Queen of Gorgeousness

The Ugly Duckling Transforms

Somewhere in the haze of pain Hermione felt pride. Pride that her new friends were standing up for her and happiness that she'd taken the chance to reach out to these Slytherin's during the summer months.

"You lot are worse than scum, you've bullied Hermione for years, called her names and made her cry. Now what? You're suddenly defending her? I don't buy this act for one second," said Harry.

"You lot are welcome to her anyway. We don't want her in our lives and she isn't worthy of us," said Ron as he followed Harry out of the room.

Hermione couldn't feel and she couldn't move from the pain she was in. How the Slytherin's had avoided getting hurt was beyond her. She felt her knees collapse as she fell to the floor and awaited the impact of her body meeting the ground. She was surprised however, when she found herself gripped in strong hands.

"Let's get you to the Hospital Wing Granger," said Adrian.

The Hospital Wing was filled with those effected by Ron's exploding cauldron, mostly though it seemed with a quick wave of Madame Pomfrey's wand they were right as rain again and allowed to return to their classes.

Hermione was different as she had suffered most of the blast. Once Adrian had placed Hermione on an available bed and explained things to Madame Pomfrey, the mediwitch had fainted which caused panic within the Hospital Wing.

Hermione was so covered in gunk that no one could see the changes taking place underneath. When she began to shake on the bed and her body emitted a vibrant white light, Madame Pomfrey asked Adrian to go and fetch Headmistress McGonagall.

Under the gunk some changes were happening. Hermione's hair became longer, reaching down to the small of her back in silky waves of honeysuckle browns and blondes. Her eyes changed from their dull brown to a glittering chocolate colour with fleck of the rainbow hiding within. She grew a couple of inches and filled out a little. She'd always been rather a skinny woman and had suspected that puberty had rather passed her by but with her changes came a body to be proud of. She gained a little bum and her chest grew considerably. Lastly her skin tanned a little. Nobody would look at this girl and think she was Hermione Granger.

McGonagall came running in with Adrian trailing behind her as the bright light surrounding Hermione disappeared. Madame Pomfrey approached cautiously as she began removing the gunk that covered Hermione and checked her out for other injuries.

"Oh my goodness," cried McGonagall as she looked down at the woman lying on the bed.

"She's changed? How?"

"Why are there a group of Slytherin's congregating outside this room?" asked McGonagall.

"They brought her in and are refusing to leave. Apparently there was an explosion in Potions, Ron Weasley's cauldron to be exact."

"Well that explains everything. Poor girl, the war ends and she loses both her parents and her friends."

"Perhaps you can answer a question for me Minerva. Do you know why the sorting hat is here?"

Minerva looked utterly perplexed, "I don't know and I certainly didn't order it here."

"I am here for the child," said the hat.

"Why?"

"The Zabini child must be sorted."

"Zabini child? Blaise?" questioned Minerva.

"No not Blaise but the child on the bed before us."

Both Minerva and Poppy gasped.

"I never knew the Zabini's had a daughter," said Poppy.

"It was kept a secret and she was kidnapped during a raid after the first fall of Voldemort. The authorities looked everywhere for her but could never find her. The potion must have reacted with whatever barriers had been put in place to hide her true form," replied Minerva.

Hermione opened her eyes, sat up in bed and stared at the two women before her. Had she heard them correctly?

"Professor?" she inquired.

"Oh dear you're awake."

Minerva and Poppy shared a glance what was not lost on Hermione.

"What's going on?"

"The sorting hat is here to resort you," said Minerva.

"W-why?"

Minerva offered no words of comfort for Hermione and merely placed the hat upon her head.

"Ahh welcome back dear though I know this will be a shock for you. Being a Zabini suits you better I think. Hermione Granger was a bit of a bizarre name, not at all befitting for a pureblood. Where to put you thought? You can't go back to Gryffindor they never did deserve you, you'd be bored in Ravenclaw and the Hufflepuff's are so fickle. You need to be where your family and friends are, SLYTHERIN!"

Hermione stared before her with unblinking eyes. Slytherin! Why, why, why?

"I don't understand."

"Oh Lord she doesn't even know about the changes; quick Poppy fetch a mirror."

"Why would I need a mirror, Professor what's going on?"

Hermione took the mirror from Poppy and looked at the person reflected in it. She almost dropped the mirror in shock, this wasn't her. She didn't have manageable smooth hair and it most certainly didn't have blonde streaks in it. Her eyes were a dull brown not the bright chocolate she was seeing now and what were those colours glittering in her eyes? She definitely would have remembered having a chest this big, she'd been waiting for one since she turned thirteen. It was when she remembered what the sorting hat said that her mood passed from panic to anger.

"ZABINI!!"

The Slytherin's outside shuddered at the volume of her voice. Tables shook as her anger grew sending her magic out in waves of uncontrollability and even a couple of glasses shattered. The adults in the room looked on worryingly but felt like they couldn't interfere.

Blaise Zabini shakily stood up and walked towards the room that contained Hermione. When he walked into the room, he stopped dead and looked intently at Hermione. Neither spoke for a long time, each drinking in the sight of the other that looked so like them.

"Mya? Hermione? It can't be," he whispered.

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