Hermione's first two months had Hogwarts went by well.
She spent all her time with Harry and Ron now. She and Ron still fought but not nearly as much as they did before. They just had clashing personalities that also fit together perfectly.
Harry was very excited when Quidditch season about was keen to tell Ron and Hermione all about it, though Ron was the only one interested.
Saturday was the first Quidditch game - Gryffindor against Slytherin and if Gryffindor won they'd be put in second place for the House Championship.
Hermione was glad to help Harry through his homework and even lend him Quidditch Through the Ages.
Hermione had never had a friend before and was happy to help Harry when he needed it.
Hermione couldn't be happier. Now that she wasn't stressed out about avoiding rule breaking she was much more relaxed and more people liked her.
Of course Parvati and Lavender were still horrible to her, but that didn't matter.
She had friends - real friends - not like Neville Longbottom - not that Hermione had something against Neville. He was still nice.
It was the day before the first Quidditch match and it was absolutely freezing in Scotland.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were out in the courtyard and all of them were in their Gryffindor scarfs, and wearing large coats to keep warm, but just couldn't.
"Why does it have to be so cold?!" shrieked Ron.
Harry shivered vigorously.
Ron had just finished a small jar of jam inside. He was eating it with his breakfast but Hermione took it from him now that he was done with it and whispered, "Incendio!"
They now had a warm, bright, blue fire in the empty jar to warm them.
Then they noticed a very curious sight.
Professor Snape was limping across the yard.
The three moved closer together to hide the fire from his view, knowing he would knock points off from Gryffindor for an unfair reason if he saw it. Sadly, something about their guilty expression made Snape suspicious and he limped over.
He hadn't seen the fire but he wanted to tell them off anyway.
"What's that you've got there, Potter?"
Harry showed his his copy of Quidditch Through the Ages.
"Library books are not to be taken outside the school. Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor." Hermione squinted at him. That was no real rule. She had brought library books of out school thousands of times.
"He's just made that rule up!" muttered Harry angrily.
Snape was now limping away.
"Wonder what's wrong with his leg?" said Harry. Ron sneered. "I dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him.
. . .
When they entered the Gryffindor common room that evening it was particularly noisy. Harry and Ron had given Hermione their homework to look over, but Ron was uneasy about it. "What can't you just let us copy your work down?" asked Ron.
"Oh, Ron," sighed Hermione. "How will you learn?"
Hermione began crossing off answers for them. "Oh, no, no, no, Ron. Didn't I tell you it can be used as an oven cleaner - not stove."
Ron rolled his eyes.
"What's the difference? Why do I need to know which magical blood cleans what Muggle kitchen suppliants?
Suddenly, Harry got up. "I'm going to ask Snape for my book back," said Harry.
"Better you than me," said Ron and Hermione in harmony.
"Oh, gosh Ron, if it wasn't for me I promise you that you would have failed this assignment." "How was I supposed to know all this stuff?" asked Ron.
"It's called reading," answered Hermione.
"And it seems you don't do much of it."
"Just finish my homework," snapped Ron. "I'm checking it, not doing it. You correct it," she said, giving him the paper and getting out a book.
Harry was back before they knew it. "Did you get it?" asked Ron.
"No," Harry whispered. " I went to go get my book when I heard Snape and Filch talking. Snape was telling him he had gotten bitten by the three-headed dog we had seen. I tried to shut the door but he caught me and he was really angry - even angrier than Professor McGonagall about the troll. He screamed at me to go away. I hurried before he could take any points from Gryffindor. You know what this mean?" he asked.
"He's tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him - he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"
Hermione's eyes grew large.
Snape couldn't be doing such a thing. He was a teacher here. He was a trustworthy authority figure here no matter how rude, unfair, and mean he was. She refused to believe that someone Dumbledore had trusted to work here for so long would do something like this.
"No - he wouldn't. I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try to steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."
"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," said Ron. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"
Hermione went to bed, annoyed that night. Though they were friends now, Ron still would not listen to her.
But they'd see.
They'd see she was right all along.
. . .
Hermione woke up early once again in the morning and went into the Great Hall, waiting for Ron and Harry. When they arrived she immediately told Harry, "You've got to eat some breakfast."
"I don't want anything," Harry responded.
"Just a bit of toast?" begged Hermione.
"I'm not hungry." Hermione sighed. If he didn't get a good rest then they could possibly lose the Quidditch Cup and all the points that came along with that victory. The game was in just an hour. He had to eat - and perhaps brush his teeth.
Mrs. Granger had always said, "A mouth full of pearly whites makes a world full of confident people."
"Hermione," Ron said. "Neville, Semus, Dean, and I are making a surprise poster for Harry. Would you mind helping us? We don't really know much about art."
"All right," said Hermione. "I'd be glad too. I just have to brush my teeth."
Ron raised an eyebrow at her as if she were crazy then shrugged.
Hermione met them in the Gryffindor common room, where they had already started, but Hermione still helped them with the rest.
"Do you like it so far?" asked Neville. "I came up with the logo: Potter for President."
"I'm doing the drawing," said Dean. "Since I'm the best here."
"I picked the colors," said Semus. "We had to have it match Gryffindor House."
"Well - I picked the paper!" said Ron jealously to Hermione. "Well, I mean - my rat messed it up. So - that's kind of my part in this. . . . Forget it," said Ron, thumping his rat rudely. When they finished the poster Hermione took one look at it and knew just have to make it look even better.
"I read about this advanced charm in one of the third year Charm books in the library."
She muttered the charm and took a step backwards to admire their work.
"Slytherin won't know what hit them!" called Hermione, watching as the paint flashed different colors.
"Now, let's go. Most people will already be in the audience," said Hermione.
And she led them out into the Quidditch pitch. As she had thought, Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor Team came out quickly. Then they mounted their brooms and -
Madam Hooch's whistle blew and Hermione watched as Harry and everyone else was lifted into the air.
"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor - what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too -"
"JORDAN!"
"Sorry, Professor."
"That's my brothers' best friend," Ron whispered to Hermione. "Fred and George, that is," he clarified.
"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good friend of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve - back to Johnson and - no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle - that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger - Quaffle taken by the Slytherins - that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goalposts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger - sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which - nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in posession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes - she's really flying - dodges a speeding Bludger - the goalposts are ahead - come on, now, Angelina - Keeper Bletchley dives - misses - GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"
Gryffindor cheered wildly. Hermione had never been apart of so much noise.
She heard the moans and "boos" from the Slytherins and smiled more.
"Budge up there, move along," she heard a familair, rough voice say.
"Hagrid!" yelled Ron happily and he and Hermione squeezed together to make room for him to sit.
"Bin watchin' from me hut," he said, patting his large pair of binoculars around his neck. "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sigh of the Snitch yet, eh?"
"Nope," moaned Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."
"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid as he raised his binoculars and looked skyward at Harry.
They could see him trying desperately to find the Snitch, but Hermione had read in Quidditch Through the Ages that it was quite hard and only hoped that Harry could somehow pull it all off.
Then suddenly, Hermione just knew he had seen the Snitch and was after it was but so was the Slytherin Seeker. They were neck and neck.
"BOOOO!" Hermione and Ron shouted.
Marcus Flint, Slytherin Captain had just purposely blocked Harry, and Harry's broom spun off course and Harry was hanging in the sky, similar to Neville, but much, much, much higher.
"Harry!" shrieked Hermione as soon as this happened.
"Foul!" screamed Ron and a bunch of other Gryffindors.
Madam Hooch called Flint down, gave him a stern talking to then let the Gryffindors have a free shot at the goalposts but in that time Harry had lost the Snitch.
"Send him off, ref! Red card!" Dean Thomas yelled.
"What are you talking about, Dean?" asked Ron.
Ron, being pure-blooded obviously hadn't ever heard of soccer but Hermione knew just what he was talking about. Sometimes her father watched it.
"Red card! In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. This wasn't soccer. And if there were two things that shouldn't mix it was magic and Muggle sports
"But this isn't soccer, Dean," said Ron and for once Hermione fully agreed with him.
"They oughta change the rules," agreed Hagrid. "Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air." Hermione knew Hagrid was right to some extent, but he was never really apart of the Muggle world and wouldn't truly understand.
"So - after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating -"
"Jordan!" called Professor McGonagall.
"I mean, after that open and revolting foul -"
"Jordan, I'm warning you -"
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and will continue play, Gryffindor still in posession."
Hermione watched as Harry dodged a Bludger then - it happened again.
Harry was falling off his Nimbus Two Thousand, it was trying to push him off, and it was starting to succeed.
Hermione thought that maybe Harry was trying to do a trick or something because Jordan was still going on.
"Slytherin in posession - Flint with the Quaffle - passes Spinnet - passes Bell - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - oh no. . ."
The Slytherins were cheering and Jordan had noticed. Now Hermione knew for sure something was wrong.
"Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," mumbled Hagrid, but Hermione was surprised he didn't know what was really going on.
Hermione looked darkly over at the Slytherins, then she saw it.
"If I didn' know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom. . . but he can't have. . ."
His broom was rolling over and over and over again and again.
Hermione was switching between watching Harry and the Slytherin stands, but what she thought she saw couldn't have been. How could this be happening. Maybe she wasn't seeing clearly.
"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" whispered Semus.
"Can't have," answered Hagrid. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic - no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."
Hermione remembered the start-of-term feast.
"Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape," said Ron Weasley's older brother, Percy.
Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars and took a closer look at the Slytherin crowd. As she thought, she had seen Snape mumbling and staring closely at Harry.
How dare he?! Snape was supposed to be a teacher, and this is what he does to his students?!
"What are you doing?" questioned Ron.
"I knew it," gasped Hermione. "Snape - look." She handed the binoculars to Ron, who looked and saw exactly what Hermione had a moment ago.
"He's doing something - jinxing the broom," explained Hermione.
"What should we do?" Ron asked.
"Leave it to me."
Hermione got out of her seat and began creeping through to the bottle of the bleachers. The scarlet and golden veils that covered the Gryffindor's bleachers covered her from view and she quickly crept across the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw bleachers, all the way to the Slytherins, where she climbed up the wooden stairs and on her way to Professor Snape, and was so determined that she didn't even stop to say sorry to Professor Quirrell, who she knocked headfirst into the row in front of him. She then got out her wand and muttered, "Incendio!"
Blues flames shot out of her wand and set fire to the hem of Snape's robes.
It took about thirty seconds for Snape to realize his robes were on fire. When he yelled out Hermione scooped up the fire and hurried back to the Gryffindor stands.
Harry was nowable to gain control of his broom again, and Hermione felt quite proud of herself.
Hermione made it back up just in time to see Harry speed to the ground on all fours, and cough out a golden ball with tings - not just any golden ball with wings.
"The golden Snitch," whispered Hermione in amazement.
"I've got the Snitch!" cried Harry, waving it above his hand.
Gryffindor was shouting their heads off with joy! Harry had nearly swallowed the Snitch but Gryffindor had beaten Slytherin with one hundred and seventy points to sixty.
"You in the mood for a cup o' tea?" Hagrid asked Ron.
"Sure, can Hermione come too?" Ron asked.
"Sure," answered Hagrid. And Hermione shook his giant hand with a smile. "Hermione Granger," she told him.
Harry came along with them and as soon as they were given tea Ron said, "It was Snape. Hermione and I saw him cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."
"Rubbish," argued Hagrid. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"
Hermione, Ron, and Harry looked at each other, trying to decide what to tell him.
"I found out something about him," Harry told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal what its guarding."
Hagrid dropped his teapot.
"How do you know about Fluffy?"
"Fluffly?" they all asked.
Hermione had never heard a more of a misleading name. What an oxymoron!
"Yeah - he's mine - bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year - I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the -"
"Yes?" asked Harry eagerly.
"Now, don't ask me anymore. That's top secret, that is."
"But Snape's trying to steal it," protested Hermione.
"Rubbish. Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."
"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" asked Hermione. She had taken Snape's actions into consideration and was now on Harry and Ron's side.
"I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!" "I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" argued Hagrid. "I don' know why Harry's broon acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh - yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel -"
"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"
Hagrid looked seriously angry with himself