Sea of Constellations
Rose_Quartz_Cloud
8. Divided
On the train back to Hogwarts, Hermione worried about Harry as she thought that they had missed the train and foolishly were going to take the blue Angelia to fly to school. They would get away with it but… still.
To her surprise, an hour into the trip she spotted them both with Dean Thomas hunting down the trolley… getting up from her seat, she followed them back to their compartment and sat down opposite.
Ron looked at her with protest and Harry looked puzzled and unsure how to navigate this.
Hermione realized her error in following them as there was no logical way to explain how she would know that they might have been barred from getting onto the platform and even if they weren't why would she think that?
Instead she offered a truce to Ron as she knew he still felt wary of her and launched into how her summer was and asked about theirs.
It turned out she had been right, the Dursleys had locked Harry up in his room and weren't going to let him come back, but he then ended up in Weasley's care after Dumbledore's intervention… with no mention about the part she played.
Dobby had also visited Harry in his confinement but perhaps thought it was close enough to the term beginning that he wouldn't be attending as the barrier between platforms had let them both cross and that's how they were on the train now.
Not wanting to step on toes this fast, knowing it would take time for Ron to accept her fully after last year, she bid them farewell and headed back to her compartment.
To her surprise Hannah, Sue and Daphne were waiting for her return.
"Bout time, thought you weren't coming back?" Sue teased.
"How did you know it was me in here?" Hermione asked dumbly.
Daphne pointed to the luggage rack with her luggage with her name on it. Hermione smiled before sitting with them and talking about their summers.
Seconds years and above were the group to take the horseless carriages, taking them up to the castle first and Hermione loaded into one with the girls this time. Though the first time she rode up with Neville and them as Harry and Ron were busy flying a magical car…
They had some light snacks and got to catch up with their housemates while waiting for the new batch of first years.
The ones that Hermione knew well were Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood. Luna was definitely still a Ravenclaw and perhaps she would get to know her better.
Things were already diverting from what she knew so Hermione was on her guard. Harry and Ron were talking loudly beside her to the boys about the latest Quidditch news as Harry was behind being under lock and key for two whole months.
The defense against the dark arts replacement… Lockhart took center stage amongst the staff as many were trying to ignore him but it was quite the scene… that was until Flitwick whacked him with his utensils when Dumbledore rose to make an announcement.
"We will now begin the sorting ceremony for this year's first years and delve into a lovely feast afterwards." He announced.
The snacks and goblets disappearing and the hall's ceiling shining brightly by candlelight before the two heavy doors on the other end of the hall opened slowly, and McGonagall appeared leading the group of awe filled first years who like them last year was pointing and staring at the beautiful magical ceiling and the hall in general.
While watching the younger students file by, Hermione caught Malfoy's gaze across the way and wanted to smile at him but held back. She wasn't sure how some of the Slytherin's would treat her after their first year…
She wasn't present like the first time but heard that the scene between the Weasleys and the bookshop took place almost the same as she remembered but she wasn't there, nor Harry.
He didn't react, like she figured but she could also tell he looked stressed out and it was either pressure on him to be better than Harry Potter or he got caught sending an owl to a muggleborn, even if it was a Ravenclaw one…
Pansy then caught her eye and indicated to wait for her once the feast was over…
Curious, Hermione signaled back briefly before turning her attention back to the sorting in which they were now the D last names…
Sneaking away from her fellow Ravenclaws, Hermione met Pansy near the main staircase but out of view of most areas where everyone walked up to upper floors.
"Why the secrecy?" asked Hermione lightly, not taking Pansy seriously.
"...I didn't want this to happen but my parents found out about you and how you are muggleborn and… forbade me from talking to you this year… and beyond" she revealed hastily.
Hermione's expression dropped, not expecting this but knew it was a possibility….
"Nott warned me over the summer after writing to me that this could happen… there's no hard feelings Pans, truly I understand your family is pressuring you to not associate with me…probably doesn't help that I'm one of Harry Potter's friends too…." Hermione responded earnestly.
Pansy looked apologetic before telling her goodbye and running off towards the dungeons.
Taking her time, Hermione began the stroll towards her tower while pondering what this all meant for this year. Would she invest more time into Harry and Ron and see how she should respond to the news of the Chamber of Secrets opening once more under the guise of Ginevra Weasley, being controlled by a Horcrux of Lord Voldemort? Course, perhaps the elder Malfoy didn't plant a bad book on the Weasleys after all? Did Harry's presence in her timeline dictate what he decided to do in the first place, taking it as an opportunity… for revenge, or his own dark schemes not all because of the main dark wizard?
And if there was Tom's diary with Ginny, should she just intervene early and not let all the muggleborns suffer this year and further the bad air between Malfoy and Harry?
Hermione felt burdened with having life changing knowledge… Though before she was just trying to save the both of them and hopefully return to her time but the headmaster already intervened and ensured that she would be stuck here now as she had effectively erased her parallel self and thus would destroy their universe more if she left…
Starting to feel down about this year already, she didn't notice herself walking straight into the back of Luna by accident.
"...Oh good timing… I had lost my way to Ravenclaw Tower" Luna mumbled, quiet as ever.
Not expecting to run into her so quickly , Hermione stumbled with her response.
"I… was just on my way back. I'm so sorry to walk into you like that…I usually am paying more attention…" Hermione rambled, quite embarrassed now.
Luna didn't seem to mind her carelessness or just was very good at hiding it.
"I'm Hermione Granger, 2nd year in Ravenclaw, I can help you find the way" she introduced herself, before leading the girl upwards to the fifth floor.
She hoped she didn't get on Luna's bad side. She had seen the witch perform hexes on death eaters like it was second nature to her, she wasn't the first one that she thought would go into battle with but out of all of DA members she was very capable and even saved Ron and Ginny when they were separated and well she ended up being knocked out in the end, she still was one of the few of them left before they went after Harry and Aurors that arrived late.
"I'm Luna Lovegood, it's nice to make your acquaintance, '' Luna replied while they walked.
Hermione expected a whole conversation with the younger girl but Luna was weirdly quiet… maybe she was assessing her after such an abrupt and probably painful entrance.
They arrived at the entrance and the bronze eagle knocker gave them a new riddle. Luna answered correctly right away before Hermione tried to answer and left the older witch in the doorway.
Hermione sighed. Nothing was going the way she hoped today was it?
Having enough grief and moping for one day, she hiked up to the dorms and got ready for bed and her first day of second year.
It rained on the first day of classes at Hogwarts and normally the weather wouldn't dictate on how her mood was going to be for the day but Hermione took it as an early sign of what was coming.
She got up and jumped into the washroom first, ensuring to get her morning routine out of the way before the other girls awoke as she needed the extra time to tame her wild tresses. The moisture in the air was making it super frizzy.
She knew a spell that would help her with it but she was sure that a 12 year old would not be able to pull it off so she was forced to deal with it the old fashioned way for now.
On days like this she would attempt to gather it into a manageable bun like formation and hold it together with one of her hair sticks and on occasion her wand.
Once she was dressed and satchel packed for the day, Hermione headed down… she would normally go to class early and read further ahead then the rest of the class but that wouldn't do on the first day and she didn't want everyone else to think she was that eager and lead them on that she was… particular…? She wasn't even sure how to describe herself anymore.
Deciding to head for an super early breakfast she found herself with maybe 15 other students that were hanging around, talking and snacking.
At the Ravenclaw table she found Mandy reading her second year book of spells and sipping tea.
Hermione looked back and sat next to the girl.
"I thought I was the first one awake?" she greeted
"I got up while you were showering, nice updo, I can understand why you took the time to tame it, I used the other washroom and made my way down not long ago." she answered cheerfully.
Hermione conjured up a tea and croissant to begin with before pulling out her tome of charms from her bag, Ravenclaw had it first period.
"That's your favorite subject so far huh?" asked Mandy curiously.
"...yeah I thought it would be transfiguration or potions but there's something 'magical' about charms and the types of spells we can cast" replied Hermione hoping she used the term quirky.
Mandy giggled while getting the joke.
Suddenly Theodore Nott walked up to them from the Slytherin table and Hermione quirked an eyebrow.
"Granger… Pansy wanted me to give you this" he drawled looking annoyed as to being used as a messenger..
Well this was different, since when did the girls get one of the boys to become their in-between.
Deciding to question it later, Hermione accepted the note and Theo scurried out of the hall, probably headed for class or other.
Unfurrying the note.
"Hermione,
I am so sorry about my stupid parents… I mean I had reservations at first when I found out about how you aren't from a traditional wizarding family…but after getting to know you I've come to realize that blood-status doesn't determine how good or bad of a witch you can be, because you are frickin brilliant in comparison to pretty much our entire year… I am writing this as I hope you don't think that I don't want to be friends still I do but it will have to be under the radar from here on out and I wanted to warn you that I will be mean to you in public as keeping the status quo and that I probably won't be the only Slytherin that will have to turn against you this year… after others made friends with other muggleborns, I heard that other families are furious and wanting to complain to the school board of how many lower class students they accepted this year…I wont bore you with the politics of my parents generation but needless to say things are going to change…. Theo seems to think otherwise regarding his parents and chooses to keep who he's made friends with regardless of blood status so I may need to use him in future, by the way he hates that fact so do be kinder to him as he is now my in-between.
Pans"
Hermione sighed, at least she kept a friend in reality but knowing that the Slytherins were going to be as she knew them from her time was a bit disappointing to see many couldn't decide for themselves against their parents wishes.
The whole situation with the Chambers of Secrets was going to be too much trouble for her… that she contemplated making a very hard choice in changing major events for the betterment of everyone or so she hoped.
Hermione bid Mandy goodbye and headed to charms.
A/N: 😥🐍🔮🙏 just an introduction into a new school year and all the possibilities of how different Hermione's second life will end up :P