Chapter 2
"The way I see it, it would be those who are powerful at the top," I said after Draco stayed silent. "Most would be Pureblood but some would be Half-Blood or Muggleborn. Then, those who aren't powerful but aren't weak in the middle. I'd call them Normbloods 'cause they're normal. Then, those who are weak at the bottom, which would be your Half-Breeds, Mudbloods and Blood Traitors."
"Why did you use Muggleborn, Mudblood, Half-Blood, Half-Breed, Pureblood and Blood Traitor like that?" Draco asked.
"Those who come from Muggles and are weak deserve to be called something different and more degrading than those from Muggles who are powerful. The term Mudblood already existed. This way, you have a way to differentiate between the two. Same with those who are from Mixed and Pure backgrounds. At the top would be those who are powerful, Muggleborns, Purebloods and Half-Bloods, in the middle those who aren't powerful or weak, the Normbloods, and at the bottom those who are weak, Blood Traitors, Mudbloods and Half-Breeds," I said to him.
"I'm cool with that," Harry said.
"I'll see how your theory pans out, Granger. Until then, I am willing to concede to the change of who I call Mudblood but that's it," Draco said.
"Okay. Once you make a choice, let me know, Malfoy. If you disagree, we'll probably end up being enemies as I'm Muggleborn and if you agree, we'll be friends and you can call me Hermione while I call you Draco. So, I guess I'll just wait and see if you call me Hermione or Mudblood first... Feel free to keep my theory to yourself or tell others... Maybe if I'm Sorted into Slytherin, that could count towards my theory. If you go by my theory and I'm Sorted into Slytherin, no Mudblood would've been Sorted into Slytherin but a Muggleborn would've."
"Crabbe and Goyle aren't powerful though and they'll be Sorted into Slytherin," Draco said. "Besides, I'm almost certain you'll be a Ravenclaw."
"Maybe but personally, I believe my ambition is a bigger trait for me than my cleverness," I said. "But I'm fine with either House."
"I just want to be in whatever House either of you are in since you're my first friends, I'd hate to not be in the same House," Harry said.
"You're my first friends too, Harry, even if I can't count for Draco yet, I'm totally counting him," I said.
"Your parents were both Gryffindors and Potters have always been Gryffindors," Draco said.
"Yes but other than Sirius, Blacks have always been Slytherins and James' mother was a Black and a Slytherin. Harry could take after his grandmother. Besides, Harry's his own person. He could easily go to any House. He's clearly loyal so Hufflepuff, he's also cunning so Slytherin, he seems smart so Ravenclaw and Gryffindor is a huge part of his heritage... Honestly, so far Gryffindor seems the least likely," I said and Harry's hair and face turned a bright red.
"Whoa," Draco said. "You're a Metamorphmagus!"
"Oh, is that what that's called?" Harry asked.
"What else can you do?" Draco asked.
"I can speak to snakes and teleport," Harry said.
"You've apparated?" I asked him. That's rare for accidental magic.
"You can talk to snakes!?" Draco asked in disbelief.
"Yeah," Harry said.
"Cool, I can talk to animals too... Is yours just snakes?" I asked him.
"Yes," Harry said. "Can you talk to other animals?"
"Yeah," I said. "If being able to alter your appearance is being a Metamorphmagus, I'm one too." Of course, thanks to Bella, I already know that.
"You're welcome, Pet," Bella said. "I still don't know how you can do it since it's a Black Family trait but it's gotta be somehow related to our connection."
"Wait, what?" Draco asked and my hair changed to match his and then Harry's changed to match too. "That's not possible if you're Muggleborn. It's a Black Family trait only those with Black blood can be Metamorphmagus... Unfortunately, I'm not despite my Mom being a Black but my Mom's Blood Traitor sister's Half-Breed daughter is one. She was a Hufflepuff just like her Mudblood father."
"Draco!" Harry admonished before I could say anything.
"What? According to my Mom, Ted Tonks was a really weak Wizard when it came to his magic," Draco said.
"He's right, Pet... I've no idea what Andy saw in him," Bella bitterly said. Images of someone who looked almost identical to Bella, Draco's Mom and Bella all snogging were projected in my mind.
"Bella! Stop that at once!" I told her.
"Yes, mother," Bella sarcastically said.
"All done, dears," the shop owner said as she came out with our robes. We each brought our robes.
"I've got to go now," Harry said.
"Me too," I said.
"Nice to meet you both," Harry said. "Maybe we can sit together on the train?"
"Sure," I said.
"I'd love to but I can't," Draco said. "The compartments only fit ten or less people and I've got to sit with Crabbe, Goyle, Theo, Blaise, Pansy, Daphne, Millie and Tracey. Honestly, with Crabbe and Goyle there, there wouldn't even be space for one of you."
"Okay, that's fine... Why do you have to sit with them though?" Harry asked.
"Other than Blaise and Tracey, they're all Sacred 28 from families who supported The Dark Lord during the war so father wants me to be friends with them just as he's friends with their parents. Mother's friends with Blaise's Mom and Tracey's Mom is friends with Millicent's Mom so they've been best friends since they were like three," Draco said. "Sorry."
"It's okay," I said. "We'll see you after the Sorting in classes and maybe the Common Room if we're Slytherins. Besides, we might see each other on the platform."
"What platform is it?" Harry asked.
"Nine and three quarters," Draco and I said.
"What?" Harry asked. I told him how to get onto the platform. "Oh, cool. Bye!"
"Bye!" I said.
"Goodbye," Draco said.
...
I quickly found an empty compartment and put my stuff away. I took out Hogwarts: A History and started reading it for the fifth time. I love this book. Hopefully, Harry'll find me here since I took one of the compartments at the back so no one would try to sit here until at least after Harry shows up.
...
"E- E- Excuse me," a black-haired boy stuttered. "H- Have you seen a t- T- Toad? I lost mine."
"No, sorry."
"Oh... Okay... Thanks..." The boy left and a few minutes later, Harry came in. We put his stuff away and I passed him one of my books.
"This is from our list, read it. You should read up on our subjects before we start classes so you have a basic knowledge of the topics we're gonna learn," I said to him. "It's better to have people underestimate you but if we're Sorted into Slytherin, we'll need to find ways to be accepted and getting House points will help."
"Is this because of the 'defeating Voldemort as a baby' thing? 'Cause I don't think I actually did anything," Harry said.
"I know but we can always expand our knowledge. Knowledge is power, Harry. Never forget that. Also, there are many things for you to learn and if we're in Slytherin we'll be hated until we prove our worth. You because of 'The Dark Lord's' defeat and me because of being a 'Mudblood'."
"It's a shame you couldn't get away to go to Gringotts during the last month," Bella said. "Maybe next year during the summer."
"Yeah, that trip would be very useful," I said to Bella.
"Okay," Harry said and we read our books.
...
"Excuse me," a redheaded first year boy said. "Do you mind? Everywhere else has too many people in them for me." I looked him up and down.
"No need to ask his name, Pet. Red hair and a hand-me-down robe? He must be a Weasley. Weasleys are Sacred 28 but poor and Muggle lovers," Bella said.
"Of course," I said and I gestured to a spot next to Harry. The Weasley got a look in his eye as he sat down and I read his thoughts.
'Okay, the girl is clearly in charge and the way the boy's acting makes it clear he thinks she deserves his respect... Her aura shows she's powerful, the boy too but not as much. I've seen more powerful people but not many and for a first year too... I need to get on her good side. She could be more powerful than Dumbledore when she's older. The boy's power too is interesting. They're clearly good people for me to spend time with. Finally, there's people around me as powerful and more so than I am. I can only learn from being near such powerful people.'
"He can see and read auras, Pet," Bella said in awe. "Such a rare gift and passed only through those with Prewett blood. There hasn't been an Aura Seer in centuries. He gets the power from his Mom's side. With the power, he's considered the Prewett Heir. As I told you before, only the Blacks, the Rosiers, the Prewetts and the Fawleys had Family Gifts. The Blacks have being Metamorphmagi, the Rosiers have Natural Legillimency, that's where you and Cissy get it from, the Fawleys had Natural Occlumency, Snivellus' Mother's Mother was a Fawley which is where he gets it from, and the Prewetts had being Aura Seers. He would be a powerful asset, Pet."
"Okay, Bella," I said.
"I'm Hermione Granger and this is Harry Potter," I said to the boy. If he's smart, he'll respond to me and if he's not, he'll get caught up in Harry's fame and prove he's not smart which will lower my opinion of him.
"It's nice to meet you both," the boy said while looking at me before briefly glancing at Harry. "I'm Ron Weasley." I smiled at him. He passed.
"It's nice to meet you, Ron," Harry said.
"Yes, it is," I said before turning to Harry. From what I heard, the Malfoys and the Weasleys don't get along so I want to see how he reacts to me mentioning us being friends with Draco. If Weasley passes, he'll be Ron and I'll see how Draco reacts to that.
"Why do you call him 'Draco' and yet you call Ron 'Weasley' and Cissy 'Draco's Mom' or 'Bella's sister'?" Bella asked.
"Draco's your nephew and I have no doubt he'll end up siding with me and becoming my friend," I told Bella. "Your sister hasn't even introduced herself to me yet and hasn't given me permission to call her anything. If I have to refer to her as anything, given that you've told me how much she hates her husband, I'll refer to her as 'Narcissa'."
"Fine, I understand that but I don't like it, Pet."
"It's a shame Draco couldn't sit with us, Harry." Weasley got a weird look on his face.
"Yeah, but we'll see him later," Harry said.
"Wait, Draco Malfoy?" Weasley asked.
"Yeah," Harry said. "He's our friend... Well, kind of..." Harry told Weasley our conversation in the robe shop and Weasley looked intriuged by my theory and Draco's reaction to it.
"Interesting," Weasley said. "In that case, I hope Malfoy does agree. I've always thought the whole 'Purebloods are better' thing was rubbish but I also think the way things are now is rubbish too. Everyone judges me on who my family are but I'm not like them. I'm not 'just another Weasley' or 'a pathetic Blood Traitor'... The way things are right now doesn't work and needs to change. Your idea is a good way of doing that."
"So, you agree with me and you'll help me try to implement it as much as possible?" I asked the boys.
"Yeah," Ron said.
"Of course, Hermione," Harry said. "We should get back to studying."
"Yeah," I passed Ron a book from the pile.
...