Chapter Text
Hermione was in a good mood, excited even as she strode down one of Hogwarts' many corridors. Hagrid had gotten a batch of new cruppies and she was going to meet Harry, Ron, Ginny, Nev, and Luna to go get first glance at them. She was even toying with the idea of taking one for herself. Crookshanks probably wouldn't like that very much, though, so maybe she could convince Harry to get one and split joint custody. All in all, the promise of her best friends and a bunch of cute pups had her feeling cheerful and she couldn't wait to finish the day and enjoy herself.
She eagerly strode down the hall, having stayed a bit after charms to talk with Professor Flitwick about potentially helping him with some of the struggling first years and had lost track of time. She knew how excited her friends were and didn't want to keep them waiting on her, so she rushed off to meet up with them. She was in such a hurry to get back to her friends that she didn't even realize she was heading straight into the path of certain doom.
"Oi! Watch where the hell you're going!" Was shouted as Hermione collided straight into the body of Bellatrix Black.
Hermione Granger was many things, smart, talented, a bit of a loudmouth, but most importantly, a good person. She was raised to say please and thank you. To apologize to others and be considerate to everyone and everything. She took pride in caring and being thoughtful towards others.
"Why should I watch where I'm going? You could have just as easily avoided me, you know?"
But Bellatrix Black was the exception.
Hermione was the one who had been half-running down the hall and normally she would say she was sorry to the person she collided with, but the thought of conceding anything to Bellatrix was almost physically painful.
Bellatrix had been a thorn in Hermione's, well, everything, since day one. It was a shame, really. Bellatrix was smart. Really smart. She and Hermione were constantly in battle for the top spot in each class. Hermione had honestly been kind of excited at first, she had finally found someone who she could compete with! She knew there would be some hostility, each prideful and wanting to be the best, but she had also, perhaps naïvely, hoped the two of them could find common ground. It was embarrassing to admit, even to herself, but she had imagined it as being like something out of a novel. Enemies in public but friends behind the scenes. Rivals, assuredly, their personalities allowing nothing else, but also willing to put that aside at the end of the day to have a good conversation with a like-minded person.
Instead, she had been hit with the wizard equivalent of a stuck-up rich kid. A magically racist, stuck-up rich kid. (There was probably a joke in there somewhere about grand wizards and the KKK, but Hermione wouldn't be the one to make it). Of all the things Hermione had anticipated in the wizarding world, unlocking an additional, bonus type of bigotry specific to the supernatural, on top of the existing muggle bigotry, was not one of them. And, as it turns out, magical prejudice is just as boring and mundane as the muggle type. Surely people who were surrounded by mythical creatures, and all types of unexplainable phenomena would just learn to roll with whatever, right? Nope. Fancy that. So, instead of gaining a competitor but potential confidant, Bellatrix Black had determined on day one that she, Hermione Jean Granger, wasn't worthy of that.
And Hermione hated it.
While other bullies that Hermione had in the past and present had gone out of their way to antagonize her, singling her out and trying to publicly humiliate her, verbally or physically, Bellatrix mostly just ignored her. If anything, that was worse. They were supposed to be equals! They were supposed to engage in high-spirited banter and energetic rivalry! But Bellatrix had somehow come to the conclusion that Hermione wasn't good enough to even look at. Sure, she occasionally made mean comments toward her, especially if others were around, but most of the time she just straight up ignored her. It made her feel small and inferior in a way that no stupid insult ever could.
"You expect me to do anything for the likes of you?" Bellatrix looked scandalized at even the suggestion of such a thing.
"Oh grow up. You wouldn't be doing anything for me. Just moving a couple inches so we didn't smack into each other"
"Or, maybe next time I'll just blast you out of the way by force. I could probably see you from across the school with that mangy hair of yours, so I'll just flipendo you before you even get close. Teach you to know your place and stay away from me next time"
She should have let it drop. Bellatrix wouldn't apologize, and neither would she. She should just walk away and go enjoy some fluffballs with her friends. But something urged her to stay. She was sick of being ignored by Bellatrix, of being treated like she wasn't good enough. She wanted the other girl to acknowledge her dammit. If antagonizing her was the way to do it, so be it. Her mind had quickly taken notice of the fact that this was really the first time she and Bellatrix had been alone together, and a part of her hoped that would make the darker witch more amiable. That maybe, Bellatrix's attitude towards her was just some sort of front, or at the very least, played up and exaggerated for the benefit of her little pureblood plebeians. Realizing there was currently nothing else to distract either of them, Hermione decided she would make do with what little time she had of Bellatrix's undivided attention no matter what to further her goal of getting the Black heir to see her as the formidable witch she is.
"A first-year knockback jinx? Surely the heir of the most ancient and noble house of Black can come up with something better to hit me with than that. I could counter it in my sleep"
"Obviously I could. But why would I risk getting in trouble with a more powerful curse when a simple hex would be easy enough to take you down. I can do a wandless and wordless confringo, knock you out without even having to say a word or lift a hand" Bellatrix said with a smug smile.
"If you bothered to look past your own nose, you'd know I can do the same. Face it, Black, we have almost the same scores in everything. You know full well that I could take you in a duel. You can dislike me as a human being all you want, but at least acknowledge the facts"
"And what facts would those be?"
"That you're not as far above me as you want everyone, including yourself, to believe. I'm the only person in the entire school that comes close to your skill level, you owe me a bit of respect for that at least, right?" Hermione tried not to sound like she was pleading with the other girl, not wanting Bellatrix to get an ego or think Hermione cared too much about her opinion, but she so desperately wanted her to see reason.
"Owe it to you, is that right? I owe you nothing, mud! If you want it so badly, then give me one good reason why I should respect you" Bellatrix demanded with a raised eyebrow, disdain clear on her face.
"I can't"
Bellatrix looked baffled before letting out a sound that was a mix between a disbelieving scoff and a hysterical laugh.
"You can't? You don't have one? You can't give me a single reason to respect you? You're my competition for brightest witch and you can't even come up with any reason I should even consider treating you as more than a disobedient pet. At the very least you're self-aware" Bellatrix snickered.
"You misunderstand me. I have reasons for why others should respect me, but reasons that would convince you specifically? You already know that I'm top of almost every class, a close second in the ones you've got a leg up on. You know that I'm a good dueler. You know that I've managed to earn the respect of the majority of the staff. You certainly know that Harry, Ron, and I helped when dementors broke loose and attacked the Hogwarts' Express so I'm not just book smart. But you asked the question anyway. Clearly, if those reasons were good enough, you would have already been aware of them and wouldn't have asked me to provide them for you"
"Maybe I just wanted to hear you try to impress me. I do so enjoy watching people vie for my attention" Bellatrix took on a mocking tone as she did a little impersonation of Hermione eagerly raising her hand, "Oh, oh, Bellatrix! I'm so smart, Bellatrix! I'm so talented, Bellatrix! We should be best friends forever!" Bellatrix laughed cruelly at her own impression. "I get it, really. You're hopelessly in love with me and want so badly to make me like you, but it isn't going to happen"
"Forgive me, I forgot that asking to be treated with basic human decency is the modern version of a love confession"
"Forgot, did you? Or thought I wouldn't realize what you were up to? I always had suspicions about you. I bet you, Potter, and the Weasel have a friendship bound by your mutual penchant for lusting after women that are so much better than you"
In her head, Hermione kind of silently agreed with that observation. She, Harry, and Ron were all socially awkward to different extents and had latched on to each other for it. They honestly did sort of bond over their shared inability to talk to people, specifically cute girls. Just as recently as yesterday, the three of them plus Ginny had been gushing over how good Cho Chang looked playing against Hufflepuff. Ginny and Harry had been mooning over Cedric together as well. It was kind of funny, really, how Harry and Ginny had a solid and loving relationship with the added benefit of them having the same taste in men and women. Bellatrix didn't need to know any of that, however.
"Regardless, I can't give you a reason to respect me because I already know that none of them would be good enough"
"That's a funny way of saying that I have standards and you meet none of them"
"Standards? Plural? You have one standard, Bellatrix. One. It's to be born a pureblood. Your one standard is something that I have absolutely no control over and that any idiot can be born into. Your incredibly high pureblood standard, singular, was achieved by Crabbe, Goyle, and Parkinson. Truly, the highest of standards"
Bellatrix suddenly looked enraged.
"What the fuck are you trying to get at? Are you saying I'm easy? That I'll whore myself out to any dumbass with a pulse as long as they're a pureblood? Because if so I'd watch your fucking back, cunt"
"I don't think you'd whore yourself out to anyone. I'm just saying it doesn't make sense when all signs point to me being the person closest to your level and yet instead you insult me in favor of the likes of the Malfoys and Lestranges"
"I insult them, too. You're not special"
"Thanks"
"So you do know manners!"
"My point is that if you got over yourself and your family long enough to critically think about the viewpoint you're so eager to gab on about so often, you'd reach the same conclusion the rest of us have, which is that it's stupid, nonsensical garbage. I've proven myself as a competent witch. More than competent, actually. Besides you? I'm the best there is. Everyone knows it. And I think you know it too, yet you choose to ignore it? How convincing is your little purity cult if you need to ignore what's easily proven to make a point"
"Are you done jerking yourself off yet? Is it my turn to speak?" Bellatrix asked with a fake yawn, Hermione rolling her eyes at how crude the other girl was. "You being good in classes means next to nothing. All it says is that you can follow directions and choose to do so, beating out people who just don't care enough to try. The other purebloods here know that Hogwarts is a joke and don't need to bother proving themselves, so they don't. That doesn't mean they're not easily more powerful than you, it just means they won't dance like monkeys to try and impress a bunch of old fucks"
"You are so full of it. There's no way in hell you believe that. You're meaning to tell me, that not a single pureblood here is bothering to try. That the reason I'm doing the best is due only to the fact that literally no other pureblood is making an effort" Hermione stated incredulously.
"Yup"
"Absolute bullshit. I know for a fact that there are pureblood Ravenclaws doing their best to beat me and they still can't. And what about you, huh? Where do you fall in this whole thing? You act like I'm some dog begging for treats because I'm on top, but guess what buddy? You're right there next to me. So what does that make you?"
"Let me explain this for you, in simpler terms, so that your little muggle brain-"
"Not a muggle"
"Quite, your better is speaking. So that your little muggle brain can comprehend it. The wizarding world is a hierarchy. Purebloods are at the top and you, itty bitty speck, are at the waaaaaay way bottom. But even in pureblood circles, there are still tiers of greatness. And guess where I rank? Go on, give it a guess, prove you aren't braindead"
"The top?" Hermione drawled in boredom.
"Well done," Bellatrix said with a condescending smile. She reached forward as if about to pat Hermione on the head, before making a face of exaggerated disgust and withdrawing her hand, as if offended by even the thought of touching her. "I'm at the top. The other purebloods don't try because they know it is beneath them and so they fail. I don't have to try and I still manage to succeed. If I bothered to use my full potential, you'd be buried so far beneath me they'd mistake you for a gnome. Lucky for you, I feel no need to prove myself to the lesser folk"
"This is so stupid. This conversation is so stupid and pointless. Your logic is baffling and the conclusion you want both of us to come to belongs in a stand-up routine. I bet that if you actually got to know me, you'd probably like me better than your little pureblood mates. If you weren't brainwashed into the blood purity nonsense all your arguments against me would collapse" Hermione paused and looked Bellatrix dead in the eye with a smirk. "I think, that if you didn't know my blood status, you'd even mistake me for a pureblood"
"That's ridiculous" Bellatrix sputtered. "A filthy little mudblood like you? Anyone could tell your blood status just by smelling you"
"Is that right?" Hermione asked, taking a step forward to get in Bellatrix's face. She had never really been this close to the other girl before, never held a full conversation with her, and suddenly realized that she had a fair bit of height on the other girl. She didn't tower over her like Ron would, but she had to noticeably look down in order to make eye contact. It made her feel a bit smug, pettily enough.
"Yeah, of course it's right. You practically have mudblood carved into your skin!"
"Prove it"
"What?"
"I want you, Bellatrix Black, to prove how you can tell my blood status"
"As much as I like scaring muggles, I have a life. I can't just kidnap your parents and do blood testing to prove you're related to them"
"What?! Jesus, no. Stay the hell away from my parents. God, really, what the-? No. My point, Bellatrix, is that you shouldn't need to go as far as DNA sampling and paternity tests. If muggleborns are inherently lesser than purebloods, you should be able to look at me and easily point out traits that make me a non-pureblood, no complex testing required. I challenge you to give me a written, concrete list of characteristics of mine that make me different, worse, than you" Hermione finished, crossing her arms.
The two stared at each other in silence for a moment.
"No"
"What?"
"Yeah, no. I'm not doing that. You think I have nothing better to do with my time than stalk you? No thanks. Have a terrible day, hope you fall down a flight of stairs" Bellatrix brushed past Hermione and made to walk away from her. Hermione stared after her in shock for a couple seconds before quickly recovering. Bellatrix wanted to be difficult? Alright, Hermione would rise to that. There was a lot to be said about changing someone's mind through kindness and patience, but Hermione could also say a lot about being an annoying little provoker that uses someone's pride against them. Hermione could say a lot about many things. It was her specialty, after all. So say a lot she did.
"Whatever! I knew you wouldn't! It's because you can't! Blood purity is pseudoscientific bullshit with no backing! It's all rubbish and you know it!" Hermione yelled after her, getting louder as she tried to get a reaction. "The only possible thing that would point at muggleborns being worse than purebloods is that on average they tend to score a bit lower in classes. But that can easily be explained by the fact that they don't know about magic until they come to Hogwarts. Purebloods have an 11 year advantage and they can practice at home, which muggleborns can't! It's not that they're born worse, they're victims of circumstance! It's similar to the theory of IQ and race correlation, the data would suggest that minorities have inherently lower IQ based on empirical data but the reality is that forced relocation and slavery have put them at a wealth disadvantage that causes a domino effect of not having access to the same level of wealth and resources that white people have built up for years. Muggleborns are similarly being uprooted and forced into a world they have no previous precedent in as opposed to purebloods that have centuries of wealth and complex magic right at their fingertips! It's not about innate ability, anyone can learn and grow, it's just about focusing on what the individual needs in order to succeed in their environment! In fact-"
"Merlin would you shut the bloody fuck up! You're so annoying, you are so fucking annoying. It's like you have a constant sonorous cast on you, you obnoxious freak" Bellatrix whirled around and even went as far as to throw an oscausi, which Hermione easily reflected. "I have no idea what the fuck you were rambling about, and I don't care so don't even start. I didn't want to do your stupid bet or whatever because the sight of you makes me sick, not because I can't"
"Hmmmmm sure. It should be easy, though, right? If purebloods are so obviously superior to everyone else, then giving me a clear list of facts that prove how you can tell my blood status should be no problem for the great Bellatrix Black. It would take you a day at most" Hermione paused in fake consideration before continuing. "You know, if you did do this, make the list of reasons I couldn't be a pureblood that is, you'd both be proving me wrong and be able to list all my flaws in one go. Aren't you a little tempted?"
That got Bellatrix's attention.
"Fine. Fine! You want me to make a whole list dedicated to why you're a pathetic little nobody and then recite it right to your face? Sounds like my birthday came early. I'll do it. And then I'll read the bloody list to you in the great hall and then finally you'll shut the fuck up" Bellatrix spat out.
The high road could be so overrated sometimes. Especially when dealing with someone who already thinks you're lower than dirt.
"Sounds wonderful. I never miss a meal, so I can't wait to hear it"
Hermione smiled sweetly and Bellatrix rolled her eyes before both went their separate ways.
By the end of her little list, Hermione knew that Bellatrix Black would see reason, she just knew it.