Chronicles of Narnia
Ages of children involved:
Peter- 13
Susan- 12
Edmund- 11
Lucy- 9
Hermione- 11
Chapter one- The House of Diggory Kirk
German bombing- London Evacuation (The Blitz
Helen Pevensie was the mother to these four children Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. She was a tall woman of five foot four. She had pale skin like her children, brown shoulder length curly hair and brown eyes. Peter the eldest at thirteen had dirty short cropped blonde hair, blue eyes and was the nearly the same height as his mother at five foot one. Susan the second eldest at twelve had dark brown curly hair that curly naturally below her shoulders and also had brown eyes like her mother. She was an inch or two shorter than Peter and was quite beautiful at her age. Edmund at age ten was a head shorter than Peter with dark brown shortly cropped hair with brown eyes and a sprinkle of freckles across his nose and cheeks. Lucy the youngest at age nine was only four foot four inches with shoulder length brown curly hair and blue eyes, also with a dash of freckles across her nose and cheeks.
Helen was hurrying around her house trying to gather all her children and bring them to the shelter outside the house in the garden. She spotted Edmund in his room looking out the window as the air raid siren sounded.
Edmund couldn't believe that the war was now right on his door step. He almost wanted to wait to see the bombings that would surly happen soon. He would have done that if his mother hadn't come in his and Peter's shared room. "Edmund, what do you think you're doing there?" she shut the windows and grabbed his shoulder. "Peter!" she had seen him standing by the doorway.
He had been wondering where Edmund was and grabbed him to get him moving out of the house. Even though he was an annoying younger brother and didn't do as he was told he was still his brother and he was the eldest so he had to look after everyone a lot, especially Lucy. "Come on! To the shelter, now!" he shouted at him.
Susan was in her and Lucy's room grabbing things along with holding a flashlight when she spotted Lucy was still in bed. "Lucy, come on!" she tugged her out of her bed worried that they were going to get hit any moment.
As they got out of the house they ran to the shelter shouting, "run" and "hurry," with Lucy sometimes screaming, feeling quite afraid that they were going to get hit. Her mother told her this might happen.
Just as Lucy and Susan got in the shelter and their mother held it open for Peter and Edmund, Edmund turned around and started running back into the house. "Edmund!" his mother screamed.
"Don't worry mom, I'll get him," Peter shouted back to her as her followed Edmund back into the house.
Edmund had gone back into his old room and grabbed a photo in a frame showing a picture of his father, which looked a lot like him, in an army Uniform. As soon as he grabs it he hides underneath the window as the window gets blasted to pieces.
"Come on, you idiot," Peter had found him and grabbed him. They ran outside where calls of their mother told them to hurry. He pushed Edmund roughly inside the shelter. "Why do you always have to be so selfish?!" Peter angrily shouted at him. "You could have gotten us killed!"
"Stop it," her mother shouted at him before looking at Edmund who was looking at a now cracked picture of his father. His mother hugged him gently while he sobbed quietly. He was always the one that tool his father going away to war the hardest.
"Why can't you ever just do as you're told?" Peter admonished him before closer the shelter. As you can now see, Edmund didn't have the best relationship with his family, especially Peter.
~CON~
The next day they pack their few belongs they could from the house when they saw it hadn't blow up and made their way to the train station where kids where in situations similar to them, being forced to leave the country and go to the countryside.
"Attention. Would all parents ensure that their children have the appropriate identification papers?" an Announcer over the speakers announced.
Helen was fastening Lucy's name tag as the children all stood waiting to board the train. "You need to keep this on darling, alright." Lucy nodded sadly, trying not to cry at having to leave her mother. "Are you warm enough?" She once again nodded. She was wrapped tightly in a thick checked beige coat and a woolly brown hat and was also carrying her toy rabbit that she named Mia. "Good girl."
She moved onto Susan next and noticed she was starting to cry. She didn't want to be parted from their mother any more than the rest of her siblings. It would be a hard life without her to look after us all, especially Lucy. Helen moved over to hug her daughter tightly. "Susan, you be a big girl." Susan nodded and smiled. She would look after her siblings and try to be the mother she knew they will need, though she knew she will be nothing like her own mother.
She then moved onto Peter and hugged him tightly. "You'll look after the others," she stated rather then asked.
He answered in the affirmative anyway. "I will mum."
"Good lad."
"If dad was here, then the war would be over and we wouldn't have to go," Edmund complained, he really missed his dad. It seemed he was the only one who understood and connected with him. He wished this war didn't have to happen because then dad could still be here. He was wearing a beige shirt, a brown coat and brown trousers. These were the sorts of clothes that were worn just before the war.
"If dad wasn't fighting and the war was over then we wouldn't have to go," Peter said to Edmund.
"You will listen to your brother won't you Edmund." She tried to kiss him on his cheek but he moved his face irately away. She kissed his forehead quickly instead. "Alright," she said to them all once she saw that they had everything. "Off you go."
They followed a line of people towards the train, Peter was guiding Lucy with her hand clasped in his and Edmund was by Susan. She tried to grab his arm but he protested. "Hey, get off me. I know how to get on the train by myself."
Lucy stopped and tried to look over at everybody's heads to see if she could see her mother. She didn't want to leave her and go to some place without her mother by her side.
Peter saw this and said consolingly to Lucy. "Lucy, come on. Everything's going to be fine. It's going to be fun."
As they neared the front of the line Peter spotted some soldiers far away from where he stood. They all looked quite a lot like his father. He was wondering whether one of them could be his father when their identification papers were ripped out of his hands. He hadn't realised that they'd gotten to the front of the line and the train staff had wanted our papers. They quickly got on and as the train began to leave they leaned outside the window of the door they came in and waved to their mother once they found her in the crowd of tearful parents, mostly mothers as the men had gone away to war. "Bye mom, we'll miss you!" was shouted by all four Pevensie children. They waved until they couldn't see their mother anymore.
They walked along the train and tried to find an empty cabin but quickly realised they were all fun. They managed to find a nearly empty one with only two young boys sitting next to each other.
~CON~
They had soon left the city of London behind and were soon soaring past scenes of the countryside.
At the second stop the top boys got off the train and were found and taken in by their new guardians.
Once they had gone the four children spread out and watched the scenery to pass the time, though Lucy did go to sleep at one point and Susan once read a book.
Finally, they reached their stop which was a very small station in the middle of nowhere and the sign of the station read 'Coombe Halt'.
They all turned and ran down the steps when they heard a car coming their way and Lucy held out a hand, waiting for it to stop though it did not.
"If the Professor knew we were coming?" Susan asked the others, all of them feeling confused and wondering when transport would be arriving to fetch them.
"Perhaps we've been incorrectly labelled," Edmund suggested, looking at his name tag just to be sure. The Professor wouldn't just leave us here.
But then they heard the sound of horse shoes clip clopping against the road and soon saw a beautiful grey horse pulling an open wooden carriage an a fairly old woman with pale skin and brown hair coming up the path to their right. The horse stopped in front of the children.
"Mrs Macready?" Peter hesitantly asked. The Professor had a housekeeper called Mrs Macready but they'd never seen her before or the Professor. He just allowed the children to stay with him in his manner while the War was on.
"I'm afraid so." She looked at the few belongings they had with them. "Is this it? Haven't you brought anything else?"
"No ma'am," Peter answered again. It was all they had. "It's just us." It seemed Peter was the speaker for these types of situations from now on.
"Small favours." Rather than saying anything more she nodded her head towards the carriage she was sitting in and the all piled on.
The horse seemed to be an old one as she needed encouragement to go faster.
As they went up a small hill they got their first glimpse of a huge beautiful manor with green sloping lawns and a forest surrounding it. The manor was built with brown brick, had lots of glass windows and they could also see plenty of chimneys. It was by far the biggest house they had ever seen.
Mrs Macready left the horse outside the doors tied to a tree while she led the children inside the house. "Professor Kirk is not accustomed to having children in his house which is very surprising since his Goddaughter arrived unexpectedly today." They all turned their heads towards her as they had been studying the house as they walked up the grand staircase seeing mainly paintings and statues around the walls. They were all curious about this other child; their mother said that it would be just us. Even Edmund was curious though he was trying not to show it. "And as such they're a few rules you need to follow. There will be no shouting, no running, and no improper use of the dumbwaiter..." she then turned and saw Susan about to touch an artefact. "No!" she shouted at Susan warningly, causing Susan to jump in shock and move away. "No touching of the historical artefacts and above all... no disturbing of the Professor." They passed the Professors office then and Lucy noticed the shadow of feet at the doorway. She gasped and followed after the others.
She led them first to the boys room and then to the girls so they could put their bags in there. They were just down the hall from each other with a bathroom next to the boy's room and one next to the girls. In the girls room they noticed that the bed next to the window had been taken and a huge trunk under the bed along with a cage that was empty but looked big enough for a large bird. Susan and Lucy presumed that bed must have been hers and took the beds next two it. Lucy took the one in the middle and Susan took the one nearest the door. On each side of the single beds was a table with an unlit candle and on the other side a chest of draws for them each.
After they claimed their beds Mrs Macready led the way down another corridor and to the first room on the left which she opened slightly. "Hermione, the Pevensie children have arrived." She turned back to the children and said, "I'm sure you are all old enough to make your introductions yourselves." She then walked away out of sight.
"Can we come in?" Peter asked politely with his hand on the door knob.
"Of course," the girl, Hermione as they now knew her first name replied back in an English London accent. It also sounded like she had a slight bossy type of voice. They could sort of pick it out now in other people as Susan had used it herself on Peter, Edmund and Lucy more times than they could care to count.
Peter opened the door and they all filed into the room and took a good look at the place they'll be staying in the most. It was an overall dark room with the only light coming from a window at the far end of the room. There were a few more paintings of men and women they didn't know of. There seemed to be a few more chairs around the room along with a small table. At the window there was also a window sit so you could look out of it. There was a roaring fire around which was two sofas and a high backed chair that were coloured a dark brown. On one of the sofas sitting as close to the fire as she could was Hermione. She was a small girl with pale skin, brown bushy hair that went below her shoulders and green eyes. She was reading from a thick book before she looked up and smiled at the Pevensie children. They noticed she had a red lightning shaped scar on the right side of her forehead. They smiled at her; well Edmund didn't and sat on the seats next to her. Lucy sat next to her. Susan and Edmund sat opposite and Peter sat on the chair in between them. Now was the time for the first introductions to be begun.
The Girl Who Lived- 1st November 1981
An old man called Albus Dumbledore was the Headmaster of a school called Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was in fact a hundred and year old wizard. A wizard or witch was someone who was born with magic. At the age of eleven they would go to Hogwarts and learn magic over a period of seven years so that the child is then ready to go out into the world.
He had pure white long hair and beard that went down to his waist, pale blue twinkling eyes and was wearing long purple robes along with a pointy hat and glasses.
At that minute he had appeared on a street called Bloomsbury Lane in at what seemed like out of thin air but he had in fact just Apparated, meaning the ability to appear and disappear at will once you are of age.
He moved forward a few paces and brought out an old object that was of his own invention. It was called a Dulumintor. With it he called forth all the lamps that were lighted in the street so that he was left in total darkness except for one house in the middle on the left: number forty five. It was better if all the lights went out, because then if anyone on the street would happen to wake and looked out of the windows they wouldn't see a thing and our kind would still remain in secret.
He turned to his right when he heard a meow and saw a grey tabby cat sitting next to him with black lines around its eyes in the exact position glasses would have been. "I should have known you would be here, Professor McGonagall." The cat looked to the wall of a house where its shadow increased its size until it became human.
A witch, Professor Minerva McGonagall who taught Transfiguration at Hogwarts, was the deputy Headmistress and also was Head of Gryffindor house, came out of the shadows. She was also an old, though not as old as Dumbledore. She had dark brown hair that was pulled into a strict bun that was hidden in her back pointy hat; she was wearing dark emerald robes and wore black glasses in the same place as the black lines on the cat. Professor McGonagall was in fact a registered Animagus which meant she could transform at will into the animal that most represented her. She joined Dumbledore as they started walking towards number forty five.
"Good evening Professor Dumbledore. Are the rumours true Albus?" she asked him worriedly.
"I'm afraid so Professor," he answered in the same tone. "The good and the bad."
"And the girl?" it seemed as if she was hoping for a good answer.
"Hagrid is bringing her," he reassured her.
If it was meant to reassure it didn't seem to work. She was still worried. "Do you think it's wise, to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"
"Ah, Professor, I would trust Hagrid with my life." She would trust Hagrid as well; it's just that he had a strange way of blurting out important information.
They both turned as they heard the engine of a motorbike and its headlights as they saw it in the midnight sky coming fast towards them. It landed with a bit of a bump and the screeching of tires as it stopped in front of them. Of them motorbike cam a half giant called Rubeus Hagrid. He was stall, taller than Dumbledore being 11ft and 6inchs and was dressed in his normal thick winter brown coat, trousers and boots. His hair along with his beard was a dark brown that was very curly and frizzy. One he had taken off his goggles you could see his eyes were a warm brown. Around his middle hung a bundle wrapped in pink blankets. This bundle held a baby, this baby helped destroy one of the most evil wizards this world has ever seen in this time, this baby was called Hermione Potter.
"No problems I trust Hagrid?" Dumbledore asked him. Hagrid was what the half giant liked to be called.
"No sir. Little tyke fell asleep just as we were flying over Bristol." As he handed Hermione over to Dumbledore he said, "Try not to wake her, there you go."
They had arrived at number forty five by the time Hagrid had come so they walked down the small path with a well-manicured lawn either side of them along with a variety of flowers around the edge.
"Do you really think it's safe?" McGonagall asked Dumbledore. "… To leave her with these Muggles? There won't be any protection should any harm come to young Miss Potter."
"They're the only family she has." Dumbledore gently rebuked McGonagall.
Once they reached the door Dumbledore didn't knock but instead placed Hermione on the door's front step. They turned to Hagrid when they heard him sniffle and saw him crying silently.
"There there Hagrid," Dumbledore consoled him. "It's not really goodbye after all."
Hagrid nodded when he remembered that.
They all then looked at Hermione again and Dumbledore put a letter written in ink and parchment on top of her. "Good luck," Dumbledore wished the baby. "Hermione Potter." One of the most curious things they could see of the child was a red lightning shaped scar on her forehead where they knew the evil wizard had cursed her.
Hermione's House- Bloomsbury Lane, July 23rd September 1991
Hermione Potter. She was a young girl at the age ten and was nearly eleven as her birthday was the 31st of July 1980 and it was now July 23rd 1991. She had bushy brown hair that would never lay straight, bright green eyes and a small dash of freckles across her nose. She wasn't very tall, only four foot five. She also had a lightning scar on the right side of her forehead. She was a bookworm, meaning she liked to learn everything from books.
As a pleasant and shocking surprise on her eleventh birthday she was visited by a half giant by the name of Rubeus Hagrid, who liked to be called Hagrid. He was the Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That day she learnt that she was a witch. She could remember that day very well.
~HP~
I woke up to the sounds of my adoptive parents singing me 'Happy Birthday' and a two layered banana flavoured cake with pink icing and eleven candles. I made a wish, to know what happened to my parents. Then we went down stairs, had a huge breakfast as it was luckily on a Saturday this year and then went to the Television where my presents awaited me. I mostly got books, and only a few clothes.
Then at lunch time just as we were finished getting ready to go shopping a nock sounded at our door three times. "Aunt," it no longer felt weird calling her that. "Did you expect anyone today?"
"No, sweetie, today was going to be all about you," she answered me, feeling very confused.
Dad went up to the door and opened it. As it opened straight into the lounge we called all see behind the door. We were all to stunned to scream. "Ah, thank you, sir," he answered in a deep, rumbling voice. He entered our house and sat down on one of our black leather sofas that creaked under the man's giant body. I didn't know what to make of him. He had long frizzy brown hair and beard that covered almost all of his face, he had brown eyes, a wide girth, he was very tall, maybe seven foot something or taller and he was wearing a thick brown cloak which shouldn't be needed just yet as it was still warm out. He then saw me watching him from wear I sat on the opposite sofa. "Ah, you must be Hermione Potter. Am I right?"
I nodded slowly. How did he know me? I've never seen him before.
He then brought out two cups and saucers along with a tea pot out of his coat. "Want some?" he asked me.
I nodded since I found I couldn't speak and I was amazed that he managed to fit all that into his coat. Once he poured some tea I reached for it shakily, though the man didn't seem to notice.
While I drank my tea and I decided to question the man. I took a sip to calm my nerves and asked him, "excuse me, who are you?"
He never exactly introduced himself when he came in and it doesn't look like my aunt and uncle know him either as evidenced by their still shocked silence.
"Rubeus Hagrid, though call me Hagrid. I'm the Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts. 'Course, you'll know all about Hogwarts."
Why did he think that? "All my aunt and uncle have ever told me about it is that it is where my parents went to school but not anything more."
"Blimey Hermione, didn't you ever wonder what you parents learnt, at all?" Hagrid asked me.
"Learnt what?"
He leaned forward as if imparting a great secret. "You're a witch Hermione."
The cup and saucer dropped to the floor in my shock.
He's got to be joking! "I'm not a witch; those sorts of things aren't real. I'm just Hermione."
He brought out a battered purple umbrella and pointed it and the cup and saucer. When he waved it at them they lifted into the air and had mended themselves to perfection by the time he grabbed them and put them back in his pocket.
I think my aunt was going to faint from where she and uncle stood by the bottom of the staircase, they were leaning on it so heavily. I surprisingly didn't need any more proof that magic was real and that I might have it. Normally I need to gather all evidence to make a conclusion but who could have made that up as a trick.
Hagrid then handed me a letter using parchment and green ink. Who rites using these days?
On the front it read 'Dear Miss. H. Potter, Number 45 Bloomsbury Lane, Totteridge, London.' She turned the envelope over and noticed that on the red seal there was a picture of four animals, a snake, a griffin, an eagle, and a badger, that were surrounded by a shield. Around the shield in tiny black writing wrote Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
She ripped open the letter and noticed two pieces of parchment written in black ink. She read the top one first and decided to read aloud for the benefits of her parents.
"Dear Hermione Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" No way, I get to go to the same school my parents went. I'll finally be able to learn more about them as my aunt and uncle won't tell me anything. I also can't wait to learn about magic, though I still can't believe that I have magic so I told Hagrid that.
He answered, "Have you ever made anything happen, anything you couldn't explain when you were angry or scared?" HE looked at me knowingly when he saw that I looked thoughtful.
I do remember some strange instances. Once when some girls were bullying me at school (I've never had any friends) I had gone in a classroom and looked the door. I couldn't get until the teachers were forced to hack down the door to get me out. There were also instances where when I wanted something the objects just seemed to float to me if I couldn't reach them, at the time I just contributed to my childish imagination.
My Aunt Jean, which was my middle name, seemed to get her voice back and spoke to me. "Are you sure you want to go Hermione?"
"Well, of course I want to aunt. How could I not? I'll get to learn magic."
She sagged down warily it seemed. "Okay fine. We'll need you to get your school stuff though."
"Ah, leave that to me?" We jumped, as we had almost forgotten Hagrid was here, though it shouldn't be hard to remember as his size took up almost the whole room. "We'll go to Diagon Alley; you can get your list of school supplies there. There should be a list of them somewhere in that letter." I looked at the second sheet and noticed it was the list. It was quite a long one. "You ready to go?" Hagrid asked me.
"Um, now?"
"Sure, why not now?"
I turned to my aunt and uncle and asked them, "Is it all right if I go with Hagrid, Aunt, Uncle?"
I looked pleadingly at them and luckily they replied in the positive. "Okay, honey," my aunt answered.
"You look after my niece," my uncle John tried to warn Hagrid threateningly.
It didn't seem to work as Hagrid laughed. "Oh, she'll be safe with me, have no fear, you Muggles."
"Muggle?" I asked Hagrid. I'd never heard of that word before.
"Non-magic folk."
We got outside and got on his motorcycle, though I did hesitate before I got on. We drove till we reached Bull's Head passage in Leaden hall Market that only took half an hour. We walked down the road towards what looked like a long run down pub. We entered and it was very dark with only candles to light the room. They were a few old women smoking cigars and a few men talking quietly by the bar. There just seemed to be one man behind the bar, he was also a relatively an old man. That man was Tom, he was the barman.
"Ah, Hagrid, the usual, I presume?" Tom questioned Hagrid with a smile when he saw him.
"No thanks Tom," Hagrid replied, patting my right shoulders that caused me to nearly buckle under the thump, though I'm sure it was meant to be a friendly pat. "I'm on official Hogwarts business. I'm helping charming young Hermione here to buy her school supplies."
"Bless my soul," Tom whispered when he saw me. "It's Hermione Potter."
The whole pub went silent before, "Welcome back Miss Potter, welcome back," an old man had come up and shook my hand.
Then an old woman in pale purple robes shook my hand. "Doris Crockford, Miss Potter. I can't believe I'm meeting you at last."
We had only moved forward a few more steps when a pale man in purple robes and a purple turban came up to us. "H-H-Hermione P-Potter. I c-can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you."
Hagrid looked surprised to see him. "Oh, hello Professor. I didn't see you there." Hagrid then looked down at me. "Hermione, this is Professor Quirrell, he'll be you Defence against the Dark Arts teacher."
Ah, one of my teacher. I can hopefully make an early impression, plus now I know one of my subjects. It sounds very interesting. I held my hand out to my Professor. "It's nice to meet you."
For some reason he didn't shake my hand. Instead he said, "f-fascinating subject, isn't it P-Potter?"
"Yes well, we best be going," Hagrid said to Professor Quirrell. "Lot's to buy."
"Bye, Professor," I called before we entered the back room of the pub which was filled with bins and empty broken glass bottles. I wondered why we were here; there was just a brick wall in front of us which we walked towards and stooped at.
How did all of those people know who I was? I asked Hagrid that.
"I'm not sure I'm the right person to tell you that Hermione." There's a right person who can tell me why those people stared at me?
He brought out his umbrella again and tapped out a sequence of bricks clockwise. The bricks slowly, from middle outwards, moved. Beyond the brick wall was something my mind couldn't think of dreaming up.
Hagrid smiled at the awe he could see on my face. "Welcome Hermione, to Diagon Alley."
I wished that I had more pairs of eyes then I did right now. There were so many things to look at. There were shops selling owls, potion supplies and cauldrons, one was selling broomsticks.
"Wow, it's a Nimbus 2000. It's the fastest broom in the world," one boy, who looked to be my age, was telling his friends. How can a broom fly? No matter, I wasn't interested in that. I've got a terrible fear of heights.
"Hagrid, how am I supposed to pay for all this? I haven't got any money." I forget to get my parents to lend me some.
"Well, there's your money Hermione. Gringotts bank, safest place there is, 'cept perhaps Hogwarts." It was a tall off white coloured building that was slightly curved. It was mostly made up of glass windows and stone.
We entered to see a huge dark interior; the only light seemed to becoming from lots of candles and torches that were spread around the room. My eyes widened though when I saw the creatures that were working here. They had grey skin, were really small and they seemed to have black beady eyes with long fingers. Some of them were old, some were young, some were counting up precious jewels and money and some were serving other customers.
"Uh, Hagrid, what exactly are these things?" I asked him, feeling quite nervous around them. I'd never seen anything like them before. I think this was my first sighting of a magical creature: I don't think these were the best to start with.
"Goblins, Hermione. Clever as they come Goblins but not the most cleverer of beasts. Best stay close."
I scuttled closer to Hagrid as we approached a very old Goblin which was writing something on his counter. "Miss Hermione Potter wishes to make a withdrawal," Hagrid said to the Goblin.
The Goblin slowly looked up and learned over his counter at me. He had to do that as I was a lot smaller then the counter. "And does Miss Hermione Potter have her key?"
My key, no I don't have my key?! Luckily Hagrid did though. "Ah, here's the little devil." He brought out a tiny little golden key. Normally, I would have thought that would have been a bit useless, having a key that small but since entering the magical world it's opened my eyes to new possibilities. As I'm a bookworm I usually like only facts and figures to help prove something but now even I can't deny that this is all real. I wouldn't be able to call this a dream. "Oh and there's something else as well, Professor Dumbledore gave me this." He brought out a thick envelope wrapped in string. "It's about you know what in vault you know which."
"Very well."
He allowed another Goblin called Griphook to lead us to the first vault. We had to travel in these small metal carts that twisted and turned at super fast speeds. I noticed it was driving by its self! It seemed both Hagrid and I were both getting a little sick.
We finally stopped off at the first vault, 713, and Griphook traced one of his long bony fingers down the length of tall door. It slowly opened. I was very disappointed. I was expecting the vault to be filled with gold and precious stones. Instead it only had a small package inside: it was small, about the size of my fist and was wrapped in a white cloth.
Hagrid only took two large steps to enter the vault and pick it up. Once he came back outside and the door closed he said to me very seriously, "Best not to mention this to anyone Hermione." I heard the warning in his voice and nodded my head. If Hagrid was serious about keeping something secret then it would be best to hear his words of caution.
We then went to my vault, 687, which we had to travel slightly higher then and when Griphook opened it I couldn't believe my eyes. Inside were mounds of gold, columns of silver and heaps of little bronze Knuts. He told me the gold coins are called Galleons, the silver coins are called sickles and the bronze coins are called Knuts. Also that there are 17 Sickles to a Galleon, 29 Knuts in a Sickle and 493 Knuts to a Galleon. I stored that easily away in my brain. One of the good things about me wanting to learn and read books is that I can remember all the information I've stored in my brain. My Aunt tells me it's called 'photographic memory'.
After I gathered enough money to last me the year we left the bank and got all the needed school supplies that included my school uniform (three sets of plain work robes (black), one plain pointed hat (black) for day wear, one pair of protective gloves (Dragon hide or similar) and one Winter cloak (black or silver fastenings).
Then I gathered my school equipment from various interesting shops that included all the books that I needed (that I got from the store called and Hagrid had to pull me away from there so I wouldn't get too many books or by the whole store in my excitement) The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk , A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot, Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore, Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble.
Then I gathered all the other equipment I would need that included1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2), 1 set of glass or crystal phials, 1 telescope, 1 set of brass scales, Students may also bring an Owl or a Cat or a Toad. Parents, not that I had any, were reminded that first years were not allowed their own broomsticks. Why would we need broomsticks? They were for sleeping the floors. Because of my confusion and me wanting to learn everything I could about this new world I asked Hagrid about the broomsticks while we had a break and popped in a store called Florean Fortescue Ice cream parlour to buy some chocolate and raspberry flavoured ice cream with nuts.
As my parents are dentist I'm against eating sweets but they treat me to an ice cream every once in a blue moon when I deserve a treat.
We sat down outside the shop and Hagrid explained the use of brooms in the wizarding world. "Quidditch is our sport in the wizarding world. It's like- like football in the Muggle world-everyone follows Quidditch- played up in the air on broomsticks and there are four balls- sorta hard to explain the rules." That probably means there are a lot of them then. It does sound a bit complicated but that's probably because I don't like the sound of flying in the air on a broomstick with nothing to break your fall.
The last place I went to was Ollivanders: makers of fine wands since said he had to do something for a short while so he left me to buy my own wand.
As I entered the shop a doorbell jingled alerting the owner to my presence. He was an old man wearing glasses behind which I could see pale blue eyes. He climbed down a ladder and approached the counter. "Ah, yes, I wondered when I'd be seeing you Miss Potter. It seems only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands. You mother had ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work. Your father on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it- it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."
Mr. Ollivander then came and stood so close that we were almost nose to nose. It wasn't a very nice experience having someone invade your personal space. "And that's where..." he trailed of as he used a long old pointy finger to point to where my scar was. The scar I've had ever since I was a baby my aunt and uncle told me when I'd questioned them about it. The said my parents died in a car crash and I was the only one to survive but was left with this scar. "I'm sorry to say that I sold the wand that did it. Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the wand to do..."
This just made me pretty confused. My aunt and uncle told me my parents died in a car crash. Mr. Ollivander was insinuating something else. I couldn't quite gather what it was though. Did my aunt and uncle lie to me or did they not just know how my parents died and made it up.
"Now, Miss Potter, let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?" he asked me.
I didn't know that. I've never used a wand before. I suppose he could mean whether I was right handed or left handed. "I am right handed."
"How out your arm, that's it." He measured me from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and around my head. As he measured he said "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss Potter. We have Unicorn hairs, Phoenix tail feathers and the heartstrings of Dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two Unicorns, Dragons or Phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."
I suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was now for some reason measuring between my nostrils, was measuring on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flittering between his shelves, taking down rectangular black boxes that presumably housed his many different types of wands. "This will do," he said and the tape measure crumpled to a heap on the floor. "Right then, Miss Potter. Try this one: Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."
I waved it around a bit but Mr. Ollivander snatched out of my hand almost at once.
He then gave me another one. "Maple and Phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try-" I had also only just raised the wand when it was snatched out of my hand. "No, no- here, ebony and Unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."
I didn't have a clue what Mr. Ollivander was looking for. As the pile of tried wands grew ever higher the happier he became. "I wonder..." it seems he found one he liked near the back of his store. "Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
As I took the wand into my hand I felt sudden warmth in my fingers. I felt compelled to raise the wand above my head and bring it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. "Curious, very curious," he spoke this very softly.
"Sorry, but what's curious?" I asked him. He kept on mentioning that this was curious but he didn't say what was or why it was.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Miss Potter. It so happens that the Phoenix whose tail feather resides in your wand, gave another feather- just one other. It is very curious that you should be destined for this wand when its brother- gave you that scar."
I swallowed nervously. "And who owned that wand?"
"The wand chooses the wizard Miss Potter. It isn't always clear why but... I think it is clear that we must expect great things from you. After all, He Who Must Not Be named did great things- terrible, yes, but great."
As I was paying seven gold galleons for my wand a knock on the window brought my attention to Hagrid. In his right hand I noticed a beautiful Snowy Owl. Hagrid told me it was a she when I went outside to see her. I decided to name her Hedwig; I had seen the name when I first glanced though my History of Magic book when I first bought it in the store.
It was now the late afternoon and we travelled back through the wall to the Leaky Cauldron where we had a meal of chicken soup (Hedwig was in her cage resting on the table next to me).
"You alright Hermione, you seem very quiet?" Hagrid asked me.
I've been thinking who could have possibly given me my scar all afternoon, ever since Mr. Ollivanders gave me some information but not all of it. Hagrid seemed to know a lot to do with me and the Magical world. I think I'll ask him to tell me more about it. "He killed my parents didn't he? The one who gave me this," I pointed to my scar. "You know Hagrid, I know you do." It was only rational to think that if a person managed to give me this scar then they will have killed my parents. Especially since it seems I'm famous. That will then mean that He will have attacked my parents and only I will have survived. I don't know why people seem so in awe and grateful to me though.
Hagrid sighed, almost like he knew this was going to come up. "First, and understand this Hermione 'cause it's very important. Not all wizards are good. Some of them go bad. A few years ago there was one who went as bad as you can go and his name was V... his name was V..."
Why couldn't he say his name? There's nothing to be scared about a name. "Maybe if you wrote it down?" I suggest, since he seemed to have real trouble with saying it.
"No, I can't spell it. All right, his name was Voldermort."
"Voldermort?!" What kind of name is that? What parents would give their child that name?
"Shh!" Hagrid shushed me quietly. I looked around the pub to see no one had noticed my outburst.
"It was dark times Hermione, dark times. Voldermort started to gather more followers: brought them over to the dark side. Anyone who stood up to him ended up dead.
Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head Boy an' Girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before... probably knew they were too close to Dumbledore ter want anything to do with the Dark Side.
Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em... maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You were just a year old.
Your parents fought against them but nobody lived when He decided to kill 'em. Nobody... not one but you."
"Me?" I asked Hagrid, incredulous that someone would try to kill a baby and that I'm still alive since this Voldermort seems to be so evil and created so much terror. "Voldermort tried to kill me?"
"Yes, wanted to make a clean job of it I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead?" Of course I have, ever since I first saw it. "That was no ordinary cut. That's what yer get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh- took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even- but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous Hermione. You're the Girl-Who-Lived."
Great, I've lived all my life in the shadows, except for when I'm with my Aunt and Uncle. I don't want to be famous and have people staring at me. It's not in my nature to be part of the popular crowd. I've never had any friends; all I'd like when I go to Hogwarts is to maybe make some since no one there knows me. They won't be able to judge me based on what people in my Muggle School say about me. I'll finally be able to fit in. Apart from when I'm with my books I've never been able to feel like I really belonged anywhere: with all the strange things that happened around me, that I now know was my magic popping up. I definitely do not want any undivided attention, unless if it's from my teachers or my Aunt and Uncle.
~HP~
After my day at Diagon Alley I enthusiastically told my parents everything I'd seen that day, though I did miss out about the story of Voldermort and my parents. Luckily they were very supportive of me and didn't mind me going to Hogwarts. They were very shocked when I told them about the Gringotts Goblins and my wand which I showed them. For my next year at Hogwarts they wished to escort me to Diagon alley. I very excitedly told them I would love for them to see it.
The rest of my birthday went along smoothly, though it seemed slightly dull compared to the interesting and exciting day I had with Hagrid. We watched a fantasy film called Journey to the centre of the Earth. This film was now nothing to what I know is out there. What I've seen today has opened my eyes to new experiences that watching made up stories could ever do. I was still the bookworm I always am and will be but now I thought more like a child than ever. I never got on well with children my age and had rather liked to have conversations with adults. They were always impressed with my knowledge and I've always had an interest in pleasing everyone else before I delighted in comforts for myself.
Hermione's House- Bloomsbury Lane, September 1st 1991
It was the day that I would go to Platform Nine and Three quarters to have a ride on the Hogwarts Express so I could go to Hogwarts. Before Hagrid left, he gifted me with a red and gold ticket that said Platform 9 3/4. I'd been to the train station before and I'd remember seeing that platform number, even my aunt and uncle seemed confused by that but we just decided to deal with that when we got there.
I'd packed my entire trunk the night before, read all my books the night before (I absolutely love Hogwarts: A History) and I made sure I'd gotten some treats for Hedwig. As well as my entire school close I'd gotten some casual ones for the evenings after school and for the week end. I'd also made sure I got winter and summer clothes since I'd only be leaving Hogwarts for the two weeks during the Christmas holidays and the day before our summer starts.
"Hermione dear, it's time to go," my aunt called from the bottom of the stairs.
"I'm coming aunt." I grabbed my trunk and Hedwig's cage when I remembered that I forgot the coat I was going to wear to travel in and use when it got cold in the winter months. My cupboard was quite a large one though it wasn't a walk in one. I did have to walk into it though to get the coat that I desired.
The strange thing that I noticed today though, was that at the back of the wardrobe there seemed to be a door. Since I entered the magical world about a week ago I've to take things in stride. So when I saw this door at the back of my wardrobe, I opened it.
~CON~
It revealed to me a large office: the stone walls were dark, the furniture was dark (a round sofa and a chair in front of it), the sides of the room were filled with books, pictures and there was one lamp on a large desk. Behind the desk sat a startled old man with glasses with blue eyes, he had white hair and he seemed to radiate a warm wisdom.
"Ah, hello my dear child. What were you doing in my wardrobe?"
"Your wardrobe? I just entered my wardrobe to grab a coat and noticed a door at the back of it. I decided to open it and it led me here."
I was as shocked as the man was. I wonder why he wasn't calling the Police by now.
"Can you get back through to your world?" he asked me. How was he taking this so well? I was only a little bit freaking out. I was going to miss my train.
I put my trunk and Hedwig down and went back in the wardrobe but I couldn't find the door. It seemed to have disappeared. I told the man that. He seemed surprised but it looked they he didn't think I was crazy. I don't think he was what you would call a normal Muggle.
"I'm sorry for you then. How about you stay here while we wait for the door to open for you again?"
"How are you taking this so well?" I just had to ask him. I'm sure most Muggles will have screamed or fainted by now.
"Let's just say I've had many surprises in my life. It's opened me to many possibilities."
"Yeah, so has mine," I murmured. He wasn't supposed to hear that but I think he might have as indicated by his raised eyebrow. "Thank you for letting me stay here, though I am very surprised by this Mister..." I trailed of as I didn't know his name.
He came round and stood in front of me while he held out his hand for me to shake which I did. "Professor Diggory Kirke at your service, ma'am."
"Hermione Granger, it's a pleasure to meet you Sir." And it was there are not many people who could take what just happened today in stride.
"Hermione, that's an unusual name. It was from the play 'The Winter's Tale' was it not?"
"You've read it?"
"Indeed I have."
"My aunt is barren and she had always wanted to call her child Hermione, she quite liked Shakespeare's plays. So my parents decided that if they would have a girl they would call her Hermione after my mother's sister's wish."
My aunt and uncle told me that story when I was about seven. Since the Professor was kind enough to let me stay I decided telling him something like this about myself couldn't hurt.
"The winter's tale is one of favourite stories."
"You would have gotten along with my aunt and uncle then."
"Why don't I allow you to settle down since it seems the door won't be coming back for a while? I'll have one of my maids take you to a room you can stay in and perhaps get you a change of clothes as they look much different to what I'm used to seeing in this time."
"Um, just as thought, this is still 1991, isn't it?" I did just have that thought when he said 'time'. Since I was able to travel to a different room through the back of a wardrobe it is possible anything else could be different.
He again looked shocked. "Um, no I'm afraid it's 1940, my dear Hermione. It's seems you've travelled from the far future."
I can't believe how many times my life has changed this past month. "I'll let you get settled down. He rang a small bell that was on his desk that vibrated throughout the room and I'm sure throughout the house. "Oh, and I'll warn you now that we've having some company coming later on. Four children Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie have been evacuated from London and are coming to stay with me while the Blitz is on. I hope you won't mind the company? Mrs Macready, my Housekeeper, should be fetching them now, I'll have one of the maids notify here that you're here."
"You've let me stay in your home without you knowing much about me. I won't mind and company at all. In fact, it'll probably be welcomed." And it will, I may be able to make some friends at last since we are in similar circumstances.
By that time there was a knock on the door. "Come in," he ordered.
A young woman wearing the typical attire of a maid came in and curtsied to the Professor though she looked surprised to see me. "Yes, Sir?"
"Ah, Maria, this young woman is Hermione Granger, my Goddaughter." I was very surprised that he said that. "If you would put another bed where the two girls who will be arriving soon will sleep?"
"Of course, Sir."
"Thank you, Sir," I smiled gratefully at him. If it was someone else I met here who knows how our meeting could have ended.
"Don't think of it, my dear."
~CON~
It was now the late afternoon, I'd settled into the room that I would be sharing with Susan and Lucy and had brought the book Hogwarts: A History into the room that we would be using to socialise.
I was sitting on a sofa and sitting on the side nearest to the roaring flame. The Professor had allowed me to wear some of my close since they were plain enough to be worn in this time. I couldn't wear clothes like my jeans though.
Just then I heard a knock on the door. "Hermione," someone, presumably the Mrs Macready said, "The Pevensie children are here. I heard her mumble something to the children behind the door before there was another knock and a young male voice politely asked, "May we come in."
"Of course," I replied. This is our room to share.
The four children came in dressed in the clothes of this time. I was told Peter was the oldest at thirteen and I could immediately tell who he was out of the two boys. He was the one who had short dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, was very tall and had a dash of freckles across his face.
Susan was the second oldest at twelve and I could also tell who she was as well. She had chest length black wavy hair, pale skin, brown eyes and was just a bit smaller than Peter.
Edmund must then be the smaller boy at eleven with short black hair, freckles across his nose and brown eyes.
Lucy was the smallest and youngest of the four at age nine. She also had pale skin and freckles across her nose, she had blue eyes and shoulder length brown hair.
Lucy sat next to me, Susan and Edmund sat on the opposite sofa and Peter sat on the chair between us that was opposite the fire.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Hermione." Peter was the one to speak first. "I'm Peter, this my sisters Susan and Lucy and this is my brother Edmund."
"The pleasures all mine. You probably all know by know my name is Hermione, Hermione Granger."
"Isn't that a name used in the play 'The Winter's Tale'?" Susan asked me.
"You know of it?" I questioned her back.
She nodded with a smile. "It's one of my favourite plays."
I laughed at that. "You'd get on well with my Aunt, Uncle and the Professor then. It's their favourite play as well." She laughed in reply.
"We got no word that you'd be staying here?" Peter told me.
"No, it was a bit of a surprise for myself as well. I was planning to take a train to my boarding school in Scotland but at the last minute decided to visit my uncle Godfather before I went."
"Where do you live?" Peter asked me.
"London, I hear that's where you're from as well."
They nodded. "Why do you have to travel all the way to Scotland to go to your boarding school?" Edmund asked me. He's the only one that hasn't smiled at me. I can't quite work out what type of boy he his yet.
"It's one of the best and prestigious schools there is. I suppose they want to be protected and there is lots of room in Scotland to build a school."
We then heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I answered. It was the maid who took me to this room earlier. "It's time for dinner." We sat at the medium sized round table in the room while we ate a dinner consisting of beef and mashed potatoes.
Then we headed to our respective rooms to get ready for bed. I got the bed closet to the window, Lucy got the one in the middle and Susan got the one nearest the door. We each took turns in the bathroom getting ready before we settled down. Only Lucy got into bed. Susan and Peter sat listening to the radio while I carried on reading Hogwarts: A History.
Susan turned off the radio when she noticed Lucy wasn't asleep. "The sheets are all scratchy," Lucy said. They weren't as soft as the ones at her home.
"The wars won't last forever Lucy," Susan reassured her. "We'll be home soon."
Then Edmund entered the room. "Yeah, if homes still there."
"Isn't it time you were in bed," Susan chastised him.
"Yes mum," Edmund sarcastically replied.
"Ed!" Peter warned him. I've got the feeling that Edmund is like this often. Peter then turned to Lucy and reassured her. "You saw outside, this place is huge. We can do whatever we want here. This place is going to be great, really."
It seems Peter is the one who looks after his siblings the most and has the best effect on them. Lucy soon smiled in reply to Peter's kind words of reassurance that I think Lucy, as the youngest, desperately needed to hear.
Apart from Edmund I think they are as close as I would expect siblings to be. I've only ever been an only child. I wonder how different it would be to have siblings and have parents as I grow up. My aunt and uncle have been good to me but I know it wouldn't be the same if my parents had raised me themselves, especially since I've learnt that they were a wizard and witch. I would have been brought up learning about my magic and the magical world but I must say I am pleased with how my life has turned out. This includes this new unexpected change of plan.