Prologue
My name was not always Hermione Granger. That's the name most people in the world know me as, but it only became my name when I was fifteen. I was born with the name Hemera Giuliani.
I spent the first half of my life in Italy, Rome to be specific, with my loving and occasionally overbearing family. But my family was not a normal family. In Italy, all of the magical families are split into five Dinastias, or clans: the Drago, the Lupo, the Volpe, the Serpe and the Fenice. The Fenice, or Phoenix, is the most powerful Dinastia and the Giuliani have been at its head from its birth. We are considered the most powerful family in Italy and are respected around the world for our magical prowess.
My father, Basilio, became Padrone, or Master, of the Fenice when I was ten because my grandfather died. My mother, Hera, is the Comandante, the Commander. She's sort of like the general of our own personal army. My oldest sibling and brother, Alexiares, trained to become the next Padrone. My sister, Eirenne, as the oldest daughter, trained to become a Soldato, a soldier, most likely one who will take our mother's place when she is ready to retire. I trained to be a Sacerdotessa.
The Sacerdotessa are three extremely powerful women, trained to access the energy of magic and all living creatures. They do not use wands, simply their minds. The three choose their apprentices by hand when the child is five years old. I was chosen by Riccarda, the strongest and the leader. And for good reason. It was training that usually took twenty years, but it only took me until I was fourteen to master it. Once my training was over, I expect to have nothing to do for a long time since Riccarda wasn't going to be retiring any time soon, but I was wrong.
The Dinastias have a history of fighting amongst themselves, but no Dinastias fought more than the Fenice and the Serpe. My grandfather was killed by them, and so I grew up fighting a war. It never reached my doors, though, and I mistakenly believed that our stronghold was untouchable. But when I was nearly sixteen we were betrayed by one of my father's councilors to the Serpe. They broke into our strongholds with one purpose: capture me and turn me against my family for their own purposes.
In the heat of battle, Riccarda apparated me away, illegally crossed boarders to get me to her long time friend Albus Dumbledore. He agreed to hide me until it was safe to go back to my family. But it never seemed to be safe again. The Serpe had been joined by the Lupo and neither of the other Dinastia were willing to help. On Christmas day I got word that my parents were dead and my siblings had taken their places. They needed me to stay safe and hidden. They ordered me to stay safe and hidden, and I physically couldn't go against a direct order. So I stayed in England.
We agreed that I would take the name Hermione Granger, a name I chose, and use a wand so no one would know who I was. I became close friends with Harry Potter and Ron Weasely, two boys from my house. Dumbledore informed me of the true evils of Voldemort, which had only been a name I rolled my eyes at before, and agreed to let me help the Order of the Phoenix in any way I could. I wasn't surprised he did. He could use a power like me. An atrocious woman named Umbridge was at the school that year, and I hated her like I had never hated any single person in my life. I helped Harry start Dumbledore's Army and get rid of the awful hag.
I spent the summer with Harry and the rest, pretending my "muggle parents" didn't care. Sixth year was full of hormones; Ron was annoying, Harry worrisome and Cormac McLaggen the worst person on the earth. After Dumbledore died, Ron and I agreed to go with Harry to get the horcruxes. By the time the war was over, I just wanted to go home. But it seemed like I would never be able to go back.