The library

Chapter 1

The library was Hermione's favourite place to be, it was her safe haven. The never ending jungle of books, each with its own story or academic enlightenment for her to lose herself in. The intricately carved mahogany shelves climbed towards the ceiling creating an endless forest, like one you'd never want to leave. Each shelve had its own unique design; there were dragons, merpeople and ivy vines, cascading down the wooden pillars.
Every corner you turned, another wave of serenity washed over you, putting your mind at ease with the comforting smell of old books and the gentle morning light creeping in through the stained glass windows. However the thing Hermione loved most about this place was how she could escape her life and exist in another world; no drama, no pressure and no distractions.

The room echoed with faint murmurs and whispers but as per usual but it was all white noise to her, she was far too engrossed in her current read to pay it any attention. Each page she turned felt like more and more of a natural high, the way they brushed against each other created such a sense of euphoria that time simply melted away and she was left in her minds jungle, surrounded by her favourite characters and their lives.

Much to her discontent a sudden loud noise rang through the library as she was dragged from her dream world back to, in comparison, a rather disappointing reality. It was time for dinner. She spent a few minutes composing herself; straightening her uniform and tidying each of the books away whilst muttering to herself.

She was completely oblivious to how large the pile of books beside her had grown and didn't even notice as the darkness fell outside. She must have been here for 3 hours at least, she remembered having a free period last as Professor McGonagall often allowed her older students the Friday afternoon off for studying or free time.

***

Although this was her 6th year at Hogwarts, Hermione had never gotten used to how breathtaking the castle was. Seven floors and a dungeon with near to one hundred rooms, be they common rooms, classrooms or of course, the library. The enchanted staircases, switching up and moving around always seemed to try and make life difficult for the students but it was yet another thing the young witch had come to appreciate about the castle. Hermione had not yet found the courage to explore the dark forest alone- she always had someone accompanying her- but even then, she struggled to wrap her head around the sheer majesty of it. The number of gorgeous magical creatures that lived there, from hippogriffs to unicorns. She could never quite fathom how lucky she was to be a part of this world.

Hermione made her way to the great hall when she paused for a moment scanning the room quickly then approaching the Gryffindor table where her friends were gathered, deep in conversation. She sat down with a sigh beside Ginny who turned to her and greeted her with a soft hug.

"Thank merlin you're here I can't deal with these two dimwits anymore" Hermione let out a slight giggle as they both glanced at Ron and Harry.
The boys had began turning their goblets into small animals, much like they learnt many years ago in Professor McGonagall's class. Harry was teasing Ron about his infamous transfiguration of his pet rat into a furry goblet with a tail and he couldn't help but blush a little in embarrassment.
The girls couldn't help themselves but laugh, Hermione had remembered this event perfectly, it was probably the highlight of her year, especially considering the fact that she had been temporarily petrified by a basilisk. This little wand malfunction of Ron's obviously didn't come close to the endless hours she spent fawning over books in the library however it reminded her of how naïve and innocent they all once were.

"Anything I should be looking forward to in tomorrow's quidditch match?" Hermione asked, gently nudging Ginny.
"I don't know.." she replied.
"..might find a fair few Slytherin enjoying a well deserved stay with Madame Pomfrey mind you" she smirked.
Ginny had just been taken on as one of the new chasers for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She was by far the most talented chaser on the team and in the one match they had already played, she had scored all but one of the goals. Quidditch seemed to be a bit of a family trait; Ron had been appointed the new keeper and Fred and George had been beaters for several years.
"Well I cant wait!" Hermione smiled. The girls laughed for a moment and turned their attention to the other side of the hall.

All of the tables except from one were full of joyful and eager students, chatting away about their plans for the weekend and placing bets on the upcoming quidditch match. The table surrounded by green and black robes had a much more sombre atmosphere about it. The conversations were quiet and each person dared not speak loud enough for their neighbouring table to hear them. Not one smile could be seen besides some fifth years who were tormenting first years by using the silencio charm on them.

Hermione scoffed and turned her attention back to the two boys who were still playing with the goblets. She soon grew bored of their incessant messing around and turned to Ginny, giving her a subtle wink. One corner of her mouth turned slightly upwards and with an effortless flourish of her wand and incantation under her breath the boys' goblets disintegrated into two small piles of dust, which Ginny proceeded to blow off the table.

"What was that for?!" Ron shot Hermione a dirty look but laughed it off soon after.
Harry scoffed in disbelief and turned away to start a conversation with Seamus who was sat to his left.
Ron had always found it difficult to stay annoyed at Hermione, as condescending and irritating as he sometimes found her, he admired and loved her far too much to let that interrupt how he felt about her. Ron looked shyly down at his fidgeting hands whilst Harry and Seamus, Hermione and Ginny were all talking amongst themselves.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to join in Hermione and Ginny's conversation, an all too familiar voice announced themselves at the head of the hall. All conversations promptly ground to a halt as heads turned to pay their attention to the voice.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen."

Albus Dumbledore.