(Disclaimer: The characters and world that you find familiar belong to JK Rowling. I do not own them and make absolutely no money off of them. Anything you don't recognize is mine-unless specified later).

Summary: Everyone has a destiny, not just the Boy-Who-Lived, and Hermione was about to discover her own. Looooooong fic, so please be prepared for a lengthy read.This is primarily a SS/HG fic (so please if you don't like, then go elsewhere) with a very slow burn. So it'll be a while before the two get there. Other pairings include NT/RL and others that will be revealed later. Starts in trio's 6th year but leaves canon after 5th year.

Oh and its rated M for a reason!

Hope you enjoy! and don't forget to review!

Prologue

"First years o'er 'ere!"

A burly man, dressed in brown furs that blended seamlessly with his frizzy beard and hair stepped forward. Hermione gasped, her eyes traveling up the large man in front of her. He was HUGE—no he was a giant. He had to be. She had read about giants in Magical Creatures and Beings, and knew that they existed in the Wizarding World, living in colonies in isolated areas, one of which was just to the North of the castle. Perhaps that's where this man was from, he certainly had the look of a giant. There was no doubt in her mind about that. She wondered what the giant was doing in Hogwarts. Hogwarts: A History hadn't mentioned any alliances that the school made with the Giant Clan.

"What is that man?" A nervous fellow to her left said.

Hermione raised her head, happy that an opportunity to show her magical knowledge was already presenting itself. "He's a giant, of course."

"A giant? Wow! Why'd ya think he's here?" The boy looked to her for the answer.

Hermione flushed slightly. She didn't actually know herself how or why he was here. "Oh, well...he must be a friend of the Headmaster," she guessed. "Professor Dumbledore is supposed to be a very powerful man, you know," she finished a little more confidently.

Her answer appeased the boy, who nodded and turned back to his friend. Inwardly, Hermione released a sigh of relief and vowed to look further into Giant culture later on.

"Come on, come on! Gotta get yer to the boats!" The giant said.

Hermione watched as the boy, Harry Potter, stepped forward to greet the giant.

"Hullo, Hagrid!" he cried, smiling and not the least bit intimidated by the larger man.

"Hiya, 'Arry! Had a good trip on the train?"

"It was brilliant!"

Harry's easy acceptance of the large stranger went a long way to easing the nerves of the other kids, who finally took the first hesitant steps forward.

"Well, we best be off!" Hagrid beamed, ushering them towards the lake where a group of wooden row boats were waiting for them. A couple of students took the initiative, stepping into the boat. Once the two girls were seated, the boat lurched forward and began drifting forward without any oars, or wind, as if by—

"Magic," Hermione breathed. The boats were enchanted to move on their own. Amazing!

"Is this safe?" Neville asked her, sidling up to her side.

"Of course, it's an enchantment. I've read in Hogwarts: A History that first years always arrive in boats, but I didn't know that they would be pulled by magic."

"Wow!" Neville looked at the boats with new eyes. "Do you want to share a boat?"

"Sure."

The two stepped into an open boat and gasped when it pushed forward. Floating around them, other first years gasped in awe and wonder.

"Look!" one of them shouted, pointing towards the fanciful castle they were fast approaching.

"It's Hogwarts!"

"It's huge!"

"Look! There's a Quidditch pitch over there!"

"Awesome! When's the first game!"

"We have to start the school year first, dummy."

Hermione ignored the chattering comments coming from the others. When her boat came to a stop on the shore, she eagerly got out. As a group, they all rushed forward, clambering up the ancient stone steps and through the open doors to the main hall.

She looked around, her eyes consuming every sight. The candelabras, the sconces, the metal soldiers, the stone figures and pictures—that actually moved!

This was it. She had finally arrived at Hogwarts. She was finally going to be a proper witch.

In the bowels of the castle, a dark leather book, wrapped in thick metal chains breathed to life. A shudder of pleasure racked though its cursed pages as it felt the presence of new blood in the castle, blood that it had been waiting for. It tried to reach out with its magic, just to get a taste for the sweet soul that the blood belonged to, but the heavy chains surrounding it quickly tightened their bindings.

It's magic was snuffed out under the chains' pressure and it was forced to calm down once more. The foreign power keeping it locked up, suffocated it and though angry, it stopped trying to reach out. It was too weak to fight its chains for now, but it would wait, and it would watch and when it regenerated enough magic...

Then it would finally make its move.

A/N: Alright and that's the new Prologue! The first dream is still definitely apart of it. It's just been shifted to the first chapter. And no, I didn't use the real dialogue between Harry and Hagrid. I'm using my license as a fanfic writer to go off the beaten path here. Hope you like the new prologue!

And as always, Review~