Mudsnake
is a Harry Potter AU where Hermione is accepted into Slytherin.
Hermione is a muggleborn who lives with her abusive and neglectful parents. Going to Hogwarts is a blessing because it's far away from her home and her previous schoolmates. When she's accepted into Slytherin house, Hermione knows better than to reveal her heritage and tries to pass herself as having squib parents.
Mudsnake provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Hermione's parents physically and emotionally abuse her. It gets worse when she gets accepted into Hogwarts.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Ron doesn't befriend Hermione and, if anything, dislikes her more than he initially did, due to her being Slytherin. He bullies her but even he has standards as he tells adults when their prank gets too dangerous.
- Adaptational Villainy: Hermione's parents are physically and emotionally abusive. In canon, they're just normal, loving parents.
- Adaptation Personality Change: As a result of her abuse, Hermione is more nervous and meek.
- All of the Other Reindeer: All her life Hermione has either been bullied for her intellect or her magical abilities.
- Alternate Universe Fic: Hermione gets accepted into Slytherin.
- Bully Brutality: One of the pranks that Gryffindor's students pull on Hermione is to lock her up in a broom closet in a very-seldom-visited part of the Hogwarts castle, with a charm on the door so nobody will be able to hear her scream. Ron demonstrates that he has some standards by warning the adults about this so they can get her out. Snape makes very clear afterwards that he considers this a full-blown attempted murder (she may not have been found until she was injured from the lack of food and water or worse) and does his damnedest to bring hell on her bullies when Dumbledore only gives them detention (by all means and purposes a slap on the wrist).
- Parental Substitute: Hermione resonates with Snape and the two end up bonding. The story even ends with Snape becoming Hermione's guardian.
