Dear Mum and Dad,
Hello! You haven't forgotten about me already, have you? Ha ha.
School is great! You would love it here, Mum. It's beautiful. I've shown you pictures of it before in my books, but it's much different when you're actually here. It's so green—when it's not raining, that is. There's this huge lake, and when it's not too hot or stormy, the teachers told us that we're allowed to do our homework by it. But we're not allowed to go swimming in it- apparently there's a giant squid and mermaids and all these other amazing things inside it. I hope I get to see them!
You remember how I told you about the four 'houses' that we are divided into? Sneaky Slytherin, kind Hufflepuff, smart Ravenclaw, and Brave Gryffindor? Well, I thought I'd be sorted into Ravenclaw, but the intelligent hat (it can actually TALK, and it makes up POEMS!) that they use to choose who goes where ultimately decided that I belonged in Gryffindor. That's alright, of course—being brave is much better than being 'sneaky', at least. And honestly, I'd always thought I looked better in red than blue anyways.
The classes are SO INTERESTING here. I'm taking Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, potions with Professor Snape, History of Magic with Professor Binns, Defense against the Dark Arts with Professor Quirrell, Astrology with Professor Sinistra, Charms with Professor Flitwick, and Herbology with Professor Sprout. They give so much homework, but most of the Professors are very nice. I'm learning so much! Transfiguration seems to be my favorite, but of course I'm doing well in all of them.
I haven't really made friends yet. Of course, it's only been one month. These things take time. I'm on friendly terms with the Gryffindor girls my age that I share a room with- Lavender, Parvati, Annie, and Daisy. I was afraid they would tease me when they saw that I slept with Buttons, but it turns out that they all have plush animals that they can't sleep without, too. We were all quite relieved to learn this about each other; apparently we had all been worried about being teased for no reason.
Don't worry about me—I'm only a little homesick. Ok, maybe more than a little. But I will see both of you at Christmas! And I'm fine, really. There is plenty of delicious food, and everything I need is taken care of. And don't worry; I'm still brushing and flossing my teeth twice every day.
Love,
Hermione.
P.S. I borrowed this owl from the school owlery. I asked it to stay at the house until you had written a response. Please be so kind as to leave a window open at all times for him, and to provide him with a dish of drinking water. When you're ready to send the letter, simply hand it to him- he'll take it in his beak. Then tell him my name and where I am. Don't worry—he'll get it to me. They're very smart.
Dear Mum and Dad,
So much has happened this month. Professor McGonagall advised me not to explain this in too much detail because you would be unnecessarily worried, but the gist of it is that I fell into a huge amount of trouble- I almost died. But these two boys saved me, and I'm 100% fine and safe now. Please don't worry—it was a one-time thing.
Do you remember when I told you about all of the wizarding world drama eleven years back with the evil wizard? And how Harry Potter was only a baby at the time, but he somehow managed to defeat that evil wizard? Well, Harry is here now. He's the same age as I am. And he's one of the two boys that rescued me.
He and his friend, Ron Weasley, were not very nice to me at first. But when that terrible thing happened to me this evening, they were there to save me. They risked their lives to protect me. And suddenly, within half an hour, we've become friends. I can't remember the last time I've ever felt this happy—I've never actually had real, true friends before. And please don't worry- I don't even have a single scratch now from everything that happened. My face and knees got scraped and splintered up, but Madam Pomfrey (the school nurse) is very, very good at her job, even if she isn't the most pleasant.
I'm doing well in all of my classes, of course. I'm already preparing for end-of-the-year exams. As I always say, being prepared is the best thing you can do. Everything is going well. Several of the teachers have said that I'm the best witch of my age that they've ever taught.
Oh, and before I forget, thank you for that Halloween gift! It's getting very cold here, and so I appreciate the orange-and-black gloves. Lavender thought it was strange that you didn't just send candy like all of the other parents, so I explained how you two are dentists. Apparently most of the students here haven't ever even heard of a dentist, and so they made me explain it to everybody. They seemed very interested. You may even have new customers this summer—everybody was curious to find out what a dentist appointment would be like.
I love both of you very much, and I hope you are alright. Please send me a reply as soon as possible, and tell me everything that is going on back at home!
Love,
Hermione.
P.S. The white owl is Hedwig, Harry's owl. The barn owl is the school's one that I borrowed. I did this because I didn't pack enough cold-weather clothes and I'm getting pretty cold. If you would, could you pack up a few winter clothes up and send it to me with them? Between the two of them they should be strong enough to carry them.
Dear Mom and Dad,
Snow is everywhere! It's beautiful, but very cold. Thank you for sending me my coats and socks. The lake's surface is almost completely frozen. I asked if this would harm the mermaids, but I was told that they're similar to goldfish in that the colder the weather gets, the slower their metabolism gets. Then they are stuck in limbo, unable to move, until the weather warms again. Then they go back to normal, completely unharmed. Fascinating!
I've met Harry's friend, Hagrid. He's the gate keeper at Hogwarts, and he's very kind. He seems scary at first, simply because he's so big—he must be almost eight feet tall. But he's very kind. He makes tea for us in his cabin. Not the tastiest tea, but it's the thought that counts.
It seems as if Harry, Ron, and I are always together. I don't know what I would do without them. They are very good friends- maybe you could meet them someday? Harry apparently had no idea that he was famous until this year- he was raised by his cruel, non-magical relatives who mistreated and lied to him for years. He didn't even know magic existed until this year. And as for Ron, well, Ron was raised in an all-wizarding family with five older brothers and one younger sister. Two of his older brothers, the twins, are the school troublemakers. Yes, they're nice, but they seem to cause havoc wherever they go.
I'm the top student in every single one of my classes, of course. Although Harry seems to be doing very well in Defense against the Dark Arts. Still, I have to say, I don't entirely trust Professor Snape. I think he's up to something no good. There's definitely something going on. Ron, Harry, and I found a classroom we thought was empty (don't ask why. It wasn't my fault. I blame them.) And it turned out to have a MASSIVE three-headed dog in it that tried to EAT us. It was terrifying. But I noticed that under one of its paws (that was bigger than my entire body) was a trapdoor. The dog is guarding something, and Snape is trying to get at it. I just know it. It bit him, for heaven's sake.
Oh, but, no need to worry. Most of the time such crazy things don't happen. Ron's teaching me how to play wizard's chess. It's similar and yet a lot different than regular chess in that the pieces move and actually talk to you, and they have the unfortunate tendency to smash each other up.
We had flying lessons this month- they were very interesting, but I wasn't so good at it. Harry was so good at it; I was surprised. He was brilliant, and he was quickly recruited to join the Gryffindor Quiddich team. He was so very excited. I'm happy for him- their first game is this month.
I'll see you at Christmas. Don't forget to be at King's Cross Station on December seventeenth, between platforms nine and ten, at around four in the afternoon. I look forward to seeing you.
Love,
Hermione.
P.S. This owl belongs to Ron's family. His name is Errol, and I don't think he's entirely well. I would've just used Hedwig, but Harry borrowed her to send a letter to Hagrid. So please take care of Errol—he may be unconscious by the time he reaches the house. Some water and a warm, soft place to sleep should suffice.
Dear Mum and Dad,
It was lovely to spend my Christmas vacation with you two- I'd missed you so much. I loved being able to see you again and to "hang out" like before Hogwarts.
I got back without a hitch, and Ron, Harry, and Hagrid were waiting for me at the drop-off point. They're so nice- Ron got me some chocolate frogs for Christmas, Harry got me some Droobles gum, and Hagrid made me what I think is supposed to be fudge. Yes, yes, I know; candy rots your teeth. But it was a nice thought, anyway.
More strange things are going on. Hagrid is trying to hatch a dragon's egg, which is illegal. But of course, I'm not going to blow the whistle on him—like you always said, dad, friends look out for friends. And it is a fascinating egg—it's beautiful. I am concerned for Hagrid though. He seems to have a love for the more dangerous creatures.
And I'm worried about Harry, too. When he thinks I'm not looking he'll make these grimacing faces, like he's in pain, and he'll clasp his hand tightly over his scar. And you remember how I told you that I think Professor Snape tried to kill Harry at the match? Somebody's got it in for my friend, and I'm not going to stand for it. I can't do that.
Classes have started back in full; it seems the teachers are working us double time in order to be able to excel on our end-of-the-year examinations. We have so much homework we barely have any time to do anything else. I mean, Harry has Quiddich practice, but other than that it's just meals, sleeping, and work, work, work. Not that I'm complaining- I'm still top in everything. Not to worry.
It's still dreadfully snowy—it's not pretty little flakes anymore; it's bitter cold. I've learned how to conjure up a flame in a jar that Ron, Harry, and I carry underneath our jackets to keep warm on the way to the herbology greenhouse. It works wonders.
Good luck with your Teeth Conference Speech, mum; you're brilliant, I just know you'll blow the critics away with minty-fresh breath. Tell me how it goes, alright?
I love you!
Love,
Hermione
P.S. Hedwig has seemed a bit moody lately. I'd suggest you don't try to pet her- the last time Ron tried to stroke her she bit him very hard. Just give her her water and leave her alone until you can give her your reply letter.
Dear Mum and Dad,
Hello! It feels like it's been a really long time since I last wrote. All of my classes are going well enough. Everybody says that it will get warmer any day now, and it's true that it's stopped snowing, but the snow has shown no sign of melting. It's pretty difficult to walk across the grounds without sinking to your knees in it. It's pretty fluffy, but even so whenever that happens your clothes are completely soaked. And it's really hard to find Hedwig; she blends in so perfectly with the snow. That's why I borrowed this one with black wings from the owlery.
How is everything back home? Is it this snowy there, too? Are you two happy? Do you miss me, ha ha? Tell me everything that's going on with you two! Oh, and happy birthday, mum! Your present should reach you in a few days as soon as I find an owl willing to carry such a heavy thing through the snow. Whenever I ask they give me dirty looks and turn their backs on me. I suppose I'll just have to have two or three carry it together.
Hagrid's dragon hatched! And my goodness, he's beautiful. Hagrid named him Norbert. But I don't know how safe it is to raise a dragon that was born coughing sparks in a wooden house. But Hagrid is infatuated with him and refuses to send him away to professional dragon handlers. Norbert bit Ron on the hand just yesterday and the skin has already turned green. I'm trying to make him go to the hospital wing already, but he's just so stubborn.
And Harry? Don't get me started on how much he's freaking me out. He'll just stare off into space for LONG periods of time and whenever anybody touches him or says his name, he jumps a foot into the air. He gets so sweaty, and Ron told me in secret that Harry talks like a mad man in his sleep. I don't know what to do. But I know what you'd say if you were here, Dad. You'd say that the root of all problems is found in the root canal. Maybe I should look at his teeth, but probably when he's not paying attention or he'll think I'm crazy.
I never told you how fantastic the school library was. It's huge. The biggest I've ever seen. I could spend months in there and still not finish a single shelf. I do spend plenty of time in there, although not as often as I would like. You would love it here, mom. Although the castle is somewhat drafty and confusing, the food is good, the classes are interesting, and it seems as if I learn a hundred new things every day. I'm so happy that I'm here, even if I do miss you so very much. Send me some pictures!
Love,
Hermione
P. S. Harry got an amazing Christmas present. He said I couldn't tell anybody what it was or that he had it because it's a secret, bur apparently it belonged to his father, James Potter, before he died. It's fantastic what you learn here.
Dear mum and dad,
Happy Valentine's Day! Oh, the castle looks so wonderful. They've decorated it so it looks all lovey-dovey. Ron and Harry keep gagging every time small paper hearts flutter from the ceiling (I put a few of them that landed on my head during Potions today into this envelope so that you could see them) but I think it's fantastic. The older students get to go to the nearby Wizard's village for today—shopping, dates, that sort of thing. I can't wait for my third year—Hogsmeade sounds remarkable.
On a darker note, some shady things have been going on. Now, don't get too mad—I was trying to help out a friend. I wasn't doing anything terrible, but I did break the rules. Please, please don't feel too angry. I was doing what I thought was the right thing. Let me tell you the whole story, and please read it with an open mind:
Harry, Ron, and I were at Hagrid's hut, after hours. And no, they didn't negatively influence me to do so—I did it because I wanted to. I was there because Norbert has been growing rapidly and he keeps setting things on fire. Hagrid became frightened when his bed caught on fire and requested that at least one of us be there at all times, since he isn't allowed to perform magic, to help him out. So that is what we are doing. And it would've all turned out fine, too, if Draco Malfoy hadn't been spying on us. You remember Malfoy, right? I told you about him—the snooty, rich boy who is always mean to us? Well, he thought he'd follow us to see where we were going and get us in trouble.
And then Draco saw the dragon. I'm still not sure what is going to happen. So Draco goes to Professor McGonagall, but even that isn't all. Apparently Neville Longbottom (the nice, shy boy with the toad that I told you about during Christmas vacation) followed Draco to protect the three of us, and he got caught by Professor McGonagall too. This is such a mess. Professor McGonagall was furious and docked a bunch of points from all of us for being out of bed after hours. She also assigned all five of us (yes, Draco got detention, too) detention. I. Got. Detention. ME.
I feel a little sick to my stomach, honestly. I've never gotten detention before. I keep shaking. I suppose life will go on, but it happened only a few hours ago and I'm not over it yet. Like you always say, Dad, "in five years, will this really matter?" Well, I don't know but I do know that it matters to me NOW. That's really why I'm writing this—Lavender said that maybe if I got all of this off my chest, I'd feel a little better.
Please don't be too angry or disappointed—I would never want to let you down.
Love,
Hermione
p.s. Send Hedwig back right away— Harry told me he needs her. I don't know what for, but she is his owl, so I have to follow his rules when it comes to her.
Dear Mum and Dad,
I have so much to tell you. And most of it isn't good at all.
So, we served our detention. It was with Hagrid and his dog Fang, which was good. But we had to help him by going into the Forbidden Forest, which is bad. First off, students aren't allowed, so what kind of punishment is that, anyway? Seems to me whoever designed this detention is breaking the rules, too.
Anyway, Hagrid was pretty upset because apparently the staff forced him to send baby Norbert to Romania. I personally think this was a good thing—Norbert is getting huge. Soon he won't fit into the hut anymore. And he's very dangerous. I was interested to learn that Ron's older brother Charlie is one of the dragon handlers in Romania that is personally going to take care of Norbert. But Hagrid didn't feel better no matter what we said.
We went into the Forrest because Hagrid said that for some reason, several of the Unicorns kept turning up dead, like they had been attacked. He knew that there was a hurt one stumbling around and bleeding. Our job was to find it and help it, and if it was too bad off Hagrid said we would have to put it out of its misery and then carry its body out of the Forrest.
So we split up: Draco with Neville and Fang, while Ron, Harry and I are with Hagrid. We keep seeing these puddles of silver blood so we followed them, hoping to eventually be lead to the hurt Unicorn. But then Draco scares Neville pretty bad, so we switched; Harry went with Draco and Neville came with us. All was well for about half an hour until Draco came screaming to us, with Fang by our side. When I reached out to grab him, he clung to my arm like a barnacle and started shaking like crazy. He wouldn't tell us what was wrong, just blubbered a lot.
We made Fang lead us to where they had been and we were all scared; had something hurt Harry? I don't know what I would've done if Harry was hurt. He and Ron are my best friends in the world—nothing is more important than their safety.
But before we could find him, a centaur came to us with Harry on his back. Harry was trembling almost as much as Draco. And the centaur showed us where the dead Unicorn was before he took off, so Hagrid picked it up and we left the Forrest.
Harry didn't tell us what happened until we got back to the commen room. Apparently he and Draco had stumbled across somebody in a cloak drinking the unicorn's blood. When that person saw them there he tried to attack them. Draco ran away, but Harry was in too much pain—his scar felt like it was splitting his skull in half as soon as that thing looked at him. The centaur rescued Harry just in time by kicking at the thing.
Harry says that the thing was you-know-who. Apparently the centaur told him that, and said that you could live a really long but cursed life by regularly drinking unicorn blood because a unicorn is really pure and it's a terrible sin to slaughter one. And Harry is afraid- he knows you-know-who is after him.
I know what you want—you want me to stay out of this and keep safe. But I just can't do that. It's hard to explain how I feel about Harry in a letter, but this gist of it is I think I would do anything to help him. He saved my life, and I will do the same. Nobody is going to hurt him on my watch.
I love you and I'll do everything in my power to stay safe for you, but I need to warn you that if I need to risk myself to help Harry, I'm going to.
Love,
Hermione
Dear Mum and Dad,
I got your letter. PLEASE don't make me come home—I need to be here. I love it here. I think I was destined to be here. Please! I know it sounds like I'm in a lot of danger, but that's just because I told you all of the bad parts. There are so many good parts to this life. I am happier than I've ever been. I have friends that I love and trust. I'm doing what I was always meant to do.
How can I explain this? Remember when I was in year two at Waltham Forest City? Do you remember how lonely I was? Everybody made fun of me. I was lonely all of the time. Nobody liked me, and strange things were always happening to me, like when I started crying in the school garden the wild mustard started growing really fast and the vines wrapped around me like a hug. But now that I'm here, I'm not a 'freak'. I'm just me, Hermione. There are people I love and that love me. The work is interesting and challenging. The work at Waltham was always ridiculously easy. I'm happier than I've ever been. Please don't take me away!
The examinations are at the end of next month. I think I'm well prepared, so I spend my evenings tutoring Ron in the Gryffindor common room. We haven't broken any rules in over a month. We're being good. We eat our meals, we go to our classes, we study, and we go to bed. Nothing dangerous.
Harry looks like he's doing better. We often do our homework outside in the afternoons because it is so beautiful under our favorite tree. The snow is completely gone now, and all you can see everywhere is the soft green grass and these little yellow flowers every so often. The lake has thawed and occasionally you can see a tentacle of the giant squid. The twins keep trying to make it cone all the way up from the water but I think it's just teasing them by almost coming up and then splashing them before going all the way under.
I have other friends, too. Lavender Brown is very nice, and I like Parvati Patil well enough. Professor Mcgonagall says that I'm her best student. Everybody says that I'm her favorite. She's the best teacher I ever had.
Harry thinks that Professor Snape is involved in all of the crazy things that have been happening, so we're all stearing clear of him. We are safe, I promise! Don't take me away.
Love,
Hermione.
Dear Mum and Dad,
I just finished my last exam. Oh, I can't believe scores won't be submitted until the day I go home for summer. I just know I failed! I FAILED, and I'm the WORST STUDENT EVER! I'm so ashamed of myself. Now you're not going to want me for a daughter anymore. They were so hard, and so confusing… and just… AAAHHH! I FAILED! Ron and Harry think I'm crazy since I finished before everybody else and I seemed pretty confident when I turned the test papers in. But as I sat in the testing room and watched everybody else take the test, I started to realize that I must have done everything wrong. Now they're going to kick me out of Hogwarts and Harry and Ron won't want anything to do with me.
Well, fine! I don't want to stay here anyway! Things weren't so bad at Waltham. I know I didn't have any friends and everybody called me a freak girl, but… well, the exams were much simpler for a failure like me. And anyway, Parvati keeps leaving her clothes all over our room, and Daisy snores a little bit and she keeps me awake… and UGH. Today is not a good day.
Oh. Ron, Harry and I have something to do tonight. I couldn't tell you until last minute, but I have to do this. It's very serious, and very important. But it'll be dangerous. Very dangerous. But I think I MUST do this. Harry, and Ron, they're my brothers. And if we don't do this, the world as we know it may be destroyed. And I'm doing it for you, too. See, if You-Know-Who comes back, he will try to kill all muggles. And that is just unacceptable—I have no choice but to protect you. And mum, dad, if I don't survive this, know that I love you so very, very much.
I love you. Thank you for everything you've done for me—you are both so fantastic and unique, and I love you so much.
Love,
Hermione
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Granger,
This is Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am writing to personally tell you that you two have an exceptional daughter. She has displayed remarkable courage, bravery, friendship, and loyalty. She will grow up to be one of the greatest witches London or any other country in the world has ever seen.
To start off on her accomplishments, she is the first Hogwarts student in over forty years to receive a 100% on every single exam she took. That alone would be enough to get her into any job she'd ever want when she is of age.
And secondly, she has very possibly saved us all. Not to alarm you, but our Professor Quirrell of Defense against the Dark Arts has turned out to be a treacherous fiend. No doubt Hermione herself has told you about the evil dark wizard who terrorized our world and yours for many years. While he was defeated by Miss Granger's close friend, Harry Potter, he was not dead. And Professor Quirrell was aiding him this entire school year.
Your daughter, along with her two closest friends, managed to complete several impossible tasks. And she displayed intelligence far beyond what is commen in her young age. The long and the short of it is that without her, there is a good chance that we would all be dead right now. Your brave young daughter has saved us all. And while Lord Voldemort is far from defeated, he is much stalled.
Your daughter has a long list of fantastic qualities, and as her Headmaster it is my duty to inform you that she is now essential to this world's progress. Whether she knows it or not, she is now part of a long, difficult destiny. I can see now that without her, the world would quite possibly be over.
Have a wonderful summer, and take good care of your little one.
Sincerely,
Professer Albus Percival Wolfric Bryant Dumbledore
A thin, brown-haired woman sat next to a nice-looking gentleman on a wooden bench at a train station. Clasping his hand in her gloved one, she read over a piece of crumpled parchment for a fifth time.
"Oh, William," she said in a worried voice. "What on earth do you think happened? I mean, as I read this I feel very proud of our daughter, and yet… well, what does he mean by "destiny"? Is she going to get into more danger?"
She released his hand only to begin wringing hers in habitual anxiety.
"I don't want her to be in danger, William," she said in a nearly tearful voice. "I just want her to be happy. I want… I want her to have a good life. She's our baby, William!"
The man gave his wife a concerned look, and slipped his arm around her. She buried her charming face into the crook of his elbow, gaining control of her emotions.
"Katherine," he said gently in his soft, thoughtful voice. "Katherine, look at me." Her tearful brown eyes looked into his clear blue ones, and the wrinkles under his eyes lengthened into a kind smile.
"Sweetheart, we've always known our daughter was special. And it sounds as if she is happy. I don't like the thought of her being in danger any more than you do, but we need to let her spread her wings and see how high she can fly, as the saying goes."
He patted her on the back and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. She smiled gently, and murmured an agreement. "You've always had a way of wording things so that they make sense, darling."
All of a sudden, a train whistle was heard and Mrs. Granger shot to her feet, patting her hair into place and straightening her practical tan dress. Her husband stood next to her and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. They looked expectantly at the brick divider between train platforms nine and ten.
As they watched, multiple children appeared from the platforms, their ages ranging from eleven to seventeen. Mrs. Granger jiggled her foot in anticipation, watching the children running to their parents, their large trunks being tugged behind them.
"Oh, William, where is she? I want to see our baby!"
"Just wait, darling," her husband chuckled in amusement.
It felt like forever, but soon a crown of long bushy hair was visible in the crowd, flanked on either side by a head of messy black hair and a head of fiery red hair. They watched, beaming, as she squeezed both boys in a tight hug, saying something her parents couldn't here, before waving happily and leaving them behind, scouting for her parents.
"Over here, Hermione!" her mother called, all dignity forgotten as she waved wildly in the air. Their daughter's eyes brightened as she spotted her family.
"Mum!" the girls large brown eyes crinkled into a smile as she ran to them, her trunk being dragged haphazardly behind her. She leapt into her parents, squeezing them tightly around the middle and breathing in their familiar scents.
"Oh, I missed you," her mother breathed into her little girl's hair,
"Missed you too, mum."
Her father took her trunk and the three of them made their way to the family car.
"I have so much to tell you!" she began in excitement.
Fin