A/N: This is my very first attempt at a fanfic. I do love Dramione. Please review! I already have a couple of chapters written and I would like some sort of feedback before I start posting new chapters! Happy reading loves! -Brooklyn
Chapter 1
A young girl of 10 sat at a desk in a small bedroom with purple walls and all white furniture. Books were strewn across the desk and the girl was furiously turning pages in search of some tiny clue of what would explain this letter. A letter had arrived that morning at her window, which was curious because she didn't know why the mailman didn't just put it in her mailbox like all of the other mail. The letter was quite thick and she did not recognize the return address. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. What kind of name is Hogwarts for a school? It sounds disgusting. Witchcraft? Wizardry? There is no such thing. There are many books about witches and wizards, but of course all of them weren't real. Surely they couldn't be.
The girl looked through every encyclopedia she found in the library down the street from her house. None of them had mentioned a place called Hogwarts. She even looked them up in the phonebook. There was no listing. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Hermione? Sweetie? The tea is ready and your father just got home. Are you going to join us?" A small melodic voice came from the other side of the door. Hermione slammed the last encyclopedia shut out of frustration. "Coming mum." She heard the soft footsteps retreat down the stairs. She had been wondering all day whether she should tell her parents about this strange letter.
She picked up the letter off of her desk and quickly ran downstairs. "Hello dad. Did you have a good day at work?" She greeted him with a smile. "Yes dear, I did actually. Even though that Fennwick brat had to come in for a cavity filling. I'll be damned if I don't have scarring on my fingers for the rest of my life because of that kid. I had to get 10 stitches! That's why I'm so late." He held up his right hand showing off many cuts in the shape of teeth marks and the stitches that were on his index finger. Hermione shuddered at the mere sight of them. "I heard that you have been hiding in your room all day pouring over encyclopedias. What's got you so interested this time?" Hermione stuck her hand in her back pocket where she had stashed the letter. "Well, not so much interested as confused." She started to explain. "I know you're going to think I'm crazy, but this is true. I woke up this morning to what sounded like rocks hitting my window." Her mother brought the tea to the table and offered her daughter a cup. She sat in a chair across from her mother and continued her story.
"It wasn't rocks at all mum. It was an owl." Both of her parents stopped what they were doing. Her father sat down the newspaper and exchanged glances with his wife for they knew what was to come next. "The owl had a letter from a place called Hogwarts. I had never heard of it so I went to the library and checked out every encyclopedia they would let me. I've been looking through them all day and haven't found one single mention of Hogwarts. The letter says it's a school for witchcraft and wizardry, but there's no such thing. Right dad?" She pulled the letter out of her back pocket and placed it on the table.
Hermione Granger was young, but she had been obsessed with reading ever since she was 2 years old. She often left the house and walked to the library one block over and came home with piles of books. It was not out of the ordinary and her mother had not asked her why she had went that morning. Her father picked up the letter and read over it. Her mother did not bother. "Honey. We always thought this day might come and now there is something that I guess we need to tell you."
The young girl looked at her mother in disbelief. Surely there wasn't a real place called Hogwarts. They sent the letter somehow as a joke. Yes, that's it. The letter is a joke. She smiled to herself. How silly am I to think this was real. Her mother had a serious look on her face. "This school is real, but you won't find it in any encyclopedia at the library. Nor anywhere else around here for that matter." She added quickly seeing the gears turning in her daughter's head. Hermione quickly began to think of the bookstore two blocks away and thought she would check there. Her mother quickly thwarted that idea.
"My mother was a witch. Yes your grandmother was a sorceress. A great one in fact. I always thought that when I was about to turn 11 I would receive my letter to Hogwarts letter, but that day came and went. I thought my mother would be disappointed that I didn't have the same abilities that she did. I was so upset to go back to my primary school, but my mother never showed any negative feelings towards me. We were a family of Purebloods and every single person in my heritage attended Hogwarts." Hermione could hardly believe her ears. This isn't a joke? I'm a witch? Why has no one mentioned this before?
"I'm so proud of you sweetheart. You're going to Hogwarts on September 1. I will also take you to Diagon Alley to help you get all of your supplies. Oh sweetie! I'm so happy!" She said as tears of joy started to form in her eyes. Her father stayed silent and smiled. He knew about his wife's family and how disappointed her other relatives were that she didn't marry a Pureblood. The only person who still associated with her and her spouse was her mother. She loved them both just as much as if she had married a Pureblood. He was proud that his daughter had received her letter. He knew how happy it would make his wife to have a daughter who was a witch.
Hermione was suddenly excited. "When can we go to this.. this.. um. What did you call the place where I can get my school supplies again?" "Diagon Alley." "YES! Diagon Alley. When can we go? Today? Tomorrow morning?" She was excited to begin a new life. "Is there a bookstore? I want to go there first thing. I need to learn all about Hogwarts before I even step foot onto the campus!" She continued talking a million miles an hour before her mother stopped her. "I can't go tomorrow sweetie. I have to work and so does your father." The smile left the girl's face and tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. "But mum! Can't you take a day off? I need to start learning as fast as I can. I'll probably be behind the rest of the students. They probably already know everything there is to know about Hogwarts. I don't want to get made fun of because I don't know anything. Please mum. PLEASE?" She cried and yelled.
Her mother looked at her with the utmost empathy. "I'm sorry babygirl. Today was my day off. I won't have another one for at least a week. Maybe next weekend?" Hermione's tears did not stop. "Mum. Please. I can't go to another school where I get made fun of for being different. Please take me to Diagon Alley!" She pleaded again. Her mother stayed firm in the fact that she had to work. Hermione then ran up the stairs to her room leaving her tea cup untouched.
"If they won't take me to Diagon Alley then I'll find out how to get there myself." She said to herself after she had time to get all of her tears out. "MUM! DAD!" She yelled and heard her parents come running from their bedrooms where they had been reading before they went to bed. "What Hermione? Are you ok?" Her father asked sitting down next to her on her bed. "Oh I'm alright. I just wanted to apologize for throwing a fit earlier. I shouldn't have done that. Can you tell me more about Diagon Alley?" She asked sweetly.
"Of course I can dear." Her mother replied. Since her father had no knowledge on the subject he retreated to his room and continued to read. "What do you want to know?" She asked the young girl. "Where is it?" "It's in a place where no muggle can see it. Myself included. I have no magic in my veins so I don't know exactly where it is, but my mum told me all about it when I was a little girl." She smiled at her daughter's eager eyes. She always loved to learn about anything and everything. "The entrance is about two blocks away next to that bookstore you love so much. Right next to it is The Leaky Cauldron, which is a wizard's pub. Through the back door there is the entrance to Diagon Alley. They have so many stores where you can buy wands, robes, candy, owls, Quidditch supplies and anything you can imagine you would need in the wizarding world." Hermione was suddenly confused. "What is Quidditch?" Her mother laughed. "All in good time dear. Quidditch is a wizard sport. I've heard it's wicked fun, but I wouldn't know personally." Hermione yawned. "Mum. I'm tired now. Today was a long day. Would you mind if I went to bed and we can talk more about this tomorrow evening over tea? This is all terribly fascinating, but it's a lot to take in for one day." Her mother kissed her softly on the forehead. "Of course my dear. Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite." Her mother turned off the light and closed the door as Hermione curled up underneath the covers. Little did her mother know. Hermione had a plan to get to Diagon Alley and discover for herself all the wonders that this new world held in store for her.