Hogwarts: A History (Hermione's Version)

Chapter 11

June 1992

The rest of their first year flew by quicker than anyone had expected. Hermione had practically taken a vow of silence when it came to Draco and Harry. She avoided going to either manor during Easter break and refused to come out from her room when they would go and try to see her. Everyone was on edge, the parents of the young children included. It wasn't until a family dinner that she had been guilted into attending that the young witch finally broke into tears after the constant prodding from the two young wizards.

"You don't get it," Hermione cried dropping her bite of dessert before throwing her head into her hands. "You'll never understand."

"Mi I-"

"Draco," Narcissa said sternly shaking her hand at him.

"It's alright kitten," Sirius said gently, rubbing her back tenderly as her body shuddered from her cries. "We aren't mad at you, no one is upset. I'm sure you won't get detention again."

"It's ok love," Remus soothed.

"I have to show them," she cried. "I have to prove I belong."

"Of course, you belong!" Draco snapped and Theo and Harry nodded eagerly. No one liked it when Hermione cried. Draco felt like a little piece of him would break every time he saw her tears. He would do anything to never have to see her cry.

"That's not what everyone says," she shook her head, looking up at them through her tear-filled eyes.

"Mi..." Harry started to say but she shook her head.

"Do you know what people say? I know that Draco and Theo and Pansy try to stop me from hearing it but I still do," Hermione continued, tears falling down her face. "I know they say that I'm unwanted. That's why I keep getting passed from family to family. They say that my blood is dirty and I'm not a witch. I heard someone just the other day claim that I stole my magic from Sirius. You will never understand what that feels like."

"But I do," Lily said, smiling sadly at her as Remus wiped her tears gently. His heart broke for his daughter as he listened to her. He knew children could be cruel and he knew that she would have it harder than most students, but it didn't lessen the blow as he listened to her. "You're right... they can never understand. Being muggleborn witches like you and I... we have to prove our worth every step of the way. We have to be smarter, more powerful, and always prepared. We have to read ahead and be ready for anything that they throw at us because they are just waiting for us to fail.
"I know what they say can be hurtful and cruel but you Hermione Black, you belong there just as much as they do. You are a beautiful, strong, and courageous witch and I'm willing to bet you could win against any of them. I know it doesn't feel like it and that none of your friends can really understand what you are going through but I promise you, you are never alone."

After that night, Draco and Harry stopped teasing her about her incessant studying and her need to read ahead of everyone. If they heard other classmates saying anything disparaging about Hermione and her studies, they immediately put a stop to it, no questions asked. It took time but after weeks of diligently sitting silently in the library with Hermione, the three began to speak again like they used to. Their collective friends all sighed in relief at the smiles on their faces. Even a few professors were relieved that the trio was friends again.

The rest of the school year flew by quickly after that. Hermione of course excelled in her exams and because of her devout devotion to the library and revision schedule, most of her friends did even better than expected. The final feast came and Gryffindor won the house cup, Draco vowing that the next year Slytherin would win both the house cup and Quidditch cup.