Dear Future Self,

I am writing to because, well, I don't have anyone else to talk to, to be honest. None of the girls in my classes seem to care about their education and all the boys are complete and utter rotters who tease me and push me over on the playground. Of course, because I'm writing to you, my own self, you will probably remember this incident because… well we do have quite the advanced mind.

Hopefully when I'm older I won't get pushed onto the playground. Maybe I'll even have friends by then. That would be nice.

Sincerely, Hermione Granger.

It's me again, Hermione.

Gregory pushed me over again today, even though I was nowhere near him when it happened. Jenette (have I mentioned Jenette? She's sort of a friend of mine) had been over at the fountain having a drink and he pushed her out of the way so he could get some water for his bottle. I was on the other side of the playground and saw it happen and before I knew what was going on the hair on the back of my neck had stood up and the tap on the water fountain had exploded.

The teachers called the plumber and Gregory came over to me and he said… he said a nasty thing. He called me a freak and said it was my fault and then he pushed me over. How could it possibly have been my fault?

On the further subject of boys, I hope we find a nice boy to marry in the future, not someone who will play with our feelings and hurt us. Promise me you'll find one like that?

Sincerely, Hermione Granger.

You're probably going to read this next letter, think back to when you were my age, and start to laugh at how foolish you once were. However, as of this moment this is a question concerning a matter which is extremely important to me.

Is magic real?

I can't believe I'm even thinking these words, let alone writing them out on a piece of paper that I myself will read someday. Anyway, it's the day after my… your… our eleventh birthday and yesterday the most peculiar letter came in the post.

It was written in green ink, on extremely heavy paper that Dad said was called parchment, and there was even a red wax seal on the back! It was ever so important looking, and it came from a place with a very grand name.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry… I feel half delirious and half completely bowled over by splendour and possibilities. If magic does exist… then things which had explanations which didn't quite fit, are now quite possible! Like old Ernie, at the post office, you remember? I always wondered how he could get all the post delivered in half an hour, when he was walking at that pace! And that time when I could have sworn I saw a woman change from her normal, human shape into that of a dog, and Mum assured me that my eyes were just playing tricks on me. But all along, it's because magic exists!

My goodness, I'm getting fair too hyped up here. Dad says the last time I stayed up late considering impossibilities, I didn't sleep for about three days and I don't want that to happen again.

I'll sleep on it. Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and this will all just be a dream…

Oh I hope it isn't a dream.

Sincerely, Hermione Granger.

Dear me,

I'm going to London tomorrow. You know why? Because it wasn't a dream!

Yesterday we were sitting at breakfast, eating our porridge and discussing cavities as is our usual morning routine when someone knocked on the door. Mum went to answer it, thinking it was the postman with a delivery, and she came back leading a tall woman who was middle-aged and wearing the most bizarre ensemble. At first I wondered if she was wearing her dressing gown and, if so, then was she a new neighbour and was something wrong? Then I realised; this was not a simple dressing gown, these were robes! Like the kind that college professors wear, but even more grandeur! Upon realising this, I was also accosted with the information that this woman was not like myself, but a witch! It also explained her hat.

Anyway, she introduced herself as Professor McGonagall and told me that I wasn't just a person – I was a witch! Then she explained all about Hogwarts, I'm sure you'll know absolutely everything of course; I wouldn't expect any less from us.

So, I'm going to London tomorrow to get my things, and I've never been so excited in my short life! What's our wand like? Do we get robes as well? What kind of spells can I learn? Oh, how could I forget the most important question?

What kind of books are there?

Sincerely, Hermione Granger.

I know I should act more responsibly than what is about to follow, but you're me so we'll allow this kind of reaction.

Oh my gosh (or should I say oh my Merlin? I can't believe that the Merlin from King Arthur is actually a real wizard! He's the most famous wizard of all time – he even created the award of the Order of Merlin! Although you know this…) I had such an amazing day! We took the train to London and Professor McGonagall met us at Charing Cross Road. I'd never been there before and immediately noticed the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. My parents didn't have a clue what I was talking about when I pointed out the door in the middle of the shop front, and didn't actually believe me until we were inside the pub. Professor McGonagall greeted the landlord, and then led us out into a courtyard where she tapped the brick wall with her wand and, you'll never believe this, it opened up to form a gateway into an entirely different world!

Oh, it was like a dream. We went to Gringotts Wizarding Bank first, to collect some money from the school fund for muggleborns. I couldn't believe it; there were goblins! A few days ago I didn't even believe in magic, and now I learn that there's a whole other world in which banks are run by goblins! What's next - elves acting as servants?

Once we'd collected some money from the vault (after a horribly unsettling rollercoaster of a ride to and from it) we set off into the alley to collect all the things on my list; starting with a wand. The currency will take a little bit of getting used to, I expect, but they are lovely looking coins.

Ollivander was a very strange man and his eyes were a little too examining for my comfort but thankfully my wand was the first I tried. It was such an amazing feeling when I picked it up, as if everything that was once wrong in the world had suddenly become right and I was watching it all whilst eating chocolate pudding. Is there chocolate pudding at Hogwarts? Back to my, your, our wand. As I'm sure you'll know; it's 10 and three quarter inches vine wood with a dragon heartstring core. It's absolutely perfect! Though Mum and Dad were a bit worried to find out that dragons exist.

After that, we visited a few other shops to get things such as my robes, a cauldron and potions ingredients before we finally reached the book store. Oh my… it was a haven! There were so, so many books; I barely knew where to begin! Professor McGonagall took her leave once she was satisfied that we were able to find our way home and had told me she was looking forward to seeing me at Hogwarts on the 1st September.

Oh how I wish we hadn't had to leave that wonderful place! I was so relieved that we still had some money left over from buying everything because I don't think I would have been able to leave without Hogwarts: A History and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.

If only I didn't have to wait so, so long until I can go to Hogwarts!

Sincerely, Hermione Granger.

It's only two weeks until I go to Hogwarts and I can barely contain my excitement! I've had to wait so, so long for this moment – I'm not quite sure how I managed. Well, at least my birthday isn't on the 2nd of September; that would have been even more infuriating.

I would like to sincerely apologise for my absence in the world of the written word, as I have been completely and utterly absorbed in a different planet related to literature. The new books are completely riveting! Take Hogwarts: A History for example. I have never read a tome so undeniably interesting and full of information! I wonder how they have so much knowledge on the place; the book starts with the very beginning of Hogwarts and carries on up to a time that is only a decade or so ago! It's fascinating!

As for my textbooks… Oh how I wish I'd been brought up in the wizarding world. There are just millions of possibilities that could improve our quality of living by so much, things that we've always wished for, and they've simply been hidden from us all this time!

Of course, I've tried out a few simple spells after studying the theory closely and they've all worked for me. Oh I hope I've studied enough! I refuse to stand out against my more learned fellow students.

Now, I must return to packing. I think I'll not put Hogwarts: A History in my trunk. Yes, the train journey will be long and I'll need some light reading.

Sincerely, Hermione Granger.