"Witches don't exist. If you bother my daughter again with this scam we will take you to court!" Mrs Granger was not having it with Professor Mcgonagall's added explanation of magical education alongside Hermione's Hogwarts letter, and the few floating teacup tricks she had done had not particularly amazed either of the Grangers, who had seen those sort of tricks before at kids magician shows.

Mr Granger glowered at Professor Mcgonagall with beady eyes from the armchair in which he sat. He did not want to put down money for an education in unofficial subjects at an unofficial school, located in a place authorities couldn't reach, and whose only excuse in targeting his daughter was the reason of 'magic', something that was impossible to really prove in his opinion.

"All Hogwarts graduates will be given a certificate which is confounded so non-magical people will believe it is an official school, but not one they remember the name in particular for, and they will be quite alright if they do decide to go back to the muggle world for further education. Our NEWTs also correspond to many final school exams around the world, the Department of Education in the Ministry overseas all of that, and we will issue a confounded application form for any muggle institution if our graduates want to return to the muggle world. Hermione isn't the first muggle-born and we have well thought out systems in place to help others in her position," Professor Mcgonagall was very much so in favour of Hermione attending.

"We can't check if it's confounded right-" Mrs Granger was holding back laughter as she turned to Mr Granger. The entire idea was absolutely ridiculous to them at first and the only reason why it had lasted this long was because Hermione was oddly compliant with it. She had not made fun of the idea of magic or Hogwarts and she had gone on long precocious speals about various fake things in the world already by this age, and their young prodigious daughter had even made comments that a change of school may even be pleasant, give her an opportunity to start afresh in life, though she had not directly commented on the magical part of the school yet that they kept thinking there was some other admission criteria - one that made more sense to them - and had allowed Professor Mcgonagall entrance into their house and continue the charade for as long as she had.

"I'll go," said Hermione, "I can homeschool the entire year's worth of muggle school for the holidays. I can handle the workload, and this education in other topics may even help me. It will also save a full seven year's worth of tuition from St Madeline's."

Although she had seemed enthusiastic to begin at the renowned co-ed St Madeline's boarding school next year, buried deep within and unbeknownst to most was a reluctance to spend 7 more years of her life with much of the same 'friends', classmates, whatever you called them from Gardener Prep.

When she first set foot in that school's gorgeous marble halls and intricate gardens, it was without a doubt that the world shall be hers one day for the taking. Already a rising starlet in the sleepy streets of England, Hermione was one of the buds with the most potential to bloom in the otherwise quiet but a little quaint torn of her childhood. The envy and admiration already present in her peers' eyes should've grown more as she journeyed through the years of her life, with the advantages of her intellect that she already had.

However, there was a hierarchy in that school. Uncrackable, but it was already there. The winners were the popular and pretty girls, an impenetrable clique, the grade seemed to revolve around them, backstabbing, lies and deceit unbeknownst to the adults barricaded entrance to the clique, and Hermione found herself quickly labelled as a target, someone to pick on, further pushing her deep deep down, away from the light of entrance to the clique.

Years of bullying later (and trying to appear like she somewhat had friends at school in front of all the adults), Hermione was not at all happy about the possibility of keeping up the act, trying to break into the clique again and again, as she would inevitably find herself having to do if she followed the majority of her classmates to St Madeline's, an expensive boarding school considered even more prestigious than Gardener Prep, which meant all the cliques and political games would only intensify even more there...

Although Hermione had managed to have one or two friends, keep up appearances, she had grown forlorn of playing the same games again, trying to move up, especially as one or two of the clique leaders especially disliked her and kept her under their cruel pretty little thumbs for such a long time, that the possibility of starting afresh at a new school seemed even better...

(especially as she already knew she knew magic better than most, she had guessed)

Even for a muggle-born, she was well aware of the ease at which magic already came to her.

"It is quite expensive," agreed Mr Granger. The Grangers were not the most well-of family at St Madeline's, and Hermione could feel that also being another factor in her feeling so lost, small and helpless among the bigger fish of that sea. Witches and wizards...actually sounded like a closed economy from Hermione's sense, little money going in or out which meant little fortunes made, and thus a more mellow sort of crowd...where perhaps even magic or grades could be the defining quality that set people apart.

"Well it's quite ridiculous to let a young child decide where she wants to go. But Hermione does seem to like it, and she would be getting an education during the holidays..." Mrs Granger seemed indecisive.

But this wouldn't go. Her parents would agree to it now but disagree later. They would bicker about it over dinner and by next morning they'd have phoned or found some way to contact Hogwarts and cancel her request. Hermione had seen this play out before, with her family's disagreements and deeper analysis of things. Hermione wouldn't even mind so much if it weren't for...the very real insipid sense that magic was real. She had done it all her life, felt it beneath her fingertips, in her bones...every part of her knew she was a witch and although it may be pretend for everyone else, it was real for her.

She cast a very small, but surely present, look at Professor Mcgonagall, just out of her the corner of her eye where her parents couldn't see it. Although Hermione was usually sure of herself she wasn't quite sure what she was asking for, perhaps an action, perhaps a wish? A plea? Almost like a fairy godmother ot her, Professor Mcgonagall gave the slightest tap of her wand and in the next second Hermione was sure whatever this 'confounding was', had just happened right there and then in her living room floor.

"We would love to have her go! All ways to continue her muggle education taken care of, her still getting a muggle education at home. Her being so happy at the idea of the school...it seems like a waste not to let her go-" Mrs Granger shook Professor Mcgonagall's hand happily as they stood up.

"I'll transfer the money for her school fees tonight. How fabulous," Mr Granger sounded the most jovial he had all evening.

But Professor Mcgonagall narrowed her lips. So slight she didn't even think Hermione noticed it. Most students were overall relieved they were going to Hogwarts, but a little apprehensive or scared, as it was to go to a boarding school one had never even heard of for the first time. Students who were too happy to go to Hogwarts usually had some other reason...

She cast a glance at Hermione, not quite knowing what she was looking for. Although Hermione had missed the first narrow of the Professor's lips, she sensed the teacher's probing gaze on her, strict, stern, like a teacher who had known a student was trouble and was looking for the evidence. Quickly, she plastered an innocent expression on her face and tried to fill her brain with thoughts of normalcy.

Don't let her know. Don't let her know.

Hermione had never let anybody into her life all that much really, or how much she struggled, slipped and drowned beneath the surface, trying to keep up pretences when it felt like her whole world was crashing down other times.

If anyone finds out my misery at my muggle elementary school I will be toast. I do not want my ascension up in the world to be marred by the evil that was my elementary school.

Bitterness and a sort of longing lodged deep in her throat.

I ought to have been queen or at least, somebody worth knowing at my muggle elementary school. Instead I was at the bottom of the hierarchy, the totem pole, the wolf pack, and I was made into an outcast for all my life.

That shall change at Hogwarts.

It must.

For otherwise I will have swapped one situation for another all for nothing.

With that resolve Hermione swore she would rise to the top of Hogwarts, no, not just Hogwarts, the entire wizarding world, and show everyone who ever proved her wrong or tried to unfairly sink her beneath the sea of others in the hierarchy of life wrong.

I shall make something of myself in this world.

Because I always ought to have and it was snatched away from me by cruel bullies the first time...I shall never let it stop me in my path again this time.

And with that, Hermione was going.

Author's Note: I was always really interested in pureblood Sacred 28 politics and wished the books covered more of that so this story will be diving right into it. And whilst I prefer book Hermione to the characterisation of her in this story, this is a very fun take on the character that I hope makes for a fun and interesting read. Please review, I love reading them :)