Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns everything Harry Potter. Her imagination far exceeds my own.

This is my first attempt at a fanfiction and I've had this idea in my head for ages, so hope you guys like it!! Reviews would be awesome, even criticism is gladly accepted!

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Diagon Alley

A nineteen-year-old Hermione Granger was walking down Diagon Alley with a stride, her brown ringlets bouncing around her head. She was in training to be an Auror, having passed all her NEWTs with flying colours two years ago. Life was good. She had been Head Girl in her final year at Hogwarts, along with Neville as Head Boy, much to everyone's surprise. She fondly remembered how shocked Neville had been once he'd been told - he'd looked like he'd been petrified, how still and wide-eyed he'd stood. Of course, Hermione had always known she'd be Head Girl, with her knowledge and skills.

The main reason she was in Diagon Alley was the need of a new wand - her old one had been broken a few days ago when Crookshanks had sat on it, and she was in need of a new one. She missed her old wand, but felt confident that her new one would be just as good. She badly to feel the smooth wood of a wand under her fingers, and the power that came with it. But she also hadn't been to Diagon Alley for ages, and felt like a mooch around. Being here again reminded her of the first time she set foot into the wizard world, how excited she'd been. She decided she would go to Gringotts and of course she'd go to Flourish and Blotts.

Ten minutes later, she happily emerged from Ollivander's with a shiny new wand in her hand, levitating small items around her just because she could, and was ecstatic to be holding a wand again. It might only have been three days since the loss of her old one, but three days without magic was a lot for a skilled and enthusiastic witch, even a muggle-born who knew how to manage without magic.

She was in such a good mood she felt like treating herself to some new robes. Hermione spent a good half hour browsing amongst the various cloaks, hats and robes, before choosing some nice but not too expensive robes of deep green. Green had always been her favourite colour, despite the fact that she had been in Gryffindor and hated Slytherins (though she never did nearly as much as Harry and Ron had - she had ever had a miniature crush on Draco Malfoy at one point), although gold and red were her second – favourites. After a quick trip to Gringotts and a look in the bookstore (easily her most – visited shop), she decided to have a drink in the Leaky Cauldron and see if anyone she knew was there, before apparating home straight away.

As Hermione walked past Knockturn Alley, she hesitated. Why not? She had always been curious about the Dark Arts, she thirsted for knowledge about absolutely everything magical, dark or not, and surely it was best to know your enemy. She lingered on the edge of the alleyway, unsure whether it was safe. You could never be too careful these days, and it was rare that good people ventured down Knockturn Alley, for it was filled with Dark Magic. Mostly only Death Eaters went there. Still, she reasoned to herself, the Death Eaters are all in hiding these days, and she doubted Mr Borgin or any of the other shop owners would feel inclined to hurt her. She'd just have a quick look at what was down there before heading off to the Leaky Cauldron.

Feeling slightly excited (this would only be her first trip down here since following Draco Malfoy in sixth year), and filled with a mix of anticipation, apprehension and curiosity, Hermione Granger stepped down into Knockturn Alley.

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AN: Yeah, kind of a short first chapter, but next chapter will hopefully be longer.

Review please!! xx