1st Year

"SLYTHERIN!"

No one was more stunned than Hermione herself when the sorting hat shouted the house she would be living for the next 7 years. There was no shout of applause or happy cheers as the little bushy haired muggle born was sorted. Silence greeted the small girl as the hat was lifted, cackling, from her head and she slid from the stool.

Lifting her chin proudly Hermione practically felt her skin harden as she made her way to an open spot on the end of the Slytherin table a few safe feet from the closest student. The glares she could feel but the little girl ignored them and instead looked towards the front.

Her eyes settled on one Professor McGonagall who was staring at the girl with a shocked and slightly disturbed look in her eye. This hurt more than anything as Hermione had taken an instant shine to the elder woman the moment the group of first years had first encountered her. The shine dulled instantly and Hermione narrowed her eyes steeling herself as she turned back to the table and ignored the rest of the sorting.

"A mudblood in Slytherin?" The whispers started the moment the food had appeared.

"Unheard of. She's a magic thief, must have enchanted the hat some how." Another voice spoke a little louder.

"Don't be an idiot, that hate is ancient and a power all its own, no way that mudblood could have that much power." A third voice said with no intention of being quiet.

Hermione simply stare at her food as she ate, the words hurt her but she refused to give her peers the satisfaction of seeing the affect the words had on her. Instead the small girl ate automatically as she inwardly formulated her own plan. Mudblood? I'll show them power... She thought to herself with determination.

2nd Year

"Enemies of the heir beware?" Draco turned and glared nastily at the bushy haired brunette.

"You'll be next mudblood." He spat at her and she simply sniffed.

Without a word the Hermione drew her wand and before anyone could react she silently cast a jelly-legs jinx on the platinum moron before her before walking off back to the dungeons.

No one spoke to her as she moved by them staring a little shocked at her small display of power, a wordless spell was something not many could do, certainly no one younger than a 6th year. Hermione ignore the dozens of eyes watching her as she moved past and promptly made her way down to the dungeons.

She sat herself in her usual quiet dark corner and pulled out book she had been studying. Being the only muggle born ever in Slytherin allotted the brunette an immense amount of free time. After all, Slytherin hated her for her blood status and the rest of the school hated her for being a Slytherin. So Hermione spent her considerable free time with her nose in a book.

3rd Year

During third year Hermione spent a lot of her time in the towers of Hogwarts alone as she practised spells well beyond her age. After over hearing a conversation one night between Professor Lupin and Harry Potter-Black about Dementors and the Patronus charm the young brunette found all she could on the charm before practising the spell.

She was up on the highest tower around midnight practising the Patronus charm when it happened the first time. Hermione had just managed to cast a full bodied Patronus when she was interrupted by a clearing throat. Hermione moved her gaze from the silver misty fox to the emerald gaze that was both very impressed and extremely disappointed at the same time.

"Miss Granger, you are aware it is after curfew?" Professor McGonagall's tone was purely condescending.

"Of course Professor, that's why I'm up here in the hopes I wouldn't get caught." Hermione retorts allowing herself to be annoyed by the older woman's tone.

"50 points from Slytherin for your tone and Detention for a week with Professor Snape for being out after curfew." Professor McGonagall barked anger flashing at Hermione's apparent insolence.

"You're deducting points because I answered your question? Weak." Hermione voiced her opinion angrily and the Deputy Heads eyes flared with anger.

"Would you like me to make that a hundred points?" Professor McGonagall practically snarled at the teen.

Never in all her years had a student infuriated her so easily and Hermione Granger had. Though this was the first confrontation the pair had had Hermione had often time openly question the way Minerva taught her classes. There was no disputing that Hermione was a great student, she was smart and focused and she quickly caught onto what she was supposed to be doing.

"You assume I care about house points Professor, that would require me to give a flying rats ass about my house." Hermione sniffed with a casual shrug that only served to infuriate the older woman.

"Language Miss Granger. Come with me, I'll be taking you back to the dungeons." Professor McGonagall clenched her fists within her sleeves.

"Thanks but I know how to get back myself. Later." Hermione stated flatly before stepping passed the furious and shocked Deputy.

4th Year

Hermione remained entirely impassive regarding the whole Tri-wizard thing though it had piqued her curiosity, mostly the Durmstang students and their views on the dark arts. The brunette had no real desire to learn the dark arts but her penchant for learning drove her learn all she could about all aspects of magic that were presented to her.

Professor Moody, who had replaced Remus once it got about that the previous years DADA Professor was in fact a werewolf, was an eccentric and paranoid Auror turned Professor. The perks were his lack of fear in teaching the students things specifically left out of the school syllabus on the whole, thus Unforgivable Curses and other prolific dark spells and curses.

Hermione had spent a lot of time sneaking into the Restricted Section that year, after curfew of course, where she soaked up a great number of dark things though she had no intention of using the things she learned, at least not unless she had too.

It was in the library that she had been cornered by one Viktor Krum who had rather nervously stumbled over asking her to the approaching Yule Ball. Hermione herself was not very interested in the event, after all it was a place for friends and dates to mingle and enjoy themselves. Hermione had no friends and was a little stunned to learn the Bulgarian seeker fancied her, it was that flattering revelation that prompted her to say yes.

Though Hermione herself was not in the least bit interested in Krum on a romantic level, or any male for that matter, she found herself gently pressed to a wall outside in the cold air by the built Bulgarian champion who was rather sloppily attempting to devour her face. At least it seemed like that o Hermione and, though unbeknownst to the teens, looked that way to one Minerva McGonagall.

"Miss Granger Mr Krum, as it is after curfew all students must remain in the castle. Back inside please." The Transfiguration Professor interrupted.

"I didn't take you for one to sneak off with a boy Miss Granger." Professor McGonagall couldn't quite understand why she suddenly felt the need to goad the girl.

"I'm full of surprises Professor, I mean its not like anyone has ever attempted to get to know me." Hermione retorts with a challenging tilt to her head.

"More self pity Miss Granger? Isn't that beneath a Slytherin?" McGonagall inquired snidely and could see Hermione's jaw clench.

"No self pity, just stating the blatantly obvious Professor... Or at least I thought it was obvious, perhaps you need to new glasses." Hermione smiled sweetly though her words were anything but.

"Hermione..." Viktor's soft plea fell on deaf ears as he was cut up by the Professors cutting tone.

"20 Points from Slytherin." Minerva snapped.

"20 Points? You wound me Professor... I thought we went over this last year." Hermione huffed dramatically before making a small noise and without further words to either Viktor or Minerva she went inside leaving the two out in the cold staring after her.

5th Year

Hermione was sitting in the Great hall on a Hogsmead weekend reading a book she had picked up from the magical village just that morning. The book, titled Animagus, the advanced guide was exactly what Hermione had been after. It was approaching time for her to take her OWLS and she had already studied and then studied again for the approaching tests, she needed something fun and Transfiguration had always interested her.

The teen had spent the majority of the afternoon and dinner time reading the book and was done sooner after the meal was over. Earlier that year Hermione had discovered a secret and so she headed up the seventh floor and upon deciding that she was ample privacy she began to pace back and forth as she silently asked for a place to practise spells.

Moments later a door appeared in the wall and the brunette grinned stepping. Outwardly the door vanished once she was through it and Hermione smiled seeing a large open room with mirrors all down one wall, two walls were bare stone and the fourth was adorned with a large fireplace. Around the fire were two large over stuffed chairs.

Hermione sat and pulled her book, shrunken and placed in her pocket, and opened it rereading the initially required incantation and studying the pictured wand movements After a few minutes she took a deep breath and emptying her mind of everything, including the listed dangers of performing the spell alone, she focused on her inner self.

Feeling her inner animal begin to surface Hermione with drew her wand and listened to the little voice in her head as she began the incantation that would draw her animal to the fore. It was a slow spell, the strokes required a slow sweep of the arm and the incantation itself was long but once it was done Hermione felt a lurch.

Landing on her knees and hands the intelligent brunette felt something pushing at the edges of her own mind and as the feeling seemed to break in another one swelling from the center of her chest pushed out. Flawlessly the 5th year student shifted, embracing her inner animal, looking up at the mirror wall Hermione gazed at a small silver fox.

Meanwhile Professor McGonagall was in the Headmasters office sipping a tumbler of fire whiskey as she glared at her long time friend who regarded her warily as if he was waiting for her to blow up. She did not, instead she calmly stood and refilled her tumbler after draining it and then returned to her seat.

"This is silly Albus, I don't want your job, I like the job I have." Minerva sniffs after a moments more silence.

"Of course Min, but I really want to retire and you are the only one I trust to take over as Head of Hogwarts." Albus explains smiling.

"Well of course you are, you're old and you would rather spend your time reading and eating those god awful Lemon drops." Minerva huffs out rolling her eyes.

"Naturally. So go on Tabby, say yes... you wont be taking over until the beginning of the year following next." Albus encourages fondly.

Minerva glares at the silver haired man for a long while before huffing and draining her tumbler again. This time when she gets up its to set her glass on the desk and move towards the office door. Stopping she turns back and glares at the headmaster for a moment before her eyes soften with mischief.

"I suppose the Heads quarters are larger than my own." Is all she says before slipping from the office and Albus chuckles at his friends round about acceptance.

6th Year

Needless to say, since Hogwarts was the worst place for secrets, by the time 6th year started for Hermione she and the rest of the school had heard of the Headmasters impending retirement. There was speculation on who would be taking over but Hermione had her suspicions, suspicions that were confirmed later in the year when she over heard a conversation held by Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster himself. A sly little fox was in a dark alcove as the duo passed while Minerva joked about redecorating the Heads office in a few months.

Several days later Hermione was handing in her essay to the Transfiguration Professor after class and was about to turn and leave when the Professor let out an aggravated growl. Hermione perhaps would not have heard the growl were it not for becoming an animagus the previous year, Minerva may have questioned the increased hearing were she not so thoroughly annoyed.

Deep down Hermione knew she should just continue on her way and ignore the Professors apparently frustration but she simply couldn't seem to stop herself from goading the older woman, there was just something about the look she got when she was furious. Turning back to the Deputy Head Hermione lifted a brow.

"Problem Professor?" she inquired in a purposely bored tone.

"Why is it Miss Granger that you insist on handing in these long winded essays? Do you assume I simply have no life." The question was rhetorical and really Professor McGonagall should have realised Hermione would focus on it regardless.

"Well yeah I kind of did." Hermione replied snidely and the anger flashed in Minerva's emerald eyes.

"Of course well id ask you to stop. The work is marvellous but I set a minimum of 12 inches because I like to relax at the end of the night not stay up reading a single essay until I pass out at my desk." Minerva huffs out her tone clearly aggravated.

"But professor I just adore transfiguration so much, I get carried away." Hermione clutched her chest as she spoke in a dramatised tone before sobering and adding. "Besides it will help you get used to late nights filling out all that correspondence that comes with being Head of Hogwarts."

"How did you come to the conclusion I was to be Head?" Minerva asked distracted by the girls words.

"Deductive reasoning. You are Deputy Head after all. Oh and I'm sure the McGonagall tartan incorporated into the Heads quarters would look great!" Hermione knew she was playing with fire but she couldn't seem to help herself, she got an odd thrill seeing that exact fire in the Scots eyes.

"You've been out after curfew again!" Minerva accused annoyed at the girl.

"Prove it." Hermione grinned deviously at the professor who grit her teeth.

"You alone would send me to an early grave." Minerva snarked and Hermione laughed.

"You're well past the possibility of it being an 'early' grave." Hermione chuckled and the fire flashed again.

"How dare you!" The professor gasped angrily.

"How dare I? I simply think it and then... say it." Hermione laughed and leaving a yet again furious and shocked Minerva behind she practically bounced from the classroom.

7th Year

Hermione was sitting in the courtyard outside the great hall when the ever arrogant Draco walked passed going on yet again about his precious blood status. Hermione made a soft amused sound as Draco listed him bloodlines to some 3rd year girl who was fawning over him. Draco seemed to hear and turned on her at once.

"This is a Mudblood, filth who some how managed to trick her way into Slytherin." Draco explained to the girl as if Hermione as some museum exhibit.

"And this is a ferret, somehow he managed to trick his way into human skin." Hermione retorted mildly not looking up from her book as she gestured in Draco's direction.

"Incendio!" Hermione pushed the book from her lap and leaped to her feet looking at the burning before looking at Draco who had his wand out and smug look on his face.

With a snarl of her the young animagus wandlessly disarmed the blonde git before her and pointed his own wand at him once it had landed in her hand. She stepped closer and he stumbled back fear on his face as he stared at the wand. Surrounding students laughed at Draco but Hermione ignored them.

"That was my book, ferret. I think you should pay for it." Hermione said calmly though her chocolate eyes flashed angrily.

With the flick of the wand in her hand, before Draco could speak, she cast a Levicorpus on the blonde and he was lifted into the air by his ankle. She raised the wand up and down a few times and a couple of gold galleons fell from his pockets. The students were laughing out right now and Hermione was about to stoop and pick up the coins when a sharp voice broke through the laughter.

Instantly the court yard became silent and Hermione calmly turned to the Headmistress who was now stopped a few feet away glaring at the brunette. She barked out for Hermione to release Draco and with a huff and a flick of the wand Draco dropped to the ground and scrambled to his feet as Hermione threw the wand at him. There was a moment as both students waited for the Headmistress to speak again.

"Mister Malfoy you will be serving detention for burning Miss Granger's book, you will also replace what ever it was she was reading. Miss Granger, my office now."