Some day, this will be a "Last.fm/NetFlix/Amazon for web fiction" (both original and fanfiction) where you can search across many different hosting sites or rate what you've read and get recommendations. However, life keeps throwing more urgent projects my way, so I don't know when it'll be ready.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8643565/13/"And we are done. I couldn't find anything you have to worry about, except for your upper incisors which are a bit too large. I can shrink them right away if you want me to, but other than that you are perfectly healthy," Pomfrey finally concluded. Hermione however looked a bit unsure.
"What's the matter, dear?"
"Oh nothing, Madam Pomfrey! It's just... My parents are dentists and they told me I would get braces when I'm older. I don't know if they would want me to get my teeth fixed by magic," Hermione replied, a bit embarrassed.
"Really now? I never heard about those..." the medi-witch asked but trailed off, stumped by the unfamiliar word.
"Oh, dentists use braces to correct the teeth's position. They glue wires to the teeth that pull them into the correct place," Hermione, like always, was only too happy to explain.
"Really? How very strange... Oh! now I remember! So that's why..." Pomfrey exclaimed. As it seemed Hermione was about to ask the obvious question, she elaborated. "A couple of years ago another muggleborn - fifth year, I believe - had these hideous silver things in her mouth, all over her teeth. They must have been those brassers."
"Braces," Hermione corrected automatically.
"I'm sorry, dear. Anyway, I would really advise you to let me shrink your teeth. When the girl turned up with those braces," Poppy took great care to pronounce the word correctly this time, "she was teased something fierce."
"But why? They are quite common in the muggle world," Hermione asked, now unsure if she wanted to go through with her initial plan to go with the muggle method. She already had enough problems.
"In the muggle world maybe, but here she was the only one with them. Besides, do you really want to run around with those braces in your mouth?"
That finally sold it for Hermione. She was painfully aware that being thought of as odd was not something to aspire to. Children were cruel, it was a simple fact. She would never change herself in some ways - giving up her thirst for knowledge or her drive to excel was never going to happen - but something unimportant like her buck teeth or her bushy hair that she herself despised? And would her parents really object when she explained the matron's reasoning to them?
"Please do it, Madam Pomfrey," she finally said and opened her mouth but kept her eyes closed. After only twenty seconds, the medi-witch said it was done and handed her a small mirror. Hermione's teeth were now perfectly even.
"Please come to me if they suddenly start to shrink or grow. It shouldn't happen though. Now, do you know the teeth brushing spell?"
"Yes, another student showed it to me," Hermione replied dutifully.
"Excellent! That makes my job much easier."
"Umm... Madam Pomfrey," Hermione asked carefully. "I was wondering, is there anything magical I could do about my hair? It's rather untamable."
"Oh, I'm sorry about that, my dear," the woman said, looking genuinely sorry. "But a witch's hair defies even magic. Short of cutting it off I can't help you. I'm sure you'll grow into it."
Apparently magic wasn't a cure-all after all. The powers-that-be must truly hate her, Hermione thought. Magic could cure cancer in a day or two, but bushy hair? Tough luck.
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