric Diggory. Hermione had to admit from what she'd seen he was a nice guy, but he wasn't as fabulous as her friends were making him out as.

"Hey Maya, can you help me with my potion's homework, I'm not sure what to do and I don't want Snape to think I've made a fool of myself. He's scary," Neville said with a shudder.

"He's not that scary and anyway you aren't going to make a fool of yourself Neville. You're a great guy". And with that, Hannah, Hermione and Neville headed up to the library to do some homework leaving Cho and Marietta to do whatever they were doing.

Hermione noticed Draco and his friends sat at a table in the library. She secretly passed Daphne a note to pass onto Draco to tell his mother she would be home for Christmas. Then she sat down with Neville and Hannah to do some homework.