Her stellar academic record with outstanding results across the board (but especially in Astronomy, Arithmancy, Potions, and Defence Against the Dark Arts) wasn’t enough to get her into a school that was usually exclusively restricted to pure-bloods. But someone (whom people didn’t like to name) caught and had a private chat with the terrified Karkaroff – his terrified former follower who’d tried to run off during the summer. The thoroughly cowed Headmaster returned obediently to his position at Durmstrang and made a pet of Hermione even more than he once had of Victor. While Durmstrang usually didn’t admit Muggle-borns, after Karkaroff had looked at her genealogical research he decided that having a great-great-grandfather on her mother’s side who was probably a Squib or a wizard would be enough to class her as a "half-blood" for enrolment purposes. Her ancestor had owned a pet owl, and Smith was a wizarding surname after all. It was accepted as sufficiently persuasive evidence of her ancestry, with his Master’s mark burning warningly on his arm.