Once upon a time, there was an orphaned heiress named Lady Hermione Jean Granger who lived all alone in a great big manor called Hogwarts. She had lost her parents at a very young age and now lived in the house alone with her head butler Crookshanks, her housekeeper Miss Wilkes, and many more people who took care of the house. Hermione's playmates growing up were Monica and Wendell, who were now a maid and butler. Crookshanks and Miss Wilkes loved the little girl like she was their own daughter, and it pained them to know that she was going to have to marry one day. They did not like this whoever married Lady Hermione would inherit the Granger family's publishing company. Fortunately, there were many who wanted Lady Hermione's hand in marriage, but unfortunately they did not have very good intentions.
While most people call Hermione's family "Mudblood", because they earned their wealth by working, there were others who were pureblood, born with titles and land established ages ago in a famous war. These prominent pureblood families were starting to lose quite a bit of wealth after not having to work for many years, and now had to resort to marrying into these Mudblood families. Poor Hermione was the richest heiress in this category and many people were already inquiring about her hand through correspondence with her godmother, Dowager Countess McGonagall.
Despite her said upbringing, the little girl grew up to because very bright as she read quite a lot of books (when you're the heiress to a publishing house, you tend to read a lot). In addition, she was raised with love from Crookshanks and Miss Wilkes that in the end she was healthy and happy at Hogwarts. More importantly, Hermione was also exposed to the poorer families and life in Britain, and learned from a young age the importance of hard work and responsibility. For much of her life, she participated in making sure the company stayed afloat. The staff of Hogwarts were proud to have raised such an independent, bright, and thoughtful young woman. Therefore, it saddened Crookshanks and Miss Winkie greatly when they had to tell Lady Hermione that she was to be married as accordance to the laws of the land at age seventeen.
"But why?" she asked. "I've been running this house since I was three and I've been running Granger Publishing since I was twelve. Don't I have a say in this?" Although the idea of marriage appealed to Hermione, the idea that she was forced to marry wasn't so lovely.
"I wish you did, sweetie," said Miss Wilkes. "But if you don't get married, the publishing house will go out of business and Hogwarts will be in foreclosure."
"Do I get a choice in who I marry?" she asked, a bit hopeful about her prospective husbands.
"Well, yes and no," said Crookshanks.
"What does that mean?" asked Hermione, feeling very annoyed that as the sole heiress to the fortune she didn't actually have that access.
"You must marry a pureblood," said Crookshanks. "Your mother wanted that, because she wants you to have ties to the nobility. Titles to her were important."
"Why that's incredibly superficial!" said Hermione, surprised her mother would say that.
"She wanted you to have that status so you wouldn't be barred as a Mudblood," explained Crookshanks. "However, you're father said you have a choice to marry a pureblood, after all it is you who will feel the effects of the marriage, not the money." Still, Hermione frowned. She didn't like the fact that she didn't really have any right to her own fortune. What kind of world bars a woman from her property?
"I suppose that will have to do," sighed Hermione.
"We're so sorry, milady," said Miss Wilkes. "We know that you are more than capable of handling your own fortune, but I'm afraid that society isn't ready for that yet."
"What happens if I don't marry by my eighteen birthday?" asked Hermione, hoping to buy a little time.
"The property goes to the Ministry," said Crookshanks. "Unless you sign a betrothal contract indicating that you will marry a pureblood even after you're eighteen." Hermione looked horrified. The state compensating all of her family's wealth all because she didn't choose to marry? Hermione had heard the state was corrupt, but she didn't realize it was that corrupt.
"I don't think I have a choice," said Hermione. "I guess I must find a husband. Crookshanks, tell Dowager Countess McGonagall that I will be attending the Yule Ball this year at The Great Hall. I know lots of pureblood families will be there. Miss Wilkes, we must bring in the tailor to start preparing a new dress, I'm thinking periwinkle…"