Chapter 1
In the normal world of mankind, there is no such thing as "real" magic. Unbeknownst to them there is a "secret" world of Wizardry and Witchery. To the wizard world, normal human beings are called muggles. This story concerns a certain muggle girl. Peter and Edith Granger had both just come out of Dentistry school some 5 years earlier. They had one girl by the name of Hermione Granger. Now, since Hermione was young her parents had noticed some unusually strange occurrences around their young daughter. One of these was Hermione's hair. Most 3 year old have a small bob of fine soft hair. Meanwhile there was Hermione Granger, who from the day she was born, had a head full of bushy brown curls that seemed to flow with electricity. The Grangers had no idea that their daughter had any special abilities until the evening of Hermione's eleventh birthday. It was this particular night that the Grangers were having a birthday supper and there was a knock on the door.
"Hello?" questioned Mr Granger after he had answered the door.
"Is this the Granger residence?" asked a stern looking woman.
"Yes it is. And how may I help you?" he replied.
"My name is Minerva McGonagall and I have an important invitation for a certain Miss Hermione Granger."
"Please do come in." he said as he showed Minerva inside.
"Who is it dear?" asked Mrs Granger.
"It's a woman wanting to pass on an invitation to Hermione." McGonagall walked into the dining room and gave a good evening to Mrs Granger.
"Hello Miss Granger." she said as she had now faced Hermione.
"Good evening Ma'am" replied a quizzical Hermione.
"Well lets get down to business shall we?" said McGonagall as she sat down on a chair at the table. "The proposition I have for your family Mr and Mrs Granger, is for a scholarship to a highly accredited school. It is one of England's best and a wide range of lessons are taught there."
The Grangers took Hermione's schooling seriously and the prospect of their daughter gaining a scholarship at a top school was an opportunity they couldn't give up.
"But there is also one other issue" McGonagall pressed on. "Miss Granger," she asked now looking directly at Hermione. "Have you ever made something occur without meaning to, that can't be explained?"
"Well there was a time in which a young girl was teasing Hermione about her hair in primary school and the next thing the teachers knew was that the girl had some how gotten stuck on top of the monkey bars" explained Mr Granger.
"Well the reason behind that is because, you, Miss Granger are a wizard." The Grangers just stood there with their mouths gaping open.
"A what?" Mrs Granger asked looking dumbfounded.
"A wizard, or the female equivalent, a witch" McGonagall explained. "Ever since Miss Granger was born, her name was written down in a book of magically babies born, ready to attend the best school of Witchcraft and Wizardry that England has to offer ..."
"Ex ... excuse me Ma'am" stuttered a bewildered Hermione. "But what does been a witch actually mean?"
"Well Miss Granger, it means that you may perform certain acts of magic with the aid of lessons and a wand. Hogwarts is a school in which academic achievement is considered a top priority."
"If Hermione were to go to such a school then what will she be learning? Is it just a place where she will be taught to pull rabbits out of hats or saw a body in half and then put it together again?"
"Mr Granger!!" exclaimed McGonagall. "Hogwarts is not a school for illusionists but for real witches and wizards. Hogwarts provides its students with fundamental life lessons, and lessons in which their magical abilities will grow and become stronger." The look that McGonagall was giving told Mr Granger that he had some how offended the elderly woman.
"Well then where exactly is this ... er ... Hogwarts?"
"It is in a secret location to which students can only get to by train. I'm sorry but I must have a decision now as I have other families to visit also tonight." Mr and Mrs Granger looked apprehensively at each other.
"I'll go" came a small timid voice from the spot where Hermione was sitting. "Well very good then" said McGonagall with an apparent smile on her face. "This is a list of all the things you will need for your school year, along with a map on how to get to Diagon Alley, the place in which you may buy all your school things. Good night to you all" she said as she stood up, bid them good night and vanished into thin air with a loud crack.
That night the Grangers house was filled with lively discussion on how serious a life change this would mean. Mr and Mrs Granger were still in shock upon hearing that their own daughter was a witch.
"We have never heard of having a witch in the family before." came Mr Granger's shocked voice from the dining table.
"Wasn't great Aunt Agnes able to do all this weird stuff?" said Hermione who was also in a semi state of shock but was able to control herself.
"Come to think of it she was a bit strange, but then no-one would've though that to be out of the ordinary. As far as I can remember she'd always been like that" Mr Granger told Hermione.
"Well I think it's time for bed dear" Mrs Granger said as she came and ushered Hermione into her bedroom. Little did they know that sleep was the last thing on Hermione's mind.