Hermione doing magic

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 167861

houyhnhnm:

> > Hermione didn't speak of *practicing* magic when she first
> > met Harry and Ron on the train. What she said was "I've
> > learned all our course books by heart, of course. . . . I
> > got a few extra books for background reading." She may
> > have spoken of using magic outside of school somewhere else,
> > though, and I don't remember it.

Geoff:

> With respect, she did and at the beginning of the same
> conversation which you mentioned above.....

> '"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, 
> it's not very good is it? I've tried a few simple spells 
> just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my 
> family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I 
> got my letter but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, 
> it's the very best school of witchcraft there is,I've heard 
> - I've learnt all out set books off by heart, of course, I 
> just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the 
> way, who are you?"'(PS "The Journey from Platform Nine and 
> Three-quarters" p.79 UK edition)

houyhnhnm: 

My bad.  I was reading without my glasses.

As to why Hermione didn't get in trouble with the Ministry, 
I can only imagine that the simple spells she was able to 
do without having ever been to Hogwarts were indistinguishable 
from the spontaneous magic which would be expected and 
overlooked, as others have pointed out.