Catch-22

Hi Everyone. Ok…so I decided to rewrite my first chapter. Sorry to those of you who thought my story was good enough, and I should just get up the sixth chapter, but one of my very first readers, Anuksunamun-Kalia, gave me some very wise advice. They said if I wasn't happy and I wanted to go back and rewrite my chapters than I should put my mind at ease. I need to be happy first. J.K. Rowling, who all Harry Potter fans adore, said the SAME THING. So thank you for pointing that I need to be happy first out for me.

You should all know that I have changed some things, and I have added on some important details that will have a part later in my story, foreshowing, and some other stuff. I REALLY WANT YOU ALL TO READ AND REVIEW WHAT YOU THINK OF MY CHAPTER ONE, VERSION 2. PLEASE.

rock-dadog-bitch: I am glad you think it's good and that I should just finish the 6th chapter, but I really wanted to fix up my story. I will try to do that ASAP. Sorry that it wasn't a real chapter (notice how it didn't have a name) because I hate it when I am a reader and that happens to me.

Kleine Nixe: Thank you so so so much! I am glad you think it's original. I wanted to write a tom/mione story, but I need a reason other than it was an accident, some strange occurrence, purposely to kill, or change Tom. I will keep writing, but I am doing some rewriting first.

Quill of the Lark: I am glad you think my plot is strong, and I have tried to jazz up my words (it is really hard for me to do since I am such a boring person), but I didn't feel the need tom change too much of the first chapter. I have added stuff and changed some, but… I can't put what I want to say in words, but I really want to know what you think of the new first chapter.

Ok so read on!

Disclaimer: All Harry potter names and other stuff are JK Rowling's and Warner Bros. I do not own them in any way.

Hermione Jane Granger was an impeccable student during her days at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was well known for it. Coming from an all muggle family (she was known for that as well, but had she been just an ordinary student, like Justin Finch Fletchley, and not a close friend of "the boy-who-lived", she might not have been known at all.) it was quite a shock to discover that there was a whole world of people who could perform magic spells almost like the characters in her favorite fairy tales.

Hermione had no knowledge whatsoever about this world when an inexplicable visitor came knocking at her front door with a letter of admission to one of the most prestigious magical schools, but her seemingly unquenchable hunger, thirst, and addiction to know would absolutely forbid her from denying herself entrance. Even though learning of a magical community hidden in hers astounded her, it was oddly less shocking to discover that she had the baffling power to take part of it.

Before Hermione aged eleven years, bizarre events that couldn't be explained occurred around her or rather because of her. For instance, Hermione was not afraid of the dentist. Although that really had nothing to do with her being a witch, but really her parents being dentists themselves (it was, and still is, a rarity to find someone who actually likes dentists).

One actual strange incident happened when she was eight and in Muggle School, her teacher insulted her tiny handwriting. Hermione's old teacher frequently insulted her ever since Hermione had embarrassed her in front of the headmistress by correcting her. The teacher had said she would give Hermione no credit because it would be too difficult for her to read Hermione's writing. The teacher went up to a chalkboard that looked as though it could do with a good wash, but at the same time, looked as if a good wash would finish it off. The teacher started to cautiously and slowly write the class assignments. As she did this, an upset Hermione secretly wished for revenge, and thought about how the teacher's writing wasn't much bigger than hers. When her teacher had finished she told her students to copy down the homework assigned that day. When the students said there was nothing written on the board, she turned around to discover that her writing had vanished. She naturally assumed that at some point, Hermione had gone up to the board and erased it, even though, logically, from a muggle standpoint, there would have been no time. Hermione attempted to explain this, but her pleas fell on deaf ears and unfortunately, she was forced to copy two pages of the oxford dictionary as punishment. Although Hermione spent her punishment in fumes that she was innocent, deep down she knew that, somehow, she had erased the assignments on the board.

Were someone to remind Hermione of what her former self had done, she would simply laugh. She remembered clearly the days where she always questioned authority.

Hermione always felt that she needed to prove herself, and when she entered the Wizarding World she felt she needed to show she wasn't a stupid muggleborn. She knew she wasn't and had always proven that. Hermione never was a vain girl; she just knew that she wasn't a dunderhead. Hermione simply loved verbal praise, for verbal praise was proof that she wasn't just some silly girl.

That is the main point to remember about Miss Hermione Jane Granger: Never call her a silly girl, because if you do she will prove you wrong using more than just verbal praise.

The events that take place between humans do not effect how the weather feels. Nature could care less about them and although she was stunning, she was also pitiless. Hermione certainly understood this as she watched the flowers, trees, and birds chirping. She thought it was ironic how such horrible times she was in could have such wonderful, lets-go-to-the-park kind of days. Actually, every day was a terrible day, as everyday it seemed there were more deaths from the previous and that the Lord Voldemort was closer to reaching his goals. Today only looked nice and although Hermione was somewhat happy that nature had not given out any cruel weather, the beauty it was donning today, compared with the ugliness of what was occurring, was simply torture.

Hermione had been sitting by the window on an, old white washed wicker chair that had paint chipping everywhere and made a sound that if you moved the slightest, it would give away. She was bored and all alone in the old house, because Harry Potter had failed to assign her anything! She started to get really angry as she thought of this and began to harshly take out her anger on the poor wicker chair by picking off the paint and tearing out the little weaves.

"Today is the perfect example of how looks can be deceiving," Hermione thought bitterly aloud. There was absolutely nothing good about today because what would be called "good'" weather was just making her go wild. How dare the weather be so nice on a day where, once again, Harry told her to just stay in the stupid old house residing in the middle of absolutely nowhere and when there were probably hundreds of people being tortured and killed because of one man's insane point of view?

"Only ugly people say that"

Hermione smiled a small, did a small laugh, and turned her head to see who had made rather rude comment. Hermione noted to herself that it wasn't even funny and she had only laughed out of bitterness or insanity and it was only a cheap shot from a certain someone to tease her by suggesting she was ugly.

It was Ron Weasley. Of course. Finally her day became better. It would have been even better if Harry weren't standing close by. She was stilly angry with him for assigning her absolutely nothing and for another reason that she would tell not a single soul.

Hermione lifted herself out of the wicker chair which gave a loud croak sort of noise, ran up to the doorway where Ron was blocking and hugged him with a great, real, fully hearted smile and hug. Ron, in return, gave her a hesitant kiss or peck on the forehead. Hermione was about to give her boyfriend a more meaningful kiss when Ron turned his head.

This upset Hermione. She knew it shouldn't be such a big deal, but she always wished Ron could be a little less embarrassed by public display of affection. When others were around, Ron wouldn't dare to even give her a peck on the cheek. That made Hermione hope he would someday just sweep her off her feet, literally, while everyone is looking and passionately kiss her.

"Hey Harry!" said an overly cheerful Ron.

An upset and nervous looking Harry pursed his lips and averted his emerald eyes while he nodded his messy-haired head in hello.

Hermione, noticing this, pursed her lips and looked down at the ground. Obviously Harry had some bad news about their current war with Voldemort or he…

As bad as she knew it was, she hoped it was the first one.

"We need to talk. The entire Order. It is very important." Harry spoke slowly and cautiously and kept putting his head down, refusing to look anyone in the eye. Hermione felt he, in reality, could not look at her, but why? Even Ron seemed to notice his discomfort.

" Right," Ron said cautiously letting go of Hermione, " Well…um… Hermione and I will go find them and bring them here."

By the time Hermione and Ron got everyone from the order gathered around the kitchen it was completely dark especially since there wasn't a moon or any lights outside except the stars. If you were to look out a window you would see nothing, but dirt and long dead grass for miles on end. The nearest town, which was more of a ghost town minus the ghosts, was quite far.

Mrs. Weasley was making sure everyone from the Order, or The New Order as some preferred to call it since most of the original order was gone, was well fed. Hermione believed that Mrs. Weasley felt that if everyone ate more than enough, there was no way they could be killed. If only that were true…

Harry was one of the last people to finish eating. As he did so everyone silently watched him. Everyone was very restless to hear what Harry had to say, Hermione included. Harry seemed to eat so slowly that he was purposely trying to torture them all. What a sadistic little…

Once he licked his plate clean, literally, Mrs. Weasley hurried to clear it and left probably to go cry over her losses. She never spoke much since the death of her husband. There was a dead silence. Hermione vaguely though about how it was almost peaceful. But the instant she realized to the full extent of why it was so peaceful and silent, she became ashamed and attempted to think of what Harry had to say. She could make it into a little game, She had to do that often these days to occupy her mind keep her busy.

One time she made a little game in the kitchen with the two different colors of the tiles. The colors were dirt brown and what was probably once white. There was no pattern; there were just occasional little clumps of brown tiles as though the kitchen floor needed to be prepared and the previous owners could not afford or find any white tiles. Hermione's little game was to only step on the brown clumps of tiles. Looking back at the game now, Hermione realized she must have been desperate, but not enough to commit suicide.

Hermione thought it was going to be rather pleasant to hear Harry say something-anything, as he hardly spoke since the death of Dumbledore. However, Dumbledore's death was mortifying to everyone (especially under the circumstances he died in…). After all, with Dumbledore there always seemed to be hope and lots of it. Now that Dumbledore was gone, Harry was basically in charge as he was literally the only hope for muggles, witches, and wizards alike. The last adult other than Mrs. Weasley from the second order was Remus Lupin, but as of the moment he was missing. Mrs. Weasley had decided that bossing people around wouldn't help and felt that it would give Harry morale if he believed he was in charge. (But Hermione felt her silence was due to Arthur's death, but Hermione didn't want to think about his death, or Dumbledore's, or anyone's for that matter),

Hermione felt it only added more stress. Feeling slightly guilty, Hermione believed Harry sometimes deserved it. She didn't know if she could ever get over some things…

In fact, Hermione was becoming more strained, as Harry said zilch about anything and everything. He was doing this on purpose to upset her because she had… no Hermione was being over emotional and whenever she becomes overemotional, she gets very irrational. Harry wouldn't do such a thing to punish her. In fact, Hermione thought, bitterly, and frustratingly, he doesn't do a lot of things to me!

Hermione had to calm herself down before she pushed past the boundaries of the mind and started talking and expressing her feelings out in the open for the members of the New Order to witness. She had to remind herself that she and Harry were still best friends and Harry was still best friends with Ron and that she was dating Ron. It was that simple and if her mind, that could remember all the spells and incantations of a single book and could read the ancient runes, could just process in that little bit of information, her life would be less trying.

She was relieved that Harry's silence was not because of Ron and her. However, she knew whatever he had to say could not be good and with the way he seemed to prefer to look at everyone else, rather than her, she knew that Harry's news had to do with her. Out off all of Miss Granger's cleverness, she could not fathom the slightest reason why except it had to do with her probably going out on a mission. Finally, Hermione thought, I don't have to make up stupid games or watch a stupid scene nature from an old wicker.

Hermione thought back to how she was tearing it up and peeling off its paint. If she only knew that she would actually get a mission she wouldn't have done that. Still, Hermione felt bad, the chair never did anything to her except provide comfort. It was the only thing she had that would always be there for her, even though it was old, and there she was hurting it. Had it been a person she would apologize and such, but what could she do for a chair? She decided she would fix as soon as she got returned from her mission. She will tie up the broken weaves and will give it a good white wash.

After about another five minutes of, Harry inhaled and finally spoke and let it out.

"I found a location", Harry stated stressing the a.

Hermione knew for certain that the stressing of the letter "a" did mean something bad and from the way Harry couldn't look at her, she was now positive it did have something to do with her. She partly knew of what Harry was talking about, which only made her dig into her lower lip hard with her teeth. If her assumptions that this was her mission were correct, than she would about to be given a classic lesson to be careful what you wish for.

Review please and tell me what you think. Is it better, not by mush, by far, worse, all right, the same (I wanted it to be same, but just better)?