Harry was leaving the Great Hall from dinner when it happened. The scar on his forehead burnt.

He winced and put his hand above his right eye. Why would it hurt? He doesn't remember it hurting before.

He glanced around the large room and met eyes with a suspicious professor. He was next to the one wearing black robes matching his dark hair and dull eyes, and was wearing a strange accessory on his head. The turban looked like it could fit a whole other head inside.

He continued walking, and thought of how Hermione never showed to the most important part of the Hogwarts experience. The sorting of houses.

He kept walking, fully aware he was being watched by many other students. He was a celebrity, he knew, as a Slytherin has pointed his identity out before they entered the Great Hall. He turned down the boy's offer to be friends. He seemed rude towards a red head in particular.

"Mister Potter, may I have a word?"

He froze at the sound of his head of house's voice calling him out barely as he was heading to his common room for the first time.

Her expression made him realize something was wrong, and he wondered if everything was alright.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall?"

"I haven't seen Hermione all day, but the Headmaster and charms Professor claimed to have been talking to her early in the morning. Do you know where's she gone, by any chance?"

"No, I never heard from since yesterday. Has she ran away or something? What if she's hurt? I can go look for her-"

"No, I mustn't keep you up so late. It might just be a stomach ache or a silly cold. Thank you anyways, Mister Potter"

When she went back to her private quarters, she saw the little pup curled up in her bed, and her blanket on the floor.

Minerva sighed as she overlaid the cotton material over her small figure. She worried what happened, but knew she was Gryffindor just like herself. For that she was proud and happy, and she fell asleep on her own bed knowing that.

When she woke up she found the smaller bed empty. Her blanket was neatly folded and pillows rearranged properly.

She only needed to glance up to see that she was there in the corner, shaking in fear as she hid in the shadows.

"Hermione, whats wrong?"

She went over to the scared little girl already dressed in school clothing and tried to comfort her, but was rebuffed.

"Go away" said the smallest voice the professor ever heard.

"This is my room, young lady, and I will not go away by someone else's command" argued the adult.

"Fine, I'll go away" she spat, before she stood up and ran out of the room faster than a snitch could fly.

Minerva caught up to her in her cat form, and made sure she stopped before shifting back.

"What do you think you are doing? You have classes to attend and breakfast to eat" reminded Minerva. The Gryffindor shook her head to herself and just walked away, to her first class of the day that would not start until over an hour later.

Her guardian sighed as she knew the girl was troubled with facing any students. She could only hope no one would be rude to her.

Hope did not help.

Hermione had done well to keep herself from any unwanted attention, but a Slytherin who couldn't keep to himself had to point her out in Potions.

"Oh look, Gryffindors must've started a freak charity and let that one in"

It made every one of the Slytherins laugh, and the Gryffindors all turn to her. She kept her head down, with her hair covering her face.

"Silence!"

The whole classroom looked back to the professor who was quite scary.

"No more nonsense. Five points off Gryffindors-" the Slytherins smirked, "and Slytherin each"

"Professor Snape, that's unfair"

"What's unfair is discriminating against an individual based off appearance. Now, turn to page 3 of your textbooks, and begin reading amongst yourselves until you've finished up to page seventy-two. An essay summarizing what you've read will be expected on my desk tomorrow, no shorter than a foot long" ordered the professor.

For good measure, he gave a cold stare towards the students, making them hurriedly open their books and process the small font.

He took a glance at the poor Gryffindor, and felt bad this happened to her. He made a promise to himself to get her the best gift he could find, and give it to her when her birthday came. It was only two weeks away, anyways.

After only a couple of minutes, maybe ten at most, he noticed she was already finished reading and rolled his eyes as her hunger for knowledge reminded him of Minerva, only bigger.

Later that day, when students began to head to dinner, Harry jogged up to Hermione's side and asked how she was doing.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Great. Did you understand that potions book? I couldn't go farther than page five. It's all nonsense"

"Yes, I've already finished the assignment in class. Would you like me to help you?"

"Really? Thanks, Hermione. Library after dinner?"

"Yeah, sure"

Right when they were next to the Great Hall, Hermione stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't think I should go in there"

"Why not?"

"They'll all judge or laugh at me"

"No they won't. If they do, then swear I'll send a hex their way"

"No, you'll get in trouble!"

"Doesn't matter. As long as no one messes with you"

Hermione blushed at the kind thought.

"No, I can't let you get detention for me"

"Alright, then why don't we just sneak some food out and go to the common room?"

"I guess that's okay"

Harry offered her a smile, and she returned it happily.

He told her to wait there, and he made sure no one else was around before turning into a cat and walking in the Great Hall.

First he went to the Hufflepuff table and purred on someone's lap, trying to pick at the food.

"You want some food, kitty? Alright, maybe a little"

The third year he was on grabbed a piece of bread, but cat-Harry got the rest of it, leaving the student with the small piece.

He walked out of the overly crowded place and gave Hermione the bread. Again, he went in and got to the Gryffindor table for chicken. The Ravenclaws gave him water, which he managed to carry the cup from his mouth.

Lastly, he tried the Slytherins for something. Surprisingly, they gave him a piece of everything. He happily left back to his best friend with his prize.

"Wow, the Slytherins must really like cats" thought Hermione.

"Yeah. Malfoy even tried to get all of someone else's plate to give to me" agreed Harry.

With her help, he carried their dinner to... well he didn't know where exactly.

"Hermione, where are we going to eat? Wait, never mind. I know where we can go" he thought quickly.

It wasn't long until they were outside by the Great Lake, under a large tree that provided shade from the bright sun.

"Hermione, how about you sit by me for our classes? I'll be on my best behavior, I promise. But only if you come to eat in the Great Hall, at least once" asked Harry.

"What if someone makes fun of me?"

"They won't, because I'm around. If I'm with you, they'll back off" assured Harry. Even though they both knew it wasn't 100% true, Hermione agreed.

"Alright, deal" she told him, before taking a bite out of a bit of bread.

As they were finishing up the food, they noticed something at the edge of the lake. It was like a tentacle. A really, really large one.

Curious, Harry walked up to it, making Hermione go after him because she feels like he might do something stupid.

"Harry, don't bother him" she tried to whisper-yell. He ignored her, and reached his arm out to touch the creature's arm.

"How do you know it's a he?"

He turned around when he asked her, standing upright with a raised eyebrow. While he did so, he noticed her look up behind him, and saw a large shadow in front of him of a sea creature.

"H-Hermione?"

"It's alright, he's friendly. It says so in Hogwarts, A History. The giant squid, remember?"

With that information, he relaxed and turned around to see the gigantic squid.

"Do you think he likes bread?"

"He might if it had some fish" she thought.

Harry went to their abandoned food and got a handful of fish that he didn't eat and a piece of bread to stuff it inside.

"Here, boy. Catch!"

With a good aimed throw, Harry gave the squid some food. In return the squid gave a wave and splashed them head to toe with a single tentacle.

"Oh, great! Now I've got to bathe" complained Harry.

"Harry, we've got magic to dry ourselves" reminded Hermione.

"Oh, right" said Harry. A wave of their wands later, they were dry and returned inside the castle.

They went straight to the library, before the group of Ravenclaws that usual occupies the place.