Hermione cracks a small smile at the mention of sibling rivalry. "Ron was the youngest of six boys, so I remember hearing him complain that he rarely had anything new, and that there was no accomplishment he could achieve that hadn't been done before by one of his other siblings. I can't imagine what it would have been like, needing to compete for my parents' attention like that."

She hesitates for a moment, thinking about her parents, and how they're her only family in all the world... after a fashion. "Family isn't just blood," she admits. "There's something... deeper to it. Friends are the family you choose, after all. Even if you don't always get to choose your friends, either."