The Perks of Being a Magic-Endowed-Wallflower
Loosely based on "The Perks of Being a Wallflower".
Chapter One:
Before the Letter of Admission
Dear Friend,
I think since one part of my life is over, I should document it, before a new and exciting life begins. Or so I hope. A diary, however,
just won't do. I'm sure soon enough I'll be learning ways to have an unreadable diary, but until then, I am sending these anonymously to
you. You might be wondering what I mean, and you might even be wondering if I'm suicidal. I assure you, at this moment, I am far from
it. I am really, truly elated, a sort of high. I haven't taken any hallucinogens…but if I did, I hope this isn't a dream.
If you choose not to believe me, I don't blame you, it is rather far fetched, but then again, it is, I assure you—true. My life has been
rather lonely, boring really. I don't have many friends, I like to read, study. Incidentally most people consider me a freak. Mainly Harriet
Stoe. If there is any reason to believe in heaven or hell, I think that, having met Harriet Stoe, I am a firm believer in hell. Because she was
shot right out of there to make my life hell. Sorry, for using the word hell so much, but that is basically what Harriet Stoe does. I guess, I
can call Harriet "Harry" now. After all, that's what everyone calls her. Even me.
Today, I was sitting in the park. It is a very pretty park, and I was just sitting there wishing I were someone else. Do you know what I
mean? I would look at the couple sitting to my left kissing, and I would wonder…why couldn't that happen to me? Then I'd see the
group of friends laughing and playing football on my right, and I'd observe them and wonder what makes me so different. Incidentally, I
did not see Harry approach as I was far to busy "observing".
"What is such a blight on humanity doing in public?"
That is pretty much how Harry always greets me; of course, she likes to get creative sometimes. I bit my lower lip, I really didn't want
to see anyone today. I'd brought a rather interesting book with me called The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I felt I had a lot in common
with the main character, Charlie, and incidentally, I began thinking if there were people like me out there, just like Charlie. It's a shame; I
don't think there are. I'm afraid that even though I really want there to be people like me, I believe that Charlie is only a character in a
book, and that I was born in the wrong era.
I was brought back from my thoughts when the strangest thing happened. An owl, I am not kidding you, an owl with an envelope tied
to its foot, came swooping down and landed on my knee. If you must know, I was really freaked out by this. And Harry, for once, had
nothing to say. Which was actually enjoyable. But then, the Harry I had grown up with sprung back into action.
"What's this you little freak?" Harry grabbed the letter that was dangling off my knee and even ignored the peck the owl gave her. She
opened it; I didn't even try to get it back. You see, I wouldn't have won—what would the point have been? Harry always gets her way.
But I really wanted the letter.
"You." Harry glared at me. "You are such a looser. Writing yourself fake letters. How pathetic." Harry held the letter before me,
ripped it in two and walked off. I was very glad that the only thing that got hurt, was the letter, I usually end up with a few token bruises
when I encounter Harry.
Hurriedly I picked up the two pieces and carefully aligned them again, making sure they were perfectly aligned before I began to read.
I am a bit eccentric, but I couldn't help it.
Across the top of the letter in large curving script read:
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore…"
It went on into some very strange things, such as "Order of Merlin, First Class…" which I could only presume were some type of
honor or medal. I was not sure and I made a mental note to visit the library. But, that was soon forgotten when I read the rest.
"We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find
enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31."
Let me tell you that I was way beyond shocked, and I thought for a moment it was some new and improved prank orchestrated by,
my nemesis, Harry. But it just wasn't Harry's style.
I returned home and somehow, somewhere, and at sometime, I just came to a startling conclusion that it had to be true. That is when I
figured out I had a second chance, a chance to become one of those people with friends, who plays football in the park. A chance to be
in a relationship…I stopped that thought right in its tracks. I just couldn't bring myself to muster up the courage of imagining kissing some
anonymous boy. It just seemed wrong. Anyway, once I got home, I decided, that if I was dreaming, I should at least document it. And
that brings me back to what I am presently doing, writing you this letter.
I hope you don't mind receiving this letter from a stranger, and I hope you don't mind receiving letters in the future…I am not sure if
you will or if you won't. But I hope you don't mind all the same.
Love always,
Hermione
Hermione woke up with a splitting headache. Why in the world am I dreaming about those blasted letters for? She thought grimly.
Ever since she had mailed the first letter and the two consecutive letters that she just hadn't been able to stop herself from writing—she
decided she had had a serious lapse in judgment. Why in the world had she sent letters to just some anonymous person? Hermione
remembered opening the phonebook, thinking really hard how much she wanted someone who would understand, and the address her
finger had landed on.
Now as she shook her head she wondered why she had never thought before how strange it was that there was no phone number nor
name to go along with that address.
"I am so stupid." She said aloud.
"Oh Merlin! I think I must be going deaf!" Ron staggered into sight, his mouth gaping. "I did not just here the smartest witch of our age
proclaim she is stupid? Did I? No, no, I couldn't have. Not Hermione Granger, surely you must be an apparition, brought here to fool
me. Yes, that must be it." Ron's crooked grin had Hermione laughing, but that didn't prevent the nice knock to the back of the head he
received a moment later.
"Ow." Ron cried without any enthusiasm. And Hermione knew that he was only insulting her further by wordlessly telling her she hit
like a girl.
"That's not what Malfoy thought." Hermione smirked as she turned away.
"Yeah, but you actually hate that ferret. Of course you'd pop him a good one. But you couldn't do that to one of your friends." Ron
hooked an arm over Hermione's shoulder.
"You just watch."
Laughing Ron led Hermione down the stairs into the kitchen's burrow. His brothers and sister including Harry were already there,
munching down on breakfast.
"Now hurry up dears, you're going to miss the Hogwarts Express." This was barely caught, if at all, by the hungry youngsters as Mrs.
Weasley breezed in and breezed out of the kitchen.
"Why's your mom in such rush?" Hermione asked.
"You know how flustered she got over Gildroy Lockheart?" Fred said as he reached for a piece of bacon. Or three.
Hermione nodded.
Harry's eyes squinted together. "Yeah. Is there some new hotshot out there?"
The three hadn't been too keen on reading the Daily Prophet all summer. Even Hermione had pronounced it trash.
Fred and George, however, were up to snuff on all and everything. Dirt of course was there favorite news but they tried to make sure
they knew what was going on…and they used all of this to their advantage. Such as making exploding candies in the shape of certain…
ahem…people.
"Oh yeah!" George quipped as he dug in his pocket. "This guys a real piece of work. I can't believe mom is falling for him again. But
Fred and I haven't come up with an idea that suits us yet. We're still in the experimental processes." He pulled out what looked like a red
wrapped cinnamon candy. "Unfortunately." He added wistfully as he handed the candy to Fred.
"So who is it?" Hermione asked, impatient now. She had been a little suspicious. That candy wasn't blowing up any time soon, or so
she hoped. "And what does that do?"
The twins grinned.
Very twisted.
Evil.
And creepy
Twin grins.
Harry could swear he felt the house shudder.
"Well…" Fred said unwrapping the candy dramatically before them. "Ron, why don't you try it?" He handed the now unwrapped
candy innocently to Ron. Whose eyes were wide with what Hermione could only assume was horror.
"Oh c'mon little bro. It won't be so bad." George was trying to be encouraging. However, this did not seem to encourage the already
timid Ron.
Standing Ron shook his head violently and walked out to get his trunk.
"So who is this mystery character George?"
"Oh, just some sleaze-ball named—"
Mrs. Weasley bustled in, gathered them up and flooed them to platform 9 ¾ before George could finish. Their trunks arrived shortly
after them.
"Now dears, I must be off." Mrs. Weasley did a quick kiss through the lineup of surprised teens and was gone.
"Whoa." Ron blinked a few times.
The twins looked at each other. Their faces the same, as what the others could only presume was an idea, popping into their heads.
"Uh oh." Hermione said, smiling.
And with that the twins were off whispering amongst themselves.
"Humph. I still don't know who the new wizard of the week is." Hermione picked up her trunk and shoved it aboard the train. "Well,
come on you two. We haven't got all day. The train is leaving…l e a v i n g."
Slowly the two boys turned to her.
"Oh well if it isn't the Trio of dumb, dumber, and dumbest."
"Sod off Malfoy." Ron ground his teeth as the Slytherin git blocked him access to the Express.
"I like it where I am."
Hermione rolled her eyes and lightly tapped on Malfoy's shoulder. "Are you saying you've finally found your place, Malfoy? Between
a mudblood and a lowly pure blood. Hmmm…" she raised an eyebrow at the look of pure disgust and dawning horror on Draco
Malfoy's features. She wasn't sure if it was from the audacity that she had dared touch him, or the fact that he was between what he
hated most and had declared he liked it there. But, nevertheless, she wasn't in the mood for his close-mindedness as he opened his mouth
to speak she drew her wand. And with a little incantation rendered him speechless. Just the way I like 'em. She thought with bubbling
laughter as Malfoy gapped at her like a fish pulled from water. "What's that Malfoy? I'm sorry I can't hear you." She chided before
pushing him out of Harry and Ron's way and disappearing into a compartment.
Another year at Hogwarts was about to begin. And it was going to be her best. She sat down, grateful for the few minutes alone.
Hermione was still trying to get it into her head that she had preformed magic outside of school. She wondered if anyone had noticed,
what restrictions, and spells had been cast to tell the ministry when underage wizardry was being performed.
But then
Something happened. That cut all her wonderings off.
And the door opened. And a Ministry official entered the room; a rather sorry looking owl perched on his shoulder.
"Ms. Hermione Granger?" The ministry official asked.
Hermione swallowed and nodded her head weakly.
She was going to be expelled.
They'd take her wand.
What would she do without magic?
Oh, I'm so stupid, she thought.
"Ms. Granger, this owl here is for you. He ran into a bit of a storm or two and couldn't make it to your door two nights ago from
Monday." The man was untangling a letter from the owl's talons. "It didn't seem right to set the poor thing out again as soon as it
returned. So I am delivering the letter. If you could just, verify that you are receiving the letter to the owl, he will feel much better, I hope."
The owl was screeching, its talon groping after the lost letter.
"Oh sure. Well, uh, thanks for delivering, me this uh letter." The owl quieted down a bit and Hermione gave it little stokes on the head.
It looked at her rather affectionately before both it and the ministry official left the compartment.
Hermione, alone now, looked down at the envelope. She turned it over and had a mini-heart attack. It was her handwriting on the
front. And she only knew of a handful of letters that she had written and sent by muggle mail. She carefully opened it up and pulled out
the first letter she had written to an anonymous stranger—one that haunted her dreams.
It was different, she could see that. It was folded, and creased with use, faded from time. But it was still the letter. Someone had read
it, many, many times. Someone who…Hermione assumed was a witch or wizard…but who…and if they had this letter, they had the
others, which meant…
Hermione cursed herself for her own stupidity. "Never, never, write things down." She mumbled as Ron and Harry walked in.
"That was sweet Hermione, Malfoy's still gaping in the hallway. I wish I had a camera."
"This years going to be great isn't it 'Mione." Harry asked, smiling.
Hermione forced a smile. "This year…" a grin spread across her face as she forgot all about the returned letter. Malfoy's gapping face
was in the compartment window. "This year is sure going to be interesting."
The three nodded. Laughed and closed the curtain, blocking out the ferret.
"What a great start." Ron said, leaning back. "To a new year."
But Hermione's mind was already cataloging her list of suspects. It's too bad, she thought, that it includes the entire Wizarding world.
A/N- Please don't be too harsh. Tell me what you think. And I'd like to see if any of you know who's sending the letters, or who you hope does...because honestly. I haven't decided yet. Anyway. Review please.