Author's Note: We know almost nothing about Hermione's parents and their relationship with her. All we really know about them is that they're Muggles and dentists. We don't get to see any of Hermione's family life in the Harry Potter universe. So, I just wanted to write a little something on how Hermione's parents may have possibly reacted to her Hogwarts letter.
There was no denying that Dr. Granger and his wife, both dentists, had always been proud of their only child's accomplishments in life. From an early age, it had been obvious that Hermione Granger was a genius. It seemed as if she had the ability to completely memorize any book that was placed in her hands, and she was always the quickest in her class to catch onto a new concept.
Hermione's genius, however, also made her a bit of a social outcast. She didn't really have any friends. Her parents were her best friends and her strongest supporters.
Dr. Granger and his wife even supported Hermione when strange things seemed to happen around her.
Hermione was not a short-tempered child, but she wasn't immune to anger either. Things had a tendency to break around her when she was angry, especially after she had been picked on by another student at school.
One particular instance that really stood out was when Hermione had been nothing more than a toddler who had really wanted a cookie. The table where the cookie was resting, however, was so high up. Hermione reached out her arm. What happened next made no sense whatsoever. The cookie was suddenly in Hermione's tiny, chubby hand, and the next moment she was happily eating it. Her mother had been in the kitchen and had seen everything.
"I had a long day at work," Mrs. Granger muttered to herself as she watched her young daughter eat the cookie. "My eyes are tired. I'm just seeing things."
There was another instance when Dr. Granger had been having problems with his car. The engine just wouldn't start for anything in the world. A six-year-old Hermione had suddenly walked outside and had touched the car's hood ever so slightly. When Dr. Granger tried cranking the car a few minutes later, it started with no problem.
Dr. Granger and his wife knew that odd things sometimes happened around their daughter, but they always dismissed those strange happenings as tricks of the eye. They never thought, not even for a moment, that it could have been magic. As far as they were concerned, magic only insisted in fantasy, not reality. They were logical like that, a trait that Hermione had clearly inherited. She never thought too much of the strange happenings around her either; they were just a part of who she was. As far as Hermione was concerned, she was perfectly normal. She just happened to be more studious than most of her classmates.
Then, the letter from Hogwarts arrived in the mail.
"Hermione is a witch!" Dr. Granger exclaimed in disbelief when his wife showed him the letter after Hermione had went to sleep for the night. "This has to be some sort of a sick joke."
"Well, if this is a sick joke," Mrs. Granger replied, "they definitely put a lot of effort into it. Look how detailed this letter is. And this definitely helps to explain all those odd things that sometimes happens around Hermione. Should we tell her?"
Dr. Granger thought about his wife's question for a moment. If this letter was nothing more than a sick joke, Hermione could be left feeling very hurt and humiliated. Hermione could take a lot, but she was a sensitive little girl.
She was also Dr. Granger's little girl.
But at the same time, though, he couldn't forget all those strange occurrences that only seemed to happen whenever Hermione was around.
Maybe Hermione was a witch. Maybe.
"We'll show her the letter tomorrow after breakfast," Dr. Granger finally said, "and we'll see what she has to say about it."
Hermione's eyes widened in both shock and joy when she read the letter the next day. She knew that some people (including some of her teachers that adored her) thought that she was a little odd. Now she knew why.
That didn't stop Hermione from being slightly skeptical, however. She was, after all, logical like her parents. And she had a lot of common sense along with her book smarts. She was hardly a gullible child.
A part of Hermione, though, could not help but be excited by the letter. She was no longer alone in the world. There were other people out there just like her.
"Maybe this Professor McGonagall will come here and explain things further," Hermione finally said. "I most definitely would like to hear more about this before I make a decision."
"That sounds like a good answer to me," Mrs. Granger remarked. Her husband nodded his head in agreement.
Professor McGonagall showed up later that day, in fact. She performed numerous spells for the Grangers. Hermione's favorite was when McGonagall changed an empty teacup into a cat and back again. "Transfiguration," McGonagall explained.
Hermione grew more excited by each passing moment, and she could tell that her parents were just as excited.
"Welcome to the Wizarding World, Miss Granger," McGonagall told her before leaving. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you at Hogwarts."
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Hermione responded politely. "I can't wait."
Dr. Granger and his wife were so happy for their daughter that they had no problem with buying books for Hermione that were not on her list. Hermione had always liked to do extra reading, and that most definitely was not going to change just because she was now a witch.
Dr. Granger walked into his daughter's room one afternoon and saw that she was surrounded by books (nothing new for her).
"There is so much to learn," Hermione breathed. "What if I can't learn it all? What if I make a complete fool of myself? What if I'm not good enough to really be a witch?"
"Calm down, Hermione," Dr. Granger laughed warmly, all to use to his daughter's sometimes high-strung nature. "You're going to be just fine. You're taking all this seriously, and that's a good thing.
"I bet all those children that were raised in the Wizarding World take a lot of things for granted; they don't really appreciate the magic around them because it's all so normal to them. I know you won't be that way, sweetie. I know that you will never take anything that you learn for granted. You will appreciate the opportunity to become a witch and a part of another world. Your mother and I are so proud of you. You will do wonderful at Hogwarts. With your brains and your determination to succeed in everything that you, there is no way that you can fail."
"Thank you, Dad," Hermione smiled, her demeanor a lot calmer and relaxed than it had been just a few moments ago.
Hermione waved to her parents from a window on the Hogwarts Express. They waved back, smiles on both of their faces.
"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Mrs. Granger asked her husband after the train had disappeared from sight. "It's going to be a whole different place for her."
"Hermione will have lots to learn," Dr. Granger replied, "but she's a smart, strong-willed girl. Whenever she puts her mind to something, there's no stopping her."
Mrs. Granger smiled at her husband's description of her daughter. "You're right, honey. I'm just really glad that she's going to be around people that can understand her. Hopefully Hogwarts will soon feel like another home to her."
"I don't doubt that at all," Dr. Granger grinned. "A part of me, though, still can't believe that our daughter is a witch."
The two parents both busted out laughing. It all made sense to them now, but that didn't mean it still wasn't a surprise. A pleasant surprise, of course, but still a surprise.
The daughter of the perfectly normal Grangers was a witch, and she was about to make her presence known at Hogwarts in a way that no one (not even her supportive parents) could have ever predicted.