Hermione Granger – The Philosopher's Stone
This story just suddenly popped into my head, what if Harry Potter was actually Hermione Granger? I don't know where this will lead, but it is a fun concept to try.
Chapter One – Before the Storm
Drs. Granger Jason and Helen were walking down the road from where they parked in Little Whinging, Surrey. As dentist, but foremost doctors, they believed in exercise whenever they could manage it. Today was a momentous day for the couple, for months now they wanted a baby that appeared to look like them, red or brown hair, brown or green eyes. They could not conceive their own so they turned to adoption.
When Mrs. Baker, one of their patients, called from the Surrey Adoption Agency the Grangers cleared their schedule and came as soon as they could. They entered the building and greeted the matronly secretary.
"Mrs. Baker, so glad you called, you don't know how much this means to us." Jason said, Helen was too emotional to speak.
"I was surprised to see your name on the list when I booked the little lady into the system. I knew I had to call. Please follow me." Mrs. Baker led them to the infant room.
They instantly knew her when they saw her. Helen walked over to the toddler with chestnut red hair and chocolate brown eyes. She picked up the little girl and smiled she was happy beyond believe.
"What – what is her name?" Helen choked out.
"That's just it, we don't know, she was just left before the door in the clothes she had on. No blankets, no note, nothing. I booked her into the system as Jane Doe."
xc
"Hermione," Helen said, "She's a delivery from the gods, Hermione Jean Granger."
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hermione grew up deeply loved by her adopted parents, although they were the only ones. Hermione wasn't very sociable and her voice sometimes came out as bossy. She was very knowledgeable on a wide variety of subjects having a thirst to learn something, but she hasn't found what she wanted to learn, yet.
Kids called her a know-it-all and often picked on her. Teachers were fed up with her constantly correcting them, sure they were wrong, but you just didn't point it out. The Grangers were beginning to run out of options for secondary schools when there was a knock on the door one day.
"Good afternoon Dr. Helen Granger," A strict looking woman wearing a green business suit greeted.
"Have we met before Mrs. –" Helen asked somewhat skeptical.
"Professor actually, Prof. McGonagall," The woman smiled. "And no we haven't met yet, but I have received word that you are looking for a secondary school for your adopted daughter?"
"Hermione can be a handful and it has led to some – differences in opinion." Helen confessed.
"It has often been my experience that studious students just never realized what they wanted to study and ended up studying everything. Hogwarts may have the answers Hermione was looking for."
"I have never heard of Hogwarts secondary school, is it located somewhere up north? I do apologize for my assumption based on your accent if it isn't."
"No need to apologize Dr. Granger, Hogwarts is indeed up north, although my accent has little to do with the location." McGonagall smiled. "I would be surprised if you have heard about Hogwarts. You see Hogwarts is a special type of school only available to children ready to reach secondary school education. It is invite only." McGonagall took out an envelope of yellow parchment and handed it to Helen.
"It is addressed to Hermione?" Helen turned the envelope around to see the wax emblem on the back.
"To your knowledge has anything strange ever happened to or around Hermione while she was growing up?"
"Now that you mention it, we have found her reading books that were way too high for her to reach even with the ladder and no footprints on the shelves. Her hair is also mostly untamable. We found that a braid works for most days." Helen thought some more. "There was also that one time she was trapped very high up and then suddenly appeared next to me on the ground, almost like –"
"Magic, yes," realization dawned.
"Is my daughter magical?"
"We call girls capable of magic, witches and boys, wizards. There is nothing wrong with saying the proper terms."
"How," Helen was shocked understandably.
"We will know more if she accompanies us to our bank. The goblins have enchantments that can identify bloodlines for generations. Or your daughter could be a first generation witch or muggleborn as we call them."
"How much is tuition at this school?" Helen still hasn't opened the letter.
"Hogwarts is funded by our government and as such tuition is free, however all students are required to purchase the required books and equipment themselves. While we are at the bank we can exchange your pounds for magical money called Galleons, Sickles and Knuts. Twenty-nine Knuts to the Sickle, Seventeen Sickles to the Galleon, five pounds will get you a Galleon."
"How much would we need for the school supplies?"
"Roughly two hundred Galleons or a thousand pounds, this covers all the supplies needed by first years including the non-hostile potion supplies like frozen Ashwinder eggs."
"Mom, I'm home!" Hermione called from the door way.
"Oh dear, what an awful host am I?" Helen gasped. "Would you like some tea Prof. McGonagall?"
"That would be gracious of you Dr. Granger." McGonagall was used to parents being too shocked to offer tea that she didn't come to expect it.
"Hermione dear, could you bring the tea service, three cups?" Helen called out.
"Sure thing mom," Hermione called back from the top of the stairs.
She placed her book bag down and hurried to the kitchen to get the tea service ready. She was excited it isn't often that they got guests during the week. Sure it was a Friday but still. As she waited for the kettle to boil she thought about who could be visiting. She didn't see a car so it must be someone that lived walking distance, unless they took a taxi or the bus.
"Good afternoon ma'am," Hermione said as she pushed the trolley into the reception lounge where they normally entertained guests. McGonagall had to do a double take when she saw Hermione.
"Afternoon Ms. Granger, how was school, I believe you just finished the last exam for your curriculum." The woman was clearly a teacher.
"Yes ma'am, I found the test somewhat lacking though, they didn't even include an extra curricular question on the paper." Hermione began serving tea. "Are you from a secondary school ma'am, it is just you hold yourself like a teacher would?"
"Very observant, Ms. Granger, I am indeed from a secondary school. We were discussing the specifics when you arrived." McGonagall smiled, she found Hermione a lot like Lily Evans. Could she be the lost Potter?
"Hermione dear, this is Prof. McGonagall from Hogwarts. She made a propelling argument and I think we might take up her offer." Helen said then handed Hermione the envelope while accepting her tea. Hermione opened the letter and read the contents, only glancing over the header for the headmaster not knowing what the titles meant.
Ms. H. J. Granger
You have graciously been invited to join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As you receive this letter from a representative you may give them the needed reply. Should you accept the invite you will be studying at the most prestige school of magic in the English speaking European community.
Yours Sincerely
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
"Professor I believe there must be a mistake. Most books explicitly state that magic is only viable in fantasy."
"And yet you have displayed acts of accidental magic. Something you might have rationalized away. Like the time you were high up and suddenly appeared next to your mother. That is a type of magic we call Apparate. Did it feel like you were squeezed from all sides?"
"Yes –" Hermione couldn't forget that time, she developed a fear of heights because of it.
"If you require further proof that magic exists –" McGonagall turned into a cat and back again. "I am what is known as an Animagus. I have mastered the skill when I finished my education."
It didn't take much more to convince mother and daughter that Hogwarts was the best choice for secondary school. They just needed to consult with Jason to finalize the arrangements. It was quite easy to convince him, he didn't care for magic and all that, the smile on Hermione's face was all he needed.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
McGonagall arrived the following day for their answer and to take them to the Magic Shopping district, Diagon Alley. Secretly she was also carrying Calla Potter's vault key, Hermione looked suspiciously a lot like Lily, only with James's untamed hair, and Lily did entrust Calla's trust vault key to McGonagall.
Once the Grangers officially agreed to send Hermione to Hogwarts, McGonagall took them to The Leaky Cauldron. They traveled into London and found a parking space. They traveled by foot to a nearby street. Right in between a record store and a book store another one materialized before them.
"I have placed a silent spell on you Drs. Granger so that you may see the entrance of The Leaky Cauldron, once inside the enchantment that hides it from you, the muggle repelling ward, will break on you and next time you can enter without fanfare."
"I highly doubt we will visit here without Hermione, but thank you for the consideration Prof. McGonagall." Jason smiled at the witch.
They made their way through the pub and out the back. There McGonagall showed them which brick to tap with a wand, if they were with Hermione and not another person that ought to know about it already. The brick pulled into itself and soon a large archway formed. Beyond the archway there was a Victorian Style market place, similar to Leadenhall Market.
They walked down the cobbled road to a large white building. There two creatures, goblins according to McGonagall, bowed them through the main door. Inside another set bowed them through a set of golden doors. McGonagall lead them to a free goblin and cleared her throat.
"How may I be off assistance Ms. McGonagall, escorting another mundane born or raised?"
"Indeed Crackspine, may your enemies envy your wealth." Crackspine smiled at the small piece of goblin etiquette. Crackspine leaned over the large desk and took a look at Hermione.
"I suspect you have your suspicions and simply wish to have them confirmed, Ms McGonagall?"
"I do indeed, Crackspine."
"Very well," Crackspine turned to the Grangers. "I will need a lock of your daughter's hair, freshly plucked, if you will."
"Okay," Hermione said, then took some hair in her fingers and pulled hard. With a wince the hair came loose and Hermione handed it over. "What is going to happen now, if I may ask?"
"I am going to place your hair into this runic bowl." Crackspine lifted said bowl. "It will project a tree, since most sentient beings use a tree to represent family. The tree will branch out until it either reaches a magical ancestor or four thousand years of non-magical ancestors."
Crackspine placed the hair into the bowl and it stopped on with just a single branch out, Lily Evans and James Potter.
"It appears that your adopted daughter," The goblin looked at the script underneath Hermione's face, "Hermione Granger is actually our missing Calla Potter. Interestingly enough the name change was made legally through both magical and mundane means and as such is binding."
"How is the name change magically legal?" Helen asked curiously. "We didn't know about magic until yesterday."
"You signed papers when you adopted Hermione didn't you?" McGonagall asked after receiving a nod from the Crackspine. "On it you wrote her new name and when you picked her up she responded to the new name, did she not?"
"Yes, but it still doesn't make sense." Helen protested.
"In the magical world once a legal guardian changes your name and you respond to it positively the name is changed in the hall of record in the Ministry of Magic. Only a handful of officials are allowed to visit the hall. So in most cases unless you ask for the records it can go unseen for hundreds of years."
"How did you come to suspect our daughter might be someone else?" Jason asked.
"I have taught James and Lily when they were in Hogwarts. Hermione looks a lot like Lily, only her hair might be as unruly as James's if not more so." McGonagall cleared her throat. "We can discuss this later though. We are here to make a withdrawal it seems instead of an exchange." McGonagall handed a small golden key to the goblin.
"All is in order," Crackspine leaned back the only word Hermione understood at that moment was the goblin's name he called, Griphook.
Griphook led them through one of the doors behind the counters and gave a low whistle. Soon a cart arrived and everyone got seated. Griphook gave another whistle, this one in a slight different tone and the cart speeded down the railway. Minutes later it arrived at a decorated door."
"Key please" Griphook said and Hermione handed it over. Griphook took the key and turned it in midair. The door seemed to melt as green gas spilled out of it. "You may now enter, there is a pouch hanging just inside the door that you can store the coins in. The pouch can't contain anything other that magical currency and it can never be filled completely no matter how many coins you place in it."
Not having heard how the currency conversion worked with her mother, Hermione piled several handfuls of coins in the pouch. She checked the pouch after a few seconds and saw a little projected image of α500, ß300 and σ50. She knew the names of the coins so she knew that she had five hundred Galleons, three hundred Sickles and fifty Knuts, she just hoped it would be enough.
"Where would you like to go first?" The elder Grangers exchanged a look.
"We would like to visit the book shop last, so anywhere else would be fine." Helen said and Hermione visibly deflated. She knew exactly why they wanted to visit the book shop last. Closing time would force them out before she could accumulate all the books she wanted.
The first shop they visited was Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Inside a witch dressed in mauve took Hermione to the back and got her measured, she was alone so she took the time to study the robes around her. It seems that for women and girls' robes were more varied, as she saw several styles resembling normal mundane dresses, although more conservative. Soon Hermione was done and her robes and several school uniforms were waiting at the counter. They paid for it and left for the next store.
Slug and Jiggers Apothecary was in interesting shop even if it did smell like bad eggs and rotten cabbage. Hermione got three sets of the first year potions kit, upon inquiry she said it was for homework and preparation practice. She also got a potioneer's knife and her scales at the shop. A potioneer's knife was a knife that would never dull, melt or break even when working with the most volatile ingredients. It only set her back α25, which is why most students didn't get it.
Next stop was Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment. Hermione found a nice telescope in the shop as well as several other items that caught her attention, like a large set of crystal phials that had an unbreakable rune etched into it, called Lily's Gift Set. She took it in honor of her real mother whose name she only learned that day, not knowing that it was her mother who patented the design to begin with, and that a percentage went into her Trust Vault from every sale. Hermione knew from a very young age that she was adopted and it didn't bother her, she had loving parents and that was enough for her.
They got Hermione's cauldron for Potage's Cauldron Shop along with three different types of stirrers. The owner insisted that for some potions one type of stirrer worked better than others, he also gave Hermione a guide to the types of potions were better suited for which stirrers. It would help her greatly according to McGonagall.
The next stop was Ollivander's Wands, since the only other shop was Flourish and Blott's Book Shop. Ollivander's reminded Hermione of a strict library, she could feel the magic in the air. She could see the potential on the shelves thousands of possibilities. One thing she didn't anticipate was the voice suddenly speaking behind her.
"Welcome to Ollivander's, makers of fine wands since 382 B.C." Hermione almost jumped out of her skin. "You are not who you appear to be, no matter we will find a wand for you here somewhere."
Ollivander pulled out a tape measure and set it to work. It measured everything on Hermione's body. After the tape measure did its work Ollivander asked Hermione to hold out her wand arm, she assumed it was her dominant hand so she held out her left hand.
"Interesting, not many favor their left hand. I only had a few in the last decade. One was a particularly tricky customer called Lily Evans." Ollivander went to the back of the shop and returned with a bundle of wands. "I keep my left dominant wands separate from the rest. I find it easier to find their match that way. Try this wand it has been here since before my time, vine wood and Billywig Stinger, bendy."
When Hermione took hold of the wand she could feel it warming her from the inside out. The magic flowed from somewhere inside her through her left arm and into the wand. When it reached the tip of the wand it emitted red and gold sparks.
"Fascinating, but very curious," Ollivander said as he took the other boxes to the back of the shop again repeating curious every few steps.
"Sorry sir, but what is curious?" Hermione asked.
"In all my years selling wands I have never found a match with the first wand and I only ever sold three wands with rare cores. The other two were James Potter and Lily Evans." He shook his head, "If my tape measure didn't register you as Hermione Granger I would've been tempted to say you could be their daughter."
Hermione kept quiet after getting a look from both her parents and McGonagall. They paid for the wand and a holster for her leg to keep the wand in. The holster would fit underneath a pair of knee-high socks, like the ones worn by Hogwarts students, or even inside a high top boot, like the ones Hermione were currently wearing.
The last stop was Flourish and Blott's. As soon as they entered Hermione disappeared into the shelves. With a sigh the elder Grangers went to the shop clerk and got the standard first year school book list. Nearly an hour later they ventured into the shop and found Hermione with a pile of books browsing for more.
"Hermione dear, I believe they have a library at Hogwarts." Helen said with a sigh.
"A very extensive one," McGonagall confirmed, she checked the gathered books, "And all but three of these titles are available in it." Hermione's eyes widened. An extensive library, that was perfect.
Her parents helped Hermione put most of the books back into the shelves and got her the three titles that Hogwarts didn't have, along with Hogwarts a History. The other books were Charms for Everyday, Unjinx a Jinxand Magical Genealogy. The shop owner also gave Hermione another book on the house, since the books she bought were high end: An Introduction to the World of Magic (including what Slurs means what).
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Since this is an experiment I'm going to end this chapter here. I would like to read as many reviews as possible to know if you lovely people like this concept or hated it, as long as the hate isn't flames.