Hermione Granger was bored. She sat on her bed, cross-legged with her back straight. Sitting on her bed in the girls’ sixth year dormitory of Hogwarts was oddly relaxing, but for no clear reason. Hermione had unpacked everything immediately, putting all her belongs into their correct places. She was satisfied with the neatness of her area, and had also re-filled the bathroom with her items, leaving plenty of room for the other girls, including Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, whom although she wasn’t great friends with, she got along reasonably well.
Hermione had no idea what to do. Parvati and Lavender were out somewhere, probably gossiping about boys or something. The other Gryffindor sixth year girls… well, Hermione had no idea what they were doing, but they weren’t here, and Hermione had been left alone. Not that she particularly minded; being alone was rather refreshing. But it would have been nice if there was actually something to do for her, anything. A textbook to read, homework to do… she’d even settle for that. Of course, that was her usual activity anyway.
Harry and Ron were both at the Quidditch pitch, possibly their favourite place. And while Hermione enjoyed cheering until her voice gave out at the matches, she wasn’t quite as fond of actually participating in the sport… or even going near brooms.
Hermione felt way too lazy at the moment to go to the library and perhaps borrow some fine reading material. Besides, she had read nearly every book there anyway. Laying her head back onto her pillow, Hermione hit something. Something underneath it. Reaching her hand under it slowly, Hermione brought out a leather journal kept closed by a cord. It had Hermione written on the front in fancy, gold calligraphy, but other than that was completely plain. Her diary.
Hermione opened the ancient diary. She hadn’t looked through it for a long, long time. She hadn’t even written in it for a long, long time not since the end of fourth year. At that time, writing in her diary seemed like such a trivial thing. And it still did.
But it helped anyway.
Hermione needed to let go. There were just too many problems for her to face. Entering sixth year at Hogwarts was never easy. But Voldemort being after you and your best friends didn’t make it any better. So Hermione needed time to herself, time to relax. Time away from her boys.
Now she was going to remember what she had gone through, what things used to be like.
Opening the first page, she glanced at it, but flicked past it quickly. These pages were easier to turn, not heavy parchment, but light muggle paper. She kept flicking, until a page caught her eye…
Dear Diary – July, 1990
Get this, diary! At first I didn’t believe it… who would? It all sounded like a ludicrous prank played on me, but it’s TRUE!
I’m a witch, diary.
Yes, a witch. Not like one from a story, with a hooked nose, warts and green skin. But I can do magic; spells, curses, charms, potions. Everything! Professor Dumbledore came down today, explaining it all. See, I had gotten a letter, but I didn’t believe it, I just put it away in my room, didn’t even show mum and dad. But he came he really came! He told us everything we needed to know!
On September 1st, instead of going to the Comprehensive School mum and dad had planned on, I’m going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Professor Dumbledore is headmaster.
Why didn’t I know before? Professor Dumbledore said that even muggle-born children [like me] show signs of magic… and I didn’t even notice. Once mum and dad thought about it, they could see it. So why couldn’t I? But I can’t wait to get to Hogwarts, the school of magic. It’s going to be brilliant!
I will never again be ignorant to something obvious, the things around me, because I need to know. Never again
Hermione Granger
--
Interesting enough. There was something hidden here, and Hermione was determined to figure it out. She kept flipping until another page caught her eye. She had marked the last page she stopped at, and she marked this one also.
Dear diary – Hogwarts, 1st year [1991 – 1992]
Well, it’s the end of 1st year. Time has flown. But one thing I’ll remember forever, until I die. How we ended it, how You–Know–Who was defeated, yet again, by Harry Potter. I know what my fate is now, now that I’ve met Harry and Ron. I know what the fate of Ron is, and the fate of Harry.
Harry was destined for greatness; it was always meant to be him. Ron and I are the sidekicks, the helpers. And I knew that on the night of You–Know–Who’s plan. I knew that while we could help, and we did, Harry was meant to go on.
Ron let himself be injured, taken out of the game for Harry. And I helped him; I solved the riddle of the potions. But when I looked at him, I knew I wasn’t meant to go with him. It was the truth, no matter how much I didn’t want to face it; Harry had to go alone, face possible death alone. Without my help, without Ron’s help. He was the one. And it was hard to let him go, but I had to face the reality of that situation. So I let him.
It was hard, but I’ll never again turn away from the truth, just because I don’t like what I see. Never again
Hermione Granger
--
There was something that the entries she had stopped at had in common. Hermione just didn’t know what it was. But she would know, she would figure it out. Marking this page as well, she kept turning.
Dear diary – Hogwarts, 2nd year [1993 – 1993]
Muggle-borns and half-bloods are being petrified by some unknown force, as of yet. I am a muggle-born, and I’m proud of it, too. It happened before, years ago, too the same thing. And in the end, a girl died. Moaning Myrtle now haunts the girl’s toilets. I’m determined to find out what’s really going on.
I told mum and dad… bad move. They said I shouldn’t be at Hogwarts, asked me to come home. They don’t understand that this is where I belong. Magic is a part of me, and it just can’t be turned off like that. Thank god I didn’t give them the real details.
The more they know, the more they worry. And I’m scared that if they worry enough, they’ll come down here personally and yell for me. They’ll find me, even if they can’t see Hogwarts properly. And I’m not just worried about being ripped away from magic, but I’m worried for them. We all know it’s You-Know-Who behind it, and he’s after muggle-borns. So obviously, his tolerance for plain muggles isn’t high either.
They say they don’t want magic to come between us, but it already has. It did the second it entered my life. That won’t change. The last thing I want to do is endanger the ones I love. Me being a witch has done that enough.
I will never again let the family know what really happens in the world of magic. Never again
Hermione Granger
--
Hermione was digging deep into her memories, things that she didn’t necessarily want to bring up. But she had to. Something was calling her to do it.
Dear Diary – Hogwarts, 3rd year [1993 – 1994]
Well, we didn’t battle You–Know–Who this year. But Harry learned something else, something just as important. He learned about his parents. And his parents’ friends, namely James Potter’s best friend, Sirius Black. And the story of them, the Marauders.
And the betrayal.
The betrayal of Peter Pettigrew, one of the Marauders, close friend of James Potter, he who caused the death of Lily and James, who caused You–Know–Who to attack Harry.
I’ve seen how it can change the world, how a single betrayal can cause thousands of deaths. I just can’t believe it, though! Sirius Black, locked away for 12 years in Azkaban… and he was innocent. It’s awful. And it’s all thanks to Peter. It’s thanks to that rat that Harry doesn’t have parents, and that Remus and Sirius don’t have their best friend. And it’s his fault that Lily Potter is gone. It’s his entire fault, just because of one choice in which he decided that he wanted to betray the greatest friends he ever had.
How can someone just do that? Just become a traitor one day, betray innocent people? All they ever did was help him, accept him.
I will never stab a friend in the back, because I know what it can lead to
Hermione Granger
--
Hermione had come to the last page of her diary; this one was from before 1990 until 1995, and wasn’t overly thick. The last page had to be something special.
Dear Diary – Hogwarts, 4th year [1994 – 1995]
I have just confirmed the worst. Harry Potter, my best friend, is going to be Hogwarts Champion for the most dangerous event of the year, hosted at school. The Triwizarding Tournament. I don’t even want to think about what will happen to him.
But something else caught my eye. Ron is mad at Harry, and vice-versa. So how am I meant to pick between my 2 best friends? Ron expects me to go with him, while Harry wants my support too. So how am I meant to choose? I love them both with my whole heart, equally.
I sided with Harry this time, because I believed he was right. And Ron went off completely. You ALWAYS side with him, Hermione! And other stuff like that. It’s ridiculous. I shouldn’t have to pick. They shouldn’t even fight; they should realize that they can’t afford to fight in the world we are living in. It’s too dangerous to waste time on arguments that have no meaning.
But I learnt something. I can never pick and win. It’s a lose-lose situation for me. So if I can’t pick a side in a petty argument, how am I meant to pick a side when something important happens?
I will never fall for one of Them, Harry or Ron.
Hermione Granger
--
Hermione thought about all the pages she had read. There had been five pages. She went back to each one of them, observing it carefully. Then instinctively, she looked at the bottom of the page, just above where she signed off, Hermione Granger. That was it. They were all the same.
Almost mechanically, like she was under the control of something or someone, Hermione took out a clean square of parchment and her best quill. Then she began writing in her neat scrawl, the words slanting to the right slightly.
5 Simple Rules
Rule #1: Never be ignorant to something obvious
Rule #2: Never turn away from the truth
Rule #3: Never let the family know
Rule #4: Never stab a friend in the back
Rule #5: Never fall for one of Them
Hermione looked at the parchment, memorizing it almost. Five rules to live my life by, she thought to herself. Five simple rules. Then she got out her wand and cast various spells and charms on the parchment. It was very special indeed.
Then she cast the final spell, this one not for protection. This one was for something Hermione swore to herself would never happen.
In case she ever broke a rule, it would cross it out for her. Hermione hoped with her whole heart that there would never have a rule crossed out on this parchment.
Hermione tucked the parchment away safely. It would always be with her.
Now she could get on with things.
-----------------------------------
Thanks to Kris for the great beta job!