Daughter of the Moon
By The Smart Hufflepuff
Chapter one: When the moon rises magic is in her blood.
Hermione was walking home from a party at her uncle's house hand in hand with her parents, Dan and Emma Granger. She was bouncing, still running on the energy from the cake she managed to sneak away with without her parents noticing. They were dentists you see and therefore candy, and the like weren't something Hermione often enjoyed. Her brown unruly curls were shining in the light from the full moon as she let go of her parents and ran further along the path in the small forest that separated her uncles house form the road. The threes of the forest cast shadows on her face as she laughed. A pearly laugh echoing into the silent night.
A pair of yellow eyes that lay dormant in the shadows were watching her every move, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. Just a little closer… Now!
A scream of pain was ripped from her lips and interrupted the quit night as a big wolf launched into her and threw her to the ground. A crash was heard when it threw her into a three on the other side of the path. Bright red blood was making her hair darken and running down her face like tears. The wolf came near her again growling deep in its throat. In one quick move it was over her again, tearing its claws down her face, before biting her shoulders. Hermione wasn't moving, she was still as a ragdoll as the wolf got up and ran away into the night with big strides, the last they heard from it was a howl. Why it attacked and then didn't finish the job the Grangers never found out, but the fact remains that one fateful night of a full moon would chance their lives forever.
Hermione Granger knew what it was like to be lonely. Kids could be cruel, especially to those who where different. Not only was she smarter than the other in her class, her looks stood out too. With her big bushy hair and buckteeth, she didn't exactly look normal. That wasn't the biggest factor though, the thing that the other kids picked out on the most was her scars. Three jagged white lines running down the right side of her face, those lines made all the difference, her right eye was a milky white all over. That night had made her partially blind.
Hmf, they didn't even know the worst, they didn't even know about the beast living inside her, breaking out once a month. She was, as far as she and her parents could tell, a werewolf. Every full moon she turned into a wolf, she didn't remember of course. She only remembered the pain of her bones cracking, growing and relocating, the pain of her skin breaking to make room for the wolfs. The fact that she had no control over herself was the worst thing she had ever tried. Even worse than the pain.
Hermione feared accidently hurting someone, she knew for a fact that she had almost hurt her parents several times. Every month they locked her in the basement, which they had stripped from all except from an old couch. The couch had been dirty and grimy before but now it was worse. Her blood had joined the spots of god knows what already on it. Sometimes her parents only managed to leave in the last second. They were devastated she had to endure this every month and wanted to support her so bad but couldn't because she would hurt them if they stayed with her. Her parents thought it to be their fault, when truly the other wolf was to blame. Hermione certainly didn't blame them. They didn't know who the wolf was the rest of the month. The thing that truly made this so much worse was that they couldn't find any information about what happened to her. That werewolf was the term they used was only based on facts from fairy tales and myths. For such rational people the need to rely on imaginary stories for facts was frustrating.
Then one day everything changed. It was a Saturday that started completely normal as Saturdays should, when one had just gotten summer holiday. She dressed and went down to eat breakfast, when an owl flew inside, and nothing was normal anymore. Hermione let out a yelp and spilled the milk she was about to drink all over the table. It was dripping down onto the floor, but no one made any move to clean it up. They were all just sitting frozen and staring at the big tawny owl, who was currently nipping the bacon. They were brought out of their stupor by a knock on the door.
Her parents looked at each other before her mother stood to open the door.
"That was strange," Hermione remarked inclining her head towards the owl.
Her father didn't answer he just nodded absentmindly while he starred at the wall with an empty look in his eyes. He focused again when Emma Granger came back to the kitchen. She wasn't alone, a very strange looking woman entered the kitchen with her. Hermione thought she looked like someone dressed for Halloween, what with her black witch hat and emerald green robes. She looked very elegant.
"This is Professor Minerva McGonagall, she wishes to speak with us about Hermione," her mother sounded a bit uncertain.
The strange woman started speaking with a Scottish bur; "My name is Professor Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. I have come hear today to explain all of your questions that are sure to occur when you read the letter our owl has brought you."
When nobody moved, she spoke again; "Go on Miss Granger, open the letter."
Hermione reached out towards the owl who lifted its leg so she could free it from its burden. With shaking fingers, she opened it and read out loud.
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlovk, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards.
Dear Miss Hermione Granger, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Wichtcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July, yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress.
Uniform: First-year students will require.
Three sets of plain work robes (black)
One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil´s clothes should carry name tags.
Course books: All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshwak, A history of Magic by Bagthilda Bagshot, Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling, A Beginner´s Guide to Transfiguration be Emeric Switch, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore, Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble.
Other equipment: 1 wand, 1 cauldron (pewter standard size 2), 1set glass or crystal phials, 1 telescope and 1 set brass scales. Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
Parents are reminded that first years are not allowed their own broomstick."
Nobody said a word as Hermione stopped reading aloud and the three Grangers stared wide-eyed at each other.
"I… I´m a witch?" Hermione asked Professor McGonagall.
"Yes, just like me. Magical people and creatures live all over the world, they are just hidden from the muggle eye. Haven't strange things ever happened around you, when you were happy or angry?"
Hermione thought back to the time the other children in her class had teased her about her scars, when suddenly none of them could speak anymore. It was like someone had removed their tongues or that time in the library when she was too short to reach the book she wanted and suddenly it flew into her hands.
"Well, yes, but we just assumed that was because of the werewolf thing," as soon as she had said it her eyes widened, what was rule number one for the Grangers? Never tell anyone you are a werewolf and by the look on Professor McGonagall's face that had been the right thing to do.
Her face turned pale and she looked panicked at her parents.
"How long have you been undergoing transformations?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Since I was five," she replied looking at the ground.
"And you didn't know about the magical world?", Hermione shook her head.
The witch turned towards Emma and Dan Granger.
"You didn't seek out a doctor, why?"
Dan said something for the first time since the owl flew through the window, "We did, she was hurt badly, we told them she was attacked by a wolf. We had no clue what would happen on the full moon and after that we where at a loss. You don't just go to the doctor and tell them your daughter turns into a wolf once a month, they would put you in the closed ward. Nobody would have believed us."
Professor McGonagall looked sorrowful, "I am sorry for everything you have been through, I´m glad to announce that arrangements can be made at Hogwarts to take care of your problem, we have had a werewolf student before and I´m sure the headmaster won't mind another one. I assume you haven't used the wolfsbane potion?", the utterly confused look on the Grangers faces told her what she needed to know, so she continued, "It allows you to keep your mind under the transformation."
"You can do that, how?" Hermione said excited, she was a witch and she could keep control when transformed, this was quickly becoming the best day of her life.
Professor McGonagall stayed for many hours explaining about Hogwarts and the magical world in general, she even turned herself into a cat and made all the books in the shelf fly around the room. She going to Hogwarts and very soon in only a couple months' time. Professor McGonagall said she would be back tomorrow to take Hermione out to shop for school supplies.
A/N: Thank you very much for reading my story, I hope you enjoyed it thus far and would like to read more. Please leave a review to tell me what you think or if you have any suggestions, constructive criticism is appreciated. *Scatters away and into the darkness to write an other chapter*