Chapter 1: September
Monday, September 1, 1997Dear Daddy Long Legs ---
I'm back to Hogwarts again, summer was fantastic, I really loved the Academy. I suppose, since another year is starting, I should reiterate exactly how much your generosity means to me. When my folks died, and that phony social worker left us with nothing, I thought I would have to run off into the world and earn enough to give Cassandra a chance at Hogwarts. I suppose I could have asked Harry, but in some ways being beholden to a stranger is easier. I never have to look you in the eyes and know I owe you everything.
Thank you for the fresh diary, last year's was getting quite full. I'll write every day, but it's NEWTs year, so I'll be busy, so some of my entries wont be very thrilling.
I know you know all of this, but I'm really excited for Cassandra, starting second year is almost more thrilling than first year in some ways, you have all your friends, and you have exam scores to live up to or beat. Of course, my second year I got turned to stone while my friends killed a basilisk, I hope she doesn't have a year like that.
I think I'll talk more about the Academy tomorrow, I have tons of reading to finish before tomorrow, and transfiguration mediations, and of course Head Girl Duties. I almost thought about passing up the Head Girl badge, it usually means a huge amount of extra work and invariably grades drop, I figure I'll still get my 11 NEWTs because I did so much last year thought.
Hall patrol, then bed. I wonder if you've read Daddy Long Legs yet?
--Your Seventh Year, Head Girl, Orphan, Hermione Jane Granger
Wednesday, September 3Second day of classes now, turned in a huge quantity of NEWT papers yesterday. I thus proclaim: History of Magic, Muggle Studies, Herbology, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, and Ancient Runes independent research done. That means I can simply sit in class with books like a sponge. I don't have to be creative now. I think Ancient Runes and Herbology might be worth publishing, I'll let you know how it goes. I could see working with Runes again, but the rest are just sort of knowledge that's good to have, but I never intend to use practically, maybe that's why I found them easier than the subjects I really cared about.
I'm really excited about my Herbology essay, mandrakes that don't have a cry, grow faster, and don't taste wretched, I decided to name them Galateas, it's my pet name for Cassandra, and besides, since I invented them I can call them whatever I want. Sometimes I think I shouldn't have decided to take eleven NEWT tests, but now that I got a lot of the easier projects out of the way it seems silly not to finish up the ones I'm more interested in. Six down five to go: Potions, Arithmancy, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Charms. Aren't I crazy.
The Youth Academy of Magic certainly gave me a new appreciation of teaching, kids, and magic this summer. I spend most of the summer tutoring some of the less accomplished students. I certainly have a soft spot for hard luck cases, you know all about Neville and S.P.E.W. and such. It made me wonder though, muggle students never go to Academies, but get good enough grades anyway. Is it because muggles try harder?
I hope you aren't offended, I have guessed you are a pureblood, because you sent me to teach at the Academy at it's really mostly for pure bloods, but it seems that muggles are just more inventive about things sometimes. Maybe that's just my very muggle view of things though. Maybe I could be a teacher, I wish you sent me more than the occasional gift, sometimes I girl could really use a sounding board for ideas about her future. Maybe I'll talk to Professor McGonagall about teaching later, I could be a great teacher, all I would have to do is pick a specialty, that would be the hardest I think. I would love to go to magical university, but they just don't exist, maybe they should, maybe I should make one?
Saturday, September 6Pardon my language but, bugger Quidditch. I know Ron and Harry love it, I know it's important to them, but they want to be Aurors, not professional Quidditch players, so you'd think they would be able to muster some effort in order to even come up with topics for their NEWT research. I know I'm an over achiever, I know NEWT topics aren't even due until the end of the month, but I have agonized over mine for over a year, and finished six, and Ron and Harry are just going to shoot something off in between Quidditch practice and hope they get a Pass'. I'm surrounded by smart, yet lazy, underachievers. Do you think I'd get an Outstanding NEWT in Defense Against the Dark Arts if I helped bring down You-Know-Who?
I know it's no laughing matter, and the truth is I'm worried sick about the whole thing, there is a prophecy out there, and Harry and Voldemort are going to meet, and one of them is going to kill the other, and if Harry can't do it, maybe the power to defeat him will be gone forever, that's scary stuff for kids to think about. I'm not of age yet, Harry and Ron are, of course, but here we sit, on the cusp of adulthood, and I'm worried about dying, we're all worried about dying. Maybe I should lighten up about NEWTs, of course, when we do win, we'll have to build a future, and I suppose I've always believed that futures were built on NEWTs, or at least the future is built on knowledge.
Being Head Girl hasn't been a ton of work yet, I had to deal with quite a few first years who were terribly homesick, but I think I managed to nip that in the bud. I hate to admit it, but Draco makes an alright Head Boy, he doesn't call me mudblood any more and he's almost civil, I think having his father in Azkaban was good for his independence. He's not a good guy, and he's not a softy, he's just not a git. I think, deep down inside, he doesn't want to pick a side, he just wants to be a kid, I don't blame him, in many ways a side chose me.
Monday, September 8I just got my first note ever from you and it says Have September 20th free, plan to bring your friend Miss Weasley', you know, you're not very good at the communication thing. I have sent you a dozen questions, never having received a single answer, I've never even had a single word from you, they've always come through the headmaster, I suppose I should be happy. Please write again, I'm always wondering about you, are my guesses right? Are they wrong? I suppose before now, you have always communicated in gifts, I still have every one you gave me, although my favorite is still my sixteenth birthday gift, the charm bracelet, I wear it every day, even if I never mention that. It's most dear to me because it was the first sign you cared at all. The books are always nice, the dress was gorgeous, but I'll have my silver charm bracelet forever. I guess I'm not going to see you, since I'm bringing Ginny, I would very much like to meet you in person someday.
Friday, September 12Ginny can come, I forgot to mention that the last few days. I had potions today, I can't even begin to describe how much more interesting NEWT level potions is than regular level. Most of the Slytherins (except for Draco) had to drop out because their grades weren't good enough, and just because Professor Snape can be horribly biased when it comes to Slytherin house doesn't mean that he let substandard students into his higher level class. We're working on Polyjuice Potion now in class, but I'm not too worried about it, I made it once my second year, so I don't have to follow along too closely.
That really is a funny story, we had a lot of problems my second year (including the fact that I missed over ten weeks of school), there were attacks against students and a few muggle-born students were turned to stone. We knew that the Heir of Slytherin was somewhere in the school, and that they were the one who was setting the monster on the students, so Harry, Ron, and I wanted to know who it was. Our plan, was to take Polyjuice Potion and sneak into Slytherin and see if Draco Malfoy was the Heir, we just sort of figured he had to be, of course, we were wrong. I accidentally used cat hair in my potion and so I ended up with pointy ears and a tail and covered in fur for two months, that was a disaster.
It turns out the Heir of Slytherin was Ginny Weasley, possessed by You-Know-Who, Harry ended up killing the monster in the Chamber of Secrets and stopping You-Know-Who, I was in the hospital wing the whole time, four weeks earlier I had been turned to stone by the basilisk, I was de-petrified the same day as Harry killed the monster.
Now that I think about it, that was the same year that Professor Lockhart taught Defense Against the Dark Arts. I had a huge crush on him, I think I have a soft spot for men who call me smart. Not bookish, or know-it-all, but smart, brilliant even, it feels nice to have your brain recognized.
I think I might be able to finish a couple more NEWT papers soon, that would be lovely.
Sunday, September 14Working extra hard so that I can be ahead of schedule for next weekend. I've also been helping Ginny, so that she can be all caught up too, she has the extra load of Quidditch practice too, at least she's sensible about it and always gets all her work done with plenty of time to spare, unlike two wannabe Aurors I know.
Lots of Head Girl stuff lately, homesickness mostly, also a love-sick sixth year. One of the Slytherin third years came to talk to me about feeling pressured to join with Y-K-W, which is just sickening, I know they aren't all bad, the Slytherins, but sometimes I worry about it. There is so much pressure right now, and a lot of kids are of the opinion that life would be so much better if we didn't have a Slytherin house and we didn't let in Slytherin kids, but that's just as bad as excluding mudbloods' anyway. I suppose you can be in Slytherin, if you came to Hogwarts, that would be alright, I would defend you from anyone who said that Slytherins can't be helpful and generous. Of course, you might not be a Slytherin at all, or never have even gone to Hogwarts.
Tuesday, September 16I really love Arithmancy, I really do, but all of the published materials and all of the theses and new theories in it are just so dry. I love practicing Arithmancy, I love using it as a tool, but I really don't think that my career is in Arithmancy. You might not think that's a huge deal, but for me trimming down options is very difficult. When I was in my third year, I took every class that was offered, even though you can't do that in a normal schedule, I had a time-turner for a whole year and I used it to go to all of my classes. I ended up dropping Divination, because I really didn't like the teacher or the material (sorry if you love Divination, but our teacher is a right old fraud), towards Easter time. I also ended up dropping Muggle Studies at the end of the year, although that's not keeping me from taking my NEWT in it, I just decided that it wasn't worth it to take the class and there were so many more interesting subjects that I could keep on.
I think I always knew I did not want a career in Care of Magical Creatures, I'm great at it, but there is no knack and no passion there, Runes are useful, but it really seems too secondary, and I already decided Herbology is another useful tool, but not a career. So I'm narrowing it all down, but I'm still nowhere close to a career. I suppose I could just go work for the Ministry, but that seems so limiting, I don't want to work a boring repetitive job with them, maybe I could do research.
I think what I would really like to do is go to University, but we don't have universities.
Wednesday, September 17
I don't feel almost seventeen. My birthday is only two days away, I'm two days from being considered a grown up by wizarding standards. I look in the mirror and I see a child, I look at my room and see a child's room, I'm Head Girl, but I still see this awkward girl riding to her first day of Hogwarts.
I think I'm going to box up a lot of my room, most of the animals, and a lot of the clothes, and some of my older books and put them away. It's time for Hermione Granger to shed a lot of what makes her a child.
Friday, September 19I love the painting! You're the best anonymous benefactor I can imagine. I asked Cassandra, because she's a little more knowledgeable about such things, and she could not recognize the artist. Was it you? I don't care right now if it was or not, but for now I will pretend that you painted it for me. I'm having my apparation test on monday, so that's another important step into self sufficiency and adulthood. Ginny got me a book about how to snag guys and channel my inner-goddess' I would be offended if I didn't feel that I so desperately need it sometimes.
Harry got me a guide for how to publish research papers, he can be so sweet sometimes. Ron got me really glorious chocolates, much better than the time he got me some wonky smelling perfume. I'm worried he's going to ask me out, how do you tell someone you can't date them because it would be like snogging your brother, who you always fight with, and plays too much Quidditch, and hates books. I like Ron alright, I just don't think he realizes he drives me completely bonkers.
The Headmaster asked to speak with me today, I had no idea what I could have done wrong, but there he was, with a letter from you, he actually let me read the letter. A make-over? At first I was very offended, it's one thing for my friends to tell me my hair looks a mess and I'm dressed in a baggy T-shirt, it's another coming from someone who you've never even met. But then I realized, you are giving me exactly what I asked for, a new me, new clothes, new hair, maybe a new book too? You see how awful I am, even when I'm thinking about dressing up I'm worried about reading too. Maybe the hairstylist can make my hair into something pretty and practical? We'll know tomorrow.
Saturday, September 20I didn't get home until very late tonight, you should see my hair, it's wonderful, I have a whole new wardrobe, and far too much makeup. I'm not wearing much of it, Ginny says makeup is for special occasions and any more than that makes you look like a tart, I'll keep that in mind. I think you were totally correct in making me bring Ginny, I think she has an entirely successful career in fashion ahead of her is she wants it. I have curls! Real, touchable curls, all down my back. You made me look great, every guy in Hogsmeade and the entire Gryffindor common room was staring at me.
I even got a compliment from Professors Flitwick, McGonagall, and Dumbledore. Professor Snape looked at me funny, but I'm not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I suppose if he didn't criticize me for trying too hard or looking like a tart it couldn't have been all bad. In Potions yesterday he gave me back a paper graded Pass', I don't know how he's marking my papers, but they certainly aren't based on the rubric for NEWT grading, that man is insufferable, he makes me work for everything, and then, once I've succeeded, my reward is not losing points for Gryffindor. I swear if I got 5 points from him, ever, I would simply die of shock.
Well, I just simply couldn't feel ugly today, I would send you a picture if I had any idea how to get it to you. Thank you again, yesterday I felt seventeen, today I feel like a real grown up, beautiful, desirable woman. It was the best birthday present ever.
Wednesday, September 24
NEWT topics are due in less than a week, and so what happens late yesterday night? Ron and Harry only have half of their topics picked, and half of those aren't even well put together. I know what I'll be doing for the next six days. Our first problem is to tackle the potions NEWT, Ron and Harry both managed O's on their Potions OWLs, so they were allowed in the class, which is good, because they need a good NEWT grade if they want to be Aurors. More surprising is Neville being in class, he also got an O', I guess I had no idea how good he was when he isn't scared of Professor Snape.
I know everyone was really surprised, of course Neville asked me for help last year, he wanted to have all summer to work on research. He's really great at Herbology so he's working on a combined topic, I think he really wants to be a medwizard. Potions is a must for that, a recommendation from Professor Snape would help, but somehow I don't think that's going to happen.
Potions is really one of my weaker subjects, it's hard to find the motivation, but Harry and Ron have no imagination for potions research. At least they're only taking five NEWTs, and I suppose their Defense Against the Dark Arts topics are alright. Maybe I should have let them suffer for a day or two, thinking I wouldn't help, of course that would just mean more work when I eventually caved in to help. I'm hopeless, I have to help the helpless. But I suppose I'm lucky that you help the helpless sometimes too, sir.
Friday, September 26We'll be finishing up Polyjuice next week, that's exciting, in the meantime we're working on entirely different camouflaging potions, it's sort of a exploration into the many uses of boomslang skin. I've been thinking about doing some more in-depth exploration on ingredient preparation, just on the side.
For my NEWT paper I'm going to use some muggle science to try to diagnose the cause of lycanthropy, I have a friend who is a werewolf, he's been very helpful in providing blood samples and things, I suppose eventually if I find something, and it's safe to drink, he'll help me with tests. No progress yet, lots of dead ends. I have also been helping Professor Snape with decreasing the side effects of Wolfsbane Potion. I suppose I'm juggling two Potions NEWTs papers, it will just be a matter of which one is more productive.
Transfiguration has also been lovely. My research into metamorphmagi goes very slowly, although the book you sent early last year has been helpful, I think I will have to do more interviews with Professor Tonks, or look at that from a genetic standpoint as well. Listen to be ramble I sound like a muggle. Up until last year, I had spent my summer doing research into muggle sciences, when I was little, I always wanted to be a teacher or a doctor, and I suppose the doctor bit could still come to pass, but I suppose a healer would be more appropriate with my skill set. So I have a terribly vague understanding of genetics, so analyzing metamorphmagi that way would be relatively hopeless for me.
I'm still working on my animagus training as well, Professor McGonagall figures I may be able to start trying to transform next month. Wish me luck and hope I'm not an otter.
Saturday, September 27My patronus is an otter, I suppose that makes my last entry make more sense, doesn't it?
Monday, September 29Harry and Ron have turned in their NEWT topics, I am so relieved. I'm almost done with my Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Arithmancy papers, I'm just waiting for practical results for my experiments. Can't tell you what they are though, they're all secret.