Long ago in the kingdom of Hogsmeade, the people were celebrating one beautiful September day. And what a day it was, for Queen Helen had just given birth to a princess, Hermione. King Robert was overjoyed, visiting each family in the kingdom to invite them to a large feast. The feast was to be held in a week, and all of Hogwarts Castle was abuzz. Thousands of people were expected to come to the feast, from many different kingdoms. The stable boys and groomsmen cleaned the stables and the horses. The maids set about cleaning the castle, while the laundresses set out fresh linens in all the bedrooms. The cooks set about creating the massive feast. The privy was cleaned out, and an extra one was dug. The courtiers all had their servants in full gear in preparation for the feast, making extravagant new clothes and relaying messages to other nobles.
The day of the feast dawned sunny and bright. People were coming in droves to see their new princess. King Robert and Queen Helen sat together at the head of the table, Princess Hermione in the Queen's arms. All agreed that she made a beautiful baby. After a meal of vegetable stew, baguettes, suckling pig and plum cake, King Robert stood up.
"As per tradition, the Fairy Blessing will now take place."
Thunderous applause rang out through the hall as three fairies flew into the room, flitting about near the ceiling, leaving small trails of stars in their wake. Queen Helen placed the princess in her cradle, and the fairies flew to her side.
King Robert joined his wife and said, "Poppy, Pomona, and Minerva, thank you for coming. Your attendance is much appreciated."
Poppy flew next to Hermione. "To this child, I bestow the gift of intelligence. She will have wit beyond measure, and her cleverness will be envied by many." She waved her wand, emitting pale blue sparks. Hermione cooed.
Pomona was next. "To this child, I bestow the gift of conviction. Her spirit will be as strong as any, and very difficult to break. Her belief in her ideals will be renowned." The sparks from her wand were a lovely violet color, and the small princess laughed.
Minerva came forward. "To this child--"
All of a sudden, a sinister looking cloud appeared. From the midst of this black haze emerged another fairy, Dolores. She looked livid.
"How dare you not invite me to the Fairy Blessing?! I wasn't even invited to the feast! You will sorely regret this decision, for your arrogant insolence will cost you most dearly." Noticing the cradle, she smiled wickedly. "Ah, the new princess." Nearing Hermione, she said, "Lovely thing she is, too. On the princess's sixteenth birthday, she will come face-to-face with a basilisk, killing her instantly. Maybe next time, you'll remember to invite me." After shooting black sparks from her wand, she disappeared.
Queen Helen was sobbing. "Can't somebody do something? She can't take her from me!"
Minerva made her way to the queen. "I can't undo the spell, but I can change it. Instead of dying, the princess will see the basilisk indirectly. This will only cause petrification. She will remain petrified until she is awakened by true love's first kiss."
"But that could take years! What if we're dead when she wakes up?" the king asked sadly.
"I can make it so everyone becomes petrified at the same time as the princess."
Looking at his people, the king asked, "Are there any objections?"
Everyone was so horrified by what Dolores had done that they were willing to do anything for their tiny princess.
Minerva flew to Hermione. "To this child, I bestow the gift of life. On her sixteenth birthday she, as well as the rest of her kingdom, will be petrified by a basilisk. All will wake when she is dealt the first kiss from her true love." And with a small shower of pink sparks, she joined the other fairies.
The monarchs thanked the fairies profusely for the gifts given to their first-born child. Although Dolores's arrival had made the mood much more somber, spirits began to rise higher and higher as the revelry grew. There was dancing, storytelling, jesters and much laughter from all. King Robert mingled with the guests, but Queen Helen never left the princess's side. This would set the tone for the next ten years of Hermione's life.
"Hermione! Hermione, get back here! You've gone too far!"
"But mother, I'm not that far away!" the princess pouted as she tossed her dog a stick.
"Helen, let her play. She is but a child," King Robert reminded his wife gently.
"But what if something happens to her? I can't let her out of my sight!"
"We don't have to worry until she's sixteen. There hasn't been a basilisk sighting in a century. All we can do is hope that her sixteenth birthday is uneventful. Until then, we need to let her be a little girl. She needs to play, and have friends. You don't have to keep your eye on her all the time. She does need looked out for, but she can leave your side and be okay. Besides, you haven't taken time for yourself in the past ten years. You owe it to yourself and Hermione to do something for yourself."
"But--"
"No buts. Sam can look after her. You, my dear, should go work on the tapestry you started during your pregnancy. It really is exquisite." And taking his wife's arm, he led her into the castle, the queen glancing nervously over her shoulder as her only child slowly faded from view.
The next day, King Robert made an announcement. "The royal family of the kingdom of Gryffindor will be staying with us for a few weeks. They arrive in three days."
He felt a small tug on his sleeve. "Do the king and queen have any children papa?" Hermione asked hopefully.
"They have a son who's just about your age, Pumpkin."
Hermione was thrilled. She hadn't really had much interaction with children her age. She had played with one of the cooks' children a few times, but her mother had generally kept her at her side at all times. She guessed her father must have said something, because the day before, he and her mother left her outside with Sam the groomsman while she played with her dog Padfoot. It had been the first time she could ever remember being away from her mother for more than a few minutes in her waking hours.
Hermione ran into the kitchen where she found Molly, the cook with whose children she had played with.
"Why Princess Hermione, what are you doing down here?" the kindly cook asked, getting a cookie for her.
"Molly, are Ron, Ginny and the twins here today?"
Molly shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry dear, but I'm afraid they're with their father today. They're tending to our crops." Noticing the tiny princess's face fall, she added, "Is something the matter? Could I maybe help you with something?"
"Well the royal family from another kingdom will be staying with us, and papa said they have a son my age. I want us to be friends, but I don't really know how to be someone's friend. What kind of things should I do?"
"Well, at your age, friends generally play together. They have fun, they laugh, and they tell each other things. Friends will be much more complicated when you're older, but when you're ten, they're much easier than you may think. When you meet him, just be yourself. I'm certain he'll want to be your friend."
"You really think so?" Hermione asked. Molly nodded. "Oh, thank you Molly," the princess cried, wrapping her short arms as far around the matronly cook as she could.
Molly smiled fondly at Hermione as she ran off to find Padfoot. Oh, I do hope this friendship works out for her. The poor dear could use a friend.
Later that day, the king found Hermione in the library, a large book in her lap as she sat curled up in her favorite armchair.
"What are you reading Pumpkin?" he asked, curious.
"I'm reading up on the kingdom of Gryffindor, papa. I want to know all about it when the royal family comes. Would you quiz me?"
"Sure. What are the names of the royal family?"
"King James, Queen Lily and Prince Harry, of the house of Potter."
"Very good! And how old is the prince?"
"He'll be ten in July. I'm almost a whole year older than him, but we can still be friends."
The king laughed. "Who are the king's closest friends, who also happen to be his closest allies?"
"King Sirius of Grimmauld and King Remus of Wolfsbane, who is married to Queen Nymphadora. The three kings met as children while studying under King Albus the Wise."
"Well, you certainly have done your research, haven't you?"
"I wanted to be well-informed. I imagine that it helps to be prepared when meeting someone new."
"I suppose you're right, Pumpkin. So what kind of things are you planning to do with Prince Harry?"
"I hope he likes dogs, because we could play with Padfoot. But then again, I've never met anyone who didn't like him, so I'm sure he'll simply adore him. I figured I could give him a tour of the grounds, and we could look at all the animals in the menagerie, and we could tell each other about our kingdoms, and we could practice astronomy at night, and--" she suddenly frowned. "Is mommy going to make me stay with her all the time when Prince Harry is here? Because that won't be fun at all."
"She's just being overprotective. She only does it because she loves you."
"I know, but could she love me from a little farther away?"
King Robert laughed. "She will be Pumpkin. She'll learn to let go a bit. It just may take her a little time."
The day of the royal family's arrival found a very excited Hermione trying to decide what to wear. Normally, she didn't particularly care about wearing the right color, or the right hair ribbon, or any of the other silly things her mother's ladies-in-waiting spent their time talking about, but today was an exception. Hermione really wanted the prince to be her friend, and she knew that first impressions could mean everything. Eventually, she decided to wear an emerald green dress with a gold sash and stitching, a matching bow holding back her chestnut curls. She had delicate gold slippers on her feet. Although she seldom wore such fancy clothes, she did have to admit that she liked to dress up from time to time. She looked out her window and saw a caravan of carriages approaching a few miles away. She hurriedly ran down the stairs yelling, "They're here! They're here!" until she reached the entrance hall, where her parents stood waiting.
"Hermione, do keep the shouting to a minimum. We don't want them to think our daughter is a hooligan."
"Of course not, Mother. I'll be quiet," the princess said, slightly annoyed.
As the sound of pounding hooves reached their ears, Hermione bit her lip nervously.
It was time.
She followed her parents outside, where a line of carriages stood. Sam the groomsman leapt forward to open the royal family's carriage door. A tall man with messy dark hair stepped out, dressed in regal, yet simple, traveling clothes. He extended his hand into the carriage, and a smaller, pale hand took it. Out stepped the queen, who was one of the most beautiful women Hermione had ever seen. Her milky skin was smooth and clear, her eyes brightest emerald, and her hair hanging in a long titian sheet down her back. After she exited, a boy about Hermione's age followed. He looked very much like his father, but he had his mother's eyes and an odd scar on his forehead. So that's Prince Harry. He looks like a nice boy.
Prince Harry was in awe of his surroundings. Hogwarts Castle was magnificent. Their castle, Godric's Hollow, was nice, but it was nowhere near as grand as Hogwarts. When he followed his parents out of the carriage, he saw the royal family of Hogsmeade. King Robert was a tall, forbidding looking man until you got near him; then his wide smile was contagious. Queen Helen was beautiful, but seemed to be rather frail and worried. Finally, Harry turned his eyes to the princess. She looks happy to see us. That's good. Hopefully we'll be good friends.
As the adults talked, the princess came forward, hand extended. "Hello, I'm Hermione. I do hope we can be friends."
Harry shook her hand. "I'm Harry, and I'd like to be your friend."
"Well we have a feast prepared for your arrival. Shall we adjourn to the Grand Hall?" King Robert said, taking Queen Lily's elbow as Queen Helen allowed King James to take hers, the children following as they entered the castle.
After the feast, while the adults were dancing, Hermione turned to Harry. "Do you like animals?"
"Are you kidding? I love animals! I especially love dogs. I have one at home named Snuffles."
"Really? Dogs are my favorite too! Would you like to meet my dog Padfoot? It would be much more fun than sitting here and being on our best behavior."
"Okay," he said, smiling. "Let's go see Padfoot."
"Okay, stay low right now. If my mother sees us, we'll be in heaps of trouble," Hermione told him.
"Why?" he asked, confused. "Are you not allowed all over the castle?"
"No, I am, but generally only if my mother is with me. Until a few days ago, she never let me out of her sight. And the sad part is, I'm not even exaggerating. For some reason, ever since I was a baby, she's been right by me all the time. My papa talked to her though, and he says she'll start giving me a little leeway. But still, if she sees us sneaking out, she'll completely lose it."
Harry looked sympathetic, but stayed low and quiet until they got out of the Grand Hall.
"Do you want some cookies or something? I always stop by the kitchen to get Padfoot a treat, and Molly the cook always gives me cookies when I'm in the kitchens."
"Sure," Harry said amiably.
They reached the kitchen within a few minutes' time. Harry looked around the bustling room. There were people sweeping, baking and cleaning everywhere. Hermione approached a motherly red-haired woman. "Hi Molly," she said happily.
"Hello Princess Hermione. And who is this handsome young man?" she asked, causing Harry to blush.
"This is Prince Harry. I'm taking him to meet Padfoot."
"Your highness," Molly said, curtsying.
"Really, you don't have to do that," Harry said, looking slightly embarrassed.
"I take it you wanted a steak for Padfoot?" Molly asked the youngsters.
"Yes, please," Hermione said.
She procured a steak wrapped in a napkin and handed it to Harry before handing Hermione a bag of cookies. "There you go dears. Enjoy yourselves, and say hello to Padfoot for me."
"We will Molly, thank you," Hermione said, grabbing Harry's hand and running outside.
"She was…nice," Harry said.
"Oh, she is," Hermione said. "She's probably the closest thing I have to a friend. I've played with her younger children a few times, but not very much."
"You don't have any friends?"
"No, not really. My mother hasn't really given me the chance to have any."
"I don't have many friends, mostly because there aren't many children my age around, but I'll be your first friend if you'll let me."
"I'd like that," Hermione said, smiling, as they reached the kennel. "Oh, here's Padfoot." She let out a large black dog roughly the size of a small bear. "Harry, this is Padfoot. Padfoot, this is my friend Harry."
"Hi Padfoot, hey boy," Harry said, patting his head. "We brought something for you." He unwrapped the steak and gave it to Padfoot. Padfoot barked happily and settled down with his steak.
"He seems like a great dog," Harry said. "He looks a lot like Snuffles."
"Padfoot is a great dog, aren't you boy? Molly says hello" Hermione cooed, scratching him beneath the chin.
"The sun is going down," Harry said, pointing to the multicolored sky.
"Follow me," Hermione said. "Bye Padfoot. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Padfoot barked contentedly.
"Where are we going?" Harry asked as Hermione led him away from the kennel.
"One of my favorite places on the grounds."
After a few minutes, they reached the base of a giant oak tree. Hermione climbed onto the lowest branch and began clambering up the tree.
"Come on Harry, or you'll miss it!"
Amazed at this girl climbing a huge tree in some of her best clothes, Harry followed suit. He reached Hermione where she sat on a branch about half way up the tree, overlooking the fishing pond. He sat down next to her and took in the sight before them. The sunset looked so close that he almost thought he could touch it. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his life.
"This is amazing."
"I know," she grinned. "That's why I brought you here. I finally have a friend to share this place with, so I figured I would."
"I've never met a girl who knew how to climb trees before," he said.
"I know most girls don't, because it's considered 'improper' or something equally ridiculous, but my papa showed me how when I was little. My mother doesn't like it much, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her."
"Hermione Jane, are you up there?" she heard her father's voice ask.
"Yes papa," she said.
"Is Harry up there as well?"
"Yes sir," Harry called down.
"Hermione, your mother is worried sick. You need to come down here before she faints again."
"Yes papa," she said sadly. Turning to Harry, she said, "I'm really sorry if you get in trouble for this. Just tell your parents it was my fault."
"Hey, don't feel bad. This is the most fun I've had in a long time. And something tells me we're going to have a lot of adventures in the next three weeks."
"I hope you're right," she said, climbing down the tree.
Her father was at the bottom. "What were you two doing up there?"
"Well the feast was getting boring, so I decided to introduce Harry to Padfoot. When we were at the kennel, Harry remarked that the sun was going down, so I brought him here to watch the sunset. It really is the best view in the grounds, if not the entire kingdom."
"You're probably right, Pumpkin, but try to remember that your mother is still getting used to this whole 'giving you space' thing. She was bound to notice your absence sooner or later."
"Yes papa. I'll try to be more considerate of her feelings."
"Now come on you two, it's almost time for young princes and princesses to be in bed."
After he was left alone in his room, Harry decided to explore it a bit. Like Hermione had done for Gryffindor, he had read up on Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle before arriving. There were rumored to be secret passages in the castle, and Harry wanted to find one. I should have asked Hermione earlier if she knew of one. Although it would be pretty cool to find one by myself. Harry started by looking for any large cracks in the wall that could be disguising a door. Finding none, he began tapping the wall to find a possible hollow spot. Still finding nothing, he became a little discouraged. Well, I suppose a secret passage could be opened by moving a book or a candlestick or something. Even if it is a bit cliché, it is the "traditional" way to hide a secret passage. Walking over to the bookcase, he pulled every book out to the edge of the shelf, but nothing happened. He pulled on all the candlesticks and candelabras, but there was no response. He tried to move the paintings on the wall, but nothing happened. Discouraged, he sat down on the edge of the bed. Noticing that there were two sets of curtains in his room, he figured he must be in a corner room of the castle. Wanting to see the stars, Harry went to open the curtains. When he opened the first set, however, he did not find a window.
Instead, he found a tapestry.
It was a beautiful tapestry, incredibly detailed. It depicted a brown-haired girl lying on a bed in a castle tower, while a black-haired boy fought a fire-breathing dragon by a wall of a green plant. This is an amazing tapestry. I wonder why they kept it hidden. Wait…what if there's a secret passage behind the tapestry? Excitedly, he lifted the heavy tapestry away from the wall. Behind it was door. Harry's eyes lit up, and he turned the knob and entered the door. The path was dark and dusty, so Harry grabbed a candlestick from his room and set off down the path. After a couple of minutes or so, he came to the end of the path, where he met another door. Cautiously, he turned the knob.
"Who's there?" he heard a nervous voice ask.
"Hermione?"
"Harry? Where are you?"
"Over here, behind this tapestry."
Hermione came over to the tapestry and lifted it, allowing Harry to come into her room. He blew out his candle as he stepped beside her.
"What are you doing here? How did you get here?" she asked.
"There's a secret passage between our rooms. I found it behind a hidden tapestry."
"Really? I'd like to see this tapestry," she said, intrigued.
"Okay, come on then," he said, lighting his candle again before taking her hand and leading her through the passage. When they reached the tapestry, they pushed their way out. When they turned to look at it, Hermione scrutinized it thoroughly.
"You know, that guy fighting the dragon looks a lot like you."
"If you say so, but I think that the girl in the tower looks a lot more like you than he looks like me."
"It does kind of look like me. It's rather strange," Hermione said, yawning.
"I guess it is getting kind of late, isn't it? Here, you can take my candle to get back to your room."
"Thanks Harry. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight Hermione."
"Goodnight." And with that, she set off back down the passage to her own room, where she slept fitfully, visions of the tapestry invading her dreams.
Harry didn't fare much better. The beautiful tapestry was eerie and haunting. It had to be mere coincidence that the people depicted in the tapestry looked so much like himself and Hermione, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the tapestry was somehow relevant.
After dressing in a simple blue dress and crisp white pinafore, a blue ribbon holding back her hair, Hermione ran down the passage to Harry's room and knocked softly on the door. Harry hurried over to open it.
"Good morning," she said brightly.
"Good morning. What are we doing today?"
"Well, what kind of things do you like to do?"
He thought for a moment. "I enjoy archery. Do you?"
"I haven't practiced much, but I do like it."
"Would you like to practice a little more then?" he asked.
"Sure," she said agreeably.
They spent the morning shooting apples off a fence until it was time for lunch.
After they had eaten, Harry said, "My father wants me to spend the afternoon with him, but if it's okay, I have a surprise planned for dinner tonight."
"Sure, I love surprises! Can I have a hint?" she asked eagerly.
"Of course not! That would take away from the surprise!"
"Please?" she said, pouting.
"I'll see you tonight Hermione. Meet me by Padfoot's kennel at seven, okay?"
"Okay," she said, as they went their separate ways.
After an afternoon of reading in the library, Hermione stood by Padfoot's kennel at seven. Harry soon came striding up to her, a sack in one hand.
"What are we doing?" she asked.
"You'll see," he said. "Follow me." He led her to the stable, where her horse Guinevere stood, ready to ride.
"Uh, Harry, I don't really ride," she said nervously.
"You have a horse, but you don't ride?" he asked, surprised.
"Well, I started riding her once, but when she began galloping, my mother said I couldn't ride her anymore. I visit her often, and I really like her, but I don't know how to ride her."
"It's a good thing you're with me then," he said. "I ride all the time. It's my favorite thing in the world." He hopped up onto Guinevere's back and held out his hand to help Hermione up.
"Come on. You'll be alright with me. I promise."
Taking Harry's hand, she climbed up behind him.
"Hang on to me, okay?" he said, and as she wrapped her arms around him, they took off.
He took her to a wide, flower-filled meadow near a mill pond. After they dismounted, he tethered Guinevere to a tree and walked to the edge of the pond. Hermione watched, delighted, as he took a blanket out of the sack and laid it on the ground.
"We're having a picnic?" she asked, eyes alight with happiness.
"Is that okay?" he asked, sounding slightly worried. "I just thought it would be fun. Molly made us some sandwiches and cookies, and I brought some milk. She also told me you really like astronomy, so I figured we could eat as the sun went down and then you could teach me about the constellations."
"That sounds great! This will be the most fun I've had in a long time."
They sat down and ate their dinner as the sun set before them. When the sky had darkened, they lay back on the blanket and turned their eyes to the stars.
"Okay, do you see that one that kind of looks like a house? That's Cepheus, the king. The one by him that looks like a sideways "w" is his wife, Cassiopeia. That one there is their daughter, Andromeda, chained to a rock. And that's Perseus by her. The story says that Cassiopeia was a very beautiful woman, as was Andromeda, but also very vain. One day, she announced that Andromeda was more beautiful than Aphrodite. Well Aphrodite wasn't too happy about that, so she decided to punish mother and daughter. She said that Princess Andromeda was to be chained to a rock by the sea as a sacrifice to the sea monster. Cepheus was upset, but went along with it anyway. Lucky for Andromeda, a boy named Perseus was returning from the Isle of Gorgon, where he had just cut off Medusa's head. He was wearing winged sandals borrowed from Hermes, and as he returned home, he saw the princess chained to the rock. He rescued her, and they were later married. As for Cassiopeia, the gods placed her in her throne upside-down in the sky, so that her skirts would always fall around her head."
"Seems like a pretty harsh punishment for a mother's bragging."
"Yes, I suppose it is, but Aphrodite was very jealous. She couldn't stand the thought of anyone possibly being more beautiful than she was."
"Hey, look! There's a shooting star! Make a wish," he said, closing his eyes. Hermione did the same. "What did you wish for Hermione?"
"Can I tell you? Will it not come true if I do?"
"I'll tell you what I wished for if you do. I think if we both tell, our wishes will still come true," he said sincerely.
"I wished that I'll be able to visit you in Gryffindor someday. What did you wish for?"
"For you to come visit me in Gryffindor," he grinned.
"You did not! Did you really?"
"Yes, I did. I really want you to come visit. I'm so glad we're friends."
"Me too," she said, and without thinking, she hugged him. "We should probably head back. I'm sure my mother's having kittens by now. But thank you for a very lovely evening. It was a great surprise."
"I'm glad. I had really hoped you would like it."
The days passed much more quickly than either of them would have liked. A few days before Harry was due to leave, Hermione asked Molly to help her with a surprise for Harry. Molly readily agreed, and the two set about to their work in the kitchen.
Harry wandered around the castle looking for Hermione, but couldn't find her anywhere he looked. When he stepped outside, Padfoot came bounding up to him, a ribbon around his neck and a note in his mouth. Harry patted the large dog's head and read the note:
Harry,
Follow Padfoot. We have a surprise for you.
Hermione
Harry followed Padfoot through the stables, around the smokehouse, by the fishing pond, and into a small garden courtyard, where Hermione stood by a large strawberry-covered cake.
"Surprise!"
"What is this?" he asked in amazement.
"Well I know your birthday is in a couple of weeks, but you'll be home then. I figured we could have a little birthday party for you before you left."
"Really? You did this for me?"
"Yeah. I made the cake! With Molly's help, of course."
"Thanks Hermione! You're the best!"
"Padfoot and I have a present for you," she said, somewhat shyly.
"You didn't have to get me anything," Harry said.
"I know, but I figured you could use it for the next time we see each other."
She handed him a wrapped package. He opened it to find two books, one on astronomy and one on Greek mythology.
"I figured you could use the astronomy book to learn the constellations, and then the mythology book could explain the stories behind them."
"This is one of the best presents I've ever gotten. Thank you," he said, hugging her.
"Happy early birthday Harry."
Finally, the day came where Harry and his family had to return home. Both royal families stood outside the castle, saying their final goodbyes.
"Harry, promise you'll write to me?" Hermione asked, a little teary-eyed.
"Of course I will," he assured her. "And you'll write to me?"
She nodded, and began to cry. Harry wrapped her in his arms.
"Hermione, don't cry. It'll be alright. We'll see each other again. Remember our wishes? You'll come visit me sometime. Maybe I can visit here again someday. You're my best friend, and it's not over for us yet. It won't be too long before we see each other again, I'm sure of it. And we'll write to each other all the time."
"I know, but it's going to be very strange not having you here all the time. There won't be anybody on the other side of the secret passage anymore. I'm really going to miss you."
"I'll miss you too."
"Harry," King James called, "we need to leave now."
"Goodbye Hermione," Harry said sadly.
"Bye Harry."